CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ᴠᴏʟᴛᴇʀʀᴀ

With a pocket of documents held safely in my hand, I landed on the roof of the Mercedes as Alice drove Bella toward the airport. There was a sharp screech from inside, and I was reminded of the fact that Victoria's threat hadn't disappeared simply because Edward was in trouble. With a sheepish grin, I slid my feet through the front window, dropping into the passenger seat to see Bella's stormy face and Alice, who held in a laugh.

"Sorry," I said, glancing back to Bella who sat in the back.

"Did you get them?" Alice asked.

I nodded, holding up the thin pile. I had my own passport- it was hard to get by without one these days. Though mine was nowhere as near to the quality of Alice's and I was sure I'd paid far too much for my own. I wondered how Carlisle possibly knew to get them from in the first place.

We made it to the airport with only a few minutes to take our seats and shove our single bag in the overhead locker. Our first flight was to New York, and then the next all the way to Florence, where we'd somehow have to find our way to Volterra.

As she sunk back into her seat, Bella let out a deep sigh.

"It's faster than running," Alice said with a shrug as she brought her phone to her ear, ignoring the glances of the air hostess. It was Jasper.

"Have you seen anything more with Edward?" His voice was crackly on the other end.

"I can't be sure, I keep seeing him do different things, he keeps changing his mind... A killing spree through the city, attacking the guard, lifting a car over his head in the main square... mostly things that will expose them - he knows that's the fastest way to cause a reaction..."

"Emmett wanted to go after him and drag him back."

"No, you can't. Tell Emmett no," Alice said harshly. "Well go after them and bring them back. Think about it, Jasper. If he sees any of us, what do you think he will do?"

There was a pause, and then Jasper's southern drawl filled the quiet speakers of the phone. "He'll just do it faster."

"Exactly. I think Bella is the only chance if there is a chance. I'll do everything that can be done, but prepare Carlisle; the odds aren't good," Alice said. Bella and I shared a worried glance. "I've thought of that. Yes, I promise. Elide is here. Don't follow us, any of you. Promise me."

There was a pause for a moment as Alice sighed, shoving her phone deep into her pocket.

"Couldn't Edward hear you though? Wouldn't he know, as soon as he heard your thoughts, that I was alive and that there was no point to this?" Bella asked.

"If he were listening. but believe it or not, it's possible to lie with your thoughts. If you had died, I would still try to stop him. And I would be thinking 'she's alive, she's alive', as loud as possible," she said. "Edward knows that. If there were any way to do this without you Bella, I wouldn't be endangering you like this. It's very wrong of me."

"Don't be stupid, I'm the last thing you should be worrying about," Bella said. "Who are the Volturi? What makes them more dangerous than any of you?"

My thoughts took me back to the days when Alice would meet me by the tree and tell me stories about her family and her life and I would, in turn, tell her my own. She'd told me all about the Volturi and their malevolent ways, of the fear that was instilled by their mere name. There was a certain attractiveness with the allure of their power, and intrigue created by the wanting.

"I was surprised that you recognised the name, that you understood so immediately what it meant when I said he was going to Italy. I thought I would have to explain."

"Even I don't know that much about them," I said, eyebrows rising. "How much did Edward tell you?"

"He just said that they were an old, powerful family, like royalty. That you didn't antagonise them unless you wanted to... die."

Bella shrugged. Her casualness about the subject irritated me. Her carelessness and what could almost be called indifference to the situation were unneeded. Alice's lips thinned as she thought about her words.

"You have to understand. We Cullens are unique in more ways than you know. It's abnormal for so many of us to live together in peace. It's the same for Tanya's family in the north, and Carlisle speculates that abstaining makes it easier for us to be civilised, to form bonds based on love, rather than survival or convenience," Alice explained, her hand tightening where it lay in mine, as she spoke her last line. "Even James' little coven of three was unusually large- and you saw how easily Laurent left them. Our kind travel alone or in pairs, as a general rule. Carlisle's family is the biggest in existence, as far as I know, with the one exception. The Volturi. There are three of them originally: Aro, Caius, and Marcus."

Bella nodded, deep in thought. "I've seen them, in the pictures in Carlisle's study."

