Antithesis, Chapter 13
A/N: Yes, I know. I never do author notes, but on this occasion it is necessary to explain something about the plum in this chapter. I'm actually taking this story plot from another author: "LolaShoes." Her story is "A Life Extraordinary" and it develops Edward and Bella's life immediately after their marriage in greater detail.
Under other circumstances, I would have incorporated the meaning of the plum into "Antithesis" early on, but it only came to life in chapter 38 of "ALE" which was published this week.
With the author's permission, I've created a bit of a cross-universe with "ALE" and borrowed bits and pieces of the reality that LolaShoes has created: Edward and Bella's private 'Midnight to 6am' time, Edward's non-existent artistic talents (which just worked so well in the pictionary scene), and now the plum.
So. About the plum. It is actually a private "safe word" between Edward and Bella that means "Come back to us" and "togetherness" or "escape." If either of them use it, it's meant to alert the other that something isn't right and they want to find comfort in private to talk or just to get away so they can make it right again. You will see why this is relevant as you read chapter 13, "Reclamation."
Look for bonus chapters and deleted scenes, coming soon.
I saw the last swell of the resonating wave passed over us and I gasped as the nausea immediately ended. The sheets of rain came down now without interference and the roaring apart from the storm had stopped. Now, the only sound was that of the wind lashing in the trees and the crashing waves of the ocean as it battered the shore. Edward pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. When he was certain I was safe, he turned and reached one hand out to Alice and Jasper. They both took his hand into one of theirs while still clinging to each other.
We were all in shock.
"What just happened?" Jasper barely said above the noise of the storm. "What the hell was that?"
We looked back across the bay. Rolle was alone on the ledge. We could see the wind whip at his hair and clothes as lightning burst over our heads with an immediate explosion. Our agitation had made us twitchy and we ducked at the sudden clamor.
"Come on!" Edward yelled recovering first as he pulled me to my feet.
We ran along the ridge of the bay, jumping fallen trees and boulders, leaping over run-off ravines. As the thunder rolled out from us in all directions, we caught glimpses of Rolle through the trees as we ran. He was still on the ledge. Giant waves crashed below him, spraying enormous clouds of white mist all around him.
"Rolle!" Edward shouted. He couldn't hear us over the storm. "Rolle!"
We pelted around the northwest end of the bay and lost sight of the ledge for a moment. When we got into the clearing and could see the ledge again, Rolle was gone.
Edward stopped short, searching the ledge, cliff face and surf for any sign of him. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Rolle!" he called out as loud as he could.
"Where did he go?" Jasper shouted.
"Did you see him go into the water?" Alice asked.
"No," Edward answered. "Did any of you?"
We all shook our heads, still searching for him.
Alice clutched my arm suddenly. I was so wound up that I started. When I turned to see what she wanted, her eyes were wide with alarm. "Edward!" she gasped.
"Alice! What's wrong?" I yelled and turned to Edward. He had the same expression on his face as Alice.
"We have to get back!" he yelled, grabbing my hand as he turned. We followed him at a full run.
"What's wrong? What did Alice see?" I shouted over the storm.
"Marcus with Carlisle," he yelled back and picked up the pace he had set, almost dragging me with him.
Marcus? Here? Now? Panic raced through me and I stumbled as my knees went weak, only kept on my feet by Edward's hard grasp on my hand.
"Edward, I can't run that fast," I said. "You go! Go find Carlisle! I'll catch up with Alice and Jasper."
"No!" he shouted back.
"We'll be okay!" I had to make him see reason.
"NO!" he shouted, angry now, but he did slow down and kept as fast a pace as the rest of us could manage with the wind and whipping branches lashing at us, ripping our clothes.
Alice stumbled at my side and screamed. "No! Rolle, NO!"
Edward bellowed in outrage and the sound that erupted from him scared me more than I had ever been before. It was rage, denial, betrayal and fear.
