It became clear that the first wave would come from the rear, but as Edward and Esme crouched into a fighting stance, Alice opened her mind, and amidst the chaotic thoughts filling his head, Edward saw a clear vision.
Almost immediately, vision turned to reality as Laurent barreled around the corner with Kate, Irina, and Tanya hard on his heels, and three Volturi guards in red cloaks practically fell over Jasper from the other side.
With no time for explanations or greetings, the Cullen clan, now reinforced to bring their number to nine, turned as one solid fighting force. The first guard went down in an instant as a bolt of lightning hit him square in the chest. His three companions, hit by a wave of fear and confusion they couldn't explain, fell into disarray. Thus discombobulated, they were no match for Emmett and Jasper, who quickly dismembered and decapitated them in fluid, well-executed moves practiced in many faux combat games and honed during the last week and a half.
In a matters of seconds, their first significant battle was waged and won, but they all knew the war was still to be fought. Everyone knew there was no guarantee they would prevail, but as softly spoken greetings were exchanged, they began to feel far more hopeful. There was little time to linger, but Jasper raised an eyebrow at his wife.
Edward was more vocal. "What the hell, Alice? Is this what you've been hiding? Why didn't you say anything?"
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Edward, Jasper, but I couldn't. I contacted Eleazar as soon as Carlisle left. He couldn't come himself—you know how much danger he would be in if he returned to Volterra—and he wouldn't let Carmen join us without him, but Laurent agreed immediately, as did the girls. But if I'd told you, the plan would inevitably have changed, and no matter how I looked for a good outcome, even small changes would have led to failure. The only way I could see us triumphing was to keep it from you. This way, I believe we have a chance. You understand, don't you, Jazz?"
Her husband nodded, smiling gently down at her. "Of course. You know I would never bet against you, honey."
He looked around at those who had willingly put themselves in harm's way to come to the aid of a most beloved compatriot. "Ladies, Laurent, you sure are a sight for sore eyes, and I thank you for your support. Now, time's a-ticking, so let's go find Bella."
Without further delay, they set off toward their goal. As they made their way inexorably on, Jasper continued to bolster his comrades' natural courage and fortitude, and each time they met resistance, he cast a wave of terror toward their enemies, making it an easy task to overcome every impediment to their progress.
~o0o~
Inside the chamber, a modicum of tenuous calm had descended as Marcus, marshaling every last ounce of determination and energy he possessed, forced himself to take control of a situation that he knew might spell disaster for everyone present and the vampire community as a whole, a situation exacerbated by Aro's greed and narcissism and Caius's crazed and murderous psychopathy.
He had drifted into a chronically depressed ennui since the death of his soulmate hundreds of years earlier and sometimes wished for an end to this tedious, endless life that held no meaning for him. It was why he seldom bothered to feed unless cajoled by Aro, who would tempt him by opening a human's vein and thrusting it at him. Aro didn't want his vampire brother to die, merely to be rendered impotent. What energy Marcus could muster was expended on keeping at bay the belief that his wife's death could be laid squarely at Aro's door. It occurred to him now that having been the balancing voice of reason within the triumvirate, Aro had, by killing his own sister Didyme, achieved what he truly wanted—overall control of their world. He discounted Caius, whose madness and co-dependency rendered him incapable of mounting a challenge to Aro, who had always been able to bend the younger vampire to his will in any case.
It was Aro's rampant and misguided paranoia about Carlisle Cullen that had brought them all to this unfortunate impasse, and it was time he threw off his cloak of apathy and found a way to resolve things before they escalated out of all control.
All those in the chamber watched in astonishment as Marcus moved and spoke more in those few minutes than he had in … well, no one could rightly remember the last time he had been so vocal or animated.
"Aro, don't you see the damage you are doing? Carlisle was … is our friend, and you know full well he has never had any interest in challenging your rule." He paused, his voice husky and cracking from disuse. Apart from the few utterances he had managed upon the arrival of Victoria and then Carlisle, he hadn't spoken more than two or three words at a time for more than fifty years.
Carlisle slowly got to his feet and opened his arms in a gesture of openness. "Please, Aro, all I want is to leave here and return to my family. You know Marcus is right. There's no need for further discord or harm. I don't know if Edward is here, but if he is, then I merely ask that you let me leave in peace with Bella and her mate. I can promise you, swear on all I hold dear, that you won't hear from me again."
So focused were the players on the drama unfolding within that vast room that it took a moment for anyone to tune into the sounds of conflict from outside. Before anyone could react, the doors crashed open, and Bella grinned as her lover and their friends stood on the threshold in an arrow formation, Jasper to the fore and myriad limbless and headless vampire guards scattered around them like the cast-off toys of an excitable and aggressive child.
