"You can stop this, Adley." A deep voice taunted from behind her.
Pressure on her face held her in place.
Bella hung from the ceiling chained in the same position she'd been in for the past few days. Eyes turned black, with purple bruising under them. Fissures appeared in ivory skin. Little clear beads of venom dripped from little cracks in her face and arms.
"All you need to do is find her."
"You won't let this friend die will you? Like you did Naomi? Such a terrible friend."
In a flash the man was behind Bella. He yanked her forward pointing towards Adley. The girl whimpered. A aura of grey and blue swirled pulling at Adley's gut.
"Look how pathetic she is, Bella. The only one to blame for this is her. She has the power to stop this all. End the suffering. But she stands there, doing nothing. She's enjoying this."
He was gone into the shadows. Bella cried out, metal struck her back.
Adley flinched. "No! Stop!"
"She can't hear you," he laughed.
"I'll find you and kill you."
"Promises, you've never been great on keeping those were you? Promised little Naomi she'd survive, but she didn't. Did she?"
"Shut up!"
"Come and find her, before she's another friend you killed."
"Ah!"
Adley gasped shooting up from the bed. Her body drenched in sweat. She blinked taking deep breaths. She was in her bed. The curtains drawn and lights off. Only the alarm clock gave light to the room. Five am. She ran a hand through her hair that'd come loose from her braid. She looked to her side. Marcus wasn't there. The side tucked back in.
She tossed the blanket getting up from the bed. She immediately crossed into the nursery where the twins were. Soft little snores greeted her. The light from the nightlight illuminated the room.
In one of the rocking chairs Marcus was sat holding August in his blue swaddle. Marcus looked up to her.
"Your heart beat is a mile a minute little one, what has you up?" He asked.
She crossed her arms catching herself, trying to will her heart to calm. "Just a bad dream. I didn't hear August?"
"He barely got a cry out when I heard him. Fret not he's asleep once more." He stood settling the out cold baby back into his bassinet.
"Thea didn't wake?"
"She was up earlier. Almost making it until four before her stomach wakes her."
"I'm supposed to know this." She padded over to him laying her head on his chest. "Yet a certain person seems to do it for me."
"Why not take advantage of my lack of sleeping?" He shrugged lifting her up. "Do not argue, I know you're dead on your feet."
"I am perfectly capable of walking." She huffed leaning into his chest.
"I'm aware Little One," he assured carrying her back to bed.
He settled her under the covers before flashing around to the other side to hold her close. She snuggled closer to him clenching his hand in hers letting sleep retake her.
Adley held Thea close to her chest as she paced the living room of the cabin. It'd been three days. Since she had that terrible dream of Bella chained up. Her nights had been plagued since.
"Lady Adley, if you continue you will wear a hole in the floor."
She stopped mid step as Ibrahim appeared before her. "What?"
"You've been pacing for the last hour, under the guise of trying to put an already passed out Thea to sleep. Both children are sleeping."
"Oh," she allowed him to take Thea settling her down in her bassinet.
They were one of the many gifts she liked, they were light and portable to move throughout the cabin.
She shoved a hand through her freshly cut bangs pulling at them.
Ibrahim gestured to the couch for her to sit. She did.
"I have watched you stress since you discovered Bella missing, talk to me. I see it on your face you hesitate to tell Marcus."
Adley frowned. "Since when did you become the empath?"
"I've been watching you for nearly eight months. I have come to know your tells. When a smile you forced up is very fake. Marcus is gone to the compound and you are feeling left out. As if discarded. Am I right?"
"That's discomforting, having emotions guessed like that." She huffed. "You're right, I hate being left at home like this. I should be looking for Bella just like him and everyone else. I'm not some useless human. Why can't he see that?!"
Ibrahim let her blow off steam as she ranted. Her voice not getting any louder as to disturb the twins.
"I don't want to just tell Marcus to start taking me with him. I don't need to be up his ass. He's a powerful man that runs an entire world with his brothers. I'm merely his fiancée. It'd be nice to just be considered to help them. I don't need to be at the front lines, I get it we have the twins. Someone needs to be here with them. Still they sleep and I have immortal helpers. I know you and Demetri get the bottles and clean up even when you think I'm not. My brain is short circuiting sitting and doing nothing to help my friend."
Tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"I was already useless once to someone I called a very close friend. I can't sit and do nothing a second time."
Light brown eyes stared back at her. Blood trickling down her face. Adley could see her from a few feet away from light between the rubble. She could see her mouth open gasping for air.
"A—"
Her mouth forming her name but no time to get it out.
