Numb But Moving

Chapter 4: Secrets Revealed

It was not only Jane I had left stunned. Every one of the Cullen family and Volturi members looked shocked. I had just made another mistake, one I had promised myself I never would; I had exposed the most powerful part of my gift: power imitation.

            The moment the shock wore off, Felix and Demetri were on top of me. It was obvious they wanted revenge for my attacking Jane, but I thought wanting to talk to me when I couldn’t run away also had its play in their actions. I fought back fiercely.

            Both vampires were throwing blows from all sides, it took almost all my concentration to stay out of their grasp; acting on the offense wasn’t even an option in my current decision. I made a snap decision, they had seen one of my secrets, why not another?

            I shot away from them, giving myself an instant for uninterrupted concentration. Immediately the barrier that protected me from physically affecting powers turned tangible. Demetri bounce right back from about a foot away as he lunged for me; Felix did the same before he could register what had happened to his partner.  I attacked, taking advantage of their distraction. Planting my foot on Felix’s back, I grabbed hold of both his biceps and pulled. A terrible metallic screeching noise met my ears. I was satisfied when I looked at my hands and found both his arms completely separated from his body.

            I threw these to the aside and moved to Demetri. Jane had moved over to stand with him, both preparing for defense. I crouched low, ignoring the whimpering that was coming from Felix; he had been badly hurt, but he would heal in a day or so. Spring to the side of Jane, I watch, amused, as they tried to react. I hadn’t attacked them, as they had expected me to, but instead moved position for my actual attack. She stood no chance.

            Grabbing her by the wrists, I took a perverse sense of satisfaction as I kicked her hard in the chest and pulled. Again the sickening screeching noise cut through the air, silencing any birds that had been complaining for the previous noise. I was fast and I knew that; I used my speed to drop Jane’s arms and in almost the same instant jump on Demetri’s back.

            He let out a sound of surprise and anxiety, some kind of mixture of a yelp and whine. I chuckled darkly, enjoying my superiority for a microsecond, just before I let him suffer the same fate as his fighting partners. The fight was over in what was probably no more than ten seconds. I purred my victory as I strode to Aro.

            He looked shocked like the other members of the audience, I winced internally knowing Esme would never look at me the same, but there was something else in his face: excitement and possibly pleasure? I thought I knew what that expression meant: he wanted me to join him and become a powerful member of the Volturi.

            As tempting as it was to be somewhere I was wanted, I didn’t think I could live with others that weren’t the Cullens. It would just be too painful, especially with the numbness, which had been keeping me alive and moving all these years, now gone.

            I met the gaze of each of the Cullens, offering a sad and apologetic smile. Emmett and Jasper seemed to immediately forgive me, looking excited at what I could only presume was my fighting technique. Carlisle and Esme met my eyes and nodded in what I guess was their acceptance of my apology. Edward and Rosalie stared at me with hard cold eyes, for once agreeing on something: that I was a threat and had brought possible danger to their family; although it had been expected, it still made me flinch inside at getting that look from Edward.

Only Alice’s gaze was what I wasn’t expecting. Instead of smiling a tentative smile back and nodded toward me, she absolutely beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. I wondered, yet again, just how much that girl had seen in those three seconds. It was ridiculous how calm she was about my secrets being revealed, unless she was just taking it all in stride, but I doubted that because Edward kept giving her glances.

Turning back to Aro I found him smiling widely. I didn’t understand him. Finally irritated enough at the mystery of Aro, Alice’s visions, and my own excessive revelation of information, I tapped into the power I had gotten from Edward. I was happy when I almost winced at the Cullens’ thoughts shouting in my head; it appeared Edward had been trying to read my mind much more than the one time out in the clearing. Alice seemed to be singing “It’s a Small World After All” as well as remembering bits of her vision. Damn, her gift must have grown in power like Jasper’s, and she was obviously hiding what she had seen.

            Aro’s mind was cool and calm, and predictably, he was thinking solely about me and the Bella me. He now knew that Bella, the human, was immune to mental powers, or at least Edward’s. He also knew that I share some of the same physical features as the human Bella: brown hair, petite frame, heart-shaped face. He seemed to be comparing the human me and the vampire me side by side: as Carlisle saw me and as I was now. I was doomed, there was no way to get out of this, I should just run while I can.

            I decided to hope for the best by distracting him. “What is it you would like with me Aro? Although I do enjoy the occasional rustle and tussle, it does get tedious keeping on the move all the time.”

            He grinned, there was no other word for it. “Well Marie,” putting extra stress on my name, “I would like you to come back to Italy with me. Especially after witnessing this battle, I think it would be a great shame if you did not put your talents to work by becoming a member of the Volturi, my family.”

            Moving up from being a member of the guard to being a member of the actual “family,” was he serious? I guess he really did want me to join him in whatever it was he was doing. Unfortunately I didn’t want to be a part of anything other than what I used to call family.

            “No, I don’t think I will. I’m sorry, but I’ve been alone since my changing and I see no reason to change that.” My heart hurt with the statement but I knew no one could replace Edward or his family.

            “And if I tell you the price of refusal is a death sentence?”

I quirked my eyebrow at him. “And your justification being?”

            “We are no longer part of the human world. I do not need a justification for requesting that any who may see you will make an attempt on your life.” I kept silent, watching him. “Besides, it’s not like you haven’t done things to deserve it. Your multiple massacres of other vampires without provocation would have made up my mind to destroy you if you weren’t so…talented.”

            I smiled at him, spreading my arms to reveal the damaged vampires behind me. “I wouldn’t mind. It would keep the boredom from settling in. Please do.”

            Aro pouted like a child having his favorite sweet taken away. “I don’t know how to persuade you.” His tone was almost a whine. Almost instantly, he smiled; I saw an evil glint in his eye as he decided on his next plan. I couldn’t hear the plan because he was blocking his thoughts from Edward but I clearly heard yes, yes, that might just work!

            “Well, if there’s nothing else,” I said as I turned to leave. I really needed to escape.

            I could almost hear the smile in his voice as Aro said the one thing I had been dreading, “Wait, Bella!”

            I stiffened, it was a reflex I couldn’t help, and knew I had just sealed my doom. Turning around I glared at Aro. “My name is Marie!”

            But I knew the charade was over, every one of the Cullens’ faces (excluding Alice, of course) was a perfect mask of shock, wonder, horror, and maybe a little happiness? No that last emotion must have been my imagination.

They knew, and I didn’t need Alice’s visions to know there was nothing I could say to change their minds.