Poco a Poco Chapter 8
-Lianna-
After a slightly awkward conversation with Helen about going away tomorrow, she was almost singing with happiness as she insisted on packing for me. I found that fact rather nice; it kept Edward out of my room. Helen was so excited for me, and I felt good knowing that she thought I was finally 'moving on.' Later that night, I was sitting up annotating some music as Edward scouted the house. I told him it was creepy, but he wouldn't hear a word of it.
"You should really go to bed," I raised my eyebrows without looking away from the music, and added a reminder in the margin. "Lianna, my family won't leave you alone tomorrow, everyone will want to talk to you." Edward tried again, but I stacked the music neatly without glancing at him. He huffed, and my music was somehow all the way across the room on my desk.
If I'm not tired, why should I go to bed? You haven't slept in a century, it's not like you know better. I signed, but snatched my pajamas to make him shut up. "Thank you, Lianna." He said cheerfully, but then I heard him get quiet as I went to the bathroom and changed, and then came back. "Lianna, despite my better judgment, I need to go to my apartment, and I need to hunt. Can I trust you not to do something stupid when I'm gone?"
Only you can answer that. I'm not going anywhere at this hour. I signed and threw my clothes in the hamper. He chuckled, and then he was gone. For awhile, I straightened up my room. Then, out of things to do, I lay down on my bed, but left the light on, not tired yet. I ignored the phone when it rang like I always did, its not like I would answer anyway. Then I heard chuckles from under my window, and knew it was Edward making fun of me. Before I could sign to him, I was suddenly moving in his arms. I looked up and gasped. It wasn't Edward at all, but the male vampire from 7 years ago, and he was laughing.
-Edward-
As soon as I was running back and smelled another vampire, I knew something was wrong. I booked after it; fear and anger making me start to catch up. I could see it running and Lianna in his arms.
"Lianna!" I bellowed after them. The vampire laughed and glanced back, and he met Lianna's description exactly of the male vampire who helped murder her family. He looked down at her and said something. As she went to twist to look behind him, two vampires leapt out of the woods on either side and in a combined effort, tackled me to the ground.
A quick, fierce fight ensued, and I would have won if two more hadn't joined in and surrounded me, made me stand and run only a few minutes more to what looked like an old barn. I could hear her heart beating inside, but how long would that last?
"Mmmm, she smells more delicious than she did all those years ago." The vampire crooned almost sweetly as the four vampires shoved me in the barn. The brown haired vampire was gently skimming his nose over one of her wrists. Lianna had her poker face on, and didn't flinch when the vampire leaned forward to sniff her neck. Her eyes stopped staring firmly into the distance and realized that I was there, and her perfect façade fell away, her face filling with horror.
"I wish Maria would hurry up and get here." Said one of the vampires holding my shoulder, and I snarled deeply.
"I know, she smells so good." Said the crooning vampire, and he took a deep breath by her throat, making me start over there, but the vampires tightened their grip, holding me still.
"You should taste her." The Mexican voice made me stiffen, and Maria strolled through the barn doors; the vampire by Lianna immediately stepped back respectfully in her presence. She glanced over at me with surprise, and then she purred with a satisfaction. "Well, I'm having quite a day today…delicious blood and I'll find out where Jasper is…what a great day." She came over to Lianna and a huge smile stretched across her face.
"Well, hello again." She said, and Lianna met her gaze, but said nothing. Maria raised an eyebrow, but then started to laugh. It started out small, but then she was roaring with laughter. "You pathetic little creature. I bet you haven't said a word since we last met, have you?" Lianna's eyes turned cold, and her gaze took Maria in with a vengeance. Maria lifted her left hand and examined the pale cold scars on her fist, and chuckled again. "Now, what should I do first? Drain you or find where my long lost love is?"
"Touch her and you die," I snarled, and the vampires had to hold me back as I went to launch myself at her. Maria raised an eyebrow again, and strolled over to me and leaned forward to put her face in front of mine.
