Chapter 7
"W-what do you want?" Caleus stuttered as Bella neared closer like a predator stalking its prey.
"Surely you know why we're here." She spoke slowly, "You've been causing the humans to-" She dropped down in front of him to drag a slow finger across his cheek, content as he flinched under her touch, "-think. Your actions are threatening the very way of life for our kind."
"We have done no such thing!" The female yelled defensively pushing Bella to guard her mate protectively.
"Don't you touch her!" Alec growled gallantly allowing his aggression to urge his powers into play, using them to remove all the sensations in the woman's body. She was essentially blind.
"No brother. Let me." Jane insisted her voice stone cold. Alec nodded reluctantly, releasing his hold only to pass her onto Jane's burning eyes. With one glare the woman fell to her knees; her piercing screams echoing off the walls, leaning over as she wailed in obvious pain.
"Get off of her!" Caleus growled scrambling to fight. Protecting herself Bella set her hands a flame so as the vampire reached out to touch her she seized his wrists; he screamed as the burn scorched his skin sinking to the floor to join his mate.
"Nice one Isabella." Alec praised with a smirk.
"What are you doing!" A young blonde yelled entering along with four others looking frantic as they watched Caleus whimpering on the floor besides his still restless wife, as they watched their coven 'burn' at their feet.
"Your leaders broke the rules and now they need to be punished. But you don't have to worry, we're not here for you." Alec explained to them, "Unless you want to." He muttered the last part under his breath. Both Jane and Bella knew he was itching for the extra fight.
"You're not touching them!" The other female roared as the four of them charged forwards. Their attempt was met with quick failure. All five bodies dropped, only one still being tortured by Jane.
"Okay Jane, you can stop playing now. You've had your fun." Bella amused. Jane dropped her glare half-heartedly, the woman's screams fading into a whimper, then took two steps forwards to loom over the bodies, they were lucky to still be alive. "That was us being nice. Next time you break the rules we won't be so forgiving."
The three turned as Bella spoke, "Great, let's go home."
The main hall towards the furthest end of the castle began to slowly fill with dozens of nomads; all of whom dressed in either expensive tuxes or a variety of dresses. The once vacant and otherwise lifeless hall was now filled to the neck with decorations.
The Cullens arrived just as the room began to fill, the ball of which had began 20 minutes prior. By this point it seemed that almost everyone had arrived except for Bella, late to her own ball. "Where is she?" Edward paced nervously outside the door listening to the muffled chatter behind the wall.
"Calm down Edward." Alice insisted, "Bella's not going to miss her own party. I'm sure she's just being fashionably late."
Edward nodded trying to reassure himself with Alice's words, rationally he knew she was right but nevertheless couldn't seem to calm his nerves. He had never felt this nervous before in his life. With trembling fingers he reached up to adjust the black mask that covered his eyes. Tonight's ball was a masquerade party, add another layer to the mystery.
"Alice, Jasper, you don't have to babysit me all night. Don't let me stop you from having fun." He tried to perused the two.
Alice looked guilty as she considered over her options, "Are- are you sure, because I don't mind-"
"Alice, Jasper. Go."
With one longing look Alice shuffled along with Jasper in tow disappearing off into the crowd. He watched longingly as the couple pulled into a slow dance. He wanted that.
Could this work?
Minutes passed and tired of being left alone with his own thoughts he abandoned his post by the door and joined the crowd; the chaos of movement and action distracted his mind for long enough. More time passed, and just as Edward was beginning to feel that Bella would never show there was an attention grabbing noise as everyone swiftly turned to face the stage.
"Everyone!" Aro called to attention, "Myself and the rest of the guard would like to thank you all for your attendance today, we thank you for your patience. As for today we officially introduce you to our newest of guard members, for now she will no longer hide in the shadows but be known by all. I would like to introduce you to our Isabella."
