—You have her. Good, now kill it, and let's go. I'm on the clock here. Padrone is right in front of us, smiling at David like he's expecting him to follow his orders.
As we expected, he only showed up when he thought it was advantageous. It's only David and me, so he must think this will be an easy fight.
—I don't work for you anymore. David gets in front of me, pushing me back to put more distance between us.
—Own… Are you mad at daddy? Padrone taunts him, looking like he already won this, and maybe he's right. This was not the plan. David is not as strong without human blood, and he was supposed to be the element of surprise.
—I'll kill you. I can feel David shake as he touches my arm.
—C'mon! Padrone throws his hands in the air. —A few years of resetting your brain will take care of that.
David grabs me, and we hide behind a big rock. He puts his finger over his lips, asking me to be quiet, just like the day when the shadow came to the house.
—I can't track you, but I can smell the mutt, you know. Padrone is screaming at the empty forest, mocking our efforts.
—"Stay here. He won't come for you if he doesn't know where I am." He types in my phone, so I nod and stay still as David moves away from me quietly, getting ready to fight padrone.
My heart beats fast, listening for Padrone and David.
—What do you want? An apology? As David said, Padrone didn't come for me. He's trying to find David, make him talk or move so he can try to kill him. —Sorry I made you experiment on an insect. There you go.
—You knew who she was. I could hear Padrone breaking something with his fists, but David was already long gone. I just hope he can keep this up until the others arrive.
—Call it tough love. You were already broken when I found you. I wanted you to be stronger; help you overcome the painful memories. Patrone speaks with passion like that was his purpose on this earth. He believed what he was doing was his calling or some bulshit like that.
—Killing you will do the trick. David and Padrone collided. I can hear them fight and can't stop myself from looking.
Padrone is much more capable than I expected. For a coward that hides behind his experiments, he could hold his own in a fight.
As I expected, David is not doing so well, and Padrone seems to have the upper hand. If David loses here, we are both dead, so I choose. I control my breath and gather all the control inside me. Just enough. Just enough strength.
Like Cinque, I throw a long branch in his direction, missing by a little bit. I can feel my arm hurt, but I did it. I managed not to break it. I give enough time for David to run away, and I move places, hiding behind a big tree, breathing through the pain.
—Boo! His breath on my ear makes me jump and step away. David comes out of nowhere and grabs Padrone by his lab coat, throwing him over his head.
—Go! I run through the trees with all I got, looking for a better hideout. Maybe I can do it again. This time I can hit him.
—Run, little mouse, run! His voice echoes through the trees, and I hear a big craking sound before all is silent.
I look around but can't find David. Is he hiding? Or did Padrone get to him? He can't be dead. He couldn't. He just started to live with us, and I just got to know him. We were going to put an end to this and move on together.
—Where were we? Padrone kicks my back, making my body roll around the muddy ground.
—I gave you purpose! A house! A family! And this is how you repay me?
He's angrily marching my way as I stand up and run again.
—You killed my family! I can hear him approaching, and I'm running back to where he was supposed to be fighting David. I need to see if he's ok.
—We were going to be a better family! He tripped me over again, making me land on my arm, and I couldn't hold the scream.
—You tried to kill me! He places his foot on my arm as I agonize on the floor. He wants to make me feel the pain.
—I'm a strict father; sue me. His teeth show as he smiles at my pain, looking down at my body on the ground.
—Get away from her! David's voice sends a wave of relief through me. He was ok.
—This is getting old. Padrones runs his hands through his hair and points his sharp nails towards me, ready to stab my chest when his body flies back. Seth has his teeth firm on his shoulder and rips off his arms when they land on the ground.
—YOU FUCKING BASTARD! Padrone loses his cool completely. David takes me away from him and helps me stand up. Padrone is so shaken that he doesn't see Esme coming from behind and ripping the other arm off. He's screaming in pain.
—You're done. Mirania walks over with Giannini behind her and all the others. The experiments come from the other side, and I can see the fear in Padrone's eyes.
—What is the meaning of this? Padrone is looking for a way out, but this is the end of the line for him.
—So, no more Volturi huh? That's why you told us to hide? Sette has a severe look on his face and hands inside his pockets.
—Sette, this is easily fixed. If we kill her and make Mirania open the disk, bibbidi bobbidi boo, we are in again!
—So Felix has no idea this is happening? Cinque looks please by Padrone's despair. I remember how Mirania told me he tortured her and the others to make them stronger against their will. He fooled them with a promise of a better life, only to enslave them and use the Volturi to keep them in check.
—Now, my children, let's be reasonable. We can go back to the good old days very easily. They'll take me back for sure. They need me.
—But we don't. Sette ignores Padrone begging for his useless life. Otto jumps forward and rips the scientist's head off and both of his legs.
—Otto, collect the pieces. Sette orders, and he obeys.
—What are you going to do with him? I ask through the pain, supporting my body on David.
—What he did to us. Dieci answered with a scary look in his eyes. His childish attitude is now gone.
—About a million times over. Cinque smiles.
—So this is it? Are you out of here for good? Jasper asks, trying to put an end to this.
