I hear an eerie voice as I stare out into the smoke. "Hmmm," a small dead voice mumbles. I know who the voice belongs to.
"Welcome, Jane," says Edward. His tone being cool and calm.
I observe as four figures emerge out of the smoke and make their way over to us. They continue to walk before stopping about twenty feet away from us. Four figures wrapped in dark cloaks stand before us. It's hard to distinguish who is who from the hoods that are pulled down low over their eyes.
Jane and Felix are the easiest to recognize. Jane stands two feet shorter than the rest of them. While Felix stands much higher compared to Alec and Demetri.
Jane stands a little in front of the other three. Her cloak, almost pitch black, which contrasts against the dark gray cloaks worn by the other three vampires. I forgot that the color of your cloak represents your rank on the guard. Jane's power makes her more powerful and terrifying than anyone else. Her midnight black cloak further symbolizes that she's above everyone else.
All four of them pull back their hoods, so that we can finally see their faces. I notice that Alec has on a darker gray cloak compared to Demetri and Felix.
I watch as Felix looks over in my direction and gives me a wink. I soon start to feel uncomfortable underneath his gaze. Alex growls in response.
Demetri just smirks at the interaction. His eyes raking up and down my body. No doubt, he is taking in my appearance.
Jane's red eyes look at me before taking in the surrounding area. Jane turns to look at Carlisle.
"Carlisle, how thankful that you are alive. Aro was hoping that we would see you. He sends his regards," Jane wears a polite smile on her porcelain face. Her eyes, however, show a different kind of emotion.
"That is kind of him. Please tell him that I convey mine as well." Carlisle tilts his head down and in her direction.
"Looks like we missed an intriguing fight," Alec says. I look over at Jane's twin. His posture is straight as he analyzes the area along with his sister. His blood red eyes shows interest in the fire that holds the corpses of the newborn vampires.
"Yes, it's not often that we are not needed. It's a miracle that all of you survived. Just out of curiosity, how many were there?"
"Twenty, they were all very unskilled. All newborns," replied Carlisle.
"Twenty?" she replied with a widened gaze.
Felix and Demetri share a glance between the two of them. Alec raises his eyebrows at this revelation.
Jane continues with her questions. "Who was their creator?"
"Her name was Victoria. Perhaps you knew her," replies Edward. His voice becomes tight. "If you arrived earlier, then you would have seen the magnitude. Instead of sitting back," hisses Edward. I turn and stare at Edward with widened eyes.
I know that the guards let the vampires do what they were intended, instead of interfering. They wanted our size to be reduced so that it would be that much easier to recruit those that survived. I know Edward isn't pleased but he shouldn't poke the bear. Especially one that can inflict pain.
"Edward. Surely they would have jumped in when they arrived. They wouldn't sit back to watch," interjects Carlisle. I know that he has his suspicions but he needs to calm the situation. We are still in danger with the guard being here. "Isn't that right Jane?"
"Yes, of course. Was their creator, Victoria, in addition to the twenty?"
"Yes, there were also two more up the mountain that were with her."
"Twenty-three in total," breathes out Jane. I can tell that she is perplexed. Felix and Demetri continue to look at each other. "Who dealt with their creator?"
"I did," replies Alex. All four of them look at Alex. "I took care of her while Edward dealt with the other two vampires. Come on guys. Don't look too surprised. I was the best fighter on the guard." I jerk at Alex's taunting. Why does he always have to do this at the worst time.
"Alex," I reply. Please don't do this. Not right now. Felix growls and takes a step forward. Demetri flings an arm out and stops him from preceding forward.
Jane narrows her eyes at Alex. Jane turns her head back over to me. Her eyes go up and down my body. "Sophie, you look terrible. It's a shame that we didn't arrive sooner." Alex grips my waist and brings me further into him.
"Sophie, I'm surprised that you're still alive. Are you alright? It looks as if the Cullen's aren't taking better care of you. You can come with us and we will help you," says Demetri. His smile etches onto his cold and stone like face.
Alex growls at him and positions his body so that he is partly in front of me. I fidget in my place.
"Yes, it seems that your ankle is broken. The bruises on your throat are getting darker by the second," responds Felix. "I can smell the blood coming from your arm and head. You smell so...appealing," comments Felix. These people are horrifying.
I gulp. "Thank you for your concern. Though, I am perfectly fine. Just some cuts and bruises," I tell them. My luck seems to be running low because I start to cough again. Blood trickles out and I start to lose my balance. Alex swings me into his arms and looks at me in concern.
I feel that no one in my family are breathing. Their concern is solely on me.
