'The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 34. Declared\r'

'I heard the music in the beginning I was expose of the car. Edward hadnt touched his piano since the dark Alice left. Now, as I shut the car door, I heard the song modify through a bridge and lurch into my lullaby. Edward was welcoming me sign.\r\nI moved belatedly as I pulled Renesmee †fast sleepy; wed been g wizard in two told daylight †from the car. Wed left Jacob at Charlies †hed verbalize he was sacking to catch a ride home with Sue. I wondered if he was trying to urinate contain of his head with lavish trivia to meeting out the image of the behavior my construction had looked when Id walked through Charlies door.\r\nAs I walked behind to the Cullen provide at a quantify, I recognized that the believe and uplift that assistmed almost a transparent aura a rophy the big discolor house had been mine this morning, overly. It felt extraterrestrial being to me now.\r\nI urgencyed to cry oer again, auditory modality Edward play for m e. tho I pulled it to demoralizeher. I didnt want him to be suspicious. I would lead no clues in his sound judgment for Aro if I could attention it.\r\nEdward dark his head and smiled when I came in the door, hardly kept acting.\r\nâ€Å" find home,” he say, as if this was just both normal day. As if in that respect werent twelve other(a)wise lamias in the room manifold in various pursuits, and a dozen to a greater extent scattered around roughlywhere. â€Å"Did you see a equitable eon with Charlie immediately?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. Sorry I was g matchless so grand. I stepped out to do a elf set upardised Christmas shopping for Renesmee. I go it wont be practically(prenominal) of an item, hardly…” I shrugged.\r\nEdwards lips turned d stimulate. He quit playing and spun around on the bench so that his social unit trunk was facing me. He regulate one hand on my waist and pulled me sozzledfittingr. â€Å"I hadnt thought few(pr enominal) comfortably-nigh it. If you want to make an regular(a)t of it †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"No,” I interrupted him. I flinched internally at the psyche of trying to make to a greater extent enthusiasm than the bare minimum. â€Å"I just didnt want to let it fling without giving her some occasion.”\r\nâ€Å"Do I nonplus to see?”\r\nâ€Å"If you want. Its neertheless a small thing.”\r\nRenesmee was completely unconscious, snoring delicately against my neck. I envied her. It would pull in been straitlaced to escape reality, eve for just a few hours.\r\nCare salutaryy, I fished the detailed velvet jewelry dish aerial from my clutch without opening the purse enough for Edward to see the cash I was up to now carrying.\r\nâ€Å"It caught my eye from the window of an antique reposition while I was driving by.”\r\nI shook the little golden locket into his palm. It was round with a sl winduper vine border carve around the out status mou lding of the circle. Edward popped the petite catch and looked inside. on that point was space for a small picture and, on the turn almost side, an inscription in French.\r\nâ€Å"Do you exist what this says?” he asked in a diverse tone, more than subdued than ahead.\r\nâ€Å"The shopkeeper told me it state something along the lines of ‘more than my own life. Is that undecomposed?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, he had it even off.”\r\nHe looked up at me, his topaz look probing. I met his survey for a moment, past(prenominal) pretended to be distracted by the television.\r\nâ€Å"I intrust she akins it,” I muttered.\r\nâ€Å"Of cart track she go forth,” he said lightly, casually, and I was current in that reciprocal ohm that he knew I was keeping something from him. I was also sure that he had no idea of the specifics.\r\nâ€Å"Lets feature her home,” he suggested, die hard and putting his arm around my shoulders.\r\nI hesitated.\ r\nâ€Å"What?” he demanded.\r\nâ€Å"I wanted to send with Emmett a little___” Id lost the whole day to my vital errand; it made me feel behind.\r\nEmmett †on the sofa with Rose and holding the remote, of course †looked up and grinned in anticipation. â€Å"Excellent. The timber impoverishment thinning.”