Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, I merely play in the sandbox. I do however, lay claim to Ella, Adrian, Christine etc and the inclusion of the Fey world.
AN: Wow, this is my longest chapter to date! (& I cut so much out of it) Was fun to write this chapter, enjoy. ~Hannah
Chapter Seventy-Nine – Creating an Army
According to the research I had done and the information I had committed to memory, there had only been three occasions in the last four hundred years where the Volturi have come together in their entirety to remove a problem or threat to their kind. Never had opposing supernatural creatures joined forces to fight together and yet that was what we were trying to do right now.
I never thought I'd be the one to 'create an army' and I never thought I'd be someone to be involved in a war. Vattie had stayed with us after she imparted her knowledge and had taken to following me around like my own personal bodyguard. It was easy to see that Vattie craved attention and acknowledgement from others. Despite her sass and her confidence, being an outcast in both the Fey and supernatural worlds had had a big effect on her.
It was sad really, to think that people had shunned her because she was different. It seemed that whatever culture you belonged to, people still avoided that which wasn't the 'norm'.
It was a risk bringing the entire Volturi coven to Forks, as there was always a vampire waiting in the wings to usurp them. However, it was like an agreement had been issued with all vampires, halting any rivalling actions while the bigger threat was taken care of.
Edward and I – and Vattie – had searched the woods for a big enough plain for everyone to camp in. True to the Volturi elegance, Aro had sent what he called 'tents' in advance for us to put up for them. These 'tents' couldn't be further from the word, they were more like medieval royalty tents with their own trimmings, accessories and luxuries.
I was a small group of Edward, Rose, Emmett, and myself that greeted the arriving Volturi off from their private jet – FYI finding a spot in the woods where a giant private plane could land safely was a nightmare!
Carlisle and Esme had gone to bring two coven's backs, The Denali's, and The Irish coven. Jasper and Alice had gone to track down Jasper's friends; Peter and Charlotte and to pick up the nomads Vattie had mentioned. Vattie had finally left my side to hunt down two covens; The Rainforest Coven and The Singapore Coven. Angela and Christine had used their contacts to bring their witches coven together and Ben's family would be coming with their coven also.
The cut an imposing image, striding from the plane in a triangle formation, with the three Kings leading the possession. I got another glimpse of their imposing faces and the fear they instilled in others. Once, I would have found their stare intimidating but now I was looking into the eyes of people I considered my family. My family seemed to be growing with every blink of my eyes, who would have thought that my life would turn out this way. My childhood demanded a bigger family where I had none and now in my teenage years, I was getting the family I wanted. I had never been more grateful for my open mind as I was seeing all the family it had given me.
Aro greeted me first with two air kisses and a predatory smile upon his face. Caius greeted me next, getting me in a headlock and messing my hair up. Marcus greeted me last with a bone crushing hug that said more than words could have.
Sometimes I had to pinch myself to prove that what was happening was real.
An ear-splitting squeal was all that prepared me for the body that ran full pelt at me and seemed intent to squeeze the life out of me.
"Oh my gosh I have missed you so much!"
"Hi Lauren, missed you too but if you don't let go there's a serious chance your hair might choke me…"
"Still as sassy as ever I see."
"You wouldn't like me any other way."
Lauren linked arms with me, and not to be left out, Jane took my other arm. Alec trailed after us. We passed the amused faces of Edward and the Cullen's and passed the pouting faces of the three Kings. I guess having a big family was hard when everyone wanted to have time with you.
Today, and the days to come were a waiting game. A type of downtime if you will before the main event. We couldn't fully start strategizing until all the players were on the floor and for that we had to wait for Carlisle and Esme, Jasper and Alice, and Vattie to return with the people they'd managed to persuade.
I suppose it was historical to see everyone come together like this and had I have less on my plate I might have revelled in it. However, as much as I allowed myself to have fun, I also had to remind myself what was at stake and try and keep a cool head about it.
"So, Italy is amazing, I must have eaten my weight in gelato since I've been there. Sometimes I find it hard to work with such beauty around me, but Jane has been great at keeping me on the straight and narrow and Alec found a unique way of keeping me focused. I mean I always just did the bare minimum when it came to school work but now, well, I didn't realise I could have such good grades. Of course, I've missed you and everyone here. I tried to keep in contact with my parent's, but they made it very difficult and, in the end, communication stopped. It hurts but I have a bigger family around me, so I try not to let it bother me. You look good Ella, how's Edward? Is the relationship back on track? Gosh, I have so many questions to ask you."
Lauren talked a mile a minute and it was disorientating. I tried to lip read but she kept turning away from me and all her words seemed to fold into each other.
"Is she always like this?" I asked Jane.
"She has been particularly excited to see you; the Castle has its limitations and Volterra is not so cloudy during these months. She has missed walking around outside."
