Original version Beta reader: SpinningBlack.
Massively improved, changed and expanded without Beta. Seriously there is SO much more content.
Edited on: 02-06-2024
Bella's POV
Normally travelling via aeroplane was no problem for Bella. However she had not been prepared for so many turbulences.
I want to faint or sleep, anything just to be unconscious.
Closing her eyes, she tried to will her nausea into submission.
My headache isn't helping either.
Occupied as she had been with Alice, she had nearly forgotten all her aches by the time they had arrived at the airport. It came back full force the though the minute the plain started moving. A shame really since she could not enjoy the comfortable first class seat.
Despite herself, a smile came upon her lips. It was so like Alice to manage to talk her way into first class despite the fact that the tickets were bought last minute.
Makes me wonder whether or not being a seer is her only gift.
Tilting her head in thought, she grimaced as another wave of nausea shot through her. Doubling over she clutched her stomach as she forced herself to take slow, deep breaths.
Alice leaned over from her window seat beside her. "Are you okay?"
Biting back the sarcastic retort on the tip of her tongue, she gulped down the bile rising in her throat instead.
"You look very pale."
Bella rolled her eyes beneath tightly closed lids.
Everything hurts. I probably have a concussion from something as ridiculous as standing up too fast to reach my phone. My stomach feels like it's going to empty itself any moment now.
Also, the painkillers have yet to set in properly and so far only make me feel exhausted and grumpy.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Just a bit tired."
Understatement of the century, but she would ask too many questions otherwise. Questions I have no answers for myself.
Nodding Alice reluctantly relaxed back into her seat.
Sighing, Bella curled up slightly. Hoped beyond hope that sleep would come for her soon. After all, she wouldn't be of much help if she fainted before they were able to reach Edward.
As ambivalent as I feel about this. I am doing it, so I might as well do it right.
Cuddling into her favourite feel-bad weather she had automatically put on before Alice arrived, she blocked out the world as best as possible. Trying to distract herself with amusing thoughts, she contemplated what would happen if she actually did faint.
Airport security would make a fuss for sure.
The smile hidden in her weather widened.
Wonder how she would explain that away? Pretend I am a swooning maiden?
Suppressing a half-hysterical giggle, she realised the vampire would probably do just that.
And get away with it too. Oh, the image! Her dramatically carrying my limp body from the plane through the whole airport. Princess-style too if I know her at all.
Drifting in and out of awareness for hours, Bella finally opened her eyes. A glance outside the window revealed they were currently over the sea.
Her clothes from this morning, which had been crusted with salt water and sand suddenly popped into her mind. Shuddering, she pulled her weather closer.
What happened yesterday? How did I get that bandage on my head? Who put it there and what caused the injury?
Blinking, she realised that Alice had not commented on her injuries at all.
How odd. I didn't even have the opportunity to properly shower. There ought to be some traces of blood left on me.
That thought made her whole body freeze up.
Does she seriously intend to take me to a den of human blood drinking vampires like this? I am practically screaming eat me the way I am now! Has she gone mad? Have I gone mad?
Taking a deep breath, she leaned back.
"Excuse me?" Calling out to one of the stewardesses, she waited patiently for her to come over. From her peripheral view, she saw the vampire eye her with curious eyes.
"Yes, madam?"
"Is it safe to go to the toilets?"
For a moment the stewardess eyes were clouded by confusion before understanding dawned on her. "Ah, you were asleep the last few hours right?"
Bella nodded.
"That explains it then. No worries. The worst of the turbulence are over. Feel free to unbuckle your seatbelt. Should the situation change again, which is currently unlikely, we will inform you immediately."
With only a small nod of acknowledgment, Bella made her way towards the restrooms. While she would usually avoid using them in a public place like this, this were special circumstances.
Closing the door behind her, she took a calming breath.
Letting her eyes swipe over the small space, she quickly and carefully undressed.
Thankfully, nothing appears to be bleeding right now. Still better on the side of caution.
