( outfit for
chapter above )
➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶
chapter ten
talented.
"Again," Christina growled out as she got thrown into the tree line. She was starting to regret her decision about asking for help on the battlefield.
Carlisle chuckled as he stood in the middle of the field again.
"Maybe you should try with someone else," Kate suggested, a smirk settling on her face. "'Make it a little more interesting."
"Kate," Carlisle warned, but she just waved him off.
"If it comes down to a fight, you're going to need all the practice you can get," Kate pointed out. Christina stood straight as she met eyes with the blonde.
"It's not going to come down to a fight," Christina mentioned, almost automatically. It was just instinct at this point to try and convince everyone it was going to be a peaceful show out in the field.
"Then why are you practicing?" Kate pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest as the mother sighed.
It was easy to convince everyone but herself.
"What do you have in mind?" Christina asked, also crossing her arms.
"You should go against someone with a power," Kate mentioned, zapping her hands with electricity for emphasis.
"Sure," Christina answered easily.
"Nina," Carlisle warned as he walked up to his wife. "You don't know what she's capable of."
"I'm sure I'll be okay," Christina patted his shoulder as she faced Kate on the field. By now, more vampires were crowding around the back yard, finding entertainment in the brawls.
Kate smirked as she got into a pounce.
Carlisle sighed. "Just be careful. Don't overexert yourself." He laid a kiss on the side of her head before walking to the sidelines, next to Edward and Bella; who was standing over the children.
"Don't hold back," Kate teased.
"I didn't plan on it," Christina muttered with a smirk.
The two were a flash of color as they set off to both go on the offensive. Christina was still a newborn, and she used that to her advantage as she dodged around Kate's electric hands. She could almost feel the buzz in the air as Kate moved to grab hold of her shoulder. Christina crawled under Kate's legs, quickly shoving her to flip forward.
Kate landed on her feet, doing a flip in the air as she turned to Christina again. "Not bad."
"You haven't seen anything yet."
It was turn for Christina to go on the offensive as she threw punches and kicks towards Kate's body. She made the mistake to try and kick Kate's side, her leg only hitting the hands that Kate held out— already prepared for the kick.
Christina gasped loudly as electricity ran through her body. It was more painful than she would imagine before, it felt more like burning than being zapped.
Kate let go of Christina's leg as the mother fell to the ground from pain. The mother sighed at the relief from the electricity as she stared up at the sky.
"I give," Christina mumbled as she got back onto her feet. Kate giggled as she followed Christina back towards the sideline. "You got some power behind that, huh?"
"Years of practice," she answered with a wink. Christina gave her a tired smile.
"I didn't think we were showing off powers," Zafrina's gruff voice called out as she and Senna came out of the woods. She smirked, twisting her features upwards, in a catlike expression.
"Zafrina can make anyone see what she wants," Edward commented as the duo came closer. "Almost like Renesmee, but she doesn't need touch."
Christina looked towards the Amazonian woman with curiosity. The girl closed her eyes for a split second, and when she opened them, the backyard of the Cullen's estate was gone.
Christina looked around, amazed at the rainforest surrounding her. It almost reminded her of her island back on the honeymoon, but it was more jungle-like.
"If she weren't holding my hand right now, I could swear this was real," Edward commented as he also looked around the jungle.
"I don't see anything," Bella muttered. To her, everyone was just looking around the Cullen's backyard with wonder in their eyes. She didn't see the fascinating pictures that Zafrina was playing for them.
Eleazar hummed as Zafrina's image dropped. "Edward, you didn't tell me your wife was a shield."
Bella's eyebrows furrowed. "What's a shield?"
Edward and Carlisle smiled in recognization. "The ones I've met are so different," Edward commented.
"Renata works hers nothing like Bella's," Carlisle agreed.
"Who's Renata?" Christina asked. She peeled her eyes away from the children playing in the field to look towards Carlisle with confusion.
"She's a guard in the Volturi," Carlisle explained. "She's Aro's personal bodyguard if you want to get technical."
"A very practical kind of shield," Eleazar continued. "And a very strong one. A shield is a defensive talent."
"It's why I couldn't read your mind, even before. It's why Aro couldn't," Edward explained, making Bella nod.
"You have a very powerful gift," Eleazar smiled.
Kate was quick to grab Bella's hand. Blue surrounded both of their conjoined hands as Kate used her power, but to no-fail, Bella couldn't feel it. Kate smirked. "Oh, yeah. She's a shield, alright. Shoulda put her on her ass."
A nomad that Emmett and Rosalie collected from their ventures, smirked as he stepped forward from leaning against the tree. "Or your voltage has been exaggerated."
Christina rubbed her leg as she thought back to getting shocked. "Uh, no," she muttered, making Kate smirk in response.
"Maybe it only works on the weak," Kate teased, sending a wink towards Christina before holding her hand up.
"Garrett, I wouldn't," Carlisle warned as he watched him take a step closer to the blonde.
