A/N: Sorry for the delay, guys—my computer died, and the chapter was saved there. Luckily, it was a quick fix and all is well now. I started working on the next chapter yesterday, so hopefully I can knock it out in a few days.
Thanks to tiffanyanne3for the beta and radar1230 for the pre-read. I made a few changes after they looked, so any mistakes are mine.
Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended
Sacrificial Love
Edward
At my words, the man dropped my hand and took several steps back. Once freed from his grip—both physical and mental—I staggered to my feet. When I took another breath, fire exploded in my throat. My hand drifted to my neck, brushing against a smooth indented mark. The scar ached slightly and itched horribly.
The man watched me cautiously, his fingers templed in front of his face and a frustrated frown pinching his features. "What to do with you, Edward?" he finally muttered. "This is not what I anticipated!"
"Aro," the female called, drawing his attention. "You yourself stated that you didn't know if there would be complications. Give it some time," she soothed. "This was a very extreme situation, the worst we've attempted to… rectify. It took so long. It's almost as if he's a newborn all over again."
Newborn?
"I just don't know…" he murmured.
She looked at me, cocking her head to the side in contemplation. Then she reached out and took his hand in hers, although her eyes remained locked on mine.
"He needs to feed, Aro. He's disoriented, confused. Weak. Perhaps a meal will help?"
Suddenly, through the non-distinct murmuring, I heard two distinct words in her clear soprano:
Trust me.
I shook my head slightly, breaking the eye contact.
"It will be interesting to see what he remembers… and what he doesn't," she continued.
"Yes... Yes, it will," he replied, a sly smile tweaking his lips.
Uncomfortable with the attention being paid to me, I took the opportunity to glance around. There were four other people surrounding me. They were adorned all in black, with heavy robes like the man who was obviously in charge.
"Since you don't seem to remember anything, Edward, I think that introductions are in order. I am Aro, and we have known each other for quite some time now." His words were pleasant enough, but there was an edge to his voice that belied the friendly introduction.
"This is Jane." He indicated the small woman at his side. Then he pointed at the four others in succession. "Renata, Felix, Heidi, and Chelsea."
His gaze returned to me. "You were… injured. Badly. In fact, for all intents and purposes, you were dead." He paused, letting the words sink in. "We've done our best to patch you back up, but obviously there's been some trauma. Hopefully, we'll figure out what that means sooner rather than later. I imagine that you're feeling rather… thirsty… about now?"
My fingers flexed against my throat. I nodded slightly.
"Felix!" Aro called.
A tall, dark-haired man stepped forward.
"Take Heidi and see what you can round up. I think we saw something promising on our way in?" he stated questioningly. The other man—Felix—gave an acknowledging nod, and Aro smiled in response. "Good. We'll be right behind you."
They were gone in a blink of the eye.
"We need to be on our way, Edward. Is there anything you'd like to take with you?" Aro asked cordially.
"What?" I croaked.
"We're leaving, of course, and you'll be coming with us," he stated. "I would tell you to take your time, but that's not really an option; we're already behind schedule. You have five minutes." He turned to the female at his side. "Jane, perhaps you'd like to help Edward? See that he gets anything he needs?"
She nodded, then stepped to the door and held her hand out as if to usher me inside. I walked into the cottage and was instantly assailed with an overwhelming sense of familiarity. I knew that I should remember. I could feel it there, trapped behind the blackness and clawing to get out: my memories. Yet everything in front of me was strange. I wandered from room to room trying desperately to recall something, anything, but it was fruitless.
In the bedroom, I sank to the bed, closed my eyes, and buried myself in the only recognizable thing: her scent. As I inhaled, vague images danced across the back of my eyelids—a wisp of long, brown hair, a flash of shimmering skin, the general shape of a small, slender woman. She was just about to turn in my direction when my silent introspection was interrupted.
"It's time, Edward."
"No!" I shouted, growling slightly in response as the fleeting image faded once more.
She misunderstood. "I'm sorry, Edward, but you have no choice," she stated resolutely. "You must come with us. Is there anything you'd like to take?"
Raising my head, I glared at her, but she did not respond in any way; the pleasant smile never faltered. I glanced around the room, taking it all in. Nothing spurred any memories. I shook my head infinitesimally.
"Okay. Let's go."
Standing up, I allowed her to escort me from the house.
"Where are we going?" I asked once we were outside. The rush of air scratched my dehydrated throat, intensifying the fiery sensation that was now burning out of control.
"We don't exactly know, yet," Aro replied, eying me speculatively. "We're waiting on you to tell us."
My brow pinched in confusion.
"We need to find Bella, Edward. It's imperative that we discover her… talents… and best learn how to utilize them. She is very important to us; you've known this for more than ten years now, ever since you visited us in Volterra, while she was still human. We've been quite patient, allowing you to establish and enjoy your marriage, but time is running out. We need her help. We must find her."
Still human?
"But we can't just wait here for your memory to return," he continued. "So for now, I think we'll head west."
He ushered me forward. As I passed, his hand came to settle on my shoulder.
"Maybe Alaska?" he suggested.
More images raced through my mind: a large house in the woods and another woman, this one blonde.
"Yes," he drawled. "I think Alaska will be a very good place to start."