Playlist:
Victory – The Silent Comedy
Cheap Thrills – Sia
Circus – Britney Spears
Big Bad Wolf – Roses and Revolutions
Cinderella – Steven Curtis Chapman
Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying – Fall Out Boy
SING – My Chemical Romance
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the words. Stephanie Meyer owns the Twilight series, and the songs belong to their respective people.
Victory
Carlisle was sitting on the Attic balcony, watching the sun rise over the edge of the cavern. It glinted off something at the edge of his vision and he turned to face Bella in her usual golden dress, her hair still wet from the shower.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
Bella typically came out onto the balcony for about twenty minutes in the mornings before breakfast, and again in the evening. Sometimes Edward would join her, but usually none of them did; they chose to respect the few minutes Bella got to be alone each day.
"I slept really well, thank you. I had a good dream, for once. I'm a little late getting started this morning."
"I did not realize you were awake; I would have gone inside."
"No, stay, it's okay." Bella smiled gratefully at him. "It's nice of you all to give me some space when I'm meditating, but I don't mind your company right now. What did you do all night?"
Carlisle settled back against his chair with a strange giddiness in his gut. "I chose to remain home last night, I wanted to finish my book."
"Anything good?" Bella was rolling out a beautifully detailed woven rug in rich purples, edged with golden thread that formed ever-changing symbols. It cast the kiss of magick into the air, releasing a shower of golden sparks as it snapped open.
"I managed to finish it a moment ago. Hanna Shaman's treatise on aura magicks. Her theories about the role of mental training on magickal power were revolutionary."
Bella's eyes crinkled, but she turned to face the sunrise before Carlisle could see her indulgent grin. "Carlisle, Hanna Shaman lived fifteen hundred years ago. I doubt you can consider her a revolutionary anymore. And she was hardly the first person to meditate."
"Yes, but this text made it common place among every Fae."
"That's because Faith Salem was close friends with Hanna and among the first to read the book. She basically demanded they start teaching the mental arts at the School and once Fae started to notice the effects, everyone wanted to learn. Her queenship is known as Alumatia, the years of wisdom and peace. She fostered tons of new ideas in Fae culture and basically started the Fae version of the Renaissance. I've got her grimoire in my personal collection, it's on the second shelf. It's certainly more lively than a medical journal, you're welcome to it."
"Really? I'll look at it this afternoon. Thank you. Did she agree that Fae meditation is the key to understanding the nature of magick?"
"Probably. Faith Salem was not especially gifted outside of her earth affinity, but she was Challenged more than any other Queen on record. Even Shannara. She would meditate for a full day before her Challenges and she was never defeated. She died of old age in her bed. I probably agree with that theory too. The Akira certainly seem to think so."
"The Akira? Oh yes, the priests. They all have affinities of Spirit, yes?"
Bella was settling cross legged on the rug, facing outward. She pulled her feet to rest on top of her knees and stretched her arms lazily.
"Yeah. The Akira are about as close as the Fae get to having a formal religion, these days. The churches of ancient times have long since fallen to ruin. They watch for magicks to manifest in the kids, but they also officiate all the ceremonies of the Fae and protect the Temple. The Choosing has yet to happen this year, you might get to see it. Let's hope it comes after all this is over. My coronation would complicate things. Of course, the Choosing is usually a Fae-only thing." Bella's brow crinkled slightly in puzzlement before she shrugged, dismissive of her own thoughts. "Maybe I'll even take you to the Temple one day, you would enjoy that; Alice would flip her lid."
"What does it feel like? When you meditate?"
Bella seemed startled by his question. "Oh! I couldn't possibly describe it. It's like...the first breath after you've been underwater. Or maybe more like the feeling you get looking out from the top of a Ferris wheel."
"Ferris wheels weren't around when I was human."
"Oh yeah." There was a pause as Bella searched for the right words to explain the feeling of magick uninhibited in her veins. She couldn't find any adequate ones and debated for a moment before she made the decision.
She had a dream last night, a simple dream; in it she had spent an endless span of time with her vampires and been completely comfortable. She wanted that dream to come true. She wanted to share this with Carlisle. Maybe, just maybe, things could be different, this time. She scooted herself over on her meditation mat.
"Well, I mean, if you want to know I can probably show you."
Carlisle looked like a child running down the stairs on Christmas. "Really? How?"
"It won't be terribly different from healing with your Fae partners at the clinic. It's that but backwards; magicks that move in another direction. Sit next to me, here." She offered Carlisle her wrist with a smile. "I should hope you know how to find a pulse point."
Carlisle's grin turned predatory. "In theory."
He placed his fingertips on Bella's wrist with instant precision, mimicking her posture.
"Okay, so try to keep your mind clear. Let your thoughts wash over you, but don't get caught in the undertow; it's a bit like floating in the ocean. Focus on my pulse, on the steady rhythm of it beneath your fingers. Try to focus on it completely. When you sense something golden and warm, reach for it. It usually helps to close your eyes."
Carlisle emptied his mind of everything but the sound of Bella's heartbeat and soon enough, he felt the hum of magicks working around him. Bella's heartbeat faded out of his hearing, but he could still feel it beneath his fingertips. A welcoming warmth, like liquid sunshine, began to flow from her to him.
It was indescribable. It was somehow as all-encompassing as the sky and just as rooted in the earth beneath him. It was like music, or maybe light and shadow; it was somehow real and still not quite there. It carried him with it, tracing the patterns of his thought-stream back to the part of him that simply was.
Carlisle's mindscape was revealed to him in a soft ray of sunshine, and it wasn't good or bad, it just was. Golden light shined over the surreal landscape of his character—his thoughts and memories and ideas were projected like mountains and cities built on platform that balanced on a set of pillars.