Stepping to the front, Edward stared at his wife, who still sat on Aro's back with her legs wrapped tightly around him and her arms clamped about his head. His eyes drifted to the floor and the dismembered arm lying there before focusing back on Bella's face. He returned her grin with a disbelieving shake of his head. "Hey, babe, s'up?"
She couldn't help but laugh at Edward's nonchalant greeting in the face of such a melodramatic tableau. "Oh, you know, hon, just the usual mayhem and massacre."
His grin widened. Damn but he adored this woman.
Suddenly, Felix moved to block the newcomers from entering, towering over Edward and even Emmett. Kate instinctively raised her arm, but Alice quickly turned to her, reaching up to take her hand and carefully tug it down. "No, Kate, wait."
Behind her, Marcus moved slowly forward. "Felix, stand down, there's been enough violence."
The huge man, unused to taking orders from Marcus, turned to Aro, who was still trapped in Bella's lethal embrace. "My Lord?"
Wearily, Aro waved his only hand in a gesture of dismissal, and Felix reluctantly stepped back.
Taking that as an invitation, Edward and his friends advanced into the chamber, remaining alert to the dangers that still lurked everywhere. Shadows or not, it was obvious there were many more vampires present than at first seemed evident.
A blur of movement from behind Emmett caught Carlisle's eye, and then Esme was in his arms, almost knocking him back to the ground. A sob erupted from the black-clad woman as he wrapped grateful arms tightly around his wife, and they held on to one another like they might never let go again. He rocked her gently, whispering his love and contrition into her ear.
Looking away from the intimate moment, the other members of the Cullen and Denali clans focused their attention on Marcus and Aro.
Again, a rasping voice broke the silence as Marcus took center stage. "I would broker peace, Aro, if you would only allow it. This constant destruction of our kind for imagined infractions must end. There are better ways to protect our people and our way of life. We could even help those who are unhappy about taking human life to adopt the ways of Carlisle and his family."
Marcus shrugged when Aro's face filled with horror. Marcus knew his brother would never embrace such a diet, but he was sure there must be others of their kind who might be relieved to find another way to live. The young people who had just fought their way to save a beloved patriarch all seemed to be decent and … happy? Yes, they were happy; it shone out of them. The mated couples had incredibly strong connections, and it seemed they were living good lives amongst humans. Carlisle had shown them all that it was possible to subvert their natural instincts, given the right incentives and encouragement.
Turning to the very man, Marcus tried a tentative smile—it felt unnatural as he hadn't smiled in so very long, but the mere act of trying made him feel lighter somehow. "My dear old friend, it's been so long since you and I talked together. How I enjoyed our evenings of chess and conversation all those years ago. Mind you, I do recall you sometimes felt uncomfortable when my beautiful Didyme tried to introduce you to suitable ladies."
Aro arched a disbelieving eyebrow at this revelation. His brother had not spoken his wife's name since the day she died—a personal sacrifice by Aro that he'd always told himself had been made for the greater good.
Conversely, the man he still perceived as his nemesis chuckled wryly and shook his head. "Bless her gentle heart, she longed for me to find the same happiness she shared with you. She was a wonderful woman, Marcus, and I have long grieved for your loss." He clasped the other man's upper arm and squeezed gently.
"Ah, but I see you have met your true mate—the bond between you is one of the strongest I've ever seen. Esme, it is a very great pleasure to meet you." He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, bowing low before releasing her.
Esme smiled warmly at the tall man. "It's good to meet you too, Marcus. I hope you may find happiness again because I believe you are a good man."
He closed his eyes for a moment, frowning slightly, but made no response, turning to Aro. "So, brother, what do you say? Can we rewind the clock, at least a little? Why don't we let these good people get on their way? Then, perhaps, we can talk. It's been a long time coming, Aro, and for that, I blame myself."
Carlisle patted him on the back, and then lightly squeezing Esme's hand, he approached the spot where Aro stood with Bella riding piggy-back. Reaching out, he felt her shield; it was pliable and a little rubbery to the touch but utterly impenetrable. She looked down at him fondly and smiled. His returning smile warmed her heart. He then dropped his eyes to Aro, who grimaced but met Carlisle's gaze.
"Old friend—"
Carlisle raised his hand, palm out, cutting Aro off. "No, Aro, I don't think so. Friends don't do to one another what you've done to me and others. There's a frightened young woman in a cell downstairs whom you first sent to seduce me despite my mating bond, and then imprisoned her with me in order to tempt me with her blood, knowing how I feel about consuming humans."