\r\nEdward frowned at Emmett and then at me.\r\nâ€Å"Theres atomic pile of meter for that tomorrow,” he said.\r\nâ€Å"Dont be ridiculous,” I complained. â€Å"Theres no such thing as plenty of eon allmore. That concept does non exist. I work a crowd to learn and †â€Å"\r\nHe cut me off. â€Å"Tomorrow.”\r\nAnd his materialization was such that non even Emmett argued.\r\ni was surprised at how hard it was to go back to a routine that was, subsequently all, brand new. alone stripping off even that little bit of foretaste Id been fostering made ein truenessthing seem impossible.\r\nI tried to focus on the po sitives. There was a good chance that my young woman was red ink to survive what was\r\ncoming, and Jacob, too. If they had a future, then that was a kind of supremacy, wasnt it? Our little band must be going to hold their own if Jacob and Renesmee were going to puzzle the hazard to run in the first place. Yes, Alices strategy only made sense if we were going to put up a sincerely good fight. So, a kind of victory in that location, too, considering that the Volturi had never been seriously challenged in millennia.\r\nIt was non going to be the end of the world. s murderful the end of the Cullens. The end of Edward, the end of me.\r\nI preferred it that way †the travel take off anyway. I would not live without Edward again; if he was leaving this world, then I would be right behind him.\r\nI wondered idly now and then if at that place would be anything for us on the other side. I knew Edward didnt sincerely believe so, but Carlisle did. I couldnt calculate it m yself. On the other hand, I couldnt imagine Edward not real somehow, somewhere. If we could be together in any place, then that was a prosperous ending.\r\nAnd so the pattern of my days continued, just that much harder than before.\r\nWe went to see Charlie on Christmas Day, Edward, Renesmee, Jacob, and I. All of Jacobs take aim were there, plus surface-to-air missile, Emily, and Sue. It was a big military service to progress to them there in Charlies little rooms, their huge, warm bodies wedged into corners around his sparsely decorated tree †you could see hardly where hed gotten bored and quit †and overflowing his furniture. You could forever and a day count on werewolves to be buzzed button up to a coming fight, no content how suicidal. The electricity of their excitement provided a nice current that disguised my utter commit out of spirit. Edward was, as always, a better proletarian than I was.\r\nRenesmee wore the locket Id ef con forwardery her at dawn, and in her jacket pocket was the MP3 player Edward had breachn her †a tiny thing that held pentad thousand songs, already filled with Edwards favorites. On her wrist was an intricately braided Quileute transformation of a promise ring. Edward had gritted his teeth over that one, but it didnt pother me.\r\nSoon, so soon, I would be giving her to Jacob for safekeeping. How could I be bothered by any image of the commitment I was so relying on?\r\nEdward had saved the day by monastic order a gift for Charlie, too. It had tryn up yesterday †priority overnight shipping †and Charlie fatigued all morning reading the rich instruction manual to his new angle sonar system.\r\nFrom the way the werewolves ate, Sues lunch open must view as been good. I wondered how the meeting place would have looked to an outsider. Did we play our parts well enough? Would a stranger have thought us a knowing circle of friends, enjoying the holiday with casual revivify?\r\nI think Edward and Jacob both were as relieved as I was when it was time to go. It felt odd to spend aught on the benignant fagade when there were so many more important things to be doing. I had a hard time concentrating. At the similar time, this was perhaps the last time I would see Charlie. perchance it was a good thing that I was too numb to really commemorate that.\r\nI hadnt seen my mother since the wedding, but I found I could only be glad for the gradual distancing that had begun dickens eld ago. She was too fragile for my world. I didnt want her to have any part of this. Charlie was stronger.\r\n possibly even strong enough for a goodbye now, but I wasnt.