From somewhere in Bella came the sensation of a pleased and humble smile. The feeling receded like night falling across the cavern, like mist rolling in or a curtain closing. When Carlisle opened his eyes, he half-expected to see the moon shining above him.
He looked at his Fae-daughter in shock, long enough that she grew uncertain.
"What? I didn't mean to freak you out. I mean I couldn't really show it to you without seeing it myself. I'm sorry, was it too personal?"
Carlisle held up a hand. "That was incredible. What a gift. Thank you, Bella."
"Oh, well. Good. I'm glad you liked it. Your mindscape is amazing, it's really organized already. You should try meditation for yourself. I get a lot out of it."
"Not just meditation. You. You give to all of us so freely. This is the second time now that you have seen who I am and chosen to love me anyway. I cannot tell you with words what it means to me."
One side of Bella's mouth lifted in a faraway smile. "Then don't. Just show me. Carlisle, there are all kinds of love in this universe. And "Carlisle" means more to me than "Father" ever has."
"Then perhaps you have had poor examples of the word. I love you, Bella. Every single one of us does. You are family, to us. Whatever we are to you, it will not change our love for you."
The sound of the waterfall grew louder in the brief silence and Bella fixed her eyes upon three gilded thrones as they circled to their side of the Castle. Her attention drifted somewhere far away from him; she was lost in reflection and memory. When she responded, her voice was barely a whisper.
"So mote it be."
Carlisle made no reply. He gathered his book and went inside to his wife.
Cheap Thrills
That evening, music echoed up the stairwell from the gilded balconies on the ground floor. It took a concentrated effort from both Carlisle and Alice to pry Esme out of the hectic kitchens, but eventually they succeeded; Edward's family was finally gathered in a massive dressing room on the second floor.
Bella burst in with a wide smile. "Hello, Cullens! Time to suit up for battle. Ladies, dazzle me with your designs."
Alice and Rosalie rushed forward eagerly, with Esme following at a more lady-like pace. Bella's grin grew impossibly wider as she hmm'ed over his sister's designs. "You wouldn't mind terribly if I made a few minor modifications, would you? What you wear to these things may as well be armor. Don't worry, I'll stay in keeping with what you've got in mind. This is one of my favorite spells, even if I only get to use it before a stupid gala."
"Why do you hate these parties so much?" Emmett blurted.
"I'm okay with parties. I even like them, most of the time. Galas are not parties. An official gala is all about subtle power plays. I've never been big on political games, they're too two-faced. Galas are just when a bunch of people who hate each other pretend to like each other for a night. Some of the smiling people in the ballroom would dance around my pyre, if given the opportunity. There are a few of them I wouldn't mind burying. It's tiring."
At Bella's direction, Edward stood in a line with his family. He watched as his love began to draw complicated patterns that whooshed through the air to form a wispy golden circle around his family. When she spoke her final word, the symbols hovering in midair glinted brightly, drawing nearer before they splashed against his skin with a brief explosion of glittering magic.
Edward now wore an immaculate midnight-blue suit with a deep golden tie, affixed with a tie pin that showed the Cullen crest in golden lines against a ruby background. The suit's cut was immaculate; the color was inky night sky.
He looked around to find Alice and Jasper in elegant green, a shade that mortal dyes could never replicate. Alice was squealing over her newly longer locks; her hair was now long enough to cascade past her shoulders in asymmetrical finger waves held in place by an emerald pin. The Cullen crest was blooming into existence in creamy inlay against the vivid green emerald in the center of the barrette as Edward watched. Jasper was staring at his wife in awe. He didn't look half bad, his usual mop of curls tamed into soft waves that emphasized his jaw. The broadness of his shoulders was accented by the green tie and cream shirt that peeked from under the soft gray of his suit. His cuff links were the exact opposite image of their family's crest, an emerald inlay on cream backing.
Rosalie looked resplendent in a lavender mermaid gown. The multitude of layers at the bottom of her dress fluttered as though tousled by the wind, but the air was still. Silver dust glittered in a subtle swirling pattern over her hands and wrists. Edward could see a silver and diamond anklet peeking out of the bottom of the dress. Rosalie reached to lift her skirt, examining her silver heels, and Edward noticed the Cullen crest was embroidered on a small oval of purple velvet that formed a delicate ring on her finger. Emmett's vest and cummerbund were a slightly deeper shade, plum to his sister's fuchsia; the bright silver silk on his lapels accented his surprising leanness against the black suit. The crest Emmett wore was silver with a rich purple thread, embroidered on the creamy silk handkerchief peeking out of his jacket pocket.
Esme and Carlisle were in deep shades of blue, and the high slit in Esme's A-line gown showed off lots of leg. Her hair was in a romantic updo that accentuated her neck, tiny pearls scattered through the complicated knot. Carlisle couldn't tear his eyes away from Esme's bosom, where the crest hung against a beautifully cut sapphire on a delicate white-gold chain, framed perfectly by a gathered sweetheart neckline that extended to drape from his mother's shoulders. The silk of Carlisle's shirt was the exact shade of the ocean and held all its depth. His father's hair was styled differently, and he looked younger and happier. The saturated navy color of Carlisle's jacket made his father's amber eyes shine and catch the light in a disarmingly electric way, especially when Carlisle jolted excitedly. The sight of the watch he pulled from the coat had made him grin broadly. The pocket-watch was embossed with the Cullen crest, blue sapphire imbedded in white gold.
Bella was already dressed; she was decadently elegant, outshining the room of too-perfect vampires with ease. Her hair was in a complicated Celtic knot pattern that wove across her scalp and ended in a low knot; the mahogany tones in her hair were evident today. She wore a headband of blooming burgundy roses just like the one Edward wore preserved in crystal around his neck.
