Disclaimer: Characters copyright Stephenie Meyer. But you all already knew that.
A/N: Originally, this chapter contained 13 - 14 pages on Word, but after later reflection, I realized that it was too much and cut it off at 11 pages. Hey, at least Chapter 6 is already under way with good progress :). Anyway, Chapter 5 is when you meet Jasper (Big YAY) and Alice (Bigger YAY!).
Of course they're all furniture. Now that that's out of the way...read, read, read.
Part II—Chapter 5: Superstitious?
"It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies, and to end as superstitions." – Thomas Henry Huxley
-18th Century France-
Bella thought of herself as odd.
Jacob declared her as just missing the mark of insane.
But now, faced with a situation that looked as if it were life-and-death, she was surprised to feel…nothing. She'd expected hysterics, even curling up into a ball and praying to die, but not the calm and numbness that washed through her. At seeing Jacob's confusion-saturated expression, she quickly scrambled over to his side at squinted at the light held aloft until her eyes focused on the figure that held it. But even then his face wasn't distinguishable.
"Untie me," Jacob muttered to Bella in a low tone. "Maybe he can't see that clearly."
"My vision is fine, thank you," the melodic voice went on, this time, with a trace of amusement.
"Do it!" Bella jerked herself away from her reverie when Jacob prodded her in the ribs, just in time to realize that she had been staring shamelessly at the new arrival. There was just something about him that made her want to edge closer. Yet, there was another force that pulled her back, left her at a standstill, with nothing else to do but cut the rope and make a run from the two opposing forces that held her.
"Aren't you going to stop us?" Jacob shot back at the immobile figure.
There was a meaningful pause in which Bella could feel eyes watching her every movement, however minute.
"Easily. From what I've gathered, your friend wouldn't last a second in trying to run. And once she's unable to go, without doubt you won't be going anywhere.
"And how odd," he continued, perplexed. "Is her mind always this…barren?"
"Excuse me," Bella huffed. She narrowed her eyes, sat back, and crossed her arms, careful to leave the knife at her knees in case she injured herself. Barren? She was practically in a hostage situation—how could her mind possibly be barren?
"Anyway," the velvety voice went on, ignoring Bella, in the same maddeningly placid tone. "I'm afraid I wasn't the one who tied you up."
"What are you talking about?"
"Did you see me physically tie you?"
"No, but it was dark!"
Bella abandoned the knife uncertainly at the sharpness Jacob's words. She now had the vague suspicion that her friend's earlier entreaties had been an act. Or was she just confused? She couldn't tell.
The person opposite them cleared his throat and stepped forward from beneath the shadow of the torch's flame, placing it in its holder in a single fluid movement. Jacob sat up and Bella heard herself gasp. No, she had to be mistaken. Her mind scrambled in a desperate act to pull the events into something more believable. She came to only one possible answer: she'd somehow popped off and gone to heaven…or hell, depending on the interpretation. The face of the being that stood before them switched to wariness.
At least it was painless, she thought, and at least I was able to meet an angel.
"Well, are you going to answer me or not?" Jacob prompted.
"Jake, I don't think he did it," Bella said, her throat dry. She wouldn't meet the look of incredulity he shot her.
"Are you seriously considering that he's innocent?"
"No." She hesitated, and finished lamely, "I just don't think he was responsible."
"You're unbelievable," he muttered furiously. "What, then, if he didn't do it? A ghost? For heaven's sake, Bella—"
"Bella." She turned in surprise at being addressed to. Her heart escalated as she struggled to fight the heat that surged into her cheeks at hearing the angel speak her name. His strangely beautiful golden eyes watched her curiously. "Why don't you believe me capable of lashing your friend to this godforsaken dungeon?"
"Because," she began before Jacob could cut in, "it isn't in a servant of God's nature to do such harm to a mere mortal."
Jacob snorted in disbelief. Are you for real? He mouthed. Bella ignored him.
"Let's say that's true. But what if I wasn't, as you say, a 'servant of God'?"
She ventured a smile, startled at feeling the odd sense of relief at his words. "What's your name?"