"That, I can understand. We're lucky here in Forks with it being so cloudy and gloomy. I can't imagine how isolating it can be if you're a vampire living somewhere predominately sunny and are forced to stay inside. Honestly, I don't understand why you would live somewhere predominately sunny if you were a vampire, that's like asking for trouble."
"That sentence got away from you didn't it."
"Yeah…I ramble more these days."
"Lauren's right though, you do look good."
"Thanks, I've just been focusing in living in the present and less about living for the future because if I think too far about what could happen, my mood goes down. I'd prefer to stay at the top of the slide than find myself at the bottom of it."
"Sounds like a good attitude you have there," said Alec.
"So, what has been happening in our absence?" asked Lauren.
"Dad and Christine got married, the expansion building on the house was completed. Angela and Christine are a welcomed addition to our family and I'm so proud of Dad. He's been deserving of a happy conclusion for years now and I'm so happy he has finally found someone who loves him as much as he loves them."
"I was sorry to miss the wedding, it looked like a beautiful day," said Lauren.
"How do you know that?"
"Alice sent pictures."
"Of course, she did. Well, while Dad and Christine were on their honeymoon, Bella, Angela and myself stayed with the Cullen's and then the slippery slope started. I'd been hearing the voices and seeing cryptic visions of these Ethereal beings for some time now, but they led me through my sleep walking towards a field behind the back of the Cullen's house and introduced themselves to me."
"Ella this is big, the Kings will want to hear about this."
"Don't worry, I believe that Edward is telling them of this now."
"What were they like?"
"Different from anything I've ever seen and they each glowed with an aura that only I could see."
"Do they have names?"
"Yes. There are three females; Anahita, Aella and Azar. The last two are male; Amara and Adaih. They each have a gift. Anahita commands water. Aella commands wind/air. Azar commands fire. Amara commands the earth. Adaih commands the void (death). They spoke in their usual riddles but the Ethereal's intervened with fate to bring my birth forward and annihilate the possibility of my death. Basically, those beings that sit above the Ethereal's allowed these five to interfere with life because the darkness Eldre commands cannot be allowed to dominate the world and had they stepped back and not done anything then the world as we know it would be ended."
"You don't do things by halves do you?" mocked Alec.
"So, this Eldre fellow is who be believe the Master really is?" asked Lauren.
"Yes, supposedly Tristram's – the guy who broke my leg at the theme park – younger brother who was abandoned by the family for being 'evil'."
"Ever thought our lives are like a comic book?"
"Every damn day. The Ethereal's said they'd each give me a gift. I had a vision telling me that I am the one with the responsibility to rid the world of Eldre, which, is a lot of pressure for one person. I was training near the Cullen's house, trying to produce the bright light that burst from my hands during the battle with Laurent I didn't get very far at all but was interrupted by the arrival of Vattie."
"Vattie? Is that a person?"
"Not with that name."
"Guys please! Stop laughing! Vattie is a person. She's lovely really, if, a bit eccentric. She's half vampire, half fey and she's the one that suggested we collect as many vampires to our cause. She also informed us that Eldre has an unnatural obsession with me. What started as a game using me as a pawn has turned into a game where Eldre cannot decide whether he wants me dead or ruling by his side. The darkness that consumes him has wreaked havoc on his brain and where he was once in control of it now that control slips away."
"So, the controller of darkness is basically a nutty wacko?" asked Lauren.
"A nutty wacko with power, yes."
"Well, no one said life was easy…"
"Shut up."
[x]
I felt like I now knew how the Pensives felt when they arrived at the camp before they fought the White Queen. Every day brought new sights to the clearing in the forest, new looks, and new chances to get to know people. The tents in the field became my new home away from home because letting this lot loose in Forks was only asking for trouble. The Volturi had signed a written missive with Dad that they wouldn't hunt in Forks or surrounding areas. They'd hunt in Seattle and beyond, but it seems the Kings were masters at preparing for the future and their private jet also included many blood bags – I didn't even want to know where they got that many from and how they got them.
I was learning so much from the people around me that it felt less like we were preparing for a war and more like a career day at school. It was interesting to watch everyone interact, the field was currently dominated with just vampires but even then, there was such diversity, such culture, that I sometimes didn't know which way to look.
I spent much of my time with Caius, which surprised many a person because he was known at the most snide and violent of the three Kings. Caius was a tremendous strategist, his brothers joked that he was born war hungry, but I think Caius's passion lay in logics. He was passionate about learning how things worked, how they could be improved and how he could solve any problems that arises. Caius immitted a sense of childishness when we hung out, his emotionless front fell away as he teased me as any brother would.
Caius and his brothers came from a time where showing emotion was the equivalent of signing your death warrant. It was no surprise to me that it had taken Caius longer to drop that façade as his brothers. War needs a certain type of face and not one that convinces the other side that you're a weak target. I was smug that Caius felt he could show his true self with me, but I always let him lead the conversation when we chatted because I wanted to see him come out of his shell by himself and knew how difficult it would be for him if I acknowledged his childish behaviour.
