Sign Of The Times || Jasper Hale

chapter 107

Everyone gathers at the large, snow-covered field and the Cullens stand in the middle. Harvey next to Alex and on her other side, Edward with his family.

"If we live through this, I'll follow you anywhere, woman." Alex smiles as she hears Garrett tell this to Kate who rolls her eyes.

"Now you tell me."

They could all hear the Volturi and their army getting closer.

"The Redcoats are coming! The Redcoats are coming!" Alex holds back a smile at his enthusiasm.

Aro and his army become visible and it's clear that they outnumber the Cullens and their witnesses. Edward watches Aro as they walk towards them.

Alex notices Aro, Marcus and Caius in the front. The most of the Guard. But her breath hitches as she sees him. Her anger swells as she looks at the Volturi and Edward nods his head towards Harvey and Emmett, both of them and Rosalie inching closer to Alex who breathes heavily.

"Aro's looking for Alice." Edward says and he looks over to Alex. "He noticed you first." He utters soft enough so almost none of the others can hear. Alex stands tall as she looks at the army in front of her.

The wolf packs come out of the woods and join the Cullens and their witnesses. Jacob in his wolf form comes through the rest and stands next Bella, Renesmee and Edward.

Aro and his army stand in a line facing the Cullens and their witnesses. Carlisle walks forward with a smile.

"Aro, let us discuss things as we used to. In a civilized manner."

Aro narrows his eyes. "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."

"We see the child. Do not treat us as fools." Caius snaps.

"She is not an lmmortal! These witnesses can attest to that. Or you can look. See the flush of human blood in her cheeks."

"Artifice!"

Aro looks towards Caius and his army before returning to adress the Cullens. "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." Edward looks at Bella and he makes his way towards Aro.

Edwards reaches Aro he extends his hand. Aro takes it and uses his power to read his thoughts.

"I'd like to meet her." Edward turns and looks at Bella and Renesmee, and they, joined by Jacob and Emmett, walk towards Aro. "Ah. Young Bella. Immortality becomes you." Aro smiles and then shrieks with laughter as he hears Renesmee's heart beat. Alex rolls her eyes at the sound, it was all to familiar. "I hear her strange heart." Aro holds out his hand and Renesmee walks closer to him.

"Hello, Aro." Renesmee reaches out her hand and touches Aro's cheek and Aro becomes transfixed by what she shows him.

"Magnifico!" He yells out. "Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived and carried by this newborn while she was still human."

"Impossible!"

Aro snaps his head towards Caius. "Do you think they fooled me, brother?" Bella, Edward, Renesmee, Jacob and Emmett walk back and everyone keeps their eyes on the army.

"Bring the informer forward." Irina is brought towards Caius and Aro. "Is that the child you saw?"

"I'm not sure." Her voice soft.

"Jane." Caius simply says but Irina speaks quickly.

"She's changed. This child is bigger."

"Then your allegations were false."

"The Cullens are innocent." Irina says. "I take full responsibility for my mistake. I'm sorry."

"Caius, no!" Edward yells as Felix steps forward and hits Irina hard enough to make her head snap off.

"Irina!" Alex turns around and runs towards Kate and Tanya. Caius sets fire to the rest of Irina's body. Alex wraps her arms around Tanya as Garrett gets ahold of Kate. She uses her power to electrocute him and Edward quickly turns to Zafrina.

"Blind them." Zafrina uses her power to blind Kate and Tanya, stopping them from attacking.

"We must attack!" Tanya yells out and Alex could feel the pain and aching that the two were feeling. Her mind snapped towards the moment that they beheaded Pietro and her gaze snaps towards the Volturi.

"Alex." Edward softly warns and her gaze turns to him. "Tanya, this is what they want. If you attack now, we'll all die." Edward looks at Zafrina and she stops blinding Kate and Tanya.

Tanya and Kate stop their attack on Aro and his army but Jane looks at Edward.

"Pain." Edward crumbles to the ground in pain but suddenly he gets up and walks towards Bella.

"It's working." Bella smiles as Jane realizes her powers are useless against her shield. Alec steps forward but Aro stops him.

"Aro, you see there's no law broken here."

Aro nods. "Agreed. But does it then follow that there is no danger? 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."

Two figures emerge from the nearby woods and Aro gasps in delight.

"Alice." Edward mutters as he realises who they are. Jasper glances towards the Cullens and Alex takes a step forward as she sees the two walking towards the Volturi, but she is held back by Emmett and Harvey. She snaps at the two and Jane smiles in their direction, an evil smile that makes Alex only more angry.

"Alice!" Aro clasps his hands together. Two of Aro's guards stop them. "My dear, dear Alice, we're so glad to see you here, after all."

"I have evidence the child won't be a risk to our kind." Aro looks at her with a suspicious look. "Let me show you." Alice extends her hand. Aro motions for his guards to let Alice go, still keeping their hands on Jasper. Alex snarls lowly and Harvey places a firm hand on her lower arm.

"Brother?" Alice walks up to Aro and he takes hold of her hand. Aro's eyes glaze over and it takes a while before he lets go off her hand.

"Now you know. That's your future. Unless you decide on another course."

"We cannot alter our course. The child still poses a grave threat." Caius simply says.

"But what if you were sure she could remain concealed from the human world? Could we leave in peace?" Edward suggests and Caius nods.

"Of course. But that cannot be known."

"Actually, it can." Two more witnesses walk on the field from the woods and stand next to Alice.

"I've been searching for witnesses of my own among the Ticuna tribes of Brazil."

Caius sighs. "We have enough witnesses."

Aro looks at him. "Let him speak, brother."

"I am half human, half vampire. Like the child. A vampire seduced my mother, who died giving birth to me. My aunt Huilen raised me as her own. I made her immortal."

"How old are you?" Bella asks and the man turns to her.

"A hundred and fifty years."

"At what age did you reach maturity?" Aro's eyes narrow with curiosity.

"I became full-grown seven years after my birth. I have not changed since then."

"And your diet?"

"Blood, human food. I can survive on either."

"These children are much like us." Marcus comments and Alex could feel the relief of everyone on the Cullen side, but she wasn't to sure about that. Harvey let's go off her arm and her eyes snap towards Jane and Alex who stand to either side of him. The one that broke her heart.