Chapter 13
I slashed Lycan after Lycan, being sure to sever the head from the body. Wielding my swords back and forth, I worked my way through the hoard of the mess, towards Edward and Jasper.
Whilst beheading one hoary Lycan, I came across Emmett who was doing likewise to a brown one.
He beamed at me, "Nothing more blissful than killing Lycans, eh?"
A chuckle managed its way passed my lips and into the blood-tainted air. "Just worry about your own arse, will you?" And with that, I stabbed one sword through a sandy beast that had been leaping through the air, eyes fixed on Emmett's neck. "I swear these swines should be classified as vampires. They love blood almost as much as we do," I smirked and dove under more bodies, leaving Emmett laughing to himself to battle his own attackers again.
"Bella?" I heard Jasper's voice, shocked, ring out across the wall. Several Lycans stopped, mid-attack, to look in my direction. A few of those, who hadn't been slaughtered by the brief hesitation of assail, sent up a call into the night.
Jasper saw his mistake the same time my mind had registered what had just happened. "Get out!" He hissed, cutting monsters down as he made his way to me. His blonde curls brushed my cheek as he whispered harshly into my ear, "You should not be here. Didn't your father say to stay at the tower?"
I shrugged innocently, killing a Lycan as an excuse not to look at him. A circle of defense quickly surrounded us so we could speak. "We ran out of arrows…"
His jaw clenched. "That is not a good enough reason, Isabella." My eyes flared at that. How dare he call me that!
"Bella," he shook his head. "You should probably go down to the cellar with the humans. You'll be safe there." Jasper noticed the look of hostility crossing my face. "Now Bella, you saw what just happened. These damned brutes have one purpose tonight; find you and recapture you. We're doing our best to protect you. But it's a hopeless cause if you keep throwing yourself in the path of Makaria," Jasper quickly bowed his head and said a quiet, quick prayer to the Goddess of Death and the daughter of Hades, King of the Underworld. His look when it returned to me was stern, but loving. I understood his concern for my safety, but he needed to understand me.
"Jasper, I can't just go hideaway while people die because of me! I need to be up here, helping out. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't."
Jasper sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking around us and out over the wall. As he did so, his eyes grew wide. "They're retreating," he whispered on a shaky breath. My head snapped up at this. I looked out over no man's land to see that the Lycans were in fact backing away into the black forest. They left those on the wall to die.
As our troops finished off the stranded Lycans, Jasper accompanied me to the tower. We scanned the forest with acute senses, searching for the beasts. Edward and Emmett soon joined us.
"Anything new?" Edward asked, kissing my forehead before going to stand beside Jasper.
Jasper shook his head, "No. They all retreated and I'm guessing they've gathered behind the large rock there," and pointed.
"Right," Edward nodded, thinking. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. This was getting us nowhere.
We needed to be discussing war plans; not sitting around wondering why the hell they had all went running. The Lycans were idiots for allowing time for the other armies to arrive and aid us in the fight. They should have continued the attack with their numbers so outnumbering ours. I shook my head with a frustrated sigh. It just didn't make any sense.
All of a sudden, a horrid feeling washed over me. I felt like I was going to be sick. I quickly rushed over to the side of the tower and hurled. Edward was there in a flash, holding my hair back as I choked. As the droplets plummeted into the impending darkness, I see the color of red glisten in the flickering light of a few torches on the wall. The shining light seemed to reflect a taunting smile that had been haunting me for weeks…
"Bella, are you alright?" Edward asked as I wiped my mouth. I shook my head and took a seat with shaky legs. "Bella," he murmured, kneeling in front of me. Edward raised a hand to cup my face while the other pushed a strand of hair behind my ear.
"I dunno," I mumbled. "I don't feel so good…" and then I fainted.
"Are you sure?" I vaguely heard my father's voice demand in a hushed whisper.
I groggily rubbed at my eyes. My hands fumbled with the blankets and I rolled over, stuffing my face into the pillow.
A throat cleared and they replied quietly, "I'm positive, my Lord."
I heard my mother gasp, her loud sobs annoyed me. I wanted her to stop. It was rather loud and my head hurt. I sat up in bed and pushed my curtains back. "Honestly, can no one get some-" I broke off mid-sentence as I intercepted the looks I was receiving from my family. "What?"