Caius had all the interesting stories of the past while Marcus had all the factual stories of the past. Marcus would often appear out of nowhere and drop a book in my lap. I always read what was given me, knowing that Marcus was a man of few words and this was his way of showing affection.
I'd have spent all my time in the field with my extended family if I could, but unfortunately school still needed attendance. I suppose that school provided the normalcy that was missing in every other part of life and I didn't want my school grades to suffer with everything that was going on. I needed to keep a high score to guarantee my acceptance into college. I could only imagine what mischief occurred while the Cullen's and I were in school. Angela kept Bella and I focused on our school work while the school hours passed us by. Even Dad had set us a curfew of 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends. It was a relief really to have the curfew because it stopped me from using all hours of the day to worry or train to unlock my powers.
I'd given up on trying to replicate the feelings I had when last the white light burst from me. Finally listening to the Ethereal voices in my head, I steered away from that and tried not to think about the powers I'd been given too hard. I'd been told they'd come forth naturally and that forcing them would only slow the process. It was frustrating of course, but there was no use getting angry about it when there were other things to be done.
The first bit of excitement arrived two weeks after the Volturi had dominated life. Carlisle and Esme arrived back on a dreary Monday morning. Bella, Angela, and I had just finished our homework, with the help of Caius and Marcus – who proved very knowledgeable when it came to teenage homework. With homework finished, we had two hours till curfew to spend with those set up in the field, with the arrival of Carlisle and Esme, the excitement level rose.
Behind the Cullen seniors were a group of nine vampires. I vaguely recognised some of them.
"We did not expect you back for a couple of days," said Edward.
"We thought it better to be back as soon as possible."
I waved to the vampires standing behind Carlisle, they looked so out of place and apprehensive to be in a field with the entirety of their rulers. I hoped to ease the tension with my face, even if they looked at me oddly, they would be distracted from the tension and excitement running through the camp.
"For those of you that don't know, let me introduce you to the Denali Coven; led by Tanya, these are her sisters Kate and Irina. To the right of Irina is Cameron and Eleazar who are mates and Garrett who is the mate of Kate."
Carlisle's voice rang loud and clear across the camp as he introduced the group of six that stood behind his left shoulder. I remembered that last time we'd spoken about the Denali Coven, Garrett was not mentioned, so he must be a new addition. Looking at the Denali's would have been intimidating if I wasn't already immune to the beauty of vampires. Tanya, Kate, and Irina could give some famous models a run for their money, they were the quintessential 'perfect beauty'. Cameron looked like a haven, her smile was wide and open, inviting you in and Eleazar stood hovering at her shoulder, keeping her sheltered from the storms of life. Garrett looked like a troublemaker and you could tell he loved Kate.
Though Carlisle had been precise in his introductions, no one made a move to make their own introductions, so I took a big leap of fate and took the first step. If I'd been in their shoes I'd have been sweating buckets of anxiety as everyone just stood looking at me.
I started with Tanya and moved down the line of her coven, saying hello, introducing myself and shaking hands as I went. My introductions broke the tension that had slithered into the camp and everyone relaxed around me. Honestly, they were a bunch of grown babies, we're supposed to be on the same side, coming together to fight a common enemy and the Volturi were busy trying to intimidate anyone who entered the camp.
Well, not on my watch. I wanted to make sure everyone was happy and comfortable. We were asking a lot for them to come and join our cause. I wanted everyone who volunteered to feel welcomed and relaxed. They need to trust me as I hoped to trust them. We wouldn't have a chance at winning this if there was no trust between us.
With the introduction of the Denali Coven finished, they moved to sit with the remaining Cullen's that were spread out over the camp. Carlisle then moved onto introducing the Coven that where standing behind his left shoulder.
"Standing with me now is the Irish Coven, Siobhan and Liam lead the coven and standing with them is their sister Maggie."
Just like with the Denali Coven, I was the first to walk forward and introduce myself to Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie. Straight away I could tell the different between the Irish Coven and the Denali Coven. Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie were more laid back and relaxed than the Denali's had been.
As I said hello to Maggie she had words to say back.
"You really are happy to see us, aren't you?"
"Of course, I'm grateful for you coming and I'm excited to get to know you better."
"No lies."
"Of course not."
"You misunderstand me. My ability is that I can detect when anyone is lying. I'm simply surprised that everything you have said is genuine. It is not often I meet people like yourself."
"Erh, well, thanks I guess."
The Irish Coven sauntered past me and Maggie surprised me further by going and sitting next to Marcus. Straight away they launched into conversation and I must have been starring for a while because eventually Maggie caught my eye and winked at me.
Strange indeed.
We were like a big group of Meerkats, constantly poking our heads above ground to see if any newcomers had arrived, all the while watching as time moved quickly before our eyes. It was a little anti-climactic and rubbed on the expectations I had. I had pictured everyone arriving at the same time, joyful and focused they would be and we'd get right down to it straight away. It wasn't like that. People were coming in dribs and drabs.
