Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me....except my eternal pessimism. Stephenie Meyer's characters, T.S. Eliot's quote for the title.
A/N: This is my second attempt at a short, but this time I was trying to be a bit more stylized. I tried to model it a bit after some of my favorite shorts by O'Connor, Gaiman, and Jackson. This short was written for a prompt by emibella for the LGBT fest on Livejournal. It does not end happily. Be aware.
The prompt: While in a holding cell in Italy, Alice confesses to Bella that she had always loved her. The girls discover that their strength together as friends has always been fueled by more.
I owe gobs of thanks to my two awesome betas tnuccio and Ava Sinclair, and also to smellyia for all of the encouragement and support. 3 ladies!
In My Beginning is My End
Mind games it is then. Alice's tiny hand was clasped between the papery skin of his ancient palms. Her bland expression belied the extensive focus she was putting into filtering any incoming visions. No need for him to see what may be. Aro clucked softly, like an aged hen, sifting and sorting through memories and premonitions for something that would be of worth to him. His hand tightened briefly, and a spark of malice flashed in his eyes only to be outshined by a smile so benevolent it shimmered, mirage-like. She wasn't sure what anchored his decision but his plan unfolded in her mind like a heavy-petaled bloom.
"Don't worry Bella," Her lips barely formed the whisper, "He's decided to put us in the same cell. Control over the boys, apparently."
Bella quietly fretted to Edward, subtle human quirks glaringly obvious in the room of still and stoic vampires. Her eyes flicked nervously from face to face, then back to Edward in an exhausting loop. Her fingers twisted a lock of her long hair, snaking the strand between her thumb, index, and middle finger, while her other hand flitted up and down Edward's arm. Alice's whisper caught her attention and her hands stilled. The fragile human smiled hesitantly, but there was no comforting response. They weren't going to be sent on their merry way this time.
It had never been the Cullens' intention to see the Volturi again after their meeting following the battle with Victoria and the newborns. So Alice had been ever vigilant, one corner of her mind always focused on Volterra, but there were loopholes. By the time Alice had seen, the Guard was close enough for Edward to hear and all realized resistance would have meant the death of them. Well, the death of Bella at least. Being undead had some advantages. Still and all, no one wanted to be dead or kindling, so everyone obeyed Jane's insistence on immediate departure.
Preparation for the journey had been brief. There had been no time to pack, no time to say goodbyes. Tension consumed the family. Simmering resentment over Edward's refusal to change her had threatened to boil over. Unvoiced accusations had hung in the air, and the upcoming task of dividing the coven had seemed complete already, and with little outside influence. By the time the Cullens were dragged in front of vampire monarchy there was enough dissension and distrust between them that Aro, Marcus, and Caius met little resistance. The division of the group had been easy. Edward, Alice, and Jasper had provided the most united front, shielding Bella from the ancients while the guard had wrestled the other four away to parts unknown. The defending trio had stood in a wary semi-circle around Bella until Alec and Jane had immobilized the boys, and Alice had agreed to allow Aro access into her mind in exchange for Bella's immediate safety. Their fate was in his hands now.
The dark tunnel was as foreboding as their hulking escorts. The corridor was silent except for Bella's panting gasps and clumsy footsteps. She clung to Edward in desperation, any composure she had earlier now lost. Alice and Jasper walked side by side; their linked index fingers their only contact. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, growing longer and longer as Bella staggered to their end. After she had almost fallen twice, Edward finally hefted her onto his back and she buried her terrified face into the crook of his neck. Jasper frowned and closed his eyes focused on helping Bella avoid a full-blown panic attack.
It's about time she shows some fear. Alice's smile was grim, matching her brother's somber nod.
"Welcome home," Dimitri smirked as he threw open a solid iron door, "The doors are more symbolic than a deterrent, we are aware. They are noisy though, and this hall is the only way out. Don't give Felix any more motivation than he already has."
