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---------- Chapter 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A cold hand is running through my hair. Someone's sweet breath is on my face. I open my eyes, and I'm greeted by a pair of golden-brown eyes.
"Henry! Did I wake you?" her melodic voice envelops me into this sort of lullaby.
"Cas?"
"Hi...how are you?"
"Mostly better. Carlisle is just keeping me here to rest up...How did you get in?"
"Hen...I'm a vampire! What a stupid question," the both of us laugh in synchronisation for a while. Cas gets a mischievous look on her face, and hops onto my bed. I cock an eyebrow, asking what she's up to. She climbs over me, her legs on either side of my hips.
She laughs at my dazzled look, and then her cold lips meet mine again. We kiss for a little while before I pull back, "Carlisle could be..."
"He's left. I made sure," she laughs at my admiration. She kisses my temples, then pulls away, watching me. "Henry, I'm sorry about Julian...today."
"He's your brother. You don't have to apologise. But I do want to know how you got turned? How did Julian?"
She assesses me, wearily for a minute and gets off the bed. She sits in the chair by my bed. "Julian and I were hiking, about 100 years ago. We were ambushed by the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Julian ordered me to stay at the campsite, and he went after her. He never came back. A few hours later, the lady came back. We talked for a while, the next thing I know, I'm on the ground in unbelievable pain. Then the pain stops, days later, and Julian is sitting beside me."
"That's...odd? Why would a random vamp bite two kids and just leave them?"
"What do you mean? How is it odd?"
"I mean, what vamp would randomly bite two kids, and not suck them dry?! Or if she was transforming you to become her companions, why did she leave you two alone?"
Castella starts acting really suspiciously, trying to distract me, but like mum, I'm pretty stubborn myself.
"Cas, what's going on? We both know your story isn't true...what are you hiding?"
"Nothing! It's all true, I promise...don't you believe me, Henry?" she asks, a broken look on her face.
She takes my hand and all thoughts of her obviously fake story leaves my mind. There's plenty of time for me to figure out the truth later, all I want to do now is to enjoy the moment. So Castella and I chat amicably. She tells me all sorts of funny stories, and I just basically sit and listen.
"Henry...I've heard rumours. That some vampires have powers. Your family is an old one, do you know whether the rumours are true?"
"Oh. Yeah, totally true. In fact, most people in my family are talented. Like, Jasper can control a person's mood, Alice can see the future, Edward can read minds, Bella can shield herself and others, mum can project her thoughts and I can move things with my mind."
"Wow! That is so cool! I wish I was talented!"
"Everyone is talented in some way, Cas," I murmur, watching the smile that takes over her face.
"Hey, Henry, how does Alice's seeing the future work? It sounds so cool!"
"It is cool! She just like zones out for a fraction of a second, and she can tell you what's going to happen."
"She has no limits?"
"Oh, she does. Like, she can't see the wolves. And she can only see something someone has decided to do."
"Wow! And you...you're not even a full vamp, yet you have talents! It's not fair," she pouts, looking unbelievably beautiful.
"Well, my power isn't all that great-"
Before I can finish my sentence, I hear footsteps approaching my room. Castella brushes her lips against mine quickly before making her escape out the window. A nurse opens my door, looking around perplexed.
"Can I help you, miss?" I ask as innocently as I can.
"Sorry, Mr. Black. I thought I heard voices. Dr. Cullen said you wouldn't have any visitors."
"Oh," I breath, faking a laugh. She smiles and comes closer to check on me. "Umm, did C-my dad say when he'd be back?"
She looks at her watch, "He should be here by eight. So about thirty minutes?"
"Wait, isn't it night?"
"No. It's 7.30 in the morning." She smiles and walks over to my window, pulling back the curtains. Sunshine floods my room, and I'm thankful I barely even shine in the sun, otherwise that would totally freak her out. She then draws the curtains. "Dr. Cullen said you can be discharged at noon. Some of your brothers will come pick you up. So you should rest. Your eyes are a little bloodshot."
She smiles kindly then leaves the room. I can't believe I talked to Castella for so long! I close my eyes and drift off to an uneasy sleep, tossing and turning.
