A/N: Okay. This chapter has been a pain in the butt to write. I've rewritten it four times so far. And each time I edit, it gets a bit longer. Lol. By the time I was done and satisfied with it, it was over six thousand words. So, I split it into two chapters. Which means, you guys get an extra chapter!
Enjoy! xoxo
– Bella's POV –
While we waited for Carlisle, Aro turned his black, icy glare on Maria. "You've evaded us for a long time, Maria. Had you not been greedy and intent on destroying your progeny's mate for your selfish gains, you might've lived longer . . ."
"Without him, I have nothing left to live for!" Maria spat. "He's mine!"
"No, child," Aro shook his head. "That isn't how our world works. A mating bond trumps all. As soon as he mated, he ceased being yours and became Isabella's."
She went to open her mouth to argue, but he moved, fast, striking to grab hold of her head, his fingers digging into her skull as he read her.
For an old dude, he sure does move fast!
I'm not sure why, but I didn't expect him to be that fast.
Aro sighed and shook his head. "You've broken so many of our laws. Killed thousands. So much talent! So many lives wasted in your endeavor to gain territory. I'll never understand the Southern Wars." He released Maria and she sagged onto the grass. "Caius, I believe another cleansing is in order. Before we return to our home, let us visit the South and see what we can do to clean up their mess."
A sinister smirk crossed Caius' angelic face.
"What about her, brother?" Marcus asked, looking down at Maria's limp form.
"For her crimes, I think a slow, painful death is in order. Imprisonment in Volterra. The Dungeon Master will take her apart piece by piece burning one part every, oh, let's say twenty years until she's no more. Saving her head and heart for last."
Talk about a slow death. It'll take them a hundred years just to burn five fingers! Four hundred years to burn all her fingers and toes! Another eighty to burn her feet and hands. She was going to suffer for centuries. It would be torture. Pure and simple.
You know, I can live with that. They can take care of killing her and we can move on with our lives.
After all she's done. The death she's caused. The carnage. The chaos. She was happy to tear apart mated couples. She would've killed Charlotte if Jasper hadn't stepped in and let her and Peter escape. Who knows how many other mates she killed! Or how many innocent lives died because of her. We don't know what laws she broke or how many times she risked exposure. And, let us not forget, she came here to kill us!
As far as I'm concerned, none of that compares to what she did to our mate! The pain he suffered at her hand. The torture. The fear. The never-ending battles and war and killing. She tore his heart from his chest! She made him suffer immense pain! There is no forgiving that! Not now. Not a hundred years from now! Not until she's ash and I know she can never again harm him!
Agreed. Let the bitch suffer.
"What about blood?" Charlie asked. "Won't she go crazy if she doesn't feed?"
Caius smirked. "There are plenty of rats in the dungeon."
"No!" Maria sobbed. "No! Por favor! Miss. Bella! Por favor! Don't let them do this to me! Just kill me now! Por favor!"
Everyone turned to me and I'm pretty sure they expected me to fold and give in to her demands. To suddenly revert to my old self and take pity on the pleading woman.
They don't know us at all.
I looked down at the woman before me. Sniveling. Pathetic. The great warlord of the south was reduced to pleading and begging. After all she'd done, when the tables were turned, she begged for her life.
At least own what you've done and accept your punishment! You did the crime, now it's time to pay the price.
This whole thing has been a disappointment of monumental proportions! I was looking forward to fighting a warlord and kicking her ass. To see her now, the once-feared warlord of the south, on her knees begging for my help, was beyond pathetic.
I smirked. "You tore my mate's heart from his chest. Tortured him. Starved him. Manipulated and used him for your own ends! You made him believe he was nothing more than a weapon, only capable of war, death, and destruction. And now you're begging his mate to help you? You came here to kill me! I wouldn't help you if my life depended on it!"
"I made him strong!" She yelled. "I made him fierce! I made him a legend! He wouldn't be anything without me!"
"You're right." I agreed. "Without you, he would've remained human. He would've fought bravely in the war, risen through the ranks, and come home safe. His momma would've been proud of her baby boy! And then, one day, he would've met a young lady and fallen in love with her. They'd take over his family's farm when his Pa passed on and had beautiful babies together. His life would've been filled with love and happiness. He could've grown old, watched his children grow, and then his grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren. You took that from him. You took his future from him!"
I took a breath and shook my head. "There will always be a part of me that's grateful you came along when you did. If you hadn't, I wouldn't know him. Love him. My soul would be forever incomplete."
She smirked. "Then you should be grateful to me! You should be thanking me!"
Snarling, I darted forward and grabbed her black, silky hair, yanking her head back. "I'm a complicated woman, Maria. I can be both grateful and hate you all at the same time."
She whimpered as I tugged on her hair, ripping strands from her scalp. "Y-You owe me! I'm the reason you have a mate!"
"You're probably right," I agreed, releasing her hair. She looked relieved, almost hopeful. "Which is why I'm handing you over to the Volturi."
