4 Remembrance

I sat up in the bed as I gasped for air. Jake was trying to calm me down but my ears were ringing and I couldn't hear his words. I shut my eyes and tried to see what happened to Edward and if it was his blood covering me. I was shaking uncontrollably as Jake pulled me into his arms.

I pushed him away and yelled, "Wait, don't touch me." My mind searched and searched for Edward, but he was fading away into my dream. I began to cry as I realized I loved a man, but he was above the ground and I couldn't get to him.

I finally returned to my pillow and tried to remember what he told me in the dream. He had written on my back, remember war. He told me something about the war and I had forgotten. It must have been something important and possibly something that would lead to freedom, but my mind was blank.

I finally looked up at Jake. He was watching me closely and I reached out and touched his arm. "I'm sorry, I had a nightmare."

"How is it you dream?" he asked me with a voice that sounded like he was warning me.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it will fade," I lied.

"Bella, this is very dangerous," he said and I swallowed deeply.

I didn't know if I could trust Jake and was putting his own life in danger if I could. I smiled through my deceit and asked him to hold me. He smiled and pulled me into his arms, kissing my head gently until we both fell back to sleep. I wasn't sure how far I would go to keep my rebellion, along with my remembrances, a secret. I didn't love Jake, but I would possibly have to mate with him to keep us both safe. I wasn't sure I could do it.

We left the chamber and headed to the eating room the next morning. Jessica saw us enter and ran to my side with a big smile. "I'm so glad to see you and Jake together again. You are such a great couple."

I smiled and nodded as my stomach churned. I finally asked the name of her mate. "He's Mike Newton."

"Do you love him?" I asked her.

She gave me an odd look and said harshly, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, I just meant we are lucky to have mates," I said and she continued to stare at me. I finally walked away and hoped I wasn't alerting concern. I got my food and sat next to Jake. He held a spoon to my mouth and I took a bite of the yogurt. It tasted wonderful and my stomach begged me to fill it. I looked at my eggs and began the process of pretending to eat.

When we separated I headed down the long tunnel to where my mother left. I could feel the pain building but it was now so subtle it was only a nuisance. I reached the rock and felt all the way around it. It didn't have the same feeling as the rock wall. It wasn't cold to my touch.

I glanced around the tunnel and could see where a ray of light would shine down onto the rock. I raised my hand and blocked the light and the rock disappeared. I quickly ran through and the rock returned to where it was. I looked around nervously for the large man and couldn't see him.

I moved into a tunnel and had no idea where the original waterfall was located. He had driven too fast for me to remember the turns. I wandered around for hours and finally realized I felt pain when I was on the right track. I used it to make my way back to the spot I woke up at.

I stared up at the dry rocks where the water had come from and slowly began making the climb to the top. I could feel an electric current running through my body that caused me to shake as I tried to climb. By the time I reached the top I could hear a loud buzzing in my ears but I tried my best to ignore it. I felt along the rocks until I found one without the cold feel and looked for its light source. I reached up to block the light and was suddenly hit with what could only be described as a lightning bolt.

I flew into the air and then fell into the pond with a huge splash. My body ached and I was slow to react to the sinking sensation I had in the water. I finally began swimming to the top and gasped for air. The sound of the transport could be heard coming closer and closer. I remained in the water and braced myself for a beating I was sure I would receive.

The large man came into view and glared at me with hateful eyes. I moved back toward the back of the pond and he only laughed at me. "I need to see Edward," I said loudly and his expression changed to shock.

"You need to go home," he said harshly and glanced around nervously.

I stared at him for a long time and finally said, "Felix?"

He gasped and quickly grabbed something from the transport and talked into it. I couldn't hear what he was saying since I was so far away from him. I moved my back against the rocks and waited for him to turn his attention back to me. I knew his name, but I had no idea how I knew him.

He finally motioned for me to come over and sit next to him. "Will you take me to Edward?" I asked.