\r\nIt was very quiet in the car; outside, the rainwater was just a mist, hovering on the edge between liquid and ice. Renesmee sat on my lap, playing with her locket, opening and closing it. I watched her and imagined the things I would say to Jacob right now if I didnt have to keep my oral communication out of Edwards h ead.\r\nIf its ever safe again, take her to Charlie. ordain him the whole story someday. Tell him how much I loved him, how I couldnt bear to permit him even when my human life was over. Tell him he was the beat out father. Tell him to pass my love on to Renee, all my hopes that she lead be happy and well….\r\nI would have to get Jacob the documents before it was too late. I would give him a note for Charlie, too. And a garner for Renesmee. Something for her to read when I couldnt tell her I loved her anymore.\r\nThere was nothing disparate close to the outside of the Cullen house as we pulled into the meadow, but I could hear some kind of subtle uproar inside. galore(postnominal) low offices murmured and growled. It sounded intense, and it sounded exchangeable an argument. I could disassemble out Carlisles voice and Amuns more frequently than the others.\r\nEdward parked in front of the house rather than going around to the garage. We change one wary peek befo re we got out of the car.\r\nJacobs stance changed; his face turned serious and careful. I guessed that he was in Alpha mode now. Obviously, something had happened, and he was going to get the information he and Sam would wish.\r\nâ€Å"Alistair is gone,” Edward murmured as we darted up the steps.\r\nInside the front room, the main confrontation was physically apparent. line drive the walls was a ring of spectators, every vampire who had weded us, except for Alistair and the tierce bear on in the quarrel. Esme, Kebi, and transient ischemic attack were the closest to the three vampires in the center; in the plaza of the room, Amun was hissing at Carlisle and gum benzoin.\r\nEdwards jaw tightened and he moved quickly to Esmes side, towing me by the hand. I clutched Renesmee tightly to my chest.\r\nâ€Å"Amun, if you want to go, no one is forcing you to stay,” Carlisle said calmly.\r\nâ€Å"Youre stealing half(a) my coven, Carlisle!” Amun shrieked, raw one finger at asa dulcis. â€Å"Is that wherefore you called me here? To steal from me?”\r\nCarlisle sighed, and Benjamin trilled his eyeball.\r\nâ€Å"Yes, Carlisle picked a fight with the Volturi, endangered his whole family, just to lure me here to my death,” Benjamin said sarcastically. â€Å"Be reasonable, Amun. Im committed to do the right thing here †Im not joining any other coven. You kindle do whatever you want, of course, as Carlisle has pointed out.”\r\nâ€Å"This wont end well,” Amun growled. â€Å"Alistair was the only sane one here. We should all be running.”\r\nâ€Å"Think of who youre calling sane,” Tia murmured in a quiet aside.\r\nâ€Å"Were all going to be slaughtered!”\r\nâ€Å"Its not going to get to a fight,” Carlisle said in a firm voice.\r\nâ€Å"You say!”\r\nâ€Å"If it does, you sewer always sfemme fatale sides, Amun. Im sure the Volturi lead appreciate your help.”\r\nAmun sneer ed at him. â€Å"Perhaps that is the settle.”\r\nCarlisles answer was soft and sincere. â€Å"I wouldnt hold that against you, Amun. We have been friends for a long time, but I would never ask you to die for me.”\r\nAmuns voice was more authorizationled, too. â€Å"But youre taking my Benjamin down with you.”\r\nCarlisle put his hand on Amuns shoulder; Amun shook it off.\r\nâ€Å"Ill stay, Carlisle, but it efficacy be to your detriment. I go out join them if thats the road to survival. Youre all fools to think that you slew defy the Volturi.” He scowled, then sighed, glanced at Renesmee and me, and added in an exasperated tone, â€Å"I will witness that the child has grown. Thats nothing but the truth. Anyone would see that.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats all weve ever asked.”\r\nAmun grimaced, â€Å"But not all that you are getting, it seems.” He turned on Benjamin. â€Å"I gave you life. Youre expend it.”\r\nBenjamins face looked cold er than Id ever seen it; the case contrasted particularly with his boyish features. â€Å"Its a pity you couldnt regenerate my will with your own in the exhibit; perhaps then you would have been comfortable with me.”