Chapter 18

Bella didn’t even want to stay in Rome for a few hours, but she had to because Kai needed to be well rested. They had come up with a plan to deal with the Volturi while on the plane and it was deliciously evil. Bella loved it. She was surprised that everyone was onboard with it, but, then again, it was also the best way for all of them to get into the Volturi castle partially undetected.

It was a crazy plan and both her and Kai weren’t sure if they’d be successful, but mostly Bella. Kai was convinced that they were able to pull it off without something going wrong, which eased Bella’s mind somewhat. Hell yeah, they were kickass.

Bella’s whole body was buzzing with excitement and it was difficult to contain, even when they were still on the plane. They all came close to snapping her neck but didn’t.

As soon as they left the plane, Kol took her to do some things that tourists usually didn’t do. Oh, sure, Bella loved history but Kol figured that it wasn’t really something she could use right now, so he was going to have some fun.

They didn’t go to the Trevi fountain or climb the Colosseum, no, Kol took her to pasta making class. He then took her to the Coppedè district, the place in Rome looking like a fairy tale. And, because she wasn’t tired enough and still pretty much pumped, he took her to the San Lorenzo district as well, where they looked at the beautiful graffiti which was more of an art and had some of the best food Bella had ever tasted.

And alright, fine, when it was late and dark and the Colosseum was deserted, Kol took Bella there and they had sex in the middle of the ancient building. Bella thought it was ‘wild’. Kol right there and then decided that he was going to make an exhibitionist out of her. Having sex in the middle of an abandoned ancient building wasn’t ‘wild’. It was tame compared to what he had in mind for future escapades.

To hell with taking things slow. They’d done enough of that.

~o.O.o~

“Mr. Mikaelson, what’s so important that you couldn’t send one of your vampires?” Aro greeted Elijah, who had just walked into the throne room that held the Volturi Kings. “You always do that whenever one of my kind crosses a line according to you.”

“Ah, well, that’s because I’m not here because of one of your kind’s indiscretions. Or perhaps I am,” Elijah said as he took the contract out of his jacket pocket. “I found this on a girl in Forks, Washington.”

“Ah.” Aro looked like he was a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Ah, indeed,” Elijah replied, an amused smile on his face. “Have you gone soft, Aro? Isn’t it one of your rules that states that humans are to be turned or killed upon learning your secret?”

“Tell me, Elijah,” Aro said as he approached him. “Why does this interest you so?”

“It doesn’t,” Elijah replied. “I was merely wondering if you’d fallen off your faith. If this girl is so important to you…”

“Miss Swan is none of your concern and you will not harm her.”

Elijah sucked in a breath. “She is special, isn’t she? Her mind is a fortress, I’m certain you wish for her to join your guard. That’s why you gave her a contract, in the hopes that she’d break it. Tell me, did you punish the Cold Ones responsible for her torment?” Elijah huffed when he saw the look on Aro’s face. “Of course not. They’re special and you still hold out hope that they will join your guard. Oh, don’t look so surprised, Aro, my brother is fascinated by gifted individuals as well, I know the look.”

“If either yourself or Niklaus-”

“Oh, it’s not us you have to worry about,” Elijah said amused as he watched the guard come in to protect their masters, just as Bella had predicted. “But honestly, Aro, I come in peace and you want to threaten me?”

“Ah, the jig’s up,” Kol said as Kai let go of him. The shocked look on the Cold One’s faces was hilarious. You don’t get to see an entire family appear out of nowhere all the time. Yes. Kai was family. He had no idea where Bella was, but she was likely doing something on her own to get the greatest satisfaction. “I’ve touched Miss Swan,” he replied as he watched Kai take apart one of the guards with a spell, Jane, was it? “Several times, actually. Last night was amazing.”

Aro seemingly ignored the demise of his Jane. “You brought her to us? Where is she?”

“We’ve come to tell you that you can shove that contract up your collective asses,” Kai said as he shot another spell at one of the guards and made him crumble apart. “Bella, come on, we came here to do some killing, when will you let us?”

Bella giggled as she appeared in front of Marcus, full vamp face. “Hi,” she used her magic to obtain her contract from Elijah and started to rip it apart in front of him. “As you can see, I’m clearly no longer human,” she then ripped Marcus’ head straight off and kicked it to the other end of the room before she pounced on Caius. “Did you know that I killed a newborn army and Victoria? It was an accident, though.”

“Darling, you look as if you’re going to give him a dance,” Kol said, appearing next to her. “Behave.”

“Fuck that, I’m not going to have her kill everyone again,” Myriam said as she pulled Klaus along with her and started to take apart the nearest Cold One.

“Careful, love,” Klaus reminded her as he ripped off the arms of the nearest Cold One that Myriam was taking apart. “Their venom hurts.”

“I know!” Myriam laughed maniacally.