"What? Edward, what?" I cried, frantic with dread. Something was horribly wrong.
My hand flew back to Alice who grabbed my fingers so hard it felt like she would crush them. "What did you see?" I screamed frantically, but Alice could not talk. Jasper wrapped his hands under her arm and the four of us found new speed as we raced home.
I hadn't realized we had gotten so far away from the house. Even though each mile flew by, even though the rain and wind of the hurricane pushed us with a heavy hand to slow us down, even though I didn't want the thoughts that were going through my mind, I didn't want to face the inevitable. The Volturi? Rolle's precarious mental stability? The hurricane that drove us in carnal instinctual ways I couldn't yet understand? I could only think one thing...
What has he done?
I pictured Rolle's hand smashing flat against Demetri's chest and I thought of Esme; sweet loving Esme vanishing into dust.
I pictured Rosalie, fighting back, blow after granite-cracking blow.
I pictured Emmett, tackling Rolle in mid-air and falling to a ledge.
It was none of them.
It was all of them.
It was the heart and soul of our family.
...it was Carlisle...
The four of us burst through the trees and into the yard... into Hell.
Rolle had Carlisle trapped from behind. With only one arm he held Carlisle locked in place with a frightening twist of limbs that seemed capable of ripping them off with a single motion. Rolle's other hand was clamped down on Carlisle's jaw, forcing his head back in another extreme position. I choked on the image of how easy it would be for Rolle to rip Carlisle's upper body apart using this torturous hold.
As we came crashing into the yard, the torrential rain pummeling us, Rolle spun to face us causing Carlisle to scream in pain. I half expected to see Carlisle's arms fall to the ground with that sound.
Esme screamed hysterically in response to his pain. I saw her in Rosalie's arms against the mangled side of Emmett's Land Rover. Emmett was face down in the mud. His arm was at his feet, a yard away.
Edward and Jasper snarled in rage, but neither of them attacked. Edward could no more leave my side, than Jasper could leave Alice's. Rolle snarled back with such viciousness that I couldn't recognize any part of him.
"STOP!" a clear voice bellowed long and low and completely unfamiliar.
He was dressed in black and stood on the other side of an ancient tree. He was obscured from our view when we entered the yard. Even as he stepped forward it was hard to really see him through the sheeting rain. I saw his stark white hair before I could make out his form in the darkness.
Marcus.
While we were covered in mud and leaves, he was somehow regal and sharp even though he was drenched. Our clothes hung on us in ripped tatters from lashing branches. His suit was old, but ornate and rich. The black velvet was elaborately embroidered with piping and braids. The cut of his black pants was too crisp. His hair was plastered to his skull. Water streamed over his translucent skin in rivulets.
"Let him go!" Marcus commanded over the roar of the rain and thunder.
"He's your enemy!" Rolle shouted back.
My jaw dropped open in shock. Rolle... and the Voturi?
Edward roared furiously and Jasper lunged toward Rolle, but Rolle spun Carlisle around again using him as a shield.
"Jasper!" Rosalie screamed in fear.
Carlisle cried out in pain again. "Edward, no!" he choked out through gritted teeth.
Esme cried out again at the unbearable sound of pain in Carlisle's voice. I sobbed and choked never wanting to hear his voice like that again.
Rolle glared at Jasper. There was nothing I recognized in that deadly stare. This wasn't the Rolle I knew. This was the assassin.
"He is not my enemy," Marcus shouted again, demanding Rolle's attention.
"He is!" Rolle maintained. "I have heard the stories."
"No!" Marcus yelled.
"Yes! You came to test him. To see for yourself!" Rolle argued.
"I said release him!" Marcus commanded sharply.
"I won't!" Rolle shouted back.
Marcus was angry now and stormed forward. "Who are you to question..."
"I can't let them hurt you!" Rolle interrupted, raising his voice over the storm. "You made me what I am."
Marcus stopped dead in his tracks at these words, his expression freezing in place as he stared at Rolle.
