Cold As Ice

Chapter 18

"That's bullshit, Carlisle."

Allie's hands were fisted so tightly that she could feel her fingernails biting into the flesh of her palms. She chewed mercilessly on the inside of her cheek as she bored holes into Carlisle, who at least had the decency to meet her gaze.

"It's not safe, Albrun," he insisted, his voice gentle but the tone firm enough to convey that there wasn't going to be any wavering on his decision.

"You can't make this decision for me," Allie growled, struggling to keep her voice low. She felt rage boiling in her veins, and that god awful buzzing was starting to grow in the back of her mind. Now that Allie knew that her episodes were more than just an unexplained medical event, she thought she could detect a sort of sentience to the buzzing, as if it were calling out a warning to her.

"We need to learn more about your condition, your powers," Carlisle continued, keeping his expression neutral as he tried to be the voice of reason. "I came back because we need to make a plan. We need to figure out where we can go, who we can talk to, that can help us figure this out. I can't - I won't - risk your life until we understand this better."

The logical part of Allie's mind knew that there was sense to what Carlisle was saying, but Allie was poised for a fight. Maybe it was the culmination of the last few weeks - all the uncertainty, pain, fear, and loss coming to a peak. Anger was weaving through every muscle in her body, tightening her up like a winch, and Allie knew she was only a few moments away from erupting. The buzzing in her head was on a parallel path with her anger, and the crescendo was building.

Allie heard the sounds of footsteps descending down the stairs behind her, but couldn't be bothered to turn around to see who it was. She was furious at Carlisle, mostly because he was staying so impossibly calm and reasonable while she was on the edge of a full flight into fury. The finality with which he made this decision - despite it being a choice made from his affection for her - clanged in her head like a bell and set her teeth on edge. In that single syllable he'd uttered - 'no' - he'd taken away her ability to choose. It felt like being slapped across the face.

"Carlisle." Alice's voice was insistent but quiet from behind Allie's shoulder. Allie ignored her, continuing to stare at Carlisle with incredulity and molten rage in her eyes, daring him to say something, anything.

"Not now, please, Alice," Carlisle replied, his eyes not leaving Allie's as he sat down across from her. He looked like he was going to reach for her hand, but thought better of it. Allie could tell he was waiting for her temper to thaw so he could plead his case more fully.

"It's important," Alice insisted. There was an edge to her voice. Allie heard it, and Carlisle did too, because his eyes flickered up to Alice. That was enough of an invitation for Alice to continue: "The Volturi are coming. Now."

Allie knew that if Carlisle were human, the color would have drained from his face at those words, although they were meaningless to her. His face blanched with fear as his amber eyes darted from Alice to Allie and back. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded small and tight.

"Here? How long?"

"Minutes, if that," Alice replied.

Allie's anger froze momentarily as she detected fear in both Carlisle's and Alice's voices. At the same time, the buzzing in her head pitched into a keening, almost painful frequency, causing her to wince as the static sensation swamped her mind. Allie squeezed her eyes shut against the sound. This is new, Allie recognized vaguely as she slumped sideways against the arm of the couch. She felt Carlisle's frigid hands catch her deftly, and from far away she heard his voice asking her if she was alright. Allie's buzzing had never been this intense before; it usually lasted a day or two, more of a background nuisance than anything, and then gave way into one of her amnesia spells. It had never been painful like this. And once again, Allie had the disturbing sensation that there was something else in her head - like a second consciousness struggling to break through the surface of her mind.