The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 19 HATE

WE MADE OUR FLIGHT WITH SECONDS TO SPARE, AND THEN the straight torture began. The planer sat idle on the tarmac era the flight attendants strolledso casu all(prenominal)yup and defeat the aisle, patting the bags in the oerhead compartments to limit sure e realthing fit. The pilots leaned bulge of the cockpit, chatting with them as they passed. Alices hand was b otheratic on my shoulder, holding me in my derriere while I bounced anxiously up and down.Its quick than running, she reminded me in a low vocalisation.I clean nodded in magazine with my bouncing.At proceed the plane rolled lazily from the gate, building stimu slowly with a gradual steadiness that tortured me further. I expected some winning of re breathef when we achieved liftoff, provided my frenzied impatience didnt lessen.Alice lifted the ph unitary on the hold up down of the s in additionl in front of her in the beginninghand wed finishped climbing, turning her back on the hostess who eyed her wit h disapproval. Something close to my expression abideped the stewardess from coming over to protest.I attempt to demarcation egress what Alice was murmuring to Jasper I didnt fatality to come upon the watchwords again, exactly some slipped by.I cant be sure, I keep planing him do distinguish fitted things, he keeps changing his mind A nervesplitting spree by the urban center, attacking the guard, lifting a gondola over his head in the of import agora mostly things that would expose themhe cognises thats the fastest r extincte to root for a re chance upon go forthion nary(prenominal) you cant. Alices voice dropped till it was well inaudible, though I was sitting inches from her. Contrarily, I listened harder. signalize Emmett no Well, go after Emmett and Rosalie and mould them back Think closely it, Jasper. If he sees any of us, what do you think he go reveal do?She nodded. Exactly. I think Bella is the alto approachher take placeif thither is a chan ce Ill do eachthing that can be d star, ripe now pretend Carlisle the odds atomic number 18nt honorable.She laughed and indeed, and on that consign was a catch in her voice. Ive fancy of that Yes, I ascertain. Her voice became pleading. Dont follow me. I promise, Jasper. One way or a nonher, Ill induce out And I love you.She hung up, and leaned back in her john with her eyeball closed(a). I hate lying to him. enlighten known me e precisething, Alice, I begged. I dont escort. Why did you tell Jasper to stop Emmett, why cant they come help us? twain reasons, she whispered, her eyes even so closed. The first I told him. We could interpret to stop Edward ourselvesif Emmett could give birth his hands on him, we king be able to stop him desire exuberant to convince him youre alive. But we cant sneak up on Edward. And if he sees us coming for him, hell just act that untold faster. Hell throw a Buiclc through a wall or something, and the Volturi go out take him dow n.Thats the indorsement reason of rails, the reason I couldnt looking at out to Jasper. Be courting if theyre on that address and the Volturi kill Edward, theyll fight them. Bella. She opened her eyes and stargond at me, beseeching. If in that respect were any chance we could win if there were a way that the four of us could pen my brother by fighting for him, maybe it would be different. But we cant, and, Bella, I cant lose Jasper troopsage that.I realized why her eyes begged for my understanding. She was protecting Jasper, at our expense, and maybe at Edwards, too. I understood, and I did not think badly of her. I nodded.Couldnt Edward hear you, though. I asked. Wouldnt he know, as soon as he heard your thoughts,that I was alive, that there was no point to this?Not that there was any justification, either way. I solace couldnt believe that he was capable of defending handle this. It do no sense I remembered with nettlesome clarity his words that day on the sofa, whi le we watched Romeo and Juliet kill themselves, one(a) after the other. I wasnt dismission to live without you, hed tell, as if it should be such an unambiguous conclusion. But the words he had verbalise in the forest as hed left me had canceled all that outforcefully.If he were hearing, she explained. But believe it or not, its possible to lie with your thoughts. If you had died, I would gloss over try to stop him. And I would be thinking shes alive, shes alive as hard as I could. He knows that.I ground my dentition in mute frustration.If there were any way to do this without you, Bella, I wouldnt be en risk of exposureing you like this. Its actually wrong of me.Dont be stupid. Im the last thing you should be worrying most. I shook my head impatiently. enjoin me what you inculpatet, about hating to lie to Jasper.She grind a grim smile. I promised him I would get out forrader they killed me, too. Its not something I can guaranteenot by a long shot. She raised her eyebr ows, as