As if knowing that Marcus was trying to figure out who he was, Rolle pushed Carlisle forward a step, making him grunt again in pain. He twisted himself around Carlisle so Marcus could see him clearly.
"You!" Marcus gasped. His voice was nearly lost on the wind that had picked up even more speed. His coat flapped violently around his legs.
He stared at Rolle as if he'd never seen him before and I wondered if he had ever learned that Rolle had survived the watery nonexistence he had condemned him to all those years ago.
As this knowledge seemed to sink in, Marcus' surprised stare went around the yard, looking at all of us before it settled on me and changed to a suspicious, calculating glint. He looked back at Rolle. Methodically looked at each one of us, squinting through the rain, always looking back at Rolle before he moved on to the next.
It was like watching a strange ping-pong match and I was certain he was using his gift, looking for any ties between us. I was equally as certain the only thing he saw from us was our wrath at Rolle's complete and utter betrayal.
Apparently satisfied that he was not being duped, Marcus' attention returned to Rolle.
"You made me! And then you left me." Rolle accused. "Why?" he demanded to know.
The apathy that I associated with Marcus returned, and he looked like the vague human memory I had of him that day in Volterra.
"I wanted you then," he answered with an empty hollow tone, only just loud enough to be heard over the storm.
"Then? Then!" Rolle snarled. "And then what? You changed your mind?" he accused viciously.
Marcus shook his head slowly. "Then things... changed," his added slowly, his voice sounded distant and it broke over the word.
Carlisle gasped in Rolle's hands and Rolle renewed his grip. Esme cried out desperately in Rosalie's arms, but Rolle ignored her. Edward and Jasper hissed angrily, itching to leap in to attack.
"Changed how?" Rolle snapped loudly, water spitting from his lips. His hair and rain streamed into his eyes, the water dripped from his jaw.
Marcus took a deep breath and raised his chin and the wind receded momentarily. "My mate was killed."
Rolle seemed confused at this and his reaction confused me as well. Rolle knew this already. He had told me this himself. Why would it confuse him now? Was his mind so broken that part of him did not know the truth?
Rolle paused has he appeared to process this information and scanned around him a moment, evaluating our positions as if he thought he was being tricked. He looked back at Marcus again.
"So you see... I had a new understanding of you. I fully comprehended what you were feeling, your lost sense of purpose over your lover's death. So in a rare display of pity, I returned to put you out of your misery." Marcus turned and strode a few steps away, then raised his eyes to look at all of us, but he didn't seem to care that we were being made privileged to this information. He looked at Rolle again over his shoulder. "When I found you, however, my grief became self-serving and I tore you apart in the hopes that you would turn your exquisite revenge on me as well."
Rolle's silver eyes flashed. "You... You wanted me to kill you," he stated as fact.
Marcus shrugged. His voice still overly loud to be heard above the storm. "I'd hoped your sense of vendetta would extend me that courtesy, yes." His blank expression turned bitter. "As it turned out, I was disappointed in that as well."
"That explains why you killed me the second time," Rolle said slowly, apparently still trying to process this information. "So why did you kill me the first time?"
Marcus sighed heavily as if bored. "I wanted you for the guard," he answered simply, and it was exactly as Carlisle had guessed.
"Guard...?" Rolle repeated slowly.
Rolle didn't know what the Volturi Guard was? How could he not? Something was beginning to nag at me, but I couldn't allow myself to focus on it. Carlisle's choking sounds and Marcus' voice would not let me focus.
"Yes, the Volturi Guard. You had... specific talents that we could have found useful."
Rolle looked at Marcus, obviously waiting for more, but Marcus said nothing else.
"And now?" Rolle asked impatiently. "What now?"
Marcus turned to face him. "Now... you let Carlisle go. He is not an enemy. He is a friend."
Rolle looked down at Carlisle in his arms, his face hard. "I removed the one that was following you," he said suddenly.
