ofelia torres loved freedom far too much to join the cullen coven and settle down. she had the universe at her feet, she'd be stupid not to take it by storm. but when she hears her former love and the coven she chose to leave behind are in danger, s...
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CHAPTER NINE: BELLS IN SANTA FE
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THE VOLTURI CREPT FROM the shadows like demons breaking out of the Underworld. At first, there was nothing, just the haze of icy snow on the wind and the grey early morning sky to signal it was time to meet their death. The witnesses crept one by one into the clearing, separated by their coven but representing a united front, Renesmee standing front and centre with her parents on either side of her. Ofelia was towards the back with Jasper, Peter and Charlotte. They had already died together once, and as the Volturi made their presence known, outnumbering them by the hundreds, Ofelia decided that she was more than happy to die beside them again.
She could still feel the phantom kiss of Jasper's lips on hers. Would it be easier to die thinking of him than it would be to die alone?
As the Volturi got closer and closer, everyone seemed to notice Irina of the Denali Coven. A gasp echoed through each of the witnesses, and all eyes drifted to where Kate and Tanya stood with Garrett, Carmen and Eleazar, the two sisters clinging to each other in shock and heartbreak. It was the worst kind of betrayal, that of someone you loved, and it made Ofelia wonder how she would feel if it was Jasper, Peter or Charlotte on the other side, the very reason for the knife above hanging her head. She forced herself to look away from the grieving sisters, to focus on Aro, Marcus and Caius standing opposite Bella, Edward and their daughter. They were still miles apart, but the distance felt like centimetres as the crowd of black and red coats moved like an otherworldly beast.
Were they ever going to stop? she wondered as the witnesses remained motionless and the Volturi seemed to only pick up speed. Or would the massacre be over before it truly began?
Ofelia's answer came in the form of a howl resonating through the trees behind them. A second later, two dozen wolves were prowling in to stand intermixed with the witnesses, seemingly stunning the Volturi enough that Aro raised a hand and the rest of his followers froze. The crowd watched on in outrage as the wolves, their supposed enemies, stood with the Cullens in a united front, putting aside their differences for one seemingly innocent little girl. It felt good, to have this one last 'fuck you' moment before they were all slaughtered. Ofelia stood with her head held a little higher, her hand clutched proudly in Jasper's, two battle-worn soldiers ready to fight again.
Slowly, Aro lowered his hood, red eyes taking in every face of the people who dared to stand against him. He didn't speak, forcing Carlisle to make the first move, letting Esme go so he could step up beside Edward and Bella, voice carrying across the clearing.
"Aro, let us discuss things as we used to," he implored. "In a civilised manner."
Aro took a second to mull over his words, then replied with an eerie sort of lightness, like he and Carlisle were nothing more than friends meeting up for brunch after a long time spent apart. "Fair words, Carlisle. But a little out of place given the battalion you've assembled against us."