Edward froze as Bella finally appeared on stage next to Aro, his eyes never once leaving her. She looked stunning. Her long, dark hair cascaded in waves down her back, a single plait placed around her head like a crown; diamonds clipped to her hair shimmering under the bright lights. Her body draped in an off the shoulder black dress that transitioned into soft lace as it travelled down her arms. The bodice was tight clinging to her body before flaring out cutting short mid-thigh. She was absolutely alluring; even more than usual.
As she twisted, peering around the room, the spotlight illuminating her features, she slowly reached up to remove the mask hiding dropping it to the floor. The crowd broke into an applause.
"Hello." Bella greeted with a bashing smile once the cheering quietened, "I thank you all for coming today. I know most of you must have heard whisperings about me, rumours…I'd like to first thank Aro for accepting me into the guard and helping me become who I am today, but as for now I can say how grateful I am to finally be out of the shadows, finally able to show my face." As she spoke Edward finally broke out of his trance, coming to his senses he numbly tried to push himself through the crowd.
"I am here to show you all what I can do." She smirked to herself before taking a step back.
Much a like to how she revealed herself to the Cullens she re-enacted the same movements, they gasped as she both hurdled the flames across the room and then again as they retracted leaving not even a mark.
Bella simply smiled and then bowed, turning to walk off the stage but not before she did she whispering one final thing to the audience, "Enjoy the party." Then disappeared into the crowd.
"Edward! Go!" He could read Alice's mind screaming at him from across the room, pushed by his sisters ushered words he forced himself through the vigorous tide numb to their cries of protest frantically searching. Where was she?
"If it's the girl you're looking for, she went outside." A blonde woman spoke to him sounding utterly uninterested, she waved a hand to motion him in the correct direction. Quickly nodding to the woman as to thank her he ran outside into the back courtyard where he found Bella standing alone beside the water fountain.
His eyes were focused solely on her that he missed the beauty of the garden, she was even more stunning close up. Edging slowly closer terrified of startling her he noticed the flame in her palm, he watched her stare at it with utter fascination like a moth attracted to the light.
She looked so…peaceful.
He wished in this moment more than ever that he could read her mind; what he would give to know what she was thinking even for just a short moment. He was almost taken back, absent of her stone cold demeanour she looked so small…like the girl he once knew so well. What he would do to learn about her all over again.
"Bella," He called quietly, "Bella." This time the flame died out on her hand and she turned to face him. He expected for her walls to snap back into place, for her to start screaming at him again, instead she tilted her head looking curiously at him.
"Edward." She muttered her voice quiet, "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing; this is your party after all."
"I don't really do large social gatherings, not my style. Twenty years and some things never change." Her short answer brought a smile to his lips. A moment of silence passed, her not wanting to speak and him not knowing what to say. They were still treading on broken glass.
"You look beautiful tonight," He complimented, he couldn't find the words that would do her justice and so he settled on what he hoped would put him in the least amount of trouble. Even strangers could compliment one another, right?
For a second it looked as though she was considering the appropriate response. "Thank you." She uttered back, thought the words were a compliment her tone felt static, still it was better than her resentment as he had expected.
The air falling silent once more she tried to turn putting her back to him but desperate to keep their conversation going he quickly took her by the wrist. In the past week, being around her, he had felt more alive than he done in two decades. Her knee jerk reaction was less extreme than the last he had attempted the same action (surely that had to be an improvement?) however her glare remained constant and she flinched under his touch. He backed away quickly, nevertheless she remained static in her stance.
"Bella, I-" He stumbled.
"No Edward I don't want to talk about it, I don't want to talk to you in fact so why don't you just go back inside and…"
This time it was he who cut her off. Seizing both her wrists for the second time that night he pulled her closer to him; capturing her plump lips with his own and taking her face into his hands, a handful of her hair caught between his fingers.
The kiss shocked her body in a way that she had never felt before, her body tingled coming alive and her stomach churned feeling fuzzy and warm. For a moment she found herself enjoying the kiss, warm against his hold and falling deeper into his embrace not wanting to let go. Despite her mind wanting nothing more than to forget, it seemed her body hadn't. It felt so right.