Dismay flickered in Marcus' eyes. "Removed? Removed how?"
"He's gone," was Rolle's simple reply.
"What does that mean?" Marcus pressed, but Rolle did not elaborate. "Who was following me?"
"I don't know. He had long dark hair. He wore a black cloak." Rolle went on to describe Demetri and I saw recognition dawn on Marcus' face.
"You..." he paused, trying to understand Rolle's implications. "You... saved… me from him?"
"He was following you," Rolle said, but not agreeing outright.
Marcus stared at Rolle as if seeing him for the first time. Something of his old self reappeared in his eyes then, and the apathy was gone altogether revealing a deep and calculating mind. This must have been who Marcus had been before his mate was killed. Only now could I see how Marcus had fit so easily into the Volturi trio. He was just as capable of plotting and strategizing and maneuvering as Aro, and more so than Caius who let his impatience cloud any logical thinking.
Marcus slowly nodded. "Thank you." His apathy immediately returned and he waved a hand dismissively in Rolle's direction. "Now release Carlisle. I know he is no enemy. You have my word." He turned and looked and Edward. "I apologize on behalf of the Volturi for the trouble that my protégé has caused. He only meant to serve me in the only way he knew how."
The snarl on Edward's lips only deepened, and I knew Rolle's betrayal was curling like a disease in him. I clutched his hand and wrist tighter in my fingers. The wind started picking up again and thunder rumbled ominously overhead.
Rolle's fingers slowly released Carlisle and Esme was at his side in an instant, curling into his arms as she clutched the back of his shirt in both hands. Rosalie moved to care for Emmett and rolled him onto his back, gasping to force back a sob. She reached out with shaking fingers to drag his severed arm through the mud to his side.
Rolle backed away from us warily, always keeping Marcus in his protective sight.
Marcus waved his hand weakly toward Carlisle in something meant to be an apology. "I am very sorry..."
Carlisle rubbed his neck and his voice was hoarse as he asked, "Why did you come?"
Marcus only shook his head. "It does not matter, my friend. It is no longer an issue that needs to be aired. I know all I need to know now. Please forgive our intrusion."
Carlisle nodded hesitantly. "Take him with you," he said coldly, staring hard at Rolle.
Marcus nodded with regret and turned to walk away. He took Rolle by the elbow who turned him to follow. When Marcus released his arm though, Rolle paused and spun, flicking something into the air toward us.
Edward snatched it out of the wind with a scowl and turned it over in his hand.
It was a plum.
Edward's eyes went wide as he looked at me. I'm gasped in shock as he showed it to me. We whipped our heads up at the same time, looking at Rolle.
He met our eyes for only a moment before he turned to follow Marcus. Edward fell to his knees in the mud, dragging me with him.
§∞•••∞§
As Rolle and Marcus walked away, a layer of sound as thin as onion skin was peeled away. It felt like a low hissing like a white noise generator, indistinguishable from the sounds of the storm, had been turned off.
The world went into fast-forward around us. Jasper rushed to Emmett. Rosalie's beautiful face was contorted with fear and anger as she choked back her tearless sobs. Alice rushed to Esme and Carlisle and wrapped them in her arms. The hurricane started to bring branches down out of the trees.
I stared at the plum in Edward's hand. "What does it mean?" I don't know if my voice made the words. I couldn't hear myself.
Edward shook his head then raised his hand to my cheek and pushed my hair out of my eyes. Together, we snapped back into reality and got to our feet to help our family.
Edward threw his arms around Carlisle embracing him in desperation and relief. "Are you alright?"
Carlisle only breathed deeply and nodded. There was disappointment heavy in his eyes as he reached his hand out and cupped my cheek. I captured his hand under my own and pressed his palm closer. I felt guilty and confused about what had just happened, but I needed to know everyone was safe first. Esme pulled me into her arms and tucked me close as she stroked my hair.
"Are you alright?" she asked me.
