End of Chapter 21
"He made up his mind as soon as your 'friend' confirmed that it was too late to save you." I said.
"But he...he left! He didn't want me anymore! What difference does it make now? He knew I would die sometime!" She yelled.
"I don't think he ever planned to outlive you by long." I said quietly.
"How dare he!" She screamed as she jumped to her feet.
As she rose, Jacob stood up too, putting himself between Bella and I as if he were going to protect her from me.
"Oh, get out of the way, Jacob!" She yelled as she elbowed him out of the way.
"What can we do?" She begged as she came closer to me. "Can't we call him? Can Carlisle?"
I shook my head. "That was the first thing I tried. He left his phone in a trash can in Rio..someone answered it..."
"You said before we had to hurry. Hurry how? Let's do it, whatever it is!" Bella begged.
"Bella, I...I don't think I can ask you to..." I cut off the sentence as I thought about the options.
Could I really ask her to come with me? Could she come with me to Italy? Could I go and do this alone?? That one I knew was a yes, I could go do it alone...but would he listen to me? No, he wouldn't...he would think I was lying to him to keep him alive. This may be the only way.
Chapter 22
"Ask me!!" Bella demanded.
I took a deep breath before I put my hands on her shoulders. I looked directly in her eyes, enunciating each word..making sure she understood. "We may already be too late. I saw him going to the Volturi...and asking to die." I said quietly as my whole body shivered. I looked in Bella's eyes and saw them fill with tears as this all became real. "It all depends on what they choose. I can't see that till they make a decision."
"But if they say no, and they might...Aro is fond of Carlisle, and wouldn't want to offend him...Edward has a backup plan. They're very protective of their city. If Edward does something to upset the peace, he thinks they'll act to stop him. And he's right. They will." I whispered as I saw another vision.
I saw Edward begging Aro and the others to end his existence. Edward already was thinking of ways to anger them should they say no. The first thing I saw was him exposing what he was, then him hurting someone, throwing things, anything that would expose him. I couldn't breath, it was all too much.
Bella was watching me closely, hoping that I would tell her what I saw...but I couldn't do that to her right now.
"So if they agree to grant his favor, we're too late. If they say no, and he comes up with a plan to offend them quickly enough, we're too late. If he gives into his more theatrical tendencies...we might have time." I explained.
"Let's go!" Bella exclaimed.
"Listen Bella!! Whether we are in time or not, we will be in the heart of the Volturi city. I will be considered his accomplice if he is successful. You will be a human who not only knows too much, but also smells too good. There's a very good chance that they will eliminate us all...though in your case it won't be punishment...as much as dinnertime." I said, trying to get her to see the danger.
"This is what's keeping us here?" She asked in disbelief. "I'll go alone if you're afraid." Bella stated.
I had to fight the urge to laugh, she was willing to go across the world alone and face something she doesn't understand for Edward. I shook my head, finally understanding what Edward meant when he said that she was 'like a angry kitten' when she got mad. The look in her eyes brought me back to the situation.
"I'm only afraid of getting you killed." I said quietly.
"I almost get myself killed on a daily basis! Tell me what I need to do!" She said as she snorted.
I thought about it for a few seconds. She was very determined to come with me, she was willing to go somewhere where it was very likely that we wouldn't come home from.
I looked around, quickly trying to think of all the things she would need to get to Italy. Her father would be very upset when he came home and she was gone, but hopefully I could get her home in a few days....and hopefully alive.
"You write a note to Charlie. I will call the airlines." I commanded.
"Charlie." Bella gasped as she looked around.
I quit paying attention to her or what she was doing for a minute. I quickly flipped the phone open and scrolled down until I found the phone number for the airline and hit send.
"United Airlines, how may I help you." A overly friendly voice said.
"I need to book two tickets from Seattle to Florence. First class please, and next possible flight." I said quickly.
I heard typing then the voice returned. "I have 2 tickets from Seattle to Florence with a 30 minute layover in New York."
