Bella and Brynhildr barely had time to fully process the news about what was planned for them when three of the carnival workers came right up to their cage, carrying long poles that made Bella think of the catch poles that were often utilized by animal control, except for the tiny spikes that lined the noose. Two of the workers shoved the poles through the cage bars, securing the nooses around the necks of Brynhildr and the male vampire. Acting on instinct, Bella made to try and stop the carnival workers, but quickly realized that the bloodroot was still leaving her partially incapacitated. Henceforth, she couldn't fight off the third carnival worker when he opened the cage door and affixed his spiked catchpole around her neck. To Bella's surprise, the spikes on the noose pierced her skin, and she instantly felt even more lethargic.
"Brynhildr, what's happening?" Bella cried, gripping the pole in a desperate attempt to force it off her neck.
"They're taking you to be branded," Brynhildr replied, gritting her teeth as the spiked catchpole held her in place. "Don't try and fight them; they lace the spikes with bloodroot, so every time you struggle, it'll get worse." Bella decided to listen to Brynhildr's words and willingly allowed the carnival worker to pull her out of the cage and lead her away as the other two carnival workers closed and secured the cage door behind her.
The carnival worker dragged Bella to the edge of the clearing where a bonfire was burning away. Already, there were a good number of other creatures gathered at the bonfire, being restrained with the spiked catchpoles. While some of them were creatures Bella had never even heard of, she was able to identify an old gnome and a magnificent unicorn among the beasts. As she was forced to her knees next to a nine-tailed fox, she noticed that while most of the carnival workers in attendance were occupied with restraining the other creatures, there were two that were standing apart from the others. While Bella recognized one of the men as the one Josiah was reprimanding earlier, she didn't recognize the other one, who was wearing a heavy looking burgundy robe with elaborate embroidery.
"Is this all of the new ones?" the robed man inquired, turning to his companion.
"Yes, it is," the other man confirmed.
"Then let's get this over with," Robed Man hissed, turning to the bonfire. Without further preamble, he reached into a pouch attached to his belt and took out a handful of fine white powder, which he tossed into the fire. Immediately, the flames took on an eerie green color.
Just when Robed Man was picking up one of the branding irons that had been heating above the hot coals, the old gnome started struggling.
"Leggo of me!" the gnome ordered, straining against the spiked catchpole, causing tiny drops of muddy-looking brown blood to trickle down his neck. "Ye cannot hold me here, human!"
Robed Man cast a withering glare at the gnome before giving a curt nod to the carnival workers who were restraining the gnome. In the blink of an eye, the carnival workers in question withdrew iron clubs and began to rain hard blows down on the hapless gnome. To Bella's horror, the carnival workers continued to beat the gnome even after his cries of pain had shifted into pitiful whimpers. They only backed off when Robed Man held up a hand. For a few seconds, the gnome lay absolutely still, leaving Bella thinking that the poor creature had been beaten to death, but the low groan that slipped from his throat proved that he was indeed still alive. Showing no remorse for what they'd just done, the carnival workers reached down and yanked the gnome to his feet, paying no attention to how their mere touch caused the gnome to scream in pain. With a grim, unfeeling look on his face, Robed Man stepped forward and pressed the branding iron against the gnome's chest, forcing the creature to scream even louder. The instant the gnome was branded, the carnival workers began dragging him back to his cage and Robed Man turned to select another branding iron before making his way to the unicorn.
Not wanting to see anymore, Bella turned her head away, but she could do nothing to block out the sounds of the unicorn's agitated snorts, followed by a heartbreakingly agonized whinny. The pattern continued as the creatures surrounding the bonfire were branded one-by-one. Before Bella knew it, the handsome nine-tailed fox that had been positioned at her left was being dragged off with a fresh brand mark on his haunch. It was now her turn, and thanks to the remaining bloodroot in her lungs, as well as the fresh application from her catchpole's spikes, she couldn't even try to resist as the carnival workers forced her forward to kneel before Robed Man. Paying no attention to Bella's growl of fury, Robed Man reached out to form a tear in the top of Bella's period dress, exposing the top of her left breast. Gritting her teeth, Bella fixed him with an intense glare as the branding iron neared her skin, making a silent promise to herself that she would not give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream.