The angel's expression now switched to astonishment that questioned her sanity. He slowly shook his head. "Now I see why Jacob doesn't trust you to be by yourself. You're unbelievable."
Jacob started. "Wait, how did you know my—?"
"You forgot to answer my question," Bella pressed. She couldn't determine the source of her fascination; only let it get the better of her. Who cared how he knew Jake's name? She must have said it during their conversation.
His brow furrowed in frustration, and for a moment she wondered if she'd gone too far. "Edward," he said at length. "Edward Cullen."
"What I'd like to know, is why I'm tied down here like a dog. Care to elaborate on that?" Jacob interjected frostily.
"You're down here for a reason," Edward reminded him. "But I didn't tie you. You did agree to remain down here for ten or so minutes so I could speak to you." Bella couldn't stop repeating his name over and over in her mind, rolling it around to make it more familiar to her lips.
"That was until I was tied."
"We're not finished yet."
"So who did it?" Jacob countered. "Do you teach mice to tie knots?"
Bella watched the scene, and then Edward's face as it stilled in concentration. After a second, he muttered a curse, glanced in her direction apologetically, and relaxed. She sensed that there was amusement behind his appearance; the light that danced in his eyes was a giveaway.
"I apologize for that," he said formally, "and I personally know who did it." The corners of his mouth twitched.
"And?" Jacob said impatiently. "Just tell me, and you can ask whatever bull you want."
"I'll tell you, after the interrogation."
"Why after? Right now's fine with me."
"Because I know you won't believe me until after I ask the one question and explain."
Bella exchanged a look with Jacob, perplexed. It had to be something important, not just a mere whim.
"What makes you think I won't believe you on whoever did it?"
Edward offered a humorless smile. "Oh, I've had plenty of time to decide whether you would believe or not during the course of this conversation. Shall I begin?" He made a gesture as though asking permission.
Jacob caught Bella's eye, and she saw the familiar look of consternation on his features that came whenever she was in danger of getting run over by a cart, a stampede, or her sisters. She could already hear the words that he would say before they were out of his mouth. "I'd like you to stay out of here until it's over," he told her.
She was prepared. "I'll stay with you."
"Go wait somewhere at the entrance."
"And be bored to tears watching the flowers wilt? I don't think so," she objected.
"Now isn't the time to be difficult!" he hissed.
"I want to hear what he has to say, too. I came all this way just to find you, don't you know that?"
"No," Edward said decisively; Bella looked to see him eying them thoughtfully. Hope that he would take her side of the argument made her hold her breath. "No, you shouldn't stay to hear, regardless of the situation. This isn't something you should be permitted to hear."
She released her breath in a huff, and glowered at the smirk that came onto Jacob's face.
"However, I don't think you should stay at the entrance either," he continued.
The smirk faded slightly from Jacob's face, and Bella brightened.
"Well, where else is there?" Jacob asked.
"The castle."
Bella sat up straighter, and blinked at seeing him shoot a half-smile in her direction. "The castle?" she repeated dumbly.
"It's perfectly safe. There's a direct entrance to the parlor through there, so that she won't have to leave for the front hall," he added, seeing that Jacob had every intention of interrupting. Bella saw her friend struggle to find an argument, and then at last shrug, seeing nothing wrong with it.
"As long as she won't break any bones, it's fine."
"Just go straight, make a right turn, and open the door. There'll be someone to meet you at the table at the end of the corridor."
Rising carefully from where she sat, Bella looked down at her now soiled apron and dress, sighing inwardly; she certainly wasn't going to get any points from the housekeeper, whom she assumed would be the person she would meet. She glanced back at the scene as she reluctantly made her way to the door. Edward stood with his back to her, appearing to be making small talk with Jacob until she completely was out of sight. Undoubtedly they would be listening until she'd gone in.
She stopped at the door and considered pretending to have entered. It wouldn't work, she finally thought, preventing herself from looking back as she opened the wooden door and felt the light sound of marble beneath her feet.
She'd been expecting spacious grandeur upon entering, but remembering that it was supposed to be just a parlor brought her back down to earth.
