100 Years Without Love 25

Now that I knew how to kill vampires easier, I knew I couldn’t wait much longer to attack. Edward and the Cullens had found a few more people…ahem, vampires – people would make a nice snack for the Volturi – to help us. Obviously, not many of us thought the Volturi was as helpful as they were supposed to be. Sure, they kept people from make newborn armies and etcetera but they were cruel, vicious killers.

Did you know that it’s really hard to find a twenty-four karat golden knife for less than a thousand bucks? Yeah, well, it is. I eventually found okay priced knifes and bought about ten. Everyone needed one.

I decided since we had this new way to kill vampires, we didn’t need as much help as long as we were quick. I had the Cullens send home all the non-vegetarian vampires and the werewolves. Jacob insisted on staying and helping but I couldn’t risk anyone else’s life.

A date was set. I was going to be on guard of the north entrance that day. Everyone would be able to get in through me. There were the seven of us Cullens – I was unable to find a way to get Rosalie out of the cell until after we had won – Tanya and her mate from Denali, and Jacob. Ten of us to bring down the Volturi. You probably think we’re just a little too optimistic and maybe we were, but I was sure that with my new knowledge we’d be able to bring them down easily.

I tucked the knife into the belt and pulled my long shirt down over them. The entrance I was guarding was the same one I had come through the first time I had visited the Volturi…as a human.

I wasn’t sure if I was prepared to do this. I had wanted to bring down the Volturi for months – ever since I had found out that they’re the reason Edward and I lost a hundred years together – but now that the time had come, I was scared. No, terrified. I was shaking in my boots except for the fact that I wasn’t wearing boots, just tennis shoes.

Someone slid down the hole that led from the street and immediately wrapped me in their arms. Strong lips kissed me and then pulled away, breathing in my scent.

“Bella,” Edward’s velvet voice whispered in my ear. “It’s been too long.”

“As always,” I laughed and kissed him again. His hand snaked gently under my shirt and he grasped the hilt of one of the knives. He pulled it gently out of my belt. Unwrapping his arms from around me and holding the knife by the end of the handle and the point between his forefingers.

“So, this is what we’re going to use to destroy the Volturi?” he asked casually as though discussing a piece of art. He spun the knife between his fingers.

“Yep,” I said as he dropped the knife and before it had fallen an inch he had caught its handle and slid it into his own belt. I heard someone drop beside me and then someone else and someone else until I was surrounded by eight vampires and one werewolf.

“Bella!” Jacob yelled, sweeping me into one of his bear hugs. No, bear hug doesn’t describe it. More like wolf hug. Either way, he held me a bit too long for Edward’s pleasure because my husband started to growl.

“Oh, sorry,” Jacob said, setting me on my feet and I could visibly see him blushing even in the dark.

I handed out the knifes carefully, but Jacob shook his off. I grimaced but let it go. It was his neck.

“Okay, the second we rush in two things are going to happen,” I said. “First, they’re going to go on high alert. They’re all trained for situations like this so we have to be as quick as possible. Every second counts. Straight through the heart and that’s it. Second, everyone’s probably going to realize that I’m no longer brainwashed – that maybe I never was – so that might work as a bit of a distraction. Leave Jane for me. I have some unfinished business to handle.”

Everyone looked so enthralled by my little speech. It wasn’t even a pep talk but they all looked ambitious, blood thirsty. Edward’s eyes glowed in the dark. He was ready to take down the people who had torn us apart. I grasped his hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

“Ready?” he asked.

I nodded, both fearful and ecstatic. Today was the day this was all going to end. I felt like we were walking into war. We actually kind of were. I was praying no one would die on our side. I would especially feel bad if Tanya or her mate died because I had dragged them into this.

We all took off full speed. Jacob started a few seconds later than us, catching up as a wolf. I laughed at him as we ran passed the first set of guards. If you can’t handle any kind of violence I suggest you skip the rest of this chapter, and the next, and maybe the next. Just a suggestion. You don’t need to listen to me but don’t come crying to me if you get nauseous or have nightmares. I’ll try not to be too graphic – and I probably won’t be – but I’m warning you just in case.

So, anyways, we ran passed the first guards. I plunged my knife deep into his heart and pulled it out a second later. The guard collapsed to the floor, not even knowing what had happened to him before he was dead. The dagger was covered in deep, red blood.

See, here’s the thing. While we vampires don’t have a heart beat or blood running through our veins, the few drops of blood we have left in us from when we were humans is stored in our cold, still hearts. Once it is spilled, we die. And gold happens to be the only substance that will break through our marble skin.

I wiped the blood off on my pants, not caring about staining them. It was cold. I was surprised the blood wasn’t frozen. I shivered and realized I hadn’t shivered once since becoming a vampire. I smiled, pleased by that thought. Don’t ask me why.

After several more sets of guards and a bit more blood on my pants, we got to the main room of the Volturi headquarters. In front of us were lines upon lines of guards waiting for us. I had thought that the Volturi had about a hundred guards but there had to be at least five hundred vampires standing in front of me. And in the middle of them was Jane, smiling deviously, an evil glint in her eyes.

“Bella, I told you we could be like sisters,” she mused, “but you just had to go and ruin it. This is the end of the road. For all you.”

She sounded sweet, like a little six year old girl. I grimaced at the honey like flow of her voice. “I don’t believe so,” I said. “At least, it’s not the end for us.”

“I beg to differ,” she said, still sweet. Then her face contorted from sweet to just pure evil. “Attack!!!” she yelled.

And the five hundred plus vampires standing in front of us ran forward.