Her face fell. "Que?"
"One way or another, your death is imminent. Your time on this earth is over. With the Volturi, you'll be in agony for centuries to come. I can live with that."
"We all can," Char hissed.
"If I intervened, your punishment would be so much worse than whatever the Volturi have in mind. Recently, I've been wondering how long it takes a vampire to regenerate . . . oh, or maybe I could cut you open, burn all your internal organs and see if they regrow!"
Almost everyone—save the Whitlocks and the Volturi—looked horrified. Esme and Carmen looked like they wanted to vomit!
"I'm a very curious girl and you, Maria," I smiled sweetly, though from the way she flinched, I'm not sure I came off all that sweet, "would be my test subject. So you see, by allowing the Volturi to take you, I am sparing your life. As well as my mates. He's an empath. Can you imagine what it would do to him to feel your suffering for the many, many centuries I would keep you alive? No," I shook my head. "I won't allow that. He's suffered enough at your hands. Peter and Char have, too. I won't allow you to hurt them any more than you already have. If that means I let go of my revenge and entrust your death to the Volturi, so be it. To ensure my mate's happiness and sanity, there isn't anything I wouldn't do."
Aww. Look at us go! We're growing and maturing! Thinking of our mate's needs before our desire for revenge.
Jasper's arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled me back into him. "Are you sure, Darlin'?"
I looked up at him. "It'll only hurt you more to feel her constant suffering; I won't allow that. You," I leaned into him, reaching up to cup his cheek in my hand, "are more important to me than her death."
He let out a breath and relaxed against me, pressing his forehead to mine for a moment.
"Ah, young love," Aro sighed. "Alec, before we leave, make sure you have Isabella's information so we can update her on Maria's progress. We'll send you detailed reports, even video updates so you'll be able to witness her demise while keeping your mate safe."
Yes, Sir." A small, dark-haired boy bowed his head.
Wow. I wasn't expecting that!
"Thank you, Aro!" I smiled.
I feel better about this now. At least we'll have confirmation she's gone. However long it takes.
"Of course, young one!" He smiled happily.
"And I'll speak to the dungeon Master and have him contact you," Caius added. "If you have any requests for her punishment or wish to ask him any questions regarding torture techniques and how our bodies regenerate, I'm sure he'll be happy to answer them."
Wow. Um. Quick question, were you kidding about that or is this a for real thing? Because, you know, it's kinda icky.
Well, it would be interesting to know how my body works and I do have questions. But mostly, I was only talking out of my ass. I'm not sure I have the stomach for torture. I'd rather leave that to The Volturi.
Phew. I was concerned for a minute . . . I may be the darker, vampire part of you, but I'm not into torture.
Aro clapped his hands together. "Now, Irina! Tell us your grievance, child."
Irina smirked and pointed her finger at me. "She killed my mate!"
Aro looked at me and then back at Irina. "Please, allow me?" He offered her his hand and she willingly took it, her black eyes never leaving mine.
Whatever Irina was feeling, it was affecting my mate. He gently pulled me back and behind him as Peter and Char moved to stand on either side of me.
"Hmm. I see," Aro sighed. "Marcus, brother, what do you see?"
Marcus, a very tall man with long black hair and deep red eyes, sighed and shook his head. "Nothing. This one has no mating bond, past or present."
"Yes," Aro nodded, "that's what I assumed." He turned his eyes back to Irina. "This Laurent you are so besotted with was not your mate, child. He was using you—"
"NO!" She screamed and, shocking everyone, she lashed out and kicked Aro, throwing him across the baseball field. He spun through the air—rather elegantly, I thought—and landed on his feet like an Olympic gymnast.
Before anyone could react, Irina roared my name and charged toward me, shoving Tanya and Carmen out of her way as they tried to restrain her. She dodged Axel as he went to grab her.
The woman's on a mission!
Yeah, to kill us!
Throughout the whole battle, I hadn't used my shield, other than to keep Victoria and her newborns trapped on the baseball field. I hadn't felt the need to use my shield. I've spent eighty-five years believing my gift was to change my form. To me, it felt easier to fight than to shield. But now, as Irina's black eyes bored into mine—her intent clear—I wrapped my shield around her, lifting her off the ground and trapping her ten feet in the air.
"Let me go!" She screamed, hitting my shield with her fists. "He was my mate! I loved him! You killed him!"
"Aro, are you all right, sir?" I wondered.
The guard looked pissed. His brothers were surrounding him. A pretty blonde looked ready to murder Irina. I'm guessing that was his mate.
"I'm fine, my dear," he assured me and everyone around him as he brushed snow off his black cloak.
To be honest, he was kinda chill about the whole thing. I expected a lot of growling and 'off with her head!' Not this cool, calm, collected man who seemed unphased after being attacked and thrown across a field.
"She attacked one of the Kings!" Caius growled. "For that, she will die!"
