I sped back into my house to hear Bella yelling at Jacob. Alice sped ahead of me and rushed towards Bella. "Bella, it's Edward. He thinks your dead. He's going to the Volturi."

Bella's face dropped at this and she immediately ran to grab a pencil and a piece of paper. She scribbled a note for Dad and rushed outside.

We climbed into Carlisle's car. Bella climbed into the passenger seat and I got into the back.

Jacob ran from the house and reached the car. "Bella, don't go." He pleaded.

"I have to go." Bella told him. "He left you, Bella. He didn't want you anymore. You don't owe him anything."

"Well, I'm not going to let him die out of guilt."

"Bella, what about Charlie? What if you don't come back?" Jacob said and Bella winced. "I'm 18 and I'm legally free to go, and I left a note. If I don't come back, just tell him I love him."

Jacob seemed to see he wasn't going to sway Bella. "Bella, please stay. For me."

Bella sighed. "Goodbye, Jacob."

At this, Jacob looked hurt and he leaned out of the car window. The car was speeding away soon.

"Wouldn't it just be faster to run?" I asked Alice as we made it to the airport.

"No, this is faster."

A few hours later, we arrived in Italy and Alice procured a yellow Porsche for us. "You didn't buy this car, did you?" Bella asked Alice, who smirked. "I didn't think you'd be opposed to Grand Theft Auto."

"Not today." Bella replied and I smiled slightly, then remembered the situation we were in and stopped. I could only pray we made it in time to rescue Edward, or else I didn't know how Bella would feel. The mating bond would be destroyed instantly and she would be crushed.

Alice's eyes blanked and I knew she was having a vision. She gasped as it ended. "What? What did you see?" Bella asked her.

"They refused him." Alice said, which gave me hope we might make it in time.

"So?" I asked her, and she glanced over. "He's going to make a scene. Show himself to the humans."

I winced. I didn't know much about the Volturi, but I know they had an unspoken rule. Any vampire that threatens our secret being revealed, would be executed. And with all these people here..

"When?" Bella asked, her voice breaking.

"He's gonna wait until noon when the sun's at it's highest." Alice told her.

"God, Alice you've got hurry up." Bella pleaded.

With Alice's speeding, we reached the city faster than I'd hoped. "There it is. Volterra." Alice remarked and I tried to quell the discomfort I felt.

We pulled into the city square to see thousands of people clad in red robes. Alice began honking the horn, trying to get the crowd to move.

"Why are they dressed like that?" I asked Alice, uneasy at the crowd.

"San Marcos Day Festival. They're commemorating the expulsion of vampires from the city. It's the perfect setting. The Volturi will never let him get far enough to reveal himself." Alice said, looking grim.

Did she doubt we'd make it out? Was I prepared for that? Had I seen Carlise for the last time? The rest of my family? Had our last interactions been small goodbyes?

Bella glanced nervously at the clock. "We have five minutes."

"I know, Bella. Just breathe."

Alice honked the horn again, but there was no way to get through. The clock inched closer to noon.

"Alice!" Bella said desperately.

"Bella, you have to go! You're the only one he won't see coming! If I go, he'll read my thoughts. He'll think I'm lying, so he'll rush it."

Bella face turned to one of pure determination. I hoped that was enough. I didn't want to think of the alternative.

"Where do I go?" Bella asked, opening her car door.

"He'll be under the clock tower! Go!" Alice told her.

Bella and I shared a look before she took off running.

I turned to Alice. "Alice, what do we do?"

"We have to wait. I'll see if she makes it. And I'll see if she-"Alice stopped, looking away.

"Alice, she'll make it. She has to." I tried to assure her, placing my hand over hers.

"I hope you're right." She looked worried, and I realized she was thinking of Jasper.

"Alice, if Edward doesn't make it, and they see Bella, they'll kill her, won't they? And you and I, we'll do everything in our power to stop that, but it won't be enough. Have you called Jasper?" I asked her, trying not to let the sadness overcome me.

