Chapter Seventeen


Edward startled awake sometime after four in the morning, groggily he looked away from the alarm clock to check what woke him up. Bella's cold foot slid against his leg, her body trying to wiggle closer to him. Between a couple of rounds of sex and all the excitement of the last two days, he was exhausted and needed more rest. He pulled Bella tighter against his body, noticing her shivering.

"Why are you so cold?" he asked, though his question sounded slightly slurred from sleep. His hand ran up and down her arm to warm her.

Bella moaned softly, turning toward him and nuzzling her lips against his chest. "Cuz' you're a blanket hog."

Edward felt his face heat up a little, since no one had ever said that to him. No girlfriend had ever slept over his place, a mutual decision, or had ever taken the time to learn about his quirks and habits. He hoped Bella would stick around even after she figures out all the different ways he could annoy her and vice versa.

"Sorry," he whispered, pressing a kiss in the center of her forehead. She made a soft little sound that caught in her throat. The cool tips of her fingers traced indistinct patterns on his chest, working their way down his stomach.

No longer concerned with resting, his own fingers danced gently down her back. Her body arched closer, her nipples brushing his chest. It wasn't long before they were lost to each other, knowing that time was of the essence. Before falling asleep earlier, Bella had said her privacy spell would end as the sun rises. With dawn approaching, their movements were a little faster, harder, and deeper. His lips and tongue lingered on the tips of her breasts, while hers wrapped around him in heat.

Rolling and twisting in the sheets, soon he was deep inside her. Their mouths met and shared breaths and soft words. "I'm scared," she cried softly as her body started to tremble beneath his. He kissed away her tears and loved her as if there was no tomorrow.

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The sound of utensils scraping against plates seemed to reverberate through the kitchen. Coffee had been poured less than hour before, as they made the necessary calls to Detective Biers and Jasper. Though the detective's captain was reluctant to allow civilians on the property on what could be huge case, they would be allowed to go but only for an hour.

If need be, they'd sneak on the property later to help the lost souls.

"I'll clean up," Edward said, rising from his chair and taking his plate with him. "You go do your thing."

Bella nodded and rolled her neck, as he turned away to wash dishes. "I can't make promises about what is going to happen, but I can tell you what to look for if something goes wrong."

Edward's shoulders dropped when he faced her, and he did his best to remain positive. "Like what?" It came out harsher than he intended, her flinch pained him. "Sorry, I'm trying not to freak out. I'm worried, there's no fucking denying that."

She joined him by the sink, her arm wrapping around his waist as she let her forehead drop on his chest. "I'm scared, too. This is off the charts in my book." That didn't make him feel better. "But as you can hear from outside, we're already surrounded. They're not going to leave us alone until we do something to help."

He kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her. Spirits from the Lexington property had been blinking in and out all morning since Bella's privacy spell lifted, more than a dozen at a time so far. The voices and the memories they broadcasted for them to see was deafening. Bella had only managed to dull it with a temporary spell, but it also kept their spiritual cohorts from joining them. It didn't give them the same privacy as before, but Bella needed it that way. She was getting the information she needed so that she'd be better prepared for later.

"We could walk away, but there's a very good chance they'll never allow us any peace. Spells can only do so much and are only as powerful as I am at the moment. This is already draining the resources my body and mind need to cope with what comes next."

"What exactly comes next?"

"Well, something is keeping the spirits from leaving the property for long. That's why they come and go here. Some will not leave willingly once we offer our help, probably because they fear what lies on the other side. There are some that are so lost in their hatred and vengeance that their souls have been lost, those will be among the most difficult to put to rest. Then there is the killer…" Her brow tightened, her head shaking. "It's a mess."

"What is it?" He held her face in his hands, watching as her eyes lost focus. "What is it that they're showing you?"

"I don't know. They seem to be scared of the killer and an older woman. I can't make sense of it."

"Is there anything you need from your car before we head out?"

"Everything we took last time, and we need to make sure we have enough holy water and salt on us."