I think it was getting to me because I was bored. I was willing some action to happen when I should have been focused on enjoying the present without any danger looming. I was finding it fun to 'people watch'. I had expected something to happen after introductions were over for the Denali and Irish Coven, but I'd been rather disappointed that people had continued with their conversations as if nothing had happened. It did afford me a chance to see without being scrutinized. Sitting next to Edward with his arm around my waist, I leaned into his embrace and viewed all the vampires around me.
I was still interested to know the dynamic between Marcus and Maggie but wasn't going to intrude on the heated discussion they were having. Siobhan and Liam were chatting to Carlisle and Esme, catching up on what has been going on in their lives. Kate and Garrett seemed to be having a lover's quarrel, though their smiles gave them away. I saw Jane step up to Kate, which made Garrett nervous, fearing her reputation or power I wasn't certain. I could tell Jane wanted to talk to Kate and not Garrett, though the latter seemed reluctant to leave Kate alone.
"They're talking about their powers," said Edward.
"I did wonder. Jane doesn't usually approach people."
"Jane's ability is pain in its simplest form, as you know, while Kate can produce an electrical current. Jane is interested in how that transfers into pain and whether Kate can use her gift for other means."
"Oh."
"Are you enjoying watching?"
"I'm enjoying sitting here with you, observing others is simply a bonus."
Edward rewarded me with a kiss I wanted to take further but couldn't with so many people around us.
"Why do Tanya, Kate and Irina look so tense?"
"Probably because their last meeting with the Volturi didn't go well."
"What happened?"
"Their 'Mother' committed a crime and was slaughtered for it. Though she wasn't a good leader of the coven, she still represented family to the three of them and learning to live without her was rough for the first couple of hundred years."
"Oh, I get it. It must be hard to see their 'Mothers murderers' collected together. Though I believe the three Kings would not have acted in such a way could they avoid it."
"Indeed, but old wounds are hard to heal."
"I am sorry for them then."
"They would appreciate that, I think. Why don't you go talk to Bella for a while, you have been ignoring her since the Volturi arrived and with Adrian away she'll benefit from your company."
"Sometimes Edward, you are just too cute for words," I said before I pecked him on the lips and sauntered off.
Bella was back at home, so back home I went.
"Hey Bells."
"Ella, what are you doing here?"
"What? I can't spend time with my sister anymore?"
"You know that's not what I meant."
"I just don't want you to feel left out Bella."
"I don't. I mean, I'm sad that Adrian isn't here now but I'm not on deaths door. I've got plenty of school work to get done and I've started reading again."
"Bella, you need to get out of the house."
"No, I don't."
"Fine, be a hermit, see if Adrian still likes you when he comes back and you're all pasty from being inside all this time."
"Ella!"
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. I'll just keep you company in silence then."
[x]
There was an interlude if you will between the arriving vampires and those of us who awaited them. This came in the form of Christine, who had rounded up the witches in the coven she belonged too. Added to this, Ben and his family and their coven arrived also.
I was not as well verse in witches as I was in vampires, but I still tried to get to know the witches and wizard that I did not know when they arrived. I was not as good at my introductions as I had been with the arriving vampires, but I think that was because I knew very little about witches.
I knew Christine and Angela very well, but I had seen minimal amounts of their power and the help they gave my mind back during those tortured months, I had little to no recollection of. Christine had promised to show me more after my speech to her but my interest in the witch covens was minimal.
What I enjoyed however, was the conversations I got to observe, the interactions of Christine and Ben's father Abraham with the three Kings and the interactions between Angela and Ben.
I did not know what the relations between the witches and the vampires was like or if there was an animosity involved. I knew from extensive chats with Marcus that several supernatural races had been wiped out to extinction due to the many wars in the early years of the Kings reign. I was pleased to discover that the witches and the vampires could get along without wanting to kill each other. I often saw Christine conversing with Marcus about the strengths of her coven and how they could be incorporated into the vampire way of life. Likewise, I often saw Abraham strategizing with Caius in a manner that made everyone else steer clear.
What interested me most were the interactions between Angela and Ben. For I knew that Angela had had a crush of Ben for a long time now and their relationship had been stalled by Ben's constant trips to the Fey world. It was like watching birds fly for the first time. There were a lot of stumbling steps, awkward moments, and mumbled words. Angela had been brave enough to hold Ben's hand but I had seen no further PDA from them. Angela had confided in me that Ben had changed in his prolonged visits to the Fey world and while she still had feelings for him, she didn't know if he reciprocated them or if he even wanted to continue the relationship.
Angela had opted for a 'wait and see' method and was using her alone time with Ben to better know him and open the line of communication between them. I didn't know whether Ben was the right person for Angela, but I would remain her sister and her confidant should she need it and hope that Ben proved to be the right match for her.
