Chapter 7 – Let The Task Commence!

Ok so I am back...I cannot apologise enough...there are no words for why I have been absent for two years...I'm not going to go into why I haven't posted for so long, it's personal and we shall leave it at that.

Thank you to all that have continued to support this story and continued to review and wait for the new chapter, it truly means a lot to me.

I cannot say how frequently updates will be but I promise it will not be another two years before the next.

This chapter is the calm before the storm I guess...you'll see what I mean in a minute.

If anyone is still reading, I hope you enjoy it and if anyone new reads this...welcome

You may want to read the previous chapters again just to familiarise yourself with the story.

So without further ado...let's get on with the chapter!

Isabella didn't know how long she had vented her rage, her screams and snarls of untold pain and anger seemed to last a lifetime and all the brunette knew is that when she finally came to her senses and looked at her surroundings, she saw that she had destroyed a good half an acre of forest from what she could see. The trees were torn to shreds, branches had been turned into splinters, leaves littered the ground, holes the size of craters about two foot deep were dotted about randomly in this now wasteland of destruction. Taking a deep unnecessary breath which seemed to always keep her centred (an old stupid human trait) Isabella held it for a moment before doing the unnecessary exhale as well, her world brightening with the exhale, the red and black haze that had spread across her vision receded until she once again saw all the beautiful colours bleeding together around her that her rage had caused.

"Well...that was certainly something to watch." An amused voice sounded from behind her, yet Isabella didn't even move an inch, she had known they were there since she had started to come back from the beast inside her taking complete control...she was however a little angry that they had been watching her in what she saw as a moment of weakness...the brunette didn't realise though, just how magnificent and truly terrifying she had looked as she had let go of her rage and any inhibitions that were holding her back. "What do you want? I warn you, I'm not in the mood to play games." Isabella hissed out through clenched teeth at the intruder...ok maybe they weren't exactly an intruder, she had no claim to this wasteland but they were intruding on her alone time and that was something she abhorred and despised something chronic.

"Master Marcus sent me to look for you...I must say though when I was tasked with this I didn't think I would catch you so,' They paused for a moment, as if looking for the right word to use, 'Dishevelled."

The brunette vampire could hear the smirk in their voice and rolled her eyes before turning around to face her intruder, "I am allowed to let the reins go every once in a while Felix...the consequences are somewhat...varied yet always...amusing." Isabella's lips turned upwards at her words into a sickening grin as her bright red eyes danced with dark mirth that would have had anyone run away...yet Felix wasn't just anyone. The big burly vampire let loose a chuckle that if they were still standing would have shaken the leaves off the trees. "Ah Isabella, you don't scare me and every time you try it just gets more humorous." Felix said teasingly, knowing that he only got away with this because he was the one that had trained Isabella in the art of fighting and honing her gift, she was one of the best he ever trained, she was his progeny...he knew she felt like she owed him and exploited that regularly with his teasing.

"Be careful Felix...one of these days my liking for you might just snap and you'll find yourself on a quick path to insanity." Isabella said so sweetly with an innocent grin on her face that if you didn't know what she was capable of, you would truly believe her to be a sweet and kind teenager, not the devious, terrifying and evil women that she actually was. "I look forward to the day where the castle has to install a vampire proof padded cell, I wonder if the straight jacket would have to be infused with our venom or diamonds? Now that would be something to behold...a vampire straight jacket." Felix countered with a stupid grin lighting up his features as his thoughts turned towards a new test to play with.

Isabella almost rolled her eyes...almost, "What does Master Marcus require of me Felix?" The gifted brunette asked as she had grown impatient of their little beat around the bush game, which the muscular vampire was quick to pick up on as he stood straight and reported his master's wishes. "Master Marcus requires your presence in his study; he requests that you report to him immediately as he wishes to discuss something with you." Felix said, his tone formal, his stance as if he were in the military, which sometimes Isabella thought the Volturi were, especially when they were training.

No more words were spoken between the two vampires as they headed straight back to the castle, yet Isabella knew that what had occurred before to the forest was only the beginning, she could feel the rage practically spitting and swirling inside of her in a tornado of dangerous.

Marcus's Study

"Enter." Marcus spoke as he continued to flip almost casually through one of the thick ancient tombs in front of him that resided on his desk, stopping only when Isabella had walked through his study door and closed it behind her almost silently. "You wished to speak to me Master Marcus?" Isabella inquired softly, she had always held Marcus above the other two, oh sure she respected Aro and thought Caius was a ruthless and powerful leader but Marcus...he was someone she looked up to, nothing seemed to faze him, he was always a blank canvas, no emotion ever seemed to seep across his face and if the brunette was honest, he was known to be even more ruthless than Caius was sometimes and Isabella knew he enjoyed his position of power as much as the other kings.

"Ah Isabella...yes...excellent timing my dear...excellent...I wish to speak to you about matters that are of such importance to us." The Volturi leader said in his same monotone voice yet Isabella was sure she could detect a hint of excitement behind his words...she must have been imagining it for sure. "Of course my king...I shall help in any way I can, you know I serve you until the end." Isabella said with reverence that she only displayed when speaking to Marcus. Shifting herself into a more formal stance, her shoulders back, standing up to her full height with her hands clasped behind her back, she waited for her master to speak. Marcus smiled to himself internally, when Aro let the Cullen's reside here for the next few weeks, he had no idea that such a great opportunity would present itself but as soon as he saw them he knew...it was after all his gift to know. "The Cullen's will be staying here for next few weeks as you very well know,' Marcus started off, Isabella only nodded her head in response to his words, knowing he was not finished, 'My gift allows me to see the bonds between true mates, mates, potential mates, covens and so on and I have seen Isabella...oh I have seen such...potential." His last word was said in a hiss that for a moment the younger vampire thought her king was angry...just for a moment though.