At the last possible second, two things happened at once. A trio of enraged roars tore through the air, and the branding iron flew out of Robed Man's hand and straight into a tree three yards away, snapping in two upon impact. An instant later, Alice, Edward and Vermundr were standing there, their expressions all displaying their true vampire nature. Moving at vampire speed, Vermundr was at the enchanted bonfire, striking at it with his sword in a single fluid motion, sending the burning coals into the air in an impressive wave of sparks. Meanwhile, Edward went right for Robed Man, sending him flying backward while still tempering his strength to keep himself from accidentally killing him, while Alice wrenched the catchpoles restraining Bella out of the hands of the carnival workers before doing the same for the other creatures who hadn't been branded yet.
As the remaining unbranded creatures all took advantage of their freedom to escape, and the carnival workers hurried off in fear of the attacking vampires, Bella staggered to her feet. The moment she retained her footing, however, she found herself being lifted into the air as Edward appeared beside her, pulling her into an ardent embrace. Even after they came up for air, Edward kept her firmly in his arms with their lips only a centimeter apart.
"I thought we were too late," he choked out, his body trembling in anguish. "When I saw you kneeling on the ground, with them about to mark you with the branding iron, I…" Instead of finishing his statement, Edward simply moved in for another long kiss, one which Bella reciprocated with enthusiasm. They were only pulled back to reality when Vermundr's enraged shout reached them.
"Far enough, sir," he bellowed. Pulling apart in unison, Edward and Bella glanced over just in time to see Robed Man had returned and was now coming at them with a burning branch, only to have Vermundr grab him by the back of the robe. In a flash, Vermundr had Robed Man up against a tree, where Vermundr used a discarded catchpole to bind Robed Man's arm to a branch.
"A shining example of humanity at its best, you are." Vermundr snarled, a murderous glint appearing in his eyes as he pressed the tip of his sword to Robed Man's throat. "It must take a lot of courage to not only oppress creatures that cannot defend themselves, but also to attack someone while their backs are turned. Talk fast; give me one good reason why I should not have you feel a taste of what you and your friends have inflicted on the immortals you've imprisoned?"
"Go ahead, demon," Robed Man spat in spite. "Your days of fouling the world with your presence are at an end anyway!" Vermundr's face contorted in rage, and he drew back his sword, clearly preparing to strike. However, his arm suddenly froze in place.
"Stand down, Vermundr!" Abraham exclaimed, stepping forward, staring in concentration at Vermundr's sword arm, which was now starting to shake.
"Abraham," Vermundr growled through gritted teeth. "Release my arm! You're not going to change my mind!"
"I'm sorry, old friend," Abraham replied, shaking his head. "But I'm going to have to refuse your request. You know deep down why I can't let you kill him, even if he deserves it. Think about it. You'd be no better than him. And don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about. Be the bigger man, Vermundr." Upon hearing Abraham's words, Vermundr's eyes widened, and the fight instantly vanished from his expression. Wordlessly, he returned his sword to the sheath secured to his back.
"Very well, Abraham," Vermundr said, relenting. "Let's go home. After all, the others will want to know that Bella's safe." Ignoring Robed Man's continuing curses and insults, the group turned to return to the estate. Before they could take more than ten steps, however, Bella's legs gave way.
"Bella, what's wrong?" Alice asked in concern.
"It's probably the remnants of the bloodroot," Abraham surmised. "It might not have completely worn off yet. Thus, it may very well be a while longer before Bella can walk long distances on her own." Almost immediately, a soft, tender smile appeared on Edward's face. Stepping forward, he gently took Bella's arms and, with a well-practiced movement, pulled her up onto his back.
"Oh!" Bella breathed out, meeting Edward's eyes when he turned his head slightly to smile back at her. Knowing that they were both remembering the same memories with fondness, she bent down to place a soft kiss against the side of his neck, prompting him to make a low, appreciative sound.
"Let's go," Edward suggested, lifting Bella's hand from its place on his shoulder to place a quick kiss on her palm. Needing no further invitation, the friends began the trip back to the estate, with Edward, Alice and Vermundr tempering their speed so Abraham could keep up with them.