"Fine. Yes, we'll take them. When does it leave?" I asked impatiently.
"It leaves in one hour, how would you like to pay ma'am?" The voice asked.
I quickly rattled off one of the many credit cards numbers that I had in my purse and hung up. I grabbed my bag, threw it over my shoulder and went to stand in the doorway of the kitchen where Bella and Jacob were talking.
"Get your wallet...you'll seed an ID. Please tell me you have a passport. We don't have time to forge one for you." I said as I shook my head.
Bella nodded before running up the stairs. I shook my head as I heard her trip over her feet and fall on the last step.
When she was in he room, Jacob Black turned to face me. The look on his face was far from friendly, he stalked towards me..his whole body beginning to tremble.
"Get it off your chest boy." I said as I stood my ground.
"BOY!! Don't call me boy!" He said as he got right next to me and bent town so his face was closer to mine.
"Back off, I don't have time for this! Say what you have to say so I can get going to save my brother." I said between my teeth, the beginnings of a growl starting in my chest.
"Why? Why do you have to take her?" He yelled.
"I'm not forcing her to do anything! This is her call, she knows she will be safe with me." I said calmly as I got myself under control.
Bella came down the stairs, stopping on the bottom step. Her eyes wide as she watched her friend and I yell at each other. She shrunk back into the stairs, trying not to interrupt our conversation.
"You might control yourself on occasion, but these leeches you're taking her to." Jacob started to say before I interrupted him.
"Yes You're right, dog." I snarled. "The Volturi are the very essence of our kind..they are the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me. They are the substance of our nightmares, the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that."
"And you take her to them like a bottle of wine for a party!" He yelled.
"You think she'd be better off if I left her here alone, with Victoria stalking her?" I laughed.
"We can handle the read head." Jacob said.
"Then why is she still hunting!?" I said loudly.
Jacob started growling, his whole body shaking in anger. I felt myself lowering into a defensive position, knowing that this is something I didn't want to do at this point..but if he was going to loose it I would protect myself and Bella.
"He made up his mind as soon as your 'friend' confirmed that it was too late to save you." I said.
"But he...he left! He didn't want me anymore! What difference does it make now? He knew I would die sometime!" She yelled.
"I don't think he ever planned to outlive you by long." I said quietly.
"How dare he!" She screamed as she jumped to her feet.
As she rose, Jacob stood up too, putting himself between Bella and I as if he were going to protect her from me.
"Oh, get out of the way, Jacob!" She yelled as she elbowed him out of the way.
"What can we do?" She begged as she came closer to me. "Can't we call him? Can Carlisle?"
I shook my head. "That was the first thing I tried. He left his phone in a trash can in Rio..someone answered it..."
"You said before we had to hurry. Hurry how? Let's do it, whatever it is!" Bella begged.
"Bella, I...I don't think I can ask you to..." I cut off the sentence as I thought about the options.
Could I really ask her to come with me? Could she come with me to Italy? Could I go and do this alone?? That one I knew was a yes, I could go do it alone...but would he listen to me? No, he wouldn't...he would think I was lying to him to keep him alive. This may be the only way.
Chapter 22
"Ask me!!" Bella demanded.
I took a deep breath before I put my hands on her shoulders. I looked directly in her eyes, enunciating each word..making sure she understood. "We may already be too late. I saw him going to the Volturi...and asking to die." I said quietly as my whole body shivered. I looked in Bella's eyes and saw them fill with tears as this all became real. "It all depends on what they choose. I can't see that till they make a decision."
"But if they say no, and they might...Aro is fond of Carlisle, and wouldn't want to offend him...Edward has a backup plan. They're very protective of their city. If Edward does something to upset the peace, he thinks they'll act to stop him. And he's right. They will." I whispered as I saw another vision.
I saw Edward begging Aro and the others to end his existence. Edward already was thinking of ways to anger them should they say no. The first thing I saw was him exposing what he was, then him hurting someone, throwing things, anything that would expose him. I couldn't breath, it was all too much.
