The Descent
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 18
We traveled together, both of us lost in silent thought until after I'd checked in the rental car. It was when I turned to head to the ticketing desk that Demetri stopped me with a hand on my arm. "No need for that, my Lady. I have the Volturi jet here. Master Caius insisted."
My eyes narrowed. "He knows you're with me?"
He inclined his head. "He knows that you called upon me for help, but he does not know the details."
I rubbed my forehead. "Great. That means there are gonna be questions asked when I see him." I glared at my tracker friend. "Questions I don't want to answer, D."
He smirked and arched a brow. "Do not answer them."
"Yeah? And when he grills you about what went on?"
He shrugged a shoulder as we walked toward the security check point. "I delivered Edward Cullen to you for retribution and stayed with you to see him burn. No more, no less." His brows knitted and he glanced at me. "Although, I would like answers about what it was I witnessed."
I smirked and placed my bag and shoes in the plastic trays on the conveyor belt while he toed off his own shoes. "You can't be made to spill details on something you didn't comprehend, D. I'm partial to keeping it that way."
He scowled and walked through the metal detector before collecting his things and slipping his shoes back on. "Master Aro may see," he muttered as we trotted down the stairs. He pushed the exterior door open and held it for me before letting it fall shut as we crossed the tarmac toward the jet.
"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it, D." I began climbing the stair truck to the open door of the humming jet. "I doubt I register enough on Aro's radar to merit him looking into my business."
Demetri chuckled as we settled into facing, soft Italian leather seats. "He is close to Carlisle. You just had Carlisle's first childe destroyed. I would say that merits interest, my Lady."
"Damn, that's right, huh?"
He cocked a brow and nodded as the attendant closed the door and the pilot began to taxi.
I shrugged and pulled out a book. "He bit me and pissed me off. With your help, I got my revenge in a scary way. As far as they will ever know, it was all for show because a simple pyre was too easy for the fucker. End of story."
Demetri studied me for a few long moments before retrieving his own book. "I believe I shall endeavor to stay on your good side, my Lady."
We exchanged smirks over the tops of our books and settled in for the long flight to Volterra.
When we landed in Italy, it was thankfully nighttime which meant we didn't need to hide until sundown. Upon Demetri's insistence, I waited while he retrieved the car, the door of which he held open for me with a tiny smirk as I rolled my eyes and got in. "You know, one of these days, I'm gonna break you out of your stick-up-the-ass formal ways."
He chuckled while sliding in behind the wheel and pulling out.
"If that is a challenge my Lady, I accept," he said while keeping his eyes on the road; something I appreciated greatly since he was currently exceeding the speed of a bat out of hell.
I studied his profile for a long moment. "You know, I never thanked you properly for helping me. I really do appreciate everything you've done. I know you didn't have to do any of it."
He glanced over and smiled. "You are right, of course. I didn't have to do any of it, but I genuinely like you, Bella. Anytime you need me, just call." He smirked at the look of shock on my face before inclining his head. "I am ever at your service, my Lady."
I groaned and shook my head. "So close! You were so close to removing that stick from your ass, D." I grinned at him. "There's hope for you yet I tell ya."
He laughed and I turned on some tunes and began belting out the lyrics as he cringed and shook his head. This was how we passed the rest of the trip to Volterra, and no, it wasn't my imagination when I felt the car accelerate even faster at that point, polite ass that he is.
All humor left me as the castle came into view, and I turned off the music as D pulled through the gates before entering the garage to smoothly slot the car into a space. He cut the engine and turned to me. "Will you be all right, my Lady?"
I waved a hand. "Pfft, sure I will."
He cocked a brow, not looking convinced at all. "Would you like an escort?"
I rubbed my forehead before shaking my head. "No, I know the way, but thanks."
He hopped out and zipped around to open my door. As I got out, he stopped me with a hand on my arm. "Send for me if you have a need. I'll have your bag brought to your room?"
I grabbed the bag from the backseat and slung it over my shoulder. "No need. I'd rather not be disturbed, but thanks."
He nodded and followed me to the entrance doors, which he opened for me. I stepped in and froze at the sight of Caius standing there. "Isabella," he breathed. Taking my hand, he lifted it to his lips and brushed a kiss on my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine. "I am ever so pleased to see you, cara."
"Caius," I murmured as Demetri passed by and disappeared down the dim corridor. "I—I'm pleased to see you too."
The smile that lit his face was beautiful as he tucked my hand in the crook of his arm and began escorting me toward his rooms.
"Is it too much to hope that you've come to stay?" he murmured with a glance down at me.
I frowned. "I'm not sure what I'm doing here, to be honest. It just felt right to visit."
His free hand caressed mine where it lay on his arm. "Then I shall nurture my hope while doing all I can to convince you, my love."
We arrived at his quarters and I turned to him as he closed and bolted the door. "Is that truly what I am to you, Caius? Your love?"
His fingers traced my cheek before cupping the side of my face. "Yes," he answered earnestly before placing a feather-light kiss on my lips. "You are, cara. You step through the door and suddenly, all is right in my world." He kissed me again, teasing a response from me, one I couldn't deny as my half of the bond flared with fulfillment at the taste and feel of him pressed so closely against me.
Before I could stop it, I moaned low in my throat as his hand roamed down my back to rest on my ass, while his lips, teeth and tongue did sinful things to my rapidly crumbling resolve.
"Caius," I breathed as he trailed kisses down the column of my throat. I'm not sure where I got the strength, but I pressed my hands against his chest. "Caius," I repeated.
He raised his head, questions now shadowing his hooded eyes. "What is it, la bella mia?"
I cupped his face and smiled. "I have been traveling for some time. I think a bath's in order before anything else."
He smirked. "Of course! How insensitive of me. Please, get settled in our room and I shall draw a bath for you."