I couldn't stop a nervous burst of laughter at her logic that something could be wrong with me! "I'm fine. What happened?"
Before she could answer, Emmett groaned painfully several feet away. Despite his own injuries, Carlisle went into doctor mode and hurried to his son's side. Jasper was reattaching the severed arm.
No matter how many times I see that — and I had only seen it happen once before when Emmett tried to foolishly stop his old jeep from sliding off a cliff — I still cannot get used to the sight of one of our limbs reattaching itself.
"Where am I?" Emmett moaned. "What happened?"
"You were unconscious?" Edward asked as he knelt beside Emmett.
Rosalie helped Emmett sit up and threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his uninjured arm around her waist wincing in pain. Alice reached out and rested her hand on his muddy hair as the torrential rain slowly rinsed the mud down his neck. She touched his head, his shoulder, his arm, to reassure herself he would be all right. Jasper kept looking over his shoulder as if he was afraid the threat would return.
"Let's get everyone inside," Carlisle urged in a tired voice.
Edward helped Emmett to his feet and Jasper kept a secure arm around Carlisle as we got out of the storm.
The roaring sound of the storm muted as we got inside and the door closed behind us.
"Stop," Esme said dismissively when we hesitated, trying to not spread mud all over the house. "Don't." She pulled and patted and herded us — mud and all — into the living room and down the hall to the bedroom she and Carlisle shared.
Jasper helped Carlisle to the bed and eased him down. Esme climbed up beside him, pulling me along behind her. She kissed my forehead before leaning her cheek onto Carlisle's shoulder, her hand curled around mine with no intention of letting go.
As the three of us were tucking into each other, Edward helped Emmett sit across the foot of the bed and Rose pulled his shoulder down gently so he could rest his head in her lap. Rose stroked his forehead and cheek with one hand, angrily wiping her other hand across her eyes and pushing her hair out of her face. I watched her touch Emmett so gently, even as she treated herself so harshly.
I stretched my leg out and pressed my foot against her thigh, wishing I had kicked off my shoes. Rosalie looked up sharply, her vulnerability and self-condemnation spilling out of her expression for a moment before her face relaxed and she tried to smile at me, patting my ankle to reassure me.
Alice crawled onto the middle of the bed where she could touch everyone and gently urged Emmett's injured arm over her, resting her head on Rose's knee, too.
Edward came around and sat beside me on the edge of the bed with his arm over my shoulders and half onto Esme's. Jasper took the other edge between Emmett and Carlisle's legs. Alice lifted a foot over his thigh when he placed his hand on her hip.
When we had all stilled, the silence in the room thickened. We looked at each other without really seeing one another as we processed what just happened. All eight of us curled up on Esme's hand-embroidered quilt, muddy, bruised and soaking wet, and all we could do was be grateful we were all here together. Safe.
Emmett was the first one to speak.
"If I see that mother fucker again, I'll kill him." His voice was quiet and though his words were angry, his tone was not.
Esme said nothing about his language, but then again, all she had to do was allow it and it was as if she had spoken the words herself.
Jasper raised his eyes. "If you see him again... run." Emmett's eyes darted to him, and Jasper added quietly, "I know I will."
"What?" Emmett gasped in shock.
"We saw why he's called an assassin. We saw what he can do," Jasper said.
I had never seen Jasper look so old or so tired.
"What can he do?" Carlisle asked.
Jasper shrugged and shook his head, trying to find the words. "He makes people vanish."
"You mean, like, disappear?" Rose asked faintly.
Jasper still could not wrap his mind around what we had witnessed.
"There was a noise," Edward said. "It caused pain. Like your entire being was ripped apart, cell by cell."
"And then it changed," I added. "It felt like it was pulsing. I thought I was going to be sick."
"Sick, like nausea?" Carlisle asked.
I nodded. "I could even see it beating through the rain."
"Demetri doubled over as the sound started," Jasper added.
"We all did," Alice corrected.