Garrett touched his pointer finger to the middle of Kate's hand. His whole body shook as he got electrocuted from just a single touch. He gasped as he fell to his knees, looking up to the blonde with a growing smile. "You are an amazing woman."
Christina chuckled along with the rest of the people watching around. Their laughter was cut short as running could be heard from miles away.
"Kids, come close," Christina called out an order.
They immediately listened as they hid behind their parents, listening to the fall of footsteps, and leaves being pushed aside. Four wolves were jumping around the trees, before stopping on one particular one.
Two vampires sat comfortably in the trees, not even bothered by the sight of four massive wolves below them. Carlisle stepped forward as he looked at the Romanian vampires. "Vladimir, Stefan, you're a long way from home."
Kate narrowed her brows as she looked at the pair from beside Christina. "What are they doing here?"
The blond smirked as he looked down at Carlisle with freshly bright red eyes. "We heard the Volturi were moving against you. But you would not stand alone."
"We didn't do what we were accused of," Carlisle spoke up, defending his family.
Vladimir sighed. "We do not care what you did, Carlisle."
The brunet's smile grew. "We have been waiting for a millennium for the Italian scum to be challenged."
Carlisle shook his head. "It's not our plan to fight the Volturi."
Vladimir's smirk never faltered at Carlisle's words— if anything it grew. "Shame. Aro's witnesses will be so disappointed."
"They enjoy a good fight," Stefan agreed.
Eleazar stepped forward, worrying ceasing his forehead. "Aro's witnesses?"
"Aww," Vladimir sarcastically pouted. "Still hoping they'll listen?"
⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶
"When Aro wants someone from a coven, it's never long before evidence turns up proving that coven committed some crime," Eleazar explained.
They had moved the previous conversation outside to the living room, getting all eighteen vampires involved in the future conversation. Seth stood next to Christina as she sat down on the set of stairs next to her children, watching everyone whisper to themselves. He stood slightly in front of Annie, which Christina was grateful for as she could feel red eyes turn towards her location every few moments.
"So, he's done this before?" Bella asked, looking at the golden-eyed Denali.
Carlisle was the one to nod his head. "Apparently he always pardons one person whose thoughts he claims are repentant."
Eleazar agreed, "this person always has an ability, and they're always given a place with the Guard."
"This is about Alice," Edward spoke what the rest of the Cullens were thinking. "He has no one like her."
"Which is why she left," Christina concluded.
Emmett crossed his arms over his chest, breaking his silence throughout the conversation. "Why does he need witnesses?"
"To spread the word that justice has been served," Alistair spoke up, bringing the attention towards him as he stood by the back porch. "After he slaughters an entire coven."
Amun shook his head roughly. "Benjamin, Tia. We're leaving."
"And where will you go?" Christina asked, stopping him in his tracks. "Back into hiding? Aren't you sick of that? Never being able to go where you want, because you're afraid of the Volturi. Chances are, Aro's going to see Benjamin in one of our thoughts on that field."
Amun hissed at the mother's words.
"Christina's right," Edward spoke up. "What makes you think they'll be satisfied with Alice? What's to stop them from going after Benjamin next? Or Zafrina, or Kate, or anyone else with a gift? Anyone they want. Their goal isn't punishment, it's power. It's acquisition."
Everyone was silent as Edward's words registered in their head.
"Carlisle might not ask you to fight, but I will," Edward continued. "For the sake of my family. But also for yours. And the way you want to live."
Everyone stared at each other silently. Jacob was the first to stand up, a smirk gracing his features as he looked towards Seth for a moment. He turned his warm brown eyes to Edward again. "The packs will fight. We've never been afraid of any vampires."
Christina watched as the Denali clan stood up after Jacob. "We will fight," Tanya stated for her family, giving Edward a soft smile in return.
Christina stood up from the stairs as she gave Kate a thankful glance.
Garrett stepped closer to Kate. "This won't be the first time I fought a King's rule."
Benjamin stood up from the couch, against his father's wishes. "We'll join you." His red eyes glanced towards the children, warmth filling his body at their innocence.
Amun sneered, "no."
Benjamin wasn't affected by his father's rage. He looked over his shoulder with a kind smile. "I will do the right thing, Amun. You do as you please."
The Amazonian duo stood with fierce glares. "We will stand with you."
The Irish coven stood up right after. "So will we," Siobhan said proudly.
Christina felt her body warm as the rest of the nomads stood up and agreed on their loyalty. Alistair sneered at everyone standing up.
Vladimir leaned over towards his companion. "That didn't take much."
Edward ignored the snide comments from certain vampire's minds as he bowed his head to everyone, thankful for their bravery. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
Alistair's eyes narrowed. "We'll see," he muttered before disappearing out of sight, back into the attic where he has stayed for the past few days.
Christina sighed as she grabbed Carlisle's hand. She rested her forehead to his shoulder at the impending doom settled over the group.
➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶
Holy shit. I can't tell you how many chills I got writing this chapter. I am, over the moon, excited about this half of the book. But it's such a bittersweet moment because I'm almost done and I don't even know how I got to this point.