A/N: This opening author's note and chapter is dedicated to the victims of The Pulse mass shooting in Orlando. My heart goes out to all those affected by this horror, to the Grimmie family, and to the many others affected by senseless acts of violence this year.


PART III: SWAN

Chapter 27

Embers from the fire glow red and orange in the darkness of the room, catching Bella's gaze as she snaps out of her sleep. Her chest rises and falls with her rapid breaths, and she tries to slow them along with her beating heart.

Unable to take the heat of Edward's body beside her, she gets up to sit on the cool floor. Cross-legged, she attempts to calm herself. The glimmering remains of flames seem to intensify as her vision blurs, and the sound of waves floods her ears. It's a foreign feeling, and yet somehow familiar. In an attempt to take control of the sensation rather than be swarmed by it, she pictures Alec's face. The same focus she had harnessed during Riley's attack is the same connection she grasps for now. To her surprise, she establishes a connection in only seconds.

Through Alec's eyes, she sees his surroundings. It's as if she is inhabiting his body, and able to experience every one of his senses. They are in a dark room, seated at a rickety table. A piece of parchment paper sits before him, stained with dark droplets. As Bella feels hot tears stream down her cheeks, she realizes the source of the circles of moisture.

"Alec," Bella says softly. She can hear her own words aloud in Edward's cabin, but she knows that Alec can also hear them in his mind. "I'm so sorry."

An intense bolt of anger wracks through her body, causing her to gasp. As her own nails bite into the flesh of her palms, she has to remind herself that this emotion belongs to Alec and not her. Attempting to share her sentiments with him in the same way, she focuses on soothing thoughts.

"Don't," he stops her, "Let me feel freely."

Bella nods, knowing that he can sense the action, "What can I do?"

"Comfort my siblings until I can come," he pleads, "They'll need you now more than ever. I will be there in about three weeks time."

She's about to answer when another sensation seeps through her, this time not inspired by Alec. It's a strong sense of foreboding, and she's not sure from where it originates, but she knows that she must ward Alec against leaving Ida Flor for now.

"You can't leave as yet," Bella tells him, "I know I wanted you here as soon as possible, but it's not safe."

"I can't stay here knowing what Aro has done," Alec fights, "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Alec, did you feel that warning?" she presses, "Wait a few more weeks until Edward is able to rally some troops in Cullenia, and then you'll have support to make your way here."

"I have my men and an additional few to assist me," Alec insists, "I'll be fine."

"No, listen to me," Bella begs him, "You asked me to trust you the other night, now I'm asking the same of you. I will take care of Edward and Charlotte, but you need to stay alive so that you can see them again. You're all each other has."

Potent tears of grief cloud her vision, and she blinks to clear them from her view. Her shoulders begin to shake as Alec breaks down, and she wants more than anything to reach out to him. All she can do is whisper to him over and over again that she's there for him. Nearly ten minutes pass before he finally calms, sniffling as he says to her, "Fine, I'll stay."

"Thank you," she tells him, her voice thick from her own crying.

"Take care of them," he whispers, just as their connection breaks.

When she returns to her own surroundings, her heart has finally slowed. Her breathing is deep as she wipes the tear tracks from her cheeks, and turns to head to the loveseat. A small gasp leaves her when she turns to see Edward seated upright, his expression solemn. She wonders how much he could have understood from her side of the conversation. Not wanting there to be any ambiguity, she steels herself to say the words aloud. Before Bella can rejoin him on the chair, he lowers himself to the floor beside her. Though she tries her best, she can't seem to stop her hand from shaking as she reaches for his.

"Edward," she begins, "A couple of weeks ago Alec contacted a resource in Cullen Isle to inspect the damage."

Edward is already shaking his head by the time she finishes her sentence. The grip he unleashes on her hand is tight and heartbreaking.

They tremble together.

"My parents are really dead aren't they?" he cries.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," she holds back her tears as she pulls him into her arms. "They're gone."

