A/N: "Torment" - Stress Fever
She Aims High
Friday, August 5, 2005
Leah shut the door behind her and leaned against it. The view across from her was a beautiful balcony, the gilded doors open to the blue-black sky. The wind rustled the baby blue curtains, which matched the carpet. Every other part of the room was a deep midnight blue. It was a classic English regency style, as compared with some of the futuristic elements populating the castle. It was unfamiliar in a completely different way, but at least she wasn't expected to sleep in a glass bed.
As she made her way to the closet, she ran her hand along the velvety wall panels. It reminded her of the curtains in Edward's room, and they gave this bedroom an intimate feel, too.
Hanging on the back of the door was her uniform. It reminded her a bit of Troy's, only with gunmetal grey where his uniform had white. It was too hot for a long coat, but there was a cropped grey jacket with the navy blue pants and black t-shirt. Her riding boots were in the back. This wasn't war - there was no need for formal fatigues. The uniform became what the wearer needed, shaping easily into any sort of color or style of clothing. Echo had helped design them. Leah wondered if they'd let her keep it.
She wandered over to the balcony, overlooking the gardens of the palace. There were a few stragglers, either too drunk or stubborn to go home, even as the maids cleared away the decorations and the footmen put out fires. Just a few hours ago, she had been dancing like mad and stuffing her face as if she weren't leaving early in the morning tomorrow. As if there wasn't so much to be done.
She pressed her hands against the cool gold rail, willing the heat to leave her skin. So close and yet so far.
She closed the balcony doors behind her and decided to change for bed. Surprisingly, every single thing was provided for her and her overpacked bags sat largely untouched in the corner. Even her pajamas had been picked out for her. She slipped into the white, billowy nightgown and laughed, waving her arms like a ghost haunting the castle. Good thing she was alone.
Her bare feet crunched on paper. She turned to pick up whatever she'd dropped, only to realize it had been blown off her nightstand.
Her name was written in loopy cursive on the front of a thick card. It was then that she noticed the wide, flat, blush pink box by her bed, Smiling, she lifted the lid to reveal a sleek, cobalt blue nylon backpack. Underneath were a pair of pale yellow sneakers with lavender stripes down the sides. Next to it was another flat box, but she was overcome with too much confusion and joy to bother opening it. She tucked everything under her arm and knocked on the door between the bed and the windows.
"Come in."
Leah peeked her head in the door and was hit with a wash of crimson. The room was identical to hers, but in shades of deep red with gold accents. Edward was laying on his stomach reading. The large bed made his tall frame look small.
He looked up at her, a small smile forming. "Is that what they made you wear?"
She crossed her arms. "Shut up."
He suppressed his grin, keeping whatever cheeky comment he imagined to himself. He was wearing a black robe over his pajama pants. Something about them looked luxuriously comfortable.
"Where's your old-timey nightdress?" she asked.
He laughed. "Why would they give me one when they know I don't sleep?"
"You're wearing pajamas."
"These are mine. The textures relax me."
"You don't like to relax. You like to sulk."
He closed his book and sat up. "I'm guessing you didn't interrupt my night to berate me from the doorway?"
She eagerly sat down at the edge of the bed, the box in her lap. It was higher than her own at home and she sort of had to hop onto it. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome."
"How did you smuggle it out here?"
He singsonged, "You're so bad at paying attention."
"That's my line." She lifted the sneakers, recognizing the high-end brand on the heels. She had sneakers, ratty ones, but sneakers. She might have replaced them.
"No you wouldn't have."
"Maybe not." Then she smiled, taking in the content look on his face. "You spoil me."
"Then you might detest the third present."
Cautiously, she creaked open the smaller box. To her relief it wasn't something absurd like a diamond necklace, but it was white and gold. "A stethoscope?"
"You won't get any use out of it for some time, but you can keep it as a reminder in college for why you're there."
"I love it."
"Something for the future." He lifted the backpack. "Something for now. And the shoes are something you've needed since forever."
"What is this, wedding vows?" she laughed.
He laughed dryly. Then his brow furrowed as they quickly fell into silence.
Leah picked at the fabric pooling around her folded legs. She blurted out the first thing on her mind. "I finished the book."
"Leah! You were supposed to read that when you started college."
"Oh come on. I can read it again. And it's not like I'll have time when I'm swamped with classes."
"Touché. Impressions?"
"I liked it. I'm surprised it's not a classic."
He nodded. "That's one of my first complaints with the American education system."
"The beginning was slow. I mean, there didn't need to be an entire chapter dedicated to describing the forest."
He laughed. "Easy for you to say."
"But I get it. The main character grew up in Monaco and waking up in a different place was surreal. Anyway other than that, it was fascinating. After Lucas murdered his kidnapper, I expected him to return home. But he kept exploring, he kept searching."
"For his sister."
"Yes, but even after he found out she was dead, he was wandering. Lost and confused, until he found Del and Maxwell. I guess it did give him more time to figure out things and grow up a bit."
"It's sort of like Pilgrim's Progress."
"I know that title, not the story."
"Carlisle has a copy somewhere. How about I show it to you next time you come over? You're probably tired."
She smiled. For a somewhat quiet person, Edward knew how to make a short story long when he was passionate about something. "I am kinda tired."
"Did you have a good time tonight?"
She crossed her arms. "Better than you."
He gave her an inquiring look.
"Do you think I can't see when you're faking it?"
He sighed. "Nothing's changed. I'm fine."