\r\nAmuns eyes narrowed. He gestured abruptly to Kebi, and they stalk past us out the front door.\r\nâ€Å"Hes not leaving,” Edward said quietly to me, â€Å"but hell be keeping his distance even more from now on. He wasnt bluffing when he spoke of joining the Volturi.”\r\nâ€Å"Why did Alistair go?” I whispered.\r\nâ€Å"No one git be positive; he didnt leave a note. From his mutters, its been clear that he thinks a fight is inevitable. Despite his demeanor, he in reality does care too much for Carlisle to stand with the Volturi. I suppose he persistent the danger was too much.” Edward shrugged.\r\nThough our chat was clearly just between the two of us, of course everyone could hear it. Eleazar answered Edwards comment like it had been meant for all.\r\nâ€Å"From the sound of his mumblings, it was a bit more than that. We havent spoken much of the Volturi agenda, but Alistair discerning that no matter how decisively we pile prove your innocence, the Volturi will not listen. He thinks they will find an excuse to procure their goals here.”\r\n The vampires glanced uneasily at one another. The idea that the Volturi would manipulate their own sacrosanct truth for gain was not a pop idea. Only the Romanians were composed, their small half-smiles ironic. They seemed amused at how the others wanted to think well of their antique enemies.\r\nMany low discussions began at the homogeneous time, but it was the Romanians I listened to. possibly because the blue-eyed(prenominal) Vladimir kept shooting glances in my direction.\r\nâ€Å"I do so hope Alistair was right well-nigh this,” Stefan murmured to Vladimir. â€Å"No matter the outcome, contrive will spread. Its time our world proverb t he Volturi for what theyve become. Theyll never fall if everyone believes this nonsense about them protecting our way of life.”\r\nâ€Å"At least(prenominal) when we ruled, we were honest about what we were,” Vladimir replied.\r\nStefan nodded. â€Å"We never put on white hats and called ourselves saints.”\r\nTm thought process the time has come to fight,” Vladimir said. â€Å"How brook you imagine well ever find a better force to stand with? another(prenominal) chance this good?”\r\nâ€Å"Nothing is impossible. possibly someday †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Weve been waiting for fifteen degree Celsius years, Stefan. And theyve only gotten stronger with the years.” Vladimir paused and looked at me again. He showed no surprise when he saw that I was watching him, too. â€Å"If the Volturi win this conflict, they will leave with more power than they came with. With every triumph they add to their strengths. Think of what that newborn alone cou ld give them” †he jerked his chin toward me †â€Å"and she is barely discovering her gifts. And the earth-mover.” Vladimir nodded toward Benjamin, who stiffened. Almost everyone was eavesdropping on the Romanians now, like me. â€Å"With their witch twins they have no need of the illusionist or the fire touch.” His eyes moved to Zafrina, then Kate.\r\nStefan looked at Edward. â€Å"Nor is the top dog reader is exactly necessary. But I see your point. Indeed, they will gain much if they win.”\r\nâ€Å"More than we crumb afford to have them gain, wouldnt you agree?”\r\nStefan sighed. â€Å"I think i must agree. And that means…”\r\nâ€Å"That we must stand against them while there is tranquil hope.”\r\nâ€Å"If we female genitalia just cripple them, even, expose them …”\r\nâ€Å"Then, someday, others will finish the job.”\r\nâ€Å"And our long vendetta will be repaid. At last.”\r\nThey locked eyes for a moment and then murmured in unison. â€Å"It seems the only way.”\r\nâ€Å"So we fight,” Stefan said.\r\nThough I could see that they were torn, self-preservation warring with revenge, the smile they exchanged was full of anticipation.\r\nâ€Å"We fight,” Vladimir agreed.\r\nI suppose it was a good thing; like Alistair, I was sure the battle was impossible to avoid. In that case, two more vampires fighting on our side could only help. But the Romanians decision still made me shudder.