In the best case scenario, I saved my sister's life. Even I did, I'd likely die for that action.

"I told him not to come. I told him I'd do whatever I had to make it out. I lied. I'll protect Bella with my life, but if it comes down to it, neither one of us are making it out, Addy."

I winced, just as Alice's grip tightened on my hand. I noticed the blank look in her eyes again.

"Alice, what is it?" I asked her, absolutely terrified to hear the answer.

"She made it. She stopped him." Alice said, but before I could process the relief, she turned to me.

"We have to go. The Volturi are taking Edward and Bella. They want to speak to them. Edward is going to fight them if they try to take Bella."

Alice and I made our way to the castle doors, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. We couldn't run because the humans would see us and we had to stay in the the shadows because of the sunlight.

We arrived at a huge door which had been deadbolted. Alice scoffed and kicked the lock, forcing the doors open.

As the doors flew aside, I saw Bella standing in Edwards arm. I also saw two men looking at my sister menacingly.

One was shorter with brown hair over his eyes, the other was massive and reminded me of Emmett.

"Bella, go and join the parade." Edward told Bella, who was looking fearfully at the two vampires.

"That's not going to happen." The burly vampire said and Edward looked pained. I knew he would try to fight. "Come on boys, we wouldn't want to make a scene." Alice chimed and the two vampires finally glanced over at us.

"Enough." A girlish voice said and I looked up to see a blonde girl, who couldn't have been older than 15, walking towards us.

"Jane." Edward whispered, looking suddenly defeated. What was it about this girl that terrified him so much? I saw Alice had also stiffened.

"Aro sent me to see what was taking so long." Jane said, then turned on her heel and walked off. I knew we all had to follow, so I walked over to Bella.

"Do whatever she says." Edward murmured to her.

Bella looked confused, as confused as I was.

We walked through a long stone hallway and walked past what looked like a human woman at a desk.

"Is she?" Bella asked Edward, who nodded.

"Then why-- she wants to be." Bella said, finally figuring out the situation.

"And so she will be." One of the vampires said. "Or dessert." Jane remarked with a smirk.

She really was creepy, wasn't she?

We made it to an elevator and let's just say the ride wasn't comfortable. We were all crammed into it and the vampires were looking at Bella like she was a piece of meat. Which, technically to them she was.

We reached the bottom floor and made our way down another stone hallway. The castle was very beautiful.

We walked into a room to see three men sitting on thrones.

They looked different than other vampires, though, their eyes had a milky quality and their skin seemed pasty.

Two of the vampires were dark haired while the other had pale blond hair.

"Ah! Brothers look, Bella is alive after all and they've brought Alice along!" The one in the middle exclaimed.

He seemed very excited to see Bella, it was a little unnerving. And Alice. Why was he so interested in her? Was it because she was gifted?

He moved his eyes from Bella and Alice and saw me.

"Who's this? I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you." He said, walking towards me.

I tried to contain my wince. I figured I needed to be nice if we were going to make it out of here alive.

"I'm Adelaide Swan." I told him.

His eyes widened. "Swan? So this must be your sister." He exclaimed and I nodded.

"Yes, Aro, they're twins. And Adelaide is Carlisle's mate, so you should probably stop thinking what you're thinking." Edward told Aro, I supposed.

What was he thinking about me?

Aros face fell, but he maintained a happy mask.

"I'm so overjoyed that my friend Carlisle has found a mate after all." Aro said and I nodded, taking a subtle step backwards.

"Well, let's get to the business at hand, shall we? I can assume you no longer require our services." Aro said and Edward nodded.

"But there is another matter to consider. She is a human." The blonde vampire said snidely.

He seemed bloodthirsty and that made me nervous.

"Yes, there is that." Aro said.

"And I take it you have no interest in turning her?" Aro asked and Edward remained stony faced.

"What a shame. She seems like she would make an amazing immortal." Aro exclaimed, giving Bella a lingering gaze.