Nothing changed and he was fine. Maybe she should have left well enough alone. Something pushed her to speak. Her heart or the celebratory wine, she couldn't tell. She took a deep breath. "I'm going to school in two weeks."
"And I'm happy."
"I'm staying in Washington. For at least the next two years."
"Even happier." His gold eyes were sure.
"Then why do you keep looking at me like I'm already gone?"
"Because it's what you want."
She jerked back as if she'd been slapped. "You think I want to be away from you?"
"Well, no, but you want a life away from all this."
"And I can't have that while we're together?"
He gave her a dry look. "In case you didn't notice, we aren't officially together."
She pushed the gift box onto the bed so she wouldn't crush something. "Two months ago, we were both clear on how we felt. All I asked for was time to figure out what I want."
"I know."
"Then why are you worried about me suddenly dropping you?"
"Because I'm not enough!"
Words dried up in her mouth.
He looked off to the side. "Every day since I've known you, I hear how you dream. You want the most beautiful life, Leah. You want the picket fence and the house near your parents and the growing old. But me? I can't give you a child. I can't even live with you in the sun."
"I don't need the sun," she lied.
"Maybe not. And maybe it won't matter. Maybe a month from now, things will progress and we'll realize it was weird and we should stay friends. But for now, it matters."
"So what? You want to end this?"
He shook his head slowly. "This is the worst possible night for us to argue about this. You have enough on your plate."
She sat there in shock, wondering how she could feel the rug being swept out from under her while simultaneously feeling the grim satisfaction of having seen it coming for a while. He had said what she had been too afraid to acknowledge. Dating Edward Cullen would be different than dating Sam or anyone else, no matter how "casual" things were at the moment. If she fell for him (and the possibility loomed closer and closer like a snowstorm), then there was no going back.
What would a life with him even look like? Only her immediate family could know about it. (They'd probably hate her for it, too.) No kids, no reservation. She liked rain, but she didn't want to commit her life to the cloudiest places on earth. With him by her side, she'd notice how old she was getting in comparison. She'd have to use glamour spells to preserve her pride. What if they broke up in two, five, ten years? She'd have wasted her twenties on him. And if Sam nearly broke her, then no doubt, her heart would not be able to take Edward leaving. Not after everything they built. Not when he had promised her so much and been so good to her. The color would leave the world.
Leah was a risk-taker, not an idiot.
She stood and walked to the door. Her hand shaking on the knob, she didn't look up as she said, "Thank you for the presents."
On the other side, she leaned against the door, chest too tight to bother finding solitude. He would hear her wherever she went like she was a part of him.
The cool night air couldn't compete with the smoky heat of the room. She curled into herself, sweating, sweating and waiting. Something kept her there, a hope she longed to strangle.
More than anything, she was sick to her stomach of misery. She had cried an ocean over the last few years. She had eaten and drank and showered in her own grief and pain and guilt and anger.
(God. Maybe he was a part of her. She was starting to sound like him.)
Could she really leave him and feel okay the next day?
They'd still be friends. Friends were important. Friends were loving and good and fun and -
She didn't want to be friends.
She flung open the door and almost ran smack into Edward, his knuckles hovering mid-air in preparation for a knock. For half a second they stared at each other in the doorway, both shadowed by the candlelight from his room.
She cleared her throat and words sprung to life, angry words and loving words alike. "You don't get to be upset that things are going slow while being upset that I might want to spend the rest of my life with you! That's not fair. If you honestly think you're more committed than I am, get your head out of your ass. You know how happy you make me. I needed to be sure I was not using you as a rebound. I could never put you through that. And all that talk about kids! We have years to figure it out! But God forbid we plan that far ahead. What are you worried about? I'm going to meet someone at college and email you a break-up letter? Or five years from now I'll notice how old I'm getting and pack my bags? I don't care. Because you dance with me and you cook with me and you fight with me and you are all I ever wanted."
He crossed the threshold into her room and shut the door behind him. She allowed him to wrap his arms around her, burying her face into his robe.
"I shouldn't have pushed you. Can you forgive an immature, inexperienced moron?"
"If he buys me chocolate."
He laughed, the sound rumbling against her ear. Then his voice lowered. "I'm ready to move forward, Leah. But if you're not comfortable with anything or you need something, tell me, and we'll solve it."
She nodded. "If you do the same."
He brushed her cheek. "Alright."
Inspiration struck. "Sit down." As he did, she dug something out of her suitcase. It was at the very bottom. When she found it, she came around the other side of the bed and put it in Edward's hands.
He raised a brow, turning over the object. "Are you sure? It's kind of your 'antlers on the wall'."
"Which is why I want to give it to you." When she was fourteen, some middle school boys were threatening rez kids at a park in Forks. Parents could handle most of it. But one day Leah had come with Seth and Judith, who opted to wait in the car with a magazine. The boys had threatened to cut Seth with a knife. She told the nearest mother, but they just told her boys bluffed and were rowdy like that. Leah had to beat up the ringleader and dig the switchblade out his pocket herself.
And now, Ed was holding the same knife. Its pearly handle actually reminded her of him. Gorgeous and dangerous. Out loud, she laughed at the corniness of it all.
He looked up with a sly smile. "Wow a knife and a genuine compliment?"
She closed his fingers over the knife. "I can be nice."
He tilted his head to the side, a teasing smirk forming. "Is that so?"