Jacob snapped awake as he felt the foot of the bed being slightly jostled. Glancing down, he saw the cat, Grimalkin, sitting by his feet, glancing back at him with her luminous green and yellow eyes, her tail curling around her front paws. For a few seconds, Jacob simply shifted uncomfortably in the bed, unable to ignore how the sheets beneath him were completely drenched with fever-induced sweat. When the memory of what had happened in the woods hours before came back to him, he nearly leapt out of bed. The sudden change in elevation, however, made the room around him start to pitch violently, and he dropped to his knees, accidentally knocking over a wooden framed clock that had been sitting on a nearby table. Seconds later, Carlisle appeared at the door, no doubt alerted by the sound of the clock hitting the floor.
"Jacob, you shouldn't be exerting yourself," he instructed. "There's no telling how long it will take before the dart's toxin will completely work its way out of your system."
"No, it's alright," Jacob insisted, shaking his head. "I'm only a little dizzy now. I think I just need some fresh air."
"All right," Carlisle agreed after a pause. "Let me help you down the stairs. Nessie will be happy to see you're awake; she's outside with Cassie right now." Gratefully, Jacob allowed Carlisle to act as a 'human' crutch and help him make his way to the main entryway. Upon opening the door to step outside, they both got a brief glimpse of Renesmee riding Nightmare across the front lawn under the watchful eye of Cassie before Renesmee let out an elated cry and leapt clean off Nightmare's back, racing toward the trees at top speed. The reason for her excitement became clear when Alice, Abraham, Vermundr, Edward and Bella stepped into view seconds later. Bella carefully slid off Edward's back just in time to meet her daughter's embrace.
"Thank Heaven she's safe," Carlisle whispered, smiling in relief at the sight of Bella as the returning group made their way up to the estate, with Cassie hurrying over to greet Abraham and Vermundr.
"Bella," Jacob choked out once they'd reached the house. "I… I'm so, so sorry about leaving you behind like that. I…"
"No, Jake," Bella insisted, shaking her head. "I wanted you to run, remember? If you stayed, you would have been caught, too. And then, who would have gotten word to everyone else? Besides, I saw that dart hit you. For all I knew, it could have been poisoned."
"Well, it was, sorta." Jacob shrugged nonchalantly. "But I think the toxin's been burned away now. At least the world's stopped spinning."
"In any event," Abraham announced. "I think this answered the questions we had about whether or not the Carnival of Darkness had changed since the days when Vermundr was held prisoner there."
"Actually, Abraham," Bella said, turning to him with a dark look on her face. "They're an even bigger threat this time." With that, Bella proceeded to tell them all about how the Carnival of Darkness was preparing for a sacrificial ritual that would take place on the upcoming full moon; a ritual that would forever wipe out all immortal beings on the planet.
"Every immortal creature?!" Alice cried in alarm. "But why?"
"There were a lot of dangerous looking monsters there," Edward remembered. "Monsters that humans have good reason to fear. I suppose it makes sense that they want to do a thorough job of it."
"Like the Great Flood," Carlisle surmised, catching on to Edward's train of thought. "Only in this case, it wouldn't be possible to create an arc to spare a select few."
"That still seems a bit too extreme," Jacob pointed out. "I mean, I can understand why someone in this century would want to wipe out the more feared monsters. There was a time when I would have been right on board with that idea. But to also kill the creatures that are traditionally seen as benevolent and revered? Like that unicorn Bella saw get branded, for example? That's almost like... bombing an entire city just to get rid of one man. What kind of person would go to extremes like that?"
"From the sound of it," Bella announced. "It's mainly the plan of the carnival's leader, Josiah, but the others…."
"JOSAIAH?!" Abraham and Vermundr cried out in unison while Cassie let out an unusual strangled sound. Seconds later, Cassie's legs buckled and she dropped to her knees, with Vermundr instantly moving to her side to steady her.
"His name is Josiah, Bella?" Abraham hissed, an expression of the utmost fury appearing on his face. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Bella confirmed. "Why? Do you know him?"
"Y-Yes," Cassie whispered, her voice shaking. "Yes, Bella. We know him. You remember the night you first arrived at the estate? When I told you about how I met Abraham and Vermundr, after Abraham saved me from the prospective client?"
"Are you saying that Josiah was the client?" Bella guessed.
"He was."
"What are you talking about?" Jacob spoke up. "What client?"