if willing me to take the danger more(prenominal) than seriously.Who be these Volturi? I demanded in a whisper. What makes them so very much more dangerous than Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and you? It was hard to imagine something scarier than that.She took a deep breath, and then of a sudden leveled a dark glance over my shoulder. I turned in time to see the man in the aisle seat looking extraneous as if he wasnt listening to us. He appe ared to be a businessman, in a dark equip with a power tie and a laptop on his knees. While I stared at him with irritation, he opened the com purgeer and very conspicuously put headphones on.I leaned closer to Alice. Her lips were at my ears as she take a breath the story.I was surprised that you recognized the name, she tell. That you understood so immediately what it meantwhen I said he was release to Italy. I thought I would take over to explain. How much did Edward tell you?He just said they were an old, virile familylike roy alty. That you didnt antagonize them unless you sine qua noned to die, I whispered. The last word was hard to choke out.You break to understand, she said, her voice slower, more measured now. We Cullens are unique in more ways than you know. Its abnormal for so many of us to live together in peace. Its the same for Tanyas family in the north, and Carlisle speculates that abstaining makes it easier for us to be civilized, to form bonds based on love rather than survival or convenience. til now Jamess tiny coven of three was unusually largeand you saw how intimately Laurent left them. Our kind travel alone, or in pairs, as a general rule. Carlisles family is the biggest in beingness, as far-off as I know, with the one exception. The Volturi.thither were three of them originally, Aro, Caius, and Marcus.Ive seen them, I mumbled. In the picture in Carlisles study.Alice nodded. Two females joined them over time, and the five of them make up the family. Im not sure,but I suspicious that their age is what gives them the ability to live peacefully together. They are well over three cubic yard years old. Or maybe its their gifts that give them extra tolerance. resembling Edward and I, Aro and Marcus are talented.She continued before I could ask. Or maybe its just their love of power that binds them together. royalty is an apt description.But if there are unaccompanied fiveFive that make up the family, she corrected. That doesnt take on their guard.I took a deep breath. That sounds serious.Oh, it is, she assured me. thither were nine members of the guard that were permanent, the last time we heard. Others are more transitory. It changes. And many of them are gifted as wellwith formidable gifts, gifts that make what I can do look like a parlor trick. The Volturi chose them for their abilities, carnal or otherwise.I opened my mouth, and then closed it. I didnt think I wanted to know how bad the odds were.She nodded again, as if she understood scarcely what I was thinking. They dont get into too many confrontations. No one is stupid enough to mess with them. They pinch in their city, leaving only as responsibility calls.Duty? I wondered.Didnt Edward tell you what they do?No, I said, feeling the blank expression on my face.Alice looked over my head again, toward the businessman, and put her wintry lips back to my ear.thithers a reason he called them royalty the ruling class. everywhere the millennia, they bugger off assumed the position of enforcing our ruleswhich actually translates to intemperate transgressors. They fulfill that duty decisively.My eyes popped wide with shock. There are rules? I asked in a voice that was too loud.ShhShouldnt somebody do mentioned this to me earlier? I whispered angrily. I mean, I wanted to be a to be one of you Shouldnt somebody have explained the rules to me?Alice chuckled once at my reaction. Its not that complicated, Bella. Theres only one core restrictionand if you think about it, you can pr obably figure it out for yourself.I thought about it. Nope, I have no idea.She shook her head, disappointed. by chance its too obvious. We just have to keep our existence a secret.Oh, I mumbled. It was obvious.It makes sense, and most of us dont call for policing, she continued. But, after a few centuries, sometimes one of us gets bored. Or crazy. I dort know. And then the Volturi dance step in before it cancompromise them, or the rest of us.So EdwardIs planning to flout that in their own citythe city theyve secretly held for three thousand years, since the time of the Etruscans. They are so protective of their city that they dont dispense with hunting within its walls. Volterra is probably the safest city in the worldfrom vampire attack at the very least.But you said they didnt leave. How do they eat?They dont leave. They bring in their food from the out military position, from quite far by sometimes. It gives their guard something to do when theyre not out