~SWAN~

"We will spend the next few months training," Bella says to the council, "Aro hasn't deployed his army, and while we don't know why, we need to take advantage of this time. Those we have recruited are greatly untrained, and I will not have my people going out only to be slaughtered."

"As for a timeline, are we going to train until they attack?" Carlisle asks.

"No, we are going to train until we can go on the offensive," Bella answers.

Ten pairs of eyes stare at her in shock. She knew this would be their reaction, but it still causes her to squirm slightly. However, replaying Alec, Edward, and Charlotte's reactions of grief to the news of their slain parents helps her keep her resolve. She's doing this for them.

"Aro vastly underestimates the people of both Forxx and Cullenia," Bella continues, "He assumes we will wait until he blazes through the nation and surrender out of fright. What better way to catch him off guard than if we attack first?"

"With what force?" Billy laughs, "You just said our army is inexperienced, and yet you want them to lead an attack on all of Volturia?"

"We will be thrown into battle before we're ready regardless of our timeline," Bella points out, "The moment Aro sees any concerted efforts by troops in Cullenia he will deploy his army. It is up to us to make sure that Forxx remains untouched until we can formally strike Volturia first."

"So His Highness," Jasper motions to Edward, "Will recruit and deploy his troops in Cullenia, and while the threat there is neutralized we will be training here?"

"Exactly," Bella nods, "We can buy ourselves some time. Then, we will strike Volturi Castle. If we strategize properly, there is no need even to engage all of Volturia in war. Get me close to Aro and I will end this once and for all."

"Forgive me, but this sounds like a vast underestimation of Aro's forces," Caius speaks, "his army alone outnumbers the population of Forxx."

"But he's still at the disadvantage," Bree speaks, "He's using his one army to spread through two nations while we have two nations to engage one army."

The room becomes silent with this realization, and Bella is filled with gratefulness at having Bree in her arsenal.

"This points to another important matter," Carlisle speaks, "The upcoming wedding between the Cora and the Lunarca means there will be a shifting in the relationship between Forxx and Cullenia. Fighting under the joined Cullen and Swann name makes quite the statement."

"We're not merging our nations," Edward says.

His words come out at the same time that Bella says, "We're not wedding before the war."

The two make eye contact at their unexpected answers, but there doesn't seem to be a disagreement on either side. When Bella had accepted Edward's proposal, it certainly hadn't been with the intent that they would marry any time soon. In her mind, there are too many issues, both nationally and personally, that need to be resolved before she joins with him. Furthermore, she wants to enter into her reign as Queen independently, without the burden of establishing herself in Forxx under the implications of a politically charged marriage.

"Cullenia will be a steadfast alliance, but any support we provide will be from my command, not Bella's," Edward states.

"And Forxx did not fight for independence only to be swept back under Cullenia's thumb," Bella adds, throwing a glance Edward's way as if to say 'no offense.' "I want to be Queen of this nation first and foremost before getting involved in Cullenian government. The only other nation I will be staking a claim to is Volturia, and that is so I can pry it from my father's dead grasp."

Her stomach curdles so intensely that she clutches her abdomen. A calming hand from Claire alerts Bella that she's conjured up more anger than she'd intended in answering the question. She slumps back into her chair, unaware that she'd risen from it to begin with. Despite the heat of her passion, her skin feels like ice. Her chest feels unnaturally heavy, and she takes several breaths to clear the feeling.

Aro incites so much ire that it makes her physically ill. Seeing how troubled Bella appears, the council opts to adjourn for two hours to allow for a reprieve from the tense atmosphere. It's not tense in the way that anyone is hostile toward one another, but that the subject matter is incredibly dark. The decisions made at that iron table would affect the future of the nations. They are making ripples in history that have the potential to shatter thousands of lives.

Instead of leaving to receive lunch, Bella escapes to Town Hall. Layers upon layers of flowers are striped across the ground, concealing the dirt and creating a sea of blue, white, and yellow. The last meter before the stage is devoid of foliage save for two purple flowers placed side by side in front of an erected carving of a crescent moon. Etched in the wood are the words "I'mo'ria."

