Chapter 8: Bella vs Azalea
next day I found two post-its on the mirror. one was from Jake with the message 'call me' and the other one was from the main administration office saying that Dean Lloud wanted to see me.
Dean Lloyd is the Dean of the Berkeley College in Yale, my college, and, if the last name is anything to go by, she's also Roger's mother.
On my way to the administrations building I called Jake
"mmhmm"
"morning to you too handsome"
"mmmmghm"
"jake, wake up"
"mmmghggm"
"I made out with Victoria last night and I'm becoming a lesbian"
"WHAT?"
I chuckled
"That woke you up"
"You're evil"
"you should see me with tail and horns"
"har har"
"what's up Jake?"
"we almost got her bells"
"almost?"
"those bloodsuckers got involved and she disappeared in the commotion"
he growled. I rolled my eyes, trust Edward to mess it up!
"are you going to go after her again?"
"of course we will. just so you know though I think she knows you're not here anymore. she was sniffing your house when we grabbed her"
"I thought you can't patrol forks with the Cullens there"
"technically we can't but since Billy was with Charlie..."
"you got a loophole"
"exactly. how's college life treating you?"
he changed the subject easily
"very well. I'm loving my classes, got in line for an amazing internship for the summer, got involved with a secret society and managed to find vampires"
"you've been there less than a month, how did you manage all that?"
I laughed
"I honestly don't know"
"are you gonna be okay bells?"
"yeah, no one hurt me so far"
I joked and we said goodbye. I smoothed down my skirt and entered the administrations building. the secretary's desk was empty so I knocked on the light wooden door. A woman in her mid forties looked up and her eyes sparkled.
"miss Swan?"
"exactly, are you dean Lloyd?"
"I am, please come inside"
I sat down on the comfortable red leather armchair.
"how are you finding your classes? too difficult?"
"no, not at all. I admit I'm a little behind but nothing that won't be fixed with a few all-nighters"
"It's good to hear that"
she fell silent for a while.
"the reason I invited you here, Isabella, is because I would like to get to know you. I mean I know your grandmother and you're in the same clubs as my daughter but I don't know you."
I tilted my head to the side
"daughter?"
"Kimberly"
she rubbed unconsciously a thin silver ring on her right index finger that was in the shape of leaves. Azalea wears the same, my eyes widened and she nodded silently.
"Kimberly seems like a very nice girl ma'am. you did a great job with her and roger"
I said politely and she chuckled. I bit my lip decided to jump the shark
"ma'am? was Alexis' death an accident? or did she become dessert?"
Katherine Lloyd's eyes snapped to mine, all signs of mirth now gone.
"it was an... accident. You should be more careful with your questions though"
I chuckled humorlessly
"like I told Azalea there is a long line of people out to get me, ma'am. A college society isn't exactly at the top of the list"
she smiled
"still. keep your eyes open, you never know what you will see will save you"
the message was clear and I nodded silently wondering if my life would have been any better if I had never left Phoenix. The next day, while I was at a study session at the Ivy house with Kimberly, I got a text from Jake. Victoria was dead but Charlie was in the hospital.
An animal attack.
my heart stopped for a moment as my phone slipped from my hands. Kimberly knelt next to me.
"Bella, what's wrong?"
"my dad, he's at the hospital"
A plan devised itself in my mind. I pulled out my cell phone and send a text to roger
'death of the Ivys. tonight'
I sent Kimberly to fetch Azalea for me as my mind went over the discussion I had with granddad last month.
FLASHBACK
"Bella, you're not here by accident. You were handpicked to clean up the Ivys. Listen to me. You have no idea how big this is. You can't out a billion-dollar secret organization with a phone call. They'll do anything they can to cover it up. Blood will be shed."
"Blood has been shed."
Charlie's face swam in my memory followed closely by Alexis'. the girl that trued to out the Ivys last semester and died.
"More blood."
"I can't believe you used me grandpa. All of you. Was charlie in on it too?"
he shook his head
"no. you're woman Bella. the Skull council wants more from you that the rest of the Skulls. they appointed this task to you. Remember, in order to clean an Ivy you only have to take off the bad seed"
"Grandpa"
"you're strong. you've met vampires before... you know what you have to do"
End Flashback
I called my dorm knowing that magenta has a late class and let the phone call go to our unlimited voicemail. soon after that Azalea came in looking all pristine and mighty. I put on my best game face.
"I'm scared."
"Come here, little Bella."
"My father is dead. My sisters, the Ivys, they're all I have left"
I wept praying that my words wouldn't come true.
"Alexis was like you, Bella. We gave her everything but she turned her back on her sisters. And we had to take care of her. But we did things our way. It was an accident, and that's exactly what your own death will be if you go against me. Just another terrible accident. They can't hurt us, Bella. When you're an Ivy...you can get away with murder. Trust me. I did"
"did your friends help you?"
"I'm alone here. the others are only acting"
she smirked taking off her dark green contact lenses letting her eyes shine red. I stood up slowly
"sorry Azalea. I danced to the rhythm played by one vampire, not going to do it again"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm keeping my enemy close, very close."
I held up the phone that had recorded our exchange and a match.
"You bitch!"
she snarled and started running after me. knowing that I can't run to save my life I jumped out of the window landing in the vast pool underneath it.
"Azalea, stop it! You've gone too far."
I heard Kimberly shouting as Azalea threw me around trying to get the phone away. Knowing that my scent goes AWOL in the water I did my best to avoid the crazed vampire behind me.
"heads up"
Roger shouted and I smelled gasoline. I dove to the bottom of the pool as he threw a match to Azalea who burned quickly and got out only when the girl in question was nothing but a pile of ashes.
"the last accident in the Ivy house"
Dean Lloyd said with finality as she took the ivy ring from the pile and tossed it at me.
"welcome aboard"
I chuckled for a moment before remembering Charlie.
"Charlie! I have to go"
Roger rubbed my arms.
"there is a private plane waiting for you, go"
I nodded and let Kimberly guide me away.
