"No."
"Just a tiny-" Bella tried again.
"No."
"You are such a wuss."
"And you are annoying."
"What are you afraid of?" The auburn haired woman inched closer trying to corner the blonde in front of her.
"If you weren't the mate of the three most powerful vampires in the world, I would have already killed you." Jane easily maneuvered away from Bella. The vampire eyed the scalpel in the human's hand with disgust. "You touch me with that and I will definitely kill you, regardless of what Didyme will do to me."
"It is a tissue sample. Your skin is like rock, you won't even notice-"
The pubescent vampire stood her ground, crimson eyes flashing dangerously at the human. "Let's see if you notice when I rip your eye out with it."
Bella paused. The look on the14 year old's face told her that Jane was serious. Frustrated, Bella lowered the blade. "God, you must have been a real joy to your parents."
"Definitely more than you."
"Prude."
"And people call me a pyscho." Jane muttered as wearily and watched Bella place the blade back into one of the medical cabinets. "I definitely preferred it when you were unconscious."
"Don't blame me, blame the insatiable beast know as science." The human merely shrugged. "…plus I am bored."
"We have a library filled with thousands of books, plus Didyme has allowed you access to her own personal collection, which in itself, is an extraordinary privilege. I am sure you can find something to entertain yourself with."
Yes, the sheer amount of knowledge in the form of rare books was impressive. There was no lack of items once thought lost to time, an entire museum above her, paintings, murals and frescos that demanded praise and intellectual evaluation and appreciation.
It was like watching pigs eat.
Not that Swan couldn't appreciate the finer arts. Just not now. Not when her skin burned and her body hummed with anxiety, especially when her mind was fixated on what was missing. The trio had left days ago. Days. Ago.
Ever since meeting in person, her nightly dreams of the beach had also vanished. Normally, the physical presence of the three women would soothe the jarring lack of dreams. But now, their physical absence had compounded with the empty nights in the worse possible way. Bella wondered if this was how meth addicts felt during forced sobriety. The urges and hunger clawing at the back of your eyes and from inside your skin, demanding your attention, reminding you of what was missing.
So reading or gallery perusing were not particularly high on Bella's list.
As a result, Jane had become the sole focus of Bella's attention. She had been honest when she said that science drove her, but the brunette was desperate to have something occupy her mind. If only Teen Spirit wasn't so damn stubborn. Swan eyed the blonde, who was stood a sizable distance from Bella, almost afraid if she were too close, Bella would get the jump on her. Once Sulpicia returned, she would petition the monarch about forcing Jane to be more compliant. Of course, Bella would need a mini university grade molecular biology lab, but considering the resources she had seen so far, she doubt that would be a problem.
As if Jane could hear Bella's thoughts, she shifted uncomfortably under the brown eyed gaze. Bella smiled brightly at the shorter woman which only seemed to increase the other woman's discomfort.
"Or you could show me your-"
"No."
"Just a second-"
"What part of, 'It won't work on you' do you not understand? And if by some minuscule chance it does, Athenodora will literally flay me alive."
"Well, at least I would get my tissue sample." Bella grumbled.
The immortal buried her face in a hand. It was several moments before Jane walked to the door. "You are the second worst thing that has ever happened to me."
"Only the second?" Bella said in mock horror. "I really must fix that."
Jane opened the door and stood at the threshold, the next part was muttered so softly that a Bella nearly missed it. "That is impossible."
The immortal left Swan to stand there and mull over her words. The door was left open, a silent invitation for Bella to follow. The blonde was waiting down the hallway. Without words, the human fell in step with the shorter woman. The silence wasn't abnormal, Bella had to coax the blonde into conversation frequently, it was slight droop of the shorter woman's shoulders and the distant look in the crimson eyes that made the brunette hold her tongue. Bella had the oddest urge to wrap an arm around the woman, but that, too, felt wrong, their brief relationship did not warrant that type of affection.
As they continued for several minutes, until the hall opened into a large atrium that contained four large doors. Jane pointed to the nearest one. "Didyme, Sulpicia, and Athenodora."
