A/N: Awesome reviews yet again, thank you so much. The reviews make me smile knowing you've enjoyed each step in this journey as much as I have. Hopefully this step will be as exciting as the last. Big shout out to PureAngelEyes for her reviews. I love all my reviewers
Chapter eleven: Heart boxes and fight clubs
Getting Bracken's things back made her a lot happier and lightened the mood around the house. Bracken came across some old portraits of her as a child and Alice Had fun with Rosalie trawling antique shops looking for the perfect frames to put them up around the house. Brackens guitar and violin took their places next to Edwards piano, her sheet music and other papers filled a filing cabinet in their bedroom. Edward found that he enjoyed playing with Bracken and even attempted playing some of her compositions, the nights were now filled with music and everyone sat around listening to Bracken and Edward. As everyone sat around the piano one clear summer night, listening to Bracken and Edward playing Bracken's newest composition, Carlisle looked at everyone. Rosalie and Emmett were cuddled on one of the sofas; Alice was sat on the love seat smiling lovingly at Bracken. Jasper was smiling, enjoying the feeling of contentment that radiated from the family. Bella stood from her space on the sofa next to Jasper and walked over to the piano, sitting next to Edward and resting her head on his shoulder. Edward kissed the top of her head and carried on playing; Bracken looked down at them and smiled. Carlisle looked down at his wife and smiled at her, after 600 years his family was finally complete.
Bella laid down in Edward's bed and fell asleep while everyone hunted, her dreams were slightly disturbed and she tossed and turned. Bella sat up in the bed with a start and looked around the dark room panicked, she wasn't sure why she woke or why she felt so nervous, but she did and she was. Bella placed her feet softly on the floor and tiptoed to the bedroom door quietly and slowly, opening the door she peered out into the dark and waited for her eyes to adjust. With a deep, steadying breath she slowly and quietly walked down the hallway to the top of the stairs. With every step down the stairs she took her chest got tighter and tighter, her palms grew clammier by the second and she felt her knees weaken. As she got to the bottom of the stairs she still didn't dare to turn on the lights, even though she knew that the things that went bump in the night could see better in the dark than she could in the light. Bella edged to the front door slowly and her eyes jittered around the room, trying to watch all of the houses access points at the same time. After what seemed like an hour, Bella finally reached the front door, opening it slowly she poked her head out and looked around. Seeing nothing but darkness she had the sudden impulse to look down, confusion in her eyes she picked up the black box wrapped in ribbon and walked back into the house. As she lifted the lid off the box she let out a scream and dropped the box and contents onto the floor.
The Cullens rushed back to the house, Jasper feeling Bella's sense of panic and Edward deciding the family needed to be home right away. They stopped as soon as they saw Bella huddled on the couch her legs drawn into her chest, Edward rushed to her side and knelt next to her, pulling her close to him. Jasper stood next to Bella and concentrated on calming her panicked emotions, everyone moved around the house to secure all access points. Bracken looked down and picked up the box that lay forgotten on the floor, lifting the lid off she realised what had Bella so panicked. "Everyone stop, no one is here, but you all need to see this" Bracken said as she moved further into the room, everyone gathered around and looked down at the box. Everyone gasped and stared in shock at the contents of the box, "ok why the fuck would someone leave a heart in a box? That's sick" Emmett exclaimed. Bracken sighed and placed the lid back on the box "It's a message...It means Bella's time is up...they're coming for her". Edward stood up and faced Bracken "what do you mean they're coming for her? Whose coming for her?" Bracken took a deep unneeded breath and spoke with a deathly weak tone of voice "The harbingers...the bringers of death".
Emmett was the first one to speak and his voice cut through the silence like a knife "what the fuck are harbingers and why are they going after Bells?". Bracken looked at Bella briefly with sad apologetic eyes before looking at everyone "Callum...he's finishing what he started. He wants Bella dead". Edward and Emmett both growled and Esme hushed them before speaking calmly to Bracken "Is there anyway to stop them? Maybe you should tell us about them so we can understand them more", Bracken nodded and led everyone to the sofas. Edward sat with Bella and pulled her onto his lap while Emmett sat next to him, everyone else sat in various places, not concerned with sitting in their usual pairs. Alice sat next to Bracken and held her hand for support as Bracken started "no one really knows the origin of the harbingers, but everyone knows what they do. They bring death and destruction to the one chosen...or marked. Being marked means you are going to die, you won't know how or when or sometimes even why...but you will die. The one who calls them pays a price so when the harbingers are called you know that someone really wants you dead"
"They've been around possibly since the beginning of time, but as long as there has been death there have been harbingers. They're cloaked, hooded figures that ride dead horses. You don't hear them, smell then or sense them in any way and you will only see them when they want you to see them...which is when they strike you dead. There is no physical way to fight them, you have to have a higher power call them off...but even that comes at a price. But not many know how to contact the higher powers so pretty much everyone dies". Carlisle spoke up as his curiosity rose "who are the higher powers and what price do you have to pay? How is it not possible for them to be physically defeated?", Bracken stood and paced as she spoke "the harbingers are between death, not alive but not dead, you cannot kill by mortal means that which is not bound to the mortal realm. The higher powers are beings that are similar to harbingers but tread a different path, they are hard to find, few have contact with them". Emmett finally had enough and stood quickly "well how the hell do we find one of these higher beings?", Bracken looked at Emmett and spoke with a calm that no one shared "I know of one, but she is hard to convince and she requires a high price herself". Emmett rubbed his hands together and suddenly got excited "well what the hell are we hanging around here for then? Let's get a move on and go see this chick".
