Chapter Nineteen
Edward
An instant and diplomatic response to Tanya's loaded question about Bella eludes me while a hail of vicious theories about the girl who Tanya has, without evidence, presumed is my lover, bombards my head. In a millisecond, my gentlemanly intention to go out of my way to not hurt or embarrass her when I reject her advances has changed to not giving a flying fuck about her feelings. Her murderous plan for the 'love rival' she had not been aware of until less than a minute ago is compelling evidence of Tanya's true colors. This is a woman used to getting her own way by fair means or foul. Her designs for Bella if they ever crossed paths would fall into the latter category.
I spin on my heel so I can look deep into Tanya's snake-like eyes. Even if I wasn't able to read her mind, I've no doubt I'd be able to guess correctly what that perverted mind of hers is imagining. I decide then and there to give the facts to her straight, and I don't give a shit that I have an audience of nine other vampires.
"Bella Swan is human, Tanya. I have feelings for her. Strong feelings. And before you remind me of the Volturi law about interaction with humans, I've already and reluctantly accepted that nothing romantic will happen between us while her heart still beats, and I intend for her beautiful heart to remain in that state until she dies a natural death. But Tanya, while she lives and breathes in this world, I am not interested in having a relationship with you, or for that matter with anybody else."
Tanya opens her mouth to speak but I anticipate her words.
"No, Tanya. Not even after she's dead, whether she dies tomorrow or in eighty years from now. The type of relationship you desire repulses me. Your twisted thoughts about Bella now horrify me. I can see you are already picturing Bella dying in the most heinous of ways, even though she has no idea I have feelings for her, or that in your mind she is a rival. But I want you to take the following statement seriously. If you hurt her, or kill her, or ask another vampire to do the deed which I can read you're already planning in your poisoned mind, I'll know what you've done. Your crime will sit in your memory for eternity. You will never be able to conceal it from me. Every time you lay your eyes on me from now on, you will think of me loving her. That will never change. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be somewhere else now, which is a long way away from here, and a long way from you."
The only sound I hear as I leave the room is Tanya's sharp intake of breath. Vampires don't need air to breathe but they need air to speak. I expect a stream of vitriol to follow me out of the room. There's nothing though, not even a word from Eleazar who had entered the room while I was speaking to Alice. The unspoken reactions of the other vampires though, which range from curiosity about Bella Swan, to shock at my unfiltered response to Tanya's thoughts, are silent but plentiful.
Eleazar follows me through the cabin and into my room, closing the door behind us. I head for the terrace and drop into the chair which faces the horizon. My head is in my hands before Eleazar speaks. I already know what he intends to say before he opens his mouth.
"If the girl Alice called about is the girl you've been communicating with, Edward, what has happened to make you so angry with Tanya?"
I count to ten before responding. I don't want to be rude or sound defiant, but I'm not in the mood to be questioned. My priority is to think quickly and carefully about what Alice said about protecting Bella and then to act on her advice. Only out of politeness and friendship do I give Eleazar a reply.
"Tanya presumed Bella is my lover. Her instant response was she intended to kill her, even before I told her Bella's human."
Eleazar waits for me to say more but that's it in a nutshell.
"Do you want Bella in that way, Edward? You didn't mention that when you asked for my help. You only implied a human girl was suspicious of you and because of the effect she had on you, and that you believed her to be gifted."
"Yes … no … yes … of course I want her, Eleazar. She's beautiful, and she's beguiled me."
"Beguiled? You sound like …"
"Mr. Darcy … I know. Bella said that too. However much I try, I can't help speaking like I'm from a different time which I suppose I am, as you and Carmen are, but that's not important now. Bella is suspicious of me, Eleazar, but I can guarantee she's not thinking supernatural. I'm certain she believes I'm some sort of time-traveler."
Eleazar laughs as he takes a seat on the terrace's other chair. I really want to be left alone but this is Eleazar's home. I can't exactly tell him to p ... go away.
"So tell me what Alice said, Edward. I only caught the end of the conversation when she told you to take Bella somewhere and keep her safe."
I take some deep breaths of the cool Alaskan air and stare at the ever-changing landscape while I recall word for word Alice's warning.
"She said, I must do everything in my power to protect her, and that she's vital to our continued survival."
"Have you any idea what she means?"
"No ... I don't know, especially the 'our' word. I've no idea whether she means our family or the vampire species as a whole. But I'd take a guess this has something to do with James. He is the only known threat to my family's survival and also your survival. When I connected with him thirteen years ago while I sat on this terrace, he tried hard but he couldn't take control of my mind. Bella is the only person, human or vampire, who has been able to access my thoughts. Her mind also radiates a power I cannot begin to understand, even though thanks to you I can suffer to be close to her now. I would have to take from what Alice is implying that she could also be immune to James' ability. I may be totally wrong, but I can't see any other way she would have any sort of influence on our safety. Bella is extraordinarily gifted though, there's no doubt of that."