[x]
It was fun winding Bella up. It hadn't just been that one evening either. I'd stuck by her side for the next two days as well. Following her around school was the last straw for her and she begged me to stop following her. Of course, I had requests, I would stop following her if she came to the camp with me. I knew Lauren was dying to see her and Angela had been missing Bella also. Bella had got herself into a funk that Angela hadn't been able to get her out of, so it was good I'd come along to sweep her off her feet – metaphorically of course.
Bella avidly avoided the three Kings, but she was confident enough to hang out with Jane, Alec, and Lauren. Felix unnerved her, but she liked Demetri well enough. It was pleasing to see her interacting with others. I hadn't realised how she retreated into her shell when Adrian wasn't around, it wasn't something I wanted her to get used to. She was a strong, powerful woman who could face anything heads on regardless of whether she had a man by her side or not. I think she was just missing Adrian, who'd gone back to the Fey world to gather volunteers and resources. Bella would have gone with him had she not had school to worry about.
Fortunately, it seemed she was about to see a bit of excitement. I'd been chatting to Aro when I noticed Edward tense up. It was funny how I could tell when Edward's tense was good or bad. I knew this tense now was because he was reading the mind of someone fast approaching but seeing as he wasn't crouching before me in a protected stance, I knew the coming arrival wasn't dangerous.
Bella was sitting by my side, fidgeting with the hem of her jumper, her forehead creased with worry. Absentmindedly I took her hand in mind and squeezed, she squeezed back but I didn't let go. Bella needed some comfort and I was going to give it to her. She'd do the same to me and outside of Adrian, I knew Bella best just as she knew me.
Edward's tense posture relaxed finally, and a grin bloomed on his face. Call me a seer but I was pretty sure that smile meant that family was approaching. Family, that may have been absent chasing down supporters.
I was right of course, as Jasper and Alice sauntered into the clearing – and quite smug about it too. The group that followed them was more mismatched than seeing the Denali and Irish Coven stand side by side. The first that caught my eye were a couple that I knew well from the stories Jasper had told me, though I'd never met them till now. Peter and Charlotte looked normal by anyone's standards, but I knew there was much more to them than meets the eye. Jasper had told me all about his past and the strong bonds he'd formed with the couple, they were his extended family and a source of comfort when things got hard for him.
I tuned out Jasper's introduction of them, for I already knew their names, but I didn't forget to introduce myself to them. I wanted to give the two of them a tight hug but didn't want anyone one else arriving to feel left out only getting a handshake. I shouldn't have worried about something so little, but I did. I did however, let them know how happy I was that they were here and how excited I was to get to know them better. If they were surprised, they didn't show it but I could feel the pride radiating from Jasper and knew that I'd said the right thing to his friends.
Peter and Charlotte stepped away with Jasper – though not too far from Alice – leaving the latter to introduce the three weary vampires behind her.
"I took Vattie's list with me when we went to find Peter and Charlotte. Behind me we have Jezabel, Simon and Poppy."
Though Alice again continued to speak, I tuned her out in favour of observing the three nomad vampires.
Jezabel was tall and thin, black wavy hair was cut into a bob and the clothes she wore extenuated her prominent collarbone. She gazed out at everyone with suspicion and a little bit of fear.
Simon looked like a bear – literally. Short, round, muscled to the high heavens. You could have thrown a truck at him and watched him turn it into dust in mere seconds. He had ginger hair, tired eyes and a smirk upon his face that seemed never-ending.
Poppy was also small but small can be mighty which I thought might be the case with her. Her fingers kept twitching like she was itching to grab something. Her long hair and doe like eyes made her appear innocent and young – harmless even. Yet I knew she wasn't, but I wondered if she played the innocent card when she hunted.
Except for the Denali Coven, none of the other arriving vampires were animal drinkers. It was a risk having so many human drinking vampires in one place, Since, he'd been back, Carlisle had started to draw up a spreadsheet that showed when each group of vampires could go out and hunt so as not to draw attention to themselves. It was genius really but hilarious to me seeing the mass entourage of vampires be organised by excel Microsoft.
[x]
I learnt in the days that followed Jasper and Alice's return, that Poppy was a kleptomaniac, especially with shiny things and used her doe eyes and innocent expressions to try and get what she wanted. She may look like a child, but she was turned when she was twenty-five and we were quickly learning not to be fooled by her. It was a game to her but after being on the receiving end of Caius's legendary anger, she avoided certain people.
Jezebel, I'd learned, was a woman on the prowl. She eyed up each man she came across like candy in a candy store. It was unnerving at best and sickening at worst. That she had tried to sink her claws into Edward didn't adhere her to me. She'd been sorry when I'd stepped in and confirmed that he was off the market and soon to be mated officially but she still looked at him with wistfulness in her eyes. That had been the starting point for me to hate her but as I observed her actions more closely, I saw that her wistfulness came forth when she looked upon the couples of the camp. I realised then that she was looking for a mate herself and craved what all couples had: love, companionship, and a place to call home. It was interesting to me, to see that though they were dead, vampires still behaved a lot like humans whether they lived alongside them or not.