The three stood in a stiff half-moon, Bella sobbing softly into Edward's neck. The stillness lasted a half-second before there was a lightning flash of movement. Dimitri stepped to shove Jasper into the cell, and the chaos began. Echoing growls harmonized, and before she could react, Bella was sitting on the cold brick floor below the struggling forms of Alice and Edward. Alice had jumped to Jasper's defense, and Edward, seeing her premonition and consequent reactive thoughts, had grabbed her in mid-air. He fought to hold her thrashing little body, and still remain protectively above Bella. Jasper pitched forward onto his hands and knees in the little room, but was up again in a heartbeat, crouched into a defensive pose. Dimitri hadn't even flinched, his face split into a wide, challenging grin. Felix stood expressionless with his arms crossed, flexed muscles bulging threateningly. Jane continued to walk to the next cell as if nothing had happened.
"Alice, please. I know you've seen what happens when you attack him," Edward's pleading voice only increased Bella's hitching sobs, "I can't protect her without you."
"It won't help us, darlin'," Jasper's saddened voice echoed in the bare room, "I love you, Alice, and there is nothing that will change that; they can't keep us apart."
Her tiny frame ceased fighting, and stilled in Edward's arms. He pulled her close then reached for Bella, yanking her up from the floor and into the loop of his other arm. Felix leaned forward and slammed the heavy door shut, melting Jasper's slouched silhouette into shadow. Alice slumped against Edward as the lock slammed home, her fisted hands pressed against her lips. Bella sobs had stopped, her mind slipping into shocked numbness. Edward stepped forward, Alice clasped against his chest and dragged Bella's unmoving body to where Jane stood, mild annoyance marring her cherubic face.
"Let's finish this. It's time for lunch," Her ruby eyes flicked impatiently from Edward's impassive face to the open door. "Put them both in there. I'll skip the reminder about the door and the shove if you hurry up."
Edward stepped past the black-cowled figure without a word, through the iron-framed doorway, and to the rough wooden bench along the right wall. He leaned down and gently sat both Alice and Bella on the bench. He crouched first in front of his tiny blank-eyed sister and took her face in his hands.
"He's not dead Alice; you can't give up. You've always been a fighter. They've left us alive, and as long as we are, there is still hope," He ran his thumbs lightly under her eyes, as if to sweep away tears that weren't there, and pressed a light kiss against each cheek. He hesitated, and then turned to Bella.
Her shallow breathing was the only sound in the room; her eyes still and trained on the wall in front of her. Edward moved before her and pulled her compliant form into his lap.
"I said hurry up," Jane's dead voice ended with a growl and Edward answered with one of his own.
"I have always felt that we are soulless, Jane, and you have just confirmed it." His words were muffled against Bella's hair.
He rocked her nearly catatonic body in his lap, and pressed his lips to her temple. "I love you Bella Swan. This is not the end."
He lifted her then and placed her close to Alice on the bench. He allowed himself a small sigh of relief when Alice's arm moved to wrap around the Bella's waist. As he left the cell, a strangled whimper drew his attention again, and he turned to see both women quietly sobbing, wrapped in each other's arms. He held his composure until his own door slammed shut, finally allowing all the doubt he held to pull him under.
For a vampire, twenty-four hours is naught but a blink, but a day in cold darkness, without food or water can seem like an eternity for a seventeen year old girl. Bella sat in the solitary patch of light in the center of the cell, arms wrapped around her legs, rocking slowly with her tear-stained cheek resting on her knees. Alice hadn't left the bench, although her posture mimicked Bella's. Her eyes were wide and focused far away from now, searching for a happy ending to this hell. After a moment she closed them and a small sigh escaped her lips.
"Bella, I see you out," Her voice was barely a whisper yet full of frustration, "But I can't see what lies in store for anyone else. I don't know why they're waiting to make a decision about the rest of us."
The girl only continued to rock slowly, her almost unblinking eyes staring dead and flat.