eliminate maverick s. Or protecting Volterra from exposureFrom situations like this one, like Edward, I finished her sentence. It was amazingly easy to verbalise his name now. I wasnt sure what the difference was. by chance because I wasnt in reality planning on maintenance much longer without seeing him. Or at all, if we were too late. It was comforting to know that I would have an easy out.I doubt theyve ever had a situation quite like this, she muttered, disgusted. You dont get a lot of suicidal vampires.The sound that escaped out of my mouth was very quiet, but Alice seemed to understand that it was a cry of pain. She wrapped her thin, strong arm virtually my shoulders.Well do what we can, Bella. Its not over yet.Not yet. I let her comfort me, though I knew she thought our chances were poor. And the Volturi will get us if we mess up.Alice stiffened. You say that like its a good thing.I shrugged. joint it off, Bella, or were turning virtually in red-hot York and dismissal back to Forks.What ?You know what. If were too late for Edward, Im freeing to do my damnedest to get you back to Charlie, and I dont want any trouble from you. Do you understand that?Sure, Alice.She pulled back slightly so that she could glare at me. No trouble.Scouts honor, I muttered.She rolled her eyes.Let me concentrate, now. Im onerous to see what hes planning.She left her arm around me, but let her head fall back against the seat and closed her eyes. She pressed her free hand to the side of her face, rubbing her fingertips against her temple.I watched her in fascination for a long time. Eventually, she became utterly motionless, hei face like astone sculpture. The bites passed, and if I didnt know spielter, I would have thought shed fallen asleep. I didnt hold interrupt her to ask what was going on.I wished there was something safe for me to think about. I couldnt allow myself to ingest the horrors we were headed toward, or, more horrific yet, the chance that we might failnot if I wanted t o keep from screaming aloud.I couldnt cry anything, either. Maybe, if I were very, very, very lucky, I would somehow be able to save Edward. But I wasnt so stupid as to think that saving him would mean that I could stay with him. I was no different, no more special than Id been before. There would be no new reason for him to want me now. Seeing him and losing him againI fought back against the pain. This was the price I had to allowance to save his life. I would pay it.They showed a moving-picture show, and my live got headphones. Sometimes I watched the figures moving crossways the little screen, but I couldnt even tell if the movie was supposed to be a romance or a horror film.After an eternity, the plane began to patronize toward New York City. Alice remained in her trance. I dithered, reaching out to touch her, only to pull my hand back again. This happened a dozen times before the plane touched town with a jarring impact.Alice, I finally said. Alice, we have to go.I touch ed her arm.Her eyes came open very slowly. She shook her head from side to side for a chip.Anything new? I asked in a low voice, conscious of the man listening on the other side of me.Not exactly, she aphonic in a voice I could only catch. Hes getting closer. Hes deciding how hes going to ask.We had to run for our connection, but that was goodbetter than having to face. As soon as the plane was in the air, Alice closed her eyes and slid back into the same seismic disturbance as before. I waited as patiently as I could. When it was dark again, I opened the window to stare out into the flat black that was no better than the window shade.I was grateful that Id had so many months practice with controlling my thoughts. Instead of base on the terrifying possibilities that, no matter what Alice said, I did not intend to survive, I concentrated on lesser problems. Like, what I was going to say to Charlie if I got back That was a thorny enough problem to occupy several hours. And Jacob ? Hed promised to wait for me, but did that promise still apply? Would I end up home alone in Forks, with no one at all? Maybe I didnt want to survive, no matter what happened.It matte up like seconds after when Alice shook my shoulderI hadnt realized Id fallen asleep.Bella, she hissed, her voice a little too loud in the change cabin full of sleeping humans.I wasnt disorientedI hadnt been out long enough for that.Whats wrong?Alices eyes gleamed in the dim light of a reading lamp in the row hindquarters us.Its not wrong. She smiled fiercely. Its right. Theyre deliberating, but theyve immovable to tell him no.The Volturi? I muttered, groggy.Of course, Bella, keep up. I can see what theyre going to say. promiseme.An attendant tiptoed down the aisle to us. Can I get you ladies a pillow? His hushed whisper was a chew the fat to our comparatively loud conversation.No, thank you. Alice beamed at up at him, her smile shockingly lovely. The attendants expression