Simon was a funny one. He looked stern and intimidating by first glance, but I'd quickly realised his looks were very deceiving. Simon was a trickster and a troublemaker. In fact, if you put Simon and Poppy together you got a combo where you couldn't trust what they said or what they did. Simon liked to make people laugh but he also enjoyed humiliating or embarrass someone if the outcome had everyone laughing. He didn't humiliate or embarrass to poke fun or be mean, it was just his form of trying to lighten the mode.
To my everlasting delight, Adrian had returned some nights after the arrival of Jasper and Alice. Bella had perked up at once but seemed to have taken my nightly chat with her to heart. She didn't need a man to make her happy nor did she need to hide away in her shell when her man wasn't present. Imagine my surprise when Adrian, upon hearing how Bella had been behaving, apologised profusely, and said that he shouldn't have been so blind or stupid. It had been quite a while since Bella had officially been made consort to Adrian but their mating process if you will, was different from that of say vampires. Bella had been feeling the strain of their non-consummated bond, causing her to retreat into herself as a way of protection.
While relieved that Bella wasn't turning into a moping mess, I chastised Adrian for not realising what the separation would do to Bella. Granted, Adrian hadn't though Bella would even feel the separation pull, but still, she should have accounted for it as a possibility.
With Adrian had come Tyler and a host of trusted advisors. These were people that Adrian had handpicked and people who would become his 'court' when he became King. There were twelve in total and they varied in height, size, age, colour, you name it, each one was as different as the next but they all had one thing in common – undying devotion to Adrian. When Adrian had introduced them all to us I had tried my best to remember their names and be a good host and introduce myself, but I must admit they weren't all that interested in me. It was Bella who held their gaze, Bella whose words they yearned for and whose eyes they followed. It was not surprising, and I wasn't at all jealous by their behaviour. Bella would one day be their Queen, it was natural that they would want to get to know her.
It was a relief that I didn't have to play host to at least one group of volunteers and it was amusing to watch Bella blunder through the group. Bella and public speaking didn't go hand in hand and she was finding Adrian's advisors hard to deal with. Embarrassment was constantly upon her face but with Adrian by her side I knew she'd rise to the challenge and become that who she ought to be. It was a delight to see it happening first hand, I would always want the best for Bella and here I was watching as she met advisors that would one day call her Queen.
My days became routine, home for breakfast with family, school where we focused on schoolwork and not what was coming, homework at the Cullen's and evening at the camp. The weekends were different. Mornings were spent doing homework and chores. Then I usually spent time alone with Edward before we spent the rest of the day either at the Cullen's or at the camp. It was relaxing having a routine set up because without it I felt lost and didn't want to feel like I was drowning under the pressure of everything. The routine allowed me to focus my mind and enjoy the present without worrying about everything else. It also meant that I devoted time to the things that were important and the people that were special.
With so many people now at the camp, I didn't want any one of my friends or family to feel left out or ignored by me. The routine allowed me to see everyone without that happening and for once, I wasn't mocking Carlisle's spreadsheet for the outcome was perfect for me.
I had started to do some sketches of the camp, leaning back against Edward on the grass, a picnic basket by our sides, my hand darted across the page as I sketched out what was in front of me. Edward was content to hold me against him, his fingers twirling my hair as he hummed in contentment. I always loved it when Edward played with my hair, it comforted me and felt intimate in an innocent way.
Looking around the camp was like being at a festival. There were groups scattered around, each doing their own thing. Some were talking, some were training, some were showing off their skills but the tension and the fear that was first here had completely dissipated. The hostile attitudes I'd expected from a group of vampires had disappeared. The Kings, of course, still had to keep up appearances but I managed to see the three of them several times a week in their tents where they could be themselves. It also gave me a chance to better know their wives, who I couldn't think could better complement their partners – I was wrong! If anything, the wives were more fun than their counterparts. It did make me a little sad to think that Marcus was still alone but I knew that as much as I wanted to help, I couldn't play matchmaker vampire when the mate bonds were so strong – Marcus was waiting for his mate and wouldn't take a causal relationship over the hope that he'd find his match.
My sketches were half done, and I was already thinking of transferring it onto canvases and painting them to perfection when we got the first clue that others were arriving. Or rather, Edward told me that he could hear other minds approaching and I set down my sketching tools and waited for what was to come.
Vattie, though I still struggled with that name, came bounding into the camp all smiles and giggles. Her laugh was unnerving, like a spooky child in a horror film but putting that aside I was glad to have her back. Before she'd left I'd become a little agitated by her constant following and needed to protect. I had thought Edward would be annoyed with her protecting his mate, but he set me straight. Vattie's 'power' if you will, was protecting. He said that her power led her to people that needed protecting and that she would protect them diligently until they were safe, and she was needed elsewhere.
Anyway, back to the present and away from my internal thoughts.