With that, he vanished into the suite and I followed at a more human, sedate pace. I could hear him moving about in the massive bathroom as I opened my bag and dug out a silky tank and boy-shorts to change into. Just as I turned to walk to the bathroom, he opened the door and strode to me. "It is ready," he said before dropping a kiss on my neck. "Don't keep me waiting too long, I beg you."
I arched a brow. "You're very presumptuous, my Lord."
He stared into my eyes while brushing stray hair from my cheek, his tone tender as he answered. "No, just hopeful, my Lady. Ever hopeful…"
My heart was in my throat, my eyes searching his as the silence stretched between us. "I—I think I'll take that bath now," I muttered before escaping into the bathroom. I closed the door and leaned against it, my emotions a mess as I squeezed my eyes closed. "It's the bond, Bella," I whispered to myself. "Just the damned bond. Stay strong. You can do this."
After quickly stripping, I sank into the steaming, fragrant water, a sigh leaving my lips as I willed myself to relax. With a fresh perspective, I quickly concluded it was dangerous for me to be here. Caius, with all his sweet words and ways, was dangerous to me; dangerous to my resolve and the tentative relationship I'd built with Jasper.
Jasper…
I pictured him in my mind. His wicked, dimpled grin when something pleased him… The look he would get in those beautiful eyes when our bodies came together… His strength, which he always shared with me… His passion...
There was no doubt… I loved him. And the kicker was that I loved him of my own free will, not because some mystical vampire bond dictated it be so. No, I loved him because of who he was and how much he meant to me, nothing more, nothing less.
And in that moment—as I was soaking in that bath—I realized… It was my most fervent hope that he loved me just the same.
With my resolve strengthened, I quickly finished my bath, dried off and dressed. After drying and brushing my hair, I padded out into the sitting room to see Caius, draped into a chair with a glass of wine held loosely in one hand.
There was no doubt—the vampire King was beautiful, looking as casual as he did at the moment with his feet bare and chiseled chest on display framed as it was by his unbuttoned, white silk shirt. Still, he wasn't Jasper and he wasn't mine—not fully, anyway.
"Isabella," he greeted with a tight smile. "Your phone rang while you were in the bath. I did not answer it, however, I did place it on the bedside table to charge. The battery was low."
"Thank you," I said while perching myself on the sofa. "Did you happen to notice who it was that called?"
He rose from his seat to hand me a glass of wine he'd poured for me before resuming his seat. "It was Major Whitlock."
I nodded and took a sip of the fruity wine. It really was rather good, so I didn't mind drinking it. "I'll return his call in a bit."
He smiled, but it wasn't his easy smile. "So, tell me, what have you been up to since I saw you last?"
I leaned back and curled a leg under me as I turned to face him. "I've been training mostly."
He nodded as his eyes skimmed my exposed skin. "Yes, I see. I figured it was either training or you'd been attacked by a hoard of feral newborns." His gaze locked with mine, his eyes flinty. "Major Whitlock will have a lot to answer for when next I see him."
My eyes narrowed. "None of these marks are Jasper's fault. Leave him out of it. If you're angry, be angry at me, not that it will do you any good. I am my own person, you really have no say in any of it."
He looked away, a muscle ticking in his jaw as he struggled to rein in his notorious temper. "All right, cara. I deserved that." He set his glass aside and rose from his seat to approach me. Taking my hand, he gently tugged me to my feet before wrapping me in his arms. "I would, however, love to have a say in your life, la bella mia. Say you'll give me that chance?" he murmured as his hand cupped the back of my head.
'Jesus, he's doing it again! Strength, Bella…find the strength! Challenge him…'
I met his gaze boldly. "You know what I require in order for you to have such a place in my life, Caius." I cocked a brow. "Are you now willing to give her up and commit to me fully?"
I felt his body tense against mine. "I—you know my reasons, cara. They have not changed…"
I smirked bitterly just as someone knocked on the door. Caius released me and stepped away to answer it. "Yes, what is it, Demetri?" he asked tersely.
Demetri bowed. "Forgive the intrusion, my Lord, but Aro requests your presence in the throne room to resolve some sort of disturbance," he said as his gaze flitted to mine briefly before staring straight ahead. I took that fleeting look for the warning it was and mentally steeled myself for whatever might come.
Caius growled lowly before nodding. "Very well, I'll be just a moment." He began to close the door, but before he could, Demetri spoke again. "Aro also requests Bella's presence, my Lord."
Caius scowled. "What the hell for?"
Demetri didn't waver under Caius's temper. "He did not share his reasons with me, my Lord. Only that he desires her presence."
Caius's eyes narrowed. "What sort of disturbance, Demetri?"
The guard's gaze darted to his Lord's. "When I left, he was speaking with the Lady Athenadora, my Lord. 'Tis all I know."
"We'll be there shortly," he snapped before closing the door. A moment later, he faced me, his eyes calculating. "I've no idea what this is about, but you may count upon my protection, cara. Now, let us prepare."
I nodded and went to change in the bedroom. When I returned, Caius was waiting, his appearance immaculate in the custom tailored suit he wore under his Volturi cloak, his pendant gleaming against the black silk breast of his jacket.
He approached me with a smile and wrapped an inky black cloak around me, placing a matching gold pendant around my neck before pulling up the deep cowl to cover my head. "There," he murmured. "Now you look like a proper Queen—my Queen." Before I could respond, he leaned down and kissed me and it was full of restrained passion. "My mate…" He grasped my hand. "Come," he said simply before leading me out the doors, through the many halls and stairways and to the throne room.
After stepping through the doors, he left me to stand in-between Demetri and Felix with instructions that they guard me closely. They both bowed and he took his seat next to Aro who smiled at him. "Good, we may begin."
