Chapter 116

Edward

I was safe at last, but it didn't feel better, in fact, I felt wretched and alone, more alone than I had ever felt before. I knew the family would all be together soon and there would be no place for me. I guessed that the Volturi wouldn't escape retribution though whether from Bella's father or The Major I had no idea. For that matter, I didn't know if I were really safe or just from Charlie and Carlisle.

The Major might still come looking for me, but there was nothing I could do about that either. Now I had to start making plans for a life alone and well away from the United States. I didn't want to take the chance of bumping into any of them. Italy was out of the question for the same reasons, the thought of running into the Volturi made me feel physically sick. I could go to Rio, I, liked it there but again it had too many connections and memories of the family I had betrayed.

In the end I decided to head for Egypt, it was a place that fascinated me it was one place I had never visited. The archeology interested me and there were plenty of places to hunt although pickings weren't going to be particularly plentiful, I might even have to learn to live on camel blood! Before I did anything else though I had to retrieve my collection of music that was in a bank vault in Pisa, I could live without many things but not my music and the collection in the vault was my most prized possession. I had put it in a Pisa bank because occasionally a dealer there had something I was interested in, something he would offer me before the Volturi and it was convenient if I bought it for him to deposit it straight away. Some of the pieces I had bought I had never even seen although I trusted him not to deceive me as to their value.

I doubted very much I would run into anyone during a flying visit so I made arrangements and from Italy I would fly on to Cairo before deciding on a final destination possibly Luxor but there would be time to decide that later. My flight was only slightly delayed but it meant I missed banking hours and would be forced to stay in Pisa overnight, not something that made me at all comfortable but I stuck to my room listening to my music collection I had transferred to an iPod, it soothed me as always and by the next morning I was much more relaxed. So relaxed in fact that I almost collided with a woman entering the bank at the same time but as she turned I froze. I had never met her but I knew who she was, standing in front of me was Athenadora Volturi, Caius widow. I may be out of the loop in some ways, but I knew Caius was dead.

She smiled at me,

"Edward Cullen, what a surprise. I didn't expect to meet you here after all that has happened."

"I'm sorry...about your husband I mean."

"Don't be, Caius was an ignorant pig who screwed around and I'm better off without him. Aro made sure I stayed so he had Caius where he wanted him, but now my husband is dead Aro no longer cares what I say or do. Why are you here in Italy?"

"I'm just passing through, I have some things to pick up."

"Oh, so where are you going after that? Or is it a secret?"

"No, Egypt as a matter of fact."

"Really? Did you know I was Egyptian by birth?"

"No, where were you born?"

"A small village just outside Luxor. It's no longer there now, but I was happy enough growing up there. My father was a minor priest in one of the lesser temples and I was a temple, dancer."

"So how did you end up here in Italy with Caius?"

"Its very simple, he was traveling in Egypt with his sire when he saw me one day at the temple and decided he wanted me. I think he may even have been in love with me although I doubt he really was. His sire warned him against stealing me from the temple, but Caius ignored the warning. He spirited me away and turned me, but his sire was discovered and burned in the temple grounds to appease the Gods for losing me.

The rest is very mundane, he met Aro and Marcus and they formed the Volturi here in Italy. When Aro murdered Didyme to keep her from leaving and taking Marcus with her he also had Sulpicia and I sent to the tower and kept artificially happy and contented by Chelsea and Corin. Now Caius is dead it doesn't matter anymore, Sulpicia is staunchly supportive of her mate in any case. I think she stayed in the tower with me partly because she felt sorry for me. Caius wasn't even much of a husband.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"What I would like is to wield a little power, I was hoping Aro might ask me to take Caius place on the ruling council, but I think he wants the power all to himself and with poor Marcus still under Chelsea's spell he has what he wants. I'll stay in Volterra because despite everything it is my home now."

"Why don't you come with me?"

I have no idea what made me say it and she looked shocked, but I could hear her thoughts, l she was seriously considering my offer. Then she shook her head,

"I can't leave Volterra now Edward, I know that soon someone will come for Aro, after all he has done it's inevitable and when they do I want to be there, but it is tempting."

The longer I looked at her the more beautiful and tragic she looked, was I falling in love with Caius' widow? Then I understood she was thinking the same thing about me. Athenadora was contemplating joining me because she felt drawn to me in a way she never had to Caius.

"Will you stay in Italy Edward? Just for a little while?"

"Stay? Why?"

"Because I would like to go to Egypt with you. I could show you the real Egypt, but I cannot leave until I know what will happen to Aro."

I knew to stay in Italy was foolhardy even if the Volturi weren't looking for me, but I couldn't refuse her.

"Very well, for a few weeks but when will I see you again?"

"Oh, I come and go as I please now, where are you staying?"

I gave her the name of the hotel and she promised to be back in Pisa within the week.

"I'll ring and leave a message if I hit any problems, but I don't foresee any. I have to go now or Jane will come looking for me, she came with me to pick up some things for Marcus but next time I will ensure I am alone. Well, I should see to my business and let you get on with yours so goodbye for now Edward."

I lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed it receiving a huge smile in return,

"How gallant, I haven't been treated like a woman in a very long time, keep that up and you might find me difficult to get free of."

I watched as she approached one of the cashiers and went over to the safe deposit area but decided at the last minute to leave my music where it was. If I were staying in Pisa for a while then I could retrieve it any time. I waited until she left, the most beautiful and graceful woman in the place then walked slowly back to my hotel.