was daze as he turned a nd stumbled his way back.Tell me, I breathed almost silently.She whispered into my ear. Theyre fire in himthey think his talent could be uselul. Theyre going to offer him a place with them.What will he say?I cant see that yet, but Ill bet its colorful. She grinned again. This is the first good newsthe first break. Theyre intrigued they truly dont want to destroy himwasteful, thats the word Aro will useand that may be enough to force him to get creative. The longer he spends on his plans, the better for us.It wasnt enough to make me apprehendful, to make me feel the relief she obviously felt. There were still so many ways that we could be too late. And if I didnt get through the walls into the Volturi city, I wouldnt be able to stop Alice from dragging me back home.Alice?What?Im conf employ. How are you seeing this so clearly? And then other times, you see things far awaythings that dont happen?Her eyes tightened. I wondered if she guessed what I was thinking of.Its clear because i ts immediate and close, and Im in truth concentrating. The faraway things that come on their ownthose are just glimpses, timid maybes. Plus, I see my kind more easily than yours. Edward is even easier because Im so attuned to him.You see me sometimes, I reminded her.She shook her head. Not as clearly.I sighed. I really wish you could have been right about me. In the beginning, when you first saw things about me, before we even metWhat do you mean?You saw me become one of you. I barely mouthed the words.She sighed. It was a chess opening at the time.At the time, I repeated.Actually, Bella She hesitated, and then seemed to make a choice. Honestly, I think its all gotten beyond ridiculous. Im debating whether to just change you myself.I stared at her, set with shock. Instantly, my mind resisted her words. I couldnt afford that kind of hope if she changed her mind.Did I scare you? she wondered. I thought thats what you wanted.I do I gasped. Oh, Alice, do it now I could help you so m uchand I wouldnt slow you down. acuity meShh, she cautioned. The attendant was looking in our direction again. filtrate to be reasonable, she whispered. We dont have enough time. We have to get into Volterra tomorrow. Youd be writhing in pain for days. She do a face. And I dont think the other passengers would react well.I bit my lip. If you dont do it now, youll change your mind.No. She frowned, her expression unhappy. I dont think I will. Hell be furious, but what will he be able to do about it?My heart beat faster. nonentity at all.She laughed quietly, and then sighed. You have too much faith in me, Bella. Im not sure that I can. Ill probably just end up putting to death you.Ill take my chances.You are so bizarre, even for a human.Thanks.Oh well, this is purely hypothetical at this point, anyway. First we have to live through tomorrow.Good point. But at least I had something to hope for if we did. If Alice made good on her promiseand if she didnt kill methen Edward could run after his distractions all he wanted, and I could follow. I wouldnt let him be distracted. Maybe, when I was beautiful and strong, he wouldnt want distractions.Go back to sleep, she encouraged me. Ill wake you up when theres something new.Right, I grumbled, certain that sleep was a lost cause now. Alice pulled her legs up on the seat, wrapping her arms around them and disposition her forehead against her knees. She rocked back and forth as she concentrated.I rested my head against the seat, watching her, and the following thing I knew, she was snapping the shade closed against the faint brightening in the eastern interchange.Whats happening? I mumbled.Theyve told him no, she said quietly. I noticed at once that her passion was gone.My voice choked in my throat with panic. Whats he going to do?It was chaotic at first. I was only getting flickers, he was changing plans so quickly.What kinds of plans? I pressed.There was a bad hour, she whispered. Hed heady to go hunting.She looke d at me, seeing the comprehension in my face.In the city, she explained. It got very close. He changed his mind at the last minute.He wouldnt want to disappoint Carlisle, I mumbled. Not at the end.Probably, she agreed.Will there be enough time? As I spoke, there was a shift in the cabin pressure. I could feel the plane angling downward.Im hoping soif he sticks to his in style(p) decision, maybe.What is that?Hes going to keep it simple. Hes just going to walking out into the solarise.Just walk out into the sun. That was all.It would be enough. The image of Edward in the meadowglowing, shimmering like his skin was made of a million diamond facetswas burned into my memory. No human who saw that would ever forget. The Volturi couldnt possibly allow it. Not if they wanted to keep their city inconspicuous.I looked at the slight gray glow that shone through the opened windows. Well be too late, I whispered, my throat closing in panic.She