"Potential for what master?" Isabella asked with curiosity as she stared at her king who leaned his forearms on the desk and looked at her with his usual blank expression as he replied, "Potential for the future of the Volturi Isabella. Tell me...what are your thoughts and feelings on the Cullen's?" The gifted vampires face twisted into a gruesome expression but she kept the snarl that wanted to escape her lips inside as she spoke, "I loathe them master...you know my story from my disgusting human life, they treated me as some kind of pet...they destroyed anything and everything I had going for me...the only thing I do not regret is that my path on my new life lead me here. I was quite happy to never see them again. I swore that if I ever happened to come across them, I would make them suffer as they had made me suffer, I would tear their family apart like they had torn me apart...I would show them the true definition of monster. Yet of course Master Aro has asked me not to and I shall respect my master's wishes." "Do you feel that way about all the Cullen's my child? About dear Esme? Rosalie and Emmett? Jasper? Carlisle? Edward?' Marcus paused for a moment as a low growl sounded from the younger vampires lips at the mind readers name before he continued with the final vampire of the Cullen coven, 'How about Alice, Isabella? How do you feel about dear little Alice?" Marcus asked and a feeling of satisfaction settled inside him when he saw Isabella jolt ever so slightly, her eyes widening a minuscule amount for a fraction of a second that, had he not been a vampire he knew he would have missed it.

"I loathe, each and everyone one of them master." Isabella answered with an expressionless yet precise tone as if she wanted to cement her words inside her king's mind.

"Would you like to know what I have seen Isabella?' Marcus asked but didn't wait for an answer as he continued, 'I have seen the bonds between the Cullen coven, I have seen the true mate bond between Rosalie and Emmett. I have seen the slightly strained mate bond between Carlisle and Esme. I have seen the strained coven bonds they hold to one another, which are especially strained when it comes to the mind reader. I have seen the severed mate bond that once was between Jasper and Alice. Yet the bond I have seen that I am most interested in...is the true mate bond that young Alice has." Isabella did her best not to react to the last statement her king made but she knew her ears perked up at the mention of the psychic's name. "Would you like to know who her bond goes to Isabella?" The king asked and the young brunette was astounded to see a small smile gracing her king's lips.

"If you wish to tell me master, I shall listen." Isabella replied with a slight sense of dread...she couldn't very well refuse her king could she?

"Young Alice's true mate bond...connects to you Isabella, now you know unfortunately with your...unique set of gifts that I cannot read your bonds to anyone but that does not mean I cannot read you...I know you feel the bond to her Isabella and because of this I have this task for you." The king spoke with an unspoken command in his voice and Isabella knew she was not wiggling her way out of this. "You know I shall do my best for what you ask of me master." The young vampire spoke, outwardly portraying a calm and cool expression but inside she was screaming with rage, inside her beast was rattling the cages she kept it contained in, wanting to get out and cause a mess of destruction at her master's words.

"Alice is your true mate Isabella, whether you are happy about this or not. It is your job to entice her to join us...I am sure she has some grand ideas of luring you back to the Cullen coven...that she thinks she can save you and change you back to the way you use to be while with them...yet we both know better Isabella. You shall get her to join us, use the bond to help you if you must; in fact I encourage you to use the bond to your advantage. Once she is in our ranks I do not care if you toss her aside and continue your dalliances with Jane, your task is to get her to become a Volturi. Which means she will drink human blood...there are no exceptions to this rule. The empath and the mind reader are of little concern anymore, we do not need them, variations of their powers are showing up in newborns more often as of late. Little Alice though...her power is a one of a kind, we need her, to have her in our ranks would make us unstoppable, the potential for the both of you as well...is something I have never seen in all my years. Bring her in Isabella...tell no one of your task, only myself and the other two kings know of what I am asking of you and it shall stay that way...you are dismissed." Marcus said with a note of finality to his tone.

Isabella stood there for a second before turning gracefully on her heel and walking towards the study door, as her hand clasped the handle she paused as Marcus spoke, "Think of the heartbreak this will cause the Cullen's Isabella...that should make your task more enjoyable." A cruel smirk lit up Isabella's features at the thought, "The saying is revenge is a dish best served cold, twelve years has made it cold enough...do you not think master?" The brunette spoke with venom dripping from her tone before she was out of her master's study and into the dark hallway, her feet were quick to take her down the hallway...her destination in mind to find a tiny terror...she figured if this had to happen then she would get one last good fuck before she started her plan on bringing Alice fucking Cullen into the Volturi's fold.

Let the task...commence!

So what did you think?

My portrayal of Marcus is different from the books...his character will be making a regular appearance throughout the story from now on, yes he is a bitter and slightly emotionless old vampire, his mate is dead after all but do not underestimate him...he is just as cunning and as ruthless as Aro and Caius...you may or may not see this in later chapters.

To let you all know as well...this is not a classic Bella is dark and then gets pulled back to the light and good in the end...oh no she is dark and evil and I intend for her to stay that way...with a few...surprises here and there

So I hope to hear from you, even if it's just to berate me for being away for so long.

My other Twilight Story – Changeling for any of you who use to read it, I am still in the process of writing the next chapter but hopefully should have that done soon.

Until next time!isHH