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CHAPTER TWENTY - THREE THE SNOW STICKS
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IF ONLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN MAISIE'S LIFE WAS PLANNING A WEDDING.
She wished that she was looking at flowers, pretending to try cakes that all tasted like dirt, and trying on dresses. Thinking about how even the awkward human Bella Swan looked drop-dead gorgeous in her dress while walking down the aisle made her long for her own day. Most of all she wished Alice were there, at least then someone else would be there to be excited for her — maybe if she was around Maisie wouldn't feel so guilty about feeling so happy in such a grim time.
When she came back from the beach with Paul his plan to propose had already spread throughout the house — thanks Edward — and she could tell that they were happy for her. Edward had even smiled at her and Penny begrudgingly shook Paul's hand a little too tightly, but it was clear that there everyone was too focused on everything going on with the Volturi to worry about anything else. It was a shame really, Maisie would have loved to actually sit and bask in the aftermath of her engagement but instead she was surrounded by a bunch of vampires that she didn't even know. The golden sea shell was grounding, she ran her fingers along its jagged edges while she watched Emmett and Garrett spar for the millionth time.
And then the snow stuck.
Paul was sitting beside her in front of the fire but it wasn't the flame that stuck to her, his warmth seeped through her clothing and provided her some much. Time was ticking and it wasn't long until they came face to face with the Volturi and whatever Alice saw that made her run off came to fruition. She glanced over at Paul and repressed a heavy sigh, no matter what happened during the confrontation she would make sure that nothing happened to him. She was sure that when the wolves showed themselves there would be some anger among the older Vampires...and she was determined to keep Paul away from their rage.
But would there even be a fight? Carlisle seemed confident that Aro would listen to reason but she wasn't so sure. Aro didn't reason and he always got what he wanted and if Edward was right — and he usually was about these things — then Aro wanted those with powers. All of them were in danger, Maisie just hoped that Paul hadn't picked up on that fact yet.
Jacob comes jogging back from the depths of the wood with a few logs of wood which he unceremoniously drops onto the dwindling fire, Benjamin used his power to bring it back to life sparking a yellow and orange glow around those sitting around it. "That's what I'm talking about," Jacob put his hands on his hips, "A little pre-battle bonfire...telling war stories."
Jacob took a seat next to Benjamin looking very comfortable around the group of Vampires. It had been surprising to Maisie how easily he seemed to blend in with the group that he had sworn himself into hating, he adapted a lot easier than Paul had at least. Sometimes her fiancé got so overwhelmed by the sickeningly sweet scent of the Vampires that he had to go on a walk alone in the woods, though he had no qualms about Maisie joining him she figured these moments alone were good for him.