"Oh," Cassie said, blinking in surprise. "You mean Bella didn't tell you what we talked about when we were putting little Renesmee to bed that first night?"
"Bella said that she felt that the things you spoke of were told to her in confidence," Edward explained. In response, Cassie gave a weak smile.
"I appreciate that, Bella. Believe me, I do. But my past is crucial to the explanation about Josiah and our connection to him." With that, Cassie turned to face the others in order to fill them in.
"To know all about Josiah," she began. "You need to know about how I used to be a Lady of the Evening. Please do not ask me why I lived that life. That is another story entirely. And it is no exaggeration to say I am not proud of it."
As Cassie paused to gather the courage to continue, Renesmee, frowning at the unfamiliar term, stepped forward to place a hand against her cheek, silently asking.
"Oh," Cassie chuckled humorlessly, patting her hand while Edward instantly stiffened on pure instinct. "It means that I would spend time with men in return for money. It's not a pleasant way to earn money, however. Usually, only someone who is absolutely desperate will resort to that job. You see, the men I would spend time with were allowed to treat me however they wanted. They could even hurt me if they had the mind to, and I wouldn't be allowed to defend myself."
"So, Josiah was one of your clients," Alice concluded, filling in the blanks, looking as if she was about to be sick, if that was at all possible.
"No, but he was interested," Cassie explained. "I gather he heard about me from an acquaintance, for he sought me out one night. I almost agreed, but… the things he had planned for me went far beyond where I was willing to go. When I tried to refuse his money, he got angry. Very angry. If Abraham hadn't happened to be passing by on his way back to a nearby inn - after taking care of a nixie that had somehow wound up in the harbors of Bristol - and if he hadn't driven Josiah off with his crossbow, I'm confident I would have died that night. Following that night, Abraham and Vermundr took me in, offering me a safe haven. It wasn't long before I had all but completely forgotten about Josiah. But about two months later….
"I need to make it clear before I continue," Cassie announced. "I'm sure you've all remembered how I'd mentioned in passing that it took me a while before I got used to Vermundr. While I did slowly start to understand that he wasn't planning to kill or feed on me, I still couldn't let myself be at ease when we were in the same room. There was always that small part of me that could not overlook the fact that he was a vampire. For that reason, while it might seem like an inconsequential thing in hindsight, the event that befell on that fateful evening was enough to leave me petrified at the time."
Flashback
Cassie followed Abraham back into the estate, their arms laden with raw vegetables and fresh bread they had gotten from town.
"Well, looks like we got home just in time," Abraham commented, turning to look outside before closing the door, watching as the rain started pouring down as if the heavens had opened up instantly. "I wouldn't want to be caught outside in this weather." In response, Cassie simply smiled gently, making a noise of agreement.
"Thank you for your help in town, Abraham," Cassie said softly, slipping the basket of beets off of Abraham's arm. "I think I'll make some potage tonight."
"That sounds good," Abraham agreed gratefully. "Oh, that reminds me. I mentioned to Vermundr about how you thought you saw a rat in the kitchen the other day. He promised he'd deal with it."
"Oh," Cassie replied, unable to meet Abraham's eyes upon the mention of Vermundr. "Well, please thank him for me."
Without another word, Cassie turned and made her way to the kitchen. Upon reaching the kitchen's doorway, however, the sight waiting for her made her release an audible gasp, dropping the basket of beets in shock. One of the beets rolled across the kitchen floor, only stopping when it bumped up against Vermundr, who was crouching down in the middle of the floor. Vermundr, who had heard Cassie's gasp, immediately met her eyes, freezing in place. However, this meant that he continued to hold a large dead rat to his mouth, his teeth still embedded into the rodent's limp body. Three more rats were lying dead on the ground nearby.
"Cassie," Vermundr said, finally pulling his teeth out of the dead rat. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you and Abraham back for another few minutes. I'll get the bodies out of here before…"
Vermundr's words were cut off when Cassie let out a strangled scream. His expression shifting to show his concern, Vermundr stood to his full height and took a few steps forward.
"Stay back!" Cassie cried in panic, backing away while her face paled. "I can't handle this anymore! You just… I… I can't…" In the blink of an eye, Cassie turned and ran out of the kitchen. Without making a conscious decision to do so, she was running out of the estate and out into the storm, heading straight into the surrounding woods. As she ran, there was a part of her that was surprised that Vermundr wasn't appearing in front of her to stop her.