Soon enough, the throne room was covered in limbs and venom. Bella had made the mistake of picking a physical fight with Felix and she was slightly dented, if it weren’t for Kai using his magic on Felix she’d have ended up even more dented, but she didn’t feel it. No, she was elated. More Cold Ones poured into the room, Bella slipped out, looking for more Cold Ones in the castle.

Both she and Kai could easily take on the Cold Ones without a fight, but she knew that everyone wanted to get a punch in, and bored with holding back, perhaps slightly horrified by her own murderous thoughts, she went exploring. Maybe the Cold Ones had a human somewhere she could feed on to stop her cheek from itching.

She just wanted to kill. And that was a terrifying thought. She also felt slightly disturbed by the fact that she was… horny?

As she found her way to the dungeons, she could hear others there, but they didn’t smell human. They were Cold Ones, locked up for some reason or another. Not all Cold Ones were evil. Bella knew this. Or at least hoped that they wouldn’t be. And for the Volturi to lock up some Cold Ones in their own dungeon likely meant that these people had done some horrific things.

Or, knowing the deceitful nature of the Kings, these people tried to do good and broke a few laws.

But still, it smelled down here and she was pretty sure she heard some rats walking around.

“I’m sure that by now you’ve heard the massacre upstairs,” Bella called out with confidence as she walked down the hall. “Tell me your crimes and maybe I’ll let you live.”

“Bella?”

Bella’s head snapped to the right and peered into the holding cell from a distance, anger bubbling underneath her skin. And fear. She had not expected him to be here. And she wasn’t sure if it was safe to linger. Taking a few steps back until she felt the wall against her back, she kept her eyes on the Cold One in the prison, he was not going to influence her, not if she could help it.

She wasn’t ready.

Bella used her vampire speed to find her way back to Kol and let out a deep breath. Safe.

Kol pushed the Cold One towards Myriam before turning around and putting his arms around Bella in the midst of all the fighting. “What’s wrong, darling?”

“I’m not ready,” she held him tightly and breathed in his scent to try and calm herself down. “I found their dungeons.”

“Any humans to feed on to heal your beautiful face?” He lifted her chin with his finger to make her look up to him, and he saw fear in her eyes, worrying him. “Who’s down there?”

“Jasper.”

“Jasper? That guy who can influence emotions?”

Bella nodded.

Kol laughed then and kissed the top of her head. “He’s no match for you, why are you afraid? You can take your revenge on him today!” When he saw the fear make way for confusion, he grinned and took her hand. “Lead the way. Honestly, aside from Nik, you’re the most powerful being in this castle at this very moment and you’re afraid of one Cold One?”

She blinked as she let his words hit home. “Well, obviously I’m stupid.”

“Nah, you’re not,” Kol smiled at her. “You just allowed fear to make you forget that you’re no longer a weak little human. But hey, at least you didn’t travel back in time to find me!”

She narrowed her eyes on him. “I could if you want me to.”

“No!”

“I came running to you instead,” Bella poked him in the ribs as she led him down to the dungeons. “Less effort.” When they reached the bottom of the stairs, she pointed towards the cell that held Jasper Whitlock. “He’s in there. And while I really want to hurt him, kill him, I’m also wondering why he’s here.”

“Then ask him, darling,” Kol winked at her as he let go of her. “I’ll be right here. You don’t need me to be by your side.”

“But what if I want you to be?”

“You’ve got this. This is your party. You’re in control. You’re stronger than him now,” he said calmly. “And once you’re done here, you and I are going out to have a snack and compel some humans to clean up the mess we’ve made in this castle,” he brushed her lips with his. “You’re in control.”

“Kol.”

“Well, I’d rather go in and rip his head off, but this isn’t my story, it’s yours. If you want to have a chat with him, go and have a chat with him. Besides, this might be the only chance you’ll have to talk with one of your tormentors as you’ll likely see red when we find Sparkling Eddie and might not be able to control yourself. I know that I won’t be able to.”

She softly kissed him. “Thank you,” she replied before walking back over to the cell that held Jasper, using her magic to kill the rest of the Cold Ones in the area as not to leave any witnesses.

“Babe! I wanted to kill them!” Kol laughed as he saw the dust come out of the prison cells.

Bella looked at the prison cell which was built to keep a Cold One in, there was no way that she could open it with her own vampire strength, but she could likely with her magic. But she didn’t want to. Because Jasper was still dangerous. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with the rest of your coven, living in Alaska until I cross the line or decide I want Edward back?”

“I turned myself in for the hand I had in your experience with us.”

Bella was surprised to hear that, and she couldn’t hide her surprise either but she didn’t know what to say. Jasper looked like he could do with a good shower, his blonde hair a good brush. He looked semi-decent, he was likely feeding off of the rats in the dungeon. The anger in his eyes was still there, but it seemed as if he was more angry with himself now. “What? You left Alice?”

