A/N:
I've got a real looong chapter for you this week, guys! Lots of different things will happen in this chapter, and our gang will get a chance to relax a bit!
I'm gonna continue putting the disclaimer here just be sure that everyone is aware of where this story originated.
This story isn't 100 % mine. I have transformed it into a story from an interactive story app called Choices (an app I am completely obsessed with atm) and the creators are Pixelberry Studios.
So here's my disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the plot of this story. All recognizable content belongs to their respective owner. No copyright infringement intended. Names and places have been changed for the purpose of Fanfiction.
{Chapter 8}
I dropped to my knees, barely able to keep from collapsing completely. I forced my eyes up to where the possessed Victoria floated in front of me, her eyes crackling with green energy.
"The other half. Where … is … it?"
"Vic … Victoria, I don't know! I—"
Victoria spread her arms, sending a shockwave that made the entire room tremble.
"WHERE?"
Harrvel cowered behind the bone-white throne, trembling. "That isn't your friend anymore, Catalyst! You must save yourself!"
Victoria floated toward me, the air around her shimmering like asphalt on a hot day.
I pushed myself to my feet and staggered toward her, my hand outstretched.
"What are you doing?!" Harrvel exclaimed in panic.
"Please, Victoria … I don't know what's going on … but I know you're in there somewhere," I pleaded with her. "Can you hear me? Vicky?"
She looked down at her own hands, her voice somehow echoed by a low rumble, like the churning of ancient mountains. "Who … is … this?"
"Run, you fool!" Harrvel urged me from behind the throne.
"No," I protested. "I'm not leaving Victoria. Not like this." I reached out to touch her cheek, and as soon as my skin touched hers, she froze.
Her glowing green eyes met mine, and as she blinked, they returned to normal.
"…B-Bella?"
She collapsed forward, and I ran up and caught her.
"Victoria! Are you okay?"
"W-what happened? What's going on?" she asked weakly.
"You don't remember?"
"I remember sitting outside with you talking, and then…" She looked around, bewildered. "How did I get here?"
"You passed out. Fell into a coma. Kate said it was the final phase of your Rotterdam's," I explained.
"But how am I here, then?"
"I wasn't going to give up on you. I couldn't. Harrvel told us of a legend about the Island's Heart, and how it could give you life again, but we had to go to another dimension to get it and—"
"Uh, come again?"
I chuckled. "It's a long story. The important thing is that we found it. It was the only thing that could save you. Harrvel did a ritual and—"
"You brought me back? I … How much time do I have left now?"
"That is no longer the question," Harrvel said. "The disease has been shed."
"Shed?" Victoria asked in disbelief.
"Like a dead, unneeded leaf. You are cured Delphinus."
Victoria was suddenly overcome with emotion. She grabbed me and pulled me into a hug, holding me close. "I'm cured? I don't know how to thank you."
I hugged her back. "I can't tell you what a relief it is to have you back!"
Harrvel nodded. "The other Catalysts were quite worried about you."
She smiled wide. "Well, no need to worry about me anymore!"
I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Vicky … about that…" Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Harrvel putting a finger to his lips.
"Ahem! Perhaps we needn't trouble her with such things, while she still needs to recover!"
I nodded. "It can wait."
"Is there something you need to tell me?" she asked sweetly.
"Honestly, there's a lot. But until we know more, there's nothing we can do. And it matters more that you focus on recovery," I said and smiled reassuringly.
"Okay, Bella. I trust that you'll tell me when the time is right." She inhaled deeply as if it was the first time she was taking a breath. "I'm going to go take a walk. I need some fresh air."
"Of course. Go ahead. I'll catch up with you."
She walked out, gazing up at the world with a stunned expression. I turned to Harrvel, who was bending over to pick something up off the floor.
"What do you have there?" I asked.
"The Island's Heart!" he replied. "So this is what it truly looks like."
He held it out, and I looked closer. It looked like half of a very smooth, completely round stone. On the inside, it glittered with a galaxy of shimmering colors.
"What happened to it?" I asked. It had been shining so bright when I held it, but now it was dull.
"Perhaps it has adjusted to our plane of existence. Its glow may have faded, but you can still sense its power." He placed the large spherical geode in my hands. I felt its energy humming through me, like a muted version of the shockwaves Victoria sent out.
"It looks broken. Like half of it is missing," I observed, studying the jagged side of it.
"Very strange indeed," Harrvel agreed. "If this is only a fragment of such a power … imagine what a complete one could do."
I frowned in worry. "Harrvel, what was that back there? I don't like hiding things from Victoria."
"I understand, of course, but it is the right thing to do. She must re-establish her connection to life!" He looked down at the Heart sadly. "To burden her with something so unknown, it could do more harm than you know."
"So you don't know what happened?"
He sighed. "Not entirely."
"That isn't comforting," I told him honestly.
"When the Heart restored your friend, it did so by filling her with its energy. Perhaps some of its spirit, its soul, now resides in her as well," he speculated.
An uneasy feeling slowly built up inside me. "You're telling me Victoria is being controlled by … what? The spirit of the island?"
He shook his head. "Not controlled. Inhabited. It lives within her now, like a passenger."
"Or a parasite."
"Indeed."
I swallowed. "Harrvel … is she … dangerous? That … thing …was insanely powerful."
"Yes, indeed. It was truly awe-inspiring."
I frowned, suddenly feeling angry. "You didn't look so inspired when you were hiding behind that throne. You looked scared out of your mind."
"I restored your friend to life. The island gave its precious energy for it. Yet, you are ungrateful."
"I'm just trying to look out for my friends," I defended myself. "If that thing takes control of her again … she could be a danger to all of us."
"Yes," he conceded. "She could be a danger. She could also prove to be a tremendous ally. In a way … the same could be said of any of us."
"Look, can you drop the fortune cookie act and just tell me what's going on?"
"I'm sorry, Catalyst. I do not have the answers you seek. No one does." He took the Heart from me and put it on the shelf next to the idols. "Know that you and she both have been granted the most precious gift you could ever ask for. Time. And know that every gift, in the end, comes with a price," he told me with a weary voice, heavy with trouble.