"Edward," Alice raised her voice slightly, speaking directly at the west wall, "I'm losing her. She's not even answering anymore, I need some help here."
Her head tilted a moment, then a look of horror passed over her face. She jumped up, shaking her head as if it wasn't into minds that Edward saw, but through walls.
"Oh no, please don't ask me to do that…I couldn't stop." Her voice tapered off as she pressed herself against the wall next to the bench, terror turning her eyes to pitch. "Jas, I can't do this. I haven't fed in two days, I'll drain her. Tell him I can't, I can't, I can't." She pounded the wall, punctuating each refusal with a strike to the rough granite. The third blow sent a shower of tiny chips across the room, and Alice watched as the shards rained down on the unflinching girl, pinprick spots of blood rising on her cheeks.
Alice's chanted mantra increased in volume and pitch, heading toward hysterical, when it suddenly cut off as Bella rose from the floor and stood, swaying. Alice closed her eyes and held her breath as Bella wiped a questioning hand across her bloodied face. Her mouth opened and closed, and she crumpled to the ground in a soundless heap.
"Edward…Edward! She collapsed. She's bleeding." Alice took a deep breath to continue and the coppery-slick smell washed over her. Her throat convulsed, trying to swallow the flood of venom along with her instincts. "Jasper…Edward…someone please help me."
"You can do this Alice, you have to do this. It had to have been his plan." The thick walls obscured Edward's voice so much that even she had to focus to hear him, "Aro knew I could resist her, and that Jasper wouldn't have had the self control to make it more than a few hours, not much of a game then."
"I can't do this Edward," She sat staring at Bella's unconscious form, "I-"
"You'll get thirsty in time Alice, then there will be no chance at all." Edward's tone did nothing to allay her anxiety. His strained voice couldn't hide his despair, "You love her Alice, I know you do. Let that be your guide."
"Jas?"
"It's now or never, baby. Be strong," His calming Texas drawl curled around her and Alice felt the coil in her stomach unwind; the burn in her throat subside. She took another deep breath through her mouth, and focused on Bella's fragile vulnerability.
Focus. Three bites, don't linger, don't breathe. Wrist, wrist, neck, step back, sit down. She closed her eyes willing a vision to ease her nerves. Nothing. Her mind, dark and silent, refused to cooperate with its mistress.
"Alice, she'll wake soon." Edward hadn't bothered to try to hide his anxiety this time. Alice heaved herself from the bench and knelt next to Bella's prone form. I always wanted you as part of the family, Bella. She moved the girl to her back, straightening her arms and exposing her neck with a slight tilt of her head. No more breathing. She picked up one lightly curled fist, and closed her eyes once more as the venom once again flooded her mouth. Edward loves her, can't take her away from him. Her teeth sliced razor clean and instead of sucking she pushed venom into Bella's veins. The wound closed almost immediately, but not before a few drops of blood splashed onto her lips. She sucked her lower lip into her mouth without a thought, and the burn in her throat increased tenfold. The sound in the room disappeared, tunneling down to pinpoint on Bella's slow breathing and beating heart. Distraction…I need a distraction. Edward!
"Talk to her. Make her something besides a drink. See her as the sister you begged me for." She was sure he was standing tense, pressed against the wall, trying to get as close to them as he could.
I can't see anything Edward. I have to do this with my eyes closed, my mind is utterly blank, and all of this not knowing is terrifying me.
"Do whatever you have to do. We trust you."
He spoke in the plural because he spoke for Bella and Jasper, and Esme, and the others, even Rosalie who may not have loved Bella like the rest of them, but at least she didn't want her dead. The memory of Rosalie's righteous anger helped clear Alice's head.
Bella's fist tightened and she moaned, her heartbeat accelerating slightly. Hurry… Edward's words echoed in Alice's mind as she reached for Bella's other wrist.