Using the soap next to the sink, she rubbed it all over her body, avoiding the bandaids and bandages she had put on herself.
Need to change them at the airport. Way too dangerous. Definively bled in some of them.
Then she washed it off as best as possible. Cleaning her face, neck and hands especially thoroughly while she was at it. Even going so far to carefully tap at the sore spot on the back of her head.
There was a bump now, but when she pulled her hand back there was no blood in sight.
Small mercies.
Using the loo, she cleaned her hands again before drying her whole body with the toilet paper as best as she could. Then she put her clothes back on and flushed the toilet once more.
While it is unlikely that Alice would have been able to hear what I am doing over here, better to be on the safe side. This trip is going to be uncomfortable enough as it is. No need to make it even worse by talking about my injuries.
Shows how distressed Alice is that she has not pointed it out herself. Then again it had always appear to come almost naturally to Alice to suppress any desire to drink blood.
Makes sense though. The moment she would even consider biting someone, her visions would provide her with the consequences. Very effective way to prevent any slip-ups. Maybe she does not even register blood in the same way as other vampires anymore due to that?
Heading back to her seat, Bella shrugged mentally.
Not my cup of tea.
Focusing on the clouds outside instead, she yawned. Using her arms as pillows, she made herself comfortable. Before she knew it, her breaths evened out.
In her dreams, arms wrapped around her. Sweet nothings were whispered. A warm sensation enveloping her.
After what felt like minutes, she woke up to the sensation of a hand gently shaking her. Blinking and rubbing her eyes tiredly, she looked up at Alice.
"It's time to leave the plain."
Nodding, smiling at having missed the most likely unpleasant landing, Bella made her way to the exit.
"You do realise you did not give me enough time to pack my bag?"
Following her, the vampire laughed softly. "No worries, Bella, I brought everything you might need."
Stopping half-way down, she could not help but glance over her shoulder in shock. "When did you…?"
"Vampire, remember?"
So, she just went through my stuff without asking probably while I was still on my way towards the door. Great.
Pressing her lips together and deciding against commenting, she continued towards the airport. It was to her advantage in this case after all.
"Where is it?"
"With the luggage."
Once inside, Alice excused herself. "I will get it for you. Meet you in front of the restroom?"
Not even bothering to ask, Bella merely went towards the loos. Once there she calmly waited. Within minutes she held her bag in her hands.
While Alice decided to remain outside, claiming to need to do a few phone calls, she went inside. No one else was there.
Rummaging through her bag she found her small travel first aid kit and sighed in relief. She usually kept it there. An old habit from when Charlie used to take her on trips when she came to visit in the summers. Tended to end with her hurt, so she learnt to be prepared.
Thoroughly cleaning her hands she opened and closed the stall door with her elbow, her bag hanging over her shoulder and the first aid kit pressed to her chest.
Once inside she systematically cleaned and redressed all of her wounds. Getting red of all and any remaining traces of blood she could find. It was a time-consuming task considering how many scrapes she had, but she persisted.
Finally she removed the bandage from her head and assessed the damage.
Not so bad. No bleeding either.
Contrary to her previous assumption it turned out she actually had two bumps on her head, instead of one. One from the incident with the bed and the other from even before that.
Certainly explains why I feel like I have a concussion. Was risky of me to sleep like that. But not like there is a doctor around to check on me anyway.
Besides, vampires ought to be worse for my health than a little head injury.
Flushing all the used bandages down, she redressed her wounds as minimalistic as possible.
Sorting through the clothes the vampire had put in for her, she wiped away sweat. Finding one long sleeved shirt that was slightly thinner than the one she was currently wearing, she changed into it. It was certainly hotter in Italy than in Forks.
Meeting a not-so-patiently waiting Alice outside, she was grabbed and half dragged towards a car.
"Where did you get a car?"
"Rented it while you were in there."
"So fast?"
Alice gave her a pointed look. "Did not need to be."