With a nod, Harrvel began to clean up the throne room.
I walked away to leave him alone and stepped out onto the platform outside. Everyone was gathered together around Victoria. As soon as they saw me, they let out a big group cheer.
Emmett ran up to me and gathered me up in a tight hug. "We did it, Bella! We saved Victoria!"
"And all it took was a lil' trip through Time and Relative Dimension in Space," Benjamin said cheerily.
"When we get back, I am so publishing this in a medical journal," Kate vowed and winked at us.
Alistair looked pleased. "Curing Rotterdam's Syndrome in an hour? Let's see my father do that!"
Tanya ran forward and grabbed Victoria in a huge hug. "I'm so happy you're okay!"
"Thanks, Tanya. I'm sorry I gave you all such a scare," Victoria said apologetically.
Jacorel approached us, a pleased look on his face. "Truly, this is a blessing. I am touched to see you all so happy." His expression became more somber. "There has been enough pain in this city already."
Benjamin rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.
"Now…" Jacorel continued. "We can begin the Kalinorim!"
Emmett started to cheer. "Yeeeeeah! The Kalinorim! Ha! Uh. What is that?"
"It is one of our oldest rituals," Jacorel explained. "After the coronation of a new elyyshar, we celebrate with a day of feasts, games, and drinks."
Edward grinned. "You had me at 'drinks'."
Emilyne shook her head. "Only fools waste the Kalinorim intoxicated. For the strong-willed, it is a day of fierce competition and the pwning of noobs."
I looked at Emilyne in surprise. "What did you just say?"
Emilyne looked confused. "Did I mistranslate? I thought I heard Rosalie say that earlier."
Rosalie smirked. "Damn right I did."
"Most of my people will be gathering down at the beach. Come! Let us join them," Jacorel said and gestured for us to follow him.
We all went to the elevators with him, but when I looked over my shoulder, I noticed Victoria pacing alone toward a bridge, a look of melancholy on her face. I turned around and followed her.
Victoria stood on the bridge, right where she had been when she fainted. I sidled up beside her.
"Hey," I said softly.
"Hey, Bella," she replied, still looking out toward the water.
"Gonna head down to the games?" I asked.
"Yeah, I just … need a moment to collect my thoughts." She sighed and looked down at her feet.
I nodded understandingly. "You've been through a lot."
"It's not just that. It's trying to figure out who I even am." She turned her eyes to me. "My whole life has been defined by my illness. Every moment, every choice, it's always been there, in the background of my mind. I'm Victoria, the Dying Girl. That's who I've always been." She buried her face in her hands. "Even if I never told anybody, all because I never wanted it to define me … somehow, it still defined me to myself." She groaned in frustration and crouched down on her heels.
"You were always more than that, Vicky," I told her.
She removed her hands but remained crouched down. "Sure, I found ways to cope. To be happy. To live," she said as if any of that still didn't matter. "But I always knew that my time was limited. That I'd never get to grow old. I'd never get married. I'd never have kids of my own."
"Vicky…"
"I accepted all of that, Bella. I'd come to terms with it. And now, just like that, it's all fixed? Poof, all cured, all better? I know it's weird, but I just don't know how to accept that."
I crouched down next to her. "Victoria, it's okay to feel sad."
She looked at me with a sad frown. "It is?"
"Sure. I mean, in a way, I think it's fine for you to mourn. Someone did die back there, Vicky. The old you. The sick you. The person you've been your whole life is gone. You've been reborn. Given another chance. Granted an opportunity to be someone new." I nodded to myself. "Yeah, you should be happy about that … but you can be sad about the other you, too. Everything takes adjustment."
Victoria smiled and her eyes got slightly blank, but I knew it wasn't out of sadness. She sighed, but it was a relieved sigh this time. "Thank you, Bella. You really understand."
I reached out and gently touched her shoulder. "I try to." I looked down at the beach below us. "So, are you ready to go check out the festivities?"
"When I was sick, I always tried to live life to the fullest, and that's one part of me that will never change. Come on, let's go!"
Victoria and I walked down to the beach by the base of the tree, where a huge festival had been set up. All around, the Kaarii mingled and played games, eating from delicious plates of fruit and meat on long tables. A band played a bouncy tune on flutes and drums while children laughed and couples danced.
Victoria smiled wide. "Wow. I can't believe we ever thought they were our enemies."
"Dunno about you, but I'm pretty happy they're not."
"Any sign of our friends?"
Looking around, I spotted Benjamin, Jacorel, Peter, and Kate wading into the sea, holding sparring staffs; Emmett sat at a long wooden table, huge plates of food in front of him, and Alistair, Tanya, and Rosalie were huddled by the edge of the jungle with Harrvel and Sether.
I went in the direction of the sea and waded out into the waist-deep waters to a dozen narrow wooden posts sticking straight up out of the tide. Balancing precariously on the posts were two teams; Benjamin and Jacorel against Peter and Kate. Each of them held a wooden sparring staff.
Peter flipped his around wildly. "Let's do this, bro! I'm all for this American Gladiators shizz!"
"Hey, careful, you giant oaf! You almost hit me with your stick!" Kate said angrily.
"Sorry, Katie! The Peter train don't stop for nobody!"
"That sounds like a pretty ineffective train," Benjamin commented.
From his post, Jacorel raised one hand. The Kaarii spectators went quiet instantly.
"Friends. Guests. Citizens of Elyys'tel! I welcome you to this Kalinorim, this great celebration of our tribe, our city, and our heritage, dedicated to my mother's memory. Since the ancient times, the Kaarii of Elyys'tel have celebrated with games to prove our skills … show our strength … test our minds … and come together as one!" Jacorel smiled. "Games make us smile. Games make us cry. And games bring us together as a people."
A wild cheer went up in the air. Jacorel shot a wry grin at the spectators.
"Now then, shall we begin?"