"You ready?"

She shook her head. "I need to change, and I'd advise on long sleeves. The forest is pretty dense and if we have to run, it'll leave scratches easy."

"All right."

They worked together to clean up the kitchen then headed back to the guest room they were using to change. Bella received a call from a few contacts with the local police. Due to the new development on the property, Jane's case was being handled by someone else, not Detective Biers. Her body had been found, but her identity had yet to be confirmed. Once that happened, things would be monitored to make sure Jane remained Earth bound until she was ready.

"You're sure Jane is out there?" Edward asked after Bella ended her call, pulling off his t-shirt and pulling a thermal out of his bag. If he planned to stay with Bella during her house sitting gig, he'd have to pick up some clothes. They hadn't discussed what would happen after that day, but they would need to soon.

"She's anxious, so yeah, I feel her."

Edward watched as she slipped into slim black pants that almost appeared painted on, the little hop she made to get them over her ass made him laugh. She sent him glare and flipped him off, before removing her top, leaving her breasts exposed. That made his laughter come to complete stop, earning hers.

"Too easy," she teased, but continued on the task of getting ready. The moment of levity made her tense shoulders ease a little, and the tightness around her eyes even lessened. The dark purple bra she put on made his teeth itch to remove, but not before tasting her nipple through the lace. Shaking his head to dispel some of the lust, he finished getting ready.

Fifteen minutes later, they were on the road on the way to meet Jasper and Detective Biers. It would be a matter of hours before FBI took over if Bella's suspicions were correct. Their time on the property was limited, which didn't bode well for the day ahead. Jane and the others, including Vicky, had gone ahead, also waiting for them.

"You sure you have everything you need?" Edward drove his truck through a thick fog that rolled in during the early morning hours. There was no use in denying how anxious and scared he felt.

"Yes," Bella whispered, her eyes closed and the back of her head rested on the seat. "Do you remember what to look for if something goes wrong? What to do?"

Edward looked away, feeling her eyes him. "Yeah, I know what to do."

"And if I say for you to run?"

"I'm not running, I told you that. If we're in trouble, I'm grabbing you and then we'll run."

"Fine, I'd do the same anyway," she huffed, and slid closer to his side. He was damn thankful for the bench style seating with no center console. It kept her close, just the way he liked it.

"Is Jasper going to be okay?" she asked, concern lighting up her eyes. Edward could only shrug. He thought he knew Jasper, but obviously his friend had kept things from him. "We'll need to keep an eye on him. He doesn't seem as sensitive to them as we are, or else he wouldn't have been able to stay there so long."

"He can handle himself, he's told me some stories that would put most horror flicks to shame." She had, too, but he decided not to ask what. That could wait until they were safe again. He felt her snuggle closer, her eyes closed as she started to whisper something that sounded like Latin. It had to be something she did to prepare, maybe even a prayer. He kept his questions to himself and continued toward the property that would undoubtedly be their toughest challenge.

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"How many did you find?" Bella asked Detective Biers. The straight and narrow asshole was gone, instead, there was a man who'd seen things that changed him overnight. His suit looked slept in, his hair was a mess, and his tie was long gone.

"The crew is still working on the graves, but twenty-four women according to the ME, there's also a body of a much younger woman."

"Fuck," Bella hissed and rolled her shoulders. "I wasn't sure, I saw something concerning a teenager, but I honestly thought it was something residual. Are there any records of family being buried on the property?"

"There's nothing on file, though Caius Lexington had an older sister go missing when he was six. According to the file, Heidi Lexington was last seen near the creek that runs through the property, while the others were hunting."

"Are you thinking that the girl's body is Heidi Lexington?" Jasper asked, standing on her right side. "We need to make sure it's her. If there's even a remote chance that she's alive, we may have someone willing to take over the apparent family business."

"That's what we may have here, a family of serial killers." Detective Biers led them toward the graves, though there was no need. Spirits friendly and not so friendly surrounded them, some curious of the newcomers, others angry for whatever reason. Jane and Vicky stood at the edge of the tree line, facing it and very still. James and Shelley flanked Edward and Bella, as they made their way through the forest.