Her protest died on her lips as her mind turned to goo. She had loved him, unconditionally. She revelled in the feeling of how it had felt to be safe in his arms, to love someone so much that that love meant more to her than her own life, to adore someone and to be adored back…
Her mind wavered as her thoughts pressed on, a journey she had otherwise long tried to forget. And then the memories came; his deceit, his lies, his false promises, how she had felt that night…
Twenty years of supressed feelings came crashing to the surface. Her body tensed, anger boiling. She pulled away, pushing Edward making him stumble back.
"What are you doing!?" Her voice full of accusation, Edward stuttered fumbling like a fish out of water trying best to explain himself. "No! No Edward. I don't owe you anything. Not after what you did to me. Why should I listen to anything that comes out of your mouth? It's all lies."
His mouth gaped open and then close again.
"After you left me I stupidly ran circles in that damn forest trying to find you. I thought that maybe if I could prove myself to you, prove that I was strong enough than maybe you would still be there and maybe there was a little part of you that I could convince still loved me." She cried making a face that was desperate for tears to fall, "As I was lying there for hours all I thought about how much I loved you, and it hurt. It hurt so much Edward." Edward grimaced feeling his chest tear in two, "Do you know how stupid I felt? Of course, how could someone like you fall for someone like me? After all, you were this specular person and I was just Bella, basic boring Bella. I should have seen it but…but you had your way of twisting it into making me feel I deserved it." A growl edged its way into her voice.
"I know, I know and I'm sorry but it was all a lie Bella. Of course you deserved it." He pleaded, "You deserved better than me that's why I left, to protect you."
"Yeah and well look at how well that turned out." She growled a humourless laugh.
"I love you!" He begged.
"Look at me Edward. Look at me! This is me now, this is what you've turned me into; and even if you did once love me that girl is gone!" With each word she only got angrier, feeling her palms heating up triggering sparks flying from her hands. "Just leave Edward. You and your family…go." She choked out, the words heaving in her chest.
Twenty years she had gone refusing to feel any of these emotions and now she was at war with herself. She felt a damn within her break open pouring in all these emotions that felt so foreign.
Edward didn't want to go, he didn't want to leave her, not now when she was struggling and not ever…but he respected her wishes. It killed him to walk away when she looked so broken, knowing her pain was all his fault. Instead of trying to comfort her like his heart was screaming for him to do, he wearily ran back into the ballroom. Missing Bella crumble to her knees gasping on air.
"Edward! Edward!"
"Son, what's wrong?"
Edward ignored his family desperately searching for an exit out, just to his look he found one staggering out into the deserted hallway.
"Edward what's going on?" Alice asked his family following after him, "Where's Bella?" She searched around him looking hopeful to see Bella in sight. Their plan had to work, it had to. They couldn't go home without her again.
"I think- I think I broke Bella." He choked out finally sliding down the wall.
"Edward honey, you're not making any sense. What do you mean you broke Bella?" Esme asked quietly glancing over to her husband in confusion.
"I kissed her." He rushed out.
Of course, Emmett had to make a joke, "And you broke her because she just realised how terrible of a kisser you are?" He looked around for a reaction only to be elbowed in the stomach by Rosalie.
"I kissed her and it was all okay, and then- then she started yelling and crying. It was like- she broke down. I broke her." His voice wavered as he thought about the implications, her face distraught engraved in his mind.
"Edward that's not necessarily a bad thing." Alice whispered kneeling down to his level. He looked at her confused, "She's finally allowing herself to feel everything she's been pushing away all these years. If we can-"
"I'm not going to exploit her Alice." His voice raised in anger, "You didn't see her, how broken she was."
"And I'm not asking you to Edward, I love Bella and of course I don't want to hurt her, but this will be good for her. We all have to face our emotions at some point. Bella was drowning right?" Edward nodded slowly, "Well then we have to be the lifeboat that helps save her from herself."