They mean both "In memory" and "Forever."

Bella is not surprised to see Charlotte sitting at her parents' memorial. It had been just over a week since Bella had delivered the devastating confirmation that the King and Queen had not survived the collapse of Cullen Castle. Charlotte had gone unnaturally silent as soon as she learned, refusing to respond to any engaging. Surprisingly, Peter had been the one able to break through to her. All it had taken was him extending a hand for Charlotte to unleash her grief. It was then that Bella realized the depth of their relationship.

He has been key in helping Charlotte to function daily. Whenever the young Princess seems far away in her thoughts, he uses annoyance or humor to coax her back to the present. But unfortunately, Charlotte's night terrors had returned with a vengeance. She now spends the night with Edward and Bella so that they can comfort her when she wakes to her own screams.

Edward has taken the news with unmatched strength, but this isn't to say that he hasn't broken down since the initial delivery. He has unexpected moments when his eyes fill with tears, and he has to excuse himself from the room. Bella alternates between allowing him privacy to mourn and following after so that she can hold him. Aside from these times, he dotes on both Bella and Charlotte. When he isn't dealing with strategizing the stabilization of Cullenia with Emmett and Carlisle, he's openly affectionate with his two favorite women.

When Bella reaches the crescent moon where Charlotte sits, she lowers herself to the ground. Wordlessly, she wraps an arm around her friend and pulls her close. An unknown amount of time passes as Charlotte releases her anguish into Bella's shoulder, absorbing the support lavished on her. Meanwhile, once again, Bella's chest fills uncomfortably with a strange emotion. Initially, she believes it to be a result of seeing Charlotte grieving openly, but it's eerily similar to the feeling that had overwhelmed her during the council meeting. She tries to quell it, wanting to focus on the weeping girl in her arms.

Charlotte's cries decrescendo and she manages to speak through her tears, "When does this aching go away? How long did it take you to stop feeling like this?"

"It never really leaves," Bella admits, "I know my mother is alive, but to be honest, Charlotte, the grief is still with me. It transforms so that it's a part of you. But it won't always be this crippling, I can promise you that. For now, allow yourself to feel. Give yourself time to grieve."

"It hurts too much to think about all the time," Charlotte sniffles as she uses a hand to wipe her cheeks, "Can you distract me? Tell me about the meeting."

Bella follows her request and recounts the meeting in great detail. She's pleased when Charlotte offers her two cents, often flavored with her natural feistiness. As the iciness from earlier returns to her skin, Bella thinks it's due to her detailing her outburst about regaining Volturia from Aro. However, as another constricting pain shoots through her body, she's convinced that something else is happening.

"Bella?" Charlotte leans back from her friend's embrace when Bella stops speaking mid-sentence, "You've gotten cold all of a sudden. What's wrong?"

"I might need to see the Atearas-," Bella gasps as she clutches her chest. Suddenly, her body goes limp as she slumps backward, and her eyes roll to the back of her head.

When she becomes aware again, she's not in Forxx. Nearly seven feet of water stand between her and air, and she hadn't been able to take a breath before being submerged –or rather, Alec hadn't been able to inhale. Being thrown into a mental channel with Alec had never been this uncomfortable or shocking, and she supposes it is painful now because he is in imminent danger. As her lungs protest the lack of air, Bella realizes that Alec's thoughts are completely silent. Though she is present, he seems to be mentally absent. Knowing that he isn't in the capacity to control his limbs, she springs into action. She's not an expert at swimming, but in her time before imprisonment she had learned how to fend for herself. She propels Alec to the surface, and in a few seconds, she's able to take a delicious gulp of air.

She splutters as seawater fluxes through her open mouth, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. Nevertheless, she manages to take note of her surroundings. The water she's been thrown into, rather violently, she might add, is not the one of her previous connections. This is a foreign sea, and much vaster than the Volturian Bay that washes upon Volturi Castle's shore. More importantly, there is burning wreckage all around her. By the amount of wood and barrels floating she believes it to be from a small ship. Not too long after she resurfaces, other heads begin popping above the water line. It makes no sense to her, but she recognizes them as crewmen from Ida Flor. There is Luna Jared Call, Sola Michael Newton, and Sola Embry Call, thankfully all coherent. Lastly, only a few feet away is another small ship that can be estimated to fit around forty men. The mast bears the Iris insignia.