Two groups of vampires stood behind Vattie. The first looked like tall, strong warriors, their skin was dark, and their eyes spoke of a hundred wonders. The second group had sharp angular faces with piercing eyes and hands trained to fight with the swords strapped at their sides.
Vattie introduced the warriors first.
"May I present the Rainforest Coven, led by Kmar. This is Charles, Twiggy and Mya.
Kmar was the strongest of the four, male, broad shouldered with hands larger than my face. His body rippled with unseen power and though his face smiled, his eyes were constantly scanning the environment around him.
Charles was about half the size of Kmar, weedy where Kmar was strong. Charles had watery eyes, - or at least the appearance of watery eyes – and wore an outfit that had more pockets than I'd ever seen in my life!
Twiggy, was as far away from a twig as possible. She was a voluptuous woman with a heavy bust and prominent bottom. Her hair was the colour of lavender and I wanted to know how she'd achieved that colour. She was dressed like she was going to a party – gold layered skirt, cute grey tank top and black leather jacket on top and a pair of knee high beige boots. She was the opposite of someone you'd expect to be living in the Rainforest. I couldn't tell whether this was her usual attire of whether she'd dressed up for this occasion.
Lastly, was Mya, who looked out of place with her pale skin and grey eyes. She had blonde hair and a petite body. She looked like a ballerina but stood like an adolescence and her eyes gave away her youth. She looked like someone I'd want to take under my wing but also someone I could have a lot of fun with. I was hoping that once I got to know her that she wouldn't be so far from my original assumptions.
Again, I was the first to return an introduction to the coven before me. Much to my delight, Mya came to sit next to me once introductions were over. Kmar watched her every move and if he was displeased with her choice of company he did not comment but I did feel his eyes on me for a while after.
"Lastly, and I do really mean this because I don't have any more vampires in my repertoire, may I introduce the Singapore Coven led by Kizam and accompanied by Amani, Shazard, Izz and Jeb.
Kizam had the most vibrant red hair, it wasn't orange in any respect but a deep burning ember of colour. He was the most relaxed leader of all that I'd met, standing in a casual stance with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He looked almost bored by his surroundings.
Amani was a female with luscious long hair that shone in different colours depending on which way she turned her head. She had long spindle like fingers, high cheekbones, and a deep-set frown upon her face. She looked like someone who had been through a lot but was still thriving and standing strong. Amani was the only one who kept eye contact with everyone that greeted her after the introductions were over.
Shazard looked the most like my age, her wispy black hair was almost blue in the light of the clearing. She was young compared to the others around her, her eyes weren't dusted with years of wisdom. She was tall and slender, and her face was of Asian descent. (I didn't want to automatically assume she was from Singapore just because that was where the coven lived.)
The last two, Izz and Jeb had to be realised from the amount of similarities I saw in their faces. They were both male and Izz held himself like her was fully of mischief and fun while Jeb stood like discipline and seriousness controlled his life. They were two halves of a coin indeed, and it made me wonder if they were more trouble together or apart.
I made my way towards them and began what I thought would be the last introduction of new vampires to the camp. They each smiled at me, though with their teeth showing, it could have been more like a predatory grin more than anything else.
I was beginning to think that we might have a chance with the battle that would be coming our way. Our number was now closer to one hundred where I expected we'd have only fifty. With so many of the vampires in the camp having special powers, I felt certain that we held an advantage over Eldre. Even those vampires without any special powers still had enhanced speed and strength and that had to be more than Eldre's forces had.
The good thing about having so many vampires with powers here was that it made for a great assault course. With Jasper heading the course, I was put through many measures and often spent the evening with Edward groaning about how my muscles ached. The assault course was designed to try and unlock the powers the Ethereals gifted me with. It was designed to push me to my limit and play off my emotions.
So far, I was getting riled up but not feeling anything close to what I had when the white light consumed Laurent. I knew Jasper was trying to get me into a fight or fly scenario without pushing me over the edge. Everyone involved in the assault course had to restrain their powers to an all-time low so as not to harm me directly – as a human, some of those special powers could very well kill me.
When Jasper turned up the heat I wanted to rip him apart. The original assault course wasn't working, I could agree on that but when I found myself in the starting point for the current assault course, I could feel my anger bubbling around inside. Edward was in pain, I could hear his occasional grunts of pain. Further up I could see Bella, her senses deprived, screaming out in confusion over the darkness she was trapped in. Even further I could about see Rose, though from the anguish on her face, she could not see me in return.
"Why are you doing this Jasper? How could you?"
"You can save them Ella, just trust yourself."
My emotions spiralled and spiralled and I could feel my control at the top of the slide slipping dangerously. All I could think about saving the people I loved who were being tortured. Everything else faded away, there was no noise, no light, no anything. I felt a thrumming in my chest, it was warm, and it spread out until it covered my whole body. My mind was decided and as I sighed, I felt something inside me break. It was like my body finally found what it was missing, and I allowed that connection to grow inside me and swell up around me.