Bracken shook her head "it's not that easy, I mean I can take you to see her but I need to go get ready first", everyone looked in confusion as Bracken rushed upstairs and came back down a few minutes later looking like an extra from a gangster movie. Bracken stood in front of them wearing a black hoodie with the hood up, baggy jeans tied tightly with a belt, a black beanie and black gloves. "There are some important rules involved in this. Bella is to be watched at all times, we're going to a place dangerous to all of us but mostly to Bella. I do all the talking and everyone follows my lead. And lastly, watch who you look at or talk to, we don't want any problems" Bracken said in a serious tone. Emmett shook his head "where the hell are we going? And why the hell are you dressed like that?" Bracken just started walking to the garage "you'll see when we get there". They all got in two cars and Bracken pulled out the garage, taking the lead. They drove to Seattle, and Bella watched out the car window as the city streets raced past, not knowing where Bracken was leading them but knowing that they had to follow. Bracken drove down an alleyway and pulled up outside a large service door, Bracken got out of the car and everyone followed. Bracken held up her right fist and banged on the door four times, everyone watched and waited as a small opening in the door was opened and a man's face appeared.
"What do you want?" he asked in a deep gruff voice, "let me in Tiny" Bracken said in a bored voice. "piss off runt, your not part of a family" the man replied, Bracken used the opening to climb up the door, reaching in with her left hand she grabbed tiny's neck and pulled his head against the door. Speaking in an dangerously quiet voice she said calmly "let me in tiny, before I rip your throat out and shove it up your ass", she let go of him and with shaky hands he opened the door and let them all in. Bracken walked past and everyone followed, looking at tiny and being shocked to see she had made a 400 pound man nearly wet himself. Bella looked around and hid herself into Edward's side more, everyone walked close behind Bracken as they walked through the crowd in what looked to be a night club. The walked up to the bar and Bracken shook hands with a young man with scruffy blond hair and casual skater style clothes. Emmett looked around and noticed several pole dancers, topless men and women walking around and a boxing ring, Bracken looked at what Emmett was looking at and noticed the ring "it's for the fighters". Rosalie noticed the tone in Bracken's voice but decided against saying anything, Bracken talked to the bar tender for what seamed like 10 minutes when one of the dancers walked up behind her. "What the hell are you doing back here Bracks?" she asked in a teasing voice, Bracken turned around slowly and gave her a dead look "I'm here on business, nothing more". "Usual business? I've missed you a lot you know" the dancer replied as she played with the tie string on Bracken's hoodie.
Bracken swatted her hand away and turned her back to her "not that kind of business, and I haven't missed you. Now piss off", everyone watched silently while Bracken went back to talking to the bartender. They discussed Bracken's being thrown out of her family and Bracken told him about how she joined the Cullens, they shared a few more words and then Bracken shook his hand one more time. Turning back to everyone she pointed behind her "right, the oracle is in so we can go up and see her", everyone followed her as they walked up some large spiral stairs at the back of the club. They walked halfway up the staircase when Bracken stopped next to a small podium, everyone watched as Bracken reached for the podium and picked up a knife, Bella's eyes widened and she gasped as she watched Bracken hold her left hand up and with her right hand drew the knife across the palm. Once her hand was covered in blood she drew a pentagram in the air in front of her, everyone was shocked to see a large wooden door appear in front of them. Bracken turned to the Cullens and smiled grimly "blood magic, this oracle is very old and uses blood magic for things like this". Bracken opened the door and walked into the room, everyone followed slowly, not knowing what was on the other side.
A/N2: ok this is the last chapter until after the New Year, I hope everyone enjoyed this and sorry for the cliffy. We'll find out what was in the room in the next chapter and I promise the next chapter is going to be action packed and full of danger. Thanks to my reviewers and hopefully I'll get some more soon...now...press the button below...come on you know you want to. Reviews are love people and the more reviews I get the quicker I write.