Everything was packed and ready. The first boat leaving the island was at 5:30 in the morning and we waited silently in bed for sun to rise over the silver ocean.
At 5:20, Edward left my arms.
"We should go." He zipped up the suitcase and I opened the door for him to lead us out.
"Her face fell in despair, her delicate almond eyes tightened with horror. She turns her head slightly to summon her doggedly loyal hero to defend her, but she stops. Is she frozen in her fear? No, no. She remembers that he cannot help her anymore. Our tragic heroine must now defend herself." Declan swept around our room with a dramatic flourish of his hand in an instant. "How was that? Did I capture the moment?"
Edward was stunned for only a second before he threw a punch at Declan. I saw only a blur of movement as Declan deftly dodged. Edward's fist crunched loudly against the hotel wall. He hissed in pain.
"Now, now. We are civilized people. We use our words, not our fists." And he clucked his tongue at Edward. I looked back to the open door and considered our options. "Bella, shut the door, please. You could run, but I imagine you understand how foolish that would be." He laughed breathily. "Edward, I must ask you something. Have you forgotten what being an immortal is like?" Edward said nothing, as he often did when Declan addressed him. He struggled to control his breathing, now ragged with anger and pain and fear. A drop of blood fell from his knuckles to the floor. Strangely, Declan did not seem to notice. "Because this whole dreary escape plan, it…well, it's a little melodramatic, no?" He sighed in exasperation. He smoothed down the front of his pants and sat neatly on our bed. "Once we've finished our discussion, you will be free to go. You have my word."
"Speak quickly, then." Declan's eyes narrowed on Edward.
"I did not want to bring this up last night with Bella on the verge of fainting, but there is, you see, a small issue." Edward's jaw clenched.
"And that is…?"
"Well, you see, now we have two humans, both armed with the knowledge of the immortals' existence. You see the problem, yes?" Edward did his best to control his emotions, but all of his muscles tightened in fury.
"You said you wouldn't hurt us."
"Believe me, my lady, sacrificing the story in favor of the rules cuts me deeply. That is the curse of the artist. Sometimes, he must cater to the whims of his patron instead of creating the art his soul demands."
Declan was now standing by the door to our balcony. He threw it open and embraced the warm night air with open arms.
"Ah, love, let us be true to one another! For the world, which seems to lie before us like a land of dreams, so various, so beautiful, so new, hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain." He paused for a moment, taking the view of the beach in, before he turned back to us with a new look in his eyes. He seemed upset, but a smile danced at the edge of his lips as his verdant eyes darted back and forth between us. "I heard what you said to each other last night. Forgive me for eavesdropping, but my curiosity almost always gets the best of me. It was beautiful. Truly, an inspiration worthy of being immortalized in ink and paper. Oh, how many times in my mortal life did I dream of having what you have. Alas, destiny leads us to strange places.
"I must wonder, though…," and his smile widened as the scheme in his mind's eye fully materialized, "if you were able to read between the lines?"
Neither of us responded.
"I assumed as much. It takes the eyes of a writer to truly see the subtext, to see what is not being said." His laugh was harsh and condescending. "Go. Go home and enjoy your time together. I know, now, how to resolve our little problem."
He gestured to the door. Edward opened his mouth to say something, but I grabbed his arm and the suitcase and we fled the hotel.