"Bella, honey, this is going to hurt. I didn't want to do it, but I can't see any other way." She brushed Bella's tangled hair back from her face, her hand marveling at a warmth that she herself had possessed more than a lifetime ago. Nervousness caused her to babble; the tension opened doors in her brain she had carefully kept under lock and key. Alice leaned in again, teeth bared over Bella's delicate wrist, when the vision rocked her back onto her heels. Shutter-quick, there was no time for context: the sobs that wracked Edward's body were drowned out by Jasper's howl of pain. She dropped Bella's hand as if shocked by an electrical current. I don't know what that me-
"Do it NOW!" Edward's voice thundered through her panic.
She caught up Bella's wrist again, forced determination hardening her delicate features.
Remember, we love her.
The skin was so thin and soft, amazing really that it could protect from anything at all.
Edward loves her.
The pale blue tracery of veins stood out under Alice's trembling thumb. Venom flowed, eyes shut once more, lips brushed the pulse point where the blood sang. So sweet, she shuddered against the desire to drop the hand and bury her teeth into Bella's neck and end the torment.
You love her.
Bared teeth sliced clean, but there was no push this time, only pull. Her grip tightened on the second draw, mind separating from body as she tried to separate Bella from her life. Another flash, not a vision this time but a memory: Standing in a shadowed hall made darker by sadness, Alice had hid behind the premise of offering comfort to Charlie. Her motives had been far more selfish, she'd needed to be surrounded by everything that had been Bella. She hadn't wanted Jasper to know how deeply the loss had cut. Then, the door had flung open and Bella's voice had broken her silent grief, "Alice, oh Alice!" Bella had flung herself into Alice's cool embrace, curling onto her lap to sob out her loss. Her blood had called to Alice then, but it was Bella she had wanted, even through her burning thirst. Alice remembered a swift stab of euphoria from the realization that she had taken Edward's place, even if just for a moment. Oh God.
I love her.
A sigh so small, it could barely be called a breath escaped Bella's lungs. It was all Alice needed. Now the push, as much poison as possible, she couldn't bite again. She knew she would never be able to do anything again, at least not like she had done before. The wound closed, and her lips brushed the skin again, but this time in a whisper as the vision of red-eyed Bella flashed in her mind.
"I love you."
Everything was blissfully blank until the burning started. At first like the sting of a nettle pressed against the tender skin of her lifted wrist, it slowly bloomed into liquid fire filling her veins. She tried talking, but her body was too sluggish and stubborn to do as she commanded from the depths of her mind. A muffled musical voice and cool, marble-smooth touch on her face lifted her a bit farther from the abyss.
Edward? Her thoughts exulted. I want to wake up.
Lift your arm! Frustrated at her lack of control, Bella focused all her syncoptic energy on alerting him to her consciousness. Amazingly an arm lifted, but his cool hands were around her other wrist. She wanted to struggle, to tell him that he had the wrong arm. The scalding burn had traveled to her shoulder and the pain was rousing her quicker than his cooling fingers. A sting again, like a long papercut, but no following fire. Instead, she was sinking. The warmth she felt stayed focused at her wrist, comforting until the sudden terrible pulling. The sense of loss was indescribable, and through the black chaos Bella knew. It's not your fault. I forgive you Edward. I love you. The drain continued and she dropped deeper into the void, content to surrender her life for the ten glorious months he had given her.
She felt a sigh escape her lips, unbidden of course, because of the guilt it would no doubt cause him. Hesitation. Cool lips stilled. The pull reversed and the searing agony catapulted Bella from her peaceful drift downwards to painful awareness.
"I love you."
The voice was that of an angel, but now Bella realized it was not the angel she had been anticipating.
"Alice?" At her voice, Alice was against the back wall wiping a thin rivulet of blood from the corner of her mouth. Bella blinked in confusion; groaned reflexively in pain. "Did you bite me?"
Alice only nodded slightly, her wide eyes black with hunger and restraint, her bloodied hand pressed in a fist against her lips.