Rubbing her arm self-consciously Bella looked away.
"We will still make it. Otherwise I would have gotten you, it is okay."
Despite her words, they fastened their pace. Once in the shiny rented car, Alice immediately started the engine.
"Buckle up. I will drive faster to make up the lost time."
Paling she quickly put her bag in the backseat and followed the vampires instructions. Palms digging into her seat as the car sped up to break-neck speed within seconds.
"Alice!"
The car drove even faster. A wild grin on the vampire's face, even as she kept her intense focus on the road. One peek out of the window at the scenery rushing by, made Bellas stomach rumble in protest.
And it had just calmed down too!
"I couldn't wake you," Alice suddenly says. "In the plane. It made me very worried."
Pausing she glanced over, the vampires brows were knitted in concern.
"I couldn't tell if it was due to your head injury," she grimaced. "I am so sorry for not noticing it earlier. "
Venom glistered in her eyes. "I should have." She sighed deeply. "The stewardess certainly noticed within minutes after the landing. Was a challenge to convince them to go away. I guess I am really blind as I missed what strangers could see immediately."
Warmth spread through ehr at hearing that.
So she does care after all. Good to know.
"Sorry for being so impatient with you." Alice took an unnecessary breath. "It is just…so much has happened in such a short time. That I cannot focus properly. Visions keep bombarding me. Even now ignoring them is near impossible."
Alice's fingers tighten so much around the steering wheel that it creaks ominously. She instantly loosened her grip on it. "If I hadn't told the others about my vision Rosalie would never have had the chance to tell Edward. He wouldn't have had a reason to go to the Volturi. This is all my fault."
Nearly inaudible she adds. "If Edward dies, this will be on me. And I just…I cannot…"
Startled, Bella takes her first proper look at Alice. Takes in her eyes overcast with despairt, her shoulders sagged as if the world rested on it.
She appears utterly defeated.
Gulping down the nausea as best as possible Bella spoke in a steady tone.
"It's not your fault."
The vampire snorted uncharacteristically, but let her continue.
"You had a reason to share the vision with the others, didn't you? What was it?"
Alice stared at her like she had grown a second head. "I was worried about you. I thought maybe if I told them right away then they could make the right decision – going back to Forks – and the vision would change. That…you could be saved…."
A gentle smile spread on Bella's lips. "See, it wasn't your fault."
There might yet be hope for our friendship.
"It wasn't Rose's fault either. I am sure she did what she thought was right. She may not like me very much, but she obviously loves her brother. There is no way she would intentionally hurt him like that."
Not that he had any right to be hurt in the first place. Not after the way he treated me. Not after the forest.
Shaking off the anger, she finished. "Maybe she's just like you?"
Alice's head shot in her direction and she fixed her with intense black eyes. "We may cause Edward to die and you say it's not our fault. That we are alike?!"
"Yes." Taking a deep breath, Bella elaborated, "Rose is like you, because she most likely did it for the same reasons you did." Seeing her about to interrupt she pressed on, "It's most likely about her wanting Edward to see how breakable humans are. So he would keep his distance in the future. I'm sure her intentions were in his favour. No matter how bad it turned out in the end."
Forcefully relaxing her muscles, she demonstratively looked out the window. "Same goes for Edward I guess. He might have thought that a clear break makes things easier, but he forgot that things don't always turn out the way you want them to simply because you want them to. It's one of the things he has yet to learn."
One of many, many things. Insensitive idiot.
"You….you…" Alice mouth hung slightly open. Eyes firmly fixed on her.
She should really focus on the road with the speed she is going.
"I spent a lot of time thinking about things; about me and Edward, your family, everything." She closed her eyes. "Way too much time…"
We fall in silence.
I'm not feeling like talking anymore and Alice is still in some kind of stupor. Completely aghast at something I have said.
That aggravates me more than it probably should.
The human sighed.
As cruel as Edward's treatment and being abandoned by the Cullen's was, it has made me more mature. Though maybe this maturity is only the loss of my innocence. Hard to tell.