"Yes, do share what this is about," Caius snapped. "I was otherwise occupied, as you well know."
Aro smirked and rested his chin in his palm. "Yes, I do know, brother." He glanced over at the seething blond and grinned. "Such an exciting life you're leading these days. It's almost akin to one of those dramas my dear Sulpicia watches on the TV. So sordid and scandalous…"
Caius growled and gripped the arms of his seat. "Get on with it!"
Marcus sighed heavily. "I also grow weary of your antics, Aro. Let us proceed."
"Oh, very well," the raven-haired King pouted before gesturing with a hand. "My dear Athenadora, please step forward and state your grievance."
Hate filled me as I watched a cloaked and hooded figure step to the middle of the room before lowering her cowl. "Grievance indeed, Aro," she said, her voice carrying clearly throughout the whole assembly. "I have been harmed. Untold pain fills my soul where once there was a content bond and I lay the blame at the feet of that female," she hissed the last while pointing at me.
I smirked. I couldn't help it. Here was the proof I was after, and I didn't even have to go looking for it. Nope, here she was—selfish bitch that she is—whining about her loss. As far as I was concerned, it was the least she deserved.
I lowered my hood and smiled. "My, my Dora… Paranoid much?" I taunted.
"You bitch!" she hissed. She made to lunge and Demetri stepped in front of me as Felix grabbed her.
"Please, Lady Athenadora, restrain yourself," Felix pleaded.
She jerked from his hold and straightened her sleeves before looking back at the Kings. "I demand something be done about her. I know this is her doing. She must be punished."
Aro blinked. "My dear, how do you know she had anything to do with your damaged bond? Why, she's only just arrived! Surely you're mistaken, dear one."
She shot me a poisonous look. "She's jealous of me and hates me. She made that clear on our last visit to the Whitlock ranch."
Caius raised a brow. "Why would she be jealous of you, Dora?"
Her chin jutted. "She wants what I have."
Aro raised an inky brow. "And what would that be, specifically?"
"Caius and Jasper," she stated amidst raised brows and murmurings.
Aro raised a hand. "Quiet," he demanded before pinning Dora with a rare, serious gaze.
"What does Major Whitlock have to do with this, Dora?" Caius demanded. "I know of your fondness for him, but you've never laid any claim to him in the past," he said with obvious bemusement coloring his tone.
My heart actually went out to him with the way his bitch of a wife had kept him in the dark all these years.
A rare sardonic chuckle coming from the stoic Marcus caught everyone's attention. "He was her mate, brother, though she never bothered sharing that information." He pinned Dora with a hawkish gaze. "Isn't that right, Dora?"
Aro's brows shot up. "You're just now sharing this information, Marcus?"
Marcus shrugged. "No one ever asked and she seemed disinclined to act on the bond once she had sealed it, choosing instead to remain with our brother."
Aro turned to Caius. "Were you aware of any of this?"
Caius scowled. "With the exception of Demetri and Felix, clear the room!" he called out, not speaking another word until everyone had left and the doors closed.
He glanced at Aro. "I was made aware that she had found her mate while I was away over a century ago, but she sent him away and would not share his identity with me. She chose to remain at my side—to remain true to me, so I did not question her further."
Aro held out his hand and Caius shook his head. "I will not share with you in that way, brother. Ask your questions. I may answer. Then again, I may choose not to."
"Always so contrary…" Aro mumbled. "Very well. I'll get right to it then." He looked back at Dora. "Explain your hatred of Isabella and leave nothing out. It's past time to sort this mess. It's now trying my patience and that's saying something."
She glanced at Caius before nodding. "Fine," she said, her demeanor now quelled. "Just over a century ago, the Mexican coven was summoned here due to the wars that were starting in the southern United States."
"I recall," Aro prompted with a nod.
"Caius was away at the time…"
"Yes, yes, we've established this. Hasten the story, please," Aro demanded.
"I claimed Jasper as my mate and sealed the bond. After being with me for three days, he fully expected me to leave with him, but I refused and sent him away."
"Why would you do such a thing?" Marcus interjected, his tone sharp and gaze steely as he looked at Dora.
I didn't feel a shred of sympathy for her though because I wanted to know the answer too. How could she do such a heartless act? Why not just let the potential bond wither if she never had any intention of remaining with him? Why cause Jasper such pain by sealing it just to reject him so callously?
"I—I wanted him. He's untamed, wild and so unrestrained and unrefined. He was everything I was unused to, and I couldn't resist…didn't want to resist, so I didn't," she said, her tone flippant, akin to that of someone who had claimed a prize or toy rather than a thinking, feeling, loving being.
I loathed her for it.
"So why not accompany your mate when he left?" Marcus goaded, his jaw set, his posture unrelenting.
"Because I am a Queen," her voice rang out as her posture straightened. "Something he could never offer me. I am a Queen and will remain a Queen."
"You would see your bond-mate suffer for over a century now, just to feed your ego?!" Marcus seethed?
I looked at Caius and he looked sick. He sat in his throne, his body stiff and expression blank… but for the look in his eyes. He was stricken. I could tell, and my heart ached for him. Still, he had chosen this bitch over me, so I found it hard to feel much sympathy for him. He had misjudged her and her motives for staying with him—terribly, it would seem. He had gambled—gambled and lost, because I had already made a choice of my own…
I would be returning to Jasper…eventually. Just as soon as I found a proper sacrifice and completed the ritual.
As I watched, Aro glanced at Caius before shaking his head. "And now, you have the gall to come before us with a grievance against Isabella?" he asked, once more focusing back on the so-called Queen.
"I do," she snapped. "She's done something! I know it! She wants my position as Queen and I won't stand for it!"