"Alec!" someone calls from behind Bella, and she turns naturally in response.

Swimming up to her is Luna Samuel U'ley, a gash adorning his right temple. She reaches for a floating plank near her and extends it to him so that he can latch on. Noticing that his strokes are beginning to falter, she pulls him forward the rest of the way.

"Those vermin completely wiped out our boat, but my headcount says all of our men survived. It's ten of us against probably thirty of theirs. Are you ready?"

To fight?

Alec, Bella whispers sharply in her mind, If you're conscious enough for me to recognize your fellowmen, then you're damned well awake enough to get back here and take over!

"Alec?"

"Alec isn't here," Bella tells Sam, knowing he is well-informed about the Guardian connection, "But I will help in whatever manner I can."

"Princess?" Sam whispers in shock, "Is he …"

"He's in here somewhere," Bella grits, "But we haven't the time to wait for him. We have a boat to overtake."

"I knew I'd like you," Sam barks out a gruff laugh.

The two begin to swim toward the Iris vessel using a barrel as cover. The other men move similarly amongst the wreckage to remain undetected. She knows the men on the boat must be vigilant of survivors, but the smoke filling the air from dying flames helps make visibility difficult. Thankfully, Sam's sluggishness wears off midway through their stretch so that Bella doesn't need to assist him with swimming. Furthermore, they need all the crewmen in fighting form to successfully overtake their enemies.

Bella misses her wings as they attempt to scale the side of the boat, but she supposes they wouldn't be much use to her as she tries to get out of the water. Sam, having beastlike qualities, partially transforms and uses his clawed hands and feet to puncture through the wood. Bella follows, using the holes he leaves behind. Her palms are being scratched from the jagged wood, and when she glances down at them, she feels a slight disconnect at realizing they're Alec's hands.

Alec, please wake up, she tries again frantically.

The pleading is in vain as an Iris lands a punch to her jaw. Pain flares across her face, reminding her that this situation is very real. She snaps into action, using her own fighting skills to take on her attacker. Her movements are rather awkward seeing as she moves at a different speed and with an altered agility than she's unused to, but she uses Alec's borrowed strength to send the attacker flying over the side of the boat.

She wants to use her absorption, but truthfully she's hesitant. She's still new to the logistics of this connection and isn't entirely confident that if she activates her powers that it will be hers. How horrific would it be if she enhanced her opponent's ability using Alec's gift by mistake? For this reason, she makes it through another opponent without utilizing her absorption. After she sends her foe's sword through his insignia, she takes a moment in the interim to call out to Alec for a final time.

I know you're in here, and I need you to come back. Remember how we combined our abilities before? We could finish the remaining men without issue. Wake up, Alec!

The conversation feels undoubtedly one-sided, and Bella accepts that Alec is truly unconscious. Even if she wanted to use his enhancing ability, it is not accessible to her now. With this in mind, she concedes that she can't combine his enhancement with her absorption as she had when she'd drained Riley, Laurent, and Victoria, so she'll have to rely on her absorption alone…

Victoria.

Bella nearly wants to slap herself for being so foolish. When she'd drained the three, she still had the capacity for one more power. Seeing how useful Victoria's had been, she'd held on to the fiery-haired woman's entrapment ability. From what Bella can recall from Laurent and Riley's conversation, Victoria could ensnare up to eleven persons with her invisible shackles. To her glee, Bella realizes that her men have successfully dealt with over half of the Iris, leaving her with ten to trap. One by one, she focuses her stare on the adversaries, picturing them bound in ropes. Victoria had needed a great deal of concentration to keep the hostages ensnared, and Bella can see why. By the tenth person, she already feels mentally and physically exhausted by fighting against their struggling.