Bella was watching me closely, hoping that I would tell her what I saw...but I couldn't do that to her right now.
"So if they agree to grant his favor, we're too late. If they say no, and he comes up with a plan to offend them quickly enough, we're too late. If he gives into his more theatrical tendencies...we might have time." I explained.
"Let's go!" Bella exclaimed.
"Listen Bella!! Whether we are in time or not, we will be in the heart of the Volturi city. I will be considered his accomplice if he is successful. You will be a human who not only knows too much, but also smells too good. There's a very good chance that they will eliminate us all...though in your case it won't be punishment...as much as dinnertime." I said, trying to get her to see the danger.
"This is what's keeping us here?" She asked in disbelief. "I'll go alone if you're afraid." Bella stated.
I had to fight the urge to laugh, she was willing to go across the world alone and face something she doesn't understand for Edward. I shook my head, finally understanding what Edward meant when he said that she was 'like a angry kitten' when she got mad. The look in her eyes brought me back to the situation.
"I'm only afraid of getting you killed." I said quietly.
"I almost get myself killed on a daily basis! Tell me what I need to do!" She said as she snorted.
I thought about it for a few seconds. She was very determined to come with me, she was willing to go somewhere where it was very likely that we wouldn't come home from.
I looked around, quickly trying to think of all the things she would need to get to Italy. Her father would be very upset when he came home and she was gone, but hopefully I could get her home in a few days....and hopefully alive.
"You write a note to Charlie. I will call the airlines." I commanded.
"Charlie." Bella gasped as she looked around.
I quit paying attention to her or what she was doing for a minute. I quickly flipped the phone open and scrolled down until I found the phone number for the airline and hit send.
"United Airlines, how may I help you." A overly friendly voice said.
"I need to book two tickets from Seattle to Florence. First class please, and next possible flight." I said quickly.
I heard typing then the voice returned. "I have 2 tickets from Seattle to Florence with a 30 minute layover in New York."
"Fine. Yes, we'll take them. When does it leave?" I asked impatiently.
"It leaves in one hour, how would you like to pay ma'am?" The voice asked.
I quickly rattled off one of the many credit cards numbers that I had in my purse and hung up. I grabbed my bag, threw it over my shoulder and went to stand in the doorway of the kitchen where Bella and Jacob were talking.
"Get your wallet...you'll seed an ID. Please tell me you have a passport. We don't have time to forge one for you." I said as I shook my head.
Bella nodded before running up the stairs. I shook my head as I heard her trip over her feet and fall on the last step.
When she was in he room, Jacob Black turned to face me. The look on his face was far from friendly, he stalked towards me..his whole body beginning to tremble.
"Get it off your chest boy." I said as I stood my ground.
"BOY!! Don't call me boy!" He said as he got right next to me and bent town so his face was closer to mine.
"Back off, I don't have time for this! Say what you have to say so I can get going to save my brother." I said between my teeth, the beginnings of a growl starting in my chest.
"Why? Why do you have to take her?" He yelled.
"I'm not forcing her to do anything! This is her call, she knows she will be safe with me." I said calmly as I got myself under control.
Bella came down the stairs, stopping on the bottom step. Her eyes wide as she watched her friend and I yell at each other. She shrunk back into the stairs, trying not to interrupt our conversation.
"You might control yourself on occasion, but these leeches you're taking her to." Jacob started to say before I interrupted him.
"Yes You're right, dog." I snarled. "The Volturi are the very essence of our kind..they are the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me. They are the substance of our nightmares, the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that."
"And you take her to them like a bottle of wine for a party!" He yelled.
"You think she'd be better off if I left her here alone, with Victoria stalking her?" I laughed.
"We can handle the read head." Jacob said.
"Then why is she still hunting!?" I said loudly.
Jacob started growling, his whole body shaking in anger. I felt myself lowering into a defensive position, knowing that this is something I didn't want to do at this point..but if he was going to loose it I would protect myself and Bella.