When she'd gone out about two miles, Cassie had to stop to try and catch her breath. It was only then that she'd fully realized what she had done. She had just run blindly into the forests after nightfall, after Abraham and Vermundr had told her that a great number of immortal beasts who lived in the woods came out at night. To make matters worse, she had no idea how to find her way out again. And thanks to the storm, she was now soaked down to the bone.
Just when she'd started to feel true panic, the easily identifiable sound of a horse-drawn wagon coming down a muddy path reached her ears. Putting all her effort into remaining calm, Cassie followed the direction of the sound and quickly found herself at the road that ran through the woods. To her immense relief, she could make out the wagon she'd heard heading towards her. Desperate for help, Cassie lifted a hand to wave the driver down. When the wagon lurched to a stop, a grateful smile appeared on Cassie's face, and she hurried over to thank the driver. The instant she reached him, however, the bottom of her stomach instantly dropped. The lit lantern that was hanging from the carriage illuminated the driver's face, and even though she had only seen that face once a little over two months ago, Cassie instantly recognized it. And from the cruel gleam in his eyes, Cassie realized that he recognized her as well.
"Josiah," she whispered in shocked horror, taking an instinctual step back.
"Well, if it isn't the voluptuous Cassandra?" Josiah smirked, leering hungrily at the way Cassie's soaking wet dress was clinging to her skin. "Imagine running into you out here."
Without any noticeable warning, Josiah lunged forward, moving to grab Cassie, but she managed to dodge his hand, turning to run down the path. However, Josiah leapt from the driver's seat and quickly overtook her, lifting her clean off her feet. Keeping a firm, unbreakable grip on her, Josiah started to drag her back to his carriage. Before he managed to reach the carriage, however, a shout rang through the air.
"CASSIE!"
In unison, Josiah and Cassie looked over to see Abraham appearing on the path, racing towards them atop Nightmare. Upon reaching them, Abraham slid off Nightmare's back and took three strides forward, his glare focused on Josiah.
"Enough, Josiah," Abraham demanded, his voice strong and commanding. "Let her go."
"Ah, so she's been with you all this time," Josiah sneered. "Well then, she must be worth the money, since you've kept her to yourself for so long."
"I said, let her go!" Abraham repeated, this time pulling his crossbow off his belt and quickly loading it. For good measure, he fired off a warning shot, with the bolt coming within an inch of Josiah's ear. Josiah's survival instincts forced him to stumble backwards. This enabled Cassie to escape his grasp, and she immediately ran to Abraham's side. Still keeping his crossbow at the ready, Abraham maneuvered Cassie behind him with one arm, whispering to her to get on Nightmare through the corner of his mouth.
"Surely you did not think I'd let things end like they did the last time, did you?" Josiah's taunt rang out. Upon glancing back at him, Cassie froze instantly at the sight of a flintlock pistol in Josiah's hand, which was now being aimed in the direction of her and Abraham. Abraham, also noticing the weapon, tightened his grip on Cassie, urging her further behind his back.
"Now, listen very closely," Josiah instructed, smiling in maddened triumph. "You are to slowly place that crossbow of yours on the ground and back away from it. Then, you are to walk away from the woman and stand against that tree there. If you make any movement to stop me, there will be a bullet in your head before you even know you're dead."
"Abraham," Cassie whispered in fear, feeling the tears start to form in her eyes.
"It will be all right, Cass," Abraham whispered back, squeezing her hand to offer some comfort. "Do not be afraid; it will be all right." Without taking his eyes off Josiah, Abraham carefully sank to his knees, placing his crossbow slowly on the rain-soaked path. However, neither Josiah nor Cassie noticed when Abraham purposely pricked his index finger against the tip of the crossbow bolt, drawing a few drops of his blood.
"That's right. Nice and slow," Josiah ordered as Abraham backed up towards the indicated tree.
Once Abraham had done what he'd been asked to do, Josiah strode forward towards Cassie, but instead of taking her prisoner, he turned and aimed his pistol right at Abraham, pulling the flintlock back with an ominous click.