It was small, but not cramped, and delightfully cozy. A fire was burning in the hearth and tea was readily served on the delicate coffee table by the fireplace. The room itself was attired in a welcoming fashion, and, as Bella noticed the artfully crafted vase beside her, with a feminine touch. There was definitely a housekeeper; and she'd done the job of making the place so horribly clean.
Pausing on her way into the room, she remembered what she'd been told and took a step back. On the table, a tiny silver bell waited patiently on its tray. It was created in the shape of a girl, the bodice and head forming the handle, the ornate skirt forming the cup. Glancing around, Bella wondered if she would have to ring for the housekeeper; that was the purpose of the bell, wasn't it?
Without further hesitation, she reached forward and began to ring it.
"Hey—! Watch it, I—"
Shock flooded Bella and she stood frozen, her arm still poised over the table. No—bells can't talk! Her head rang with the musical sound of the bell, and she waited to see if she would be proved wrong. When she wasn't, she continued to ring it. For a moment, she thought she'd lost her sanity.
Amongst the angelic chiming was a series of muffled shouts.
Feeing slightly foolish, Bella moved her thumb away from the head, holding the bell gingerly over the tiny table. Her head was foggy as it continued to berate her.
"It's very rude, you know, to cover one's head with such an enormously large thumb! Well, they never used to be large…and never so offending before…ah, never mind."
Bella stared numbly at the tiny bell she held, unable of forming one coherent thought. When she finally did, the bell had begun idly humming a tune, and she could only say faintly, "It's either you're actually speaking, or I've gone and lost it."
The bell stopped mid-note and appeared to look at her kindly. "It'd be a dreadful shame if you've gone and lost it, but in this case, you haven't. Congratulations! My name is Alice. Now…would you put me down?"
Placing the bell gently in its tray, Bella stepped back acquiescently and folded her hands over her skirt as she went through the logic. Against all the laws in nature, an inanimate thing had spoken on its own volition. Against all the laws in nature, she, Bella Swan, was going to choose to believe in talking silver bells.
It was fitting.
Alice, as the bell had introduced herself, daintily hopped over the rim of the tray to the edge of the table. A light, twinkling of noise followed everywhere she moved. The sound was a reminder to Bella that everything was real.
"Now that I've done what my brother has told you I would do, let's go tour the castle!"
Bella awoke from her daze and did a double-take. "Alice? Alice Cullen?"
Alice laughed, a sweet melody that intertwined with the bell's notes. "You sound shocked and delighted—am I famous?"
"No, it's just that…how can a bell play sister to a human being?"
The miniature silver figure before her gazed up thoughtfully. She replied slowly, "I wasn't always in this form. And Edward…he's very convincing in what he does, isn't he?"
"Er…yes." Bella stopped herself from asking anymore about him. "So you used to be human?"
"At one point."
"I'm curious…how did you become a bell?" she asked, intrigued. Alice made a tiny movement as if to indicate her hand and hopped onto the palm that Bella offered.
"Let's start walking."
"Um, to where?"
"The library; keep going down the hall and then you'll have to go up the stairs."
Bella complied and made her way into a larger corridor, the highlights occasionally being pointed out to her and given commentary. She would nod and make a complimentary comment, even as she anticipated for when her question would be answered. Meanwhile, she enjoyed the sights that were presented to her. Everything flowed seamlessly into a grand scheme of some sort, tastefully decorated, but never overwhelming. Even the smallest places were able to breathe air. Passing by a window, they paused to admire the landscape, and then moved on. When Bella made a move for the main hall, Alice stopped her and pointed for a narrow, out of the way stairwell instead.
"Why not the main staircase?"
"We're not permitted," Alice answered as though stating a fact.
Taking a final glance, Bella turned into the direction indicated before her and the commentary resumed.
"You'll absolutely adore the guest bedroom by the landing—in fact, I know you will. It's stocked up with gorgeous clothes handpicked by me and Esme." Alice stopped herself and continued wryly, "Not that we have any guests. Not usually."
Bella peeked into the room at reaching the top of the stairs and found herself charmed by the innocence that designed the room. It was arranged to center the large window that brought most of the light into the room. She would have thought it to belong to a princess—except royalty nowadays moved into towns closer to the capital.