Eleazar digests my words and takes some time to respond. What he suggests next isn't what I expected.
"I need to meet this girl, Edward, for her own safety as well as ours. If she has a gift, she should be nurtured to develop it, the same as how I helped you when we discovered your ability. This could mean her becoming a Newborn."
"No," I hiss and slam my hands on my knees. I turn to face him. Eleazar fleetingly looks shocked.
"That is never going to happen, Eleazar. Bella deserves a life … a human life. I won't allow her soul to be sacrificed for the speculative notion that she can overcome our anticipated problem with James."
"What if she chooses to help us. If we tell her that she may be our only hope?"
"Still no, Eleazar, and if you continue down this path, I'll have no choice but to leave immediately and not tell you where I'm going."
The atmosphere on the tranquil terrace has turned electric. I totally understand Eleazar's intentions are primarily to protect the vampire race and Carmen specifically. To be totally honest, if I was in his shoes I would probably be suggesting the same. But I can't do this to Bella. If she found out she had been changed solely for the benefit of the wider vampire community, she would rightly never trust me again.
"Do you know where she is right now?" Eleazar says, breaking the awkward silence.
"I know which state she's in but I truly haven't got a clue which part, and it's a big state. She's not in New York though. She flew out to live with her father until the virus is under control in the city, which won't be for a while according to Alice."
"So do you plan to find her and protect her?"
"Yes … but I don't know where to start looking. I might have to rely on Alice to track her down. Bella has my email address and cell number. She's had them since Sunday, but for some reason she hasn't contacted me yet. I don't know why because if she's intrigued about my origins, I presumed she would have messaged or called me by now."
"Have you considered that she might be ill? She may have caught the virus at the airport, or on the plane."
"No … shit! I hadn't thought of that."
"Well, if she gets really sick, you could change her to save her, as Carlisle did for you. Would you change her then?"
"I don't know … probably yes, but only if she was dying."
Our conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door. Carmen appears but with a half-smile only this time.
"Tanya and Kate have left. Boy, you really have upset them, Edward. Was it absolutely necessary to speak to Tanya in that way and in front of our other guests?"
My initial reaction to this news is to scoff triumphantly. I don't though as Carmen hates any sort of confrontation in her home. I feel guilty for a fleeting second but I'm still smiling internally. Tanya's pride has shown itself as I guessed it would. She obviously didn't want to be under the same roof as me for a moment longer and her stalking out is her way of showing the witnesses that I'm the villain. I'm pleased she's gone, but feel regretful that I didn't get a chance to speak to Kate again as she is a kind soul. I respond to Carmen, adding a dose of contrition to my voice.
"Tanya's mind is a sewer, Carmen. She visualized ripping Bella to pieces which struck a nerve. It all happened so fast. On reflection, maybe I was too personal, but she knows how I feel now. I'm not sorry about that."
"Alright, but you've made an enemy for life. I suggest you stay well away from her in the future."
I shrug my shoulders as there had always been a chance this would be the outcome when I rejected her, with or without Alice or Bella in the equation.
Carmen blows us both a kiss and closes the door. The moment she leaves, it's like a cloud has blotted out the sun.
"So where will you start your search if Alice can't help you," Eleazar asks. I'm relieved he hasn't commented on Tanya's departure.
"Probably the city she was flying to. As I said, Bella's father lives in a big state so it may take a while to find her. I have a few clues though. I know what her father does. I may be able to track her down that way."
"I sense that you don't trust me, Edward. That's understandable. I would act the same way to protect Carmen. All I ask of you is to keep me updated on your progress, and I promise I won't press you any further. You know I have Carmen and our friends to think about if James and the others reappear. I'm confident they will one day and we all must be prepared for that. We can't rely on the Guard who may not be able to deflect his powers. Let me know when you're ready to leave. I'll drive you to the Canadian border but I can't take you any further.
"Thanks," I reply and turn to face the horizon which is where I'll be heading soon. About seven hours of daylight remain before night descends but there'll be no spectacular light show tonight. Grey clouds hang low and swirl around the summits of the surrounding hills. A fine curtain of rain soaks an already drenched landscape. The weather suits my mood, dark and brooding, but at least the dull conditions have the benefit of being ideal weather for vampires to travel on foot.