Jasper continued. "And then Rolle hit him flat in the chest and he just disappeared. It was like he had been turned into dust, and the wind just whipped him away."
"Like some kind of intense sonic disruption," I said and stopped. Suddenly many things made sense. "Like sonar? He's in the water all the time, and he had a human gift for music and singing." I looked at Edward and he looked at Carlisle.
"Is that possible? Could his human abilities be warped like that?"
Carlisle thought for a moment. "I suppose it's possible, though I've never heard of it."
"That's what makes him an assassin," Alice whispered. "He can kill a vampire in less than a second. No fight. No fire. He can turn you into dust in an instant."
"If it's so easy, why didn't he kill any of us?" Carlisle asked.
"What happened here?" Edward wanted to know.
"The four of us were in the hunt when Esme caught Marcus' scent leading toward the house," Carlisle said. "We came back to meet him. We had only just caught sight of him when Rolle came out of nowhere and tackled Emmett. No matter what we tried to say to stop him, he only attacked with more ferocity."
"When I tried to pull him off Emmett, he threw me against Emmett's truck," Rosalie added. "That only made things worse, and he ripped Emmett's arm off." Rose's voice had gone cold. Her rage seethed as she said these words out loud.
"He rammed me back against the Rover," Emmett picked up the story, "and it was all I could do to not get Rose caught between me and the truck, but that's all I remember. I hit the Rover, the glass flew everywhere, and then... nothing."
"Nothing meaning... you were unconscious?" Edward asked curiously.
"I don't know. I've never been unconscious before," Emmett answered.
"How can that be?" Jasper asked Carlisle.
"Can't we get knocked unconscious?" I wanted to know.
Carlisle shook his head. "Dazed, yes, but not unconscious. Our minds don't work like human minds do. They don't shut down to protect against extreme pain, just like we don't sleep to rejuvenate or heal."
"When Carlisle tried to intercede," Esme continued the story now, "Rolle just snapped and caught his wrist. He flipped them over onto the ground and when he came up again, he had Carlisle in some kind of locking hold. That's how we were when you arrived."
"And Rolle said nothing? Gave no indication as to what prompted the attack?" Edward asked softly.
Carlisle shook his head. "No more than what he said to Marcus. That he was protecting Marcus from us."
I found myself shaking my head. "It doesn't make any sense," I muttered out loud.
"What doesn't make sense is him attacking us," Rosalie hissed. "What doesn't' make sense is him ripping Emmett's arm off."
I felt a rush of shame at Rose's words. "I know. I'm sorry," I whispered. If our positions were reversed, I knew my reaction would be the same as hers: plain and simple anger. "It's just that..."
I couldn't stop myself. I didn't want to sound like I was defending Rolle against my family after what he'd done, but everything seemed so wrong and I just wanted to figure it out.
"Well... he came here to warn us that the Volturi would come. Why would he suddenly be worried about protecting them?"
"Perhaps because they sent Marcus," Carlisle offered. "Maybe he couldn't attack the one who made him."
"But that doesn't make sense either," I pressed. "He could have joined Marcus anytime if that's what he wanted. Rolle's been nothing but confused about why Marcus 'killed him twice'," I quoted. Another thought suddenly occurred to me. "And why did he ask Marcus about that? He knew about Marcus' mate. He was the one who told us about it. Why did he seem surprised to learn about it? And he pretended like he didn't know who the Volturi Guard was. And Demetri... He knew who Demetri was. We talked about him the night we came back from the festival."
Edward shifted beside me as Jasper pointed out, "But he'd never met Demetri. He wouldn't have known who he was by appearance."
As Jasper had spoken, I saw Edward's hand come up in my peripheral vision and I turned to see what he was doing.
He held the plum in his palm again.
"Could it..." he began to say, but stopped. His expression was resistant and confused, like he did not want to admit to something that was against his will.
"What is it, Edward?" Carlisle pressed.