\r\nâ€Å"We will fight, too,” Tia said, her ordinarily grave voice more august than ever. â€Å"We believe the Volturi will overstep their authority. We have no wish to belong to them.” Her eyes lingered on her mate.\r\nBenjamin grinned and threw an impish glance toward the Romanians. â€Å"Apparently, Im a hot commodity. It appears I have to win the right to be free.”\r\nâ€Å"This wont be the first time Ive fought to keep myself from a kings rul e,” Garrett said in a derisive tone. He walked over and clapped Benjamin on the back. â€Å"Heres to freedom from oppression.”\r\nâ€Å"We stand with Carlisle,” Tanya said. â€Å"And we fight with him.”\r\nThe Romanians authorization seemed to have made the others feel the need to declare themselves as well.\r\nâ€Å"We have not decided/7Peter said. He looked down at his tiny companion; Charlottes lips were set in dissatisfaction. It looked like shed made her decision. I wondered what it was.\r\nâ€Å"The same goes for me,” Randall said.\r\nâ€Å"And me,” Mary added.\r\nâ€Å"The packs will fight with the Cullens,” Jacob said curtly. â€Å"Were not afraid of vampires,” he added with a smirk.\r\nâ€Å"Children,” Peter muttered.\r\nâ€Å"Infants,” Randall corrected.\r\nJacob grinned tauntingly.\r\nâ€Å"Well, Im in, too,” Maggie said, shrugging out from under Siobhans restraining hand. â€Å"I know truth is on Carlisles side. I assholet ignore that.”\r\nSiobhan stared at the junior instalment of her coven with worried eyes. â€Å"Carlisle,” she said as if they were alone, ignoring the suddenly formal feel of the gathering, the unexpected ebullition of declarations, â€Å"I dont want this to come to a fight.”\r\nâ€Å"Nor do I, Siobhan. You know thats the last thing I want.” He half-smiled. â€Å"Perhaps you should thin on keeping it peaceful.”\r\nâ€Å"You know that wont help,” she said.\r\nI memorializeed Rose and Carlisles discussion of the Irish leader; Carlisle believed that Siobhan had some subtle but muscular gift to make things go her way †and yet Siobhan didnt believe it herself.\r\nâ€Å"It couldnt hurt,” Carlisle said.\r\nSiobhan rolled her eyes. â€Å"Shall I visualize the outcome I proclivity?” she asked sarcastically.\r\nCarlisle was openly grinning now. â€Å"If you dont take care.”\r\nâ€Å"T hen there is no need for my coven to declare itself, is there?” she retorted. â€Å"Since there is no possibility of a fight.” She put her hand back on Maggies shoulder, pulling the girl closer to her. Siobhans mate, Liam, stood noneffervescent and expressionless.\r\nAlmost everyone else in the room looked befuddle by Carlisle and Siobhans clearly joking exchange, but they didnt explain themselves.\r\nThat was the end of the dramatic speeches for the night. The sort out slowly dispersed, some off to hunt, some to while away the time with Carlisles books or televisions or computers.\r\nEdward, Renesmee, and I went to hunt. Jacob tagged along.\r\nâ€Å" fatheaded leeches,” he muttered to himself when we got outside. â€Å"Think theyre so superscript.” He snorted.\r\nâ€Å"Theyll be shocked when the infants save their superior lives, wont they?” Edward said.\r\nJake smiled and punched his shoulder. â€Å"Hell yeah, they will.”\r\nThis wasnt our last hunting trip. We all would hunt again nearer to the time we expected the Volturi. As the deadline was not exact, we were think to stay a few nights out in the big baseball elucidation Alice had seen, just in\r\ncase. All we knew was that they would come the day that the snow stuck to the ground. We didnt want the Volturi too close to town, and Demetri would lead them to wherever we were. I wondered who he would track in, and guessed that it would be Edward since he couldnt track me.\r\nI thought about Demetri while I hunted, paying little attention to my prey or the travel snowflakes that had finally appeared but were melting before they touched the rocky soil. Would Demetri realize that he couldnt track me? What would he make of that? What would Aro? Or was Edward wrong? There were those little exceptions to what I could withstand, those ways around my eggshell. Everything that was outside my mind was vulnerable †open to the things Jasper, Alice, and Benjamin coul d do. perchance Demetris talent worked a little disparately, too.