Blood Moon [a Twilight Saga FanFiction]

The "Final" Battle

DEMETRI AND LUCY STAYED CLOSE TO ME AS WE GOT OUT OF OUR TAXI TO VOLTERRA. Once there, I paid the driver then got out.
     "Liz!"
     I turned to my name and saw my nephews and nieces. I had known they'd be here already, we had met Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jacob at the airport. Mary Alice hurled herself into my arms. Over her head, Edward's brows pulled together while he looked at Demetri.
     "The golden eyes suit you, Demetri," Bella stated.
     "Thank you," Demetri responded. "I hope to be able to keep them after this."
     "Alice, have you seen anything?" Lucy asked.
     "Nothing," Mary Alice muttered still in my arms. "Then again, that's not super surprising with Ness here as well."
     Renesmee was trying to hide behind her parents.
     "Is Carlisle glad his gift only shows itself when required?"
     I turned to the familiar voice of my father.
     "So, I didn't get my gift from my mother?" I asked.
     "Oh, I don't have a talent," Nicholas stated. "I just came because there's a high chance Aro will set something off here, and we plan on being there for it."
     "You flew here with Carlisle?"
     "Yeah, they stayed at the airport though."
    "They're smart."
     "Shall we all go inside?" Eleazar's voice spoke nearby, his voice sounded strained. Tense.
     Kate's arms were close around her, I knew it'd be dangerous to touch her right now. Though I so badly wanted to give her a hug.
     "Have fun," Nicholas laughed.
     Finally, Jasper did his magic making us all calm, confident and able to move forward with our heads high.
     "Better keep that going, Jasper," Edward muttered. "Who knows what others will be feeling inside."
     "Betrayal, confusion, anger," Demetri listed.
     "I'm here for you, Jazzy," Mary Alice whispered to her mate.
     "We all are," Kate added now that she was finally able to relax thanks to Jasper.
     We were all greeted by Felix at the front door.
     "Felix!" Demetri cheered and greeted Felix like an old friend. "Any idea what this is about?"
     "He's not saying anything, Demetri," Felix said stiffly. "None of us know."
     "I doubt he's going that far, Felix," Edward said, though he seemed to put on edge at whatever Felix had thought.
     "Guess you'll know when you get into the room, won't you Edward?" Felix said. "Good luck, all of you. You know the way."
     My hand clasped around Lucy's as we walked onward. Eleazar and Demetri leading the way, with Renesmee in the middle of us all.
     The first familiar face I saw was Siobhan from Ireland. She had a new face with her, a face I knew from my families past, Maggie.
     "I knew you must be close to Carlisle," Siobhan joked looking at who I was with. "The resemblance was too similar."
    "Does this mean I can tell my brother you believe his theory?" I asked her with agrin.
     "Unfortunately," Siobhan groaned and rolled her eyes.
     Eleazar chuckled.
     No laughter was truly heartfelt. Eleazar, Kate, Siobhan and I, all of us leaving our mates behind.
      "How's Liam?" I asked.
     Her eyes shot open before she remembered my talent.
      "Enraged," she answered.
     "Aren't we all?" Bella chirped.
     "Hard to be with Jasper in the room," Maggie said with a smile.
     "Benjamin," Edward suddenly said.
     We followed his gaze and the young Egyptian I hadn't met yet approached us, shaking Edward's hand immediately.
     "Edward, Bella... I am glad to see you both," he said.
     "So, you're Benjamin," Demetri said calmly.
     Benjamin took one look at Demetri and his eyes widened.
    "Amun would like to know you're no longer Volturi," Benjamin told him.
     "Would he like the fact I haven't visited since?" Demetri chuckled.
     Benjamin just shrugged.
     "How is Carlisle?" Siobhan asked.
     "Probably as annoyed as everyone else," I shrugged. "He followed his family to the airport, as did my Igor. The Cullens have just finished fighting a smaller battle with some Volturi guard. They won of course."
     "Of course. Why did you not get us? Carlisle knows we will always help," Siobhan gave a look of accusations to Edward.
     "We didn't have time," Edward sighed. "We hardly had time to get ourselves prepared before they were on us."
    "A surprise attack?" Maggie asked.
     "Caius' idea most likely," Demetri said. "Aro's not that bloodthirsty."
     "Sounds to me they're getting cocky," Siobhan grumbled.
     We met other vampires. I noticed quickly that covens stayed close together. Nomads made friends and they stayed close to their new friends.
     When Jane, Alec, and Lilly arrived they immediately gravitated to us.
     "Carlisle is not here," Lilly stated.
     "Carlisle does not have a gift," I said to her.
     Her brows pulled together and she looked around.
     "Did you foresee this coming, Alice?" Lilly asked. "I did not."
     "Maybe. We'll see. I can't see because of Renesmee," Alice grumbled.
     "I'm sorry," Nessie whimpered.
     "Any feelings, Lucy?" Lilly asked, staring right at the three chairs at the front of the room.
     "Off. Off feeling," Lucy muttered.
     "That's not good."
     "Yep."
     Every vampire in the room went quiet when Aro and Caius walked into the room and stood in front of their chairs.