Instead, Edward looked at Alice. "You saw nothing of this?" he asked in a tone that was not judging, but almost pleading.
Alice still looked ashamed and shook her head. "Not until it was too late."
"But you'd had other visions around Rolle while he was here that were accurate," Edward said, knowing it was true because he would have heard them right along with her. Alice nodded. "So why now? What do you think was different about tonight that kept you from seeing this happening?"
Alice stroked the back of Emmett's hand as she answered. "The only times I haven't been able to see Rolle's future is when he's broken. Ask Jazz. He's been happy here with us all this time." Jasper nodded in agreement. "And I've seen him in every vision until today."
"So something happened today that flipped him," Edward said like he was thinking out loud.
"You said he was unpredictable," I reminded him. "Like a dog that could turn on you without warning."
"Wait a minute," Rosalie said suddenly. "Are we seriously trying to find excuses for what he did today? He attacked us! He ripped off Emmett's arm! He could have ripped Carlisle in half!"
"He could have killed all of us a lot easier," Jasper reminded us. He looked at Edward. "So why do you think something flipped him?" he asked.
"The plum," Alice answered, and I realized that she would of course know about the safe word Edward and I used.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Rosalie shot back.
"It's our safe word," I answered. "We use it when we need time to be together, when we're in a situation where we need to get away and talk or just be alone."
Carlisle leaned forward and stared at Edward. "Do you think he did all of this intentionally? To protect us?"
Edward shook his head. "I really don't know."
"But why?" Esme gasped.
"Oh my God." I knew. I knew why. "Aro."
Edward moaned beside me. "He had to make it look authentic so Aro would believe it was all true when he saw Marcus' thoughts. Aro would have to see that Marcus's gift saw no ties between Rolle and us."
"So why did he leave with Marcus?" I asked. "Edward, why would he leave with Marcus?"
Edward looked at me, then looked at Carlisle. "He killed Demetri. Rolle killed the Volturi tracker."
Carlisle's face fell. "He's going to take his place. He's joining the Volturi."
§∞•••∞§
The family came to an immediate decision after that revelation, and we simply had to know. Alice saw that Marcus was flying back to Italy as soon as the weather permitted. We really had no way of knowing if we were right about Rolle. All our hopes hinged on a single piece of fruit and its secret message.
The only thing we could do was wait for Alice to tell us when it would be safe to approach Rolle to get answers, without Marcus knowing. Our chance came two days later.
We watched Marcus head into the airport terminal leaving Rolle alone at the door. His eyes were blank. His face was slack. He stood rooted to the spot like he had all those years ago in Forks the first night I had met him.
"I can't let him do this," Edward whispered, but I didn't know if he was talking to me or just speaking out loud.
We hurried around the corner and walked quickly up the sidewalk, glancing continuously into the terminal to see where Marcus was. When we reached Rolle, we simply grabbed him by the arms and pulled him past the doors around the far corner of the building. He did not react at all. He had been transported from that spot to this and he never even blinked.
"Rolle," Edward hissed out his name. There was no reaction. "Rolle!" he said again, shaking him by the shoulders. "You can't do this!"
"I want to," he whispered, but his eyes did not focus on us.
"Rolle, please," I begged, "don't leave. Don't join them."
He took a deep breath and seemed to come to life in front of us. He closed his eyes slowly and smiled sadly, turning to look at me. He just stared at me and I tried to tell him with my eyes that Volterra was the wrong place for him. He raised his hand to my cheek.
"I love you for trying… still," he whispered to me and shook his head with an ironic puff. "But you have to understand, this is what I want. This is how I can be with her and," he looked at Edward, "protect you."
"I don't understand," I said.
"Demetri was the key," Rolle whispered, his voice sounded so far away. "He decided to go rogue and try to earn Caius' favor by dealing with Carlisle himself. Now they have no tracker. If they take me, you'll never have to worry about them again. I won't let them find you," he said, looking between the two of us.