She must have made some sort of noise, maybe a half-hysteric chuckle, because Alice was looking at her with concerned golden eyes.
Ah, she calmed down then.
Blushing slightly, Bella tried to come up with a way to distract her from any possible discussion of mental stability.
Not that the seer would ever judge. Not with what she had been told of her past anyway.
Thankfully, or not so thankfully, a painful twist in her stomach reminds me of a very pressing issue.
"C… could you please drive a bit slower?" She managed to choke out between clenched teeth. The nausea caused her to grimace. "Or at least look at the road?"
Understanding flashed across the vampire's face and she slowed down, though not enough to make the outside stop looking like streaking blurs of colours.
"Sorry, but if we don't hurry, we won't make it in time." Her tone is apologetic yet firm.
Moaning Bella leaned her head against the window. The cool glass helped ease the pain that started anew in her head. Though not enough to be comfortable.
Can I knock myself out if I hit my head against something again? But…no, would most likely only result in me bleeding and being eaten in the end. A death worthy of the Darwin Awards.
Better distract myself.
"Where are we?"
"Ten minutes away from Volterra."
Ugh.
Exactly ten minutes of suffering later, Alice parks the car on the side of the street. Sighing in relief, the human opened her tightly shut eyes. Allowing the outside world to finally come into focus.
As soon as Bella was out of the car she looked around in confusion. There was a huge space in front of her. Apparently the centre plaza of the city. In the distance was a massive castle.
Squinting, she could just make out the pattern of an intricate design on the building. It appeared unique and masterfully made. Her eyes widened in fascination.
Not that I can see much of it, or of anything really, as the city is packed with people. Thin and well-built, small and tall, young and old, the whole city appears to be present. Or maybe more than just the habitats of Volterra.
I can dimly remember that the blurred shape of the city I could see out of the speeding car was quite small, relatively speaking.
"Is there some kind of event here today or is this normal for Volterra?"
"Today is a festival in Volterra", Alice answered, causing her to startle. She had mumbled the question to herself.
Vampire hearing. Gotta keep that in mind.
"They are celebrating their patron. Holy Marcus is known here as the saviour of Volterra and its neighbouring cities from vampires."
Raising a brow Bella stared at her blankly.
Alice giggled. "He also happens to be one of the Volturi kings."
Of course he is.
Bella chuckled.
Vampire king letting humans celebrate him for getting rid of vampires. Nice.
"It's a long story."
I bet.
After enjoying a bit of laughter to lighten the tense atmosphere, the next steps are discussed. After some contemplation its decided to be separate.
Too bad Alice's visions are still off. Would have been mighty useful right about now.
Bella pushed her way through the crowd. Searching for Edward. Alice went along the side to avoid sunlight. Her speed greatly reduced due to the honestly ridiculous amount of people.
Going straight forward I might even be faster than her. Seeing as Alice needs to take the long way around and can use her inhuman speed only when absolutely certain no one can see.
I bet the Volturi have hidden pathways all over the city. Otherwise they would never get anywhere even with half as many people. They surely were not in their hiding place all teh time. For thousands of years.
Nah, surely not. Would not fit the image of a king, who lets himself celebrate in such an erroneous way.
Only a few steps in Bella wished desperately to be a vampire or less clumsy at the very least. People were shoving her around. Pushing her left and right. Forward and backwards.
Doing her best to not cry out in pain, she bit her lip. Her injuries were aggravated terribly by the treatment. Despite her best efforts she kept falling over.
Did I just cause that poor lady to fall on the bulky man? Gah!
Oh no, did not see that kid there!
Ugh. How did that guy manage to accidentally kick me in the face?
What is wrong with these people?
Her clumsiness only made it worse. Finally half-crawling, half-stumbling through the mass of merrily dancing and chatting people.
I have already lost count of how often someone accidentally shoved their elbow in my face.
At least the crowd was in a good mood.