"What type of witchcraft-," Jared starts, stepping back from his opponent with bewilderment.

"What are you waiting for?" Bella shouts in frustration, feeling her hold slipping. She then orders in a foreign language, "Pe ac-iam!"

Finish them! She had yelled.

Needing no prompting, her men quickly finish off the Iris that had dared to challenge them. Immediately after, Bella releases her hold, sinking against the ledge of the boat in exhaustion. She closes her eyes to focus on pushing out the throbbing in her mind while her men dump the bodies into the water. A tap on her shoulder prompts her to open her eyes.

"Is it still you, Princess?" Sam asks.

Bella nods, "He's okay. I don't know how to explain it, but it's almost as if I can still feel him in here, he's just unconscious."

"What do you suppose we do then?" Sam questions.

"Did the Prince ask you to assist him to Forxx?" Bella counters with her own question.

"C-a Princess, he did," Sam answers, "I know it was against your wishes."

"He lied to me," Bella shakes her head, trying to ignore the hurt at the thought of Alec's deception, "He was caught up in his grief. However, you see now why I asked him to delay his departure?"

"C-a Princess," Sam responds, "You would like for us to return then?"

"Yes," Bella agrees, "Stay in Ida Flor until Alec's brother has rallied his troops. Your voyage will be much more viable then."

"Very well," Sam bows his head in respect, "Shall I take you to lie down?"

Bella nods and follows him along the new boat until they find the stairs to the lower deck. It's a very cramped space, but there are a few bed pallets laid across benches. Sam assists Bella onto one of the cleaner pallets, and she reclines so that Alec's tall frame can fit. She releases a long sigh and turns her head to Sam.

"I thank you for taking care of him," Bella tells him, "And ask that you continue to do so just as unwaveringly."

"You have my word, Princess," Sam promises, "Or should I say, Queen?"

Bella laughs, "I have a feeling we will get along well, Luna Sam."

"You got me this new boat. We'll get along just fine," he roars with laughter, "See you soon, G-ia."

His friendly face is that last thing Bella sees before she lets go of her connection. She is slightly disoriented when she awakes in her own environment, and quickly notices that she is not at Town Hall anymore. Instead, she is lying on the iron table where the council meeting had been held earlier. To her sides are Quil, James, Jacob, Edward, and Charlotte.

"Bella?" Edward prompts.

"I'm okay," Bella breathes as she sits up, "It was Alec."

"We supposed as much," Quil speaks, "You kept murmuring his name."

"Is he alright?" Charlotte asks.

"His convoy was ambushed while attempting to sail to Forxx," Bella informs them, "But he is okay. They overtook the Iris ship and are returning to Ida Flor."

"I thought he had agreed to remain there until our troops secured the passage?" Edward grits, hand clenched in anger, "Not only did he endanger himself, but he also put your life in jeopardy."

"Nothing would have happened to me," Bella assures, using her hand to open his fist, "It is merely a mental connection."

"Is it?" James questions, "Quil and I could feel your vitals, Bella, your body was in great distress. You weren't breathing for quite a bit of time."

Confusion overtakes Bella as this news settles. She'd certainly felt as if she'd been submerged in water, but she'd thought the effects were all psychological. But if there were actual physical ramifications to her connection to Alec, she has to wonder the depth of their relationship.

"He was desperate to get back to you both," Bella defends, motioning to Edward and Charlotte, "And I don't believe he'll be making the same mistake twice."

"The important thing is that you are both okay," Quil sums, "Your vitals are stable, and there is no lasting damage. Are you feeling able to stand?"

"I can carry you if you need me to," Edward offers, "I'll take you straight to the cabin."

"Thank you, but that's unnecessary," Bella declines, "I'm truly feeling fine. Besides, I need some answers, and though I hate to go to her, I believe Alice can help me."

"Go tomorrow," Edward insists, "For now, you should get some rest."

Bella is about to object once more, but she sees how worried Edward is for her wellbeing. She can imagine her bout of unconsciousness had deeply troubled him, as she would have felt the same had their positions been reversed. For that reason, she allows him to assist her from the table and lead her back to Jacob's cabin.