"Don't tell me that you care about this pathetic débilita?" Maria snorted, and glanced back over at Lianna, who hadn't moved, and her facial expression hadn't changed. (weak one) When I didn't answer, except for a snarl, she laughed. "I'll make you a bargain, Cullen. If you tell me where Jasper Whitlock is, you can have some of her." She jerked her head at Lianna and I snapped at her face. The vampires had to wrestle me still once more. "Hmm…something tells me you won't spill any other way…" She darted over to Lianna and threw her all the way across the barn and into the hay. Hay bales tumbled from the large stack, and then there was silence."Lianna!" I roared as she didn't surface right away, fighting in the vampires grip. Maria walked calmly across the barn, then reached through the hay bales, felt around, and suddenly leapt backwards, pulling Lianna out by the neck of her pajamas. Her hair was full of hay, but I couldn't see any injuries yet. Lianna jerked out of her grasp and crossed her arms as Maria put her hands on her shoulders and looked into her face.
"Lianna, is that your name?" She asked, and Lianna nodded stiffly. "I can smell the Cullen's on you; you've seen them recently, haven't you?" She asked, and Lianna nodded again, but the vicious glare was back. If she was afraid, she was not showing it. "If you tell me where the tall blond one is, Jasper, I'll keep you around as a pet. Maybe I'd even change you. All you have to do is tell me." She stepped back, satisfied that Lianna would tell her what she wanted to know, thinking that she was still afraid of her.
Lianna hesitated. She knew that Jasper had wanted a different lifestyle, and that's why he abandoned her army. But I could also tell that she was worried about what would happen to me, Jasper and the whole family if she were to tell. The fact that she cared that much made her reply all the more worse. You told me not another word. I'd rather be drained than tell you. She signed, and Maria looked confused.
"Lianna, Alice will see it, don't-" I started to shout at her, before the pressure from one of the vampires hands started to cut into my skin with a shrieking sound that made her gasp, and made me snarl ferociously.
"What did she say? Doesn't anyone here know that symbol language?" Maria glared at all her recruits when they obviously didn't. "Fine." She snarled, and then walked behind Lianna and wrapped her arms around her, putting her lips against the vein in her throat. She looked up right at me. "You must know, Cullen, if you're so attached to her. What did she say?" She asked, and I felt my face get stony. I knew that Alice would have seen this; they would almost be here…
Maria looked around the barn, and dragged Lianna over to an old table, and with one hand, whisked off all the empty crates. They fell to the floor with a crash. Maria darted around the barn, getting what she needed, while Lianna just stood there, her face pale but set. She didn't flinch when Maria suddenly put her on the table, or when she used old horse leather straps to spread her out and tie her down. "I'll tell you where he is, Maria, that's not necessary." I thought up desperately. I'd lead her astray, try to buy us some time. Maria shook her head and chuckled a little sadly.
"You're almost as pathetic as her, if not more so. If you wouldn't tell in the first place, why would you offer it now unless you were to lie?" She walked over and patted me lightly on the cheek, and had to step back as a new fight broke out as I tried to attack her. After a few minutes, I was pinned. This should be fun… Maria thought as she darted back to the table and cocked her head, analyzing Lianna. Then she spoke. "One last chance, mortal. If you tell me where, because I know you will not lie, you can live."
"Just tell, Lianna!" I shouted, and then snarled as a vampire bit my shoulder, the venom stinging unpleasantly. Lianna lifted her head and watched me sadly for a moment. Then she shook her head and rested it back on the table. It was then I realized that it wasn't just because she wanted to protect my family, but also because she was still afraid.
"Such devotion, such courage." Maria sneered. If you weren't so delicioso, I would recruit you. "But since you won't give Jasper up…" Maria tapped her chin with one long fingernail. "If any of you interrupt me, I'll kill you. Stay where you are." She snarled, and then turned back to Lianna with a sick smile. "Where is Jasper Whitlock, or Jasper Cullen? All I need is one word from you, and I'm not leaving here without it."
"I called, but no one answered, and Edward's not answering his cell phone." Emmett said angrily, closing his phone as Alice squeezed her eyes shut, trying to find where they had gone.
"Try his number again." Carlisle said after watching Alice for a moment. She was still, concentrating hard, but I couldn't tell if she was in a vision or not.