Daughter of Three Suns
Chapter 20
Edward's large warm hand lay splayed across my belly when I woke. He was snuggled up next to me, both of us seeking comfort in the cold room. For a moment, it reminded me of sleeping next to my sisters. Their nearness had always made me feel safe and loved. Edward was not one of my sisters however; he was my mate, and the love and comfort I found lying next to him overshadowed anything I had ever felt before.
Sometime during that long dark time, we had joined our bodies together again. Rosalie had called it ecstasy, this joining. Alice had said it was sacred. I understood how they were both correct. It was all that and so very much more. That third time, we opened our minds to each other, and our union had been more than just bodies. Our spirits came together, forging us into one being. I knew this joining would last forever, even after our physical bodies had sought the sands.
My mate was beautiful as he slept. His eyelashes were long like a child's and rested upon his slightly flushed cheeks. Lips, still plump from our kissing, were slightly parted as he breathed slowly and deeply. I could see the movement of his eyes beneath their lids, and I wondered what he dreamed. Was he thinking of our life together on my world? Did he dream of the daughters we would have?
I wondered about those daughters, too. Did I already have a child growing in my belly? The belly that Edward's hand lay heavy upon and seemed to be protecting even in his sleep. Would she look like him? I vaguely recalled telling Emmett that Emma had his face, and she did. Emma looked like her father. I hoped our daughter would, too.
In my imagining, I saw us caring for her, feeding her, rocking her in the baby sling, and cuddling with her in our bed. We would hold her hands, helping her walk as she toddled around our home cave. Together we would feed and care for her and teach her the ways of our world.
My imagining came to an abrupt halt when I realized that Edward would not be in his man form on my world. Rosalie had said the basherti changed when Mother Sun rested and Grandmother was alone in the sky. Aro had even claimed he wasn't allowed to assume his man form. Was this true? If Edward and I went to my world, would he never be able to hold his child's hand or sleep beside me in our bed?
Tears filled my eyes and a tremor shook me as I stared at his beautiful face. How could I live without seeing it each wake cycle?
"What has you so upset my love?" Edward whispered. His hand slid around to my back, pulling me closer and settling me against his chest. "You're cold and shivering." He pulled another blanket over us and tucked it around me. "I can feel the sadness in your mind. Will you tell me what has you so troubled?"
"I … It's just that I realized you will not be able to shift into your man form on my world except at our Anamnesis ceremony. You will always be a winged bird. How can we live like that, Edward?"
His hand rubbed absentmindedly along my back as he thought. "Are you sure that's the only time?"
"I think so. Rosalie said the change was during the dark when Mother Sun was gone."
He hummed to himself while his hand continued to wander my back and hips.
"Edward?"
"On this world, Emmett and the others can be men or birds in the dark and at night, but they immediately shift to birds when the sunlight touches them. James and I are different. We can shift whenever we want. Emmett once told me that it used to be that way for everyone, but things changed when the rogue sun passed by and sickened people. Do you think it's possible that Emmett still shifts when he is away from your sunlight?"
"I don't … Well, maybe?"
My mate chuckled at my words. "Which is it, Bella?"
I ran my claws over his chest while I huffed at him. His laughter increased as he squirmed away from me. "Careful there, warrior woman." He grinned. "You don't want to damage your handsome mate."
Leaning closer to him, I ran my lips along the faint scratches I had made, leaving little kisses and nibbles across his broad chest. "Is that better?" I whispered. I heard his breath catch and felt him shudder. He pulled me closer to him so that our bodies were touching from head to toe. His man part was swollen and hard against my thigh.
"Weren't we talking about shifting?" I asked as he moved and rubbed against me.
Edward leaned back so he could see my grinning face better. "Shame on you, woman, for teasing your mate like that. I can think of other things to do right now."
"But …"
"Quiet," he commanded before latching his mouth onto mine. "No talking."
We did not talk for some time, but we were not quiet.
…..
Later, content and satisfied by our joining, we laid side-by-side, holding hands. The circles in the ceiling were just beginning to glow, and I knew our alone time was almost over.
"When Emma was still a small girl, Rosalie used to take her and Emmett and go off exploring. When I asked why, she said something about having more family time together and Emmett being more comfortable. Irina and Laurent also live by themselves because it helps him. Do you think it's possible they can shift in the darkness of the lower caves, and that's why they like to be alone?"
Edward's thumb ran lazy circles over my knuckles as he thought. Finally, he answered. "I think it's possible, but we'll never know until we reach your world."
When I did not respond, he rolled onto his side and propped his head on his elbow. "What are you thinking about that has you so anxious?" His finger smoothed the frown lines on my forehead. "I can almost hear you worrying."