He felt Marcus come and stand beside him. "What are you talking about, Carlisle? Of whom do you speak?"
With his eyes glued to the vampire king's, he quickly explained the plan Aro had hatched to subvert Carlisle away from his mate and his life's ethos.
"Such wickedness," whispered Marcus. "Felix, fetch the girl—"
"No! Not Felix," Carlisle exclaimed, knowing how terrified Gianna would be if Felix came for her.
Marcus stared at him for a second, and then nodded curtly. There was much going on within these walls that he needed to investigate. He knew he was at fault for letting matters come to such a dire state, but all he could do now was try and persuade Aro to support him in putting things right—they were vampires, not animals. "Very well. Dimitri, go to the cell where they are keeping the girl and bring her to us."
"Yes, Master, of course." As he left the chamber, he gave Felix a disgusted look, shaking his head at the annoyance he saw in the big man's face. Dimitri had never liked the man, especially as he had aligned himself with Caius, who was an absolute monster, even by vampiric standards.
"So, Aro, are we agreed?" Carlisle asked as his hope increased that they could yet depart in peace. "You'll let me leave with my family with no hard feelings, and we'll make sure never to give you cause to come after us. That way, we can part without the need for further violence or acrimony."
Carlisle thought about offering Aro his hand but stopped himself, knowing it might be seen as a somewhat mocking gesture in view of his current situation. Plus, it would require Bella to drop her shield, which he was reluctant for her to do quite yet. Instead, he waited patiently for Aro to hopefully acquiesce.
It was a fact of Carlisle's very long life as one of those creatures whom God had surely abandoned that he had witnessed much wickedness and depravity in the last 360 years since he had been turned. Even before that cataclysmic event, he had observed the evil that humans could perpetrate against one another. However, in truth, it was impossible for a man as innately good as Carlisle Cullen to even begin to imagine the depths of iniquity that festered and grew like a cancerous tumor within the mind of someone like Aro Volturi. Oh, he hid it well behind a façade of culture, a towering intellect, and a certain oily charisma, but just beneath that veneer of civilization lurked a fiend who would put Satan himself to shame. Right now, the façade that blinded many, including Carlisle, to the beast within was stretched very thinly indeed.
But Aro was nothing if not an accomplished liar and actor. Sighing deeply, he met Carlisle's eyes steadily and plastered a look of deep chagrin and contrition on his face. After a dramatic pause, he gave a nod—as best he could—and lifted his lone hand. "You are right, Carlisle," he choked out, "and I don't know if I can ever make amends for treating a friend in such a reprehensible manner. I truly don't understand what possessed me. The girl, Victoria, came spreading her lies and … well, perhaps I have been cloistered within these walls too long, but news of new vampires in your cov—family triggered something I simply can't explain."
At mention of Victoria, everyone looked around, but there was absolutely no sign of her. Edward tried to search for her mind, but there was nothing to hear. He glanced at Alice, who simply shrugged. With all that had been going on, she hadn't been looking for her, so it seemed she had escaped. But she was the least of their worries, and he immediately put her out of his mind.
Aro continued, seeing a way out of his dilemma.
"Carlisle, Marcus, I know you have no reason to trust me, but perhaps if this extraordinary young woman would release me, we could all sit down and talk. Brother, perhaps you are right that a new era needs to be ushered in. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you break out of the depression you've been in for so long. I, too, miss my beloved sister and wish with all my heart that she was still with us. So, can we call a truce, gentlemen … and ladies?" He plastered what he hoped was a wry smile on his face. "And perhaps I could be reunited with my arm."
Carlisle looked at him, and then turned to Edward. "Is he sincere, Edward? Can we trust him?"
Aro looked sharply at Edward—the telepath didn't need to touch him?
Edward looked pained. "I'm not sure, Carlisle. I'm not getting much because of Bella's shield, it's all … muffled? I'm sorry."
"Well, we seem to have reached a stalemate." He glanced at Marcus, who could only shrug. "Aro, we are going to have to trust you. Bella, you can release him and lower your shield."
Carlisle prayed he wasn't misjudging the situation as he watched Bella let go of Aro, albeit reluctantly, and jump lithely to the ground. As she did so, with a speed which belied his more than 3,000 years, Aro swiveled around, threw his remaining arm around Bella's neck and stepped back.
"Jane, Alec!" Aro shrieked.