"What are the rules here?" Kate asked while awkwardly holding her staff in both hands.
"You fall in the water, you're out," Jacorel explained. "When both members are eliminated, the team is defeated." He grinned widely. "There are no other rules." He twirled his staff gracefully, assuming a low combat stance.
Peter gaped. "Uh … is it too late to switch teams?"
A nearby Kaarii blew a horn. "Begin!"
With a sharp hiss, Jacorel leaped forward, leaping to another post and swinging his staff. Kate barely blocked it.
Peter bellowed and charged, jabbing wildly at Jacorel, who dodged each thrust but was driven back.
"Peter! Focus on Benjamin! He is the weak link!" Kate said through clenched teeth.
"You don't have to say it," Benjamin said, mockingly offended.
Jacorel managed to deflect one of Peter's thrusts and spun around, slamming his staff into the back of Peter's calf.
Meanwhile, Kate tore at Benjamin. He jumped to the side to dodge, barely balancing on a post.
"I regret everything!" he called out, and I laughed at his antics.
The crowd roared and cheered.
"Go Team Benjorel! You guys got this!"
The spectators followed my lead, chanting.
"Benjorel! Benjorel!"
"Benjorel! Benjorel!"
"Haha! Thanks, Bells! I feel like Rudy right now!" Benjamin called to me with a grin.
"'Benjorel' … I like the sound of that," Jacorel said with a pleased smile.
"Yeah, well I don't!" Kate growled out. She charged at Benjamin, but he hopped out of the way.
He and Jacorel stood up, backs pressed together, and they shot each other a small smile.
"Back to back, surrounded by enemies, fighting as one!" Benjamin said.
"Just like Darth Veeder and Three-pee-oh!" Jacorel exclaimed excitedly.
"No. No, that's very wrong … but I appreciate the effort."
"Come on, Katie! Let's finish 'em!" Peter said with a deep, concentrated frown.
"For the last time! Don't … call … me … Katie!"
They charged from both sides … but Benjamin and Jacorel moved gracefully as one. Like a pair of choreographed dancers, they blocked the attacker's strikes and sent them stumbling back. Benjamin swung his staff, sweeping out Kate's legs and sending her tumbling off her post's edge, while Jacorel nailed Peter in the chest with a double kick, hurling him off the side.
Peter and Kate hit the water with a big splash, and the crowd roared in approval.
"Victory is ours!" Jacorel cheered and held his staff in the air. Benjamin clasped his other hand and raised it up triumphantly. The two shared a smile.
"Rematch! Rematch! Rematch!" Peter chanted from the water.
"Speak for yourself, you big lug," Kate said and waded back toward the beach. "I'm hitting the bar."
I followed her but wandered over to the jungle brush at the edge of the beach. There, Alistair, Tanya, and Rosalie were searching for something, accompanied by Harrvel and Sether.
"Never gonna solve it, never gonna solve it!" Sether sang over and over again.
"Hush now, child, and let the Catalysts play," Harrvel reprimanded him with amusement.
"As irritating as the brat is, he does have a point. I'm less than chuffed about our prospects," Alistair said annoyed.
"What are you guys doing?" I asked, my interest piqued.
"A cute little scavenger hunt!" Tanya replied.
"Cute? I'll have you know this is the Trial of the Ancients, a revered game of intelligence and sophistication!" Harrvel protested.
"Like I said. A cute little scavenger hunt!" Tanya said again with a grin. "We've gathered three clues already!" She held out a handful of tiny polished stones.
"Three clues out of…" Alistair said and raised his brow at her.
Her smile fell slightly. "…out of seventy-nine."
Rosalie groaned. "Cool. You hate me, don't you?"
Alistair gaped at her. "Do you not feel this is a fine way to pass the day, Rosalie?"
"You only think so because you've spent the whole time blowing kisses at your new girlfriend," she replied irritably with narrowed eyes.
"Aww … but he's so cute when he does it," Tanya gushed, which earned her a kiss on the forehead from Alistair, and Rosalie retched.
I chuckled. "What riddle are you on? Maybe I can help," I offered.
Harrvel took one of the stones and translated the message inscribed on it:
"Always at home, even when on the go. Strong and tenacious, mindful and slow!"
I raised my brow at him. "The ancient Kaarii riddle rhymes in English?"
He shrugged. "I may have adapted it."
I mulled over the riddle. "Hm. So you're looking for something always at home, even when on the go … well, that should mean that it's something that carries its home with it all the time, right? …and the other part said strong and tenacious, mindful and slow!"
"It must be a snail or a turtle," Alistair said. "Those animals always carry their home with them."
I nodded. "Yes, but not all snails do, so my guess is a turtle." I looked at Harrvel expectantly.
He grinned. "Yes! That's it exactly!" he exclaimed.
"I knew that. I was just waiting to say it," Rosalie grumbled behind me, and I rolled my eyes at her.
"You were not," Alistair told her.
Tanya stepped in between the two before they could start arguing for real. "So, where can we find a turtle? Maybe search for nests by the beach?" she suggested.
"Wait," Rosalie said as she remembered something. "Didn't we walk by an empty turtle shell ten minutes ago? Back by the river?"
"That does make much more sense, yes," Alistair conceded.
"Come on! Let's go, let's go!" Sether urged, jumping up and down in excitement.
We all walked together, deeper into the jungle, toward a gently running creek. An empty turtle shell rested on the edge of the water.
"Well? Anyone gonna reach into that thing and see if there's a clue in there?" I asked with an amused smile. I sure wasn't gonna do it, in case there was some other animal in there, waiting to strike.
Alistair twisted his hands uncomfortably. "I … suppose … if no one else will … just … give me a moment … to prepare myself."
"Oh, come on!" While Alistair hesitated, Tanya ran over and jammed her hand inside the shell. She pulled out another polished stone and held it up joyously. "There! I got it, you big babies!" she said, but with a smile, so we knew she was only teasing. I really enjoyed watching Tanya come out of her own shell more and more.
