Whispering Woods

Chapter Forty

Carlisle arranged his wife's hands and fingers to intertwine with Garrett's and Charlie's so they were all joined. He and Edward pushed the coffee table close enough for Carlisle to sit down in the center, placing his hands on Esme's shoulders.

He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to open to the endless possibilities and his capabilities.

Fascinated, Edward and Bella watched the glow surrounding Carlisle swirl around him faster, intensifying in color and brightness every second, converging and bursting. The most prominent and brightest swirls concentrated around his hands.

Bella, for some reason, couldn't see the outcome of this experiment. It happened that way for her from time to time, and at the worst time, it usually involved those she loved.

It made her nervous.

"Edward, I need you do lay your hands on my shoulders—essentially I'll be a conduit for your gift. Then Bella, once it's apparent that Edward has successfully connected with me and the others, you hold on to him."

Edward started to pace and his hands ran through his hair. "I don't know if I can do this."

Bella grabbed his hand to keep him from tearing out his hair. "You already have used this part of your gifts before."

He looked at her in confusion. "I have never been able to heal someone."

"Maybe you don't remember." She tapped his forehead, a look in her eyes trying to tell him something.

"Fuck, in the woods the first time." He'd driven there because the whispers had told him the girl with the purple eyes needed his help. They had sustained injuries after the fall over the cliff, including a cut on his forehead. They had woken up somehow healed, though some aches remained, with no memory of how they'd gotten to the trail entrance.

"You think I did that?"

She nodded. "It makes sense to me."

"What are you two talking about?" Carlisle cursed when he broke the connection. "Damn it, you'll have to explain what you're referring to after this. We need to focus on this and this alone. Anything else on your mind, you risk transferring through the connection."

Bella winced at the thought. Edward groaned, as there was something he didn't want anyone to see. Especially since Charlie could potentially see his fantasies about his daughter. That would be wrong on many levels.

Edward and Bella looked at each other and took a few calming breaths. He felt it was a waste of time. There was no way he could help give them back their senses, it seemed too different than healing someone.

"Ready?" Carlisle closed his eyes once again and started the process. "Just focus your energy, call it forth, let it bubble to the surface." His magic flowed through his hands, encompassing Esme with a light, glowing mist that seemed to focus solely around her head. "The healing powers know exactly where to go."

Edward placed his hands on his father's shoulders, meeting Bella's eyes once more. He needed an anchor, something to keep him there if something went wrong.

"You can do this," she mouthed. Her eyes, a brilliant shade of amethyst, glowed unnaturally and mesmerized him. "Focus on your ability, on the magic, let it flow through you."

Her haunting voice gently demanded he did what she asked, flowing through him. Suddenly, hundreds of voices intruded, screaming in his head. Bombarding him from every direction until it drove him to his knees. He wanted to cover his head.

Bella lunged, keeping Edward's hands on Carlisle. She bent to whisper in his ear. "Focus on healing, not the voices, only mine. Shut that part of you off, like you did at school, remember?"

Edward couldn't take all the emotions hitting him all at once. "I can't, I can't. Too many voices!"

"I know, baby. Use whatever you used last time. You made it work once, you can do it again."

"You…armor, warrior princess."

She laughed, his mind focusing on the sound, on her touch, trying to grasp his anchor. He lost it again when the thoughts of someone in town had lost his wife and son in a car accident and contemplated suicide hit him hard. "So much pain."

Something Edward said earlier triggered an idea, but it would mean… She had no choice.

A pained sound filtered through her lips at the thought of manipulating him.

"Edward, baby. Listen. I think what we did in the kitchen, gave me a migraine. It hurts so bad. Do you think you could help me with that?"

"Me, too. Hate those." Words were hard to find, but Edward had to help Bella. "Have to stay in the dark for hours."

"Yes, but I'm afraid of the dark." Bella hated that she had to lie, or like Edward said, manipulate him to do what they needed. There was some truth to her words though; her head hurt something awful.

He didn't believe in his healing ability. She had to make him want to use them. His natural instinct to protect her would insist on it.

"I'll take the pain away, Bella." He pressed his forehead against hers. It wasn't long before the voices started to fade away. Clarity made him realize what she did to get him to focus. Some anger and even embarrassment burned through him for a moment, but he couldn't stay mad at her.

If it helped the others, how could he argue the method?

"Thank you." She whispered encouraging words, peppering kisses along his forehead, his cheeks, over his eyes, and finally the corner of his mouth. The tingle was there addicting. "It's working, Edward. Keep going."

Carlisle opened his eyes, shocked at the scene around him. Gold and purple light had joined his and Edward's, but never mixed. Instead, tendrils of it intertwined with every green and blue swirl.

Esme, the first to come to her senses, gasped suddenly, ready to jump back. She couldn't make sense of the scene before her.

"Do not break the connection," Edward and Carlisle said in unison, their minds connected through Edward.

Garrett came to next, cursing and snarling, ready for a fight, the same way he'd gone under the spell. He startled to find the children and Carlisle instead of his enemies.

Bella cried out, "Something is wrong with my father!"

"Don't break the connection!" Carlisle shouted again.

Bella struggled to stay connected to Edward, desperate to reach for her father.

They watched as the magic that surrounded Garrett and Esme swiftly joined the swirls around Charlie. Not only focusing on his head, like the others, but his chest.

"Shit!" Carlisle looked at his wife and nodded. He put one hand on Charlie's shoulder then broke contact with Esme. "Stay with me, Edward and Bella. His heart, there's something wrong with it."

Bella wanted to cry, having seen a vision during the power exchange, or in this case, a memory of an old dream. She circled them after asking Esme and Garrett to move away. "Put your hand on his chest, Uncle Carl."

"What's wrong with him?" Carlisle wanted to know as he slid his hands from Charlie's shoulders and pressed against his chest.

Bella snarled, "That bitch has his heart."

AN: Week is in full swing, but I thought an update will be appreciated. I hope you all enjoy the holiday weekend and find that amazing deal...I wish I could get the Cricut Maker, but yeah, not in the cards this year. See you all soon. I'm so thankful for all my readers and friends I've made over the last 11 years! Happy Birthday to Pam, thank you so much for your lovely words, help, and just being an all-around awesome person. Thanks to MC for your help with the chapter and you know, being my cheerleader.