My father stood, huffed, and walked out arrogantly. Emmett snarled and rushed out after him, yelling something about him being a prick. "Isabella," my mother hiccupped, looking at me in disbelief. "How could you?" And she walked out.
How could I what? My eyes turned to the healer expectantly. He yelped and ran out.
Well, this was lovely.
I sighed, pacing my room. I was locked in here with no reason as to why. No one visited but a human maid I'd never seen before who collected my sheets and left. It's been two weeks. I haven't drunk a sip of blood since the Lycans attacked the night of my welcome home party. And needless to say, I was thirsty. No, thirsty wasn't the correct term. I was dying of dehydration. Every time that damn maid came in, my eyes fixed on her neck hungrily. I thought of tearing it open and reveling in the taste of her life force. But no, I didn't drink human blood. I was on a strict animal diet. One slip and I'd have to start all over, and it would take a lot of time to get back to the way I was now.
Two weeks is also the amount of time since the Lycans attacked. Well, from what I could gather. If the castle had been breached between that amount of time, then I would have heard some commotion about it and I probably would have been moved from my room to the cellar.
Every morning for these few weeks, I've been sick to my stomach. I had no idea what was wrong with me. I didn't even begin to fathom it. But when you're stuck in a bare room for two weeks with no vampire contact whatsoever, your mind wanders and you become desperate for answers; why you're in here, what did you do wrong?
Those thoughts were constantly circling my mind, no matter the amount effort I dedicated to erasing them. It was maddening, to say the least.
I missed Edward. After the length of time apart, we'd finally come together again just to be ripped from each other's arms again… Only this time by my father. I knew it was he who had incarcerated me. It wasn't fair for him to do this to me. He, of all people, should know what I went through. What I still go through…
But he refuses to listen to my pleas. Yes, I pleaded. I begged on my knees at the foot of my door for hours during the first week. I was relentless. My cries echoed throughout the castle, I knew he had heard me; him and everyone else staying at the castle. I wondered how my loved ones felt about that…
My father didn't feel anything, so it seemed. He did nothing. Never once did he show his face in my chambers. Nor had he sent word to me, explaining why I was left here, to whither until there was nothing left of me but a leather exterior. I grimaced at that thought. No, I won't let that happen.
The door creaked opened; my eyes darted up as the aroma of blood drifted to me. It was the human maid again, come to collect my grubby laundry that was actually immaculate since I never messed. My orbs fixed on her throat. Her blood pounded with each breath, each beat of her heart. I could just imagine the red liquid running through her veins as it made its cycle through the respiratory process, supplying her the oxygen she needed to live. The carotid artery pulsated with the rich substance.
I swear I was practically drooling as she approached my bed. In my mind, I pictured swiping at her throat. But no, that was too messy, too much blood wasted. No, the better way was just to sink my fangs into her neck. I'm sure I could control her long enough to subdue the screams. But I wanted it now; there was no time for mind control.
I processed this all in the quantity of time it took her to reach my bed. A purr vibrated in my chest as she leaned over, lifting one corner of the bed spread.
Finally, unleashing the monster that I am from within, the purr turned to a growl that ripped through me and I lunged for her. She didn't have time to scream as my teeth sank into her soft pelt. Oh, sweet blood! It rushed down my throat as I gulped hungrily. A scream worked its way up and out of her mouth while I continued to drink greedily. I had no conscious if she were to die, just the more blood for me if I drained her bone dry.
Suddenly, I was yanked away, thrown against a wall. The screaming stopped as the maid fainted. A soldier caught her in his arms and walked out. The other was staring at me, waiting to see if I'd attack. I didn't recognize him, though there was a fleeting memory that possessed his features within.
I hissed and backed away into a corner, where I crumpled into myself and let the tear ducts pour when I realized what I had done. The ramifications could be catastrophic. I knew instantly that my chances of being freed were just quashed. But the more present idea was of the damage I had done to that most unfortunate maid.
I was a monster. I should be locked up. I didn't deserve the privilege of my chambers. I belonged in the dungeons with the others.
A sigh snapped me from my self-absorbed haze. I looked up and saw the soldier standing there with a contemplative expression on his face. "This isn't right…" he muttered, shaking his head.
"What do you mean?" I asked quietly, my voice cracking. I hadn't spoke for a week, finally giving up on my hopeless protests.