I turned to Rosalie as I was expecting a clever quip from her, but she was staring oddly into space. "Rosalie? What's wrong?"
She shrugged uncertainly. "I don't know. I just—I feel weird all of a sudden." She hunkered down near the side of the creek and peered in.
For a moment, the current disturbed the riverbed, and then I saw a sparkle of amber. I instantly suspected what it was, and I waited to see who would discover it since I'd come to understand that the one with an affinity for that particular idol, was always the one who found it.
Then the silt settled again, and the amber vanished from view, but I was still looking at the others. Tanya had already found hers, so that left Alistair and Rosalie.
I waited in silence.
"Did you see that?" Rosalie gasped. "I … I think there's something down there!"
I crouched down next to her. "You're right. I think I saw something down there, too," I told her carefully.
"You did?" she asked me with a gaping mouth.
"Yeah." I reached into the water until I felt the familiar smooth surface of the idol in my hand. "It's right … here!" I jerked it out, and Rosalie's eyes immediately widened.
"By the Endless, a Catalyst Idol!" Harrvel gasped from behind us.
"Whoa," Rosalie said in awe and reverently reached out to touch it.
Just as I expected, when both our hands touched it, I was sent back into the past, this time into a dorm room at Hartfeld. Rosalie slumped over by her computer, a bottle of Mountain Dew was in one of her hands while she furiously typed with the other.
"Come on, come on! We've got maybe two minutes until Mammon's backup generators kick in and the firewalls go back online," she growled into the microphone on her headset.
Messages were displayed on the screen in a frantic chat.
AZRA3L: working on it, lich-queen! I'm trying to flood the local power grid now
CYBERPINK: I'm almost into their personal accounts … running a brute force compiler on the password prompt
"No!" Rosalie yelled. "That'll take too long! Streamline it with an alpha-numeric de-analyzer!"
CYBERPINK: good call. Streamlining now
AZRA3L: I've done all I can. We've got maybe a minute.
CYBERPINK: almost got it, wait … I'M IN!
"Grab the files! Now!"
CYBERPINK: omg this is everything. Financial records … discrimination lawsuits … illegal offshore accounts…
AZRA3L: we did it. We actually did it. We hacked Mammon Financial.
Rosalie grinned. "Wall Street's never gonna know what hit it. Now we just need to l—"
She was interrupted by her door swinging open, and she immediately slammed her laptop shut.
"Looking at those dirty Tumblrs again? I told you, I'm cool with it," Peter said with a grin as he stomped into the room.
"Peter, you really need to knock before barging in here!" Rosalie said angrily and glared at him.
"Seriously? Since when do I—" he stopped mid-sentence and looked at her with confusion. "You got a haircut."
She shrugged. "Oh. Yeah. You like it?"
"It's … uh … it's different," Peter replied unsurely.
"Yeah, I know. That's the point."
"I just … I mean … it's…" He sighed. "Never mind." He stood there for a minute, awkwardly searching for words. "You excited for the after-party tonight? It's gonna be killer."
Rosalie sighed and flipped her newly cut bangs out of her eyes. "Peter, for the tenth time, I'm not going to any more football team parties with you."
He looked at her sadly. "Why not?"
"Because they're loud and gross and the only thing to drink is cheap beer." Her eyes got harder as she stared at him. "And you always end up getting drunk and flirty with some random girl, anyway!"
"That was just the one time! And she came onto me!" he insisted defensively.
"Yeah, well, whatever. I'm staying here. I've got stuff I need to do."
Peter walked up to her. "Rosie … I know you don't love these parties … but, my team matters to me. Are you ever gonna do anything I care about?"
She crossed her arms. "Spare me the guilty puppy routine, Peter. It doesn't suit you."
Peter turned away dejectedly. As he reached for the door, he mumbled under his breath. "Sometimes I don't think you care about anybody except yourself."
Rosalie opened her mouth to respond but then pretended as if she hadn't heard him.
The past ended, and I was wrenched forward into Rosalie's future; into Cullen's office where Rosalie sat behind the desk, twirling a stylus with one hand while idly browsing through several holographic monitors.
The doors slid open, and Carlisle Cullen strolled in, looking a few years older but just as slick as always.
"Security Chief Hale," he greeted Rosalie with a smile.
Rosalie smiled right back. "Yes, sir?"
"How's it going?"
"All sectors are secure and operational, sir." Her hands danced over the keyboard, changing the images on the screens.
One showed a mining facility, extracting glowing crystals from a deep trench … another showed the burned husk of the Kaarii city … a third showed the outside of The Ethereal, patrolled by strange, masked soldiers … and the fourth showed a jail cell. Inside it was none other than Edward.
"Hey! Phony Stark! You watching? You tuned in to the Edward Channel? Ain't anything better on?" He glared right at the camera flipping the bird. "I ain't gonna dance for you. I ain't gonna be one of your lackeys. Never. But if you're looking for some entertainment, how about you and me, outside, no guns? I'll give you a show, you piece of—"
Cullen chuckled. "Remarkable. The man's been in that cell, what—four years?"
"Five," Rosalie corrected.
"And he's still going. He's got grit, I'll give him that. He could've been quite something. A man of his talents could've carved out a piece of this new world for himself. I suppose he should have taken a cue from you, Hale."
"Yes, sir. He should've."
"Anything else I should know about?" Cullen asked, changing the subject.
"Nope. You go have a good night, sir."
He smiled widely at her. "You know what? I will."
Cullen walked back to the door, but when he swiped the monitor, it didn't open. "Hmm. That's odd…" he said and frowned.
Rosalie turned back to him. "I guess there's one more thing I should tell you…" She reached under her desk and pulled out a snub-nosed revolver, and leveled it at Cullen's chest. "You're a dead man."
Cullen tilted his head slightly. "Now, this is an interesting development."
"You ain't seen nothing yet. With just one tap of a button…" With her free hand, Rosalie hit a button on the keyboard. "…I'm going to take everything from you."
A siren howled as the lights flickered red. Shouts and screams could be heard from below.