Eleazar leaves me to ponder my immediate future. Seattle will be the destination I'll head for if I can't find Bella's father on the internet. She said he was a cop, but that could mean anything from traffic patrol to a high-flying detective. From what I know, Washington is a State of forests and mountains, and volcanoes, so that doesn't help either. What other clues did she give me? I concentrate hard, trying to recall each word that passed between us at the airport until I remember Bella answering my question about where she was flying to ...
'Seattle, my dad lives on the Olympic Peninsula.'
I grab my cell and search Olympic Peninsula on the internet. "Jesus! It's fucking huge," I groan. When I delve further, I cheer as great swathes of the terrain appear uninhabited. Even better, there are only two towns with a population of over 10,000 – Port Angeles in the west and Aberdeen in the south, plus a handful of smaller towns. I click on the website for the police department in Port Angeles to check whether there is any way of finding out whether they have a cop with the name of Swan. As I'm searching the site, I realize there's a possibility that Bella uses her mother's name if her parents never married. That would mean searching for Swan would be fruitless.
I'm about ten minutes into my search when a message pops up from Alice.
'Found her – look at the attachment' followed by a smiley face emoji.
I click on the attachment and immediately Bella's full name leaps off the screen. I quickly scan the article before reading the words again slowly. I have to balance the cell on the chair arm as I'm sure I would crush the fragile contraption if I held it. My anger is ferocious.
Police Chief's daughter named in High School Sex Scandal
Following the arrest of Forks High School's English Lit teacher, William Berty, for the alleged sexual assault of a female student in her senior year, the Peninsula Daily News has been reliably informed that a second alleged victim has come forward. Isabella Marie Swan, who is currently a college student in New York City, claims that Berty propositioned her early in 2018. Ms. Swan's father is Police Chief Charles Swan, who serves the community of Forks and the surrounding area. Ms. Swan attended Forks High between 2015 and 2018. While we understand Berty has admitted his guilt regarding the assault of the current student, it is not known whether he has also admitted the assault of Ms. Swan. Berty remains in custody in an undisclosed location in Seattle.
My mind goes back to the second night I perched on the fire escape under Angie's window. Bella had dreamed of her high school and I had picked up they were bad memories for her. Now I know why. This predatory asshole had taken advantage of her, and his actions were still playing on her mind. While I read the article more carefully for the second time, I hope that the word 'propositioned' had been well chosen by the newspaper and that she had been able to resist an actual physical assault.
This William Berty, whoever he is, should count himself lucky that I'm not anywhere near Seattle right now. I would hunt him down until I found him. I haven't fed on a human since taking out Al, so he wouldn't stand a chance the mood I'm in. If I discover that he's touched her, there's not a prison cell in the world secure enough to stop me from breaking in and taking revenge, and not just for Bella.
The only good thing that's come from this outrage is that I now know where Bella lives. I'm back on Google again.
Forks. A small town inland from Port Angeles, surrounded by temperate rain forest. I trawl a map of the area from above and from street level, memorizing every house, every shop, every bar, every restaurant while giving thanks to NASA and the Russian, European and other Space Agencies for sending satellites into orbit which allow me to do this.
My memory is good and I easily recall the image of the white boarded house Bella dreamed of. But Forks is full of white boarded houses and even I can't pick out which one is her father's. I narrow it down to seven which all have steps leading up to the front door and are surrounded by trees. I won't need long to find the right one once I'm there. I'll leave myself open to 'attack by arrow' and her glow will make her easy to find - if she's still there of course.
I get now why she hasn't called or emailed me. This disclosure must have consumed her every waking moment as soon as she arrived home. I wonder then whether she had planned to out Berty when she returned, or whether the attack on the unnamed student had compelled her to come forward and tell her story. It breaks my heart, even though I don't have one, to know she has lived with this secret for two years, no doubt because she presumed she wouldn't be believed. That is how sexual predators like Berty get away with their crimes for so long. Bastard!
My cell rings. It's Alice. I answer.
"So?" she says before I have a chance to say hello.
"So I'm going to Forks."
"And what are you going to do when you get there?"
"I'm going to snatch Bella from her bedroom during the night and whisk her away to a romantic but remote location, where I'll change her into a vampire and then make mad passionate love to her for a decade. What the hell do you think I'm going to do, Alice?"
There's silence for about five seconds, which is an eternity for Alice, until she says …
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm not! I don't know what to do. Fuck this, Alice. You throw this on me without warning and expect me to have a master plan already in place to protect her. I need information. Who am I protecting her from? Is it James? Is it the Volturi because somehow they've learned that she's gifted? Is this urgent? In other words, do I have to protect her now, or next week, or next year. You have to give me more to work with, Alice."