"I came here to rescue my people, find my basherter, and return to my world. But, Edward, if you wanted to stay here, if it meant you could be a man when you wanted to be, I would stay here with you. We could leave this place, go into the mountains, and make a life there."
Edward shook his head slowly as he stared at me. "No, I could never ask that of you, and besides, I'm not sure we could survive. It's cold in the mountains, and there's little food. Everything is dying on this planet—we need to leave. Even if it means staying in my shifted form for a long time, at least we'll be together. We can still communicate, and I'll still be able to see our children."
He smiled softly at me and leaned over to kiss me again. "Actually, I'm looking forward to seeing my mother's world and meeting her family."
"My mother is your aunt," I reminded him. "I think she'll be very impressed with my handsome mate. But in my world, Edward, everyone is family and you'll be welcome there."
He grinned at my words, then laid back down beside me. "It's been a long time since James and I were part of a real family. Aro made us call him father when we were younger, but we knew he didn't mate with our mother. He did take care of us, though, and made sure we had food, clean water, and clothing. After we started shifting, we began taking care of ourselves, especially after he became obsessed with capturing more women and creating a race of shifters he could rule over."
Edward turned his face toward me. I could see the sadness there. "He's insane, Bella, and he's getting worse. We have to leave this place, and soon."
We watched the lights on the ceiling grow brighter, both of us lost in our thoughts.
"Your sun must be in the sky now," I said, finally breaking the silence between us. "It's almost time to leave. Can you tell me what you and James had planned?"
"The women and their mates and the other shifters who are still alive are kept in different places and in different buildings. As soon as the sun came up, James was going to move all of them here to a room close by. We'll find them, get to the closest stairway, and climb to the top of the building. James, Victoria, you, and I will be on guard while the rest go through, then we'll follow."
I nodded slowly while I thought of his words. "There is one thing that must happen. Before I left my world, Irina gave me the shackle that was on her leg. She told me that I must be the last one through the door, and as I stepped through, I was to throw it back into this world. The seers have said that it will close the link between our worlds and prevent any more of our women from coming here."
Sitting up, I turned so he could see my face. "Promise me, Edward. Promise me that whatever happens, you will go through before me and let me be last."
For a moment, I thought he would refuse, but then he nodded. "I promise. You'll be last so you can sever the link to my world."
With a smile, I rose from the bed and pulled my shift on. Then I walked to the table and opened my pack. One water gourd was still full, and there were dried rubus berries and two ripe appa. Carrying them back to the bed, I shared them with my mate. "These are two of the plants that grow on my world."
Edward smiled when he tasted them. "They're good—sweet and chewy." He took a long drink from the gourd. "Ahh, this is good, too. Drinkable water can be hard to find sometimes. I thought your world would have very little since it's a desert."
"Every bare-rock island holds a pond inside it. The water flows from springs deep in our underground caves. It's always cold and sweet. Fish grow in the ponds along with the plants that we use for food and to make our fabrics. Grandmother Spirit provides us with all we need to eat and drink. No one suffers or goes hungry."
"Your world sounds wonderful."
"It is." I smiled at my mate before gently rubbing a knuckle along his jaw and across his lips, loving his reaction when his eyes widened and his scent intensified. "The desert is beautiful. Vast and golden, it's covered in great sand dunes that sparkle in the sun. I hope we can explore it together, just as my sister and her basherter do."
Edward and I stared intently at each other. Our time was coming to an end, and we both knew it. "Time to go," he whispered.
With a nod, I rose and returned to my pack. The carrying sheaths for my knives and disks were placed across my chest, and I fastened my belt and its carrying bag around my waist. Picking up my staff, I turned to face Edward.
He had clothed himself but stood staring at me.
"What is it?"
"You," he answered. "My mate is a fierce warrior woman, and I'm … I'm in awe of you."
"You used that 'warrior' word before. What does it mean?"
Edward grinned. "A warrior is a person who defends their people, in any way they can."
"It is our way not to cause harm to others, but Rosalie trained me to do this, and I will do whatever I must to bring my family home." I noticed my forgotten knife and its sheath lying on the floor next to our bed. After picking it up, I fastened it around Edward's thigh. "Now we are both warriors, and it is time to rescue our people."
With a nod, my mate took my hand and led me from the room.
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AN: Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. Writing can be such a lonely endeavor; your support and feedback keeps me at the keyboard. I apologize for not answering all the reviews from the last couple chapters. Please know that I read and appreciate each and every one. Thanks to Sally for making me look professional.