She had changed from her typical sparkly golden dress into a gown in a richer, truer gold. Vines twirled around her torso; the same vines formed shorts underneath the long drapery that hung to the floor from her right hip. The top was one-shouldered; the vines solidified into a strap that served to cover the brand on her left shoulder. The rest of Bella's scars remained exposed, even decorated, with the intricate leaves and cords, tantalizing hints of her porcelain skin peeking through the spaces left by the winding design. Burgundy heels emphasized her bare long legs, and a subtle chain-link golden vine twined around each of her delicate ankles. He couldn't help but pull her in for a lingering kiss that smoldered with desire. She straightened his tie with a soft smile, just for him.
She blinked at the group as she pulled away. "Well. Huh. That's odd. I didn't mean to make your crest so prominent. It fits, though. There is something I'd like to talk to you guys about."
Marcos and Keadra stepped into the room quietly from just outside, where they had obviously been waiting, as well-dressed as Edward had ever seen them. Kaedra was stunning in bright red; Marcos looked almost unrecognizable with his hair pulled back, though his green eyes still twinkled with his characteristic mischief.
The delicate ring on Bella's finger caught Edward's eye as her hands fluttered nervously. It was a simple elongated setting on a thin band that held a large ruby in the center; on either side of the ruby was a tiny emerald stone, paired with sapphires and diamonds of the same size. Edward felt a crooked smile form on his face as Bella began to babble. His Bella was more subtle than anyone gave her credit for.
"Um, well. I had a dream last night— a good dream. It's hard to explain, but it helped me realize some things. I do care about you guys, I always have, it's just that there's a lot implied by family that freaks me out." She took a bracing breath. "Look, I have this loyalty to you, and…well. Fae culture and my status mean that must be recognized. Me and Kaedra and Marcos have had a little talk, and I think...we think that...Look, it's only if you'd like, it's not without risks. You can say no..."
Emmett laughed brightly as Bella hedged. "Spit it out, your majesty!"
Bella shot his brother a dirty look but straightened her shoulders and carried on. "I'd like to submit the Cullen-line to become an official Fae bloodline."
Edward and his family were stunned into stillness. Esme put a hand over her mouth in pleased surprise.
Bella's babble filled the air.
"I mean, I know you guys aren't exactly magickal, but you are supernatural. I've looked and there isn't any law against it. You'll have to renounce fealty to the Volturi, so there's that. It won't be easy, and you'll have a lot to prove; but if you guys were Fae, then it wouldn't be a problem that I hold such loyalty to you. You would be guaranteed the rights and responsibilities of every bloodline citizen, including my protection and care. You'd also gain permanent access to Havana even if I'm not around. You guys seem to like it here, and every Fae who's spent any kind of time in your company is half in-love with you guys already. Look, no pressure. You don't have to if you don't..."
"We want to." Carlisle had a slow, proud grin creeping over his face, making him look like the twenty-something he was when he was turned. Alice was nodding so fast; Edward worried her neck might crack. Esme suddenly looked like she might cry. Rosalie and Jasper smirked in victory, and Emmett...Emmett swept Bella into a spin, making her laugh. "Yes! One step closer to having you for a sister. Score!"
That wiped the grin off Bella's face. Edward could have punched his loudmouth brother. He quickly took Bella's hands in his. "Thank you, Bella. I'm thrilled to make this place our home. Does this make you my queen?"
Bella blushed prettily. "I mean, technically, but don't worry. I won't boss you around or anything."
"Silly little witch. You have been my queen since I met you."
There was the resounding clang of a gong that rang through the castle.
"We better get going. Ya'll go on through the main doors, I'll see you in a minute. Marcos gets grumpy if he doesn't get to make his grand entrance."
Bella's commander grumbled and snuck a sip of a flask from his vest. "Are you sure I can't—"
"Don't even think about it. I'm serious, Marcos. If you disappear from the gala before I do, I will take it out of your hide. Off we go. Just remember, everyone is your enemy until proven otherwise."
Circus
The ballrooms on the first floor were gilded in riches and magick. Each room connected to each other in a long chain, broken only by heavily carved archways. Tables of white marble trimmed in hammered gold held all manner of decadence: food and drink, liquor and drugs. The soothing sound of the waterfall that fell past the French doors from the throne platform backed the soft music that the musicians coaxed from their instruments. Through tall windows, the gardens spilled in majesty. There was a piney, fresh scent coating the room, coming from the vines and flowers that blended with the rich decoration seamlessly. In the center of the main ballroom, a centuries-old tree had formed its limbs into the Celtic knot that was the symbol for the Swan-line. Levitating around it in a slowly spinning circle were the symbols for the other Fae bloodlines.
Carlisle heard Esme gasp behind him when she saw it, and he felt his own feet come to a halt. There— floating around the tree with the other symbols, ice glinted in the form of a roaring lion reared up on its hind legs; above the creature was a hand with an all-seeing eye in the middle. It was the Cullen crest.
Carlisle felt pride in that moment he had not felt since his father had gifted him his first wax seal. He could not have helped his wide smile for all the world. He wished for Bella to be there with them so he could express his thanks, but in her absence turned to his first son.
"Edward, you simply must give my regards to Bella. The crest is manifested beautifully."
"Oh, that it is." Josephat wore a showy grin as he approached them, his loud voice attracting onlookers. "That Queen of ours is always stirring up some trouble. I was hopeful she had at least spoken to you about it first. You will be the center of attention tonight, no doubt. I offer my congratulations to you and to my kin. It has been a very long time since a new bloodline was recognized. Such promise speaks brightly of the Fae's future. Welcome home."