Marcus smirked and reached out to Aro who touched his hand momentarily before looking back at Dora with a raised brow. "Marcus confirms, your mate bond is severed. Tell me Dora, in light of your reluctance to relinquish your place as Queen, shouldn't the loss of this bond please you?"
I watched her admittedly lovely face twist into an ugly scowl. "No, it does not please me!" She rubbed at the center of her chest where I knew from experience such pain was centered. "It—it's painful! I feel—I feel bereft, lost, empty, where I once felt complete, fulfilled." She glared at me. "I want it fixed and for her to be punished!"
I smiled and finally spoke up. "It's no more than you deserve and besides, you can't prove a thing, so kiss my ass you self-centered twat."
Beside me, Demetri choked back laughter as Aro raised a hand while raising a brow at me. "Isabella, please, mind your tongue, young one."
"I would apologize, Aro, but I'm not sorry, so I won't bother. Some of us are more genuine than others."
He smirked. "Quite. Still, do try to behave, for me dear one?"
I inclined my head. "Since you asked so nicely."
"Thank you dear heart. Now," he said, looking back at Athenadora. "Since we have established that the only thing you have to complain about is the loss of a bond you sorely abused in the first place, and since you can prove no wrong-doing on the part of dear Isabella, I declare our business concluded."
I was just sharing a smirk with D when the doors opened and Alec strode over to whisper something in Aro's ear before striding back to the doors where he stood at the ready. "Well," Aro chirped. "It seems we are in for more excitement today." He nodded to Alec who opened the doors and stood aside as his sister, Jane escorted none other than the Cullen coven into the center of the throne room.
"Ah, Carlisle my friend, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to Italy and our humble castle?"
Carlisle's gaze darted to me before settling back on Aro. He didn't look happy. I couldn't care less.
"We have suffered a great loss, Aro and come to ask your help in seeking justice."
Aro frowned. "I am sorry to hear that, Carlisle. Please, explain your loss and what we can do to help."
The blond doctor looked at me again before answering. "My first childe, Edward, was destroyed and Isabella Swan is responsible."
Aro sighed and rubbed his forehead before glancing at me. "Tell me Isabella, should we expect any more surprises any time soon?"
I shrugged a shoulder. "No. Honestly, this should be it. Trouble seems to find me though, so I make no promises."
"Indeed," he said with a put-upon sigh. "Do you deny having Carlisle's childe, Edward, destroyed?"
"I don't. I watched the asshole burn with a smile on my face."
Carlisle consoled his sobbing mate while glaring at me. He wasn't the only one, as Rosalie and Emmett glared too. Alice, for whatever reason, had a carefully blank expression on her face and avoided looking at me at all, which considering her 'close relationship' with Edward, made me beyond curious.
"And your reasons, my dear? Please share them with us," Aro prompted.
"Sure," I said. "When I was still human, he claimed me as his mate, told me he loved me, included me in his family and when things went a bit tits up, he dumped me like a worn out shoe, even though I begged him to change me and take me with him. As always, he refused, told me I didn't belong in his world and that he no longer wanted anything to do with me. Then he and his whole family abandoned me. Left me to fend for myself with others of his kind—human drinkers, no less—after me."
Aro tsk'ed at Carlisle before looking back at me. "Yes, I seem to recall something of the sort from earlier talks. Please continue, my dear."
"Well, long story short, Jasper left the Cullens, came back for me, turned me, took me under his wing and here I am. Oh, but I have one more thing against Edward. While you all were at the Whitlock place, Edward tried to rape me. He didn't succeed, but he did mark me. I decided, for that, and for what he did in the past, he needed to die. Simple as that."
Aro glanced at his brothers before raising a brow at Carlisle. "Her reasoning seems sound, not to mention legal according to our laws, old friend. Can you refute any of her claims?"
Carlisle's shoulders slumped. "I would simply say in Edward's defense, he was young and somewhat naive. He thought he was in love and that Bella was his mate."
"Well, he was wrong, wasn't he?" I sneered, not feeling a shred of sympathy for these vampires, despite their over-blown theatrics. "And now he's dead wrong and the world is a better place, enough said," I finished.
"You could've come to us!" Esme shrieked. "We could've talked this out! You didn't have to end his existence!"
Before I could say anything, Aro intervened. "Your statements raise my curiosity, Mrs. Cullen. Isn't young Alice a seer? Could she not have perhaps prevented his demise?"
Alice blinked owlishly as everyone focused on her. "I—I didn't see it in time, Master Aro. I explained this to my family."
He stood and beckoned her forward. "Let me see, my dear." She hesitated and he urged her on with an outstretched hand. "Humor me, young Alice." His words were innocuous but his tone was firm. It wasn't a request. It was an order, and we all knew it.
She dropped her head and grasped his hand. He only held the connection for a few beats before stepping back with a shake of his head. "Oh what a tangled web we weave…" he muttered, piquing my curiosity even further.
Just what had he seen in her head?
He resumed his seat and smirked. "My, but Major Whitlock is one popular fellow with the ladies! To inspire such intrigue! I'm almost jealous," he quipped.
I blinked and then narrowed my eyes at my former self-proclaimed best friend. Just what the hell had he seen in the psycho psychic's head? Especially concerning Jasper…
'Oh hell no…' my inner voice denied as the pieces began to fall into place.
She'd probably seen Edward's death in time to at least make a phone call—some sort of effort to stop me or try to talk me out of it, I was sure of it, but… she hadn't wanted to. She'd wanted that sacrifice to go through just as much as I had.
And now, I had a pretty good idea why…
Then I made a decision, smiling coldly as Alice stiffened and gasped before meeting my gaze with wide, golden, fear-filled eyes.