She rested her hand on his cheek, then leaned down and kissed his temple. "I can be very nice."
For a second, she thought he was offended, by how still he went. But his eyes slid shut and his fingers twisted the fabric of her nightgown. "I'm not quite sure yet."
She didn't let go of his hand as she pressed another kiss to his cheek. "Better."
"Almost."
She kissed the corner of his mouth, one hand tracing his jaw as she did so.
A sharp inhale. "Leah…"
"Don't you want to kiss and see if it's weird?"
"Yes, but…"
She pulled away, concerned.
There were a lot of emotions in his eyes, worry just peeking through. "We shouldn't do anything else."
"And we don't have to." She leaned in.
The door creaked open. "Oh!"
A maid covered her mouth and backed out, leaving her linens in the doorway.
After a long silence, the two faced each other.
"Bad timing?" Edward asked.
"Bad timing."
Saturday, August 6, 2005
A sharp knock rapped on Leah's door. Without so much as a greeting, the visitor bustled in. It was the same maid from last night, about thirty, moving with an energy Leah couldn't imagine, her wide eyes bright as she drew the curtains. The shyness from before was gone. "Miss Leah, you have slept far too late."
Leah squinted at the clock, telling her it was only a quarter past five. "Too late? No one told me to get up this early."
The maid's doe eyes widened. "Oh my," she squeaked. "The general has been expecting you."
Leah scrambled out of bed and raced to put her uniform on. There was a sheath attached to her belt, but no weapon. That would come later.
The maid, Gwen, directed her to the wing of the castle reserved for military business. After a half dozen twists and turns that surely took another ten minutes, Leah burst into the meeting room, far too late, hair wild and tangled, but present.
General Foxfeather was at the head of a table, stroking his beard and looking thoughtfully at a map displayed on the television above him. With the odd clash of an nineteenth-century castle, storybook houses, and clothes and furniture from all over the last thirty years, it was easy to forget that the fairies were as current on technology as the outside world.
Leah sneezed, drawing his attention. The old man smiled warmly. "Miss Leah, thank you for arriving."
"Sorry I'm late."
"It was short notice. Sorry, we fairies sleep shorter hours. I should've known better."
She nodded, sitting a couple chairs down. "When will the others arrive?"
"I wanted a private conference with you."
Leah glanced around the room, focusing on the charcoal grey of the walls.
He smiled benevolently at her. The general was charming enough, but he had little reason not to be. Leah was going to murder one of his enemies.
"What did you think of the celebration last night?" he asked.
The short answer is that she did have fun last night, more fun than any party she'd ever been to. But the general wasn't looking at her so casually. "Is it customary to cheer for the danger your soldiers go through?"
He laughed. "My. I never thought the guardian would be anti-war."
She shrugged. "I'm not. It only makes me wonder how often this happens. I don't mind fighting. But it only makes sense to fight if a resolution can be found from it."
"Peace."
"I'd like to think that Princess Echo will not be at war all her life like her father or her grandmother."
The general leaned back in his chair. "Prince Florian fought rebels and enemy clans. Ironically, the queen learned after his death that these were mere distractions from the main target. Within the day, we will have solved a decade-long problem."
Leah narrowed her eyes. "From only one kill?"
The general nodded solemnly. "No one will dare target us after we kill her. Our worst offender for the last few years." He slid a folder across the table.
She flipped to the first page. "You call her just "Naomi"? No last name?"
The general half-smiled. "Those vampires almost never bother with one. They're less like people, more like creatures."
The file told her more than she thought she'd ever hoped to learn about her newfound enemy. A grainy black-and-white picture was in the corner of the page. Naomi was a woman in her mid- or late-twenties, with a high arching eyebrows and pin-straight dark hair. The rest of her features were obscured by a vicious, teeth-baring scowl. Leah didn't need color to see the hatred in her likely crimson eyes.
Leah rubbed her hands nervously. "Alright. It says she's in Camley. That's only, what twenty miles from here? Why didn't we address this last night?"
The general sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Naomi comes and goes from the state as she pleases. We've contacted Arlun, and they say they haven't had nearly as bad a problem with vampires. We suspect she doesn't know about any of the major clan bases. So she keeps feeding on this one when she wishes, but scampers off when we go hunting for her. This pattern repeats three or four times a year."
Leah flipped through the rest of the pages. More information, former failed attempts, the procedures of each mission. "How will this be any different?"
As far as we know, she's a nomad, but most of the time she's with up to four companions. Facing one vampire is a risk. Facing five is a death sentence. This is the longest time she's been alone - nearly six weeks." He pressed a button on the screen, turning the state map to Naomi's picture. "And even better, we have you."
Leah let a long silence pass between them, just staring up at the fierce woman she was going to kill today. "General?"
"Yes, miss?"
"Why did you think my parents weren't human?" It'd been a weird comment, odder than even the current state of her life.
"My talent!" he laughed heartily. "I have a knack for the past."
"Mind-reading?"
"No, the past. Sort of like the opposite of knowing the future."
Leah thought of Alice. Did the general have visions or see dead people? "And you knew my past by looking at me?"
"Just the outline of it. But I realize now, I'd been thoughtless. You aren't of fairy blood and the more refined supernatural species are far and few between. It must be the origins of your tribe - the legend of the shapeshifters."
The legend was one often told by elders, at fairs, bonfires, and gatherings. If they really wanted it to be a secret, they should stop talking about it so much, she thought. But maybe Billy, her dad, and the others wanted everyone to know the Quileutes were strong and safe.
