Chapter 12:
When August was discharged from the hospital, Bella was there to drive him back to the Bed and Breakfast. There, they got lunch together, unaware that a few people were betting behind their back on whether or not they'd get together soon, before they went on a walk around town, hoping to run into Marco and have a reason to start a conversation with him.
"So, you've apparently been keeping an eye on Emma over the years. What do you know about me?" Bella asked him, curious.
"I know that you're her best friend, you've always been there for her, no matter what, which is more than I can say about me. You're smart and beautiful and full of light." August declared, making Bella blush.
"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked him shyly.
"I… Well, yes." He nodded with a smile.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me for stating the truth. Now, how are you doing? I know enough about you to know that you keep a brave face on but you have to be hurting inside." August guessed.
"What makes you think so?" She asked him.
"Emma has her parents and a boyfriend who loves her and whom she loves, even if she's not ready to admit it yet. You don't know anything about your mother and don't know where to find your father… It has to be hard on you." August explained.
"It is but I can't let myself think that way. I can't be envious of Emma. I know that my father loves me, that's already a good point. I know that I'll find my father eventually, that's what's important. I just need to be patient."
"What about your mother?" He asked her as they sat on a bench.
"Well, all I remember is dark magic and an evil laughter. It's all clouded, which makes sense since I was only a few days old when I arrived in this world. The surprise is that I actually remember something. I want to know who she is but at the same time, I wonder if it wouldn't be best if I never found out the truth… I guess I'll see when I finally meet my father." Bella told him.
"Do you know what you'll tell him the first time ever you see him?" August asked her.
"I'm not sure… I keep on changing my mind and I'm sure that even if I plan something to tell him, I'll say something else when I see him." She smiled.
"You're right." He nodded.
They stood once more and started walking, without any particular goals. Sometimes, Bella would make them stop and take her notebook out, writing down some notes for her next book. The description of a place, enhanced with a little bit of magic. August was in awe of Bella and of the way she saw the world. She saw it as it was and as it could be. She saw every single things at its best, even when it wasn't and it made him wonder if she could eventually become more than a friend to him.
"Bella, I was wondering… Do you think… Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" He asked her, suddenly nervous as he saw her in a new light.
"Of course, I mean, we're both already staying at Granny's anyway." She smiled, not understanding that he was trying to ask her out.
"No, I mean, someplace else. Like that charming Italian restaurant we walked past earlier. You know, just us." He replied.
"Oh… Are you… Are you asking me out on a date?" She asked him, surprised.
"I'm trying to, yes. So, are you accepting?" he asked her.
"I… Yes, of course. I'd love to. When?"
"Tomorrow? Would that be okay with you?" he asked her.
"Perfect." She smiled, happy.
"Good. Shall we?" He asked her.
They were now in front of the Ice Cream shop and he was suggesting they got some. Of course she nodded, she was never one to say no to ice cream, and so, once they had gotten their ice cream, Bella told him of what happened the last time she was there with Emma. She wanted to know if he, too, saw something weird in that moment or if it was just her.
"I can't help but feel like there's something off about that woman. I asked Graham to look in his records if he had anything on her but he found nothing. All I know is that her name is Sarah Fisher." Bella explained.
"Well, you should definitely listen to your instinct if it has never failed you before. I guess we'll see who she turns out to be once the curse is broken." August replied.
"It has failed me before." Bella whispered.
"Your instinct?" He asked her, surprised as they walked toward the park.
"Yes. Only once in my life. It failed to warn me about someone. I ended up in the hospital with a broken heart, a concussion and several broken bones because of it. I don't know why it didn't warn me about the danger like it did about anyone else but well… That's in the past now." She shook her head.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked her.
"He was my first big love, I was 16 and was eager to meet the one. I was a dreamer, even then and wanted a big epic and romantic love story. His name was Edward Cullen and he was handsome and mysterious. At the time, I thought that he was absolutely perfect. There was something about him that I couldn't explain, now that I know everything that is here, I think he was magical somehow… Anyway, he told me he loved me, made me feel like I had found a home with him and his family and he left me suddenly one day without warning me first. Before he left, he had gotten me in trouble with some people, he seemed to know them without knowing them, it was weird and the more I think about it, the more I think that they were probably like him, whatever he was. These people, James, Laurent and Victoria, they came after me, they attacked me to get to Edward. I don't remember much of it, mainly because I hit my head pretty hard and was in a coma for a couple of days but I think that not remembering this attack might be for the best." Bella told him, trying to stay calm as she did.
"He left you before you were attacked?" August asked her.
"No, he left me afterwards. I had barely woken up from my coma, I remember asking him what had happened, why I had a bite mark on my wrist, who had done that to me. I mean, I had my right leg broken in 5 different places, my left hand was broken in several places and I had bruises everywhere on me, there had to be an explanation. He didn't answer, he told me that James, Laurent and Victoria were taken care of and that I shouldn't worry about it anymore. Then he told me that he and his family were leaving, without me."