***
I'm standing in a clearing with my family all around me. Everyone seems tensed. I ask mum what's going on, but she just cups my face and kisses my forehead. She grabs onto dad's hand and doesn't let go. Everyone is holding onto their mate, as if worried something was going to happen.
Then I see a...black cloud? No...a black body heading in our direction. Mum and dad step in front of me. Bella and Edward are in front of them. My family surrounds me, making a sort of circle around me. What the heck?!
Then the smell hits my nose. Vampires? The black body...it's a group of vampires!
I stand awestruck at the display that meets my eyes. There are at least 45 vampires before us. We're outnumbered four to one!
From the whole group of vampires, one steps forward. He pulls back his cloak, the deepest black, but I can't see his face...it's almost as if someone blurred his face. Everything else is clear. I glance at the rest of the hostile vamps. I can't see any of their faces. What's going on?
"Carlisle, once again, you meet me, ready to do battle," the stranger says, I can almost see a sardonic smile!
"My old friend, again, I am not here to fight you. I am here to prove to you that you have come for the wrong reason, once again," Carlisle murmurs in a steely voice. "Take my hand, old friend, I'll show you." He holds out his hand for the stranger to take.
Just watching Carlisle so close to the stranger sends me into a sort of panic.
"Carlisle, the time has come for you to bow down to the Volturi," again the stranger says in a weak, brittle voice. He then steps back towards the line of bodies.
"I want Edward, his beautiful mate, Bella, the small one, Alice and the half-blood in the middle," his weak voice calls out, full of excitement. "The others are for you, my pets."
His orders are greeted by a series of growls and snarls. My family tenses, ready for a fight. And then I see his eyes, milky. What vampire has milky eyes? His long black hair hangs limply, framing his face. I don't recognise him...he obviously knows my family, why don't I know who he is?
Then my body freezes. I can't move. I hear my family let out sudden gasps of surprise. Then horrible sounds assault my ears; ripping, tearing! I feel my body bending in open itself. I fall to the ground, writhing in agony. Edward and Alice scream out like me. Bella isn't screaming, instead she's growling at someone, and I hear no sound from the rest of my family.
The next moment, the pain stops and I'm on my feet. My family is gone. Only Edward, Bella and Alice remain. That's when the pillar of purple-ish flames catches my eyes. No!
No!
NO!!!!!!!!
***
I open my eyes and sit bolt upright! What was that?!
"Henry?" Carlisle's voice sends a deep chill throughout my body instead of calming me.
"Carlisle! You're okay!"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" he murmurs amused.
I shake my head a couple of times, clearing the remnants of the nightmare from my mind. I'll just ask someone when I get home. Speaking of which, "Carlisle, can I go home now?"
"Of course. Emmett and Jasper are in the Jeep waiting for you. How are you feeling? Do you think you can walk?"
I roll my eyes at him and jump off the bed, catching the rail for support. He smiles, and walks off with his clipboard to the nurses' desk. He's probably signing my discharge papers. I get dressed and head down to the main entrance. And sure enough, the Jeep is right at the door, waiting for me. I climb in, and stare out the window.
"Hen! When shall we start the training?" Emmett booms, stomping on the accelerator. The car lurches forward.
"Um, later today?" I murmur, not really paying attention. My mind is still on Castella...
"So, when did she come see you?" Jasper asks, totally surprising me.
"Excuse me? Who?"
"The girl. Castella. You reek of her." I sniff myself and sure enough, I can smell Castella's intoxicating perfume on me. I ignore Jazz and Em who are teasing me.
We pull up in the garage and I hop out of the car. I'm halfway up the stairs when Jazz and Em get to the front door.
"Hen? What's the matter man?" Em asks, quizzically.
"Nothing. I just want to go talk to dad."
"He isn't around, kid. He's with Achan."
"Alone?!" I bellow. Dad has always been too fast to trust!
"Yes, they're doing their wolf thing. But they're near by. Don't worry. Plus, Edward is keeping an eye on him," Jazz continues, taking a step closer to me. And all of a sudden, a wave of calm crashes into me. I narrow my eyes at Jazz and storm up the stairs.
If dad isn't around, at least I can talk to mum. I head to mum's room, knock the door and walk in. But the room's empty. So I follow her scent to the forest. She's sitting in a pretty, little meadow with Alice, Edward and Bella.