Josephat's grin dimmed only slightly as the focus on them faded. He took a glass of wine from a steward who had obviously been looking for him. "Courtesy of her majesty, sir. She said to keep your glass full."
"Oh dear. That's not a good sign. Well - at least this is a good year. You'll wish you could imbibe, Carlisle. This Rothschild 1900 is worth all the drawbacks of a human sense of taste."
"Why is Bella sending you wine?" Emmett eyeballed Josephat shrewdly.
"I dread to think." Josephat grimaced but drained his wine glass anyway. "How many bottles did she provide?"
"Ten, sir. She told me to tell you, if you asked, that you could keep the overhead."
"Good heavens. I'm unsure whether I should be worried beyond sanity or simply grateful for her generosity. She does know how she tries my nerves at a gala."
Carlisle felt his eyebrows climb his forehead. That was easily one hundred thousand dollars of wine. "How, exactly, does Bella 'try your nerves' at a gala, Jo?"
"Oh, you have no idea. You'll see. Even when she was a child, there was always something." Jo sighed deeply and held his glass out for a refill. "Galas such as these are no place for a scene, my friends. And there will undoubtedly be a scene. There are too many snakes in the grass this evening. Isabella is many things, including a brilliant political strategist. But she is not subtle, nor particularly patient. Tonight, it is simply a question of which powder keg she will set off first. It's always the one I don't expect."
Alexandra appeared next to Josephat in a sharply tailored suit coat with tails, unexpectedly paired with a floaty cream-colored skirt trimmed in red poppies. The effect was an air of eccentric elegance. She had a sticky cigar in her hand; she lit it and took a deep inhale before she handed it to Jo, clapping the healer on the back.
"Oh, I'm just hoping she doesn't go after Ipswitch. Not that she doesn't have cause, it's just that I've had enough of her meddling to last me a while. She's in fine form this evening, but I'd give it an hour before things go topsy-turvy. Izzy pulls trouble out of thin air."
Josephat's shoulders slumped resignedly, and he took a deep inhale on his newly acquired cigar.
"God help us."
Carlisle would have responded, but his attention was taken by the tree in the middle of the ballroom. Slowly, the bark on the tree had begun to glow red-hot, starting at the roots and spreading all along the branches. The chatter in the room quieted as it spread, highlighting the Celtic knot as the bark curled back from the heat. The leaves were outlined in flame, each vein and cell visible but still unconsumed. Carlisle and his family held their breath in the still and silent room; those closest to the tree had backed away.
When it exploded, there was no time for panic. All the bark had turned to ash that crumbled harmlessly to the floor. The embers glinted like specks of sunlight, quickly filling the room with glitter and gold that lingered in the air. The room froze in awe at the slow-motion explosion. When the expansion stopped, each spark trapped in the air transformed into delicate snowflakes that floated backwards to reform the centuries-old oak.
The crests above flowed in water now, a current that grew stronger and stronger until it burst from the confines of the bloodline symbols, forming an unbroken ring around the icy form of the tree. The ring of water expanded into a massive wall that stretched from ceiling to floor, obscuring sight. It roared, whirling like a tornado before collapsing to the floor.
The tree was greener and more luscious than before, and there – standing in a new opening that split the massive trunk of the tree, was Bella Swan. Marcos and Kaedra swung from where they had been perched in the trees' branches to join her as she walked forward.
"Good evening, my people. Honored guests, make merry! Tonight, Destiny has smiled upon us. May we honor what has been and find it within ourselves to live anew. To victory!"
The room intoned their ritualistic response cheerily. "So mote it be."
Raucous cheers and toasts greeted Bella as she was swept up by the crowd and away from them. Edward began to head towards his lover as though pulled by a magnet, but his son was distracted from his mission and pulled into conversation by Marcos. Bella's commander wore a razor-toothed smile, as tense as Carlisle had ever seen him as he spoke with the head of the Ipswitch house.
Alice and Jasper were having a much more pleasant conversation with Alexandra and Lizzie. Esme, Rosalie and Emmett had been cornered by Nhamo, who stood with an excited Ntombi holding her hand. Ntombi and another little girl with blonde hair were chattering at Rosalie and Emmett. Rosalie leaned down to hear the fair-haired child whisper messily at her, a pleased smile curling her lips. Half the room tensed when Emmett unwisely scooped up Ntombi and tossed her in the air, making her squeal with laughter. Nhamo, in contrast, did not even turn from her conversation with Esme.
Carlisle smiled at the steward who came to him bearing steel goblets with a familiar scent. He followed Josephat as the healer pulled him to the head of the Shaman household and shook Matthias' hand warmly. He engaged in thinly veiled small talk that hid enquiries about his family's status and abilities with a dozen politicians or more.
Through it all he kept his eyes on Bella, watching for the spark to strike.
Big Bad Wolf
Bella moved gracefully through the room, careful to keep her meddling subtle. Carlos Spellman and his wife and daughter required special attention. It did not escape her notice that only one of his daughters was present. When she greeted the Shaman line, she noticed the absence of Matthias's Chosen and felt her face fall into a grimace. She plastered on a pleasant expression quickly. Dammit, she had really wanted to be wrong about the trouble brewing within the bloodlines. More problems were just what she didn't need.
She made sure to avoid anyone from the Ipswitch-line and Aphroditus Salem at all costs. She saw a familiar face, a man wearing an Ipswitch crest who was striding determinedly towards her through the crowd. She turned quickly, almost running directly into - "Edward!". She grabbed his arm and quickly ducked behind an archway.
"Is he gone?"