"Oh. So what else do you see? Me dropping catfish on a customer last week?"
He smiled again. "Only a cliff, a man, and the moon."
"That's a relief." She felt too distracted to contemplate too much about that. "Should I tell the others, general?"
He waved a hand. "No need. The soldiers accompanying us have been prepared already. Your friend, Edward, will pick up everything from you. We will all meet back here after supper."
She headed out the door.
"And Miss Leah?"
"Yes?"
"You remember how to shoot a gun, don't you?"
She shifted, stalling. Her gun lesson with Echo felt years ago. After that, Troy guided her through three lessons before they realized, advanced sight or not, Leah was a crappy shot.
The general laughed softly. "Never mind. Your close-range weapons will be fine."
That way, she'd be sure not to miss. Only, she'd have to watch the life leave the woman's eyes.
Leah sat on a bench in a hall that led to the passageways behind the castle. Here it was dimmer and homier than the more popular sections of the castle. The walls and floor were a rich, dark wood, reminding her of the studies and library. She tilted her head back, squinting at the fairy's banners. On a center one, a leaf of a white iris stared back at her. Words in small, delicate cursive beneath it.
She felt Edward sitting next to her. "It's not quite Gaelic, it's not quite English. Some words they've combined, and others they made up. Some are even pulled from other languages. Have you noticed that?"
"What can I say? I'm an English and Quileute-only kind of girl."
"The new motto is 'Labor for your earth'. This older one says, 'Gift love, repay hate.'" He raised an eyebrow. "I can't imagine why they changed it."
Leah lurched up. "I see they've got my life philosophy up here."
Edward pursed his lips to lock out the smile.
She looked him over. "This look suits you." She gestured to his outfit, the same colors as hers with a longer jacket. Leah wore light armor underneath, protecting her vital organs.
Edward caught her hand. "It looks better on you." His eyes darkened. "You're going to be fine. You know that, right?"
Leah looked down at their linked hands. It seemed unbelievable that they had even gotten to this day. She was sure something would happen before it - and sure, a lot had changed - but the task, the hit, was too big for her to comprehend it. "I'm going to be fine," she declared.
"Leah, Edward, over here!" Major Berry called, waving them over, as he entered the hall. The major's playful smile was absent, but he carried a newfound resolve. Leah clapped him on the back. Poor guy. Poor Echo.
"I'm glad you're coming," Edward greeted, shaking his hand.
"I'm surprised myself. These missions are above my expertise, and a small squad is below my notice. But Her Majesty was especially impressed with my trip guarding the prince. She added me." He looked over his shoulder. "Let me introduce you to the others."
The others arrived soon. A spiky-haired man with a relaxed air, Officer Eneka was a soldier who emigrated from a fairy colony in New Zealand. Officer Philbin was one of the few nobles in the military. She was polite, but watched everyone with cautious, bright green eyes. Leah was happy to see Simon Corntree, the officer she danced with last night.
The four fairies were dressed in their combat gear. "We'll be going stealth, and we can change easily, if we need to be seen," Troy explained. It seemed they had spells for everything.
General Foxfeather walked in, commanding the room with ease. He listed off assignments and reviewed the plan. Leah's pulse rang entirely too loud in her ears, even as she nodded along. She was only vaguely aware of Edward's hand on her arm as they passed through the tunnel, walked into the late afternoon light down a cobblestone path and exited the realm through a large oak tree.
They ended up about a few miles from their target, on the outskirts of a busy shopping plaza. General Foxfeather sent them a message to split now, on his communicator. In the event of an emergency, it wouldn't always be possible to type out a call for help. From now on it was impossible to talk aloud, so the fairies communicated by their mind link. Though Leah and Edward couldn't respond to the squad, he could read her mind and she could usually tell what he was thinking.
The fairies flew in a separate group, passing for butterflies. A trail would be strong in the air if they didn't, and while fairy blood wasn't too dissimilar to human blood, a vampire that hunted fairies would definitely notice. Leah and Edward melted into the crowd, heading under the shade of storefronts. With their arms linked and sunglasses over Edward's eyes, they blended in better.
'There's the car.' Leah spotted at the edge of the parking lot a beat-up sedan that had flecks of its gray paint chipping on the left side. They sped up their walking ever so slightly. Edward climbed into the drivers' side quickly, smoothly avoiding the sunlight falling onto any of his exposed face. Leah leaned over to the back as they drove. She found the wallets and ID in the back. "Here you go, Alan Prince."
Edward scowled a little at the card. They hadn't had any input into the names.
'Well, I like being Gloria Wallace. Sounds like I have a very rich, very old husband.'
Edward shot her a look her from the corner of his eye.
'Not you, your immortality keeps me from being a glamorous widow.'
Bordering smaller towns, Camley was almost a city, with nice hotels and shopping centers. They passed spas and bistros, bookstores and movie theatres, all surrounded by green parks. Leah watched people hurry by with shopping bags or chat under bus shelters. The day was warm enough for a pleasant late-summer stroll. A very open and social environment, which made Leah curious as to what sort of vampire would set up camp here. Maybe they were doing the same as the Cullens, hiding in plain sight by living a regular life. It was possible. Her best friend was proof of it.
The hotel came into view. The sand-colored building was five floors tall, and much wider. It reminded Leah of the beach resort her family visited every few years. The parking lot wasn't too crowded. Camley was popular, but there weren't nearly enough attractions to warrant frequent summer visitors, and they were too far from any universities for any visiting parents.