Aro placed a hand on Caius's shoulder. "Settle, brother. Irina's grievance is with Isabella. Not us. She will not rest until Isabella is dead. She believes Laurent was her mate and seeks revenge."
"Then it is The Major's decision what is to be done with her," Marcus drawled.
Caius nodded in agreement. "As it is his mate who is in danger, it is his right to defend her."
I placed my hand on Jasper's back, peeking out from behind him. "There's nothing that can be done?" I asked. "She has to die?"
Yes, Sunshine. She must die. If we let her live, she'll just try to kill us again and again, until she becomes the next Victoria.
"This ain't somethin' that can be fixed, Suga Bean," Peter said softly. "If ya don't stop this now, with the Volturi's approval, she'll keep tryin' and one day she'll succeed in either takin' yer life or The Major's."
"She believes Laurent was her mate and his death has sparked her need for revenge," Aro sighed. "It's such a waste of a good life."
"Her desire for revenge will only grow worse until it eventually drives her insane," Marcus added. "In time, she'll become a danger to, not only herself but the rest of our world. We cannot allow that."
"Our secret must be kept, now more than ever!" Caius cried.
Best to get it over with now, I say. There's no need to prolong her suffering and risk our mate's life. Look how she's changed in the last fifty years. She isn't going to magically recover. She wants us dead. And we both know our mate will defend us until –
"It's okay, Bella," Tanya said softly. "I should've done it decades ago, but I didn't want to believe she was capable . . . I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Please. Do it. I can't bear to do it . . . Please . . ." she shook her head as venom tears filled her eyes and a sob left her lips.
Carmen wrapped her arms around Tanya as Kate darted towards her sister, hugging both women to her. Her eyes met mine and she nodded once. "It needs to be done."
With a deep breath, I looked up at Irina who was snarling and growling within my shield, detailing all the ways she was going to kill me. Jasper's arms came around my waist as he pulled me into him.
"Let her down, Darlin'," he whispered in my ear, "I'll do it."
I shook my head. "No. I need to."
As he pressed his forehead to mine, I closed my eyes and squeezed my shield, compressing the shimmery bubble until Irina was nothing more than dust. Carefully, I set the bubble down in the snow and, once my shield dropped, Caius lit the Irina dust on fire, just to be safe. I'm not sure if she could've regenerated from the dust or put herself back together. Maybe in time. I don't know. Either way, with a puff of purple smoke, Irina was gone.
The guard began to murmur as they watched a vampire turn to dust within my shield. I didn't need to be Jasper to feel their fear and concern as they looked upon me. They were scared. Anxious.
And rightly so.
No. There's no reason for them to fear me or for the brothers to worry I'll seek to overthrow them and take power for myself. Aro read me. He knows all I want is my freedom and peace.
I'm open to helping them if they ever need my assistance, but I doubt they will. They've got a strong guard with an array of powerful members. They don't need me.
Just because I have power, doesn't mean I'm going to use it willy-nilly. I have no interest in joining the guard. Going to war. Or taking control of the world. That's far too much work! I'd rather just live my life and enjoy freedom. I want to travel with my mate. Lie on the beach and enjoy the sunshine. Swim in the ocean with the fishes. Sip a Mai Tai and watch the sunset in the loving embrace of my Jasper.
I'm a simple kinda gal. I want to live a quiet life. Just me, my Jasper, and on occasion, our family. To me, there's nothing better.
It does sound all kinds of wonderful. I can't wait to feel the sun on our skin again! But . . . there's also the chance . . .
If anyone tries to attack me or those I love, all bets are off, I assured her. I enjoy peace and freedom and a quiet life, but I can and will defend my family. If that means unleashing my power, so be it. Our enemies will be dust at my feet before they can declare war upon us!
Our Coven is strong. We are powerful. I'm not alone anymore. I'll never be alone again!
With Irina's death, Tanya broke down into sobs. Eleazar took Carmen into his arms as she too began to cry for the girl she'd once known. Kate held onto her sister as Garrett wrapped his arms around them both.
Surprising me, Aro approached the group. "There, there, my child," he cooed, trying to soothe the beautiful blonde. "We understand the bonds of family and Coven. I'm so sorry for your loss."
Huh. This is not the man I expected. Not at all. He's not cold, selfish, or evil! At least, that's not what I'm seeing.
Of course, not. We were lied to by those who wanted to keep us ignorant of our world. Eleazar, Carlisle, and Edward were only out for their own gains. They lied, manipulated, and used us!
As Aro comforted Tanya, somewhere off in the distance, I heard someone snarling and growling. Footsteps moved quickly toward us as a struggling, disheveled man came into view.
Ah. About time . . .
A/N: So, to recap! Vicky and her army are dead. Irina was crushed by Bella's shield. And Maria is off to the Volturi dungeons for an eternity of pain.
Up next, it's Eddie, Carlisle, and Eleazar's turn!