"Calm down!" Alice snaps back. Immediately, I realize I'm being a dick. Her tone changes to more assertive and I know I have to apologize.
"I don't know … yet! I'm working on it. All I've seen is that a dangerous situation will happen sometime in the future and that Bella will get caught up in it but in a good way. I'm only guessing that James is involved. If Bella can affect your mind in the strange way you describe, and James has got no control over you, the combination of you working with Bella may be our only chance to defeat him and possibly destroy him. As I said, I'm only guessing because I've nothing else to go on."
"No, me neither," I reply with a purposely amended attitude. "Sorry, Alice. You caught me in a shitty mood because of the news article you attached and because I've had a serious bust-up with Tanya."
Alice laughs … well it sounds more like a snicker.
"Did she come on to you again?"
"Only in her thoughts as usual, but she overheard our conversation about Bella. She put two and two together and came up with a million."
"And?"
"I told her Bella's human and I had feelings for her, and there would never be anything romantic between Bella and me, or me and her, now or ever."
"Did she believe you?"
"I guess so."
"My, my! I wouldn't have thought Tanya would be so gullible."
"I was speaking the truth, Alice. There'll never be anything between me and Bella. I'm not changing her unless …"
"Unless … what?"
"Unless it's to save her life."
"O…kay."
"What do you know?"
"I'm not saying, Edward. It's better you don't know. Being able to see the future is a curse, not a blessing. If I told you your future, you would act differently – you'd make loaded decisions. I only make predictions when I see danger ahead. That's it. No more."
Alice has said this to me before and I've always accepted her boundaries. She's right of course but I need as much information as possible before I take a step further.
"So are you thinking of heading to Forks?" she asks.
"Yes. Eleazar has offered to drive me to the border. I'll run through Canada and head towards Vancouver and then decide from there which route to take into Washington."
Alice pauses and I sense there's something coming that I won't like.
"Edward, there's a fact about Washington you need to know before you sprint across the Olympic Park."
"What now?" I growl.
"Werewolves."
I scoff. "Werewolves! Are you serious?"
"The peninsula is their territory which is why vampires never go there. Ask Carlisle. He researched the area when he had a notion to open a clinic in Seattle in the 50s. When he heard about the First American native tribes whose ancestors hunted vampires in wolf form, he decided not to rattle their genetic material by moving into their neighborhood. The tribes in that area have legends about their werewolf ancestors. Whether they believe the old stories or not isn't important. The last thing we want to do is to agitate them and have another enemy to fight."
"Holy shit! Is there anything else I should know? My life is getting more and more like a video game every minute."
"Not at the moment. Just keep away from anyone who looks as though they live on a reservation."
I hang up after Alice's revelation and ponder what to do. Bella's dreams come back to me again and I visualize the young boy with long hair and ethnic beads. With luck, he was just a childhood playmate and not still part of her life, otherwise, I could have a serious problem.
I could ask Eleazar about werewolves, or should I just call Carlisle. I already know what he would say though. Don't go anywhere near Forks. I go in search of Eleazar. He's in the library reading a book about the Aztecs. He looks up and smiles.
"Are you ready to leave?" he asks.
"Not yet, but I need information about werewolves. Alice says the state I'm heading for … "
"Ah!," he interrupts. "Bella lives in Washington or one of the surrounding states I'd guess. Yes, Edward. Vampires know to give Washington a wide berth. I'm surprised Carlisle didn't warn you when he discovered its history. I suspect you were in South America when he contemplated moving west. I doubt whether any of our kind has set foot in that part of the world for over a century at least. There is one particular tribe, the Quileutes, whose ancestors were our deadliest foe. They live mainly on the Olympic peninsula but there must have been marriages between tribes or even outside the tribes over the years. That could mean their genes have spread across the Northwest United States. If this girl lives near the Quileutes, I would seriously reconsider traveling close to their reservations. Instead, encourage her to move back east as fast as possible."
"Are werewolves dangerous?"
"Oh yes. They are fast and strong. If they catch us on the ground we don't stand much chance in a fight. If there's more than one, no chance. Think carefully about your next move, Edward. You don't need to make any more enemies than you already have."
I wander back to my terrace to do exactly what Eleazar suggests – think carefully. My original aim to protect Bella by going to Forks has been shot to pieces in less than an hour. How can I keep watch on her from the forest if my presence stirs ancient inherited abilities in the native population and thus puts mine and other less-informed vampire visitors at risk?
If Alice could give me some sort of idea of the timescale I have to work with, my decision about my next move would be so much easier to make. I know what I must do though – speak to Carlisle before I leave the cabin. I have a vampire father with hundreds of years of experience to call on for advice. As head of the family and a man I hugely respect, I should not be contemplating doing anything which would put any of us at risk without consulting him.