Immediately, Edward dropped to his knees, screaming in agony. As he did, a fog-like miasma rolled across the flagstones, dark tendrils winding and reaching out toward them. They all moved back, but Kate stood her ground, throwing her arm up and shooting a bolt of electricity straight at Jane. The distance lessened the impact, but it still sent her tumbling back with a cry, thereby releasing Edward from the throes of agony. Alec remained unharmed but was distracted by his sister's disarray, causing the crippling fog to retreat.
Furious, Aro tried to drag Bella farther back toward his supporters but was brought up short by her shield. Sadly, for him, he had never come across the modern trend for fathers—especially fathers who were cops—to teach their much-loved daughters how to shoot and how to fight off would-be rapists.
And she was really strong.
Bella was having none of it. Pretty calm up until this moment, she was now furious. Her mate had been attacked, and this was unacceptable. As Kate threw one bolt after another at the re‑emerging hordes and the rest of the family began to defend against those who were brave—or foolish—enough to launch an attack, Bella hurled her shield out like an Olympic hammer thrower. One moment Jane and Alec were trying to gather their wits, the next, they were flying through the air in a huge arc, hitting the opposite wall some forty feet away, cracking the stonework and causing fissures in their own crystalline skin to snake across their faces and bodies. It was then that Edward—always the fastest—flew across the room to Bella just as she stepped back into Aro's embrace and bent her knees, causing him to lean into her, before she used his own forward impetus to grip his arm and fling him over her shoulder in a classic self-defense move.
As the startled King of the Vampires was being catapulted over Bella's shoulder, Edward arrived in time to grab his legs. The two of them grinned at one another, and in a lethal parody of tossing someone into a swimming pool, they swung a squirming Aro back and forth once, and then hurled him across the room.
Except that Bella didn't bother letting go of his head, which failed to make the journey to the far end with its body.
Holding the decapitated head in her hands, she gazed in wonder at Aro's blinking visage, which held a look of total surprise. His mouth moved, gaping like a landed fish, but in the absence of his larynx, no sound was forthcoming.
"Oops," she uttered laconically.
Suddenly, ear-piercing shrieks erupted as Jane and Alec recovered themselves and rushed toward them, prompting Marcus to raise his hand in a vain attempt to halt them. However, it seemed that Jane, at least, felt no allegiance to the aged vampire and, snarling, turned her ire upon him.
"Pain," she hissed.
"Fuck this," yelled Emmett as Marcus dropped to his knees and clutched his head. Having worked out that Jane could only target one person at a time, he shot forward, closely followed by a furious Rosalie. Even as Jane dithered over who to focus on, in a flash, Emmett had grabbed her, and Rose swiftly removed the spitting, shrieking head. Meanwhile, Bella had enveloped Alec, who was trying once again to spread his lethal fog but to no avail. Wasting no more time, Bella leapt up to capture the boy's torso between her crushing thighs and gripped his head. With the sound of grinding stone, yet another living skull hit the ground and silence finally fell.
It was at this point that the other vampires scattered around the chamber decided they had no intention of hanging around now that their lord and master had been all but destroyed. His head might still be alive, but they all judged it was only a matter of time before it ended up on a vampiric pyre along with his most deadly weapons.
As the friends looked around at the chaos visited upon this most toxic seat of power, there remained the man they had all but forgotten because, like all bullies, Caius was a coward and, regardless of his apparent allegiance to Aro, had chosen to be a mere bystander as events unfolded.
Rising slowly to his feet, still smarting from the effects of Jane's attack on his already much weakened physique, Marcus sighed at the sight of the man he had called brother. He then glanced down to where Aro's head still dangled by his hair from Bella's hand, and he knew there was only one solution if he wanted to bring about change. He dipped his head and spoke in a rapid, hushed whisper only those inside Bella's reinstated shield could hear. "We must build a fire."
At Carlisle's pained expression, he clasped his shoulder and shook his head. "The twins should never have been changed, but Aro wanted them so badly and was not prepared to wait until they were of age. I know you are unhappy at the death of children, but they will continue to torture and assist in the deaths of many more innocents if they are allowed free rein, and Caius certainly won't even try to control them." He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. So many words after so long with barely an utterance. "As for Caius, we would be foolish to let him live. He and that dreadful creation of his must be destroyed."
Carlisle shook his head, and Esme squeezed his hand where it was clasped in hers—he hadn't let her go since she arrived. "So much death, Marcus. Is there no other way? And what of Aro's loyalists, are we to kill them all?"
Marcus smiled grimly. "I think you'll find that most of those who pledged allegiance to him will fade away or quickly transfer their loyalties. Those who rule by fear and bribery rarely retain their followers when the tide turns. Caius, and possibly Felix, will be problematic, but I fancy there will be few, if any, others who will put up much of a fight."