His jaw tightened and he gave an angry sneer. "You are property of the Overlord and nobody else," he said and got out of the vehicle.

He walked right into the water and I tried to move away from him but he was too fast. He grabbed me by the hair and pulled me to the edge, easily dragging me onto the dirt. I cried out but he ignored me and picked me up by the waist and tossed me into the seat. I cried softly as he connected the harness and expected him to take me back to the movable rock. But he went forward and headed in a different direction.

We wound around the deep tunnels until we were finally blasted with bright light. My eyes shut in pain and I covered my face with my hands. I could hear loud noises but my eyes couldn't open. The sounds were loud without echoing and only when they muted could I finally open my eyes. We were inside a large building and people walked around everywhere. Nobody seemed to notice us and I wondered if they could even see me.

We arrived at a large golden door and the transport stopped. Felix got out and came around to remove my harness before pulling me painfully out of the vehicle. My legs were shaking and I could hardly stand as he heaved me through the large doors. I was tossed onto the floor in the middle of a large circular rug.

I stared at the rug for several minutes as my eyes adjusted to the light. I finally looked up to see three men standing in front of me. They looked very old and very regal. I began to back away from them on my knees but Felix stepped up to block my retreat.

"Well, well," the man in the middle said, "What have we here?

"She remembers," Felix told them.

The man's jaw tightened and he tried to hide the anger he was feeling. He looked at me with pure rage and spoke softly. "Tell me what you remember."

I shook my head, refusing to answer him so Felix spoke for me. "She wants to see Edward."

The three men looked at each other in surprise and one asked, "What do you remember about Edward?"

"Only his name," I lied, hoping I wasn't damning my unknown love by admitting something so small.

"Aro, repeat the mind cleanse," one of the men said to the man in the middle. I watched as they each stared at me, trying to come to some sort of decision.

Finally the man named Aro said, "Bring Edward."

My heart was pounding and I didn't know if I was happy or sad. I wanted to think Edward could save me from having my mind erased, but I wasn't sure if I really just got us both killed. Felix left the room and I tried to straighten my messy hair and dirty dress. I felt embarrassed by my appearance and the three men laughed loudly.

Felix returned and I saw the man walking with him. He had the face of the man in my dreams, green eyes with a strong jaw. I had the urge to run to him, but I forced myself to remain still. Edward glanced at me without any recognition and I felt my heart sink with despair.

Aro motioned for Edward to join him and placed his arm around his shoulder. "Do you recognize this slave girl?"

"Yes," Edward said confidently. "She was the decoy bride for my father."

"Ah yes," Aro said with a smile. "So she lived in your home."

Everyone stared at me and I wasn't sure if I should speak or remain quiet. I finally said, "I have dreams." All the men showed signs of surprise, but Edward's eyes narrowed as if trying to warn me. I quickly added, "I hear the word Edward, but I don't know why."

"She was a slave in our home for a long time," Edward said as if to explain why I would remember his name.

"Did you have relations with this girl?" Aro asked.

"With a slave, don't be ridiculous," Edward said with a chuckle and I began to think I had imagined him loving me.

Another man bolted into the room. He was tall and thin like Edward, but older in years. He looked terrified and rushed to Edward's side. "What do you want with my son," the man demanded of Aro.

"It seems your slave girl remembers him, Carlisle," Aro said with a disingenuous smile. Edward's father turned to look at me and then turned back to Aro with only a shrug. I had no memory of the man in front of me, who Edward said I had acted as his bride.

"She was with us a long time, much longer than the others," Carlisle said and Edward nodded in agreement.

I felt tears grow in my eyes. I had fallen in love with my slave owner's son and he found me repulsive. I wished I would have had my mind totally cleaned. I didn't like knowing I was a foolish girl who slept with one man I didn't remember, but had nothing with a man I thought I did.