Sette smiles at him and turns to Edward. —Let's move. He and the experiments walk away, carrying Padrone's body to the woods. I hoped to see him burn to ashes before my eyes, but I doubt he'll be back to haunt us. The wish of vengeance of those vampires was as strong as mine, if not stronger. They'll kill him when they're done.
I can't keep standing anymore, and David sits me on the floor, stepping back so Esme and Seth can come closer to me.
—Are you ok? They ask together, and they have no idea how happy I am to hear their voices.
—Yeah. My arm hurts, but it isn't broken. Is everyone all right? I look at all of them, doing a headcount in my mind.
—Yes. We tried to tell them about the Volturi, but they only believed after Mirania showed up. After that, they just stopped fighting. Although Cinque took some convincing. I'm just glad she was ok.
—We always feared the Volturi, not Padrone. Without them, he's just a mad vampire. They'll kill him slowly, and I'll make sure they burn his body. Expect proof in the mail. Mirania has a mean grin on her lips. Her plan worked perfectly.
—Good. David, are you ok?
—Yeah. I'll live. I thought Padrone had got him, but he's all right, to my relief.
—Here you go. We found it hidden in his things. She gives me the disk with Renesmee's information on it. The information inside this little disk awakened the greed in that man's heart, and I lost everything. Its nominal size is almost comical, close to all the damage that it caused.
I make an effort to stand up. My arm is killing me, but the relief is too big. I've finally corrected my mistake, and it's like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. David looks as relieved as I am.
—C'mon. Let's go home. I walk with Seth, but David won't follow us. —Are you hurt? He just said he was all right.
—Ahm… Maybe I should just… go. He's hesitant.
—I thought you had no home. He looks at everyone behind us, and I understand what he means. I felt the same way in Rome.
David lived as a nomad so family life may be foreign to him, but we7ve been through so much together that I can't imagine going back without him.
—Let's go home. We resume training in the morning. We could all use a break. Carlisle's words put a smile on David's face and mine. His beloved teacher was calling him home.
—Dr. Cullen… I…
—Call me Carlisle. The child-like twinkle in David's is recomforting. I'm happy he found a place among us.
As we walk back home, I remember the flowers I put by the tree. This is the last thing I promised I would do when this is finished.
—Seth, I want you to come with me somewhere. He looks at me, confused. I'm covered in mud, and my arm is killing me, but this can't wait. My heart can't take another second.
—We'll wait for you at the house. Esme smiles at me as she understands where I want to go.
—Where? Seth asks, holding my shoulders.
—You'll see. I hold his hand, guiding him through the trees.
The tree before us still has flowers under it. Esme never stopped changing them, and it warms my heart to imagine her here, praying for my parents.
Padrone said I was better off dead. The Volturi too. But they were all wrong. Wating to live is what makes us move forward, vampires, humans, or shape-shifters. The will to live on is something we all have in common, and I had that engraved in my core. I survived birth so I could see my mother's face. I survived Rome so I could see Seth and Esme again. I survived today, so I could avenge my parents and finally move on. I got this far, only relying on this primitive desire to live.
I kneel at the base of the tree, repeating the words. May you rest in peace. I love you, and I won't forget. I could spend eternity telling all I want to say, but these words are all I need. My parents taught me them, and they represented all we felt for each other.
Sethis in silence next to me, waiting patiently even if he has no idea what I'm doing.
—You never asked my name. I thought at some point he would. Maybe even Esme, but they never did.
He doesn't answer.
—Don't you want to know?
—It won't change anything, but, If you want, I'll ask.
—It's Amelia. The name my mother gave me. I kept it in my heart, hidden. Seth is the only person I wanted to tell my real name to.
—It suits you. It's the name of a flower. One of the old roses. He is the only person I want to tell everything to. The only one I want to know my secrets, fears, and dreams.
—My mother gave me my name. Her name was Emily, and my father was John. She baked me my first birthday cake, although she had no idea how. She almost burned the kitchen down, making this salty vanilla cake with melted whipped cream. I almost threw up. I laugh, remembering my exaggerated reaction and how much my dad laughed.
—After the cake failed, we walked around the woods behind the house and bet on who could find the biggest tree the fastest. They always let me win, even after I was too old to do that. Those were the best years of my life, but they are gone now. I don't remember the date they died, so I chose my birthday to remember them. I put all my efforts into standing up and taking a step closer; I look at him, gathering all my feeling in a few words.
—When I asked you if you would run away with me, you said yes without hesitation. If it weren't for you, I would be dead thousand times over or just given up my life in Rome. What I mean is… I know I'm selfish, stubborn, and won't open up to you sometimes, but-
—Good, you know. His smile is all I want to see from now on. I want to make sure he'll never stop smiling this way to me.
—I… I like you. My heart is out of control, and I can't breathe right, but it's Seth. It will always be him. —I like you, Seth.
He hugs me, and the touch of his skin is all I need. I can hear him whisper in my ear. —You know how I feel, right? I always knew.
I break the hug and run my fingers across his face. He closes his eyes to my touch like that day at the observatory. I get on my toes and do what I've been waiting to do all this time. I kiss him, pressing my body against his and feeling like a piece I didn't know was missing just completed my heart. His hands around my waist lift me, and the touch of his lips is so good that I regret holding up all this time. I'm never letting go of his hand again.
Thank you for reading. The last part will be out soon. Make sure to check it out.