"If you mean the lanky guy with the dark hair, yes. He was there when I talked to the head of the Ipswitch house earlier; his name is Jason. He seems alright, but the head of the Ipswitch house, Venom? He gave me the creeps. Also, I'm pretty sure I was there to keep Marcos from ripping his still-beating heart out of his chest with his bare hands."
"Oh, does Venom's heart still beat, then? There's a surprise. I've met Jason before. He's a good man, but speaking to him with Venom here…well, it wouldn't end well, let's leave it at that."
"Why on earth is Venom here, then?"
"The Ipswitch-line are some of our strongest allies, without them we'd lose our hold on the mountains. There are so few of them now, you must understand— most of Ipswitch is gone, and their bloodline is in danger of being wiped out. Only the strongest survived long enough to continue their bloodline. Well, and those clever enough to curry the Master's favor before the Purge. Most of them are alright, it's their leaders who require being… handled with care."
"Sounds complicated. I came to say hi." Edward's eyes were warm as they met her own.
Bella felt the corners of her eyes crinkle in the first real smile she had worn all evening. "Hi."
"I've come to steal you away."
"Oh? Are we eloping into the night?"
Edward's eyes darkened with want, but his grin was equal parts amused and mischievous. "I wish. I was thinking more about a turn through the gardens."
"Ah, well. Perhaps I can change your mind."
Mischief won, but it was overtaken by soft and gentle care as Edward reached to take her hand. "Of that, I have no doubt."
Bella giggled before she twined her fingers through his long ones, letting him lead her through the French doors. Once they were a little way from everyone, she sighed contentedly. "Let's stay out here, just like this, forever."
"I fear that the ball wouldn't be the same without Cinderella."
"Are you calling yourself my prince, Edward? Because I'm sure that could be arranged. I could even turn you into a frog."
Edward looked utterly panicked for a half second before he narrowed his eyes at her, playfully stalking her towards the edge of the bridge.
"But then you would have to kiss me to turn me back."
He thought he had her pinned, but when he darted forward Bella sprung into a crouch atop the brick wall that ran along the edge of the bridge, walking it like a balance beam with mischief making brown eyes glint golden. "Would you like me to kiss you, Edward? You could just say so. Seems easier."
He laughed as she grasped the trunk of a tree that jutted over the edge, swinging around in a dramatic twirl that spun her over a sheer drop. He caught her and kissed her briefly. There was a spark of heat in the kiss, but Edward gentled his touch, playfully pulling away.
"Let's write our own fairytale, instead. You look much more relaxed out here." Edward leapt up into the tree, climbing ever higher. Bella levitated to sit elegantly below him, dangling her feet into the abyss.
"You're going to break branches if you go much more."
"Then I shall come down to you." Edward reached to pull her against his chest, settling her against him. They gazed at the intricate ceiling and out the cavern entrance at the deepening sunset for long, comfortable moments.
Bella sighed deeply, turning her focus to counting the veins on Edward's hands.
"Sometimes, I wonder if all this beauty isn't just a gilded cage."
"Bella?"
"If I fall from here, I can fly back to you before I ever hit the rocks below. I can make gems from dirt. I can manifest awe-inspiring things and rule the world from a gilded throne. But none of it meant anything, until I met Fiore and Adeline. None of it meant anything before I met you. No one tells you how lonely it is, being royal."
"All those people?"
"They aren't my friends. They couldn't be, even if they wanted to try. Everyone has a debt to pay, and nothing is free. It's chess, and they're pieces on the board. I'm just a piece on the board to them. All of this?" She swept a hand out to encompass the spectacular cavern around them. "It's just a prize to be won. A prize worth betraying the Fae for, to some. And certainly worth betraying me."
"Not to me."
"Nor us." Carlisle's voice came from below and behind, on the grassy incline that led to their hiding spot. Esme waved shyly from beside him, one hand in his. Alice grinned, already scrambling up their tree and perching on a high branch. Jasper leapt to join her. Rose and Emmett settled to sit on the low wall separating them from the floating arena and the clouds below.
"Hi guys! Did you get bored?"
Emmett's mouth twisted. "Cool party. But the company is better out here."
Jasper sent a wave of amusement at them as he snorted. "I'll say. The head of the Salem line could talk for eternity about nothing at all. The waves of boredom coming off those around him was palpable."
"That's Aphroditus. He was born to be a politician. He used to be charismatic, but he got stuck in the old ways." Carlisle and Esme watched Bella with sharp focus at the mention of her mentor. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, but her relaxed posture didn't stiffen either.
"Well, he's awful." Jasper quipped. He expected amusement or maybe annoyance from Bella in response, but all he felt from her was bone-deep weariness and simmering anger.
"Yeah, he really is." Bella leaned her head back against Edward's chest, closing her eyes for a moment.
The stars began to reveal themselves, magnificent oranges turning to softer purples and deep blue. The music drifting out to them changed, becoming livelier. The comfortable silence that had fallen over them broke when Alice squealed at Bella, reaching out to take one of her hands in both of her own. "Be-lla! I love this song. Dance with me!"
"You've seen me dance, Alice dear. It seems a little forward of you to ask me for a dance outright, especially in front of your husband. Do you tip well?"
Alice bit her lip, embarrassed, but squeezed Bella's fingers imploringly. "Not that kind of dancing! A waltz! You've got to know how, right? You're royalty! Please, please please please?"
"Oh, alright, don't crush my hand. But Jasper had better not be the jealous type." Bella winked at his brother before she leapt down and took up a waltz hold with Alice. Edward grinned as he bowed mockingly from his branch at Jasper.
"It would seem our lovers have abandoned us, brother. Tell me, dost thou dance?"
"I'm leading." Jasper stated with mock seriousness.