"Why?" The moaned question was punctuated by the click of her teeth as she clenched her jaw against the ache.
"It was the only way."
Bella didn't respond. She knew if she opened her mouth that the only sounds she would have produced would have been screams. Screams would scare him, don't scream. She twisted, drawing herself into a tight ball, leaving her eyes locked on Alice.
"He asked me to," Alice's voice was barely a whisper, "I had to do it, I don't know how long I could have held out without draining you completely. We think it was part of Aro's plan."
Bella still didn't speak, instead she writhed out from the fetal curl, her bitten nails scrabbling along the smooth stone floor. Plan? The pain allowed no focus other than itself so the question was shoved aside. Her breaths now came in hitching gasps; each caused Alice to flinch and slide further down the wall until she was lying down as well.
"It burns." Bella's lips moved around gritted teeth, but there was no sound. One arm reached, fingers straining towards Alice's pale hand. Burn doesn't begin to describe this torture. It was almost as if her bones were immolating from the inside out; she was convinced that Alice must feel the jump in temperature. It had slowly spread from her bitten wrists; the liquid flames now licked at her neck and face as the oppressive heat descended to sear her throat and lungs, setting her whole body atremble.
"Bella, honey, we all know it hurts. Scream if you need to." Alice had sat up and moved closer, gently stroking Bella's hand. For a crazy moment Bella contemplated warning her back for fear the vampire would melt like an ice sculpture at a summer wedding. Bella shook her head vehemently and the venom continued its Shermanish march to her toes. If it's the only gift I give him, I will not scream. It was an idle promise that she wasn't sure she could keep, but it gave her focus.
The trembling had deepened into an uncontrollable shaking and Alice had gathered Bella into her lap to try to ease her pain. Bella could feel the points on her body that made contact with Alice's, the burn was different, like dry ice on bare skin. The room was silent except for the occasional whimpering moan that escaped through clenched teeth. Bella's list of don'ts grew longer as the pain intensified: don't scream, don't thrash out at Alice no matter that her touch is as painful as her bite, don't bite off your lip, don't shatter your teeth, don't pull out your hair. Remembering that damage done now would be damage for eternity was the thin wire on which Bella hung her current sanity.
"Please talk to me." Alice jumped at the groaned words, one bird-like hand moving to nest in her chaotic hair. Like black flames, funny that I never noticed before.
"What do you want me to talk about?"
Bella forced her eyes open and focused on Alice. About nothing and everything…I thought I heard you say you loved me… She couldn't speak aloud again, so instead she just stared and prayed Alice would take the hint.
"I'm sorry that I bit you. I know you and Edward were planning on going through this together, that this was supposed to be special. Well, as special as something this horrible can be. I didn't want to hurt you Bella. It's easier now for me to understand why he never wanted to change you…"
As she spoke, Bella trained her eyes on Alice's mouth, tuning out the soothing sound and instead concentrating on trying to guess the words coming out of her mouth. I think that this may actually drive me mad. Alice's voice lengthened and lowered as the waves of pain pulled Bella under and away. Her body was no longer hers, belonging now to the inferno.
She was adrift in a pool of hellfire, floating in and out of time and consciousness. She could feel her heart slow, and her hands clutched and dug at her chest in an effort to revive it. Alice was singing from far away, the song a bit forced and mournful as she pinned Bella's arms against her.
Oh mother mother make my bed
Make it long and make it narrow
Sweet Bella died for me today
I'll die for her tomorrow
She had lost track of every don't, every echoing scream, every sob Alice tried to hide in the lilt of her angelic voice. She had lost track of Edward, the plane of his face, the bronzed disarray of hair, the feel of his lips on hers. She felt the cold of Alice's arms wrapped around her. The icy burn was gone, and Bella sought solace in the cool circle of her embrace. What day is it? Did my lips move? She must not have spoken, or perhaps Alice refused to answer. The song, it seemed, had no end.