They were buried in. Adley was fighting off the paint from all over and heavy weight bearing against her mental walls. Anguish demanding to be felt. Fear. Horror. Panic. Realization they wouldn't live.
Hands clasped her face wiping the tears away. She took deep breaths as her throat tightened focusing on the crimson gaze.
"I can't let Bella die without doing anything. I can't. I watched Naomi die in front of me." She broke.
"You were a victim just as much as your friend. There was nothing you could have done Adley. If it weren't for your gift you would be dead as well. Do not blame yourself for surviving." He whispered. "You are strong enough to survive. You were not useless. You were there for her when she had no chance. Adley she did not die alone. Sometimes all we can do is be there while they pass. We will find Bella."
"I have no doubt in that. I just want to help." She mumbled falling back on the couch. "I feel so helpless."
"Is Marcus aware of your PTSD diagnosis?"
"How—?"
"I was in contact with your aunt before. She explained it to me."
"I haven't. Only that I've faced trauma."
"It might be for the best you talk with him."
"He has so much going on, I don't want to be a burden."
"Needing care and understanding from your mate and friends is not being a burden. You are worthy of the love you give to others, you know this yes?"
Adley blushed. "It's so easy to focus on all others than myself…"
"It is, I'm guilty of doing it too. However Lady Adley in this case you must let Master Marcus know."
She made her way to the kitchen to prepare herself lunch.
A familiar ringtone went off vibrating in her pocket.
"Hey Marcus,"
"If you want to see your precious fiancé again you will do as told."
Adley stiffened. Not a voice she expected to hear.
"Hartford." She hissed.
"Well done Adley, a pleasure to hear from me again isn't it?" He taunted.
Ibrahim was at the kitchen island crimson gaze darkening. She held a finger up stopping him from trying to grab the phone. Not with Marcus on the line.
"We have different definitions of pleasure." She snipped. "What do you want?"
"Come now, is that a way to talk to the person holding the one you love."
"Why should I trust you have him? You're a master of illusions."
"Clever girl, Marcus old friend. Why don't you tell your lover you live." A guttural roar echoed over the phone. Her heart stammered.
"Ah —Adley, Don't—"
"Not another word Cretin." metal on stone. She flinched. "Now I believe that is sufficient. You are going to do something for me."
"Why?"
"If you want your fiancé back, alive, you will do it." He snarled.
"Fine."
"Good. In the compound library. There is a book your wretch of a librarian took from me when you held me captive. I want it back, it is after all my property. Once you have acquired it, you will head out on Olympic highway and come over to old Byn highway. From there I will take control of the car. You have an hour to do so."
"The drive to the compound will take nearly an hour on its one. Make it Two and a half. I will get the book."
"Good girl, one other thing. No one else is to know if this. If I sense any others I will execute your lover. Then I will kill your precious friend. Then your family one by one. I may start with the twins."
"Threaten my family again I will make the torture Aro put you through seem like child's play."
"Come now Adley, you are in no position to call the shots." He laughed.
"You kill the ones I love, you will see what its like to have a mad woman after you. Unlike you, I have eternity on my side. Take all I live for, you will suffer for each second I do." She said not raising her voice keeping as if she was speaking of the weather.
"I will see you in two and a half hours. Any longer and your mate will die." The line went dead.
Ibrahim eyed her as she shut the phone. Adley pinched the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath calming the balling fear.
"Pack the twins up,"
"You are playing to his whims. He doesn't possibly have Master Marcus." Ibrahim warned.
She shot him a glare while grabbing the carseats. "You want to take the risk?"
"Call Demetri at least."
"You do that, I'll be making my way to the compound, I won't take the risk of the twins lives if he isn't. He's got two people I care for." She picked the still sleeping twins up putting them in the carriers.
She was quick to put her shoes on and coat, she made her way out to her Jeep. She didn't even wait for Ibrahim to join her. She took off on the interstate headed through towards Tacoma.
White knuckled she sped through ignoring the glares she got as she weaved in and out of the afternoon traffic, many still doing some last minute Thanksgiving shopping. The road barely declined into the underground when she ripped into the compound. She ignored the few vampires shooting her concerned looks as she parked haphazardly in two spots. She got the stroller out setting both twins in. Their brown eyes blinked open, neither baby cried as she pushed inside.
To the elevator down to the third level. She found her Aunt still in her lab. A few steps away in the hall way Cassandra was rushing towards her. Concern and confusion whipped through her aura with the purple electricity of her magic.
"I don't have much time for explanations. Is Marcus here?"
"No he went out—"
"Fuck." She cussed as her Aunt took the twins. "Okay please keep them safe do not give the twins to anyone unless they know the safeword. Fucking Cunts."