Edward's grin grew broader. "I'm taller."
Jasper grumbled but let him lead.
Esme giggled, taking up a stance with Rosalie and Emmett swept up a mock-severe Carlisle. Soon they were all laughing, switching partners haphazardly as the songs changed; they were twirling at ridiculous speed just to make each other laugh.
Bella surprised Esme by levitating them off the ground when they next danced together, guiding her into an elegant twirl through the air. Emmett was determined to be next, right that second, so Bella drug him into the air and kicked him into a backflip. They landed roughly, but Emmett was beaming. Bella huffed dramatically.
"You're heavy!"
She fell back onto the grass and clover beneath them, and they all fell back too, letting her catch her breath.
She turned to hide her face in Edward's shoulder. "Ugh, I should go back in there."
He suddenly couldn't stand the thought of sending his love back into that gilded snake pit, back to her lonely game of chess.
"One more dance, before you go. Just one. Come on, you haven't gotten to dance with Carlisle yet."
"Edward, I really -" Bella peered up at him, seeing his desperation. "Oh, okay. One more dance. Just one though, yeah? And I want to dance with you. I'll dance with Carlisle inside."
The music slowed, turning sultry, as his family excused themselves to head back to the gala. Edward relished the moment. Bella's soft breath tickled his neck, and she put her feet on top of his, tucking her head into the junction of his shoulder.
"I love you, Edward Cullen."
"I love you, Isabella Swan."
She didn't need to levitate them; they were already dancing on air.
Cinderella
When Bella returned to the gala, her mind was still in the gardens. Edward was pulled aside by one of the librarians as Bella took a moment to be grateful for the break he and his family had provided. The Cullens had this amazing ability to lighten her load, seemingly unconsciously. She was walking a minefield, but now she felt light on her feet, more relaxed than she had been all night. She knew her distraction was unwise, but all she wanted right then was to dance with her family some more.
She shook her head, trying to focus, and saw Ntombi and Nhamo dancing next to Lily and her mother out of the corner of her eye; the song that was playing was a classic parent and child dance. She followed the focus of the crowd around the dance floor. Usually, someone would have pounced on her by now, but they were all distracted by something. The crowd was tittering lightly about how elegant they were, how picturesque.
Ah. Of course.
Apparently, Carlisle knew this song. He was already spinning Alice around, handing her off to Jasper.
Her family made a pretty picture as Carlisle swept Rosalie into his hold, dancing the verse with her effortlessly before spinning her into Emmett's arms. Bella felt a smile playing on the edge of her lips. It seemed she was not the only one reluctant to leave the gardens behind.
There was still one verse.
Carlisle smile flickered as his eyes moved towards her for half a heartbeat. He missed her in the crowd, and then he turned, already headed towards where Esme stood. She couldn't resist. Just one verse. Just a daydream, that's all. Carlisle would understand.
She flashed next to Esme, curtsying respectfully to her mother. When Carlisle blindly reached for Esme's hand, Bella took it instead. He broke the form of the dance to face her; the pleased surprise on his face made it worth the eyes of every politician boring into her.
"Just a dance, Carlisle. Don't read into it."
"I wouldn't dare to presume." His eyes twinkled as he spun her close. His voice dropped to a private whisper and his smile turned gentle and honest. "Still, I find I must thank you for the genuine pleasure of being able to dance with all of my daughters this evening."
She twisted her face in exaggerated annoyance, trying to conceal her fondness. "See? That's the reading into it that I was warning you against."
She broke her mocking face at the sight of Carlisle's smile growing into a boyish grin, laughing with him. For a perfect moment, the world blurred as her father spun her out and back again. Once, and then twice, as they beamed at each other. But on the third spin, Bella saw something out of the corner of her eye. Aphroditus was frowning, his hand in a tight fist around his cane.
All at once, Bella's mind caught up with her. Father. Mother. Family. No. She should not think of the Cullens like that. There were things in this world she could not have, things she could not bear the loss of ever again. How could she have let a stupid dream make her forget?
Carlisle was facing her, and his face fell from laughter to panic at whatever expression was on her face. She didn't know what she was showing just then, because all she could feel was her own fear welling within her. She couldn't have this. She was too deadly, too poisonous. She would kill it, kill it like she had the first one. The Cullens didn't know what they were getting themselves into.
It was time for the final spin, but Carlisle didn't take it. He stopped them in the dance hold in the middle of the floor, and his voice came to her as though from far away. "Bella?" She couldn't meet his eyes, her shame and guilt forcing her to focus on a point over his shoulder. She couldn't bear to see his sadness. Dammit, she'd let down her guard again. She knew she needed to walk away now, needed to stay away now, but she couldn't make her feet move just yet. She swallowed down her tears.
No. How could she have forgotten? She couldn't have this - not even for one dance.
Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying
Bella pulled herself out of Carlisle's hold quickly, afraid her sudden rage would burn him. She grit her teeth against the tightness in her stomach and forced herself not to meet Carlisle's gaze as she strode away from him, shouldering her way past Aphroditus and the other gawkers.
Her old mentor tried to play his part, reaching out to offer fake comfort. She felt her upper lip curl back in disgust. God, she was so sick of Aphroditus' games. Her temper flared; she grabbed his outstretched arm before he could touch her, twisting his wrist back further than it should go and knocking him off balance. He crashed through a table on his way down, precious gemstones from the centerpiece rolling across the floor. Everyone's attention turned to them as she shoved her stiletto heel into his chest, digging in and pinning him on his back. He halfway attempted to throw her from him, but she simply increased the pressure on her knife-like heel, directly over his heart. It was the last warning she had it in her to give this man. He heeded it and stopped his counterattack, glaring at her from where he was pinned.
