Chapter 7
We're off and Running
It was 20 minutes till midnight; Alex was leaving the castle at exactly 1:07, 36 seconds, and 4 milliseconds. That time was backed up by 4 copiers (including myself) and a true physic. So, chances were looking good. But I was still insanely nervous.
What if someone got hurt? What if Alex's magick outwitted the guards sent after him? Then to finish it off he comes back, captures the escapees, and gives us the worst torture session ever done in history?
So, in a vain attempt to calm myself down I was checking the fireworks, cords all connecting to a source back in my dorm. The fireworks were to set off exactly the minute all the escape vamps were off the grounds with no chance of being caught in Italy.
I was so in-tune with my plans and worries I never noticed a set of footsteps joining mine.
"We're going to win," he said plainly.
"How do you know that," I spat.
"Alice."
"Decisions can be broken as fast as they were made," I pointed out.
"But Alex's workers are oblivious," Edward Cullen claimed confidently.
"We don't exactly have soundproof walls."
"They have to sleep sometime," he argued.
"I do believe they call in night watch."
"We're deeper in the castle than where they watch," he said.
"Well, A- we spread the word. And B- how do we know that they don't have secret passages and cameras scratched out all over the place, hmm?" I asked. "They could know our every move, before we make it. They may be mortal and weak but they're not stupid."
After that we walked in a icy silence that I mainly kept up. He kept glancing over, hoping that I'd be looking at him too like I don't see him in the corner of my eyes forcefully. Well, unless I took my hand and shielded the right side of my face. But I figured it'd look rather childish. So, instead I ran through the plan forwards, backwards, black and white, and in Technicolor. I was just praying it wouldn't go wrong.
Because if it went wrong, it could be deadly.
As I was checking the fireworks in the west wing of the castle my mind was flying a mile a minute. I was almost certain Edward could hear it.
"I still can't read your mind you know." Creepy how he does that. "And it's just as frustrating as before."
I winced at the word before. Because in before came later. And with later came heartbreak. That zombie stage I had been in frightened me more than James had been or Alex will ever be.
"So, did you develop a-" he started but I was too annoyed to let him finish.
"YEs, I got a power. I'm a copier, I can do virtually anything. Read your mind, predict the future, anything," I snapped at him.
I let myself ponder about the possibilities of this battle. If we lost this one the outcomes weren't good. If we got caught they'd beef up security and take extra precautions. How Alex would manage that I had no idea but didn't doubt the growing plausibility.
Because, truly, once one bit of the magick world reveals itself the domino effect reveals the entire thing. Werewolves, vampires, pixies, witches, the whole she-bang. So why hide it?
Exactly no reason at all. Might as well use all of your assets.
But did we have enough assets? I mean, will about 200-300 vamps cut it? The most cunning, stealthiest, and cleverest vampires be up to the job. Were we ready for this?
Was my army ready to strike back at the personal face of all evil? I was scared witless.
It wasn't that I didn't think we were able, per-say. We could whoop their butts. But we wanted to go about this carefully. If one measly minion of his got the wrong impression in their grimy little hands and notified him, we might be doomed.
Soon enough I had checked all the fireworks. I positioned everyone in their places waiting for Alex's smelly feet to step off the land.
"So, after becoming a vampire you decide to save the world?" Edward said, from what I was guessing, trying to make a conversation.
He was failing miserably. So, I threw him a bone.
"When I first got here I was thinking, 'Why isn't somebody saving us?' Then I realized I was a somebody," I said.
He stared intensely into my topaz eyes to match his own. Two really could play this game. Once at a museum I had a staring contest with 'The Thinker,' I won too.
"You don't have to be the fighter. You can have your happy ending too," he said, his breath was warm on my face.
"What are you suggesting?" I asked terrified.
Yes, I am pathetic. I'm scared witless of the battle with Alex but running to it once someone suggests an in-depth talk about your emotions and feelings and junk like that.
"To talk. About what happened," he said. I winced as he said the last part. What had happened was something I was not eager to revisit.
"Bells, we want you to have the honors of lighting the fuse," Blythe sing-songed happily like I had just won the lottery.
"Okay," I said thankful to be rescued. God, I love my sisters.
--
"Tad too forward," Emily advised.
"Maybe we shouldn't have interrupted," Jade said, biting her long manicured nails.
"Are you kidding? Bella looked like Edward was Hades and she was Persephone being told she was to live in Hell with him!" Blythe said. "She needs to gain your trust back, oh smart one."
"What if it doesn't work?" Edward demanded.
"Oh ye of little faith, just do it. Help her out with the small things, don't make any big moves yet. Slow and steady does it," Blythe instructed.
--
I watched as hundreds if inexperienced vampires crept through the paths of the castle's acres surrounding it. Emily handed me the match that would strike the revelation of eternity.
Flicking it across the sandpaper I watched the flame lick the small stick. Carefully I held the flame to the fuse connecting to the several roman candles spread across the castle.
It caught fire and I scrambled back to the others while an explosion of color and noise screeched through the mostly empty castle.
"And we're off and running," I said. You couldn't wipe the grin plastered to my face even if you tried.
(A/N Ya, I know, crappy chapter, right? I think I screwed up the relationship between Bella and Edward and that can be either a good or bad thing. Which I do not know but will probably find out. haha, I can't think of anything for the battle scene, so if you have any ideas, be sure to tell me. Please review and make me smile!)