Cullen's eyes widened. "What did you just do?"
"I initiated a little program I've been working on. I call it the Lich Queen's Revenge. I opened every jail cell in your compound … deleted every single piece of research you've ever gathered … blew out all the power in all your facilities … fried your mining stations beyond repair … blinded your security forces…" she smiled sinisterly. "Oh, and I let the tiger out in your museum. I'm thinking he'll make a bit of a mess."
"You're lying," Cullen said, but he looked uncertain.
"Not at all. It took me five years to get into your system. Five years of groveling and scraping, five years of pretending I worked for you." She was breathing heavily and walked closer, the revolver still aimed at Cullen. "Five years … and now I'm done. I've ruined you. And now you'll die here. Broken. Beaten. Alone."
"No," he shook his head and glared at her. "not alone." In a flash, Cullen whipped his hand up, and a long, curved dagger streaked through the air and plunged up to the hilt in Rosalie's chest.
She fell back, pulling the trigger. The gun blasted, once, twice, three times. Cullen slumped down against the wall with three bloody holes in his chest.
"Urrggh … you … you shot me …" he groaned out. "You psychotic … bitch … you shot me…"
"At least … I get to watch you die…" Rosalie groaned out, her shirt already soaked with her own blood. "That's … good enough … for me…"
The two of them lay there, a room apart, breathing faintly as they bled out.
"Why … would you do this?" Cullen asked weakly. "I gave you everything. Money … power … influence … you've thrown it … all away … and for what?"
Rosalie leaned back against the wall, blood trickling down her lips, her hands limp at her sides. "For Peter … you son-of-a-bitch!"
Her eyes closed and she slumped over, her last breath; a sigh.
With a jolt, I was back in the present, and I groaned when my head exploded with a searing headache that I had not experienced the previous times.
Rosalie instinctively took a step forward and placed a hand on my upper arm. "You okay, Bella?"
I swallowed thickly and nodded with my eyes closed. "Yeah, I—" I needed to say something that would distract them all from my odd behavior, and so I spit out the first thing that came to mind. "Just remind me to never piss you off, okay?" I said, attempting a humorous tone.
Rosalie grinned. "Hey, Bella? Never ever piss me off." She winked and I chuckled with her.
Harrvel hobbled up to us. "We've discovered another Catalyst Idol! This is cause for celebration!"
"It's cause for something, alright," I mumbled to myself.
Tanya, who had gotten excited beyond belief that we had found the unexpected idol, started to pull on Alistair's arm to get him to follow her. "Come on! Let's finish this Trial of the Ancients! Who knows what else we might find?"
Alistair smiled one of his rare smiles, that I'd come to know he reserved for Tanya. "Coming!"
They all took off with Harrvel and Sether, but I decided to wander back to the beach, in need of a break because the travel through Rosalie's past and future had affected me more, and I needed to breathe. I tucked the idol into my backpack and made my way back.
It wasn't until I spotted Edward down by the tide that I knew it wasn't a break I needed. I needed him because even though I couldn't tell him about what I was witnessing when I touched the idols, he was the only one who had the ability to calm me down.
I started to walk to him when I noticed that Garrett was with him, examining a set of several windsurfing rigs that rested on the sand.
"Hey, guys! What are you doing?" I asked as I approached. Edward looked over his shoulder at me and smiled, but it fell and he gave me a questioning frown, and I realized he had been able to read my expression, and now he knew that something had happened.
I tried to smile reassuringly, but he wasn't convinced.
However, we were distracted by Emilyne who began explaining what the boards in front of us were. "Our sailboards. We use them to compete in quuk'tanoi."
Jacorel and Benjamin joined us. "In your tongue, you would say, er … 'Wind Disc.'"
"Wind Disc, huh?" I asked, grateful for the distraction.
Benjamin nodded excitedly. "Oh, yeah! I've seen 'em play. It's wild. They're crazy good at it," he said with a grin. "Think Ultimate Frisbee while windsurfing."
Garrett rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Okay, you've got my attention."
Edward gave me one last glance, and then his smile was back on. "Let's take 'em for a spin."
Emilyne started laughing. "You people? Playing quuk'tanoi? Ha!"
"Something funny, Emilyne?" I asked, feeling the competitor in me rise to the challenge she was presenting.
"This game is only for those with the fierce will and honed senses of the Kaarii," she explained while still chortling.
Edward crossed his arms and shared a look with me, knowing that I was ready to take on the challenge just as much as he was. "Sounding mighty cocky there, She-Hulk."
"Only when I have every reason to be, He Who Needs A Haircut," she replied, and I gaped in surprise at her roast of Edward, but then started laughing.
"Did you just try to give me a nickname?" Edward asked, just as surprised as I was.
"Our warriors must prove their dexterity, agility, and cunning in this game," Jacorel continued to explain. "Only then do they earn their mask."
"But, if you dare to challenge us, I would relish the opportunity to … educate you on your shortcomings," Emilyne dared, and I knew there was no way that I could back out of it.
Garrett shared a look with me and Edward. "Should we take 'em on, guys? I've got a decent arm," he said with a smirk.
I smiled right back. "Oh, definitely. And I wouldn't play a game like this with anyone else but you guys."
Garrett straightened his back slightly and puffed his chest. "I'm the first overall draft pick for Team Bella? Heh, I'm one lucky guy," he said, his smirk widening into a grin.
Edward put a stopping hand on his chest. "Sorry, Cap. I know I'm my girl's first pick every time."
As the guys stripped down to their swimsuits—I didn't change out of my Kaarii warrior outfit as I'd realized that it was water resistant, and I moved so comfortably in it that I felt it was perfect for the occasion—Jacorel picked up a thin, flat ring of wood about the size of a dinner plate.
"The rules are simple. Three players to a side, each on their own sailboard. The objective is to throw the wind-disc onto the opponent's Column of Light!"
Edward, Garrett, and I looked at him in confusion.