"You're really far too trusting," Josiah mocked. "You really believed I would leave you alive to come follow us? Oh, don't worry; I'll take good care of the woman for you."
"NO!" Cassie shrieked, pushing her way past Josiah to reach Abraham's side, positioning herself in front of him to become a human shield. "Josiah, please! Please don't kill him! I'll come with you willingly, just please leave Abraham be!"
"Keep your mouth shut, you little harlot," Josiah sneered. "I'm sure he doesn't pay you to talk."
"I will not keep my mouth shut!" Cassie insisted, suddenly appearing stronger than she'd ever been before. "I will not stand quietly by while you threaten Abraham. Not when he's ten times the man you'll ever be, you coward!"
"Hold your tongue, woman!" Josiah bellowed, clearly stung by the insult. "Do so of your own accord, or I will close your mouth for you."
"No! No more! I'm not going to cower before men like you ever again!"
"FINE!" Josiah screamed, looking completely mad. "Then let the crows and wild beasts feast on two bodies come 'morrow!"
As Josiah prepared to fire his pistol, Cassie quickly closed her eyes, bracing herself for her inevitable end, feeling a wave of gratitude towards Abraham when she felt him wrap his arms around her in a comforting hug. Seconds later, a loud gunshot rang through the air, and Cassie instinctively flinched at the sound, particularly when she heard the agonized cry of extreme pain. However, she slowly started to realize that it wasn't Abraham who screamed, and she felt no pain herself. In confusion, she opened her eyes and chanced a glance over at Josiah. When the scene before her fully registered, her eyes flew open in surprise.
Josiah was now standing a few feet away from where he'd been moments before, his face contorted in agony. His left hand, which had previously been holding the pistol, was now wedged firmly in between a large tree and Vermundr's fist. After about a minute passed, Vermundr, his enraged expression completely betraying his identity as a vampire, finally withdrew his fist, allowing the whimpering Josiah to sink to his knees, gingerly cradling his crushed hand.
"Word to the wise, human," Vermundr snarled, his voice dripping with distain and rage. "No one threatens my family." As the vampire spoke, he reached out and gripped Josiah by the neck, lifting him up off the ground. It was only when Cassie noticed that Josiah's face was starting to turn blue that she realized Vermundr had no intention of releasing him.
"Vermundr, stop!" Cassie pleaded, pulling herself out of Abraham's arms to hurry over to the pair. Without hesitation, she grabbed Vermundr's arm and vainly started to try to pry his fingers off Josiah's neck. "Vermundr, don't do it! Please, let him go! I know he probably doesn't deserve it, but I beg you to spare his life all the same! Please, Vermundr, show him mercy! Be the bigger man! PLEASE!" The moment that final plea escaped Cassie's lips, Vermundr's expression instantly changed. It was if he'd suddenly realized where he was and what he was doing. In a matter of seconds, he'd released his grip on Josiah's neck, allowing him to drop to the ground where he lay gasping for breath.
"Listen well, human," Vermundr announced slowly, a menacing growl still evident in his voice. "The only reason you are still breathing now is because Cassie, the woman you threatened, asked me to spare your life. My advice to you? Get back to your wagon and drive away now. Before I change my mind."
Josiah, still wheezing and whimpering from the pain in his now useless hand, staggered to his feet and stumbled to the wagon. It wasn't until Josiah's wagon was well out of sight that Vermundr's rigid stance finally relaxed.
A short time later, Cassie and Abraham were back in the estate's withdrawing chamber, with Cassie sitting before a blazing fire, wrapped snuggly in a warm blanket.
"Here, drink this," Abraham offered, gently handing Cassie a mug filled with a pleasant-smelling liquid. "They call it hot chocolate. It's fairly new drink, and not many people outside of the nobility have had a chance to taste it, but Vermundr and I did a service for the royal family about a year ago. They frequently send us our own supply of it periodically, as an ongoing expression of gratitude."
"Thank you," Cassie said gratefully, accepting the cup and taking a timid sip, followed by an even bigger one when she found the taste pleasant. A calm silence fell between the two, which was only broken when Vermundr entered the room.
"Cassie? How are you fairing?" he asked carefully.
"I'll be all right," Cassie replied. "Vermundr, Abraham, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for running away like that, and for putting Abraham in danger."