Edward turned Rolle by his elbow. "No! Don't you see? Aro will know. As soon as he touches you, he'll know what you've done. He'll know why you did it."
Rolle's sad smile came back and he shook his head. "Not if I'm remembering Gillian. Not if I'm thinking about that day," he added, his voice straining with keeping the memory at bay. "That's why this is a good thing. I can think about her all the time." His eyes closed as if he were picturing Gillian in his mine now. "And I can keep you both safe. That's why I'm here. That's why I have to stay with them. That's how I can pay for what I did. It's my punishment and my salvation. This is how I can be with her always."
The words Alice said to me all those years ago flared in my mind. Two sides of a coin. If he was remembering Gillian, then he wouldn't remember how to be happy, he wouldn't be able to enjoy the music that seemed to pull him back from his pain. And I remembered his songs — glimmers, he called them. It all made sense now; how he was able to sing those songs that were so appropriate to each of us: his ability to mimic another's mind.
"God, Rolle," I gasped, realizing the full extent of what he was offering to sacrifice. "Your music!" Edward groaned as he, too, realized what was at risk here.
He shook his head, smiling sadly. "It doesn't matter. It's not important."
"We don't want you to do this," Edward insisted, his own voice full of pain.
Rolle's expression changed to a compassionate, knowing smile. "Don't be sad, Edward." He looked at me, but continued speaking to Edward. "You have everything here that you need to be happy." He faced Edward again. "You do everything and ANYthing to make sure she's safe or I'll kick your foolish head in. Don't." he said slowly, gently poking Edward's chest as he enunciated every word. "Become. Me."
Rolle pulled Edward into his arms and clutched him tight. "Don't lose the best part of who you are," he whispered to his friend.
Edward gripped him firmly in return, his face twisted with remorse.
When Rolle released him, he turned to hug me as well. "Take care of each other," he said, and then let me go, putting my hand in Edward's as he did.
"Friends come and go," he said, holding our joined hands between his. "Love can last a lifetime, but this... This!" he said giving our hands a single shake. "Makes the stars burn."
Rolle looked at both of us and then turned to leave. Before he disappeared around the corner, he paused and looked back. "Tell Carlisle that I didn't break my promise to him. Will you make sure he knows the truth?"
Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulders and opened his mouth, but no words came out as he nodded.
Rolle nodded once and put his hand over his heart, and then he was gone.
Edward was silent beside me, staring at the spot Rolle had been. He couldn't stop the frustrated sadness that made his arms and legs twitch as if he would run after his friend to stop him. After a long minute, he calmed and stilled, pulling me into his arms and burying his face against my neck.
"He really does love us," I said out loud as if it wouldn't be true otherwise. I felt Edward nod, but he said nothing. He just held me closer.
With a heavy sigh, he kissed my neck and leaned back to look at me.
"We have great friends," I said, smoothing my hands over his back to comfort him.
He struggled to control his voice, but it cracked despite his efforts. "Epic."
SEQUEL ANNOUNCED — Absolución
A/N: I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who have added me as a favorite author or have added "Antithesis" to your favorite story lists. I was stunned and delighted to have the story nominated for the Twilight Indies, and simply flabbergasted to have made it to the final rounds. Thank you!
The sequel for "Antithesis" will begin posting this month. The new story, called "Absolución" will pick up where the previous story left off and will be multi-threaded, following each group of characters as they go about their destinies. I will be posting the story as Absolucion, making it easier for folks to search, since unicode characters like that accent over the 'o' are hard to type on most keyboards.
I hope you come to enjoy the ride.
A/N Addition: This story, and it's sequel Absolución are up for several awards in multiple categories. Even if you don't for it, you should check out the nominated entries. The Avant Garde voting is here bit (dot) ly/aon921 and ends on Dec. 4th, 2010 and the Original Character Awards are here bit (dot) ly/go5FfR ending on Dec. 14th, 2010.