     "To begin, for all those wondering where Marcus is, it was decided that he should finally join his late mate. His sorrow and pain are no more. Please, a moment of silence for Marcus."
     Siobhan looked at me in confusion. The confusion caused by Maggie's sudden restlessness at the lie in Aro's words. Aro had no say in Marcus' fate.
     "Thank you," Aro spoke after a very short moment for Marcus. "Now, this will go as stated. Each one of you will take your turn approaching Caius and I. We will take a copy of your thumb-print, your full birth name, and I will take your hand to see your gifts. After, you will all be able to return home-"
      Aro was interrupted by Maggie and a few others snarling dangerously. Others who could tell when they're being lied too.
     It put everyone on edge.
     "You may want to try that again, Ago!" I yelled over the snarling. Everyone turned to me and I became very aware very quickly just how popular my brother was. "Remember, Aro, there are those here who can hear a lie when it is spoken! I am sure you do not want to betray our trust in you!"
     "Elizabeth Farkas! Such a pleasure to see an old friend. Why don't you come up first?" Aro said with a beaming grin.
     I couldn't be the only one who saw the pure rage behind his smile.
     "How about you tell us what will happen to everybody, first?" I shot back.
     Everyone turned back to him expectantly.
     "As I said, you go home-"
     More snarls and deep growls.
    "Somehow I don't believe you," a vampire I didn't recognise said through her teeth.
     "Must have something to do with the lie detectors hissing at your words," another stranger vampire growled.
     I caught sight of Edward's terrified face. His hands tight over Bella and Renesmee and he held them behind him.
     That face only told me one thing.
     Death.
     Aro followed my glance.
     "Edward! The powerful mind reader, such a headache you must be feeling right now with all of us in one room," Aro chimed.
     "Bella's helping," Edward grumbled.
     "Of course she is. Edward, why don't you tell everyone what they want to hear, so I can be trusted to be telling the truth?" Aro said.
     Edward's lips pulled back into a snarl.
     Alec laughed. "You're digging your grave, Aro," he said.
     "And some of us are willing to help," Jane added.
     More whispered, people had missed Demetri, Jane, and Alec standing beside me. Now they were seen and now people were confused and curious as to why they had left the Volturi.
     "Silence!" Caius yelled violently over the whispered. "Edward?"
     The fear had returned to Edward's eyes. What I would give to get his direct scent at that moment, not clouded by a thousand others. My gift was being overloaded, I wasn't getting anyone's past.
     "Those whose gifts can assist in saving our kind will be offered a permanent place in the Volturi, if they choose to stay their mates will be given an automatic welcome, with or without gifts," Edward stated, fear still in his guarded eyes.
     "And those without worthy gifts?" Benjamin asked.
     "Dismissed."
     "Edward?" Maggie muttered, her eyes full of fear and confusion. So Edward was lying... for Bella and Renesmee's safety?
     "What do you mean, dismissed, young man?" an older man asked. His full beard was as snow white as was the hair on his head.
     "Enough!" Aro yelled. "Elizabeth Farkas! You first."
     Kate put a hand on Lucy and Demetri when they both began to follow me, stopping them immediately. I nodded my thanks to her but had to smile as I walked through the crowd.
     I understood why Lucy wanted to come, too, I had made her an immortal. She called me 'mum'... sometimes. I hadn't realised Demetri was also that protective of me as well.
     Once in front of the rulers, Caius was giving me a sick grin and Afton pushed in front of me a table with an ink pad and parchment and pen.
     "Full birth name?" Aro asked me.
     "Elizabeth Cullen," I said.
     Aro nodded and motioned to the ink and parchment.
     I signed my name, gave my thumb-print then took Aro's waiting hand. Jasper making me feel confident, numbingly confident, I couldn't feel anything else.
     The moment Aro let go, he turned to Felix who was now on his right.
     "Felix, take her away."
     Felix walked up to me, grabbed my arm and began dragging me out of the room, away from Jasper, and away from my family.
     "Stay calm," Felix whispered to me. "Just do what Aro says."
     Though, once I was separated from Jasper it was impossible to stay calm. Panic settled, fear bubbled.
     What had Edward's meant by 'dismissed'? Why had Maggie looked at him in pain and confusion?
     Felix threw me into a room with two members of the guard, they wore their hoods up and masks. Though I knew their scents.
     Heidi and Tristan.
     I saw on one of the provided seats and waited. I watched the door and waited to see who else would be doomed to share whatever fate I had.
     Edward was the first to join me. I hugged my nephew when he entered.
     "Bella?" I asked.
    "He took her first, she went into another room. Someone called Julius took her away," Edward stated.
     "The ones with preferred gifts."
     Edward nodded and I kept holding onto him. Too afraid to ask him what he had meant by 'dismissed'. Too afraid to ask why he had looked so scared.
     It felt like we were waiting for the rest of the day before the door opened again, this time it was a woman with hair as red as the sunset, her eyes only a shade darker than her hair. I knew her from before I met Igor.
     "Scarlett!" Lara yelled running back towards the closed too which was suddenly blocked by Heidi and Tristan. "Scarlett!"