"Column of—Wait, do you mean those rickety old buoys floating out there?" Edward asked and gestured toward a pair of rusted metal weather buoys bobbing in the waves, about a hundred yards apart. Atop each, a red lightbulb pulsed slowly.
Jacorel nodded. "Indeed."
"So it's like playing high-speed horseshoe. I follow," Garrett said with his hands on his hips, taking in the rules carefully.
"Defenders will try to flip your sailboard … or block your shots with their sails," Emilyne added.
"You must pass the ring to each other to evade the opponents' defense," Jacorel finished.
I nodded, but then realized they weren't a full team. "Wait. You said it's three-on-three, but there are only two of you."
Jacorel looked around. "Hm … I guess we do need a third." He looked past me and spotted Harrvel hobbling slowly on the beach with his cane. "Shaman! Did you give up on the scavenger hunt already?"
Harrvel smiled. "The Catalysts told me in no uncertain terms that my help was rather irritating."
"Care to join a round of quuk'tanoi?"
Harrvel cracked his back and began waddling toward us. "Very well. If you need a third…"
Edward smiled arrogantly. "You're serious. The old man?" he asked, but I had a feeling he was going to have to eat his own words. The smile and looks that the three Kaarii were exchanging were full of secrets.
Emilyne shrugged. "I do not mind the handicap. It makes your inevitable defeat all the more painful."
"Alright, you can have it your way."
I pushed my sailboard out into the tide and hopped on. It wobbled underneath me, but I had luckily enjoyed my fair share of surfing trips, so I knew how to keep my balance. I opened my stance and maintained my balance perfectly.
Garrett grinned at me. "Look at you, Bella. You're already a pro!"
"How are you doing that?!" Edward asked, and I chuckled softly at his comically crouched stance that he kept as he struggled to balance.
"Step up your game, babe! We've got a match to win," I called to him with a grin.
"Let the game begin!" Jacorel called out as he surfed up next to me. "Bella, as honored guests, you may start with the Wind Disc." He tossed me the thin ring of wood, carved in a perfect, smooth circle.
"Alright, bring it on!" Garrett yelled, readying himself.
I sailed forward, catching the wind, and got accustomed to steering my board when Emilyne suddenly rammed me with her own board.
"Hey!" I exclaimed.
She grinned. "I suggest you forfeit now, with what little dignity you have left!"
"Yeah, we'll see about that!" Edward called after her.
I threw the disc forward to Garrett, but Jacorel swept through its path. He scaled his mast and snatched my throw high out of the air.
Garrett gaped. "What the … This guy's got ups! Quick, get back on defense!"
I turned my sailboard around, trying to block as Emilyne and Jacorel passed the disc back and forth with impressive form. Finally, Emilyne blazed past me and easily threw the disc onto the post at the top of our buoy.
"1-0. Couldn't be easier," she gloated.
I couldn't allow her to get too far up on her high horse, so I decided to knock her down a few pegs. "Why the attitude, Emilyne? Are you mad Sether likes us more than you?"
She looked shocked. "I—You—"
Edward smiled and nodded. "Nice! Get inside her head!"
Garrett did not appreciate my trash talk as much though. "Geez, Bella. You really went for the jugular there," he said, and it confused me since I thought trash talk was part of his everyday life as an athlete.
I started again with the Wind Disc, successfully passing it to Garrett this time, who passed it to Edward.
"Alright, now we're making progress! Coming back at ya, Q.B.!" He slung it toward Garrett, but Emilyne slid her board in the way, scooping up the pass in her sail. The disc rolled along the canvas and straight into her grip.
"Okay, I need to learn how to do that!" Garrett explained, becoming increasingly more impressed with the Kaarii playing technique.
Emilyne flicked it to Harrvel, whose sailboard puttered along slowly.
"Oh, erm, me?" he asked, but I saw through his act. He appeared much too innocent for me to believe him.
"Now's our chance!" Garrett called to us.
"Close in on Grandpa!"
The three of us encircled Harrvel, who calmly put the ring on the end of his staff, spun it around, gaining momentum, and used it to hurl the disc.
I smiled and shook my head as the disc flew far overhead, floating an incredible distance, before daintily alighting on our buoy.
Garrett and Edward looked like they'd just seen a pig fly.
"You just—"
"How did you—"
"Perhaps we forgot to mention that Harrvel, in his youth, was the greatest player of quuk'tanoi in Kaarii history," Jacorel said with a non-apologetic shrug.
"2-0! All fall to Harrvel!" the Shaman cheered.
Garrett sailed up to Edward and me. "Alright, guys, they're just one goal away from winning. It's comeback time."
"Got any bright ideas, Princess?" Edward asked me.
I nodded. "Yeah. Edward, I need you to block for me." I cut my sailboard across the sea and darted away from a pursuing Jacorel. "I'm open!" I called to the guys.
Garrett flung the Wind Disc at me. I caught it, but Harrvel was right in front of me.
"I can take that from you, my friend," he said with a smile.
"Don't think so, Pops," Edward said and slammed his board into Harrvel's, and the elderly man toppled into the water.
"Oof! My poor back," the Shaman exclaimed, and Edward looked instantly regretful.
"Oh, my god. I'm so sorry, dude."
Jacorel shook his head disappointedly. "Not cool, Edward."
"Lemme help you up. Gimme your hand." Edward leaned over, reaching for the floating Harrvel, who grabbed and pulled Edward into the water with him.
He started laughing heartily, and Edward sputtered water as he broke the surface again.
"Gah! Just go, Bella! You've got a clear shot!" he called at me with a glare at Harrvel.
I raced away from Emilyne and lobbed the disc. It barely snagged on the buoy for the score.
"That's 2-1! The comeback is on!" Garrett cheered.
"I don't think they'll underestimate us again. We need another plan," I said as I surfed back to my team's side.
Edward spotted some seaweed floating in the water nearby. He scooped it up and began to loop it into a circle. "I've got an idea. Follow my lead."
Soon, Garrett and Edward spread out to the flanks, each holding a dark ring.