The blonde pointed at different doors with each name before she promptly met Bella's eyes, the invitation clear. Jane rolled her eyes at the brunette's confused look. "I have been tasked to keep you safe. But you will be dead come afternoon if we are stuck together any longer. Go."
Bella approached the first door, the wood felt solid and heavy underneath her hand. Without turning, Bella whispered, "…am I really allowed in here?"
There was a pause. The weight of the statement was not lost on Jane. She understood what the young woman really meant.
"You are the only one."
A shuddering breath shored up the brunette as she opened the door in front of her.
There was a moment of silence before a laugh echo through Bella's lips. The brunette closed the door behind her, her back leaning against the solid surface, the smile on her face was large and bright.
The room was utter chaos.
Books laid scattered upon every possible surface, piled high on the floor and filling shelves from floor to ceiling. A small trail revealed itself through the stacks, and carefully, Swan picked her way through. As she weaved her way along the path, a hand grazed over several books, her fingers dancing over covers and spines, giving each a loving caress. Every book here held some importance Didyme, so Bella treated each with respect.
At the center of the room, Bella could taste the knowledge of the room. The smell of old paper and aged wood permeated the senses. It was heavenly.
The immortal woman was the physical embodiment of temptation and seduction. And she was also an utter and complete slob. It made Bella fall deeper in love.
The ache was still there, the longing, the desire. But here in this room, with the smells, in the place where only few were allowed, the ache became tolerable.
There was little by way of furniture in the space. A chaise laid in the middle of the room but, like all things here, was covered by books and stacks of folders. It wasn't until the brunette did a full circle did she notice that the room extended farther. Bold in her explorations, Bella continued her lazy pace through the space and paused only when she rounded a corner, a single large oil painting sat on the far wall. Gently lit with a clear path that led to it. It was the only place in the room that was completely void of books.
Iselia.
Bella approached it with morbid curiosity. The painting was a profile of the other woman, her head tilted towards the observer. Her expression held an almost annoyed resignation, as if she had better things to do, but this once, she would grace you a moment of her time. The expression was offset by a hint of a roguish grin, barely more than an up tick at the corner of her lips, enough to tease but not fully giving away all its secrets.
The resemblance to Bella was unsettling.
A specter of the past, one who was and was not the woman standing in front of the painting. Beautiful and haunting, an air of power clung to the painted figure. This was what the trio had lost. It was disorientating to stare at a different version of herself. A more beautiful, powerful, red eyed version.
Bella knew that Sulpicia had 'changed' Ila. That once, she was human, as Swan was now. There was an uncomfortable fact with that. They would want Bella to become immortal as well. They did not wait 973 years for this version of Ila, only to allow her to grow old and die. No, expectations were heavy with this relationship. The commitment, permanent.
Bella kept waiting for the apprehension to form, but none ever surfaced. She felt oddly disturbed that the thought of eternity with these women did not bring up serious concerns. Ever since coming here, her emotions had been oddly at ease with all her interactions and progressions with these women.
Was it because they were 'soulmates'? Or was it because she was some version of Iselia that knew these women were meant to be hers? Or rather, that Bella was meant to be theirs.
There were so many questions.
At what point did Bella stop being 'Bella' and become Iselia? Or would she become this amalgamation of two women?
The rabbit hole of thoughts was becoming deeper, and honestly, scarier.
The longer she stood and stared at the portrait, the louder her thoughts became. Thrumming and beating against the inside of her skull, nearly deafening.
That was until a cool set of arms slid across her waist, fingers and hands spread wide to touch as much skin as possible, and instantly, everything became blissfully silent.
The young woman melted against the solid frame behind her. It felt as if her body were doused with cold water, soothing the burn that was caused by their absence. Bella very nearly sagged in relief. Cool lips pressed gently to Bella's injured neck and traveled up to settle by her ear.
"Miss me?"
"Yessss." Bella hissed, the relief painful but glorious.
"Show me." A set of teeth lightly nipped at the shell of her ear teasingly.
Swan turned in the circle of Didyme's arms, her mouth immediately descended onto the raven haired woman's. The kiss was desperate, volatile, and amazingly intoxicating. Didyme's lips met each movement with just as much force and depth. Their bodies pressed as closely as possible in their reunion.