I sent Edward some very angry thoughts that he could just lie to Aro so we could make it from here alive.

He just gave me a quick dismissive look.

"Your gift is quite remarkable, Edward. If only I could have the same." Aro remarked, noticing Edward and my mental conversation.

"Aro can read every thought a person has ever had just by touching their hand." Edward explained to Bella.

"May I?" Aro asked Bella, who looked nervous.

She stepped forward and held out her hand. Aro took it and closed his eyes. It was only a moment before he dropped her hand, looking impressed.

"Nothing. I see nothing." He said and Bella looked confused. Why didn't his gifts work on her?

"Interesting. I wonder if she is immune to all our talents. Jane?" Aro asked and Jane turned to look at Bella.

"No!" Edward yelled, walking in front of Bella but he fell to the ground and began to shake.

"Stop!" Bella shrieked.

"Stop, please!" She yelled again.

I realized Jane's gift must be to cause someone pain when she looked at them.

"Stop!" Bella yelled once again and Aro turned to her.

Jane stopped at once and Edward fell to the floor.

Alice went over and helped him back up.

"Jane?" Aro said and she turned her red eyes to Bella.

I waited for her to fall and yell in pain, but it didn't happen.

Aro began to laugh and Jane finally tore her gaze from Bella. She seemed angry that it didn't work.

"Magnifico! She confounds us all! Now what do we do with you?" Aro asked and the other dark haired vampire sighed.

"You know what you're going to do Aro." He said.

"She is a liability. She knows too much." The blonde haired vampire said.

Aro nodded and turned to Bella.

"Unless, of course, you'd like to join us? With your gifts, I'm sure you'd be very valuable to us." He asked her.

Bella shook her head. "No thank you." He didn't look surprised. I watched as he gave some sort of signal.

I saw the huge vampire making his way towards Bella and I winced. It was now we would fight and most likely be killed.

Edward immediately began to fight with the huge vampire, but it ended quickly, with Edward about to be killed.

"Stop! Stop! Please! Kill me, not him!" Bella yelled and Aro looked at her in surprise.

"You would give your life for someone like us? A soulless monster." Aro repeated in shock.

"You don't know a thing about his soul." Bella said angrily.

"I'm sorry it has come to this. Such a waste." Aro says, leaning towards Bella.

He was about to bite her when Alice suddenly lurched forward.

"No! Bella will be one of us! I've seen it." Alice said, holding her hand out.

Aro sighed and allowed Alice to walk over.

He took her hand and saw whatever she saw, and it might have convinced him.

"Beautiful. To see what you have seen before it has even happened." Aro said, looking at Alice longingly.

"But how can we but sure this will come to pass?" Aro asked, looking at Bella.

I stepped forward quickly.

"I'll turn her myself." I told him, glancing at Edward. He looked angry and even betrayed, but I didn't care as long as I kept myself and my family alive. Bella just looked surprised.

Aro tilted his head at me and walked towards me.

"May I? Only to make sure your intentions are true, of course." Aro said and I nodded, giving him my hand.

He closed his eyes and after a minute, he opened them and dropped my hand.

"You have an interesting mind about you. Well, I suppose we shall have to let you go. But go quickly, before I change my mind." Ado said and I sighed in relief.

"Thank you." I told him, then walked over to Bella. Edward grabbed her arm and began to lead her from the room.

Alice and I walked behind them, barely believing we'd made it out of this. Demetri led us down the hallway once again.

We met with a large group of humans and one vampire along the way. It was a beautiful woman, not quite as beautiful as Rosalie, but she was certainly up there.

She saw Demetri and smirked. I looked at the tourists sadly, knowing what was about to come for them. If only we could help.

"Save some for me." Demetri told the woman, who nodded with a grin.

I fought back my disgust as we walked back the group. Alice had to tug me along when I saw two children were in the mix. How cruel were they?

I could see Bella saw them too, so Edward hid her face in his chest. We hurried to make it from the hallway but we still heard the screaming begin.