"Edward has the disc!" Emilyne called out.
"No, Garrett has it!" Harrvel exclaimed.
The Kaarii split up, chasing Garrett and Edward, running up alongside them and yanking the discs from their grips, but the rings broke apart into a stringy, wet mess.
"Seaweed? Edward's disc was fake!"
"So is Garrett's!"
Jacorel looked over his shoulder at me. "That means—"
Edward grinned. "Surprise!"
By the time the Kaarii turned around, I was long gone, racing to score with the real Wind Disc.
"Tie game! Next goal wins!"
Harrvel gaped, befuddled. "How have they tied us?!"
"I will finish this myself!" Emilyne growled and glared at me. She spun and threw the disc with all the strength she could muster right at me. But I wasn't her target. The disc tore through my sail, leaving its canvas in ribbons, unable to catch the wind.
"Hey!" I exclaimed at the foul play.
"You're not the only one with a trick up her sneeze!" Emilyne replied.
"It's 'sleeve,' but damn, that was a good move," Edward said in awe.
"I can't go anywhere, what do I do?!" I cried out.
"Hop on with one of us! We'll tandem!" Garrett said.
Edward pulled his board alongside me and extended his hand. "Come on!"
I took his hand and leaped over. I balanced on the board behind him.
"Whaddya say we go win this thing, huh?" he said over his shoulder and winked.
"Sounds like a plan."
Back by our buoy, Garrett was cornered by Harrvel and Jacorel, deftly dodging their sweeps. "Could use some help over here!" he called to us.
"Let's go bail him out. Hang on," Edward told me. He opened up his sail, and we quickly accelerated. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the warmth of his chest. He put his own hand over mine. "I've got you," he said softly.
We sped toward Garrett, and Edward made a hard turn, kicking up a huge wave that splashed Jacorel and Harrvel in the face.
"I cannot see!" Jacorel yelled.
Garrett slung a low throw, threading the two Kaarii's sails.
Edward snatched it out of the air, and then turned and raced toward the other buoy.
"We're almost there!" I encouraged him.
"Yeah, but we've got company."
The Kaarii recovered, and soon they were surrounding us. All three of them sliced in overlapping circles around us.
"You acquitted yourselves well," Jacorel said and smiled.
"But now, it's time to give up," Emilyne said.
"What do we do? They're blocking every possible throw! I can't see a thing!" I told Edward.
"We're close to the goal, but we'd have to be 12 feet tall to get a clear shot!"
"That's it!" I said, an idea forming in my head. "Stand still! I'm gonna get up on your shoulders!" I clenched the disc between my teeth and climbed up onto his shoulders. I balanced steadily and looked down. "You okay down there, babe?"
"Just dandy! I could do this all damn day!" he replied.
From my new vantage point, I spotted the goal buoy. I balanced precariously on Edward's shoulders, and he held my legs steady, his hands warm on my bare thighs.
"You see it?" he asked.
"Yeah! I can make the shot!" I told him happily.
"No!" Emilyne exclaimed.
I threw the disc as Emilyne leaped up to block it, but it flew just over her fingertips and landed on the buoy.
"Impossible!" Harrvel gaped.
Garrett whooped. "We did it! We won!"
Edward set me down and pulled me into a tight hug. We looked into each other's eyes and then fell into a passionate kiss. We fell off our sailboard, but we didn't care.
When we breached the surface again, we were laughing, still in each other's arms.
"If you only knew how crazy I am about you," Edward whispered into my ear.
I smiled. "I'm beginning to realize it," I said and we kissed again.
We swam back to the beach, laughing and joking.
"You continue to impress me, Catalyst," Emilyne complimented.
"A deal is a deal. I said that a young Kaarii warrior must earn their mask in a trial of quuk'tanoi, and you have proven yourselves," Jacorel said. "You have earned your mask. Here. Choose."
"Thank you, Jacorel!" I said gratefully and chose the golden flames mask. It glimmered so beautifully, and it just called to me.
"There is no need for thanks. Benjamin spoke much of your talents and character, yet still managed to undersell you," Jacorel replied.
I flipped over the mask and looked at the inside. The mask was old and faded, but I could still make out a small engraving. 'Rosencraft & Sons, 1921.'
"Whoa. What does this mean?" I asked Jacorel and pointed at the engraving.
"Our people have long forgotten the meaning of those marks. But our ancestors' masks had such symbols in them, thousands of years ago. It is tradition to make those marks in a new warrior's mask," he answered. "It says something in your language?"
"Yeah. It's the name of the people who made them. And the date."
"They must have been honored craftsmen, to forge the masks of our brave forebears."
As several Kaarii children ran up to Jacorel and dragged him away, I looked back at the copied engraving. "'1921'," I mused.
I rejoined the others by the long tables of food and drink.
Emmett was slurping a fruity cocktail. "Guys, guys … let's promise we'll do this again when we're back in the States."
"Oh, definitely," I agreed.
"Maybe even invite some of our new friends?" Benjamin suggested.
Tanya lit up happily. "That sounds so fun! I can't wait to show you guys my favorite bookstores back home!"
"And my favorite brunch spots!" Kate interjected.
Leah frowned. "Brunch? I don't … think I've ever had brunch."
Kate turned to her. "Oh. My god. You are so coming."
"I'm invited?" she asked, surprised.
"Of course, silly!" Tanya exclaimed.
"Huh. Thanks." She looked down at the ground, but I caught her small smile before she could hide it.
Garrett clapped Edward on the back and grinned. "I could score you some front-row seats to our bowl game if you want, Edward. Since I know you're such a big Garrett Gayle fan and all."
Edward looked uncomfortable and cleared his throat. "Heh … nah—"
"Come on, bro, we'd love to have you," Peter insisted.
"That's alright—" Edward said, and I knew why he tried to get out of it, but it was not my place to tell. I walked up to him and grabbed his arm in support.
"I know you're too cool for these guys, but so am I and I'm still hanging out with them," Rosalie said with a smirk.
"So whaddya say? Why not?" Garrett continued to push.
