Drowning

8

Volturi

Once we touched down in Italy, I left Bella to pick up our bags as I went to get us transportation. Of course, there were no cars available for rent, so I scanned the parking lot and spotted a canary yellow Porsche. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and hotwired the car, pulling it up to the doors so that Bella could easily spot me and get in. As I waited, I put sunglasses on, pulled a scarf around my neck and hair, and pulled on some gloves, hoping to hide any of my sparkling skin as we drove to Volterra.

"Let's go." Bella demanded, plopping in the car. I made sure I heard the click of her seatbelt before I tore out of the airport, weaving through traffic well over the suggested speed limit. As I sped through some back roads, Bella tried desperately to steady herself.

"So, I'm guessing you didn't rent this car?" Bella spoke, gripping the dash in front of her.

"I figured you wouldn't be opposed to grand theft auto." I told her, looking at her worried facial expression for a moment.

"Not today." Bella confirmed. I nodded at her response before a vision played in my head. I tried to maintain focus on the road, but Bella still saw that I was having a vision.

"What? What is it, what do you see?" She questioned.

"They refused him." I informed, still seeing the vision playing in my mind.

"So?" Bella asked.

"He's going to make a scene." I told her as the vision faded. "Show himself to the humans."

"No!" Bella exclaimed. "When?"

"He's going to wait until noon, when the sun is at its highest." I started, pressing on the gas pedal a little harder as the vision of my brother's neck being snapped replayed in my head.

"God, Josephine, you got to hurry up." Bella urged.

"There's Volterra." I said, gesturing to the beautiful architecture to our left. Bella only looked more worried as I drove into Volterra. I honked the horn as I drove through the crowd of people.

"Why are they all in red?" Bella asked, sounding distressed.

"San Marco's Day festival." I answered. "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."

"We have five minutes." Bella panted, looking down at the car's clock.

"I know, Bella." I said calmly. "Just breathe."

I honked my horn as I drove through the last of the people in front of us, pulling to a stop when the Italian police waved for me to stop. I hit the brakes and looked to Bella. She climbed out of the car and turned around.

"Josie!" She said.

"Bella, you're the only one he can't see coming." I told her, ignoring the policeman as he knocked on my window. "If I go, he'll read my thoughts. He'll think I'm lying. He'll rush into it."

"Where do I go?" Bella asked.

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

Bella slammed the door behind her as she ran through another wave of festival goers. I rolled down my window and greeted the policeman politely, offering him a smile. I explained to him that we were in a hurry to meet with someone, and he told me I needed to park my car and go forward on foot if I wanted to meet whoever I was supposed to meet. I swiftly apologized and put the car in park behind his police cruiser. With a heavy sigh, I climbed out of the car and into the shade. I grabbed a red cloak from the policeman and threw it on over my clothes, pulling the hood up to conceal my face as I followed after Bella's scent. I could only hope she made it in time as I brushed past people clad in red, trying to get to Bella and my brother to make sure they were safe.