His eyes found mine. "What they're doing to you. Do you know why their doing this?" If he had asked the latter in a more objective voice, I would have been optimistic about this vampire and his knowledge. But he was curious with his query, he had wanted to know why himself. I shook my head in response.
He glanced at the door, back at me and then walked over to the door and whispered a few things about staying to keep me controlled to the guard outside. The vampire closed the door then took a seat in a chair across the room from me.
We stared at each other for some time, neither making a noise nor moving an inch. Finally, I broke the ice. "What's your name?"
"Nahuel, my lady," Nahuel bowed in his chair, not quite formal, but fair enough. I wasn't one to criticize a bow, I hated them too much as it was.
"It's pleasant to meet you, Nahuel," I nodded. He did look very familiar… Nahuel must be in either first rank or an archer. "So tell me, Nahuel, what are you doing here?"
Nahuel shrugged again nonchalantly. "I thought you could use some company."
"That was thoughtful of you."
He nodded, "my pleasure."
We sat in silence for a while, not an awkward silence, but just silence. There wasn't any tension pressing on us. It was just two people who were earning for company. Goddess knows a soldier needed one… They never had any time off. Well, unless you were one of the elite. Even then they devoted most of their week to training. But when you're a soldier of lower rank, mostly because of your bloodline, you're with the troop twenty four seven.
I studied him so I could develop some reason as to why he was here. Nahuel considered me as well. I noticed that he didn't look at me like I was royalty, but as a person, which meant a lot to me. We observed each other through the impending silence that neither of us chose to acknowledge.
"Nahuel," I interrupted the lack of conversation, "do you have any idea why I'm in here?"
He shook his head with a slight shrug. "No more than you, my lady. Though there are a few rumors circulating…" Nahuel said the latter in a quiet, thoughtful voice. But he shook his head, staring at the ground with a humored expression and let out a chuckle. "No, it's not true."
"What's not true?"
Nahuel's eyes found mine again and I became slightly frightened by the warning in them. "It's nothing good about you, my lady. They really shouldn't speak so horrid of a princess. It's not proper."
"Who are 'they'?" I asked intriguingly.
"The guards, help, anyone with a knack of gossip, Lady Isabella," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
I took a steadying breath and decided to continue my interrogation. "And what have they been saying about me?" When his only response was the shake of his head, I pressed further. "As your future Queen, I demand to know what is being said about me." I hated using that as an excuse, but I had to know. More often than not, the castle's gossip was true. It was too common for a maid to overhear important matters or of secret engagements and to spread the information to any with ears. Nothing was secret for long in a palace full of ears.
With a sigh, Nahuel rubbed his eyes and said quietly, "They say you're pregnant."
The force of the shock wave that hit me sent me back against the back of my chair. A frigid sob racked my chest. No, they were wrong this time! They had to be. They just had to. But then my conscience decided, then, to throw all the cards on the table. Particular cards stood out more than some. Like my being sick in the mornings, my father's choice to lock me in my room with no blood – leaving me to starve and I shouldn't forget the nightmare of Jacob and his haunting eyes. A shudder rippled down my spine with the thought of it. No, it wasn't true! None of it!
"Lady Isabella?" Nahuel asked worriedly, standing now. I shook my hand for him to sit, and then used said hand to run through the knots in my hair while I thought about the possibilities.
So, what if I was pregnant? Who was the father? The last time I checked, I was a virgin. I think. Again, brown eyes clouded my vision; a white smile taunting me as he moved over my body. No, no, no! This wasn't right.
A pain in my abdomen had me doubled over in an instant. I ran over to the wash and emptied what little blood I had drank from my earlier feeding frenzy.
So, maybe I was pregnant; with a Lycan's child, none the less.
A/N: I am SO sorry. I don't even think I want to list excuses this time. It's just uncalled for. Can I just say softball season is hectic with three games a week and then add testing for school this past month? I've taken the Biology EOC, the ADP (it's for Algebra 2 kids), the AP US History exam, and countless other in-class tests. Anyways… It was a thrill to dive back into the Underworld/Twilight series. Eclipse is coming out soon :D Aren't you excited? I'm excited to critique it! It's so fun critiquing movies! Ha-ha. So, Read and Review? 3