Hello my lovely readers, we are now into Book 4 of this story, isn't that exciting!
Welcome to Book 4 of this story. Below are the chapter titles for this segment:
Chapter Sixty-One - Turn of the Tide
Chapter Sixty-Two - What Did I Do?
Chapter Sixty-Three - Wedding Bells and Italy
Chapter Sixty-Four - Meeting the Kings
Chapter Sixty-Five - Planning for a Crisis
Chapter Sixty-Six - Evil Cannot Win Where There is Hope
Chapter Sixty-Seven - Back in Forks
Chapter Sixty-Eight - Royalty in Forks
Chapter Sixty-Nine - Coming Back to You
Chapter Seventy - School
Chapter Seventy-One - If You Weren't Here
Chapter Seventy-Two - Edward's Promise
Chapter Seventy-Three - Charlie's Wedding
Chapter Seventy-Four - Living with the Cullen's
Chapter Seventy-Five - There's Something We've Missed
Chapter Seventy-Six - Meeting the Ethereals
Chapter Seventy-Seven - Daddies Girl
Chapter Seventy-Eight - It's a Slippery Slope
Chapter Seventy-Nine - Creating an Army
Chapter Eighty - When Nightmares Come Alive
Chapter Eighty-One - Realisation
Chapter Eighty-Two - 'If you could rule' - A Message
Chapter Eighty-Three - IT All Comes Down to This
Chapter Eighty-Four - When the Storm Clears
AN: A huge thank you to everyone who reads this, everyone who's been with me since the beginning and all new people that have joined. Can you believe that this story was originally only destined for 25 chapters! It has now become so much more and I'm incredibly proud of it! As always, it's not edited, so it's riddled with mistakes, if anyone knows of a beta who would like to take on the challenge of editing this, please let me know!
AN2: I will try and upload one more chapter before Christmas but if not, have a Happy Christmas & New Year, & I'll start posting again in January ~ Hannah.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, I merely play in the sandbox, I do however, lay claim to my original character and the inclusion of the fey world created.
Chapter Sixty-One - Turn of the Tide
Chapter Sixty-One – Turn of the Tide (Book 4)
With Laurent's army destroyed in more gruesome ways that I'd expected, I was all for leaving the field and trying to rid my mind of what I'd just seen. However, what to do about Laurent was a question that still weighed heavily on those present. Most present, understandably wanted to kill him, that had been the order from the Volturi Kings after all but Adrian I could see, wanted to pump Laurent for information about the Master.
I guess human stereotypes would dictate that we enter a 'good cop, bad cop' routine to get our answers from him. Even though I knew what Laurent had done, and knew he was a bad penny, the idea of killing him still struck me to the core. He would have killed me without thought if he could and yet here I was feeling sorry for him. It was ridiculous that I should feel pity for him but I guess the day I am not effected by death, is the day I lose all my emotions.
Like my earlier need for wanting to leave the battlefield out of fear for what was happening around me, I now wanted to leave to avoid the fate of the man who had brought so much pain into our lives. True, he was just a henchman in the greater scheme of things but I wanted to know why he'd joined forces with the Master as much as I wanted to run and never see him again.
I had changed through this experience as I'm sure everyone else around me had. Scarred by the images I'd seen, I still felt stronger for having survived. That three normal humans had stood in a battle of supernatural elements and come out unscathed was a miracle to me. It was something to be celebrated but now was not the time for celebration, now was the aftermath of the battle but things weren't over yet.
In some ways, they were just beginning. What decided the end of a battle? When everyone was dead or when an ultimatum had been reached?
Seeking physical comfort, I latched onto Edward and buried my face in his chest. I felt his arms come around me and that safe feeling spread through my body.
"We should kill him, he's a danger to us the longer he lives," said Emmett.
"No! Think of the information we could get out of him." Countered Adrian.
"I will tell you nothing, you'll get no secrets from me."
"You have secrets? How interesting," said Rose.
"N-no I don't," argued Laurent.
"If you didn't, you'd be less cocky."
"Do you know who the Master is? Have you ever met him?" demanded Adrian.
Laurent merely laughed in his face. I don't know whether Adrian was expecting Laurent to freely give information or not, but his laugh was sinister and made me shiver.
"What did the Master promise you?"
No answer was given.
"You realise your life is on the line here, talk and we might spare your life."
"You think I'm a fool?! Either you'll kill me or he'll kill me. There is no other option for me."
"We might be able to help you."
"Unless you are willing to gift wrap Ella and give her willingly to the Master, you cannot help me. Kill me while I still have the chance to decide my own fate."
"Your own fate? What does that mean?"