"Isabelle! Have you lost your mind?"
"I told you to keep your hands off me. I told you to stay away from my vampires, and from me. In fact, I do believe I ordered you to do so."
"I say— "
"Ah, but that's the best part! Don't you get it? You don't get to matter anymore. You don't get a say. As long as I don't get my say, neither do you."
Aphroditus glared furiously at his Queen, something dark rising in his expression in response to her snark.
"Shut your mouth." Aphroditus flicked his wrist and a sharp twist of hardened air hit Bella hard in the stomach, making her stumble back with the distinctive snap of ribs cracking. Josephat jumped to her aid, standing quickly between Bella and his friend and stumbling only slightly. "What the hell are you doing? She damaged nothing but your pride. Stop this at once, both of you."
Bella laughed cruelly. The world around her stretched into black tar that rose from the bottom of her vision, leaving strange tracks in the air. Just one more push and she'd have him right where she wanted him. It was almost sad how little her old mentor had changed.
"That's the truth if ever I've heard it. The house of cards is really crumbling now, 'Tuss. Look at where all your plans have left you — all alone in a gilded room, with no one to fight for you! Look at their eyes, so full of suspicion. What are you gonna do now?"
Aphroditus lost it.
He turned his attention to the healer still between Bella and himself. "She'll ruin me. I had to, Josephat. I had to stop her. It wasn't my fault! I didn't know about the book before I dug it up, I didn't even know what it was until it was too late! It was those kids. The royal three. None of you knew them like I did, knew how toxic they could be when they were together. I didn't know what would happen! She's poisonous, she ruins everything she touches. I won't go down for her. For them."
Josephat shook his head at Aphroditus as he took a step backward, away from his once-friend. Bella took in his expression and almost regretted pushing things to this point. The healer's face was paper-white, and his voice was choked and quiet. "What— Aphroditus, what have you done?"
The madness peaked and spittle flew from Aphroditus' reddened face as he directed his attention past Jo, refocusing on Bella. "I wish I never knew you! I wish you had died with your lovers in that unspeakable hell. You will be silent!"
His last words were punctuated by the point of his cane hitting the floor, and suddenly sharp thorns and massive chunks of stone flew towards Bella from the gardens. None of them reached her, dissolving into dust that flew harmlessly onto the shocked partygoers around them. Bella stood firm; she was tall and unbowed, with a face carved from cold marble.
"I will not.You of all people know how deep the hellfire runs; how entrenched I am in it, even now. It may be hell, 'Tuss, but you are the one who made it unspeakable."
The implications of the argument seemed to hit the crowd all at once. There was complete shock, like time itself stood still. It rang through the room like a high-pitched bell, and Carlisle felt the epiphany like alarm bells in his teeth. The Silence. Aphroditus had silenced Bella.
Bella's gritted teeth appeared for just a second to grow sharper, porcelain filed to points by a rich red fluid. She coughed once, wetly, and wrapped an arm around her ribs. She had done what she must, and now it was time for the fallout.
When she bent forward, struggling to inhale, a torrent of blood fell from her mouth. On her tortured exhale, she heaved; the torrent became a flood. Carlisle flashed to her side, supporting her through shudders that wracked her frame. She let him, glaring at the man she had once called father.
There was so much blood. It wasn't stopping.
Aphroditus slumped in defeat, ageing years in seconds as Marcos and Emmett seized his arms, wrenching the cane from his grip. "Ignorant, foolish child. It shouldn't have come to this. No one needed to know. They will condemn you, too— once they know the truth. You think that you can overcome my spell and find your freedom; the truth is there can be no freedom for you. It's better that you die here rather than fall. When your Spirit breaks, you will doom us all. It's going to happen, Isabelle. You know I'm right."
"It's all you, Isabella Swan. All. Your. Fault. This war was lost before it ever began. You think you hate me. No. You hate the truth I know, the truth you told me that night when you snuck out of the hospital. The truth is you are the reason they are dead. And when you fall, you will kill everything you love - even your vampires."
There was too much blood; it just kept pouring from Bella's mouth, from her nail beds and her tongue. It streamed down her neck from her ears and fell like tears from her eyes. Could this spell kill her?
Bella finally hit her knees as she struggled to breathe, one hand clasped in Carlisle's and the other supporting her on the blood-spattered floor. She clasped Carlisle's hands in both of hers, forming pained words as she struggled to stand again.
She shouldn't be able to stand.
This is Bella's blood on my hands.
"We... shall... see. But if I am... destined... to kill all I have cared for... I will... add... your...name...gladly." She made it back to standing, leaning heavily on Carlisle's strength.
Bella was suffering right now.
There was nothing he could do.
There was too much blood, too much trauma. His daughter might succeed in her quest to kill the evil man that had betrayed her so wickedly. It wouldn't matter. The silence's effects were dramatic and deadly as they rebelled against the revelation Bella had forced into the light.
This— this man she had once considered her father had betrayed her. Carlisle's daughterhad come to Aphroditus at sixteen years old, after all that she had endured. She had snuck out of a hospital to come to this man, to come to him and ask his help. And he had betrayed her. Silenced her. Abandoned her. He was betraying her right now, at this very moment. Aphroditus would not release his cast over Bella. Bella would bleed to death.
Maybe Aphroditus already had killed her, in all the ways that counted. Did Bella believe this madness? That she was poisonous, deadly to those she loved? She had brought his family life, not death. How could she believe this man's lies?
But Carlisle could see in every line of Bella's exhausted fighting stance that she did indeed believe Aphroditus' words. Carlisle had found the missing piece to the puzzle of why Bella would not let them be her family. Bella thought herself innately deadly to them, believed with all her heart that they were better off without her, that her love was harmful to them by its very nature. She believed she was damned by Destiny and her own power to be alone. Maybe she even believed it was somehow better for her to die, here and now.
