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Whispers in the Dark	By : greenwizard11 Category: Twilight Series > Slash Views: 12222 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.

Chapter List
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All three of them were growing antsy when the plane finally touched down. They all rose from their seats and grabbed their bags before anyone else even had a chance to move. They were the first off the plane, and as Liam had told them, Carlisle was waiting anxiously at the gate. His usually smooth and calm features were now etched with lines of worry.
Liam jumped into his arms; the two brothers embraced each other for only a second, but that one second spoke volumes. “Come on, I have a car waiting for us,” Carlisle said before racing down the concourse with his family close behind.
Bella was having trouble keeping up. Just when her legs were about to give out her companions slowed a little. A bright yellow Porsche was parked just outside the terminal. Carlisle tossed the keys to Liam. “Block me out as best you can.”
Liam climbed into the driver’s seat and revved the engine. As soon as Bella got settled in, Carlisle pulled her close. “Tell me if I’m squeezing you too tight,” he said, and he stroked the back of her hand, in much the same way someone would rub a worry stone.
Liam floored it and started weaving through traffic at an insane speed. Bella was used to his driving by now and settled in next to Carlisle. She knew what he was trying to do and wanted to help in any way she could. At these speeds, Liam would need to be able to focus.
They were out of the city in no time, leaving lots of angry drivers in their wake. The countryside flew by in a blur. “We have until noon,” Alice informed them. “That’s when he’s going to expose himself.”
Liam nodded in understanding and pushed the car as fast as it would go. Soon a walled city on top of a hill came into view. Liam groaned as the road became more congested. “It’s St. Marcus’ Day, isn’t it?”
“I believe so,” Carlisle sighed. “This is a celebration of the day St. Marcus drove all the vampires from the city, or so the people think,” he explained to Bella. “Little do they know St. Marcus is actually Marcus Volturi.”
“So the Volturi would be rather upset if Edward exposed them,” Bella said, her stomach twisting in knots.
“Ironic, isn’t it?” Liam snorted, doing his best to get through the traffic. He cursed as they slowed to a crawl. It was nearly noon.
Alice turned to Bella. “We’ll get you as close as we can, but then you need to run in the direction we tell you. He’s in a little alley by the clock tower.”
Bella nodded, praying they wouldn’t be too late. She realized in horror that cars were being turned away at the gates. But as soon as the car in front of them did a U-turn Liam revved the engine again and inexorably pushed his way through the gates. Angry guards started running toward them, but that didn’t stop Liam. He continued to race through the streets, nearly running a few people over in his haste.
He slammed on the brakes when they came to the edge of a crowded square, and with a loud squeal they came to a stop. “We’re at the south end of the square. Run toward that clock tower,” Alice instructed before pushing Bella out the door.
Bella hesitated a moment, not wanting to leave her companions to face the angry guards. “Go!” Carlisle shouted. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll find a way around.”
Bella ran into the crowd, pushing her way through the throngs of people. There were a few angry shouts, but she ignored them, aware that she was running out of time. The clock began to chime. She shouted Edward’s name, but it seemed hopeless.
She spotted him when she reached the fountain in the center of the square, but he didn’t see her. His eyes were closed as he stood there in only a pair of pants. Bella jumped into the fountain to avoid the crowd and get across faster.
On the last chime Edward moved to step into the sunlight, but Bella crashed into him. He blinked at her, not sure what to make of it all. “Was Carlisle actually right?” he half smiled. “Is this heaven, or hell?”
“No, we’re alive, you idiot,” Bella snapped, happy to see him but angry at the same time. “At least we are for now, anyway.”
Reality still didn’t register with Edward until two cloaked figures started toward them. Edward frowned and pushed Bella behind him. “Good news: I’ve decided not to break any rules today. I don’t need you after all.”
One of them pulled down the hood of his cloak. “Actually, Aro wishes to speak to you.”
“Fine,” Edward sighed. “Bella, you can wait for me at the gates.”
“The girl, too.”
“No!” Edward shouted. “She isn’t a part of this.”
“But I’m afraid she is.”
At that moment Carlisle, Alice, and Liam joined them. “This really isn’t necessary,” Carlisle argued. “She’s just a girl, not the whole town square.”
“A human girl that knows about us,” the one still hooded pointed out.
Liam stepped forward to pin him against the stone wall. “Dimitri, why don’t you let her go?” he said with sad puppy eyes.
Dimitri stiffened. “Liam, it’s been a long time. I never thought I’d see you here again.”
“Yes, I can’t believe you had the gall to come back,” the other one snorted.
Liam turned a murderous gaze to him. “Don’t underestimate me, Felix. You wouldn’t believe what I have the gall to do.”
“Actually, I would believe it, but this is neither the time or place for such discussions.” Felix motioned to the sunlight creeping toward them and a few villagers who were watching them with interest.