"Two females joined them over time, and the five of them make up the family. I'm not sure, but I expect their age is what gives them the ability to live peacefully together. They are well over three thousand years old."

"Three thousand?" I explained. Suddenly my century seemed pathetic in comparison.

Alice nodded, allowing a chuckle to pass her lips. "Maybe it's their gifts that give them extra tolerance. Like Edward and I, Aro and Marcus are talented. Or maybe it's just their love of power that binds them together. Royalty is an apt description."

"But if there are only five-"

"Five that make up their family," Alice interrupted. "That doesn't include their guard."

"That sounds serious."

"It is. There are nine that are permanent, last we heard. It changes. Many are gifted too, with formidable gifts, gifts that make mine look like a parlour trick," she said. "The Volturi chose them for their abilities, physical or otherwise. They don't get into very many confrontations. No one is stupid enough to mess with them. They stay in their city, leaving only as duty calls."

My eyes involuntarily widened, my head turning to look at her closely. The thought of Alice's gift being anything other than extraordinary baffled me completely. But she didn't seem fazed by the idea. That alone scared me. How powerful did they have to be, to make Alice look so tame?

"Duty?"

"Didn't Edward tell you?"

"No."

"They enforce their rules, don't they? To keep the secret," I said quietly.

Alice nodded glumly. "Which translates to punishing transgressors. They fulfil that duty decisively."

"There are rules?" Bella exclaimed, shuffling in her seat, earning a funny look from the old man who sat across from us. Her voice lowered to a screamed whisper. "Shouldn't someone have mentioned this to me? I mean, I wanted to be one of you! Don't I need to know the rules?"

I let out a laugh. "No one ever explained it to me, and I've been like this for over a century."

"It's not that complicated. If you think about it you could probably figure it out by yourself."

Bella stared between us blankly. "I have no idea."

"Maybe it's too obvious. We have to keep our existence a secret," Alice said. "It makes sense and most of us don't need policing. But, after a few centuries, one of us gets bored. Then the Volturi step in."

"So Edward.."

"Is planning to flout that in their own city. Volterra is probably one of the safest cities in the world. From vampire attacks, at least."

"But if they never leave, how do they eat?" Bella asked.

"They bring their food across the walls. Their guards do that when they're not protecting the city."

"From situations like this one, like Edward."

"I doubt they've ever had a situation quite like this."

"You don't get a lot of suicidal vampires?"

For some reason, that surprised me. Throughout the year, I'd felt depressed enough to contemplate it. Forever was a long time to be alone and unchanging. But vampires were unkillable, to an extent. William had learned that the hard way, no matter how relentless he was.

Alice shot me a look, her eyes flicking back to Bella's frown.

"We'll do what we can, Bella. It's not over yet."

"Not yet. And the Volturi will get us if we mess up," Bella said.

"You say that like it's a good thing." Alice scowled, face pinching. "Knock it off, Bella, or we're getting off at New York and going back to Forks."

Bella looked past her, to me, her brows rising, silently asking for backup. I shrunk away, shaking my head. Alice was scary when she was mad.

"I'm not saying anything against that," I said.

"If we're too late for Edward, we're going to do our damnedest to get you back to Charlie," Alice said, turning away and simultaneously ending the conversation.

It took another half an hour to land in New York. The whole flight was filled with the snores of an elderly couple in front of us and the soft murmurs of Bella as she tried to get a moment of sleep. I didn't know how Alice could sit through it, so unbothered. I wasn't used to long periods of such noise.

Alice was staring motionlessly at the headrest in front when we landed. The whites of her eyes were blazing as if the visions she saw were pouring from them, making them glow faintly. I had to shake her hard to pull her back to reality as the rest of the plane cleared out.

"Alice. We have to go," I said softly as she blinked, suddenly aware of her surroundings.

"Anything new?"

Alice shook her head and led the way to the gate.

The second flight began similarly to the last. Bella pushed for more information, her armrest moved so she could lean in for a speck of privacy. But Alice was stuck within her visions again, and when she finally came back, her eyes were glassy and dazed.