"Because I can't, alright?!" Edward exploded, and I tightened my hold on him.
The group fell silent.
Edward turned away with his hands on his hips and his long hair falling across his face. "I can't go back. I can't ever go back home," he confessed. "I'm a wanted man. The second I set foot on U.S. soil, they'll put me in handcuffs, and send me to prison for life."
I encircled his waist with my arms and leaned in closer. He wrapped his own arms around me, and I tilted my head up to give him a small kiss to show him that I was still there and that I wasn't going anywhere.
"You must be joking!" Alistair exclaimed in disbelief.
"What did you do?" Peter asked with a gaping mouth.
"Peter—" Kate reprimanded his insensitivity.
"What?" he asked. "It's not like I'm asking something personal! We gotta trust him, he's gotta trust us!"
Edward nodded and sighed. "Drax is right. I oughta tell you the truth." He inhaled deeply. "Me and my best friend at the Academy, Jazz … both of us got recruited into this U.S. covert ops unit running missions in Central Asia. We were wingmates, aiding the Kharzistani rebellion when Jazz discovered something."
He proceeded to tell them the entire story about his commander McKenzie, the ambush, and how Jazz didn't make it, and also how McKenzie was going to have him arrested when he finally made his way back.
"I punched the son-of-a-bitch square in the jaw and ran. Ain't never stopped running since." He entwined our fingers together. "That's why I can never go back to the States. That's why … that's why I can't even contact my sister. Or tell Jazz's family he wasn't a traitor."
Kate's eyes became blank. "Edward … I'm so sorry."
"We had no idea—" Garrett started, but Edward stopped him.
"Not looking for a pity party. Just—saying why I can't join your little shindig."
"Edward, when this is over, we're going to visit you in Costa Rica," I said, and everyone agreed with me wholeheartedly, which caused Edward to smile. I then whispered into his ear. "And when I've graduated college, I'm going to stay with you."
His eyes widened in shock, and he looked at me, speechless.
I smiled at him. "There is no other place I'd rather be," I told him honestly.
Suddenly, the bushes at the end of the beach parted and Furball came tearing out. He snatched a ball in his teeth and scampered off into the jungle.
"Our ball!" Emilyne exclaimed.
"I'll go get it," I reassured her with a smile.
I gave Edward a peck on the lips before I extracted myself from his arms and chased after Furball into the jungle. He rounded a corner, sprinted through some trees, hopped over a creek, and lead me to a grove where Alistair and Rosalie were standing in front of a small concrete bunker.
"What's going on here?" I asked them as I approached.
"Shush, listen!" Alistair stage-whispered angrily. He held up his hand, silencing me. I fell quiet and listened.
First, there was nothing but the sounds of the rainforest, and then a soft, electronic tone.
"There it is again."
"What is it?" I asked.
"We don't know. We got a little lost on The Neverending Scavenger Hunt and started hearing it. Followed it here," Rosalie replied.
Alistair walked over and tugged on the door and it swung open.
"Anyone else getting a little creeped out?" I asked.
"You mean more than usual in this place?" Rosalie asked sarcastically.
The three of us entered a small bunker, full of worn-down scientific equipment.
"It looks like this connects to the same tunnels as the emergency shelter near The Ethereal!" I exclaimed.
Alistair pored over some old papers on a desk, while Rosalie tinkered with a beat-up computer.
"What … is this?"
"I suppose one of my father's research outposts," Alistair answered. "A particularly old one, by the looks of it. These notes go back at least twenty years."
The soft tone chimed again. With it, a blue light pulsed weakly on one console.
"It's coming from there," I said and pointed.
"Power supply's weak. The signal can barely get through. But I think if I do this—" Rosalie reached into a panel on the computer's side and pressed two wires together.
It booted up with a whirr. Lights flickered all around, and computer code scrolled by on all the monitors.
"Voila! We have our very own functional Cullen Industries computer!"
"Are we sure this is a good thing?" I asked uncertainly.
Rosalie shrugged. "I mean, what's the worst that could hap—"
Before she could finish, a blue spotlight shot down from a fixture overhead. It flickered on the ground and formed into Iris.
"Now, don't be frightened—"
"You!" Alistair glared at her.
"Crap! She's back!"
"Wait! Listen to me! There's something I have to tell you!"
Rosalie raced to yank out the hotwired cables.
"Wait! Let's hear her out!" I said, stopping her.
"Are you out of your mind, Bella? This is a direct line to my father!"
"I know … but if we're compromised because of her, it's already too late," I said. "Let's at least see what we can get out of her."
"I know you probably don't trust me, how could you? …But I swear I'm telling the truth. I know how to get you home."
I blinked. "What?"
"I know, I know, it sounds positively insane—but I'm not lying. I can get you off this island, back home—all of you."
"Guys is it me, or does Iris sound … kind of different?" Rosalie asked.
I nodded. "The British accent … more emotional and honest … more human."
"Well, I don't buy it for an instant!" Alistair said stubbornly. "I don't care how human she seems now, with whatever upgrade my father gave her. This is still a trap."
"Alistair, please, you have to trust me."
Alistair glared at her. "Tell me something, Iris … why should I possibly trust you?"
"You know why, darling."
Alistair paused. "Whatever could you mean? What do I know?"
"I know you were very young, but isn't there some part of you that still remembers me?"
His face fell, and he staggered back. "It can't be. You … you're dead."
"Yes, Alistair, I am … But I am still your mother."
A/N:
Weeeeell, how many of you suspected it? Do you think she's telling the truth or has she been sent there by Cullen? Victoria is back to being herself at least, and she's … cured? From her Rotterdam's at least!
It's getting clearer why Rosalie is the way she is. And the vision showed she's quite a good con-artist. Just imagine taking orders from a person you truly hate for five years!
Edward and Bella's relationship is intensifying as well. She said that she will move to Costa Rica after graduation to be with him. Now, that's dedication! But I guess they have to get home first...
Until Next Time,
Stay Awesome!