'We're here." Leah sighed. It was almost four. If all went according to plan, they'd be celebrating in the realm in just over an hour.
Edward reached across the aisle and traced the outline of her cheekbone with a finger.
'I know,' she thought, pressing her face to his hand before letting go.
Once they checked that no one had been looking, Edward snuck out the car so silently it seemed he'd never been there. Once in the shade, his clothes shifted to a brown flannel shirt, dark pants, and hiking boots. Leah's eyes would've passed right over him. Well, from behind.
Leah climbed out first, pretending to check her phone as she pulled a rolling case out the trunk. For the first time in a while, she felt like a little kid without her mom, out in the world by herself. As she walked in, the cool air of the lobby invigorated her, giving her a sense of determination as she checked into her hotel room.
When she was sure there weren't any cameras aimed at her, she leaned against a wall and checked the communicator. It was light blue and too thin to pass for a cell phone. She flipped open to a message from General Foxfeather: Squad in place. Go #1 and #2.
If the general was right, then Eneka was in the woods, Philbin was on the roof, Simon was across the street, and Troy was in the air, all of them using spells to throw off their scent.
In the elevator, Leah concentrated hard, drawing from the nature around her to improve her hearing. She could now clearly hear Edward working his magic.
"Can I come in?" he asked the woman.
Naomi, their target, was making an odd clacking noise, probably her nails against the wall. "Who sent you?" Her voice wasn't hostile, but guarded.
Edward's voice became smoother, more coaxing. "A male, about my height, dark hair? He came here a few years back."
Naomi's response came late. "Jordan?"
Leah could hear Edward exhale. As a telepath he only stole information, but he couldn't always choose the right response. The general had given him a script, but he might have to improvise.
Leah stepped off on the fourth floor, down the hall and underneath Edward and Naomi. She swiped into the room and headed to the bathroom, splashing water on her face. Knowingly, her jacket retracted into her t-shirt's material, turning it gray, and her navy pants became shorts.
Okay. So they had found Naomi. But what about Sapphira? Leah listened for another woman's voice above her, but there was none. Perhaps they didn't travel together.
Leah squeezed her eyes shut. If they failed to find Sapphira, that either meant she was really dead or hiding well. If she was hiding, they were failures. If she was dead...that just meant Leah would have to suck it up and kill the vampire woman already.
She texted the general, telling him that step one was completed. As she pocketed her communicator, the hotel room door knob broke off, hitting the ground with a soft thump. Across the room, Edward strode toward her, eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. Behind him, a curvy woman with warm brown skin and a long, black braid leaned against the doorway.
Leah opened her mouth and started to scream, but Edward grabbed her, slamming his hand into the back of her skull.
She had known it was coming, but it didn't make it less painful, or frightening. Especially when she lost feeling in her limbs and fell onto the bed with a bounce.
She heard them moving, but her head was tilted to stare up at the sky.
Edward's voice was amused. "I hate it when they scream."
The woman, Naomi, didn't join in his laughter. "Is this it?"
"She gave me a ride into town. Trust me, she's alone. So do we have a deal?"
"She looks young. I don't feed off children, Mr. Prince."
Edward reached into the crossbody purse Leah wore and pulled out the wallet. "Here we are. She'll be twenty-two this November. Or would have been, I should say."
A long silence passed between the two vampires. Leah felt sweat pricking under her arms.
Naomi exhaled loudly. "Fine. She does smell exquisite." Leah could visualize the woman's mouth watering.
Yummy blood for the win.
"I want any cash, though," Naomi said. "I'm gonna check the bags."
He stopped her. "No time for that. I need to hunt now."
"Give me her room key, then."
Leah mentally slapped their hands away from her back pockets. The sacrifices one makes for queen and country.
Edward was a step ahead. "The meal is staying with me until you find me one good fairy," he said.
"Fine. Let's get out of here."
Edward lifted Leah onto his shoulder and strode out the room. He pulled the door back into place, but the missing handle was pretty inconspicuous. Leah only had a glimpse of the women's sandals and blue jeans.
The path was unclear from here. By now, Eneka would have undisguised himself. Troy would, too, and fly about to distract the target. The others were farther off in case she made a sudden change. Once they were outside, Naomi would lead them to a fairy. They would gun her down, and Leah and Edward would go in for the kill.
Or, supposedly. Echo's request still stood. Leah and Edward had to get the answers from Naomi, to be sure she hadn't kidnapped Sapphira Stone. The truth mattered above all else, to the princess, and to the major. It was Leah and Edward's job to carry that out for them.
The trio took the stairwell, rarely used in comparison to the elevator. At the bottom, Naomi pushed open an emergency door. "Try to keep up," she said before speeding off into the woods.
'Gotcha,' Leah thought.
They followed close behind. The woods here weren't as private and deep as those near the realm's outer forest or the ones surrounding Forks and the rez. They would do, for now, for a vampire that wanted to make a quick killing.
They seemed to run for miles, not as quick as normal, and every so often Naomi would pause and sniff, sometimes changing direction. Leah squeezed her eyes shut, hands itching for the sword she'd grown accustomed to.
"This is it," Naomi finally decided. "There's one about five miles east of here. Maybe closer."
"Really?" Edward scoffed. "I can barely smell anything."
"I'm not leading you to it," Naomi said, her voice strong. "Not til you give me something."