They all began to discuss what to do with me. The majority thought I should have my mind cleansed again, but Carlisle offered to let me return to his home. He spoke of warring factions threatening to kill his wife and needing a slave girl to pretend she was her. I realized I had been used as a decoy to keep his wife safe.

The men spoke heatedly and I slowly backed my way to the open door. Felix was focused on the men and never looked in my direction. I got to the doorway and then turned and ran with all my might. I burst through a stairwell and ran up instead of down. When I heard others run through the door I held perfectly still. The sound of their footsteps told me they were headed down.

I quietly began my climb to the very top of the building. I put my hand on the door and turned the handle carefully and quietly. I pulled slowly, hoping I wasn't headed into the Overlord's office. I was blinded by bright light so I knew the door led to the outside. I squeezed through the opening and remained with my back against the door since I couldn't open my eyes.

I could hear strange noises all around me, noises I didn't recognize but I knew meant I was in a large city full of people. I felt my way across the door with my hands and when I reached the end of the wall I held still and tried to open my eyes.

A loud whooping sound came from underneath me and stopped somewhere in front of me. I held my hands out blindly but felt nothing. Just then I heard a high pitched voice from a woman yell, "Bella, run."

5 Reward

I tried to open my eyes but the light was still too bright. The voice yelled louder and told me to just run forward. I obeyed, having no idea who was calling me or where I was running. A set of strong arms grabbed me just as the ground fell out from underneath me.

I screamed and tried to fight but several voices were telling me to be calm. They spoke kindly and seemed to know who I was. I finally relaxed and allowed someone to hold me in their arms and rub my back gently.

We moved quickly in some sort of flying machine and the city noises began to fade. I still wasn't able to open my eyes and felt so totally and completely lost. We eventually stopped moving and I was helped onto a surface so I could walk. I held onto someone and was led into a dimly lit room. I opened my eyes and saw several people looking back at me.

"Are you okay?" a tiny dark haired girl asked me and I nodded. "Do you remember us?" she asked.

"I remember Edward," I said with tears and they all looked at each other and smiled. "Are you going to hurt me?" I asked them.

They all began to speak at once and promised I was safe. One woman, a tall blonde began moving quickly around the room and shutting out the light sources. The tiny girl took my hands and brought me to a chair.

"Bella, I am Alice Whitlock, Edward is my brother. This is Esme Cullen, his mother," she said and I tensed. She was the woman I was supposed to die for and I was afraid they brought me here for that very purpose. "That is Rosalie," Alice continued, pointing at the blonde. "She's Emmett's wife, he's Edward's brother."

A huge man, shorter than Felix but just as muscle ridden smiled at me and nodded.

"My husband," she continued, "Is named Jasper; he's with Edward and Carlisle right now."

"Why did you save me?" I asked her and hoped I had actually been saved and not condemned.

"I thought you remember Edward?" she said with confusion.

"I have dreams of him," I said to correct her.

"Can we get her out of that dress," Rosalie said as if my appearance was offensive to her. I looked down at my dirty frock and tried to hide it with my hands. Esme took hold of my arm and I instinctively pulled away. She smiled and spoke kindly.

"Bella, would you like to bathe and change into your old clothing?"

I nodded, thinking anything would be better than the rag I was wearing. She led me to a large room with a big tub. She pressed a button and water filled quickly. She set some soap and bottles on the ledge and then set a robe on the counter.

I quickly pulled off my dress and climbed into the bubbly water. I sighed out loud at the feeling of the silky water on my skin. The smell of the water alone was amazing. I read the bottles and cleaned my skin and hair before getting out of the tub and drying off on the softest towels I had ever felt. I put on the robe and came out of the room to find Alice waiting for me.

"Come this way," she said and led me to a room where she showed me several dresses. They were brightly colored and made of soft fabric that clung to my hand. I pointed at a dark blue one and she smiled. "It was always Edward's favorite," she said and laid it on a bed.

She went to a drawer and pulled out something else dark blue and handed them to me. It was a bra and underwear set and I quickly put them on, finally feeling like I was truly dressed. She pulled the dress on over my head and stood back to look at me.