"Hmmm," I hear Demetri say.
Bree then chooses that moment to growl at the smell of my blood. Jane's head turns to the side where she notices the newborn.
"I don't understand. It seems that you missed one," she breathes out.
"She has surrendered," interjects Edward. Answering the confusion going on in her mind.
"Surrendered?" she looks perplexed.
"We granted her asylum," says Esme. Felix and Demetri share a quick glance. This isn't going to go over well.
Her eyes go to Esme and narrow. "That wasn't yours to make," Jane hisses through her teeth. Jane's head flashes over to Bree. "You. What is your name?"
Bree doesn't say anything. She just stares at them in fright. Bree's screams soon fills the tense environment. I flinch and curl further into Alex's arms. I look over at Demetri, Felix and Alec to witness all of them smiling. They are enjoying the sound of the screams coming out of Bree. These people do not care about peace. All they care about is pain and destruction.
"Stop! You don't have to do that. She'll tell you everything you need to know," interjects Esme.
Bree's screaming then stops. All you hear are her labored breaths.
"I know," responds Jane. "What is your name?"
Bree answers immediately. "Bree."
Jane just smiles as Bree screams again. Felix, Demetri, and Alec continue to watch the interaction in interest. They are probably glad that they aren't on the receiving end of her wrath.
"Bree, is what they are saying true? Did this Victoria create you?"
Bree shakes her head and shrieks again. "I don't know! The numbers constantly changed and Riley never told us who made us. We were kept in the dark. All I remember is darkness and hunger. I was so thirsty. Riley never told us anything. He said that our thoughts weren't safe."
"Why were you brought here then?"
"We were told that we needed to destroy the yellow-eyes. We were told that they were running this city and they needed to be destroyed so that we could be free. Feed on anything that we wanted. We were given her scent to help guide us here," Bree jabs a finger in Bella's direction.
"Victoria held a grudge against Bella and Sophie. She gave Bella's scent to the vampires but she used two vampires to distract me from Sophie."
Jane flicked her eyes in my direction.
"Based on appearances, I'm assuming that Victoria was nearly successful on her mission with Sophie."
I squirm in Alex's arms. I didn't like the notion that I was being dissected like a frog in front of them.
"Yes, but I managed to get to her in time," responds Alex. Jane glances at him.
"I'm glad that you made it out alive, Sophie. Aro would have been very disappointed to learn otherwise." Demetri's sinister voice filled the air.
"Yes, he would have," agrees Felix.
Jane looks over at me and ponders something. She quickly flickers her eyes to Bella and stares at her.
"You don't need to do that. It won't work," interjects Edward. Jane tears her head away from Bella. I guess she wanted to see if her power would work on Bella.
"Yes, well it doesn't hurt to try," Jane replies with her signature smirk. "No harm done." She glances back at me and I prepare myself for the onslaught of pain that is headed my way.
"Don't! She's already hurt. You may only hurt her further. What would Aro say if she's harmed even more than she already is." Jane's eyes narrows at Edward.
"Fine." Jane turns back and looks at Bree. "Felix," she breathes out. Felix's face brightens up like a light bulb.
He's going to kill something after all.
"Wait," interjects Esme. Jane raises an eyebrow. "She didn't know what she was doing. We'll take full responsibility for her. Just give her a chance."
"The Volturi doesn't give second chances. You might want to keep that in mind. Caius will be interested to know that they are still human."
"The date's been set," interrupts Bella.
"Perhaps we can come visit soon to show you," I add. "So Caius doesn't have to make such a long trip just for us." Jane's smile fades from my statement.
"Very well. Carlisle, it was nice to finally meet you."
"You as well," Carlisle replies.
"Felix, take care of that. I want to go home." No. It can't end like this.
"Wait! I don't think she came here to kill anyone." I'm being an idiot for interfering but I need to try and save her. Vague thoughts about Bree's story comes to mind. I only read Bree's story once, so I can't remember every detail about what happens in it. I need to try and save her.
Jane lifts her hand up. Felix pauses and grimaces in my direction. "Explain," says Jane.
Breathe in, breathe out. "She was created to fight against us. Yet, she never stepped foot in a direction to kill someone. She only watched. It's as if she only came to look for someone." Bree freezes and gives me a questioning look.
I remember some parts of the book. She becomes close with a vampire named Diego. He disappears and she comes here to look for him. Wanting to run away with him. Not realizing that Riley and Victoria had already killed him.
She becomes friends with Fred, who escapes hours before the newborns come here. He's long gone at this point and time. That's not important though. Not at this moment.