Who knows how much more I would have to suffer if that weren't the case.
An involuntary shudder went through her at that thought. Hurrying past an overly well-fed child and its enthusiastically dancing and equally well-fed parents, she just barely managed to avoid their flailing limbs.
I am half convinced I haven't moved forward at all when I finally see him.
Edward stands across from her in the shadow of an alley. Only two more people between her and him.
Looking around briefly she tried to estimate where in the central plaza they were.
Too many around me are taller than me. I can't even see the castle.
Sighing in frustration, she ducked under the arms of a passionately dancing couple.
I'm not sure I'll make it in time; I guess I'll just have to hope that Alice will find us.
Focusing on Edward, Bella determinedly ignored the throbbing pain in her head caused by the loud music and chatter. She kept her eyes on him as much as possible. Acutely aware of the risk of losing a limb from one of the more exotic dance moves of a nearby group.
Edward's eyes were closed and he was apparently listening to something.
I have to hurry.
Bella ran as fast as the crowd allowed. Screaming his name as loud as she could.
If he could just hear her…
He made a step forward towards the sunlight. Finally passing the last person, she took a running leap tackled him back into the shadows.
Edward didn't protest, probably too stunned to use his incredible strength to resist. Opening his eyes he smiled at her.
I want to punch him.
"Edward, you have to stop this! I'm alive! We can go home." He smiles wider.
The "we" tasted bitter on her lips.
"I didn't know that vampires could have hallucinations…interesting." Reaching up and he brushed his fingertips gently over her chin. She suppressed the need to pull back. "I can even feel your skin, that's truly astounding."
Bella pushed his hand away impatiently. "Edward. I am not an illusion now let's g-"
"Edward Cullen! We have been looking for you," A girly voice came from a few metres away from us, startling her so much that she bumped her elbow into Edwards side quite painfully; for her.
At this point I am already so sore all over that it probably doesn't make a difference anyway.
The girl's eyes are a vibrant red and glitter with anticipation as she stared them down. Her small and fragile stature gave her a nearly angelic look.
It made Bella pause. At first glance the girl appeared to be fifteen years old. A closer observation revealed that this was deceiving. Her eyes had the colour of blood.
A human blood drinker.
Despite knowing that, the blonde hair and billowing cloak still made her look endearing.
I spend too much time with beings whose very nature demands for my life blood. It has obviously screwed up my head.
The right response would have been: Dangerous.
Bella blinked.
When did the second one show up?
And from where? Is my theory with the hidden pathways correct?
The second one, the man, has black hair and is huge. His broad shoulders and muscles made him fill more than double the space his slim companion occupied. Though the cloak he wears is the same as the one from the female vampire beside him.
A silver V was dangling from a necklace around his neck. A quick look confirms that the woman wears one too.
Despite the black hair and red eyes he reminds me of Emmett in an almost eerie way.
Edward growled. Pushing himself in front of me, he shoved Bella roughly behind his back.
"He doesn't plan to expose himself anymore!" Alice exclaimed from behind them.
"That doesn't matter. You will come with us," she says looking Edward right in the eyes.
Edward stiffened in front of me. His head snapped in Alice's direction. "No! That can't be. NO!" Screaming he fell to his knees.
Bella took a tentative step forwards. "Edward, what's wrong?"
Meeting his gaze, she freezes. His eyes are completely black. "We won't come with you!" He exclaims loudly, ignoring my question and glaring at the female vampire.
Suddenly his shouts turned into sounds of agony. Bella rushed to his side, hands outstretched towards him.
"Edward? Edward!? What is happening?" The screaming abruptly stopped and Edward looked up at her, but said nothing.
"That is Jane's ability. She can give others the illusion of pain," Alice explained. "Beside her is Felix. Both are from the Volturi guard and were sent to retrieve him."
Edward stood up. Glaring daggers at Jane with so much hate that Bella shrunk back from him.
"We. Are. Not. Going. With. You," he hisses through clenched teeth.