The kiss morphed the longer it continued, eventually it became gentler, softer, until, with final press together, they finally separated. Fingers traced the edge of Bella's face as their eyes met.
"Where the fuck have you guys been?" Bella grumbled.
A bright smile lit the olive skinned woman's face. "So grumpy." Didyme laughed as Bella bristled at the statement. "We were out getting you a gift, darling."
"I don't need a 'gift'." The younger woman mumbled. "I only need you three. That's enough."
She got another soft kiss for the statement before Didyme's face settled into a sly smile.
"Unfortunately, this was a necessity for both your protection and also… well, it serves multiple purposes."
"What is it?" Bella asked, wary.
"Oh, it is not ready yet. It will take some days, if not a week or more, before we can present it to you. So patience." Didyme tucked a strand of Bella's hair behind her ear.
"I have been hearing that word a lot lately." The brunette buried her face in the older woman's neck. "Patience is over rated."
"I promise you will not be disappointed." Didyme whispered slowly, filled with sensual promises. Bella shivered, she knew the immortal was not only referencing her 'gift'. "Jane mentioned that you have been restless and irritable."
Bella snorted. "It was only a scalpel. She makes it sound like I was trying to skin her alive. She's over reacting." The brunette did not mention that the irritation was due to their absence.
"Clearly." Swan could hear Didyme's amused smile. "If you need a sample, I am more than willing. I know for a fact, Sulpicia and Athenodora would be as well."
Bella jerked away. "Absolutely not."
The shorter woman raised an eyebrow in question.
The idea of marring any one of the three women, no matter how small, sent her into an almost gut wrenching panic. "I just… I couldn't."
Didyme studied the younger woman before she nodded and intertwined their hands. "Very well. I will speak to Jane about being more compliant. If you need a larger genetic pool, there will be no lack of 'volunteers.'"
A smile lit Swan's face. "You spoil me."
The raven hair monarch returned the smile, eyes promising far more if Bella would just ask.
The brunette couldn't help but kiss the other woman again, their mouths moving in sync, as if they had been doing this for lifetimes instead of minutes.
"Come, let us rest somewhere more comfortable." The older woman said after they parted. With their hands intertwined, Didyme led Bella through to another set of rooms.
To say that the room was lavish was an understatement. It was a multilevel open concept room with a winding set of stairs that connected the different levels. Books still littered many of the surfaces but not nearly in the quantity as the previous room. But the amazing portion of the room was the wall of windows that took up an entire quarter of the room. Didyme followed Bella's lead, their hands still clasped, as the brunette walked to the clear wall. A massive indoor garden lay on the other side, lush, green and colorful. But the most amazing thing was that natural sunlight lit the entire space.
"I thought we were underground?" Bella asked as she examined the garden ceiling.
"We are. It is an elaborate series of mirrors that reflects the sunlight from the surface. It was a gift from Sulpicia. It is for our private use only." The raven haired woman pointed through the window towards the other end of the large garden. "Athenodora and Sulpicia's rooms are connected to the garden as well. As are yours."
"Mine?" Bella looked at her in surprise.
Didyme nodded. "Once you are ready, we can move you from current quarters into your permanent ones." The shock must have still been evident on her face as Didyme took her free hand and cupped Bella's cheek. "It was never meant to be just us three, it was always four."
The brunette nodded mutely as she looked back out into the garden. They stood there a while before the olive skinned woman guided her towards the second level to a sitting area outfitted with a series of large couches, Bella let herself be pulled into the other woman's arms as they sat and admired the elevated view of the greenery.
Together, they mindlessly chatted about inconsequential items, things that Bella had done while the trio had been absent and her various attempts to cajole Jane into being a willing donor. Eventually they lapsed into comfortable silence, neither speaking, only Bella enjoying the cool olive skinned fingers that were tangled in her auburn hair.
Unwillingly pushing to the surface, thoughts of Iselia's painting came to the forefront. And brunette couldn't help but give them physical form.
"What happened to Iselia?" The question was soft and hesitant, Bella knew this would not be an easy conversation.
