Discover Twilight

chapter xliv

For the next few days, Edward and I would alternate on who got to teach Renesmee what, alternating between violin and piano, but she was obviously more interested in the violin than piano but Edward wouldn't admit defeat so easy. Everyone is gathered in the downstairs family room and listening to Edward and Renesmee play the lullaby that Edward wrote for Bella when they first started dating.

Alice was walking into the room from the kitchen, after filling up the vase with the fresh flowers that Sue sent me with and water, when she has a vision and drops the vase of flowers. All of our heads whipped in her direction when the glass shattered against the hardwood floors, but Jasper sped to her side, "What is it, Alice?"

Before Alice could speak to answer the pressing question, I knew the answer so I spoke on behalf of her, "The Volturi. They're coming for us. Aro, Caius, Marcus, the Guard. And Irina."

"HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT AND ALL THEIR NAMES? I BARELY KNOW ALL THE CULLEN'S NAMES?" Jake asks, clearly speaking on behalf of Edward and himself.

Honestly I had absolutely no idea how I knew what Alice's vision was because I have so special talents like the Cullens where I can read minds, so it made so sense. Nor did I have any clue how I knew the names of the three Volturi member, not having any memory of any of the Cullens or Bella providing me with their names. I was more concerned about the context of Alice's vision to be concerned about how I knew the specifics, the sense of impending doom suddenly darkening the light room.

Upon hearing the names I provided, Bella beckons for Renesmee to come to her, "Honey, come here."

Edward looks at me then to Alice then to Bella, trying to decipher what exactly was going on and what was to come, "What did Irina see in the woods?"

"We were just walking," Bella defends, clearly not comprehending why our lives are at stake.

  "Ness was catching snowflakes," Jake offers, trying to make something out of nothing.

"Do they think Ness is a vamp-"

Edward looks at me as though he was Charlie and I provided him with the Golden Ticket to meet Willy Wonka and tour the Chocolate Factory, "Of course. Irina thinks Renesmee's an Immortal Child."

"What's an Immortal Child," Bella, Jake and I chorus together, the three of us new to the world of vampire laws and terminology.

Carlisle begins to recount the history of Immortal Children for us, having the most knowledge on the subject, "The Immortal Children were very beautiful. So enchanting. To be near them was to love them. But their development was frozen at the age they were turned. They couldn't be taught or restrained. A single tantrum could destroy an entire village. Humans heard about the devastation. Stories spread. The Volturi were forced to intervene. Since the Children couldn't protect our secret, they had to be destroyed. Their creators grew very attached and fought to protect them. Long-established covens were torn apart. Countless humans slaughtered. Traditions, friends, even families. Lost."

"So the Denali's' mother made an Immortal Child?" Bella connects.

Carlisle nods somberly, remembering the story as though he was there to witness the massacre, "Yes. And she paid the price."

"Well, Renesmee's nothing like those children. She was born, not bitten. She grows every single day," Bella reasons with us, as though we were the ones who made the decisions for the Vampire Council to want to end our bloodlines.