"Interesting," mumbles Jane. "She didn't intend to fight."
"I don't think so. She probably was looking for someone and was going to leave right after. She's not a danger to anyone. She can stay with us. She can learn about your laws. Just please. Spare her."
Jane sighs and gives me a pitiful look. "This is a difficult situation. Either she lives or dies. Decisions, decisions," she muses. Her blood red eyes continue to stare into my green ones. "You would teach her our ways?" She glances in the direction of Carlisle.
He instantly nods. "Yes. Of course." Jane stares at Bree with an unreadable expression.
Demetri and Alec look over at Jane, waiting for her command. Felix wears a disgruntled look on his face. I notice that his lips are barely moving. I can't hear what he's saying underneath his breath.
"It is a shame that these events happened. I can see that she is of no threat." My heart starts to leap. Am I actually able to save Bree? "Unfortunately, we were given orders to get rid of all the newborns. No exceptions. If she had run away instead of coming here, then she would have been spared. Caius holds us in high regard. What will the masters think of us if we kept her alive. The natural order of our kind would be in question also. No exceptions," she hisses.
It was like a gauntlet fell on the ground between us. She was the jury and executioner.
"Felix, take care of that. Ignore any other pleas that they may have against us. We have an image to uphold." Felix grins in delight and gives me his signature smirk. We lost. They won.
"Don't look," whispered Alex in my ear.
I slam my eyes shut and bury my head further into his chest. I feel Alex moving away so that nor him or I would have to watch the heart wrenching scene.
I can't see anything, but I can still hear.
I hear a low growl before a high pitch scream. My hands fly to my ears to tune out the sinister sound of crunching and snapping.
I then hear the whoosh of the fire crackling. Signaling that Bree Tanner is no more.
Alex rubs soothing circles on my back. Being careful while doing so. I look up and peek over his shoulder to witness Felix making his way to Jane.
"Come," says Jane. She looks bored now.
"Get better soon, Sophie. I would hate it if anything bad happened to you," taunts Demitri. Alex turns towards him and growls.
"Oh, and by the way Alex. Heidi is very put out with you." Felix grins like a Cheshire cat while my body freezes.
"What?" I ask in confusion. What are they implying?
Demetri grins bigger. "You haven't told her Alex? You haven't told her that you and Heidi used to be a thing? The two of you were together for almost seventy years until you decided to leave."
Alex gripped my body further into his grasp. "I would suggest that you return to Italy. That is all in the past. I don't care what she thinks of me."
How do I process this information? Alex was in a relationship with Heidi? I know that he had to have been with someone. He did tell me that he used women but never went into details. I always respected his boundaries and never commented further on the subject. But hearing that he used to be in a relationship with none other than Heidi. Who has the power to charm anyone.
It started to make sense. I saw her briefly in Italy and she looked angry at seeing Alex again. She seemed even more furious at the sight of me in his arms. They had history together.
"Enough," interrupts Jane. "What is in the past is in the past. I want to go home now," she says in disinterest. "Come." She turns and starts to walk away. Alec gives me a look before following after her.
"Goodbye Sophie. Until we see each other again," replies Demetri. He gives me one last smirk before turning away and fading into the smoke. Felix gives me one last wink before disappearing along with them.
Everything is silent. No one is breathing.
"Sophie," begins Alex.
I furiously shake my head. "Don't. We will talk about this later. I just want to go home." I start to cough again. More blood comes out. I groan in pain.
"Carlisle," I breath out. The pain in my ribs were getting worse.
He speeds over to me. "We need to get you home, now. She's getting worse." I don't object as I'm passed into the arms of Edward. Edward being the fastest, would get me to the house quicker than the others.
I nestle into my brothers shoulder and let my eyelids flutter closed. Not registering that he is running as fast as possible to the house.
"Sophie! Stay awake," he shouts.
"Just one minute Edward. I'm tired." I know that I should fight this. I don't know whether I am dying or not. All I know is that the fatigue over my body is taking over me. And I don't want to fight it any longer.
I barely register Edward running into our house before I slip into darkness.
"Sophie!" That is the last thing that I hear before darkness overtakes me.
Please don't hate me. Sophie doesn't know the full extent to Alex's past and I want to explore that. It is going to come out full force. Be prepared for a lot of drama. I was going back and forth on whether to save Bree or not. I honestly felt that it would be better to kill her off instead of saving her. Please don't hate me. One more chapter and Breaking Dawn is here. I've figured out pretty much what I am going to do but I would love to hear your ideas also. Until next time!