'That's right bitch,' I snarled mentally while staring her down. 'Be afraid. Be very afraid…'
We traveled together, both of us lost in silent thought until after I'd checked in the rental car. It was when I turned to head to the ticketing desk that Demetri stopped me with a hand on my arm. "No need for that, my Lady. I have the Volturi jet here. Master Caius insisted."
My eyes narrowed. "He knows you're with me?"
He inclined his head. "He knows that you called upon me for help, but he does not know the details."
I rubbed my forehead. "Great. That means there are gonna be questions asked when I see him." I glared at my tracker friend. "Questions I don't want to answer, D."
He smirked and arched a brow. "Do not answer them."
"Yeah? And when he grills you about what went on?"
He shrugged a shoulder as we walked toward the security check point. "I delivered Edward Cullen to you for retribution and stayed with you to see him burn. No more, no less." His brows knitted and he glanced at me. "Although, I would like answers about what it was I witnessed."
I smirked and placed my bag and shoes in the plastic trays on the conveyor belt while he toed off his own shoes. "You can't be made to spill details on something you didn't comprehend, D. I'm partial to keeping it that way."
He scowled and walked through the metal detector before collecting his things and slipping his shoes back on. "Master Aro may see," he muttered as we trotted down the stairs. He pushed the exterior door open and held it for me before letting it fall shut as we crossed the tarmac toward the jet.
"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it, D." I began climbing the stair truck to the open door of the humming jet. "I doubt I register enough on Aro's radar to merit him looking into my business."
Demetri chuckled as we settled into facing, soft Italian leather seats. "He is close to Carlisle. You just had Carlisle's first childe destroyed. I would say that merits interest, my Lady."
"Damn, that's right, huh?"
He cocked a brow and nodded as the attendant closed the door and the pilot began to taxi.
I shrugged and pulled out a book. "He bit me and pissed me off. With your help, I got my revenge in a scary way. As far as they will ever know, it was all for show because a simple pyre was too easy for the fucker. End of story."
Demetri studied me for a few long moments before retrieving his own book. "I believe I shall endeavor to stay on your good side, my Lady."
We exchanged smirks over the tops of our books and settled in for the long flight to Volterra.
When we landed in Italy, it was thankfully nighttime which meant we didn't need to hide until sundown. Upon Demetri's insistence, I waited while he retrieved the car, the door of which he held open for me with a tiny smirk as I rolled my eyes and got in. "You know, one of these days, I'm gonna break you out of your stick-up-the-ass formal ways."
He chuckled while sliding in behind the wheel and pulling out.
"If that is a challenge my Lady, I accept," he said while keeping his eyes on the road; something I appreciated greatly since he was currently exceeding the speed of a bat out of hell.
I studied his profile for a long moment. "You know, I never thanked you properly for helping me. I really do appreciate everything you've done. I know you didn't have to do any of it."
He glanced over and smiled. "You are right, of course. I didn't have to do any of it, but I genuinely like you, Bella. Anytime you need me, just call." He smirked at the look of shock on my face before inclining his head. "I am ever at your service, my Lady."
I groaned and shook my head. "So close! You were so close to removing that stick from your ass, D." I grinned at him. "There's hope for you yet I tell ya."
He laughed and I turned on some tunes and began belting out the lyrics as he cringed and shook his head. This was how we passed the rest of the trip to Volterra, and no, it wasn't my imagination when I felt the car accelerate even faster at that point, polite ass that he is.
All humor left me as the castle came into view, and I turned off the music as D pulled through the gates before entering the garage to smoothly slot the car into a space. He cut the engine and turned to me. "Will you be all right, my Lady?"
I waved a hand. "Pfft, sure I will."
He cocked a brow, not looking convinced at all. "Would you like an escort?"
I rubbed my forehead before shaking my head. "No, I know the way, but thanks."
He hopped out and zipped around to open my door. As I got out, he stopped me with a hand on my arm. "Send for me if you have a need. I'll have your bag brought to your room?"
I grabbed the bag from the backseat and slung it over my shoulder. "No need. I'd rather not be disturbed, but thanks."
He nodded and followed me to the entrance doors, which he opened for me. I stepped in and froze at the sight of Caius standing there. "Isabella," he breathed. Taking my hand, he lifted it to his lips and brushed a kiss on my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine. "I am ever so pleased to see you, cara."
"Caius," I murmured as Demetri passed by and disappeared down the dim corridor. "I—I'm pleased to see you too."
The smile that lit his face was beautiful as he tucked my hand in the crook of his arm and began escorting me toward his rooms.
"Is it too much to hope that you've come to stay?" he murmured with a glance down at me.
I frowned. "I'm not sure what I'm doing here, to be honest. It just felt right to visit."
His free hand caressed mine where it lay on his arm. "Then I shall nurture my hope while doing all I can to convince you, my love."
We arrived at his quarters and I turned to him as he closed and bolted the door. "Is that truly what I am to you, Caius? Your love?"
His fingers traced my cheek before cupping the side of my face. "Yes," he answered earnestly before placing a feather-light kiss on my lips. "You are, cara. You step through the door and suddenly, all is right in my world." He kissed me again, teasing a response from me, one I couldn't deny as my half of the bond flared with fulfillment at the taste and feel of him pressed so closely against me.
Before I could stop it, I moaned low in my throat as his hand roamed down my back to rest on my ass, while his lips, teeth and tongue did sinful things to my rapidly crumbling resolve.
"Caius," I breathed as he trailed kisses down the column of my throat. I'm not sure where I got the strength, but I pressed my hands against his chest. "Caius," I repeated.
He raised his head, questions now shadowing his hooded eyes. "What is it, la bella mia?"
I cupped his face and smiled. "I have been traveling for some time. I think a bath's in order before anything else."
He smirked. "Of course! How insensitive of me. Please, get settled in our room and I shall draw a bath for you."