shook her head. Right now, hes leaning toward the melodramatic. He wants the biggest audience possible, so hell choose the main plaza, under the clock tower. The walls are high there. Hell wait till the sun is exactly overhead.So we have till noon?If were lucky. If he sticks with this decision.The pilot came on over the intercom, announcing, first in French and then in English, our imminent landing. The seat belt lights dinged and flashed.How far is it from Florence to Volterra?That depends on how fast you drive Bella?Yes?She eyed me speculatively. How powerfully are you opposed to grand theft simple machine?A bright yellow Porsche screamed to a stop a few feet in front of where I paced, the word TURBO scrawled in silver cursive across its back. Everyone beside me on the crowded airport sidewalk stared.Hurry, Bella Alice yelled impatiently through the open passenger window.I ran to the door and threw myself in, feeling as though I might as well be wear a black stocking over my head.Sheesh, Alice, I complained. Could you sever a more conspicuous car to drop away?The interior was black leather, and the windows were tinted dark. It felt safer inside, like nighttime.Alice was already weaving, too fast, through the thick airport trafficsliding through tiny spaces between the cars as I cringed and fumbled for my seat belt.The important question, she corrected, is whether I could have stolen a faster car, and I dont think so. I got lucky.Im sure that will be very comforting at the roadblock.She rolling a laugh. Trust me, Bella. If anyone sets up a roadblock, it will be behind us. She hit the gas then, as if to prove her point.I probably should have watched out the window as first the city of Florence and then the Tuscan landscape flashed past with blurring speed. This was my first agitate anywhere, and maybe my last, too. But Alices driving frightened me, notwithstanding the fact that I knew I could trust her behind the wheel. And I was too tortured with anxiety to really see the hills or the walled towns tha t looked like castles in the distance.Do you see anything more?Theres something going on, Alice muttered. Some kind of festival. The streets are full of people and red flags. Whats the visualize today?I wasnt entirely sure. The nineteenth, maybe?Well, thats ironic. Its beau ideal Marcus Day.Which means?She chuckled darkly. The city holds a celebration every year. As the legend goes, a Christian missionary, a Father MarcusMarcus of the Voltun, in factdrove all the vampires from Volterra fifteen c years ago. The story claims he was martyred in Romania, still trying to drive away the vampire scourge. Of course thats nonsensehes never left the city. But thats where some of the superstitions about things like crosses and garlic come from. Father Marcus used them so successfully. And vampires dont trouble Volterra, so they must work. Her smile was sardonic. Its become more of a celebration of the city, and fruition for the police forceafter all, Volterra is an amazingly safe city. The police get the credit.I was realizing what she meant when shed said ironic. Theyre not going to be very happy if Edward messes things up for them on St. Marcus Day, are they?She shook her head, her expression grim. No. Theyll act very quickly.I looked away, fighting against my teeth as they tried to break through the skin of my lower lip. shed blood was not the best idea right now.The sun was terrifyingly high in the pale blue sky.Hes still planning on noon? I checked.Yes. Hes distinct to wait. And theyre waiting for him.Tell me what I have to do.She unploughed her eyes on the winding roadthe needle on the speedometer was touching the far right on the dial.You dont have to do anything. He just has to see you before he moves into the light. And he has to see you before he sees me.How are we going to work that?A small red car seemed to be locomote backward as Alice zoomed around it.Im going to get you as close as possible, and then youre going to run in the direction I point you. I nodded.Try not to trip, she added. We dont have time for a concussion today.I groaned. That would be just like meruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.The sun continued to climb in the sky while Alice raced against it. It was too brigh, and that had me panicking. Maybe he wouldnt feel the need to wait for noon after all.There, Alice said abruptly, pointing to the castle city atop the closest hill.I stared at it, feeling the very first malarkey of a new kind of fear. Every minute since yesterday morningit seemed like a week agowhen Alice had spoken his name at the foot of the stairs, there had been only one fear. And yet, now, as I stared at the superannuated sienna walls and towers crowning the peak of the steep hill, I felt another, more selfish kind of dread glorify through me.I supposed the city was very beautiful. It absolutely terrified me.Volterra, Alice announced in a flat, icy voice.