CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE:
THE VOLTURI

IT WAS TIME. THEY all stood there in the snowy field, waiting patiently for the Volturi to show up. Mates stood with one another, holding on to each other in hopes that a fight wouldn't be the outcome. The wolves―︎minus Jacob who was standing beside Bella―︎were hidden behind the trees. No movements being heard, except for the slow and steady rhythm of their heartbeats.

Echo was tense. She held a clenched jaw and her posture was straight and tense. She had experienced so many moments like this before, only they were just a little different. Instead of her gun being the weapon, her hands were. Carlisle held Echo's hand, rubbing soothing circles over her cold skin in hopes that it would somewhat ease her.

"If we live through this, I'll follow you anywhere, woman." Garret mumbled to Kate. The blonde glanced at him before looking back to the area in front of her.

"Now you tell me."

Echo squeezed Carlisle's hand tighter when the sound of footsteps came from the other side of the forest. The Volturi were coming closer and closer.

"The red coats are coming. The red coats are coming." Garret mumbled mostly to himself, but Echo heard it clearly. She watched silently as the Volturi revealed themselves, walking closer and closer, stopping only when snarls could be heard from the woods, allowing the wolves to reveal themselves from the trees. They crept up behind the vampires, staying farther in the back with snarls falling from their mouths.

"Aro's looking for Alice." Edward tells Bella, directing it towards Echo as well. Echo watched as he searched the vampires in front of him, his eyes catching with Echo's who held a dangerous and threatening look in her eyes, making the Volturi leader feel uneasy under her gaze. Of course, he didn't show this to anyone as he quickly removed his eyes from hers, going back over to Bella's and Edward's.

Carlisle gives Echo's hand a reassuring squeeze, causing her to glance at him before she reluctantly let go of his hand. He walked forward, leaving Echo to stand there by herself. She was surprised when another hand slid into her own, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She turned her head to see Esme standing there. The woman gave Echo a kind smile, to which Echo returned before turning her gaze back to her finacé.

"Aro, let us discuss things as we used to, in a civilized manner." Carlisle started.

"Fair words, Carlisle. But a little out of place given the battalion you've assembled against us."

"I can promise you, that was never my intent. No laws have been broken." Carlisle calmly stated.

"We see the child, do not treat us as fools." Caius seethed.

"She is not an immortal!" Carlisle told them, his voice raising to prove his point. "These witnesses can attest to that. You can look. See the flush of human blood in her cheeks."

"Artifice!" Cauis snapped. Echo didn't like this guy. Maybe she would trade which blonde she was going to kill.

"I will collect every facet of the truth, but from someone more central to the story. Edward, as the child clings to your newborn mate, I assume you are involved." Aro obviously pointed out. Echo watches as Edward glances at Bella before letting go of her hand and making his was towards Aro. Bella made sure to move Renesmee to stand between herself and Jake. Echo watches as Edward extends a hand, Aro grabbing hold of it as he looked through his memories. Aro removed his hand from Edward's. "I'd like to meet her."

Edward glances over at Bella before looking over at Echo, a silent begging in his eyes. Echo removed her hand from Esme's as she joined Emmett's side, the two walking right behind of Bella, Jacob, and Renesmee. Finally when they reached him, they stopped.

"Ah, young Bella. Immortality becomes you." Aro speaks to her. His eyes then fall on Renesmee before a crazy laugh leaves his lips. "I hear her strange heart." He reached out a hand for the little girl who took a step closer.

"Hello, Aro." She softly greeted before pressing a hand to his cheek. He looked amazed by whatever it was she was showing him. When she removed her hand, she took a step back so that she was beside her mother.

"Magnifice." Aro stated. He turned towards his witnesses. "Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived and carried by this new-born, while she was still human."

"Impossible!" Caius snapped.

"Do you think they fooled me, brother?" Aro asked. The family left first, and then Emmett and Echo, and then Jacob after giving the Volturi one last snarl. Echo took her place back beside of Esme.

"Bring the informant forward." Caius called. Two of the members brought forth a blonde vampire that looked like Kate and Tanya. Echo realized this was Irina. "Is that the child you saw?"

Irina glance over at Renesmee before looking to the ground. "I'm not sure."

"Jane." Caius stated. The said vampire went to take a step forward.

"She's changed! This child's bigger." Irina explained, looking up the vampire.

"Then your allegations were false."

"The Cullens are innocent. I take full responsibility for my mistake." Irina told them. She then turned her head to look over at her two sisters before whispering, "I'm sorry."

"Caius, no!" Edward shouts, but Caius didn't listen. Felix steps forward and rips her head off.

"Irina!" Tanya yells. The two sisters go to run forward. Garret grabs hold of Kate, the blonde using her powers on him causing him to yell out in pain, but nonetheless keeping his hold on her. Emmet grabs hold of Tanya, holding her back. The two blondes struggled in their grips and Edward turned towards Zafrina.

"Blind them."

The vampire did as she was told, and soon enough the two stop struggling as they can no longer see. "We must attack!" Tanya tells him.

"Tanya, this is what they want. If you attack now, then we'll all die." Edward told her sternly. When he sees the two no longer planning to attack, he nods his head at Zafrina before making his way back over to Bella before he fell to his knees in pain. Echo's eyes immediately looked at Jane who was concentrating on Edward. Quickly, Bella activated her shield allowing Edward to stand back up and walk over to Bella. Jane looked to all of the vampiers, trying to find one that wasn't protected by Bella's power. When the blonde caught Echo's eyes, Echo couldn't help but give her a dangerous smirk causing her eyes to widen the slightest bit.

Her brother, Alec, goes to use his powers, but Aro stops him from doing so.

"Aro, you see there's no law broken here." Carlisle tells the leader.

"Agreed. But does it then follow that there is no danger?" Aro asked. " For the first time in our history, humans pose a threat to our kind. Their modern technology has given birth to weapons that could destroy us. Maintaining our secret has never been more imperative. In such perilous times, only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable, and we know nothing of what this child will become. Can we live with such uncertainty? Spare ourselves a fight today, only to die tomorrow." Aro stops and a smile falls over his face. Everyone turns at the sound of approaching footsteps and a smile falls onto Echo's face.

"Alice." Edward mutters. The girl glanced over at them before making her way towards Aro's. Just when Echo thought she couldn't become any more tense, Alice had decided to prove her wrong.

1,281 words

Authors note: I decided to cut this chapter into two so that it wouldn't be too terribly long.

I hope you all enjoyed! Stay safe! Until next time, bye loves!♥️

@HAHA_LIFEISTOUGH