It was strange to see him covered in so many scars. They hadn’t been that visible to the human eye, but now that she had better vision, he was simply covered in them. It only drove home more that he was dangerous. It was a good thing she hadn’t opened the cell, while Bella had her magic, she was likely not fast enough to stop him from killing her. It was best not to give him any opportunities.

A small smile appeared on Jasper’s lips then. “I told you, I didn’t have quite the same upbringing as my adopted siblings,” he replied, a slight drawl in his voice. “I joined my Alice with her family because I loved her, I still do, and for awhile it was good. Perfect. Until you.”

“You actively participated.”

“Because I was afraid to lose Alice, which inevitably happened as my conscience made that happen. I turned myself over to the Volturi after we left Forks, I’ve been here ever since. Aro doesn’t even want me as a part of the guard. Not until they got you.”

Either he wasn’t trying to influence her, or he wasn’t able to anymore. “Aro’s dead.”

“I gathered with all the noise upstairs. Who killed him?”

“I did,” she replied. “Things have happened.” Bella wasn’t surprised that Jasper wasn’t even apologizing. Or not in the right words. “And you’re an idiot for turning yourself in.”

“Perhaps,” Jasper replied with a small shrug. “You didn’t deserve the treatment we gave you. We should have lived by the rules set by the Volturi, we should have killed you or turned you. Not try to make you absolutely perfect for Edward.”

Before Bella knew it, Kol was reaching through the bars and pulled Jasper against them. “She is absolutely perfect,” he said venom dripping from his voice. “You lot are nothing but vermin, a blight upon this earth. You are lucky that I’m trusting Bella to do the right thing for you or I’d have killed you myself!”

“I suppose that’s a fair punishment,” Jasper said evenly. “Aro kept me here, unsure of my loyalty or my willingness to join the Guard to pay for my sins.”

“I have a better idea,” Bella said as she put her hand on Kol’s arm. “I think. Let him go.”

Kol snapped his head to her before letting go of Jasper, relenting. He wanted to help her get rid of her nightmares so she wouldn’t have to, but she was determined to do it herself now. And her ideas were wicked, she was the one who came up with the idea of going in invisible aside from Elijah. “What is it, darling?”

“Can you compel his kind?”

Good point. “I can’t, but perhaps Nik can, seeing as he’s the Original Hybrid, and more powerful than any of us.”

She smiled widely then before running upstairs and pulling Klaus along with her to the dungeons. “Can you compel Cold Ones?”

Klaus looked at his brother and his girlfriend with some confusion on his face before he looked at the Cold One, Jasper. Oh, he knew who he was. “Major.”

“Klaus.”

“You know him?” Kol said surprised.

“We’ve met a few times before he joined the Cullens,” Klaus sighed. “And I have no idea if I can compel a Cold One, but I’d like to try, what’s going on in that pretty little mind of yours, Bella?”

“I’d like him to rejoin the Cullens in Alaska, inform them what went on here and that he wants to be safe. He won’t tell them that we’re coming for them, but when we do come for them, he’ll kill his wife.”

“And then what?”

Bella thought for a moment. There was no doubt in her mind that apart from the Denali’s, they had other Cold Ones gathered around them in Alaska for protection or company. “He’ll then fight on our side and we’ll see after the fight what we’ll do with him.”

“I say kill,” Kol nodded.

“Maybe,” Bella replied as she looked at him. “But Jasper never lied to me, he was always honest. Apart from the whole emotion control thing. He might come out as a good man after all of this.”

Kol wasn’t too happy about this idea. But Bella had a good heart, and she knew the Cullens and their family better than any one of them. “We’ll see.”

After Klaus compelled Jasper to go along on his merry way, they went back upstairs to the throne room where everyone had stopped fighting and according to Kai there was no Cold One left in the castle.

“So, can Kai and I set the place on fire?” Bella asked as she used Aro’s head as a football and kicked him to the other side of the room.

“No!” Elijah said shocked. “Have you lost your mind?”

Bella looked at Kol and Kai, who both shrugged before she nodded. “Yep! But tell me why.”

“I want to salvage their ancient books and items,” Elijah remarked dryly. “You can use your magic to get all the bits and pieces outside of the castle and set them on fire outside, but do not ruin this castle just yet.”

Bella pouted then. “Or Kai and I could use our magic to get the books out.”

Kol let out a snort and put his arm around her shoulders. He would have said the exact same thing, although he also had to agree with Elijah. The Volturi could have some priceless knick knacks for their own collection. “How about you and I are going to find us some humans to eat and to compel to clean up our mess? Then, once they’re all outside, we’ll make a bonfire.”

“Okay.”

“Not you, Mr. Parker,” Elijah quickly grabbed his sleeve. “You may be more useful with us inside.”

“But…”

“Trust me,” Rebekah purred as she put an arm around Kai and started to follow her big brother. “You don’t want to be around Kol and Bella right now, nor around Myriam and Niklaus. Besides, we couldn’t possibly know if an item holds magic and if it will hurt us, and you can.”