Bella frowned, deep lines setting in her face. "What's wrong?"

"Not wrong." Alice shook her head. "The Volturi- they're going to tell him no. They're interested in him. They're going to offer him a place with them."

"He won't take it," I said, my words both a statement and an underlying question. Edward couldn't live without Bella, not even among the Volturi.

"I can't see for certain. They're interested in him. They think destroying him will be wasteful."

"Alice?" Bella said weakly. "I'm confused. How do you see this so clearly?"

"It's clear because it's immediate and close and I'm really concentrating. The far away things are only glimpses."

"You see me sometimes."

"Not as clearly as others," Alice said, eyes flickering to me once again.

"I really wish you could have been right about me. In the beginning, when you first saw things about me, before we even met..."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"She saw me become one of you," Bella said before Alice could object.

"It was a possibility at the time," Alice said.

"At the time."

"I think it's gotten beyond ridiculous. I'm debating just turning you myself," she said, snapping at no one in particular.

"Alice!"

My mouth dropped open. I knew Bella wanted to be turned, but her desperation was ripping her seams, consuming too many of her thoughts. Another thing to add to the list of things that were beginning to scare me. Perhaps my own experience of the changing had tainted any form of my opinion, but Bella didn't know what she was getting into. The pain alone was enough to be put off.

"Did I scare you?" Alice asked. "I thought that was what you wanted?"

"Oh, Alice, do it now! Then I won't slow you down!" Bella asked, reaching across me to grab her wrist.

"Don't be stupid Bella," I snapped, startling her enough that she redrew her arms.

"We don't have enough time. Try to be reasonable. We have to get into Volterra tomorrow. You'd be writhing in pain for days," Alice said casually.

"If you don't do it now, you'll change your mind."

"No. I don't think I will," Alice said. Her face dropped. "You have too much faith in me, Bella. I'm not sure that I can."

"I'll take my chances."

"You are so bizarre, even for a human," I said, staring at her, disbelieving.

Bella shrugged. "Thanks."

"This is purely hypothetical, remember," Alice said.

"We have to live through tomorrow, first," I added.

Alice's face drew tight her head moving so she couldn't look at either of us.

"Go back to sleep," she whispered, and Bella obliged.

Bella's breathing soon levelled off into a calm rhythm that matched the steady beating of her heart. I turned to Alice, shifting my whole body so I rested on my hip Her head was leaning to the side, almost touching my shoulder. My hair had fallen down, laying gently against her bare arm. She smiled, eyes blinking quickly as her fingers reached to the end of my brown strands, twirling around.

"Can I tell you something?" I whispered.

Alice smiled prettily. "Anything."

"I'm scared."

Alice turned to me, mimicking my position. Her fingers still whirled around the end of my hair.

"There's no need to be. Nothing will happen to you or Bella," she said.

I shook my head. "But I am scared. I'm scared of losing the good I've just gained back."

Alice paused for a minute. "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

My eyebrows twitched in confusion. "Truthfully?"

"Truthfully."

I thought for a moment, but I already knew the truthful answer. "To my town in England, to where I grew up and was turned."

I would see my grave, withered away and unvisited. I would visit my old house if it still stood. I would go to the woods and look at it as I remembered it. I would draw William there, as he always followed eventually, and I would make him remember what he did to me. I would visit Thomas, where he lay six feet under, and first ask for forgiveness and then tell him of my anger, both to him and the world.

"Then we'll go there. As soon as this is all over," she said.

"Really?"

Alice nodded, slipping her hand comfortingly into mine. "I promise you."

"They've told him no," Alice said as we got ready to leave the plane.

"What will he do?"

"It was chaotic at first. He was changing his plans so quickly. There was a bad hour. He'd decided to go hunting. It got very close, but he changed his mind," she said, eyes staring as she shuffled through the visions in her head.

"He wouldn't want to disappoint Carlisle," Bella said slowly.

"He's going to keep it simple, instead. He's going to walk out into the sun."

"We'll be too late."

Alice shook her head. "He's leaning toward the melodramatic. He wants the biggest audience possible, so he'll choose the main plaza, under the clock tower, when the sun is exactly over his head."