As she's been spending most of her time in Edward and Charlotte's cabin, the two make their way there. Edward is silent as he leaves Bella to sink into the loveseat, and she wonders what is consuming his thoughts. She gets her answer when he returns with a cup of water.

"Is Alec truly okay?" he asks as he hands the beverage to her. She notices his hand is slightly shaking, almost as if he's anticipating more painful news.

She places a steadying hand atop his, "He is. He was knocked unconscious, but I can feel he's all right. Trust me."

"I do," Edward sighs with relief, "It just seems like the past few weeks have been a never-ending stream of violence. I miss the times when we would sit in the archway and tease each other senseless."

Bella hums in agreement, having had the same thought not too long ago, "The days when you used to drive me mad with confusion."

"I was so smitten with you, I didn't know how to behave myself," Edward chuckles, "Do you know Alec fancied you too?"

Bella's mouth pops open in shock, "You're jesting! Surely not?"

"Why does that seem so unbelievable to you?" Edward asks, "If I hadn't made my affections for you known to him he surely would have pursued you."

"You staked your claim on me?" Bella quirks a brow in question.

Edward flushes red, "It sounds barbaric when you put it that way …"

Bella sets down her cup so that she can tug Edward onto the seat with her. It takes a bit of maneuvering, but she manages to position him between her legs, his back against her chest. His head lolls against her shoulder, the red-brown strands of his hair tickling against her insignia. Playfully, she uses the pad of her finger to brush the tip of his nose.

"What did you say to convince him, my barbarian?" she coaxes.

"Only that I knew you better," he admits. She moves her fingers to the tips of his ears, and surely enough, they're heated. If his hair didn't cover them, she knows she would see their soft pinkness.

"Why are you so embarrassed?" Bella giggles, "I was infatuated with you too. It surprises me that it took us so long to kiss."

Edward twists his head to face her, "I can assure you I fancied you before you even thought of me."

"This is not true," Bella objects, "When did you first have feelings for me?"

"The first time you plagued my thoughts was after you collapsed in the courtyard," Edward reveals, "I went mad asking every servant about you, but no one knew a thing. But the moment I knew with certainty that I liked you was when you drunkenly complimented me. Never before had I felt so affected by a compliment. The world felt perfect."

It is Bella's turn to blush, "Those were two horribly unflattering moments for me."

"And yet I found you beautiful in both of them," Edward muses.

"You're quite the charmer, but you are also a loser," Bella teases as she says, "My feelings for you began the night you took me into your room and cleaned my bleeding nose."

"Bella, we had hardly spoken more than two times before then," Edward argues.

"You were so gentle with me!" Bella insists, "And the way you touched me …"

"Go on," Edward sits up, his interest further piqued.

Bella swats him, "Behave."

"You weren't saying that the other night in the alleyway-."

Instead of disciplining him again with a slap, she hurriedly places her hand to his mouth. In hindsight, the move wasn't the wisest. Edward takes advantage of her skin against his lips, and places tantalizing kisses to the center of her palm. She's about to grip his chin to bring his face to hers, but he stops his actions altogether.

Edward laughs jovially, "You should see your pout!"

"You are still the teaser that you were in Cullenia," Bella accuses, "What man would delight his fiancée in such a way and then cruelly deny her?"

"An honorable one," he smiles gently, leaning back to nuzzle his nose to her jawline, "I wanted to ask whether … you were pleased? I hope I have not rushed you. This is all new to me as well."

"Edward, you made me feel things I've never felt before," Bella answers truthfully, "Things I am eager to feel again."

"Then as your fiancé I will see to it that I continue to delight you," he smiles against her skin.

