Well, taking into account that this is my second update this week… I don't have anything to say, other then PLEASE REVIEW!! (ForeverEdwardandBella, this is not directed at you, dear, seeing as you reviewed chapter 20.) Thank you for reading as always! Also, I like to make banners, so I made one for this story and I'm sure you guys have figured out that I like Phantom of the Opera by now, so I included the songs that make me think of Edward, Meg, and Bella. Don't ask me why each of these songs makes me thing of them, they just do. lol. Seriously don't ask about Bella's song after this chapter… cuz I'm still wondering about that myself. :D
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Here's chapter 21!!
Chapter 21 Please?
Meg started to follow Edward with Bella cradled gently, yet somehow protectively in his arms and Alice as they went with Demetri back to the entrance, but she remembered herself and stopped before she had even taken a full step. They had gone quickly and without glancing back.
"Ah, Felix." Aro was saying now, the amusement in his voice didn't surprise Meg. "Heidi will be here at any moment. Patience."
She sucked in quick breath at that. "Master?" Meg asked in a nearly panicked voice. "My I go now?"
"Why, Megara?" Aro asked turning to face her, acting genially perplexed by her request.
"Your dinner is about to arrive and since I do not feed as you do and I do not wish for an accident to occur." Meg was not about to let her prefect record of never killing a human or tasting human blood to be ruined for the dim-witted reason of being in the same room while they slaughtered more then three dozen people. Meg looked down at Marcus with pleading eyes as she heard the voices of the unknowing humans come closer.
"You may leave, Meg, but I wish to have a word with you before nightfall." Marcus said.
Meg was at the door in a second, just as it opened. 'Damn it.' She cursed in her mind as she was forced to move aside to let the crowd enter to their doom.
"Welcome, guests! Welcome to Volterra!" Aro called in a voice that almost sang every word as the awestruck humans filed in.
Meg covered her mouth as if she was going to be sick and run out of the chamber and into the passage as soon as the last one passed her. She made it to the hall that had led them to that terrible room.
"Welcome home, Heidi." Meg heard Demetri happily from just a few steps ahead of her. Edward and Alice had seated themselves on one of the couches in the office like area. Edward had Bella's head in his lap; she looked like she was in a peaceful sleep after having her memories ripped from her.
"Demetri," She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. Her eyes then landed on Meg who was leaning on the wall and breathing as if she had just ran a marathon. "Oh, Meg, you had my hopes up."
"How so…?" Meg asked finally getting her breath back, she gazed at the younger vampire confused. She also caught a glimpse of Gianna as she sat at her desk; she was rolling her eyes at Meg.
"Gianna said you were in the feeding chamber, but then you come out like that." Heidi sighed shaking her head.
"You should know better." Meg said standing up straight and smoothing out her clothes and cloak.
Heidi shrugged. "I can dream, can't I?" She then looked at Demetri again. "Aren't you coming?"
"Meg, do you mind finishing?" He asked.
She shook her head. "I'm sure they already know not to leave before dark. But I'll make sure."
Demetri took Heidi's hand and the two of them headed into the passage quickly. The screams of pure terror began a moment later. Meg slid the panel back into place hiding the door once again, that helped, but her vampire ears made it impossible to drown them out completely.
"What was all that talk about singers?" Alice asked, glancing down the hall where Meg stood.
"La tua cantante." Edward all but sang the words.
Meg squared her shoulders; she had regained herself, and walked slowly toward them. She carefully took every step, as if she were walking through a mine field.
"Yes, that." Alice said.
Edward looked at Meg a moment as she approached them, then turned back to his sister. "They have a name for someone who smells the way Bella does to me. The way I smell to Meg. They call us singers –because our blood sings."
To Meg's confusion, Alice laughed.
"Alice finds the name funny." Edward explained. Meg stopped in front of him. "I'm not leaving."
"Edward…" Meg started. "You have to."
"Let me rephrase then," His golden eyes seem to burn into her. "I'm not leaving without you."
"Edward, you fail to see how impossible that is." Meg turned on her heel, headed for the library as usual her only escape.
Edward gently laid Bella's head on the couch. "Alice, please watch over her, if anything happens, yell and I'll come." He turned to after Meg, but Alice's glare stopped him.
"Make up your mind." She said firmly.
"I have." Edward said in the same tone.
"Have you? Then why am I still getting two different futures?" Alice demanded.
Edward stopped for a moment and actually paid attention to what she was seeing. His face broke into a bright smile. "Alice, I have decided, but someone hasn't." He turned and went after Meg, but she was already gone. He ran to the library.
Meg sat in her favorite spot in the window gazing down at the square that was still full of naive humans that didn't know what horrors lay behind the façade of an ancient and beautiful castle. Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to permit them to fall.
Slowly, Edward came toward her, she didn't bother to look, she knew it was him. When he reached her, he sat down next to her. "No more thoughts of darkness," He began to sing softly. "Forget these wide-eyed fears; I'm here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears; I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you."
Meg still didn't turn her gaze
from the window. Almost to low for even Edward to hear she joined the
song. "Say you'll love
me every waking moment; turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you
need me with you now and always; promise me that all you say is true,
that's all I ask of you."