"Just like that?" August asked her.
"No, he added that he never loved me, that I was just a distraction for him, that I was worthless and would only bring him more trouble than anything else. He… He told me horrible things and I tried holding him back, telling him I loved him but he was extremely strong. He pushed me back, breaking a couple if my fingers in the process. I was heartbroken… It took me a while to recover, both physically and mentally. For a while I refused to eat or do anything, until a social worker allowed Emma to visit me, we were in different homes at the time. Emma helped me get better, she helped me find my will to live again." Bella explained.
"I'm sorry." August told her sincerely.
"It's all in the past now."
"What makes you so sure that he was magical?" he asked her.
"The scar I have from the bite mark, look." She replied before she showed him the scar she had on her wrist.
Slowly, she pulled her sleeved up and moved her bracelets to the side to uncover the scar.
"It's colder than the rest of your skin." He noticed after touching it.
"I know, a bit sparkly as well when in direct sunlight." She added.
"Have you shown it to Mister Gold? Maybe he knows what he was. I mean, he is the Dark One, so he has to know about some other evil creatures." August suggested.
"Maybe." She shrugged her shoulders, not sure that she wanted to know.
"Come on, let's go ask him now." August declared, pulling Bella in the direction of Gold's pawnbroker's shop.
"Now?" She asked him, following him.
"Of course, no time like the present." He replied.
.The sorcerer's thoughts.
Edward Cullen, the one person I hate more than anything and believe doesn't deserve redemption.
When I saw that my baby was in love with a Cold One vampire, that a few of them had found a way into her world and were trying to get her to not only trust them but love them as a family, I got angry but I figured that maybe they deserved a second chance as well.
Unfortunately, I didn't know that my daughter's magic took so much after me and that her instinct didn't warn her about them and the danger they presented. When they caused her to get attacked and broke her heart, my fury was unprecedented.
I didn't need magic to get to them, I called my apprentice to help me and we paid some mercenaries to help us since I couldn't get into this world. My Bella was still in the hospital, depressed and hurt and I desperately wanted them to pay. The mercenaries, under the command of my trusty apprentice, stormed their house with flamethrowers and killed the strongest ones of them, scaring the weakest ones into running away and returning to their world.
They had done more than break her heart, they had gotten her severely injured. I was glad that the one who had drunk her blood was dead but he had marked her and she'd forever have this scare on her wrist, magic would never be able to erase it.
After that episode, other Cold Ones Vampire tried to break into her world but I was prepared. I used my magic to move their portal so that it led on top of a burning volcano. This way my baby was safe and they died for what they were planning on doing when they crossed this portal.
I understand why they'd go after her, her blood would make them much stronger and give them magic but she'd have to die first and I couldn't let that happen. Never.
No-one will kill my baby girl, I'll kill them first, even if it darkens my heart in the process. It's worth it.
My daughter is worth all the sacrifices.
.
When Bella and August arrived in front of Gold's shop, he was about to close up for the day.
"Bella, August, please, come on in." he greeted them with a sincere smile that they could guess hadn't been seen often on his face or by many people.
"If you're in a hurry to leave, we can come back another time." Bella suggested.
"Not at all, what can I do for you?" he asked as Bella joined them.
"I thought that maybe you'd be able to help Bella with something from her past." August started.
"If I can I'll be happy to. What is it?" Gold nodded.
"I… Do you know who could have made this kind of scar?" Bella asked, showing her wrist to Gold.
"How are you still alive?" He asked her, shocked.
Going in the back room of the store, they all sat down and drank some tea while Bella explained to Gold what she had told August earlier.
"They are Vampires, Cold Ones vampires. They are immune to most magic and seek power. Thankfully there aren't many of them. I'm surprised they left you alive, they only do that when they're planning on coming back later. If they didn't come back for you, it means that someone killed them or that they went back in their world." Gold explained, handing Bella an old book he had on a shelf.
"Good, they deserve it." August declared.
"Can I keep the book for a while? I'll give it back when I've read it." She asked him.
"Of course. I hope it will answer all of your questions." He replied.
"I'm sure it will, thank you." She smiled.
.
Later that day, Bella met up with Emma before she got home and told her everything that had happened during the day from her coming date to August, which was a big surprise, to what she had found out about the Cullens.
"I'm sorry you had to relieve it Bella…" Emma told her, remembering how her friend was at the time.
"It's okay, I'm fine now. I'm actually kind of happy to know what they are and to know what this scar means." She replied.
"It means that you're a survivor." Emma smiled at her.
"Yes, it does. It means that you don't need magic to survive an impossible situation." Bella added.