As Bella brings a hand to his silken locks, she can't help but smile too. She sighs as Edward returns his lips to her skin, blessing her neck with hot kisses. He turns so that he can hover over her, and finally melds his mouth to hers. A few months ago Bella would have been embarrassed at the sound that escapes her, but now she is too consumed with her enthrallment to care. Torturously, Edward slides a hand past the hem of her dress and the slip beneath it. He hesitates momentarily as he nears her core, but Bella's gentle prompting encourages him to continue. The moment his fingers reach their destination, Bella breaks away from their kiss.

"Will it always be this way?" she gasps against his lips, "Like I can see the galaxies behind my eyes, every time you touch me?"

"I can't imagine this energy between us ever ceasing," Edward answers as he presses a finger against her firmly. Bell tenses as pleasure rushes through her.

Unfortunately, it isn't the same level of pleasure as she had experienced over a week ago. A murmur of voices begins in the distance, interrupting the bubble of passion that had transpired in Edward's cabin. At first, Edward continues, hoping that their lust would drown out the passerby. But as it becomes clear that they are Charlotte and Peter, all notions of sexual fulfillment are lost.

The murmur of voices grows louder, not only due to the nearing proximity of the two teens but because of the nature of the conversation. Instead of the banter that normally passes between them, the two seem to be having a heated argument. Edward starts for the door with the intention of intervening, but knowing that the two need to handle their own affairs, Bella lays a stopping hand to his arm.

"Would it kill you to speak to me without sarcasm or dryness?" Peter says, his voice a few decibels away from a shout.

Charlotte's responding sigh is rather dejected, "What do you want from me, Whitlock?"

"For you not to pretend like you're feeling nothing," Peter continues, "You're grieving, you've shown me as much. But I also know you're scared and confused."

"Congratulations," Charlotte claps slowly. Even Bella flinches at the young girl's flippant tone, "You've deduced what any simple minded person could. There is a war going on, of course, I'm scared. Is that all?"

"No," Peter grits, "You know that's not what I'm talking about."

"Then please," Charlotte drawls, "Enlighten me."

"Fine. You really want me to say it?" Peter asks, "You're scared about us –about what's going on between us."

Bella has to press a hand to her mouth to stifle her laugh. The expression of shock on Edward's face is rather humorous. This isn't to say that Edward hadn't guessed that the two teens held affections for one another, but Bella supposes he never imagined anything would come to fruition.

"Why you audacious, arrogant, cheeky boy," Charlotte huffs, "If your accusations were any more baseless they'd be an abyss!"

"They're not baseless," Peter responds calmly, "I can prove it."

"Prove it?" Charlotte scoffs with incredulity, "By all means -,"

Charlotte's words are cut off, and Bella knows better than to believe it is because the young Princess is suddenly at a loss for words. The quiet gasp and following silence tell her that she must stop Edward from going to the door, but he moves too quickly for her to achieve this. In no more than four strides, Edward makes his way to the cabin entry, his face contorted with anger. All Bella can do is send a prayer to whatever gods are listening that her predictions are false because if they're true, then Peter will need to fear for his life.

With unrestrained strength, Edward rips the door open and confirms Bella's fears; there, exposed to her older brother's ferocious stare, is Charlotte, passionately kissing Peter. By the look on Edward's face, Bella knows one sure thing:

Peter had better run.


Terminology

Lunarca King [Cullenian]

I'mo'ria -"In memory of" and "Forever" [Forxian]

Pe ac-iam! Finish them! [Flor-idiaan] (The language originating from the island Ida Flor)

C-a Yes/Yea [Flor-idiaan]

G-ia Queen [Flor-idiaan]


A/N: Just wanted to make sure to say thank you to everyone who takes the time to read and/or review. I appreciate every piece of feedback, and hope I was able to respond to your review (my apologies if I didn't, or if I responded twice!). As always, I have to thank the wonderful SunflowerFran for editing this chapter so that it is readable. A general comment on the story, as we draw to the final chapters, I have to admit that it's becoming increasingly hard to make sure everything is as it should be [this is my lame, partial excuse for the delays in posting]. Thanks for your patience and support, and I hope you continue to enjoy Atmosphere! Most importantly, stay safe, my lovelies.
~CH


"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word." -Martin Luther King, Jr.