"So we have until noon?" I said.

"If we're lucky. If he sticks to his plan."

Bella breathed out, hurrying us forward. "How far is it from Florence to Volterra."

"That depends on how fast we drive," Alice said, a grin slipping onto her lips. "How strongly are you opposed to grand theft auto?"

"Could you pick a more conspicuous car to steal?" Bella exclaimed as she piled into the back, leaving the passenger seat to me.

The car Alice chose to steal was a bright yellow Porsche, a sports car perfect for getting us to Volterra with just enough time to spare. I didn't doubt that Alice could do it. I'd experienced her driving multiple times to know she didn't hold back. Bella clearly knew that too, as she hurried to pull a seatbelt over her body as Alice swerved from the front of the airport.

"Do you see anything else?"

"Something is going on. Some kind of festival," she said, eyebrows furrowing. "What's the date today?"

"The nineteenth maybe?"

"Well, that's ironic. It's Saint Marcus Day."

"Which is?" I asked as I realised she wouldn't elaborate.

"The city holds a celebration every year. As the legend goes, a Christian missionary, Father Marcus- Marcus of the Volturi- drove all of the vampires from Volterra fifteen hundred years ago. The story claims he was martyred in Romania, still trying to drive away the vampires. That isn't true, of course. He's still in the city," Alice explained, her eyes leaving the road in front. "It's become more of a celebration for the city. It's amazingly safe, and the police force gets the credit."

"They're not going to be very happy if Edward messes things up for them on St. Marcus Day, are they?"

"No. They'll act very quickly," she said.

"He's still planning on noon?"

"Yes. They're waiting on him."

"Do we have a plan?" I said, glancing at Bella in the front mirror.

"I'm going to get Bella as close to him as possible, and then she's going to run in the direction I point," Alice said. "We won't follow until a few minutes after. He has to see you first, okay?"

"Okay."

"Try not to trip," I said, earning a glower from Bella.

"Yeah, we don't need any concussions today," Alice chimed in.

Volterra loomed close on the horizon, the sienna city rising from the ground in large, elegant structures, surrounded by blue sky. As we neared, the roads thinned until they swarmed with hoards of tourists and festival-goers that slowed the car.

"Is there no other way in?"

"This is the only way," Alice said. "Bella. I can't see what the guard here will decide now. If this doesn't work, you're going to have to run. Just keep asking for Palazzo dei Priori and run in that direction. Edward will be under the clock tower, to the north of the square. You have to get his attention before he can move into the sun."

Alice rolled the window down as a guard approached the car. His face softened as soon as he saw Alice's pretty smile and batting lashes.

"I'm sorry, only tour buses allowed in the city today, miss."

"It's a private tour," Alice giggled. He didn't say anything and she passed him a wad of money.

"Is this a joke?"

"Only if you think it's funny," Alice said. "I'm in a little bit of a hurry."

Unsurprisingly, the guard let us past into the streets, tucking the pile of money and letting the car pass. The interaction went unnoticed. Alice's face dropped into an expression of ice, her face chiselled into a chilled annoyance.

The same cinnamon-coloured cobbled stones led the way to the square, shaded by the tall surrounding buildings. The crowds were filled with singing and dancing, the red flags drifting through the air like trails of sparkling dust, landing like splatters of blook against the walls. There must have been drums in the distance, as a rhythmic sound met my ears- either that, or it was the loud beating of Bella's heart, the anticipation finally tickling her nerves. The sun was high up now and Alice sunk back into her chair as she tried to navigate the swarms, the car spluttering as she stopped and started.

"Just a little farther," Alice muttered. "There, we're at the south end of the square. Run straight across to the right of the clock tower."

"They're everywhere!" Bella shouted as she tried to push the back door open. There was a moment of hesitation.

"Go, Bella!" I shouted.

Bella took off into the crowds, legs pushing her forward. I could hear the beating of her heart spike, both in fear and exhilaration. Flags of red floated through the air, wrapping around the outline of her like the sash of a dress, consuming her whole until she disappeared into the crowds right beneath the clock tower.

☾

My Rosalie Hale book is out now if you'd like to read it! It's called The Violet Hour xox