I turned in Edward's arms to look at Laurent. He looked perfectly calm, like he hadn't been captured by the enemy. It appears he had made peace with the fact that he would die. Yet, his eyes, his eyes still darted around looking for a danger that appeared non-existent. I felt like we were his judge and jury, and the sick feeling in my stomach was doing nothing to help decide how I felt about things. I didn't feel like I deserve this life or death power, like any of us deserved it.
To be immortal is one thing, to believe that you hold in your hand the fate of those around you made you into something else. Something darker and something that shouldn't exist. Yet, wasn't that what the Master was trying to do? Hold that power and take away our control.
As I pondered what would be done about Laurent, I noticed something that no one else did. A stillness in the air that became thick and heady. It spread from the far reaches that I, with my human eyes, could not see, to the field we stood in and filter all around us. After the stillness came blackness. I knew now I was not the only one to notice, from the shouts of those around me. Edward grabbed me and held me protectively behind his frame, yet I peeked out to see what was happening.
Like a dementor from Harry Potter, a black mist charged through the forest, heading straight for us. This was no ordinary mist, I could tell that much. This mist took the stillness in its wake and sucked all the happiness from it. It swirled around us and made it hard to breathe. It caressed us with darkness and promised violence if not obeyed. There was a voice on the wind. A voice as cold as ice. A voice so evil that it drove a lightning bolt through my soul. A voice so distorted that I wondered what monstrous being it could be.
I knew of course, we all knew. Who else would know of what had happened on this field but the Master himself. It was too much to ask him to appear, that would be foolish and he was not foolish. He wanted to keep the upper hand. He wanted us to fear him and it was working, I was terrified.
"My, my, Laurent, you're in a pickle aren't you. I distinctly remember you telling me this would be a walk in the park. A battle than you could not lose. Yet I see that you have lost. My, my…"
Laurent's response was lost within the black mist. I could feel Edward but I could not see him, I could not see him and I felt so out of my depth. I felt like I did when my mind had been twisted against me. Though I fought to remain calm, I knew it was a battle that I would surely lose.
"You will resign this battle and let Laurent go or I shall personally sign your death warrants myself."
I would no sooner resign the battle as I would resign the battle within my mind. The Master might think that he has won but I would argue against that. Take away my sight, take away my control, make me feel fear and hatred at the same time, all the Master had doe was give me something to fight for.
I inched away from Edward and moved forward, well I think it was forward.
"One of you has courage at least. Come forward Ella and speak to save those around you."
I thought I heard voices shout around me but I could see nothing. I wondered briefly if this is what people felt under the hand of Alec's gift. No, this was much worse.
"I do not understand what you wish to gain from this…Master."
"You know my name. You know what I want, therefore you know what I gain."
"It's just that you've tried twice now and you've failed. I wonder why you send others to do your work when the presence of this mist shows just how powerful you are."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, though it is good to be recognised. Your words will not trick me into revealing myself. Have you made your decision?"
"You haven't asked me a question. You seem determined to seize control of all but I don't think you understand that you'll be fought at from every corner."
"You fail to see the bigger picture, I will be welcomed as a God of old. People will worship me."
"The Gods of old are gone, as is their power. Perhaps you have locked yourself away for too long. We have freedom now and if there is one thing we know how to do, then it is fight for our freedom. You talk of being worshipped? People will not worship you if you take away their freedom, they will fight you until their last breath."
"Then I shall have to control them."
"Yet you will get the same reaction. You do not understand. You are the same as every megalomaniac that has passed throughout history. Each had a vision of what life should be like and each has been stopped by the very people they sought to control. You will be no different Master. You think your plans will win out but I am telling you now, it is I who will see you lying before me, defeated."
"Such powerful words from a mere human. I grow tired of this conversation. If I cannot willingly attain what I desire then I will take it by force and you shall be my first sacrifice."
"I will not bow down to you Master, you are nothing more than a child who can't share his toys."
The blackened mist swirled around me but I stood strong. It felt as though I was in the eye of a hurricane. In the end, I had to close my eyes against the force that was pushing against me. I pushed my arms out, seeking something I could not grasp. I knew I needed to fight to survive and I acted on instinct. I did not crumble, I didn't not fear, I fought in perhaps the most pathetic way and hoped I survived whatever was coming my way long enough to get back to those I loved.
Something had happened, I knew it had. I didn't have to be a genius to work it out. My eyes may have been closed but I felt the power thunder around me and saw a brightness from behind my eyelids. Curious and startled, I slowly opened my eyes, my hands outstretched where I left them trembled. My legs, firmly planted to support me, wobbled. The clearing, for it was now clear had no trace of blackness anywhere. The stillness had gone and the voice had gone. The Master had fled and with it, it seemed, the life of Laurent had ended.
I did not have to make the godly decision after all, for fate had decided Laurent's fate.
"Ella, what did you do?!"
I turned to face my family, taking in their looks from surprise and curiosity to fear and apprehension.
Did I do that?