In Paris 1723

[2.10]

Chapter Forty-Two - Confrontation

*Genevieve*

Slowing to a brisk walk, as we get to the center of the town, the both of us gaze around for any sign of Bella or Edward. Alice quickly grabbed my arm and began dragging me to the clock tower, quickly looking around. She stood back and looked towards me before motioning towards a set of tall wooden doors that were locked from the inside.

I rolled my eyes and let out a few curses under my breath. Taking a step back, I hastily break the locked door and step in with a grin, Alice following with her own beaming smile.

"Come on guys," she chides, "it's a festival. You wouldn't want to make a scene."

I follow her movement and quickly block Bella from the two vampire's view, meeting the gaze of the shorter one on the left. His red eyes fell onto me, squinting as if trying to place where he had seen me before. I quickly recognized him as Demetri, the famed Volturi tracker. 

"No, we wouldn't," the taller one, Felix, says, practically sneering at Alice.

We all froze when we heard the sound of heels clicking growing louder and louder. Eventually, the sound came to a stop when a young blonde vampire appeared, her blood-red eyes, which practically screamed out to us that she was bored, scanned the room as she pursed her lips together.

"Enough," she drawled out, lowering her hood as she scanned the scene in front of her. Her presence was enough to make all the vampires in the room stiffen. We all knew the power that she held, and none of us wanted to be on the receiving end of it. 

"Jane," Edward greets quietly, his eyes falling to the floor in respect, or fear, for the tiny blonde-haired girl.

"Aro sent me to see what was taking so long," she said, scowling at both of the guards. Without another word, she briskly turned around and began to walk back to wherever she came from, obviously expecting us to follow.

Bella turned towards Edward and than to Alice with a questioning look on her face, not understanding why everyone was afraid of such a tiny girl.

"Just do what she says," Alice advised quietly. Following after Edward, who had reluctantly begun to drag Bella beside him. I made my way over and began to walk next to her, doing my best to ignore the presence of the two guards behind us.

As we continued to walk down the hallway, Edward threw on the robe that he was handed, the sunlight shining in from a window making his uncovered chest sparkle for a brief moment as we passed. Bella still looked around at the stone walls in fear, sticking close to Edward the entire time. As we rounded a corner and continued down one of the older tunnels, Jane still silently led us, her heels beginning to echo as the walls narrowed slightly and became more uneven and rough, a complete 180 from the smooth, polished stone that was just outside of the tunnel.

Jane came to a stop and motioned towards Felix and Demetri, who quickly stepped forward in front of an elevator, pushing back the metal screen that stopped any wandering tourists from stepping in. The duo swiftly stepped into the elevator, Edward, Bella, Alice, and all I following suit and stepping in after them. Jane stepped in last, a small wicked smile appearing on her face as she reached over and hit the lowest button, the doors closing soon after.

After a few awkwardly silent minutes, I gratefully stepped out of the crowded elevator, happily leaving behind the opera music that was still playing through the speakers in the elevator. As we walked further into the underground chamber, we passed by the desk of the human secretary, who stood from her desk, giving us a welcoming smile as she greeted us in Italian.