Bella had said it once. "You couldn't be damned, Carlisle. You couldn't be, it's impossible."
The irony was not lost on him.
Bella released Carlisle to defend against the tornado whirling towards them from Aphroditus' splayed palm, a desperate attack from a doomed man. Aphroditus lunged towards his cane, briefly succeeding in freeing himself from Marcos' grasp. Carlisle processed only that Bella let go. He moved. This madman and his lies had taken his youngest daughter from him before he ever met her.
Bella had let go of him.
Carlisle released his hold on the man's neck as Aphroditus' eyes fell blank, the wind quieting. His neck flopped unsettlingly when his body hit the floor. With a doctor's detachment, Carlisle diagnosed a broken neck—the result of his own hands crushing Aphroditus' spine, sending shards of bone to shred his nerves and tissue. He had crushed the man's windpipe as well, but Aphroditus had died long before he could suffocate.
Carlisle tried to feel guilt for what he had just done. He was saddened and filled with grief at the loss of life, but he found he could not bring himself to regret his actions. Instead, he turned slowly from the body on the floor, approaching where Edward clutched Bella's rapidly weakening form to himself desperately.
Sing
Carlisle approached Bella softly, in a posture of calm and compassion. Bella whimpered as he approached, holding out her hand to him even as she lay there stained with blood. Carlisle took her hand instead of taking her pulse. There was no medical defense against Bella's injuries. Even now, the scent of Bella's blood thickened in the air. It was pooling on the marble floor, soaking into the knees of his suit as he knelt. Edward was stricken, curling around Bella's body and mumbling his prayers at her. She was fading fast, struggling for each breath.
He turned desperately to face Josephat, begging for a magickal cure, but the Fae healer was swaying in shock as he lowered himself to sit at the base of a marble table. The crowd of politicians was a flood of activity, people shouting and calling for help, fractured and broken and useless. Kaedra rushed to cast a shield around their group to keep them from being trampled, but she and Marcos were unable to reach them through the crowd.
No.
Carlisle prayed, but it didn't help. He was a doctor, but he could do nothing, could not save her without turning her, taking away her magicks and causing her more pain in the process. Would his venom even have an effect against this kind of death? He hadn't exactly had the chance to test venom against magick.
Bella's hand was cold in his. She struggled to breathe correctly as she comforted his son softly, murmuring garbled words at him. Somehow...somehow, she found it within herself to squeeze Carlisle's hand.
And suddenly, Carlisle didn't care about the consequences, didn't care about the rules of the universe around him. He didn't care that human bodies were fragile, mortal and temporary. He knew in that gentle squeeze that he could not stand this. Bella was suffering; his daughter had already suffered too much. All he wanted in all the world was to see Isabella Swan happy and healthy and whole. He wanted it desperately.
It was impossible. He tried anyway.
Carlisle put all of who he was into the insane spiritual effort to heal Bella through sheer force of will. He threw himself at his only desire. He could see it: her smiling in his mind, sitting in Edward's lap in their house in Forks. She was laughing at Emmett and Jasper wrestling in the living room while Esme scolded them. Alice and Rosalie were draped over the couch, looking progressively more annoyed with their husbands' antics. In the memory, Bella was catching Carlisle's eyes with her own to share her amusement.
Bella was made of mischief and empathy, of brown eyes that flashed golden when no one was looking. She was brown hair with red tint, shy smiles, and the warmth and grace that his family adored. She was always full of surprises under her quiet demeanor and loved selflessly. She was his daughter and would always be. In some ways, she had always been. She was the missing piece of the family that had saved Carlisle from his loneliness. Carlisle had spent centuries finding his home, and he would not lose it just as it was made complete.
It was impossible, but Carlisle didn't care.
He pushed harder at reality, detailing in his mind every step that he would take to heal Bella's injuries. His daughter was not going to suffer anymore. He would not allow it. She would be healed; she would be whole and smiling again. The Fae needed her; his family needed her. The universe would grant him this. Somehow, the words from a century ago came to him: the desperate words he had prayed before turning Edward into a vampire. Please...Bella had seen him, seen who he was at his core, and she had smiled...Please. Grant me this one thing. Family made whole. A home. I'll ask for nothing more, just don't condemn me to be alone. Carlisle felt like he was being struck by lightning in slow motion, a sensation of forgotten warmth that spread through his body.
Bella began to breathe easier. Her hand was glowing softly, a light ice blue; when he looked up, the glow encompassed Bella's form. He could hear Esme's sobbing gasp from behind him as blood dissolved from Bella's skin. Edward pulled back slightly to meet Bella's widening eyes, to take in the glow. When his first son turned towards him, Edward's eyes were still whole, filled with a gentle hope. Edward grinned broadly at him, and Carlisle marveled to see it.
Time stretched as Bella turned to face Carlisle too. Her relieved, hopeful smile stretched into wonder as she met his eyes. She reached out to him, softly running her fingers along his cheekbones with hands that no longer ran red. Carlisle didn't know it, but his eyes were consumed with an intense white-blue, the color of glacial waterfalls. A profound gentleness overcame her face as Bella looked past that impossibility to take in his desperate expression.
"I'm okay. I'm gonna be okay."
Then, she picked up something that hung from Carlisle's neck.
Carlisle looked down.
In Bella's hand was a small string of turquoise and jade stones gathered and strung on a heavy silver chain. It didn't compute. What had healed her so completely?
"It's the water blessing, Carlisle. The healer of all wounds. You called it yourself. You've done this. You healed me."