With that, he vanished into the suite and I followed at a more human, sedate pace. I could hear him moving about in the massive bathroom as I opened my bag and dug out a silky tank and boy-shorts to change into. Just as I turned to walk to the bathroom, he opened the door and strode to me. "It is ready," he said before dropping a kiss on my neck. "Don't keep me waiting too long, I beg you."
I arched a brow. "You're very presumptuous, my Lord."
He stared into my eyes while brushing stray hair from my cheek, his tone tender as he answered. "No, just hopeful, my Lady. Ever hopeful…"
My heart was in my throat, my eyes searching his as the silence stretched between us. "I—I think I'll take that bath now," I muttered before escaping into the bathroom. I closed the door and leaned against it, my emotions a mess as I squeezed my eyes closed. "It's the bond, Bella," I whispered to myself. "Just the damned bond. Stay strong. You can do this."
After quickly stripping, I sank into the steaming, fragrant water, a sigh leaving my lips as I willed myself to relax. With a fresh perspective, I quickly concluded it was dangerous for me to be here. Caius, with all his sweet words and ways, was dangerous to me; dangerous to my resolve and the tentative relationship I'd built with Jasper.
Jasper…
I pictured him in my mind. His wicked, dimpled grin when something pleased him… The look he would get in those beautiful eyes when our bodies came together… His strength, which he always shared with me… His passion...
There was no doubt… I loved him. And the kicker was that I loved him of my own free will, not because some mystical vampire bond dictated it be so. No, I loved him because of who he was and how much he meant to me, nothing more, nothing less.
And in that moment—as I was soaking in that bath—I realized… It was my most fervent hope that he loved me just the same.
With my resolve strengthened, I quickly finished my bath, dried off and dressed. After drying and brushing my hair, I padded out into the sitting room to see Caius, draped into a chair with a glass of wine held loosely in one hand.
There was no doubt—the vampire King was beautiful, looking as casual as he did at the moment with his feet bare and chiseled chest on display framed as it was by his unbuttoned, white silk shirt. Still, he wasn't Jasper and he wasn't mine—not fully, anyway.
"Isabella," he greeted with a tight smile. "Your phone rang while you were in the bath. I did not answer it, however, I did place it on the bedside table to charge. The battery was low."
"Thank you," I said while perching myself on the sofa. "Did you happen to notice who it was that called?"
He rose from his seat to hand me a glass of wine he'd poured for me before resuming his seat. "It was Major Whitlock."
I nodded and took a sip of the fruity wine. It really was rather good, so I didn't mind drinking it. "I'll return his call in a bit."
He smiled, but it wasn't his easy smile. "So, tell me, what have you been up to since I saw you last?"
I leaned back and curled a leg under me as I turned to face him. "I've been training mostly."
He nodded as his eyes skimmed my exposed skin. "Yes, I see. I figured it was either training or you'd been attacked by a hoard of feral newborns." His gaze locked with mine, his eyes flinty. "Major Whitlock will have a lot to answer for when next I see him."
My eyes narrowed. "None of these marks are Jasper's fault. Leave him out of it. If you're angry, be angry at me, not that it will do you any good. I am my own person, you really have no say in any of it."
He looked away, a muscle ticking in his jaw as he struggled to rein in his notorious temper. "All right, cara. I deserved that." He set his glass aside and rose from his seat to approach me. Taking my hand, he gently tugged me to my feet before wrapping me in his arms. "I would, however, love to have a say in your life, la bella mia. Say you'll give me that chance?" he murmured as his hand cupped the back of my head.
'Jesus, he's doing it again! Strength, Bella…find the strength! Challenge him…'
I met his gaze boldly. "You know what I require in order for you to have such a place in my life, Caius." I cocked a brow. "Are you now willing to give her up and commit to me fully?"
I felt his body tense against mine. "I—you know my reasons, cara. They have not changed…"
I smirked bitterly just as someone knocked on the door. Caius released me and stepped away to answer it. "Yes, what is it, Demetri?" he asked tersely.
Demetri bowed. "Forgive the intrusion, my Lord, but Aro requests your presence in the throne room to resolve some sort of disturbance," he said as his gaze flitted to mine briefly before staring straight ahead. I took that fleeting look for the warning it was and mentally steeled myself for whatever might come.
Caius growled lowly before nodding. "Very well, I'll be just a moment." He began to close the door, but before he could, Demetri spoke again. "Aro also requests Bella's presence, my Lord."
Caius scowled. "What the hell for?"
Demetri didn't waver under Caius's temper. "He did not share his reasons with me, my Lord. Only that he desires her presence."
Caius's eyes narrowed. "What sort of disturbance, Demetri?"
The guard's gaze darted to his Lord's. "When I left, he was speaking with the Lady Athenadora, my Lord. 'Tis all I know."
"We'll be there shortly," he snapped before closing the door. A moment later, he faced me, his eyes calculating. "I've no idea what this is about, but you may count upon my protection, cara. Now, let us prepare."
I nodded and went to change in the bedroom. When I returned, Caius was waiting, his appearance immaculate in the custom tailored suit he wore under his Volturi cloak, his pendant gleaming against the black silk breast of his jacket.
He approached me with a smile and wrapped an inky black cloak around me, placing a matching gold pendant around my neck before pulling up the deep cowl to cover my head. "There," he murmured. "Now you look like a proper Queen—my Queen." Before I could respond, he leaned down and kissed me and it was full of restrained passion. "My mate…" He grasped my hand. "Come," he said simply before leading me out the doors, through the many halls and stairways and to the throne room.
After stepping through the doors, he left me to stand in-between Demetri and Felix with instructions that they guard me closely. They both bowed and he took his seat next to Aro who smiled at him. "Good, we may begin."