"Besides the girl?"
"Information. Where did you meet Jordan?"
Leah was glad she was still paralyzed, otherwise she'd have given everything away somehow.
"This was years back -"
"Uh-huh. So you said. But Jordan hasn't been in this country for a long time. So tell me. Where'd he go? Zimbabwe? Peru?"
'What is wrong with you?' Leah thought. 'Tell her.' How could he not know what she wanted to hear?
Edward sighed heavily. "The truth is, ma'am...I don't know Jordan."
Leah could hear Naomi's stance shift. "Why'd you say you did?"
"Do you know the Quileute tribe, on the west coast?"
Naomi's breath hitched. "The Quileute? What do you want with them?"
"Me and my friend here heard a fairy lived there, but she ran off some months back. Supposedly, they're supposed to be distant cousins or half-cousins, something like that. I'm not sure how likely that is. Anyway, I got a tip from a nomad recently, that you knew something about that."
No one spoke for a moment.
Leah's breathing slowed. She could feel the life returning into her stiff body, very slowly. This wasn't how they'd planned it. They'd wanted to have her secured before they questioned her. But Ed would have to work fast if they wanted to be believed.
"How do you know this girl? She isn't…"
"No, she's not like me. She's as human as they come."
"Well I guess you had no intention of letting me have her then?" Her tone was dry.
Edward laughed uneasily. "No. I was hoping you would help us with the search...but I have nothing to pay you. A little money, but not much."
"Should we go inside then?"
He weighed the options. They had just told a very suspicious half-truth. Better to be accommodating, then.
Edward set Leah on her slightly numb feet. She stumbled and he had to pick her back up. Thankfully, Naomi didn't strike up a conversation as they walked.
'Number Four is aiming for target. Strength level three.'
The message was in Officer Philbin's steady alto voice. Leah only processed its meaning a second before a gunshot rang out and several yards in front of them, Naomi lay shaking violently on the ground.
The world came alive again.
"Leah, now!" Edward put her down. She was still shaky as she tried not to look directly at the trembling woman and pulled the dagger from her pocket. She snapped it out and it unfolded into a sword.
Edward pressed a foot on Naomi, nudging her over so Leah could press the blade to her throat.
"Stay down," Leah whispered in a rush. "We just want some questions answered and then you - "
But something weird happened - something wrong.
Naomi's hand dug into her chest, pulling out the bullet that had embedded itself in her granite skin. Blood dripped down from the wound, spilling onto her shirt.
What the hell?
Naomi lunged for Leah's front pocket, pulling out the gun, shaking it to its full size, then aiming at Edward.
Leah stepped in front of him, without a thought.
"Move," Edward hissed. "I can take this. You cannot."
"Once you're paralyzed, she'll kill you, then me," Leah whispered fiercely, refusing to budge. "If we fight, we fight together."
Naomi's grip weakened. "Why would you do this? You're one of them aren't you?"
Leah was afraid to break the silence, but she had to. "No. I am human, I am Quileute." She licked her lips, taking a chance. "And I think you are too, yes?"
Naomi didn't answer, but her crimson eyes said plenty.
Leah kept her hands raised. "I'm not easy to define. I'm...something else. Like you. Am I right?"
Naomi pressed her fingers to her mouth. "Which of your parents?"
"What do you mean?"
"Were you born with fairy blood?"
"I was...given powers, not long ago, through a transfer."
Naomi shook her head, looking to the sky. "So they're taking children now, too?" She wiped her forehead on her sleeve. "I'm going to leave and neither of you are going to follow me. Understood?"
"Let us -"
"Understood?!"
She fired off an aimless shot and then ran off. Leah's mouth fell open, but that was either from the shock of the exchange or the shaking emanating from her body spreading from her hip, where the bullet had found itself.
"Red?" was all she said.
Edward caught her as she fell to the ground. And she cried out, unable to still herself or see anything but the trees.
The wind quieted.
The trees withered.
Her heart stuttered.
Energy crackled at her fingertips.
Her mind split into two. One part lingered on a word, scribbled onto paper, burning like fire.
Hybrid.
A face lingered in front of her vision. Shiny black hair, deep brown skin, a frown.
Naomi.
The crimson eyes darkened to brown and her expression smoothed out.
Sapphira.
Hybrid.
One of the women didn't exist anymore. She hadn't been killed, but instead made into someone else, something else.
Echo. Echo, you were too late. But thank you, Echo, for trying. For trying to save the day. We were all too late.
The rest of her mind went out to the voice calling her name, close to her ear.
There was something…
Something she was supposed to do.
Something. With someone.
Edward's hands made quick work of sweeping the dirt off her face. "Leah. Leah, please."
Her face was wet. When had she been crying? Her voice was rough. "I'm okay. Where's she?"
Edward inclined his head. "Not far. Let's get you help."
"What? We have to get her!"
"In time. We'll catch her."
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me, we can be certain she's no vampire after that display. And as you could see, I couldn't see into her mind." He shook his head. "I'd miscalculated, thinking her to be an unusual case, like that human girl. I was foolish, arrogant. Whoever Naomi is, whatever she is, she's playing tricks."
So that's why he'd taken a gamble with bringing up Sapphira. Why he'd stumbled over the Jordan question. Ella was very misinformed to not have gathered that about her enemy. Edward's telepathy had been an important piece in their plan. Without it, you were just sending him to his own death.
"How long was I out?" she asked.
"It lasted a minute."