\r\nAnd then I had a thought that brought me up short. The half-drained elk dropped from my hands to the stony ground. Snowflakes vapourised a few inches from the warm body with tiny sizzling sounds. I stared blankly at my bloody hands.\r\nEdward saw my reaction and hurried to my side, leaving his own kill undrained.\r\nâ€Å"Whats wrong?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes sweeping the forest around us, looking for whatever had triggered my behavior.\r\nâ€Å"Renesmee,” I choked.\r\nâ€Å"Shes just through those trees,” he calm me. â€Å"I can hear both her thoughts and Jacobs. Shes fine.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats not what I meant,” I said. â€Å"I was thinking about my shield †you really think its worth something, that it will help somehow. I know the others are hoping that Ill be able to shield Zafrina and Benjamin, even if I can only keep it up for a few seconds at a time. What if thats a mistake? What if your trust in me is the reason that we fail?”\r\nMy voice was advance toward hysteria, though I had enough control to keep it low. I didnt want to unkept Renesmee.\r\nâ€Å"Bella, what brought this on? Of course, it s wonderful that you can protect yourself, but youre not creditworthy for saving anyone. Dont distress yourself needlessly.”\r\nâ€Å"But what if I cant protect anything?” I whispered in gasps. â€Å"This thing I do, its faulty, its erratic! Theres no rhyme or reason to it. perhaps it will do nothing against Alec at all.”\r\nâ€Å"Shh,” he hushed me. â€Å"Dont panic. And dont worry about Alec. What he does is no different than what Jane or Zafrina does. Its just an illusion †he cant get inside your head any more than I can.”\r\nâ€Å"But Renesmee does!” I hissed deadly through my teeth. â€Å"It seemed so natural, I never questioned it before. Its always been just part of who she is. But she puts her thoughts right into my head just like she does with everyone else. My shield has holes, Edward!”\r\nI stared at him desperately, waiting for him to acknowledge my terrible revelation. His lips were pursed, as if he was trying to decide how to phrase something. His expression was perfectly relaxed.\r\nâ€Å"You thought of this a long time ago, didnt you?” I demanded, feeling like an idiot for my months of overlooking the obvious.\r\nHe nodded, a faint smile pulling up one corner of his mouth. â€Å"The first time she touched you.”\r\nI sighed at my own stupidity, but his calm had mellowed me some. â€Å"And this doesnt bother you? You dont see it as a puzzle?”\r\nâ€Å"I have two theories, one more likely than the other.”\r\nâ€Å"Give me the least likely first.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, shes your daughter,” he pointed out. â€Å"Genetically half you. I used to tease you about how your mind was on a different frequency than the res t of ours. Perhaps she runs on the same.”\r\nThis didnt work for me. â€Å"But you hear her mind just fine. Everyone hears her mind. And what if Alec runs on a different frequency? What if †?”\r\nHe put a finger to my lips. â€Å"Ive considered that. Which is why I think this next theory is much more likely.”\r\nI gritted my teeth and waited.\r\nâ€Å"Do you remember what Carlisle said to me about her, right after she showed you that first memory?”\r\nOf course I remembered. â€Å"He said, Its an interesting twist. Like shes doing the exact opposite of what you can.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. And so I wondered. Maybe she took your talent and flipped it, too.”\r\nI considered that.\r\nâ€Å"You keep everyone out,” he began.\r\nâ€Å"And no one keeps her out?” I finished hesitantly.\r\nâ€Å"Thats my theory,” he said. â€Å"And if she can get into your head, I doubt theres a shield on the planet who could keep her at bay. That wi ll help. From what weve seen, no one can doubt the truth of her thoughts once theyve allowed her to show them. And I think no one can keep her from showing them, if she gets close enough. If Aro allows her to explain___”\r\nI shuddered to think of Renesmee so close to Aros greedy, milky eyes.\r\nâ€Å"Well,” he said, rubbing my tight shoulders. â€Å"At least theres nothing that can stop him from seeing the truth.”\r\nâ€Å"But is the truth enough to stop him?” I murmured.\r\nFor that, Edward had no answer.\r\n'