"Yes, do share what this is about," Caius snapped. "I was otherwise occupied, as you well know."
Aro smirked and rested his chin in his palm. "Yes, I do know, brother." He glanced over at the seething blond and grinned. "Such an exciting life you're leading these days. It's almost akin to one of those dramas my dear Sulpicia watches on the TV. So sordid and scandalous…"
Caius growled and gripped the arms of his seat. "Get on with it!"
Marcus sighed heavily. "I also grow weary of your antics, Aro. Let us proceed."
"Oh, very well," the raven-haired King pouted before gesturing with a hand. "My dear Athenadora, please step forward and state your grievance."
Hate filled me as I watched a cloaked and hooded figure step to the middle of the room before lowering her cowl. "Grievance indeed, Aro," she said, her voice carrying clearly throughout the whole assembly. "I have been harmed. Untold pain fills my soul where once there was a content bond and I lay the blame at the feet of that female," she hissed the last while pointing at me.
I smirked. I couldn't help it. Here was the proof I was after, and I didn't even have to go looking for it. Nope, here she was—selfish bitch that she is—whining about her loss. As far as I was concerned, it was the least she deserved.
I lowered my hood and smiled. "My, my Dora… Paranoid much?" I taunted.
"You bitch!" she hissed. She made to lunge and Demetri stepped in front of me as Felix grabbed her.
"Please, Lady Athenadora, restrain yourself," Felix pleaded.
She jerked from his hold and straightened her sleeves before looking back at the Kings. "I demand something be done about her. I know this is her doing. She must be punished."
Aro blinked. "My dear, how do you know she had anything to do with your damaged bond? Why, she's only just arrived! Surely you're mistaken, dear one."
She shot me a poisonous look. "She's jealous of me and hates me. She made that clear on our last visit to the Whitlock ranch."
Caius raised a brow. "Why would she be jealous of you, Dora?"
Her chin jutted. "She wants what I have."
Aro raised an inky brow. "And what would that be, specifically?"
"Caius and Jasper," she stated amidst raised brows and murmurings.
Aro raised a hand. "Quiet," he demanded before pinning Dora with a rare, serious gaze.
"What does Major Whitlock have to do with this, Dora?" Caius demanded. "I know of your fondness for him, but you've never laid any claim to him in the past," he said with obvious bemusement coloring his tone.
My heart actually went out to him with the way his bitch of a wife had kept him in the dark all these years.
A rare sardonic chuckle coming from the stoic Marcus caught everyone's attention. "He was her mate, brother, though she never bothered sharing that information." He pinned Dora with a hawkish gaze. "Isn't that right, Dora?"
Aro's brows shot up. "You're just now sharing this information, Marcus?"
Marcus shrugged. "No one ever asked and she seemed disinclined to act on the bond once she had sealed it, choosing instead to remain with our brother."
Aro turned to Caius. "Were you aware of any of this?"
Caius scowled. "With the exception of Demetri and Felix, clear the room!" he called out, not speaking another word until everyone had left and the doors closed.
He glanced at Aro. "I was made aware that she had found her mate while I was away over a century ago, but she sent him away and would not share his identity with me. She chose to remain at my side—to remain true to me, so I did not question her further."
Aro held out his hand and Caius shook his head. "I will not share with you in that way, brother. Ask your questions. I may answer. Then again, I may choose not to."
"Always so contrary…" Aro mumbled. "Very well. I'll get right to it then." He looked back at Dora. "Explain your hatred of Isabella and leave nothing out. It's past time to sort this mess. It's now trying my patience and that's saying something."
She glanced at Caius before nodding. "Fine," she said, her demeanor now quelled. "Just over a century ago, the Mexican coven was summoned here due to the wars that were starting in the southern United States."
"I recall," Aro prompted with a nod.
"Caius was away at the time…"
"Yes, yes, we've established this. Hasten the story, please," Aro demanded.
"I claimed Jasper as my mate and sealed the bond. After being with me for three days, he fully expected me to leave with him, but I refused and sent him away."
"Why would you do such a thing?" Marcus interjected, his tone sharp and gaze steely as he looked at Dora.
I didn't feel a shred of sympathy for her though because I wanted to know the answer too. How could she do such a heartless act? Why not just let the potential bond wither if she never had any intention of remaining with him? Why cause Jasper such pain by sealing it just to reject him so callously?
"I—I wanted him. He's untamed, wild and so unrestrained and unrefined. He was everything I was unused to, and I couldn't resist…didn't want to resist, so I didn't," she said, her tone flippant, akin to that of someone who had claimed a prize or toy rather than a thinking, feeling, loving being.
I loathed her for it.
"So why not accompany your mate when he left?" Marcus goaded, his jaw set, his posture unrelenting.
"Because I am a Queen," her voice rang out as her posture straightened. "Something he could never offer me. I am a Queen and will remain a Queen."
"You would see your bond-mate suffer for over a century now, just to feed your ego?!" Marcus seethed?
I looked at Caius and he looked sick. He sat in his throne, his body stiff and expression blank… but for the look in his eyes. He was stricken. I could tell, and my heart ached for him. Still, he had chosen this bitch over me, so I found it hard to feel much sympathy for him. He had misjudged her and her motives for staying with him—terribly, it would seem. He had gambled—gambled and lost, because I had already made a choice of my own…
I would be returning to Jasper…eventually. Just as soon as I found a proper sacrifice and completed the ritual.
As I watched, Aro glanced at Caius before shaking his head. "And now, you have the gall to come before us with a grievance against Isabella?" he asked, once more focusing back on the so-called Queen.
"I do," she snapped. "She's done something! I know it! She wants my position as Queen and I won't stand for it!"