A new sense of peace surrounded me and then came the power and the control that I'd been missing. I hurtled through the course to meet Edward. It didn't matter to me who was hurting him, only that he was being hurt. Power swelled within me and I allowed it to take control. Water moved around me, engulfing Edward in a protective cocoon while seeking out his tormentor. I hear the scream of someone else, but I didn't pay any heed to it, for Edward was my primary concern. The Water calmed him, and protected him and once the danger had disappeared, the water left Edward with a warm caress of his skin.
Edward grinned up at me dopily. Between the effects of the power he'd been under and the warmth of my water, he was confused and disorientated. Somehow, I instinctively knew that Edward was safe from danger and would be extracted from the assault course. I sent a longing glance in his direction before my body shifted and I was once more dedicated to freeing others.
I reached Bella next, the anger in me raging on a new level. It was one thing to go after Edward who had strong advantages on his side, but it was quite another thing to go after Bella. Bella was currently as human as I and someone was hurting her. I would be having strong words with someone once this was all over. I tried calling out her name, but she couldn't hear me. I was right in assuming that her senses had been taken from her and knew at once who was responsible. I just didn't know why they'd willingly agreed that this was a good idea. Bella was crying inside her cage, desperate as she was to feel something.
Just as before with Laurent, I felt the white light come forward, but I now knew it not to be an anomaly but to be the bringing forth of light, simple. My mind guided me through the knowledge of my gifts while my emotions pushed forward the power I needed. The darkness Bella was contained in became light. Her sorrows became the sorrows of the one who had trapped her. Bella whimpered no more and in fact sighed in contentment as my power calmed her down and made her feel safe. Once the danger had passed my power left Bella like it had left Edward.
Bella was not confused as Edward had been. Bella looked at me with awe and love. She smiled whimsically. She touched me and held me close for several moments. My body felt out of sorts, with all the power raging around inside me I felt concerned that Bella might turn away from me but here she was embracing me for saving her with my unlocked powers.
By the time I reached Rose I was feeling emotionally drained and the power that bubbled under the surface of my skin was starting to take a toll on me. It made me cringe to see Rose in such pain. Rose, who had filled such a deep empty hole in me shouldn't have been asked to take part in this or be brought to her knees under the pain she was in.
I was two for two at this point, wondering which of the two powers would spring forth to save Rose. I was confused then, when another sprang forth. I'd never given a thought to air having a colour, but the pale blue/white colour of the wind swirled in my fingertips. It looked like a shadow display upon my hand. The air swirled faster and faster upon my hand until it set sail across to Rose. I noticed at last, that my powers had the ability to become soft and hard at the same time. The three powers I'd unlocked caressed those I saved in a strong loving embrace, while at the same time lashing out at those that caused the pain.
The air swirled around Rose and slowly brought her back to her feet. Her eyes were closed, and her brow was furrowed but she was not in agony any longer. She twitched as the pain was taken from her and replaced with the calming effect of the air.
The moment Rose was released from the spell of pain, the assault course around me vanished and I found myself back in the camp. It was the way of the assault course, constructed by those that had the power of illusion and taken away just as easily as it was put up.
Though I had freed Edward, Bella and Rose, the power inside me did not wither or withdraw. Instead it raged like a stormy night and howled at the injustice of what had occurred. Taking control of the power inside me was hard. This was raw power that could consume me if I let it. The war inside me raged while my mind sought out those to be punished.
I knew how far Jasper could be pushed before the 'Major' appeared but I couldn't care less when I attacked him with my power. No one interfered as I tormented him with the anger I had felt by his actions. I could see the change in his eyes and knew that Jasper had been replaced with the 'Major' but I still didn't back down. I wanted to train but not at the expense of others pain. I knew that what had happened wasn't right, just as I knew unlocking my powers shouldn't have come at a price.
The 'Major' fought back just as hard as I fought him and neither of us showed signs of stopping. I was in control of my powers, but I did not know the damage they could do, I did not know how to reel the power back in or how to keep it from eating me alive. My power was consuming me as I dug deeper and deeper into myself to see what I could do. I was in control, but I was also out of control. I was stretching myself too thin and I panicked when I realised I couldn't fold the power back into myself.
Alarm clouded my vision as I began to feel the depth of my power and the extent of it. Water, air, and light swirled around me and I was the eye of the storm. I felt my anger leave me in one fell swoop, but I couldn't control the rage of my power. It had dimmed slightly without the anger to fuel it, but it was still uncontained and fighting with my soul. I felt myself gasp for breath as I fought to regain my footing and draw back my powers. It was like someone else was driving me, I'd never felt so out of control in my own body. I could feel tears upon my face and tried to cry out for help, but the wind swallowed my voice, the light burned my eyes and the water held me still.
These powers were a force to be reckoned with and control was what I needed to survive them. My body felt shredded and I was reaching my limit. I knew that to go over my limit would mean certain death for me and so the fight with my powers continued until a darkness swallowed me whole and my world stopped.