      "Lara," I said quickly. "Lara, calm down."
     "Elizabeth?" Lara turned to me, her bright red hair hanging dead down her face. "Liz! Oh, Liz! They took her! They took Scarlett! He made Julius take her!"
     "Than you better hope your little sister is ready to make this decision on her own," I sighed. "Lara, this is Edward."
     "Another set of powerful siblings?" Edward asked looking at me.
     "Huh?" Lara grunted.
     "It would be interesting to see if Aro feels the same about sisters as he does brother and sister," I sighed. "Lara, Julius took his mate."
     "Well, lucky you. You're safe no matter what they choose. If Aro decides to kill us my baby sister is going to be alone forever."
     "You don't trust Aro?" Edward asked.
     "After everything that happened out there?" Lara said and laughed. "I doubt anyone does anymore."
     "You'd think this would be going quickly," I said as I looked once more at the door.
     Edward chuckled suddenly and looked away from Heidi and Tristan.
     "What?" I asked him.
     "Heidi's nervous," Edward stated.
     Heidi growled under her mask and hood.
      "What?" Lara asked, confused.
     "Is she afraid of the angry vampires in her castle?" I asked, raising a brow at Heidi.
     "Actually, she's nervous as to why Aro put her in this room, with those whose gifts are unworthy. Doubting your charm, Heidi?" Edward asked.
     "Shut up, mind reader," Heidi spat.
     "Oh," Lara sighed.
     "Doubting your charm, Heidi?" Edward said.
     "Edward," I tried to warn. I didn't really want a fight breaking out already.
     "What's taking so long?" Lara asked. "You'd think we'd have more company by now."
     "Perhaps they're finding more helpful gifts than not?" Edward offered.
     My head went to Lucy. Where was she?
     Then the door flew open and a stranger walked in.
     "Update us?" Edward asked.
     "Two from your group were both sent with Julius, the short woman and the one who was controlling the emotions in the room," he explained.
     "Alice and Jasper," I muttered.
     "She walked towards Julius before Aro even touched her hand, his reaction was rather humorous-"
     "Later," Edward interrupted. "Who else has he sorted?"
     "Jane, Alec, and Lilly. That Benjamin boy from-"
     The door flew open again and a dark-skinned woman was thrown in. I recognised her as well, she had run past Igor and me after helping Carlisle when I couldn't.
      "Zafrina," Edward said and approached her.
     She stood and looked at Edward.
     "Your daughter, Edward," Zafrina sighed.
     "Is Nessie okay?" I stepped forward.
    "Maggie and Siobhan are with her, as are Eleazar, Kate, Lucy, and Demetri. But I am unsure how long she won't be alone," Zafrina answered.
     The door flew open, it was the first one Felix didn't have to throw in. The dark clothed man strolled in looking rather disconcerted. Then he lifted his head and I recognised the man who had run past Igor and I before I met Zafrina and her fellow Amazons.
      "Alistair," Edward said warmly. "It's nice to see you again."
     "Under better circumstances, Edward," Alistair said in his rather strong English accent. "How is Carlisle?"
      "Angered."
      "Alistair," I said calmly.
     Alistair nodded a greeting to me before he stalked over to the corner to hide.
      "Lara, that won't help," Edward sighed.
     "Get out of my head," Lara hissed.
     "I would if I could."
     "Lara, what is it?" I said softly.
     "Scarlett."
     "I didn't realise she had a gift," or you for that matter. "What can she do?"
     "She doesn't sparkle in the sun."
     Well... that was a shock.
     "We used it a lot over the years, she could go out in the sun and look normal... ish."
     "Edward, can you hear anything that's going on out there?" Zafrina asked.
     "Why are you worried about her?" I asked.
     "I think Aro wants to use her as a weapon against mortals," Lara confessed. "And I fear she may agree to it."
     "Only briefly when the door opens," Edward muttered, answering Zafrina. "But it only whispers."
      I embraced Lara in comfort, though turned to pay attention to Zafrina and Edward's conversation, we all were.
     Once the door opened again, someone walked in calmly. It was someone who made both Edward and I growl at his mere presence.
     Argah.
     "Keep an eye on that one," Felix hissed at Tristan and Heidi. "Aro says he's a murderer."
     "Not anymore, fools," Argah snarled.
     "Didn't I kill you?" I growled.
     Argah looked up at me and grinned as Felix left. Argah... I vividly remembered reading him off Mary Alice, burning his body...
     Yet here he was, he wasn't stained with dead blood anymore, and his eyes were a vivid read instead of the shadows they had been... but I had definitely killed him.
     "Aye, you did," Argah confirmed. "But I came back."
     "How?" Edward snapped.
     "A lovely gentleman named Michael has an extraordinary talent of bringing others back from the dead the way they were when they officially died," Argah explained. "But I assure you, I no longer mean harm to anyone. Being dead does that to a man."
     "I struggle to believe that," Edward growled.
    "Your aunt need only take my scent to know the truth."
     Argah looked at me... it was calm... sorrowful... had he really changed?
     "Liz, you can't be-"