"So, you and August… Tell me more about it." Emma smiled.
"There isn't much to tell yet." Bella blushed.
"But you've spent the entire day together and you felt comfortable enough around him to tell him all about Edward. Surely there is more to tell." Emma pointed out.
"Well, I do like him, and I could see some kind of happy future with us." She replied.
"You'd make a good couple but aren't you worried about him going back to being made of wood one day?"
"Well, I have to believe that if it happens, it'll end up getting better some day. If he becomes wooden again, it'll be because he did something wrong and making up for it will change it. Plus, as soon as magic is back, we'll be able to find a way to cure him of this ridiculous curse that forces him to behave better than any normal human does. I mean, making mistakes is natural, human. Forcing him to act perfectly isn't normal." Bella replied.
"You don't like the Blue Fairy." Emma stated.
"No, I really don't. I think there's more to her than what's in the book and once the curse is broken, I intend to find out." Bella nodded.
.
That night, Bella went to sleep reading Gold's book about Cold Ones. It wasn't exactly light reading and it forced bad memories back in her mind when she finally went to sleep. According to the book, the only reason a Cold One marked a human with his bite was when he wanted to find this human again in a few years, once it had grown up and matured a bit. The book also said that they never waited more than 10 years to get that human again and feed on them, killing in the process, so why was she still alive? Why hadn't they come for her?
She could only hope that they were stuck back in their own world and that they wouldn't change their mind and come back for her, especially since magic wouldn't help her against them. The Book also taught her something important about them: fire, real fire that wasn't created by magic, could hurt them, even kill them if it was strong enough.
Maybe that was why they didn't stay long in this world, because technology had created machines that could throw fire at people, at them. Who knew, maybe it had even been created to hurt them.
The book also noted that strong magical swords like Excalibur could be used to kill them. Well, maybe she'll be able to see it some day, right?
According to the book, the Cold One's world was named Volterra, was very small and isolated from any other world. It had only one magic portal that could lead to different worlds if the right kind of people manipulated it. Only gifted Cold Ones could open them and they didn't chose where it landed in this world.
That night, Bella had nightmares. She spent her entire night seeing Edward and his family along with James, Victoria and Laurent. She was seeing her attack, the one she had forgotten during her coma. She was being bitten, thrown against a wall, walked on, hurt… They all talked about her like she was some sort of pet and for the first time, she was happy that Edward had left her. According to what she was seeing in her dream, they only wanted her because her blood could make them extremely powerful, if drunk once she's dead. If this was true, she needed to be careful not to cross any of them ever again. Maybe she should invest in a flame thrower?
Deep down, Bella was confident that her father had done something to keep the Cullen's away from her, that he was the reason they hadn't come back for her and she was grateful. She put it on the list of things she wanted to thank him for.
.
When morning came, Bella felt like she had barely slept. It was already 11 am and she had messages on her phone. She quickly texted Emma back that she had had a very bad night and went to shower.
"Bella, I was getting worried. You okay? You look like you partied all night." Ruby greeted her when she entered the dinner.
"I wish I had." Bella replied.
"Bad night?" Ruby asked her, serving Bella her favorite tea.
"I was haunted by old demons all night." Bella admitted.
"Well, hopefully you'll feel better for your date with the new hottie in town tonight."
"How do you know I have a date with August?" Bella asked her, surprised.
"Leroy heard him ask you out yesterday afternoon. He told me, wondering if I knew more about it." She explained.
"I guess you can't keep anything private in a town this small. And to answer your question, I'm sure I'll be fine." Bella told her.
"Well, you have all afternoon to take a nap." Ruby advised.
"I will. Until then, I'd love a burger, extra pickles and fries." Bella told her friend who chuckled and nodded.
.
By the time August knocked on her door, Bella had had the time to take a nap and get ready. August looked even more handsome than he usually did and Bella couldn't help but hope it would work between them. She felt a bit nervous but she did her best to hide it.
They walked together to the restaurant and had a great time, talking about anything that crossed their minds and laughing together. Once they were done eating, they went on a walk on the dock and enjoyed the night sky.
"I had a great time tonight, thank you." Bella told him with a smile once he walked her to her door.
"Me too. I really enjoy spending time with you Bella." He told her.
"Maybe we can do that again." She suggested.
"I'd love that. Maybe lunch tomorrow?"
"Sure, but Granny's this time." Bella replied.
"Great, I love Granny's food." He nodded.
"Good night August." Bella wished him.
"Goodnight Bella." He replied, watching her enter her room before he turned to his own door and went in his room.
He had wanted very badly to kiss her and did his best to resist, at least for now. He wanted things to work and so he needed to take his time.
What did you think of the way I introduced the Cullen's in there?
From now on, it's all completely new chapters that weren't in the first version, so feel free to review and tell me what you think of it.
Lorelei Candice Black