The canopy overhead kept most of the sun hidden from view, not that it would help much since the fog had yet to lift. There was a golden, hazy appearance to the sun that made it appear as if it was sunset instead of closer to noon.

They each had almost fallen due to twisted roots and logs. On Edward's left, the same ghost-doctor that warned them the day before flickered into view. In a blink of an eye, she was gone, only to stand several feet ahead of them. "You okay?" Edward asked Bella, keeping his hand around her elbow.

"I'm okay, I'm only getting a trickle of information, but I can see them clearly."

"Me, too." Edward looked at Jasper, who only shrugged. They were going to have to talk soon, his friend was keeping secrets that may be vital for what they were doing.

Detective Biers looked at Bella and leaned a little too close. "Is my sister here?"

"She's here to protect you, yes," Bella whispered, her eyes clenching shut. She wavered, leaning toward Edward. The asshole detective made it obvious that he wanted to be the one to catch her.

Tough shit, that was his privilege, not some detective, making it clear with a hard stare.

"What do you see?" Jasper asked her, glaring at Edward and Biers for their pissing contest. He said nothing else and waited for Bella. After a minute of mumbling under her breath, too soft and fast for anyone to understand, her arm slowly lifted to point past several tents were set up. Six crew members were working on uncovering the bodies as carefully as possible and collecting evidence.

"There's an older woman, and a young woman."

Edward walked past her toward the direction she pointed. "I don't see anything," he said, confused.

"I think she's walking through the past." Jasper held Edward back as Bella continued toward a darker part of the forest. "I can't see what she's seeing, but they're only letting her see."

Edward could only nod, hating that he was clueless of what was happening. If there was something that had the ability to hurt Bella, he wanted to know everything about it. He helplessly watched as tears started to trail down her cheeks. A few yards away from them, she stopped and held out her hand, behind her.

"Edward." He grabbed a hold of her hand, surprised to find it so cold.

"I'm here."

"Close your eyes," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

The moment he closed his eyes, he realized why she apologized. He was bombarded with hundreds of images, no, memories. Each string of pictures came with loaded with tactile information, including scents and emotions.

A young woman, of maybe seventeen or eighteen with dark blonde hair stood behind a tree, armed with a rifle, the one her grandfather had given her. Cold and dread filled her whole body as a small tan and white fawn and its mother looked up from where they drank at the water's edge. She kept quiet, hardly breathing as she pulled up her rifle, her hands shaking. Everything warred against her. Her heart wasn't into the kill, not like the rest of her family. She had no desire for it, yet she knew that her grandmother and grandfather would be angry.

There was no sign of her grandfather and brother, she could get away with scaring them away. She stepped from behind the tree, just as a flash from across the creek caught her attention and then came a horrible sound. The mother fell to her side with a thump, and scarcely any movement. They didn't warn her how they screamed if they didn't die right away or how a fawn would cry for its mother. Tears filled her eyes. She looked up to see her little brother at the other end of the rifle, his mouth curving up as he said, "I got you in my crosshairs."

Edward's stomach churned and bile rose in his throat. Memories continued to come from Bella, though too fast, becoming to disoriented. "Stop!" The second the word passed his lips, they memories fell way.

Bella swayed as he did, but they held each other up. Whatever it was that she shared, he could now see the girl, not much older than eighteen, her appearance was in different shades of grays, a sickly tinge all over her body. She was dirty, her dress too thin for the cold, one gray eye was wide open, but too large in her round face. Where her other eye should be, was nothing but a hollowed, black socket. The only hint of color was the mass of blood on her stark white dress from several stab wounds. She opened his mouth to talk or scream, but before she could, an old wrinkled woman with a shock of white hair and matching eyes came up from behind the girl to cover her mouth.

"Leave this place," the old woman hissed, taking the last of the sun with her words.