Pain warped Didyme's features before settling into cold anger. "The Volturi have not always been the governing power of our species. For a large portion of our history, vampires existed in smaller covens. We are territorial by nature, so disputes back then were fairly common. As it were, Sulpicia, Athenodora, and Ila held the largest swath of land in western Europe, only rivaled by a group of Greeks, led by my brother, Aro."
"Your brother?" Swan turned to face the raven haired woman.
The immortal nodded. "Aro and I held much of southern Europe with two others, Marcus and Caius. Our feud with the western coven came to a stand still when Ila and I chanced upon each other." A small smile graced the raven haired woman's face. "We fell in love."
"So it is common for vampires to have more than one soulmate?" Their hands again intertwined with each other.
Didyme scoffed at the statement. "No. Ila just happened to quite greedy when it came to lovers. We tend to be strictly monogamous once we are mated."
Bella looked at her in surprise. "So the three of you…"
A sly grin formed on the immortal's face. "No. Does that disappoint you? That we are not sexually intimate with one another?"
Did it? Thoughts of the three women being together never truly crossed her mind. She had only ever framed it through the scope of her relationship with each of the three women.
"No." Bella admitted honestly. "I never gave it too much thought." Though the more that she did, the more the idea pissed her off. The idea of them being with any one other than her seemed… wrong. "Though I am liking the idea less, the more I do think about it."
"I am told that Athendora was less than enthused when she was told Ila had a third mate." Didyme said with some amusement.
"Does it bother you?" Bella questioned. "That you have to share…?"
The other woman met Bella's gaze directly. "Once, yes. Now…" Didyme cupped Bella's face. "It, also, has not crossed my mind." Cool lips pressed against warm ones.
"So did you leave your coven when you found each other?"
"Yes, Aro did not look upon our relationship favorably. He had found my ability extremely useful and was loath to lose it." Didyme saw Bella's unsaid question. "I am able to see the bonds that tie people together."
"Does Athenodora have an ability?" She asked curious.
"She is able to see weakness. Her ability allows her to exploit any flaw, no matter how minute." That explained how Athenodora was able to shatter Emmett's shield so quickly.
"And Sulpicia?"
"She is able to see every thought a person has ever held with a single touch."
"Shit." Didyme smiled at the explicative. How many times did she and Sulpicia had physical contact? Again, oddly, Bella did not care about any potential violation of privacy, if any. There would never be an instance that she would not welcome the other woman's touch, no matter the cost.
"That is why she always touches Jane…" Bella mused to herself.
"Despite her grumbling, Jane is strongly invested in your well being. But Sulpicia is nothing, if not thorough."
"She threatened to kill me earlier." Swan countered drily.
Didyme laughed. "She threatens nearly everyone."
"Does she follow through on those threats?" The brunette asked, even though she felt like she already knew the answer.
The immortal's face considered the question longer than Bella would have liked. "She does." She admitted after a little while.
"What ability does Jane have? She refuses to show me."
The other woman snorted. "With good reason. Jane can cause a person to experience excruciating pain with a single thought."
"Huh." Was all the the brunette said after a long moment. "But it wouldn't work on me? Because I am a shield?"
"Exactly, you shouldn't be affected. Jane's ability doesn't do physical damage, just the perception of pain. But what is pain? A continuous expression of chemical signals that the brain interprets in equivalent intensities, based on the injury. Jane is able to replicate it on a level that few have ever experienced. So, no, let us not test your capabilities."
"But shouldn't we?" Didyme gave her a searching look before Bella continued. "You three have told me that I am Iselia but how much of her am I? From that painting, I know that I look like her. But what if the similarities end there? I could be so much less than what you three want."
The olive skinned woman examined Bella for a long moment before speaking slowly. "You are afraid that you will fall short of our expectations. I can tell you now, that is impossible. The mere fact that you exist, is more than enough. Iselia died nearly a thousand years ago. There was never a day in all of those years that I did not think of her, or wished her here, with me. Think of the days without us but compounded for centuries, it was excruciating." Cold fingers grazed over heated cheeks as Bella winced at the analogy. "Just you here, my love. It is all we need."