"We need to do something with your hair," she said and I reached up and felt the tangled mess. She pulled me to the bed and I sat as she ran a brush through my hair. It was over an hour when she finally finished applying makeup and curling my hair. I had so many questions I wanted to ask her, but fear stopped me.

I wasn't afraid she would hurt me, only that she would tell me horrible things about myself. I was terrified that Edward used me as a sex slave and never felt anything for me. He must have hidden me for a long time and when the Overlord found out I had to be returned. Maybe the Overlord was the kind one here.

I walked with Alice into the other room where the family was gathered and looked around for anything that looked familiar. Emmett came into the room and said, "Let's go."

Everyone stood and followed him to the door. I pulled back on Alice's hand and tried to cover my eyes. "Oh here, these glasses will protect your eyes," she said and put some dark glasses on me.

The door opened and the bright light made everything glow, but I was able to keep my eyes remaining open. I saw dense forest all around the house and a flying machine sitting in the yard. We all climbed inside and Emmett flew us deeper into the forest.

After several hours he called on an apparatus for Jasper. A voice came back telling us where to land. The craft set down and we all climbed out. I saw Carlisle and a strange man I assumed was Jasper waiting with Edward. My heart went wild as our eyes connected and I stared at the deep green I had seen so many nights.

Edward ran from his father side and crashed into me with so much force I would have fallen if he hadn't wrapped his arms around me. His mouth locked onto mine and he sobbed openly. My body naturally responded, kissing him back with frenzy. My hands sunk into his hair and our mouths opened widely as we tried to consume each other.

"Oh God, you're here," he said when we finally moved into just a hug.

I wasn't thinking clearly and had no control over the words coming out of my mouth, "Do you love me?" I asked him desperately.

"God, yes, I'll love you forever," he said and the tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Edward, you need to come inside," Carlisle yelled out to him. He kept his arms around my waist and pulled me into the large home obscured by all the underbrush of the jungle.

Alice gave an angry groan when she saw me crying and handed me a tissue. "You cry all the time," she complained.

"Do I?" I asked, and wiped my eyes.

Edward walked me to a sofa and sat next to me. "What do you remember, love?"

I looked into his eyes and reached out to touch his heart gently with my finger. "You… I remember you."

"Oh gag," Emmett said and turned to a large panel and began pressing buttons.

Edward smiled lovingly at me and kissed my finger. "You came to our home a year ago as a decoy bride," Edward said and I looked over at Esme. "We are Tenders; in our society it is equal to a king. We rule an outer region. We are at war right now, and the enemy tries to weaken us by killing our wives."

"So you let them kill us instead?" I asked with anger.

"Hell no," Emmett yelled in anger. "We let them try, but nobody gets killed on our watch."

"You used me as bait?" I asked him with disgust.

"You're alive, snookums," Emmett said with a big grin.

Edward instantly raised his hand to make Emmett stop talking and looked at me. "Bella, we tried to refuse a slave, but it was forced upon us. We treated you kindly and you became part of the family."

I looked around the room to see if anyone had an issue with what he said. Maybe he had wanted my body and everyone was only agreeing with his story. I finally looked back into his eyes and asked, "Were we intimate?"

I finally saw the look I had been waiting for. Edward's face twisted into pain and guilt and I waited for him to speak. He finally said, "You loved another man before me."

"Jake?" I asked and Edward nodded as he moved away and held his head in his hands. My mind was reeling. I had come to Edward in love with Jake, and returned to Jake in love with Edward. I had no idea which man I truly loved.

"Do you know how they control us?" I asked him and Carlisle moved forward to speak.

"You ingest a material that works with radio wave frequencies," he said and I felt proud of myself for figuring it out.

"I stopped eating," I said with pride and Esme rushed from the room to make me some food. "The pain they caused lessened until I was able to ignore it, but why did I feel pain when Jake touched me?"