"Mum, what is the Voltaire?"
"Henry!" mum jumps up and pulls me into a hug. I shake her off me and ask again, "The Voltaire, what are they?"
"The Voltaire? I don't know what you're talking about," she murmurs, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
Shit! What was that name?
"Umm, the Voltaire...or Vonture or Vultures or something like that," I mutter, frustrated! How could I forget the name?!
And all of a sudden, Alice goes still. Her eyes become vacant and Edward gasps. I kneel down beside Alice and grip her shoulders, "Alice? What do you see?" She merely whimpers, pain spasming across her face.
Then, just as quickly, she's back to normal. Edward gasps again, grinding his teeth together.
"What?! What did you guys see?!"
Nobody answers me. I sit back on the ground, my head in my hands. I'm so fed up of being left out! This is isn't fair! I'm part of the family too!
Alice pounces on me, holding my shoulders down, "Hey! What has gotten into you, Alice?!" I scream at her. Mum tries to pull her off me, but Edward stops her, much to the confusion of Bella.
"Henry, the question you asked your mother, did you mean the Volturi?" Alice breathes in a whisper so fast, I could barely make it out.
The Volturi! That's it! Exactly! "Yeah. How did you know, Alice?"
"Henry this is important, I need you to tell me, where did you hear that name?"
"Umm, it was a dream. I had a nightmare. And in my nightmare, there was a vampire, he was talking to Carlisle and he said something about the Volturi."
Bella gasps in unison with mum, intensifying my worry. I turn the tables on Alice, and pin her down under me. Just then, a pair of icy hands pull me off her; Jasper. He crouches down beside her, taking her hand, "Alice? What did you see?"
She ignores him and gets up, walking to mum. "Nessie, I need you to think about Aro. Can you remember him?" Alice asks gently. Mum shudders slightly but nods.
She walks to me and presses a gentle hand against my cheek. I automatically close my eyes, paying the utmost attention to the scene she's playing.
Black hair, milky eyes, black cloak...that weak, raspy voice. I recoil in horror as my own nightmare jumps to the front of my mind.
"That's him. I didn't see his face, but I know it's him. The voice, the hair...the eyes. I'm sure!"
"What did you see in your dream?" Alice and Edward chorus; Alice trying to sound soothing, but Edward letting the tension seep into his tone.
"I saw about 45 vampires. One of them, Aro, steps forward. Carlisle and him talk for a moment. He accuses Carlisle of wanting to fight him. Carlisle says he isn't going to fight. He says all Aro has to do is take his hand to know the truth. Aro refuses. He walks back to the waiting vampires, he says that Carlisle should learn to bow down to the Volturi. Then...he says that he wants Edward, Bella, Alice and me. He says the rest are for his pets. Then the next thing I know, I'm paralyzed-"
"Alec!" Jazz snarls savagely.
"-All of you are shocked too. Then a pain I have never yet experienced courses through my body. I scream out. Edward and Alice do the same. Bella seems to be fighting something. But everyone else is silent. Just as soon as the pain goes away, I'm back on my feet, and so are Alice, Edward and Bella. Everyone else is gone and there's a pillar of purple smoke, releasing a sickening smell." I end in a whisper. All of the exquisite faces around me are tensed and worried. "Now, what did you see, Alice?"
"I saw...the exchange of words between Carlisle and Aro. But that's all," she murmurs. Jazz takes her hand in the next second, holding her close.
"But it was just a dream, right?" I ask. No one answers me. "It can't be a premonition! I don't have Alice's talent! It must have been a dream!"
"Where?" Bella breathes, her tone lifeless.
"Forks," Alice and Edward murmur together, perfectly synchronised.
"I need to tell Carlisle," and Edward bounds off, with Bella in tow. Everyone looks perplexed.
"Guys, what is the Volturi? Why do you guys look so worried?"
Alice takes my hand and makes me sit opposite her. I lean forward eagerly wanting to know everything about this Volturi.
And then, she begins telling me a tale that chills my blood.
***
Now I know why everyone was so worried.
We don't have a fighting chance.
We're as good as dead.
This is it.
Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rose, Edward, Bella, mum...dad...we're all being sentenced to death!