She could hear it, that hint of a crack in his beautiful, honey-like voice.
"Well, I'm not going to bleed out, but I can't get the bullet out until I can get stitches. Not my best night, not my worst."
He laughed, a full and rich sound. "How can you say that at a time like this?"
"How can you be worried when we've been screwed since this began?"
"Let me worry when it's you." Her eyes fluttered open to catch his face, intense and honest, and hovering inches above hers.
"Edward…"
"If you had been hurt any worse, I'd be done for. To think you took my bullet." His eyes squeezed shut and she knew he was thinking something dark and bloody he wouldn't say.
Her fingers curled around his collar and she closed the distance between them, crashing her lips into his, pouring into him all her emotions.
And after a very long second, it became embarrassingly clear he'd had no intention of kissing her back.
Leah pulled away and took in his slackened jaw and wide eyes, glowing in the shade of the woods.
"Are you sure you're not in shock?" he asked.
"No -"
Her words were cut off by his leaning in again to kiss her. He was a mystery - cold, yet warming her from the inside out. His thumbs swiped the tears from her cheeks as his smooth lips moved slowly against hers, first tenderly, then hungrily, as if he knew their time was running out fast.
She reveled in the safe, perfect feeling of being between him and the earth, the two things she trusted most. Her hands splayed across his back, pulling him tighter against her, wondering if she could pull the both of them into the ground and stay just like this for a while longer.
Edward broke away, resting his forehead against hers. "Leah," he breathed.
"Shh," she said, because she didn't need words to hear him, especially not now.
For a second the world paused, and they looked at each other as if for the first time. Maybe now - of all times! - they finally were. There was no barrier between them, no bitterness, no fear, no guilt. Looking up at him, shadowed against the sun and eyes bright, she felt her nerves steel. He'd given her the kiss of life, enough courage to carry on what they came here to do.
The others would probably start looking for them if they didn't have an update. It was early, even for the summer, but Leah could feel too much time had passed.
Edward awkwardly stood. "What will we do?"
Leah flipped open her communicator. The general was asking where they were. If only it were his task. It would be done by now and they'd probably be on their way home to be celebrated.
"We can't fail," Leah declared. "I don't care what she says, we can't just go. She's still guilty and we need to stop this."
She grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him away. They pressed into a nearby tree, and it was a long shot sure, but she kept her focus strong despite the shooting pain running down her side.
The two of them landed outside a decorative potted plant in the hall of the fifth floor. Leah almost fell over after the effort. It was a risk to pass through a tiny-ass plant from miles away.
It took Edward seconds to catch on to her plan. He nodded silently, and slipped into an empty hotel room next door.
Once again, Leah squared her shoulders and lifted her head. She stomped over to Naomi's door. "Room service," she deadpanned as she knocked.
A few seconds passed and Leah wondered if they were too late.
Then the door flung open. "I didn't -" Naomi's downturned eyes narrowed. She tried to slam the door, but Leah grabbed it, pushing against it.
Leah slammed the door and flung herself at the woman, using her muscle for all its worth. The woman - vampire, human, whatever she was - reached aimlessly for the gun but Leah slid it away. Leah used her arm to brace against Naomi's neck and leaned in.
"I told you to -" She tried to choke out her words. Apparently, this strange lady did need air to breathe.
"You see the thing is…" Leah drew out, increasing the pressure on Naomi's throat. "We can't leave you alone. You've murdered one too many people for us to do that. Sorry."
Naomi gritted her teeth.
"Unless you didn't do any of that and we've got the wrong person?" Leah guessed, half-mocking, half-hoping. She would hate to be wrong after all this effort, but she'd hate to kill an innocent person even more.
Naomi's hands glowed bright blue, sending a spark off that hit the television. Glass and plastic exploded, raining all over the room.
"What the hell?" Leah rolled away, drawing her sword again. Naomi's shots fired across the room as she climbed to her feet. Leah dove behind an armchair. How could a vampire even harness fairy magic? Well, how did she bleed was the better question.
The older woman was clumsy, though, and her sparks flickered in intensity, as if she were losing control.
The window at the end of the hall flung open. And Edward dove through. His leg flung out, kicking Naomi in the back.
"Edward, be careful!"
Edward cursed under his breath as Naomi tried to grab his neck, her hands still glowing. Leah didn't want to put her sword away, but on what chance would it work? Naomi had a few tricks up her sleeve, and Leah didn't want to rely on her magic. It hadn't gone well last time.
When Naomi sent Edward skittering across the living room, Leah struck her arm. The woman cried out. The sword's weren't as strong as bullets, but they could stand the might of vampire bodies. Leah kept up a stream of hits, knocking into her arms and torso, but her opponent was experienced, neatly stepping out the way of each attack. Smart. Her real challenge was Edward. Why waste time with the human girl?
Leah roared in frustration and landed a nasty blow to Naomi's head. The woman blinked a little as she lost her footing, and that half a second cost her.
Edward snaked behind and wrenched Naomi's arms behind her, ignoring her cry of pain. He pressed a boot against her back.
Leah focused, clenching a light fist until she heard a crackling sound. In her palm, a small fire roared. Leah ran her hand down the blade, setting her sword on fire.
Her arms lifted into the air, a practiced motion. One strike to end it all. Here it was.
A voice cried out. "Mommy!"
All three turned to the source, horrified.