Edward's leg kicked out forcefully and sent a small table flying into the wall. I jumped and looked at him with fear but his expression showed only pain. I realized it hurt him to think of Jake touching me. Carlisle looked at his son with absolute rage and asked, "Did you mess with her mind?"

"She needed to remember," Edward yelled and the room grew silent. Esme returned with some food and I ate greedily. The men moved to the panel Emmett was watching and began talking lowly with each other as Emse chatted with me.

She was nice and motherly and it made me think of my own mother. I asked, "Do you know where my mother Renee is?" She shook her head and gave my knee a squeeze with her hand.

"We don't allow slaves in our region, but the enemy is getting closer and the Overlord insisted Carlisle take you."

"What does the enemy want?" I asked her.

"To kill the Overlord," she said sadly and I looked away so she wouldn't see it was what I wanted, too.

I finally handed her my plate, too full to eat another bite and sat back to relax on the couch. I fell asleep to the sound of Edward's voice talking with his father and brother.

My legs stretched and I felt soft sheets around me. I opened my eyes to see I was in the middle of a huge bed. The sheets were almost translucent and felt like soft fur. Curtains surrounded the bed and I could see a window through the gauze. It was dark outside and I sat up and saw I was dressed in only my bra and underwear. I pulled the sheets up to my neck but you could see right through them.

Soft music played in the background sounding like it was coming directly from the walls. I crawled to the edge of the bed and looked out through a break in the netting. I saw Edward lying in a chair, with his arms pulled up to support his head as he slept.

I smiled at the thought of him remaining out of my bed and brought my feet to the floor. The tile was heated and I sighed, causing Edward's eyes to open. He looked up and I instantly moved behind the curtain and pulled it across my body.

My heart was racing as he stood and walked toward me. My body wanted him, badly. I was confused about Jake and wanted to make the right decision. Edward stood just inches from me and smiled. "I've seen your body many times," he said. "I was the one who placed you on the bed."

"Why did you sleep in the chair?" I asked him.

"Because I don't know if you went back to him or not," he said with a heavy voice.

"What did you do to my mind?" I asked bluntly and hoped I had truly cared for him and wasn't manipulated into it.

"I tried to make sure you would remember me," he said and used his finger to trace his name on my arm. I watched as he slowly moved his warm finger, mesmerized by the formation of his name on my body. Each letter carefully crafted sending my heart into a gallop.

When he finished I gasped and looked into his beautiful eyes. It wasn't, remember war, he wrote on my back, it was remember Edward.

I dropped the curtain and fell into his waiting arms.

6 Explanations

My flesh felt like it was on fire for him. His hand moved down my back and up my thigh as I circled him in the tight hold of my legs. Our tongues were colliding and searching desperately for the taste and feel of each other.

We fell onto the bed and he easily dragged me with him to the center of the mattress. I was taking big gulps of air, removing my lips from him only long enough to breathe. He mumbled words I couldn't decipher and finally moved to my ear.

"My Isabella," he cried, "Tell me what I want to hear."

"I love you," I said honestly, unable to control anything on my body at the moment.

"Is it me you want?" he asked as he struggled to breathe, too.

"Only you," I said and began pulling on his shirt.

He quickly dispatched my bra and panties as I removed his clothes. I pushed him onto his back and straddled him between my legs. His eyes were dark and his voice was sultry as he stared at my body. "Do you remember this?" he asked me and I shook my head in the negative.

He thrust upwards, filling me completely as I cried out loudly. "Do you remember this?" he said with a strained voice.

I let my head fall back and shook it lightly. He hand rose to my chest and he pulled my breast to his mouth as I began making loud noises. I was feeling him everywhere and trying to concentrate as my body shuttered with pleasure. I had a series of short burst of images, all of Edward making love to me. I screamed his name and he asked me one last time, "Do you remember this?"

"Yes," I yelled and came undone in his arms. He erupted in violent spasm and we both fell to the side as we cried together.