Arms pulled Bella close as red painted lips descended onto her warm ones, a gentle tongue teased against her lips before the kiss increased in intensity. Her warm body melted against the harder figure as she pulled herself to straddle the other woman's hips, wanting nothing more but to stay in this moment with her, always.
But like always, before the intensity could build and escalate, the immortal queen pulled away.
"You are such a fucking cock tease you know that?" Bella huffed as she pressed her forehead to Didyme's. Their breaths mingled together as they stayed close to one another.
The other woman snorted. "Me? You are recovering from a near fatal wound and you crawl into my lap, hot and wanting. I can smell your arousal. It is no easy task to refuse you, when all I want is to throw you in bed and show you exactly what I can do to your body."
The brunette rocked her hips against the woman below her, rubbing her overheated core against the form below her. "Show me."
Didyme moaned, hands tangled into Bella's hair smashing their lips and bodies together. It was painful in all the best ways. The ache built in the brunette's form, threatening spill out and tear her open if the other woman did not quench her burning need.
"Didyme. Please." Bella gasped, her own hands fumbled and searched for a way to loosen the dress from around the raven haired woman's form.
"Bella." Her name was mixed with heady breath and a desire that only fueled her desire higher and hotter. Cold hands found their way under her shirt, drifting across her back, cooling the hot skin underneath. All she wanted was for Didyme to pull her closer, hold her tighter. And when she did, Bella couldn't help but moan her satisfaction.
There was a growl that built in the immortal's throat before she tore red lips from Bella's. Hands stilled Bella's wandering in one quick motion.
"Don't fucking say it." The brunette growled and tried to reconnect their mouths.
The voice held a soft warning. "Darling, behave."
"No." Bella muttered and settled for running her lips across angle of the immortal's jaw.
"You will not hear the rest of the story." The other tempted but tilted her head to allow Bella easier access.
"I would rather get laid." Swan's lips spoke against chilled skin.
A throaty laugh vibrated against Bella's lips as Didyme gently pushed the brunette away. "Soon, my love."
Frustration pounded against Bella's frame. "Now, would be much better."
The raven haired woman gave her a sly smile. "Indeed, but your injuries are still too fresh." A cold hand tilted Bella's chin to the side, crimson eyes traced the incision that stretched several inches down her neck. "And this needs to be fully healed before we indulge ourselves. There will be no risks taken, when it comes to your health."
Bella opened her mouth to argue but decided to save her breath, she knew there would no way to sway the immortal. The three monarchs were tenacious. With an indigent huff, she slid off Didyme's lap gracelessly. A kiss was pressed to her temple before an arm wrapped itself firmly around her waist.
"We lost you." The pain was raw and achingly obvious in her voice. "The world became ash and dust, and utterly worthless without you. To see you again, alive, flesh and whole again. It was like taking a full breath for the first time in nearly a thousand years. Only to have that shit stain of man nearly…" Bella could see the muscles in Didyme's face ripple with anger. "Your fragility is jarring and your recovery, slow. Yet, our over abundance of caution stems, not from a lack of want, but from the devastation of nearly losing you for a second time." The arm around Swan's waist tightened around her waist.
"How did you lose me the first time?" Bella asked again softly.
"Aro." The voice dripped with fury and loss. "Our two covens had established a truce, as we were now connected by blood and marriage. Aro was not content with his smaller slice of the continent, yet he did not have the talent to compete with us." Didyme's eyes turned dark at the memory. "Until, he found a young vampire named Mele."
Didyme took a shuddering breath before continuing. "Mele's ability was that she could take any vampire's gift from one person and give it to another. Aro's greed became limitless, his sights set not only on aggressive expansion, but the very gifts that allowed our coven to thrive. The only obstacle, was Iselia herself."
"Because she was immune to Mele's ability." Bella said with sickening realization.
Didyme nodded curtly. "At least that was the assumption. Aro could not risk an attempt at Iselia's powers without certainty that it would succeed. As a result, he decided to kill Iselia outright and use our grief as an opportunity."
"How did you three survive after she was killed?" Even after so many centuries, Didyme's devastation was open and raw.