A tiny toddler stood clutching a stuffed bear, a terrified expression on her face. She had Naomi's sad, tired eyes, made pitiable by the tears forming. Then she began to sob, loud and broken and scared.
Edward's grip loosened and Naomi crawled over to the girl, pulling her into her arms. "Shh, baby, it's alright. It's a game. We play games, too, right? We play 'monster'."
The toddler's nose wrinkled as she giggled. "Grr!"
"That's right."
The two intruders looked at each other, not quite sure where to go from here.
Leah swallowed. "Who is this? You're a vampire. You can't have children."
Naomi's jaw clenched. "I am a person first. A human with fairy ancestors. We don't react the same to vampire venom."
"You were changed? By who?" Edward asked.
"That is none of your business."
"If you are a fairy, why would you go through all this? Why would you attack your own people?"
"Well, that I don't mind telling. My name was Sapphira. And I was part of the Cosaint fairy clan for a time. I lived with them for longer than I did on the reservation. I was something of a pet, to them. It was a novelty to have one of the Quileutes, their old allies, with them. Until I decided I wanted a life free of bullying other clans and murdering vampires and any other person who wouldn't bend over backwards for the queen. How is the old tyrant, by the way?"
Naomi's smile was sly and did nothing to relax Leah's nerves. "So you ran?"
"I was ran off. The queen gave me her blessing to go live with my grandfather. But even though I was very unknown, someone tipped off a vampire that I was living there. Two trackers were on me. I was sent away by the elders. I tried to return to the realm, but the queen told me I was now too much a risk. She tried to rip away my powers, so they wouldn't want the fairy part of me anymore. But what do you know? It didn't work. It was now part of me."
Leah shuddered, imaging the torture. So that part had been true. Most of it was, in a twisted way.
"She decided it'd be best to just turn me over to the trackers, leave me in the woods. So I ran in circles or years, sometimes hiding with other clans until they realized I was too much trouble."
"Then you were changed."
"Yes. Until I was changed. And by then, the nomads stopped chasing - it wasn't fun for them without the reward. I had fairies on my tail instead. Their ruler worried I'd trade her secrets to her enemies. So I picked off every single fairy she sent after me."
Leah's voice was weak. "You fed on them."
Naomi laughed. "Yes, I fed on them. And I saw why it was worth the chase. If Ella wouldn't stop sending them, I wouldn't stop treating myself to their blood. I made a business of it. I'm familiar with their scents. I have some of my powers. It was a good trade for me."
"It took you a long time to find fairies today."
"What can I say? They're better at disguises now. I did however, catch those minimized weapons in your pockets. I invented those."
No one said anything for a long moment. Edward touched Leah's shoulder. "We should leave."
Leah turned to him, eyes hard and disbelieving. "We can't…" Her words trailed off. She saw the baffled expression on his face. Can't what? Can't murder a woman in cold blood in front of her child? What was she thinking? Could they reschedule? Would there even be a point?
Naomi stood. "Yeah, Edward, you can't." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You see, I didn't want my child to have to see any of this. But since you two just couldn't leave well enough alone, I can't in good conscience let you two go today."
If Edward could see into Naomi's mind, he would have seen her intentions. But as it was, when Naomi lunged across him and dove for Leah, there was no time to pull the women apart. The bullet popped off Leah's skin and blood trickled down her side as she slammed into the wall. Naomi's sharp teeth pricked Leah's skin, right above her collar bone, as if it were paper, sinking in viciously. Same as it had been for Echo, so many years ago.
She felt, not heard, a roar ripped through Edward's throat as he grabbed Naomi by the neck, yanking her away, but the door slammed open again, and beyond the wrestling match, Leah could make out the squad, led by General Foxfeather.
Troy and Simon picked up the screaming little girl and brought her into the next room, even as she kicked and swatted to get to her mother again.
The general was shouting something to Edward, who pinned Naomi to the ground. The old man dove into the fray and Leah watched as in an awful swift motion, the general kissed Naomi. The woman's eyes froze in horror, turning white, even as she tried to claw at his face. No, not kissed her, he breathed the air from the hybrid woman's lungs, drinking in her soul. A swirl of pale blue energy encircled them, spinning around the two of them like a tornado and growing, bigger, bigger, until it enveloped the room.
Leah felt someone covering her, an officer likely, but no protection could cool the white-hot burn flowing through her body, and a scream escaped her lips as her muscles twitched and her temples throbbed.
After a few long moments, the life left Naomi's eyes for good. Her body stilled.
Leah groaned, trying to crawl over, but a violent shaking took over, different from the one caused by the bullet. Her muscles reverberated over and over, just as they had that day in the woods. It seemed to be coming from her soul, spreading outward.
She knew Edward must be close by, she knew that people were calling to her, but every sense and feeling was lost to her. It was only the shaking and her pulse thumping in her ears. Her lungs and throat sizzled with pain. Maybe she was screaming.
Leah exploded out of her skin.
A/N: That was...a lot. I've written this chapter a dozen times and it still punches me in the face.
I'm going to be more active on tumblr with this story as we reach the ending. When this fic reaches one hundred reviews on or fifty comment threads on ao3, I'll post my fanart with an update. Scares me, but I'll do it!
Replies:
brankel1: Thanks, bud!
sentinel10: I hope this reveal (the first of many to come) didn't disappoint. I heard about the live-action Winx show! Do you like it? I didn't watch the cartoon, but I love magic/fairytale stuff.
SF: Honestly, the whole time I write this story I scream: NOW KISS!