"Let me be your shelter, let me be your light; you're safe, no one will find you, your fears are far behind you." Edward continued. He reached out and took Meg's left hand in his.
"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night; and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me." Meg finally looked at him. She blinked her tears away, squeezing his hand.
"Then say you'll share with me one love, one immortal lifetime; let me lead you from you solitude. Say you need me with you, here beside you, Meg, that's all I ask of you." He was changing the lyrics to his unfair advantage.
Meg shook her head slowly. "Say you'll share with me one love; one immortal lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you. Say you love me..."
"You know I do." Edward said firmly, rather then sang softly.
She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. Meg's shoulders shook a little, as if she was crying, but no more tears came. "You always know the right thing to say… or sing." She whispered into his shirt.
Edward returned her embrace and laid his head on top of hers. He ran his fingers through her soft, blonde locks. It made him think of passing his fingers through sunlight. "Meg, please listen to me."
"I can't leave and I won't let you stay here." She said stubbornly.
"You haven't even heard–" But Edward was cut off by someone clearly their throat.
"Meg, Marcus wishes a word with you now." Deacon said. He looked awkward, standing there with his hands behind his back as he stared at them.
Were they done feeding already? Or had Meg been gone longer then she realized? It no longer mattered which.
"Now?" She asked reluctantly pulling away from Edward and looking at the other guard blankly.
"Yes. Please follow me." Deacon said shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His light brown hair fell into his now bright red eyes. He was built a little stronger then Edward, but not as much as Felix was. As easily as he blended in even among his own kind, it was no surprise that his gift allowed him to be unseen if he wished.
Edward released Meg as she began to stand. "I'll be back as soon as I can." She only had until nightfall to spend with Edward and she did not want to waste one moment of that limited time.
"Take as much time as you need." Edward said smiling crookedly, that knowing look in his eyes that said that he knew more then he was saying.
Meg opened her mouth to ask Edward what he had heard, but Deacon cleared his throat again. She sighed and followed him out of the library, away from Edward. Each step away from him seemed like another broken piece of her heart. She reminded herself that it would break in time anyways, but she wanted to keep it in tact as long as she could.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Marcus was in his study, a large room that lay in the southern part of the castle. Its ancient, gray stones looked as bored and dulled by life as he was. The room was simply, only a few chairs, a desk with an out-of-date quill, ink bottle, and parchment set on top of it, several books that looked as though they would crumble if one were to touch them were open and laying out on a long oak table that had a few cobwebs hanging from it, but no dust on top of it, along with the books were a few scrolls that were in the same state of disrepair.
He was seated next to a fireplace that didn't even have the ashes of a fire, as if it had never been used. He motioned for Meg to take the seat across from him, and then glanced at Deacon. "Leave us."
"Yes, Master." He replied obediently, then exited.
Meg sat down on the edge of the chair and folded her hands in her lap. She always felt like a troublesome child that had been caught doing some form of mischief by a grandfather that she was quite fond of, who did plan on punishing her, but wished to scare them into not trying it again when she was alone with Marcus. At the same time, he almost seemed to be the only one in this place that fully understood her.
"You requested to speak with me." Meg said when he was silent for a time. Away from Aro and Caius she was allow to be informal.
"Yes," Marcus said as if he hadn't exactly planed what he wished to say. "Meg, I have always felt that Aro and Caius wronged you and Edward both when they erased your memories. A bond as you and Edward had –have– should not be broken. It shocked me when his relationship with Bella was nearly as strong. Living in this place can… dull one's senses, numb the mind, but you have somehow endured." Marcus paused again to gaze at her; his red eyes didn't have the same effect as Edward's amber ones. "I'm releasing you."
Meg was the one that stared now. At first she thought she had imagined what he had said, but when she realized that Marcus had really spoke the words she longed to hear, all she could do was stare at him with her mouth hanging open slightly. "I beg your pardon…?" she asked breathlessly.
"You're free to leave with Edward, Alice, and Bella when they leave at nightfall." Marcus clarified.
Her eyes filled with tears again, but this time they were of happiness. "Aro will not be pleased." She said just above a whisper.
"He took your memories with out my consent; I will release you without his." Marcus replied matter-of-factly.
"Why?" Meg asked. "In all the years I've been here, you've been so kind to me, why?"
"I suppose you remind me of a far younger version of myself. A hopeless bookworm in love." Marcus said softly, his red eyes were out of focus as if he was remembering a long forgotten memory of his youth. He smiled at her, so how the expression made him look at peace. "Go with my blessing, young one."
"I don't know how to thank you…" Meg said softly, still in disbelief that this was happening. She wanted to hug him, but that seem inappropriate…
"Enjoy your life. Live everyday; do not waste away in your immortality."
Meg stood to leave and when she reached the door, she stopped. With a bright smile, she unfastened her cloak and let it fall from her shoulders and with it the weight of the world. "I will never forget this kindness, Marcus, nor shall I waste it." She opened the door and on weightless feet, she ran back to Edward, to her heart, to her home.