They buried her in the old churchyard
They buried me in the choir And from her grave grew a red red rose
From my grave a green briar
The pain was now almost comforting, reliable, much more so than her faltering heart. It was disturbing to feel it slow and stutter; she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she would be alive through her death. What does it like to feel your heart stop? She wished for the burn, for the mind-twisting douleur that would sear away the horror. Her mind raced, self-preservation she would think later, through memories: their meadow lush with spring blooms, heavy black-topped biology tables, a stolen Porsche.
The gaps of time between beats was now agonizing. She was crying, the last tears she'd ever have streamed down her cheeks. She felt Alice brush them away, then rock them both softly, patting her back with a rhythm that was now only a memory.
They grew and grew to the steeple top
Till they could grow no higher
And there they twined in a true love's knot
Red rose around green briar
Her mind was grasping at anything now, the pain and the disturbing arrhythmic beating making her memories as clear and bright as the day they happened. She said she loved me, but she loves Jasper. I love Edward, Alice loves Jasper. She didn't say that. But she knew what she heard in gray fog of her mind, Alice's whisper had been as clear as a bell. She loves me? So many images came flashing in her mind: Alice holding her in the Mercedes on the drive to Phoenix. Alice drying her tears on the couch when she had returned, not Edward. Alice making her over, Alice taking her shopping, Alice fixing her hair. Alice being with her, never acting any different than big sister. But her hand did always linger a bit when brushing back Bella's hair, or adjusting a hem or collar. And Bella remembered butterflies, the fluttery feeling she had whenever she was at the Cullens' home. The anticipation had been ever present for Edward, yes, but the flutter was less when Alice was away.
Alice
One beat and stop, Bella gasped and stiffened. The pain from the venom was gone, now just the psychological grappling she had to get through. She felt hollow; the heart that she had promised Edward no longer had a healthy rhythm.
Edward
She said she saw me out, but I can't do this alone. Another beat, weak, but there nonetheless. It was glaringly obvious now, the perfect plan, exactly what someone like Aro would be capable of. Put the human in a cell with a vampire who has been denying her feelings to make her face them. Put her empath husband on one side so he feels their emotion, and her telepath brother on the other to read her gradual cave in. Have the human experience the duality of her own love exposed by the fires of change. The dissolution of the bonds between husband and wife, sister and brother were inevitable. Once the unit was dissolved and broken down into its basest elements have the newborn go forth alone and do what it does best, feed on humans. Because without guidance Bella would become what the Cullens fought against: a monster.
She laughed then, her heart finally still and dead. It was mirthless and frightening and Alice stopped rocking to look at Bella with concern. Their eyes locked, and Alice knew. She crumbled then at the fear and resolve in Bella's eyes.
"Don't fight them Bella. Just go. It would kill Edward if they hurt you here and he was powerless to stop them."
Her unspoken words hung between them, flaring in Bella's mind. It would kill me if they hurt you here and I was unable to stop them.
"Like with Jasper?"
"Yes…"
Bella paused, filtering the influx of overwhelming sensations. She was sprawled still across Alice's lap, her head cradled in the crook of Alice's arm. Just another moment here, safe. Her eyes traced the graceful curve of Alice's neck and the slight tilt of her head; her fingers itched to follow. Alice caught her eyes and her lips curved up in a sad smile.
"They're coming. They've been watching for you to come out of it." Alice's eyes closed and Bella didn't know if she spoke from vision or common knowledge.
Bella scrambled up from the loose embrace and reached out her hand. There wasn't much time now. She was almost certain the Volturi wouldn't allow goodbyes. Still holding Alice's hand in her own, she reached with the other and traced down Alice's cheek and brushed her thumb across her jaw.
"I love you too. I heard you earlier. It breaks my heart that we will never know what might have been."
She closed her eyes and leaned in, brushing her lips across Alice's. She could hear the others now, their hoarse sobs almost silenced by the walls. She raised her voice loud enough that she hoped they would hear.