He quickly moved my hair from around my face and looked at me to see if I was still okay with what we had done. I moved in closer and kissed him several times as his hands wandered softly around my body. I couldn't remember loving Jake, but I was certain it was nothing compared to how much I loved Edward.

We lay intertwined and spoke in soft whispers that seemed familiar. "Tell me about going back," he asked as his fingers trailed down my spine.

"I don't want to think about it," I told him, but he insisted.

"I tried to make it easy for you to remember me, but I wasn't sure what you would face. Now you can tell me and I can make sure I'll never lose you."

I took a deep breath and spoke softly. "I woke up in a cave and I had no idea who I was." His expression changed to a pain filled one as he listened closely. "I had been beaten," I continued and saw tears fill his eyes. "I bathed in a pond under a waterfall…."

"You bathed, why?" he interrupted.

"My dress was filthy and I was sore," I explained and he let his face turn up to the ceiling and shook his head. "I shouldn't have bathed?" I asked him.

"I'm sorry, continue with your story," he begged.

I walked though the entire scenario and he listened to every word. He seemed proud of my ability to escape and kissed my forehead throughout the story. When I finished I scooted closer into his arms and tried to find out his end of my story.

"Tell me about us," I asked him.

His arms tightened around me and he smiled. "My father brought you home one day. You were so terrified and we told you constantly we wouldn't hurt you. You were suspicious over everything and told me constantly how your boyfriend would kick my ass."

I raised my head and looked at him to see if he was only teasing me. He nodded and I mumbled, "Sorry."

"After a couple of months you realized we thought of you as part of the family and you changed your attitude. You were always afraid at night so you would come into my room and we would talk until you fell asleep. I fell madly in love with you," he said and kissed my head.

"I'm a slave," I said sadly, reminding him of where I came from.

"Not in my eyes," he said softly.

"Why are my people treated so badly?" I asked and knew he would tell me about war and power, but his answer surprised me.

"You were bred to be slaves."

I looked up at him and he shook his head. "It's barbaric, I know. It started with prisoners. They were bred to have children that would be enslaved. When it became harder to control the slaves they were moved underground."

"So we come from your society?" I asked in shock and he shook his head.

"When we began fighting with the Kosars the Overlord wanted to create an army of slaves, but some of the various Tenders objected. My father led the revolt, but the Overlord can't chance growing weak, so he isn't responding to the issue right now. Once we get the upper hand on the Kosars the Tenders will most likely fight each other."

"It is all so awful," I said and raised my hand to wipe my wet eyes.

"I'm so sorry, love," he offered.

I had no idea if he felt my people should be free or if he was only worried about his father's coming fight. He didn't sound loyal to the Overlord, but that didn't naturally make him an ally. I thought about my mother and worried if she was safe, then my mind moved to Jake. I should have told him I loved another man and helped him understand how to grow stronger than the Overlord. If I got caught and sent back home I would have to remember to teach everyone how to revolt. I finally fell asleep in Edward's arms, feeling truly safe.

The next morning we were awakened to the sound of Alice's high pitched shrill. She jumped onto our bed and stood over us as she jumped up and down. I pulled the sheets over us but they didn't hide anything. Edward finally grabbed her leg and knocked her down so the annoying jumping stopped.

"I want time with Bella," Alice complained and I looked up at Edward.

"In a month, if you're lucky," he said and tightened his arms around me.

Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me toward her. "No, come on Edward. I missed her, too."

"You only missed her… I wanted to die," he said and I looked to see if he was only kidding. His face told me he wasn't and I reached out to touch him soothingly.

Alice huffed loudly and scooted off the bed. "I'll give you one hour and then I'm taking her away." She left the room and Edward smiled at me. I leaned over to kiss him and his palm held my cheek tenderly.

"You and Alice became the best of friends," he informed me.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," I said and then swallowed before asking, "Why did I leave?" Edward ran his fingers through his hair and I could tell he was struggling with a decision. I finally touched his lips with my finger and said, "Tell me the truth, please."