“We came for Edward, and now we just want to leave peacefully,” Carlisle argued. “We’ve done nothing wrong. Give my regards to your bosses.”
“We have strict orders to not let any of you leave,” Dimitri said, slipping out of Liam’s grasp. “Either you can come quietly, or there will be trouble.”
Liam crossed his arms. “You wouldn’t dare. For one, we’re out in the open where people can see us. Second, there’s four of us, and two of you. So, um—make me.”
“That’s enough!” a female voice cried from behind them. They all turned to see a rather small, dark-haired young woman. “So this is the infamous Liam Cullen,” she said as she looked him over.
“Jane, we were just—” Felix started, but Jane cut him off with a wave of her hand.
“I know what you were doing, and we’ll deal with you two later. For now, we wish to meet with the Cullen family.”
Carlisle and Liam glanced at each other before following the woman. Edward pulled Bella close, suddenly regretting ever having come here. He tried to reassure Bella despite his own fears. They reached the end of the alley and Jane disappeared through a small hole in the ground that had been covered by a grate.
Alice followed, then Carlisle after her. Bella stared at the dark hole nervously. “Carlisle will catch you,” Edward reassured her. “Ready?” he called out.
“Ready,” Carlisle’s voice echoed.
Bella glanced to Edward, then back to the hole. She didn’t want to be separated from Edward for even a second, but the hole was too small for them to jump together. Liam kept an eye on Felix and Dimitri while Edward lowered her down and dropped her.
She kept her eyes closed until she landed with a grunt in Carlisle’s arms. He’d tried not to hurt her, but his arms were like rocks. Edward followed, then Liam and the two guards. They were in a pitch-black tunnel and Bella could hardly see her own hand in front of her face. She had to rely on Edward to guide her. She was still wet from wading through the fountain, so being close to him was making her even colder, but she didn’t care.
She wondered what was going to happen next but didn’t dare ask because the others would be able to hear every word. From the way Carlisle and Liam occasionally glanced at each other she guessed they were having a telepathic conversation, and Edward was listening. She and Alice were unfortunately left out.
They exited the tunnel and entered an ornately decorated, spacious room. They crossed the room to a pair of elevators, where Jane was waiting. “Things have changed since I was here last,” Liam mumbled to himself as the elevator doors closed.
A few floors up they entered a long, dark hallway. Just when was Bella starting to wonder when their trip would end, they turned into a dimly lit room with walls the same color stone as the sewer tunnel. Three mahogany thrones sat empty on a raised platform.
Minutes later another figure in a dark hooded cloak entered, only this one seemed different. His skin was the color of paper, and looked just as fragile. He let his hood down, revealing long, black hair. “Carlisle!” He smiled warmly. “It’s so wonderful to see you again!”
“Given the circumstances, I could hardly sit idle,” Carlisle responded, not seeming as happy to see his old friend. “But, yes, it has been a long time.”
“And Liam, you too have graced us with your presence. How wonderful. This has turned out better than I had hoped.”
“You know how I feel about my family, Aro,” Liam replied stiffly. “I couldn’t sit idly by, either.”
“Of course,” Aro nodded. “Jane, will you fetch my brothers? I’m sure they will want to be here for this.”
“Yes, Master,” the girl nodded, and left.
“You see?” Aro turned to Edward. “Everything turned out as I told you it would. Aren’t you glad I didn’t grant your request yesterday?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Edward answered truthfully. Bella looked hurt by his words, and Edward took her hand to try and comfort her. His only fear at the moment was what they were going to do to her.
Aro turned his attention to Bella. “And you—you’re the one all the fuss is about. I have to admit you intrigue me.”
“Why is that?” Bella asked, her voice cracking a little.
“I’ve heard much about you from Edward. We haven’t seen a human who was immune to our abilities since Liam. It’s an extremely rare occurrence.”
Jane returned with two more men who looked much like the first. “Brothers,” Aro smiled, “Carlisle and Liam have come as well. Isn’t it wonderful to see them again?”
The other two remained silent as they took their seats. “Cut the crap and get to the point,” Liam growled. The pleasantries were beginning to wear on his nerves.
“You always were a fiery one,” Aro mused. “Very well. First I want to see if Edward is the only one she is immune to. May I?” He leaned forward and reached out his hand.
“Take his hand,” Liam instructed Bella. “He can hear others’ thoughts, too, but to do it he needs to make physical contact, unlike Edward and I.”
Aro frowned for the first time. “Yes, it would seem you two are exceptionally gifted in that regard. Come, Bella, I wish to see if I can read your mind.” Bella reached out and took his hand, shivering slightly at the touch. Seconds later Aro pulled his hand away. “How very interesting. I wonder if it’s only mind reading you’re immune to. Jane, would you do the honors?”