Before he could do more than that he fell back to his knees and the screaming started anew.
Eyes widening in horror, Bella squared her shoulders.
"Please stop! We'll come with you, but please just stop!"
Everything went quiet. Except for the crowd in the background.
How did they not hear Edward before? A gift involved perhaps?
No matter. Focus.
"This way," Jane turned around and walked deeper into the side street, leaving her dumbfounded behind her. Bella was completely unable to process the abrupt change in attitude.
What the…?
It took Felix half dragging Edward after him by his arm for her to snap out of her stupor. Dazedly, she stumbled in the same direction only barely aware enough to notice Alice coming along.
Blinking a few times, Alice slowly turned her head towards the human.
She had a vision I am sure. What could it have been to make Edward react so violently?
Shaking her head Bella decided to focus on following the incredibly fast vampires before her. It wouldn't do for her to be left behind after all.
After a few minutes the Emmett look-alike, Felix, gave the human a look before hoisting her over his shoulder.
"Too slow." He grumbled, chuckling as the human squeak of indignation. Outright laughing when she held on for dear life as he happily raced through tight alleyways and jumped over obstacles with vampire speed.
Each corner was taken with even less caution than the last as the vampire had a blast.
I can already see my head hitting a brick wall, because he was uncareful. Another stupid way to die.
Felix ran even faster and Bella could only close her eyes. Slung over his shoulder like a potato sack.
Jane snorted. Then a choked off snarl from Edward, who was now willingly following. Alice remained quiet catching up to the change in pace with a short delay.
She must still be deep in thought. If only I knew what she saw. Do I need to worry?
Occupied with her thoughts as she was, she was only dimly aware of them approaching the castle.
They had made it through a few halls before the fact that they were inside finally registered in her mind. The ancient halls were a clear indicator.
The scent of freshly picked fruit and mint made her mouth water. A pleasantly cool breeze caused her to automatically relax.
Weren't old castles supposed to smell bad? And be chilly insead of pleasantly cold?
Next her eyes took in the torches on one side of the wall and doors and paintings on the other. All of them were big and magnificent.
Even I can see that they are all unique masterpieces. Wow.
There are beautiful drawings of landscapes alternating with portraits. A few times she could recognise one or two of those in the paintings. Once she even saw Carlisle in one of them.
Though what they all have in common were their wooden frames with golden emblems. The V symbol that their guides had around their necks was masterfully carved into the corners of each frame.
After walking through multiple halls, sometimes going upstairs but more often down, they entered a room in which a woman sat in front of a big computer screen.
She was a classic beauty with long flowing hair and breathtakingly intense eyes. Her skin was fair and she had soft features. Though with Jane standing right next to her, her being human was painfully obvious.
How a human can survive in a castle full of vampires is beyond me. Maybe she is meant as some kind of snack?
"The masters are already waiting," she said casually, still focused on her screen.
I would have laughed at the contrast between the torches behind her and the modern device in front of her if the situation wasn't so severe.
This room was a strange mix of an old-fashioned welcoming hall and modern secretary office. The walls were decorated with intricate designs, reminiscent of the outside of the building.
There were masterfully crafted sculptures placed strategically along the sides. In-between those were three comfortable looking sofas and a few armchairs. There were even a hearth with a fire lit in a corner.
Opposite of them quite a distance behind the secretary's desk were heavy looking doors.
Seeing how much effort was put into decorating these, they probably led to the throne room.
Jane nodded and went right past her towards the doors. Knocking gently, she motioned for Felix to set the human down.
Wobbly, Bella decides to sit down on one of the sofas.
Her eyes are huge as she takes in her surroundings. Especially the doors Jane was standing in front of.
They are so grand I would have expected them in a fairy tale castle. Not something I would ever see with my own eyes.
Folding her fingers in nervousness, she gulped.
"Come in Jane," a deep, husky voice calls from beyond the majestic entrance. It send tremors through Bellas body and made her knees go weak.