"That's the safeword?"
"Georgia Peaches."
"Okay…"
"We took something from the Aster brother when Aro was here. I need the tome."
"I never took anything—"
"Aro did, in your office probably Cassandra,"
The witch snapped her fingers. Immediately three books in various sizes came flying to her. She looked to Adley who scooped the three from the air.
"Adley, please take a moment. You're not making sense. These books aren't something just to hand over."
"Marcus' life is on the line. Bella's too. We can secure them again I'm sure. I need to go."
"I'll come with you."
"NO!" She snapped. "You can't. No. You need to protect the twins and my family. Please Cassandra. Let the Volturi Guard know. Call Aro, tell him we need him immediately or Caius in Seattle immediately."
"You are going in like a raging bull. Adley breath and sit down. We can come up with a plan—"
"NO! I don't have time. He doesn't have time." She hissed. "Take the twins, protect them."
Adley gave no other chance to argue. She turned and ran back to her Jeep. She wasted no time waiting for the elevator booking it up the stairs to the parking garage. She barely got her seat belt in before she took off out towards the Olympic Highway.
She pushed her Jeep as fast as she could without risking a police chase. She ran five red lights and nearly hit seven people as she narrowly drove through the space of the cross walk and her lane. She was flipped off.
red clouded in her vision.
She needed to get to him. Her heart hammered.
His scream of pain, she clenched the wheel of her jeep forcing herself forward.
She flipped open her phone as it rang.
"I'm almost there Aster, the clock isn't out yet."
"Adley… don't… please…"
His pained words barely getting to her.
"Tick Tock, Adley. Come now Choi, I'm not a patient man." Hartford laughed.
"Adley!"
A deep roar echoed over the line. She cringed away from the receiver. Her gut churned. Sweat beaded around her face and body. The road before her extending.
Metal whacked whooshing through the air, hitting stone. She flinched. The sound of someone punching rock. Marcus' agony filled groan followed.
"You said two hours."
"I'm bored, hurry Adley or I begin breaking limbs."
"You can't…"
"You think Gideon was smart enough to create materials that could contain or harm Vampires? He's cocky, and business savvy I'll give him that. Did you really believe that he worked alone? Come now, don't be so naive to think the black market for this shit was a one man operation." He explained. "Now I've got a few prototypes that needed to be hidden when they raided Gideon's home and storage facilities. I wonder how well they will work on an ancient vampire."
"Touch a hair and I burn these books."
"And I will burn your mate and friend."
"How do I know you have Bella." She spat.
"Did you really think you could have prophetic dreams? You're only an Empath. Not a Psychic. I sent those dreams. If you wish to hear her all you had to do was ask."
Foot steps were heard on Stone.
"Bella, dear, say hello to Adley."
"Uhm…" A soft groan replied. "Adley,"
"Save your strength. I'm coming."
"Tick Tock Adley."
The line cut off. She shut her phone tossing it onto the passenger seat. She pushed her gas pedal to the metal.
She reached the snow covered side road. She drove as instructed down through towards the end. The single laned highway was surrounded by trees and rising hills. She could see on the right side of the road a small lake. The sun spilling through bare trees and pines that stood tall.
She slowed seeing the dead end ahead. She shut the Jeep up looking around.
A puff of deep blue erupted in front of her. Hartford stood with a smirk on his face. The books in her passenger seat she took collecting them. She got out locking her vehicle.
"Afternoon Adley, about time you made it."
"I have the books. Now hand over Marcus and Bella." She snapped.
He took the books flipping through them. He kept them floating beside him as he skimmed each one. He closed the last one.
"Now!" She snapped. "We had a deal."
Hartford ran a hand over his grown out facial hair. "About that…"
Two hands grabbed each of her arms. She stiffened. "What—"
A rag was stuffed into her mouth.
"I don't actually have your Mate or friend. Vampires are quite hard to get a hold of, especially when in multiples. I didn't want to go through the effort of actually acquiring them. You however, are quite easy to lure away." He revealed.
Ice poured over her. "But —But the Cullens and the wolves… how?"
He slowly smiled. "All but illusion. Sweet Adley, now, we have places to be."
a blindfold covered her face. Her keys taken from her hands before she felt them being forced into rough ropes.
A/N:
I know this is a shorter chapter. I am currently in the middle of closing on my first home and in the midst of packing and the holidays, please know some updates may be slower than previously. I will try and update regularily. As well I got a concussion last Sunday that is why these chapters are late. I am back to regular scheduled posting near the end of January. Happy Holidays and I will try and get all the chapters lined up for release as I can. I appreciate all of you for reading and thank you for your patience! :)