“Don’t you dare!” Edward snarled, then he suddenly fell to the floor, groaning in agony.
Liam stepped in front of him and Edward relaxed. “He was only trying to protect his mate,” Liam glared. “And since she is my charge, I’m telling you you’d best be careful not to hurt her too much.”
Jane huffed and turned her gaze on Bella. They all watched nervously, but nothing happened. Aro began to laugh. “This is wonderful. I wonder if you’ll be as talented as our dear Liam when you become one of us.”
“What do you mean, when?” Edward demanded angrily.
“She knows about us,” Marcus answered. “Our rules clearly state that she must either be changed or killed.”
“Now, wait just a minute. What about the humans you have working for you here? They’re all in on your little secret, you bloody hypocrites,” Liam protested.
“Yes, and we only keep them around as long as they are useful to us. Can you honestly tell me that if she decided to let something slip you’d...take care of it?”
“Yes, I can,” Liam asserted, and Edward growled at his uncle’s words. Liam eyed him and shrugged. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’d feel bad about it.”
“Shockingly, it doesn’t,” Edward replied sarcastically.
“The matter isn’t up for discussion,” Aro said, abruptly interrupting them. “Your family is free to go, but you can only take the girl if you plan to change her.”
“Really? Because I was under the impression that it was up for further discussion,” Liam said boldly.
Aro raised an eyebrow. “Are you defying us?”
“I suppose you could call it that. Have all of you forgotten already?”
“Forgotten what?”
Liam grinned wickedly. “That unlike Bella here, your brother was a real blabbermouth. I know how to kill all three of you—and I have shared this information with Carlisle and Edward. You have Jane here, but her ability doesn’t work on me, and she has to be looking directly at her target, anyway. You have other guards here, but I’d be willing to bet I could kill at least one of you before they could even get here. And even then, I’ve written everything down in a journal and given it to someone who isn’t here with us. I’ve left explicit instructions on what to do if we don’t return.”
Aro’s eyes widened, but he remained outwardly calm. “Getting yourselves killed won’t save the girl.”
“True,” Liam conceded, “but if we do nothing she’ll die anyway, so what does it matter? We don’t have that much to lose, and everything to gain.”
Aro’s features softened slightly. “Very well played. All right, what do you propose?”
Liam practically glowed. “Same terms as before. You keep your noses out of my family’s business, and you’ll have no trouble from me. Whether or not Bella becomes one of us is entirely up to her. You have my word that if she decides to betray us, she’ll be discreetly taken care of.”
“And how do we know we can take you at your word?” Caius asked.
“You can,” Carlisle assured them. “I know my brother better than anyone, and he doesn’t make promises lightly. In fact, even though it would pain me to do it, I promise to help him. Of course, whether or not anything she does counts as betrayal is entirely up to our discretion.”
“Of course.” Liam nodded. “She would have to mean us harm.”
Aro went quiet while he carefully thought everything over. “Very well, I accept your terms. Keep in mind I’m only doing so because I like you, and your terms are reasonable enough. You are all free to go, but I request that you wait until dark to leave.”
“Can my brother and I at least take our family on a tour, then?” Liam asked.
“You may,” Aro nodded.
Edward breathed a sigh of relief as he led Bella out of the room. It was finally over, and they had avoided any major consequences. He became lost in his own thoughts and didn’t pay much attention on their walk down memory lane.
When the sun had set, they left through the main entrance. They ended up walking to the gate, where their car was waiting for them. “Did you find him?” the guard asked.
“Yes, we did. Thank you so much for your understanding.” Liam flashed him a charming smile. “I’m so very sorry for the trouble. You can’t imagine how relieved we are.”
“Well, no permanent harm was done. Just don’t do it again.”
“I won’t,” Liam promised as he took the keys. “Thank you again.”
They all piled into the car and Liam drove back to the airport so they could go home. Edward and Bella had much to discuss, but Bella was so exhausted that she fell asleep curled up against him. Carlisle waited until he was sure she was asleep to say anything.
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson,” he chastised, keeping his voice quiet. “Not only did you have us all worried sick, but you could have gotten us killed. You’re lucky we know how to deal with them.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“You see what happens when you’re selfish and impulsive?” Liam joined the conversation. “You let your concerns run away with you and refused to listen to anyone, and the very thing you feared damn near happened today.”
“Would you please lay off?” Edward hissed. “I already know all of this.”
“Good,” Carlisle sighed. “I hope you’ve learned your lesson. I still don’t know what I’m going to do with Rosalie.”
“I have some ideas,” Liam grinned evilly.
***
A/N: Don’t worry, Jacob and Liam are going to end up together. I’m still following the basic story line, and introducing Liam. There will be more interaction once I get to Eclipse, which will be soon.
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Whispers in the Dark