It was Jasper who spoke then. "Carlisle, he's right. I can feel it. There's no one here who cares about Aro, only about saving themselves. Most are leaving even as we speak or have already gone. There's worry and some fear, maybe a little anger in some quarters, but mostly, I sense relief. Vampires don't live for eons without being able to accept change and move on. But Caius, for all his pretense of not caring, is angry … in fact, he's livid. He's dangerous, that's for sure."
Edward turned to his wife. "Bella, you need to pull in your shield a little so I can hear him." He nodded as he felt the thoughts of others become clearer, tuning in specifically to the scowling vampire prince. A moment later, he leaned into the whispered conversation. "His thoughts are all over the place, but he's … Jesus, what was that you said about his pet, Marcus?"
Carlisle wrinkled his nose in disgust. "It's a giant vulture that he turned into a vampire. Caius likes to punish vampires by sending them into its enclosure in specially made chains. If they're lucky, they get away with just losing an eye, but apparently, it likes to eat their brains too. He also feeds humans to it for their blood."
Emmett coughed. "Oh, man, that's just gross."
Carlisle turned to Edward. "Why do you ask? What's he planning?"
"He's thinking of releasing the bird inside the castle—" He looked up sharply. "Shit, he's gone."
Marcus put his hand on Carlisle's shoulder. "You see now, old friend, he must be stopped."
Jasper, meanwhile, was all business. "Emmett, you and Laurent need to go after Caius. Take Kate with you. Find him and find that damned bird. Do whatever you need to do to take them both out."
Emmett nodded once and put a hand on the shoulders of Laurent and Kate. They quickly exited, using the door behind the dais through which Caius must have made good his escape.
Irina watched them leave with a frown. "Be careful, Laur—all of you."
Also watching from the sidelines, a sullen-looking Felix seemed conflicted about what to do. Aro was gone and Caius had left without him. He was wondering what the hell had happened to Dimitri because maybe he could take the girl and beat a hasty retreat. He could have some fun with her, maybe change her so he had a playmate to entertain him while he decided what to do next. Just as this idea began to take form, the door creaked open a little, and the very man he'd been thinking about poked his head around it.
The remaining group turned at the sound and looked at Dimitri. "Is it safe to bring the human in, Master?"
Marcus looked at him in confusion for a moment before he recalled the woman from the cells. "Yes, yes, Dimitri. It was prudent of you to wait."
Dimitri pushed the door a little wider and beckoned to someone as yet unseen. At last, Gianna stepped carefully past him and entered the chamber, smoothing down her torn and filthy dress. As she did so, the first person she saw was Felix, who had moved away from the wall, and she let out a gasp of fear and apprehension.
Felix leered at her, licking his lips, before turning to Marcus. "Master, the woman is mine; Aro promised her to me. Let me take her, and I will be gone from the castle before sunrise."
Gianna turned to the assembled visitors with a look of horror. "Nooo, please, you can't. Carlisle, help me, please!"
Carlisle turned to Marcus but was brought up short as his old friend's obsidian eyes widened and nostrils flared. Immediately, he grabbed the ancient vampire's arms and called over his shoulder. "Edward, get over here! Marcus, when did you last feed … MARCUS!"
Dragging his gaze away from the olive-skinned beauty across the room, Marcus forced himself to focus on his friend.
"I … too long, Carlisle. I must … she is so like Didyme … help me, Carlisle;, I must feed."
"Yes, come."
And with that, Carlisle and Edward grabbed an arm each and pulled Marcus across the chamber. As they were leaving, Carlisle called to Jasper, who followed them out. "Keep an eye on Felix and make sure no one gets any funny ideas. I need to feed as well, so I'll have to leave the castle. Take care of the girl. Do not let Felix take her."
Jasper nodded. "You got it, Carlisle. Go take care of business."
With that, the party of three shot at vampire speed through the castle while Jasper returned to his compatriots.
This was proving to be the longest night he could remember since he'd fought his way out of Texas.
A/N: OMG, I had the best time reading your brilliant reviews of the last chapter. I can't tell you how gratifying it was to hear how much you enjoyed all the mayhem and murder LOL. There's a little more to come in the next instalment, which will also be the last full chapter, followed by an epilogue. I'm ridiculously sad that we're getting to the end so soon, but this was never going to be an epic tale ... more an amuse bouche! So, I hope you'll all join me next week to find out what happens to that foul fowl. [Did you see what I did there LOL!]