Motioning for them to come, they all follow. Edward stood directly by Bellas side. As overwhelmed as she is, she did not even protest when he took her hand.
But it feels wrong.
As soon as they entered, Edward shoved her behind him.
There are vampires standing on each side of the wall in a line.
Soldiers? Guards?
Three vampires are sitting in front of them at the rear of the royal hall.
If the previously minimal anxiety hadn't turned into painfully high levels, I would probably have chuckled at the overly dramatic way Jane opened the door; banging and all included. As it is, though, I am too busy trying not to have a heart attack.
Those by the walls are standing straight-backed and eye us warily. While most of their faces are carefully blank, some of their eyes glitter in amusement.
Do they find my absolute terror amusing? Or is it Jane's display of her dramatic side? Hm. Probably both.
She carefully did not make a sound as she suppressed the hysterical laugher clawing its way up her throat.
Peeking out from behind Edward, Bella could finally properly see the vampire kings. As soon as she laid her eyes on them she knew the one in the middle was the one who called them in. It was an instinctive knowledge. One her very being declared as true.
Their postures portrayed different states of relaxation. The blonde man on the left had his hands lazily lying on the armrest of his throne. His fingertips are just barely touching his legs.
In the middle sat the black haired vampire eagerly leaning forward with his fingers spread on his thighs, every fibre of him practically screaming anticipation.
Like a child on a sugar rush in a candy store. Frightening and adorable all in one.
On the right was the brown haired king slumped in his throne. His shoulders were slightly sagging and his head bowed.
My heart aches at the sight.
Instinctively Bella attempted to inch around Edward, who had dragged her firmly behind his back once more.
I want to be closer to them and despite only having gotten a quick peek from behind Edward's back, I can't help but feel attracted.
Something about them lures me in. As soon as I laid my eyes on them I felt a subtle tug in my chest. Resonates through my whole body in a way that nothing ever has before.
Bellas gaze lingered on each of them. Eagerly taking in all the details. Unconsciously she leaned around Edward.
I wonder what their eyes look like… Whoa, where did that come from?
She tried to step around Edward wanting, needing, to see them better, but he held her in place.
What the…?
"Please stay here, my love," he whispers to her.
Love…? What a joke.
Determinedly suppressing the overwhelming anger, she tilted her head curiously.
Why doesn't he want me to see them? Was it Alice's vision?
"Hello Alice!" The black-haired king greeted jovially. His voice once again sent tremors through Bellas body. It's subtle accent more apparent the longer he speaks. "So nice to see you again. How is Carlisle?"
"He is well," Alice responded politely. "How are you?"
"Fine, thank you, Alice."
The man turned to gaze at Edward thoughtfully. "Edward, what you tried to do is inexcusable. If you hadn't been stopped you would have exposed not just yourself, but all vampires. You have already committed one crime by exposing yourself to just this human girl."
Edward growled, but remained quiet otherwise.
"Now give me your hand. We will decide your punishment afterward." Edward takes a step back and demonstratively puts his hands at his sides, his back muscles tense; prepared for a fight.
Within seconds he is on his knees again writhing in pain.
Despite everything, seeing him like this hurt.
Following him to the floor Bella kneeled by his side. Her hands hovering over his shoulders unsure how to handle the situation.
He is a vampire, so he probably can't accidentally bite through his tongue…right?
Helplessly looking up to search the room for Alice, she was completely unprepared as her gaze met ruby orbs instead of the familiar golden ones. She stopped breathing.
Suddenly everything became blurry.
Tearing her gaze away she blinked. When Bella opened them again she faced six glowing ruby orbs instead of two. Each pair was unique in their own way. Different shades of red swirled together in the most beautiful way to form their irises.
Everything blurs in front of Bella once more, and before she can do anything she felt her knees go weak.
The last thing she saw before drifting into the blackness are three pairs of red eyes above her. Deep ruby seas drawing her in to drown in their intoxicating dance of colours. So beautiful…