Marcus smirked and reached out to Aro who touched his hand momentarily before looking back at Dora with a raised brow. "Marcus confirms, your mate bond is severed. Tell me Dora, in light of your reluctance to relinquish your place as Queen, shouldn't the loss of this bond please you?"
I watched her admittedly lovely face twist into an ugly scowl. "No, it does not please me!" She rubbed at the center of her chest where I knew from experience such pain was centered. "It—it's painful! I feel—I feel bereft, lost, empty, where I once felt complete, fulfilled." She glared at me. "I want it fixed and for her to be punished!"
I smiled and finally spoke up. "It's no more than you deserve and besides, you can't prove a thing, so kiss my ass you self-centered twat."
Beside me, Demetri choked back laughter as Aro raised a hand while raising a brow at me. "Isabella, please, mind your tongue, young one."
"I would apologize, Aro, but I'm not sorry, so I won't bother. Some of us are more genuine than others."
He smirked. "Quite. Still, do try to behave, for me dear one?"
I inclined my head. "Since you asked so nicely."
"Thank you dear heart. Now," he said, looking back at Athenadora. "Since we have established that the only thing you have to complain about is the loss of a bond you sorely abused in the first place, and since you can prove no wrong-doing on the part of dear Isabella, I declare our business concluded."
I was just sharing a smirk with D when the doors opened and Alec strode over to whisper something in Aro's ear before striding back to the doors where he stood at the ready. "Well," Aro chirped. "It seems we are in for more excitement today." He nodded to Alec who opened the doors and stood aside as his sister, Jane escorted none other than the Cullen coven into the center of the throne room.
"Ah, Carlisle my friend, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to Italy and our humble castle?"
Carlisle's gaze darted to me before settling back on Aro. He didn't look happy. I couldn't care less.
"We have suffered a great loss, Aro and come to ask your help in seeking justice."
Aro frowned. "I am sorry to hear that, Carlisle. Please, explain your loss and what we can do to help."
The blond doctor looked at me again before answering. "My first childe, Edward, was destroyed and Isabella Swan is responsible."
Aro sighed and rubbed his forehead before glancing at me. "Tell me Isabella, should we expect any more surprises any time soon?"
I shrugged a shoulder. "No. Honestly, this should be it. Trouble seems to find me though, so I make no promises."
"Indeed," he said with a put-upon sigh. "Do you deny having Carlisle's childe, Edward, destroyed?"
"I don't. I watched the asshole burn with a smile on my face."
Carlisle consoled his sobbing mate while glaring at me. He wasn't the only one, as Rosalie and Emmett glared too. Alice, for whatever reason, had a carefully blank expression on her face and avoided looking at me at all, which considering her 'close relationship' with Edward, made me beyond curious.
"And your reasons, my dear? Please share them with us," Aro prompted.
"Sure," I said. "When I was still human, he claimed me as his mate, told me he loved me, included me in his family and when things went a bit tits up, he dumped me like a worn out shoe, even though I begged him to change me and take me with him. As always, he refused, told me I didn't belong in his world and that he no longer wanted anything to do with me. Then he and his whole family abandoned me. Left me to fend for myself with others of his kind—human drinkers, no less—after me."
Aro tsk'ed at Carlisle before looking back at me. "Yes, I seem to recall something of the sort from earlier talks. Please continue, my dear."
"Well, long story short, Jasper left the Cullens, came back for me, turned me, took me under his wing and here I am. Oh, but I have one more thing against Edward. While you all were at the Whitlock place, Edward tried to rape me. He didn't succeed, but he did mark me. I decided, for that, and for what he did in the past, he needed to die. Simple as that."
Aro glanced at his brothers before raising a brow at Carlisle. "Her reasoning seems sound, not to mention legal according to our laws, old friend. Can you refute any of her claims?"
Carlisle's shoulders slumped. "I would simply say in Edward's defense, he was young and somewhat naive. He thought he was in love and that Bella was his mate."
"Well, he was wrong, wasn't he?" I sneered, not feeling a shred of sympathy for these vampires, despite their over-blown theatrics. "And now he's dead wrong and the world is a better place, enough said," I finished.
"You could've come to us!" Esme shrieked. "We could've talked this out! You didn't have to end his existence!"
Before I could say anything, Aro intervened. "Your statements raise my curiosity, Mrs. Cullen. Isn't young Alice a seer? Could she not have perhaps prevented his demise?"
Alice blinked owlishly as everyone focused on her. "I—I didn't see it in time, Master Aro. I explained this to my family."
He stood and beckoned her forward. "Let me see, my dear." She hesitated and he urged her on with an outstretched hand. "Humor me, young Alice." His words were innocuous but his tone was firm. It wasn't a request. It was an order, and we all knew it.
She dropped her head and grasped his hand. He only held the connection for a few beats before stepping back with a shake of his head. "Oh what a tangled web we weave…" he muttered, piquing my curiosity even further.
Just what had he seen in her head?
He resumed his seat and smirked. "My, but Major Whitlock is one popular fellow with the ladies! To inspire such intrigue! I'm almost jealous," he quipped.
I blinked and then narrowed my eyes at my former self-proclaimed best friend. Just what the hell had he seen in the psycho psychic's head? Especially concerning Jasper…
'Oh hell no…' my inner voice denied as the pieces began to fall into place.
She'd probably seen Edward's death in time to at least make a phone call—some sort of effort to stop me or try to talk me out of it, I was sure of it, but… she hadn't wanted to. She'd wanted that sacrifice to go through just as much as I had.
And now, I had a pretty good idea why…
Then I made a decision, smiling coldly as Alice stiffened and gasped before meeting my gaze with wide, golden, fear-filled eyes.
'That's right bitch,' I snarled mentally while staring her down. 'Be afraid. Be very afraid…'
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.