New Rise - Book 4

Lenient

Once I had finished my talk with my two best friends we turned our full attention back to the Volturi to await our punishment.

Aro walked forward, his hands clasped casually in front of him, his eyes set on me. The look on his face reminded me of a sociopath which had me wondering what kind of person he must've been as a human to become this bad. I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind as he was just inches from me, his blood red eyes locked on mine.

He was so close I could smell the blood on his breath which came from his last meal. It sent shivers through my spine as I thought about him with his teeth sunk into the necks of my friends. The thought of watching the color drain from their faces made me regret everything I had told Tyler about my life.

Aro began slowly pacing back and forth before my friends and I before he stopped. His eyes latched onto mine with such ferocity. "Mmm times when I wish I still had my Jane." his voice was bittersweet.

I heard my father and mother simultaneously hiss in the background as they caught the threat he aimed at me.

"It seems law breaking runs through your blood. First your father and then you." He made a tisking noise. "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."

Tyler took a small cautious step forward. "Renesmee said, when she told us the secret, that I would either die or become one of you."

"You want to become a blood thirsty, soulless being?" Aro smirked as he looked over his shoulder to exchange a glance with Marcus.

"You speak as if you have a choice, the decision has been made for you to die." Caius snapped impatiently.

Aro held up his hand. "Brother." his sinister grin relaxed slightly. "Many covens think of us as monsters for our executive actions against those harmful to our existence. They misunderstand, we are lenient but we don't give second chances."

I turned my head to look at my friends. "I am sorry Tyler, Jamie." I whispered as a tear fell from my eye.

This was it. The fate of my friends was made up and there was no changing it.

"That is why we will allow you to be changed." My heart did several flip flops. "You have three months to establish your foundation to your change."

"What does that mean?" Tyler asked desperately.

Aro's eyes flickered over to my parents who stood in the back of the room with Nicholi. "I'm sure the Coven whose company you reside in can give you a hand."

My father took several steps forward. "We cannot afford another head in our Coven, it will draw too much attention."

I turned my head quickly to look at my father. "Dad, they will die because of me if we don't help them!" I cried.

His eyes met mine for a short second before they parted from my gaze. "I will help them transition but from there we can't do no more. There is too much risk for my family."

"If there is no Coven to take you in then this arrangement ends and death will certainly become of you." Marcus spoke in his droning lifeless voice.

"But we can make it on our own." Tyler spoke up as he wrapped his arm around Jamie.

Then Caius was sauntering over to Aro's side. "Rules are rules. We don't allow vampires to be changed without establishing a support system from a coven for their first year. Especially youth."

Tears streamed down my face as I watched Aro beckon Demetri forward.

"Daddy please!" I screamed. "Please take them!" My face was turning pink as the tears fell down my face.

My father just stood there, his face emotionless as Caius's wrapped his arms around Jamie who was frozen in a state of silent terror. Her eyes were wide, he mouth hung open and tears cascaded down her tinged cheeks.

I looked at Tyler half expecting him to try and save her but even he seemed to see no hope in the survival. He just stood there, helplessly watching as his girlfriend was about to be murdered right before him.

"Daddy!" I screamed again. I allowed myself to fall to my knees in defeat as I knew there was no saving her.

"I can help!" I heard Nicholi call out.

Aro waved his hand once and Demetri hissed as he leaned away from Jamie's neck. I could tell he really wanted to drink her and was tired of being teased.

"Speak." Caius demanded.

Nicholi walked to the front of the room. "My mother and father will take them. They have been vampires forward many centuries and know all the rules."

"What makes you think they want this burden thrust upon them?" Caius snapped.

"Soon I will leave them to start my own life with Renesmee. My father will want a son and my mother a daughter. They had always wanted to expand the family but didn't want to steal the lives of humans." he said quickly.

Aro looked at him before holding out his hand. "I will know if you lie." he said and then Nicholi placed his hand into his.

I wiped my eyes before looking up at them. Aro's gaze was distant as he peered through the memories that belonged to Nic. For several minutes it was just silence. Then Aro pulled back his hand.

"Like I said before, you have three months."

Nicholi nodded his head before he stooped down to bring me to my feet. Demetri released his hold on Jamie who was then pulled away from him by Tyler who quickly kissed her and led her over to where my mother and father stood.

"Thank you." Tyler said as Nicholi and I joined them.

"Let us be done with this." Marcus warned as my father opened the door.

"I will see you soon Renesmee." Aro said.

The tone of his words sent shivers up and down my body that lasted even after we were on a plane back to Washington.

Just like the flight there, Nicholi and I sat alone near the front, my mother and father two seats behind us leaving Jamie and Tyler to sit across from them.

The plane ride was long and dreary but I didn't notice as both Nic and I had fallen asleep just as we entered the states.

I was waken by my mother and father as we landed and then we were quickly rushed from the plane, through the airport and to the parking garage where Alice and Jasper were waiting for us.

The entire ride to the marina was silent. Jamie and Tyler wouldn't look at me or talk to me which made me nervous. Did what happened in Voltera ruin our friendship forever? Would we be enemies?

"We are going to keep you until after we work out how to get you off the grid." My father said.

"Off the grid?" Tyler questioned.

"We need the world, especially your family, to think you both are dead. Which is hard to do without leaving a body." he explained. "Because you will be a danger to humans you won't be allowed to associate with anyone from your human life, except us. That includes family."

Jamie finally cracked and began crying hysterically into the arms of Tyler. "I can't see my family anymore!" She cried repeatedly.

My stomach dropped as my heart felt like it was being squeezed. This was the worst part of becoming a vampire, you had to leave your family behind.

The only exception with that rule was my grandpa Charlie. That was only because he married into the wolf pack allowing him immunity from the Volturi as long as he didn't spill our secret.

I knew that Jamie would never forgive me now. Not when I ripped her family out her life.