Cassie had been mulling over what she'd been told when Abraham and Vermundr brought her back to the estate for a while now. It turned out that when they'd found out she had actually left the house, Abraham and Vermundr had been unable to tell which way she'd gone, on account of the pouring rain washing away her scent trail. Out of fear for her safety, they had quickly split up, with Abraham traveling down the road while Vermundr ran off into the forest, hoping that he'd be able to pick up her scent there. As such, if Vermundr hadn't caught the scent of Abraham's spilt blood on the wind like Abraham had hoped he would when he'd pricked his finger on the crossbow bolt, then she and Abraham really would have been killed.
"No, Cassie," Vermundr insisted, shaking his head. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have been more careful when I tried to experiment with rat blood. This life as a Gold Eye; I'm still trying to figure it out, particularly when it comes to what kinds of animal blood tastes the least unappetizing. Even so, I should have known better than to sample rat blood in a place you've come to frequent, particularly when I knew you're still leery of me. After all, this is your home, too, and…"
"Vermundr? Cassie interrupted. "Forgive me for interrupting you, but you're wrong. What I mean to say is… I'm not still leery of you. Not anymore."
"You're not?" Vermundr repeated, taken aback.
"What changed your mind?" Abraham asked, also clearly surprised by Cassie's statement.
"I think it was when I saw Josiah about to kill you, Abraham," Cassie explained. "I think, in that one moment, everything just came into focus for me. I remembered my father, and his endless cruelty to me. I remembered all those men I'd encountered while living in Bristol. And then, I remembered how Josiah treated me the last time, and how he'd acted tonight. In that moment, I think I finally saw things clearly for the first time, and I was struck by the whole irony of everything. The whole world will stand and call Vermundr a monster just because of what he is. But out of all the men I've known throughout my life, he was one of the only two men who wasn't one. And once I realized that, I couldn't find it in me to be afraid of him anymore. Even back on that road, when you were seconds away from killing Josiah, Vermundr. Even then, I couldn't feel any trace of the fear I'd had before. Because I realized that, unlike all those other men I've known, you would not harm me. At least, not intentionally."
"No," Vermundr agreed with a content, genuine smile. "Like I said before. No one threatens my family. And I include myself in that statement."
End Flashback.
"So that's what happened to Josiah's hand," Bella realized once the story had ended. "I saw it myself; it's still mangled."
"On the whole, I'd say that Vermundr crushed every bone in his hand that night," Abraham theorized. "Although, that's most likely why he's so bent on wiping out every single immortal in existence. He undoubtedly wants revenge on Vermundr for that night. After all, in my experience, men like Josiah are the ones who don't care how many bystanders get hurt, as long as they get their vengeance."
"I think you're right," Edward agreed. "I've seen minds like that myself." Instantly, a dark look appeared in his eyes, and everyone present realized he was remembering his vigilante days.
"This is all my fault," Cassie stated, still unmoving from her place on the grassy yard.
"Cassie," Abraham began, his tone suggesting he was about to disagree with her.
"No, Abraham, it is!" Cassie insisted, cutting him off. "I was the one who made Vermundr spare Josiah's life that night. If I had just stayed silent and looked the other way, then he wouldn't be out there right now, plotting to kill every immortal creature in the world." After a brief pause, Vermundr slowly stepped up to Cassie and crouched down in front of her.
"Cassie?" he spoke gently, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Cassie, look at me." Sniffing slightly in an attempt to hold back her tears, Cassie slowly heeded his request. "Cassie, you were right to have stopped me that night. No, you were! If Josiah chose to abuse the second chance you awarded him, then it is his own fault and not yours. I needed to be stopped. If you hadn't, then I would have shown him as much mercy as he'd shown you and Abraham. You, however, didn't let personal vendetta cloud your judgment. You were able to put your own grievances with him aside enough to want to bestow mercy upon a man who had none of his own. And that is what makes you one of the strongest, greatest women I've ever known. I am in awe of you, Cassie."
"Vermundr," Cassie whispered through her tears, visibly moved by the sincerity in his words. "But… what about Josiah? You heard Bella. You heard what he's planning to do with his second chance."
"Well then," Vermundr replied with a gentle smile, casually wiping one of her tears away with his thumb. "We'll just have to stop him, won't we?"