I pick up my cell and call him. No reply. I send him the following message.
'Urgent – call me as soon as you can, Edward.'
I look at the time. It's early morning in New York. He doesn't call back immediately which is annoying. Today is Sunday. The clinic will be closed. He could be out picking up supplies or just going for a walk which he often does at the weekend.
I take a shower, read an online newspaper, and tackle some evil-level Sudoku's. By now it's one o'clock - ten in New York. The rainclouds have lifted away from the hillsides and now zip from left to right across a threatening sky. Eleazar's offer of a ride to the border is becoming more attractive, even though I could run faster. A flight from Fairbanks would be quicker still.
I'm fed up with waiting for Carlisle so decide to call Esme to ask her to get Carlisle to call me back. The second I hit her number, I hear raised voices coming from inside the cabin. I disconnect before Esme answers and get up to find out what's going on. As soon as I open my door, I recognize Kate's voice. I tense as I presume Tanya will be with her. When I arrive in the living room, Carmen has her hands on Kate's shoulders and is attempting to calm her down. Tanya is not there and I relax, but only for a few seconds. Kate spins around when she senses I'm behind her and advances towards me. The hate coming in my direction is so visceral I automatically recoil.
"This is your fault!" she screams. Her eyes flash and her usually beautiful face is twisted into a vision of anger.
"What the fuck have I done now?" I retaliate.
"Tanya has found out where Bella Swan lives. She's on her way to Forks to kill her. She's determined to make you pay for how you dismissed her so cruelly. You crushed her in front of witnesses so now she's on a mission to break you by destroying the girl that means so much to you. She's heading for the peninsula, which both she and I know is a no-go area for our kind. If she's ripped to pieces by the werewolves, this is all on you, Edward Cullen."
So that is why Tanya left in such a hurry, and I'd presumed her quick exit was purely through hurt pride. What a fool I've been. I'm gutted though that Kate is taking Tanya's side. She knows how her sister's mind works as I've sensed her embarrassment when Tanya makes inappropriate comments to me and to others. I have to meet fire with fire though and I don't hold back.
"Tanya is sick in the head, Kate. I know you won't admit this, but you and I know that she's twisted. I can read your mind, remember, and I know you know things about her that I won't repeat here. But let me tell you this. If Tanya hurts one hair on Bella's head and manages to escape from the werewolves, she will never escape from me. I'll hunt her down for the rest of eternity if needs be, and I'll kill her myself. So if you have any way of stopping her, Kate, I should do so right now."
"You wouldn't do that."
"Yes, I would, and I can already read in your mind that you believe me."
Eleazar moves between us. "Stop this, now! Whatever you think of Tanya, Edward, she's walking into danger, not only for her but for all other vampires if she revives the genetic instincts of the Quileutes. Kate, you must call her. Tell her to give this up. Inform her that Alice has predicted that Bella Swan is vital to our survival, so if she kills her, she may end up causing your death, or even worse, both of you ending up under the thrall of James."
Kate's eyes slowly close while she contemplates Eleazar's words. My eyes have been locked with hers while we yelled at one another. When she releases me, tension falls away from my shoulders. Kate shakes her head and with her eyes still closed she speaks in a more controlled voice.
"I can't stop her, Eleazar. She crushed her cell when she said goodbye to me. I followed her for a while, but gave up when I realized I wasn't going to change her mind. I came back here to ask for your help."
The mood in the room softens in an instant. Carmen pulls Kate into an embrace and holds her. Eleazar slides his arm around my shoulders. I read Kate's angry thoughts towards me change to despair for the anticipated loss of her sister. The room is silent which gives us a moment to contemplate what has just happened.
As Kate raises her head from Carmen's shoulder, my ringtone breaks the silence, causing us all to jump. I presume it's Carlisle calling back.
"Carlisle?" I say as I put the cell to my ear. No words are spoken, but I can hear breathing which means a human has called me. But no human has this number, except ...
"Who is this?" I ask and stare at the screen. A number I don't recognize is displayed. A thrill shoots through my body.
"Hello, Edward. This is Bella … Bella Swan. Are you free to talk? I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
Brilliant timing!
Thank heavens Bella has contacted Edward at last. What is he going to say to her? 'Run for the Hills' would be a good start. Unfortunately, you're going to have to wait to find out (ducks for cover). A heck of a lot has been happening in Forks while Edward has been having verbal punch-ups with Tanya.
Just a reminder for those of you not getting email alerts, I upload every Tuesday and Saturday (without fail) at approximately 9 am UK time.
Have a great weekend,
Joan x