"Esme? Is she…uh, like," Bella looked down at Alice, embarrassed for her own ignorance. Alice smiled graciously.
"Oh, we're all furniture," she said candidly. "Except for Edward, of course. Speaking of talking furniture, why aren't you more surprised? You're taking it all so…calmly."
"I've got an open mind," Bella replied, wrinkling her nose and trying to remember why the words were so familiar.
"A very open mind. Practically open space, rather than a room."
"I hope you're not talking about it being barren like your brother."
Alice glanced up inquiringly, emitting the sound of chimes. "Barren? Impossible."
Bella shrugged, and then remembered the latter end of the conversation below. "Alice," she ventured, "do you know who tied my friend, Jacob?"
"Oh, yes." Alice smiled mischievously.
"Please tell me it wasn't you."
Shaking her head with a smirk, Alice motioned for her to stop, pointing at the set of double doors in front of them. They were a rich, dark mahogany, the brass handles shaped in the form of roses. Bella twisted the knob and pushed one of the doors open to be admitted into one of the spacious rooms she'd expected to see.
Three walls were lined with nothing but books, all the way up to the ceiling. The fourth wall was pierced by a series of long windows, each trailed by red velvet drapes. Comfortable chairs were placed around the room, surrounding either of the two large tables or lined up against the wall. A tall, graceful rolling ladder waited before one of the bookcases, ready for service.
Bella wandered as far as the first table in the room, staring wonderingly at all the books that surrounded her. This was definitely better than the shop in town. She considered asking Alice if she would be allowed to borrow one—there had to be something in the room that she hadn't read yet. Involuntarily, she looked down at her palm, even when her ears were alerted by Alice's move down the table's length; she was headed purposefully to a thick volume opened beside a candelabra.
"Come on, Bella. Jasper isn't going to bite." For some strange unknown reason, Alice found hilarity in the sentence. Bella trailed after her, looking down into the volume as she stopped at the end. She looked up at Alice bemusedly.
"Montaigne?"
"Certainly, but it's not something I'd choose to read for pleasure."
"That's my forte," clarified the candelabra for the first time, turning away from the book. "Jasper Hale."
"Bella. Pleasure to meet you," Bella smiled tentatively as she inclined her head. As soon as she met the sight of Jasper, she immediately felt more at ease.
"We were wondering if you could take out that one little fairytale? The one that Edward finds as, to quote, 'an ironic farce of a story'," Alice added.
In answer, Jasper pushed off the heavy book to reveal a thinner hardback, swiftly flipping it to the beginning. Instantly, Bella's mind clicked at the familiar wording. She bent over the page, glancing up every other moment to take in Jasper and Alice's reactions. They remained composed. She turned to the next page and read over the passage where the people of the castle were transformed, marveling at how it was all fact—all real.
All except for one detail.
"Wait, who's the monster?" she asked, frowning.
The two in front of her exchanged a glance. Jasper said dryly, "Human beings are gifted in the way of forming truths into tall tales."
"Like I said before, almost all of us are furniture in this place," Alice added. "And for all we know, Edward likes to think of himself as a monster."
"Edward?" Bella felt like laughing. "Preposterous." He was the absolute last person he would consider as the monster depicted in the story. He didn't even have the advantage of being hideous.
Jasper came forward and shut the book, standing on the cover for better elevation. He stared at Bella hard, and she got the impression that it was no laughing matter. "Bella, how much do you know about us?"
She gazed at them both, measuring their expressions. "Not enough?"
"Out of ignorance or wisdom, I'd like to believe it's wisdom. But you're right; that fairytale dressed up every last strip of truth—fortunately for us," he added hastily.
"We don't want to be discovered," Alice explained.
"I can see why," Bella murmured. "So what should I believe from the book itself?"
Both of them stared back at her as though she'd just asked a rhetorical question.
"We've established that you're real already!"
"Bella, are you superstitious?"
She smiled deprecatingly. "Isn't everyone in this day and age?"
"Maybe that was the wrong question." Alice tilted her delicate head to the ceiling and asked instead, "What do you think of mythical creatures? Witches…fairies…vampires…"
"I—"
"ALICE!! COME DOWN HERE NOW!"