"I love you Edward, you will always have my heart. And Jasper, the love that you feel is Alice's love for you and us all. I'm not going anywhere without everyone."
"Quite the little speech, Miss Swan. I do see that you have become everything that your little fortuneteller thought you would be. It is regretful, however, that you won't be able to make good on your promise." Aro pressed his steepled fingers against his lips and smiled. "I'll let you say your goodbyes though… Alec?"
At his words Alice stood frozen in place, held by Alec's power. The door swung open and Felix stood in the doorframe, his bulk reminiscent of Emmett. Emmett. Bella's throat closed at the thought of the him and Rose.
"What happened to Carlisle, and Esme, and the others?"
"In due time, cara mia. Felix will escort you to your Edward."
Bella pushed past Felix's muscle-bound form and into the lighted hallway. Aro stood a bit away from the guard leaving Jane and Dimitri at the front of the little grouping. Dimitri stepped forward and unlocked Edward's cell, then stepped back to let Bella through.
Edward stood stock-still in the middle of the cell, held in place like Alice. The expression on his face was a mélange of emotions: anger, love, fear, and helplessness. Bella stood for a moment and caressed his face before turning to the door.
"Tell Alec to let him go. I want him to hear me."
She was caught up in his embrace before she could turn back, his lips forceful against her neck and jaw. Then their mouths met, lips parted, the kiss deep and long. Bella poured all the love she had ever felt for him in this last kiss and felt as her silent heart tore in two. She pulled away then and pressed her forehead against his.
"I don't know what would have been worse, an eternity without you, or an eternity with you loving someone besides me."
She couldn't respond, her throat constricted by more than just thirst. She swallowed, gathering her thoughts before settling for the simple as his hand gently cupped her cheek.
"I loved you. I love you. I will love you forever." There is room in my heart for more than just you. She wouldn't say it though. He couldn't have possibly understood. When she finally admitted her feelings towards Alice she'd felt whole. There were no more pieces missing. How wonderful now that everything would be taken away.
Edward didn't answer. When Bella raised her eyes to his she found them glassy, his posture frozen again. It was time to leave.
Her stomach twisted and she choked back a sob. Deep breath. They wouldn't want Aro to win. The hallway seemed unnaturally bright. Jane's knowing smirk was an amplification of Aro's subtle smile. I'll find my own way out. I can't imagine it would be hard.
"I'll feed in the surrounding forest, Aro. You won't have to worry about suspicions," Bella kept her face stoic as she walked stiffly past the group. Aro's quiet chuckle sent a shiver down her spine, causing her pace to quicken and a small knot of anxiety to form in her gut.
"Tch tch, little one. You think me so cruel as to send you into the world all alone?" His tone was guileless so Bella stopped and turned, not allowing herself to believe just yet.
"Alice said she only saw me go free, no one else was in her visions." Bella walked back slowly and stood between the open cells. The chuckle again, pleased that the game was being played to his liking.
"Cara mia, I know how the tiny one's mind works. Do you think I would have decided to let you all go free so she could foresee it? Where's the sport in that? Would you have realized your love for the girl? Would she have realized hers for you?" His eyebrow rose, eyes probed her face for a reaction.
Bella didn't answer. Hope bubbled up in her. No one could be so terrible. This was all a test and we passed. There will be so many problems to address when we get home, but we can work through it. She turned to him and smiled, "Thank you so much Aro. I am indebted to you."
Aro returned her smile, but something was off. It was too wide, too predatory, too pleased at her naïveté. "Of course Isabella, what kind of monster would take love away from someone so deserving? I would not want to be remembered as heartless."
NO! She should have known better. Her stomach dropped as the final piece clicked into place. He knew how Alice's visions worked. He wouldn't have to make any decisions. Bronze and black swirled and separated. The whole world spun into slow motion as she fell to her knees, eyes closed in dread.
"So choose."