"Mele." Didyme said. "She understood that her usefulness only extended as far as she was useful to Aro. She was also unsettled with Aro's willingness to kill his own sister. So she came to us, in exchange for protection, she divulged Aro's plan."
A dark euphoric smile lit the woman's beautiful features. "Our grief became our motivation. Their defeat was swift. We burned them. Alive. Slowly. I can still hear their screams." She closed her eyes in guiltless pleasure. "If only it could have endured longer."
"And Mele?" Bella asked quietly after a moment, as she studied the look of joy on the other woman's face.
"We killed her." A voice called from the stairs. Surprised, Bella turned to find Sulpicia gliding up the stairs. Her form draped in a gorgeous light teal gown, the length tapered to one side that left large swaths of a single leg exposed.
"Wait, why?" Shock battled against the urge to rush to the blonde. "Isn't she the reason why you guys survived?"
"In large part, yes." Sulpicia answered as she crossed the space. The blonde leaned over and kissed Bella gently on the lips. "But we could not allow her to live. She would have always been a serious threat."
"We made it quick." Didyme said in consolation.
What the fuck?
Bella reeled at the admission.
"You do not agree with our decision." The blonde observed.
"No, she is the reason why you are all alive." She argued.
"And her death is most likely the reason why we are still alive." Didyme said patiently. "She came to us only out of self preservation. She barely escaped Aro and only gave us information in return for protection, not benevolence."
"If she lived, eventually she would have been used by someone far more dangerous. A risk we could not take." Sulpicia sat on Bella's other side. She took Bella's chin and gently guided it sideways, examining her neck. The older woman didn't comment on her examination just pressed her lips to the wound. "It was mostly painless."
Swan didn't know what to say to that. Their reasoning was harshly logical, a decision made based on long term strategy and foresight. And no remorse.
"What happened to 'the Volturi keep their promises'?" Bella ventured as she recalled Demetri's words.
Both immortal women studied the brunette for several seconds. Bella definitely felt judged.
"I will phrase it another way." Sulpicia slowly worded. "The catalyst of Iselia's death, came to us for shelter, only after she witnessed our love being torn limb from limb and burned. Mele watched our world turn into ash." The blonde's face contorted into rage and her voice, saturated with hatred. It was with horrified clarity, that Bella realized that Sulpicia would have witnessed everything through Mele's own eyes. "And she did nothing, until fear drove her to us. You will have to forgive our indiscretion."
Didyme placed a calming hand on the blonde's knee. Sulpicia took a moment to steady herself before she gave the hand a gentle squeeze and continued. "Bella, we would readily tear the world from its foundation and burn it to ash before being separated from you. Is our reaction so hard to understand?"
"I feel like it was guilt by association." Bella replied honestly. "And excessive."
"But justified." Didyme stated. "We could not allow what happened to go unanswered, outside of the fact that she presented a serious risk to us in the future."
The brunette bit her lip. "What about the Cullens?"
"Our response will be swift." The blonde pulled Bella closer to her. "And is already in motion, their actions will not go unanswered."
A shudder moved through the brunette's body. The implications were clear. Bella could help but grip Didyme's and Sulpicia's hands. "You are going to kill all of them?"
The blonde nodded. Her crimson eyes lingered on Bella's features.
"Does this upset you?" Didyme asked.
Did it? Did the attempt on her life justify the execution of an entire family?
"Will they try to come after me again?" She asked despite knowing the answer.
"Undoubtedly." Sulpicia's lips went to her hair. "I will destroy any and every threat to you. We will not apologize for any action that keeps you safe, Bella. Regardless of your opinion on the matter."
Bella didn't know what bothered her more, the warmth that filled her chest at the blonde's words, or the fact that it really didn't bother her if they killed every last Cullen.
Weird.
A/N: I wrote over 8,000 words for this chapter then deleted 2/3rds of it because it just didn't fit. This was better but still a struggle. Updates are going to be slow. I lost my work partner and I no longer have time to write while I am at work. That in combination that I have been traveling like crazy recently. I hit a serious case of writer's block with this and Together. But I am trudging through. Thanks for the patience.
Anywho… I hope you guys like the update. Reviews=motivation.