Song: VILLAIN by Madison Beer

Angry storm clouds roiled across the horizon, obsidian menacing plumes that billowed ever heaven-ward. Promises of violent lashing rain and sharp snaps of thunder and lightning were delightful tastes on my tongue.

Edward's touch, light pressure along my spine, caught me, brought my senses into a modicum of reality. I was drifting, both in mind and body, caught up in idle fascinations.

Soft pressure, light as a butterfly's kiss, fluttered against the perimeters of my mind, its wings thrashing and failing in helpless rejection.

My head whipped around, gazing coolly over Edward's shoulder at Chelsea. The hand on my back curled, claws pressing into my perfect, stone flesh.

"Again?" His angelic voice murmured, carried away in the whipping gale, too low to discern. If we hadn't been moving in lockstep with the rest of the guard I'd have throttled her. I had before. Lucky little tart.

I exhaled hard, turning my head back around to survey at the still-empty space in front of us. Chelsea, always testing my shield, looking for the chink in the armor that would send me forever into salivating worship of her masters.

I heard Aro beckon from behind me, directly behind Chelsea. I couldn't even fathom how anyone could hear him with how breathlessly and soft he spoke. It rubbed my nerves, grated them until they were raw, hearing that detestable tenor day in and day out.

Edward sighed, pinning me with a longing, anguished stare. I could hear him saying the words, knowing Aro would hear them, messages delivered like coded ciphers. Don't leave me, Bella. Stay here.

I knew he didn't mean physically. No force that existed, divine or mortal, could hope to possess me to forgo another breath without him. He saw me, not even bothering to fight the pessimism, becoming jaded.

Finally, as Edward reached Aro's side and touched his revolting, milky skin, our quarry came into view. An abnormally large coven, five if you didn't count the angelic cherub with ruby eyes. I still had it in me to try not to count it.

They had been ushered into the arena, driven like cattle, flanked by Felix, Santiago, and several more brutish guards I couldn't bother to remember the names of. Yes, the whole coven would fight.

Our cabal was rather larger than usual, but the attache reflected the insult; Immortal children were beyond taboo, and their creators always resisted until the last. Me and Edward, of course, but also Chelsea, Alec, Jane, Felix, and Demetri. It was quite the party.

One of the offenders, a rather lanky, short female, screamed just then, sending Jane skittering backwards several steps in revulsion. I effortlessly threw out my shield to encase her, not bothering to hide my overdone exasperation once she recovered.

The woman who had attacked her mentally collapsed in a heap, writhing and screaming as Jane locked her petulant eyes on the woman.

"You're such a bitch." Her aside, clearly directed at me and meant to agitate, forced a sadistic peal of laughter from my lips.

"A picture that's worth a thousand words. What did she do, make you see kittens and rainbows?" I drawled at her, smirking. Smug superiority washed over me as Jane snarled, visibly bristling against the retort as she continued to torture the woman across the field.

I loved that she wished it was me. If her anger was a perfume, I'd shower in it.

Then Aro, clucking his tongue like a father scolding his ill-behaved children. "Now, now, dear ones. We have important matters at hand." Finally the woman stopped writhing, inelegantly panting on the ground, Jane appropriately chastised.

I sighed, already itching to conclude the performance that hadn't even yet begun. Like a fisherman, I cast my shield out further now that we had confirmed the woman's gift, cloaking the entire contingent of Volturi present.

Seeing one's worst fear. I didn't have to imagine what mine would be. The emotions tied to it, Aro's constant underhanded threats over Edward's life to ensure my obedient compliance. Venom welled in my mouth at the very thought.

Finally Aro began his practiced pitch, gliding forward still tethered to my life, Renata tailing nervously like a cat faced with a bathtub.

Aro clapped his hands together once he stood just in front of me, exclaiming in feigned upset, "Dear ones, today we must bear witness to a grave sin..."

Thunder stirred in the background, the lightning flashing as I went back to imagining the simple satisfaction of Aro's head taking leave of his shoulders.