Bella flinched back at the terrifying roar that seemed to have come from the stairwell down the corridor. Realizing that she'd moved behind Jasper, she sheepishly moved back in front of them.
"Wrong question, eh, Alice?" Jasper teased, hopping off the book and moving down the length of the table.
Bella extended her palm as Alice, with all her dignity, hopped on. She looked sideways at Bella, who was only just recovering her poise.
"Do you think he's a monster yet?"
She hesitated briefly. "He isn't precisely human, then?" she chose to say, referring back to the book.
Alice continued to look up at her, patiently waiting for an answer. Bella sighed.
"No, not quite," she admitted in a small voice. "Why won't you just explain everything?"
Rather than giving a direct response, Alice shrugged, grinned, and urged her down the carpeted corridor after Jasper. Only when Bella stepped on the stairs was she given a rough equivalent of an answer.
"Edward will explain to you."
Bella looked at Alice skeptically; from the sound of his voice and from the way that he chose to exclude her from Jacob's predicament (which was, by default, hers also), she really doubted that he would explain much of anything. Alice, peeking up to see her face, sighed. Bella stepped off the stairs and began to make her way back to the parlor, but instead was tugged into a different direction. She looked down into the dim, narrow hallway and back at Alice questioningly.
"It's a shortcut to the parlor," Alice informed.
Rolling her eyes as she moved forward, Bella said in exasperation, "Why didn't we just go this way for the library?"
"You don't see a lot through here, and I thought we were taking a tour."
"Alice," Bella sighed.
"It was enjoyable!" Alice persisted gaily. "Wasn't it?"
"I guess so."
As soon as they reached the end of the passageway, Bella found that their way was blocked by a wall hanging. She moved it aside and cautiously stepped down from the slight elevation. She examined the room again.
The drapes of one of the windows had been pulled back, the shutters open to air out the room. The fire was extinguished.
And Jacob was seated at one of the chairs, gingerly holding his teacup. Edward was nowhere in sight.
"Jacob! How did it go?" Bella asked, placing Alice on the tea table. Alice, playing the part of inanimate object, became still.
Jacob sipped at the tea and narrowed his eyes at the bottom of the cup. He glanced up at her, looking pointedly at the sugar. Bella moved forward to hand it to him, earning her a polite smile and a nod. His expression was of deep concentration. "Fine."
"What did he tell you?" she pressed, seeing that Alice's attention was fixed upon the main corridor. Edward would be arriving any second.
"That they—those old stories—they're real." He swallowed and casually poured himself another cup.
"That's it?" Bella felt disappointed.
Jacob watched her for a moment and looked down into the tea. "Bella, we're in a mess, you know that? He's gone to renegotiate with the wolves again."
"What?" she asked, bewildered.
"We're not done here yet. Anyway, pretty large place, huh?" he gestured to the room.
"It's great. Listen, they have this library…"
"Oh, of course you choose to start with that. Why didn't you go to the kitchen?"
Edward entered into the room then, thoughtful.
A breeze flowed through the window situated behind Bella, who heard a tiny squeak emit from Alice. She looked up again to see Edward's expression completely changed.
His eyes were pitch black, jaw restraining, fists clenched hard against his sides.
Everything happened quickly; Jacob was instantly at her side, the teacup dropped and shattered to the floor, the window slammed shut by Jasper on the table. The room rang with Alice's strident peals.
Edward turned his head away and moved back down the corridor, away from the scene.
"Jacob?" Bella whispered, barely daring to breathe in the sudden quiet of the room.
"Werewolves and vampires." Jacob chuckled harshly in her ear. "Just an everyday issue, you know? Leave it to you to get mixed up in all this."
A/N: Umm-hmm. I had to let Jacob have the last word, after all he's been through -shakes head in pity-. This chapter had a lot of revisions, especially at the beginning where Jacob's tied to the dungeon. Edward kept making such a strident argument about having not done anything wrong, that I had to believe him and change around that part.
Oh, right! Answer to last chapter's question:::: Edward didn't have such a viciously strong reaction to Bella in the dungeon because there was no flowing air below ground to blow her scent in his direction.