"I turned you in," he admitted with sad eyes. I gasped and tried to move away but he pulled me tighter to his body. "Bella, I had to do it to save your life. I did everything I could to make sure you would remember me and come back. The Kosars were targeting us and it was too dangerous to keep you with us."

"But wouldn't it put Esme's life in danger?"

"She would never put you in danger to save herself," he said forcefully. "But now you're back and they have no idea you are here. You are safe now."

"But the Overlord will be looking for me," I pointed out and he nodded.

"We will go on normally until we are no longer suspects," he said as if he had it all figured out. "My father is meeting with the leadership today."

"Won't they search your home?"

"Yes, but this isn't our home," he said with a sly smile and I looked around the room.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Deep in the forest surrounding our lands, nobody knows about this place so we will keep you here until the search dies down," he said and I felt like I was trapped all over again.

I had moved from one prison to another and the thought sickened me. I rolled away from him and he sat up to look at me. I wanted to scream and pound on something but this was his room, in his house, on his lands. I had nothing.

"What's wrong, Bella?" he asked hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" I laughed. "I'm a slave; even here with you I am still a slave. I either hide underground or in a forest, but I still have to hide. I am no different than you, our blood comes from the same source, but my family has to be slaves because our own people have chosen to allow it."

"Bella, this happened years ago, before we existed. I don't agree with it, but it is how our world works."

"Did I tell you I loved Jake?" I asked him and saw how his eyes narrowed. He nodded but refused to speak. "Well, I didn't fall in love and choose him. We were commanded to breed, chosen to be together because of our DNA."

"Bella, you're free now. That part of your life is over," he said in an attempt to calm me down. He had no idea what I was trying to say and I threw up my arms in frustration.

"I'm not free, because I know they are trapped under the earth. I know their names and faces. Do you think I could be happy for my own good fortune and forget about the others?"

He looked so confused and probably wondered what I expected to be done about it. He didn't voice the words, he didn't have to, because I answered before he got the chance to ask. "I want the Overlord dead and my people to be freed."

"Killing the Overlord won't make your people free," he explained to me. "There are too many Tenders who believe in the program. The slaves would be angry and join the Kosars to destroy us."

I wanted to scream, "So what?" My people deserved their revenge, and if the Kosars would be willing to deliver it, I didn't care. I didn't want to fight with him so I said, "Where are my clothes, I want to see Alice?"

"Don't be angry with me," he begged. "I'm so happy to have you back and I ached to think you're miserable."

My heart softened and I couldn't blame the history of my people on him. I smiled and he came over to lay his head on my shoulder. I held his nude body against mine and felt such love for him that it became difficult to breathe. I was lucky to be here, even though we had so much more to talk about. I couldn't face anymore news today. I wanted to reacquaint myself with Alice and worry about politics later.

He joined me for a bath and washed my hair as I closed my eyes and reveled in his touch. I put on a robe afterward and he took me to Alice. She ran across her room to take my hand and smiled up at her brother. "Goodbye," she said and Edward grumbled.

He kissed my nose and left the room. Alice pulled me to stand in front of a door. "I'm going to show you heaven, so prepare yourself," she giggled.

I couldn't remember Alice, but I liked her already. She was bubbly and her tiny size made me feel like I was in control of the situation. I began to feel exuberant myself and teased with her. "You're going to kill me?" I asked, since she promised to show me heaven.

"Probably, you're gonna die when you see this," she laughed and opened the door to reveal a huge closet, larger than her entire bedroom, with shelf after shelf filled with clothes. Shoes lined the back wall and garments hung from hangers on both sides.

"Oh my God, are these all your clothes?" I gasped as I walked into the large cavernous space. It was too much for one person to possess and it made me think of my people and their meager rags.

"No, they're yours," she said, and bounced up and down as tears slid down my face.