*** This story contains some mild language, suspense, romance, and some frightening images and situations—13 and older, please.

In the Grip of Twilight

By:

Olivia Tannis Moore

Chapter Fifty Eight:

The Cavern

We went back to the room that was now ours. The chair was still in front of the window from where I sat earlier and I put his backpack next to the grey and blue one he'd left behind. Alice must've set it there, I thought, when she and Jasper took the adjoining room.

Edward put his hands on his hips. "My curiosity—"

But I turned quickly and stopped him with a finger to his lips. "Shhhh. Not here."

He smiled sheepishly. "Oh yeah, right...I forgot. Where then?"

I tore a sheet off the message pad on the desk and scribbled: Anywhere but here in the castle. Demetri said the cavern was safe. If we went down there, you could see where I was changed.

He shrugged and looked about the room as if he could detect the eavesdropper. "Sure. Whatever you think."

I pulled Thaddeus' book from underneath the mattress along with the pages that Demetri had translated. Then, I stacked the pages and book and wrapped them in my windbreaker, tying the sleeves in a loose knot.

It was dangerous; I was taking a chance carrying the book around like this. I should've put it back in Thaddeus' bookcase long before now, but I had wanted to show the book to Edward and the Cullens before replacing it. Of course, the translated pages could've sufficed, but it just wasn't the same as the ancient script on the parchment pages of the book. The book was as close to the source as one could get, and the information it held would be nearly impossible to ignore.

I opened the door wide enough to peer out into the hallway. I could hear voices coming from the other rooms and along the interior staircase between floors, but at the moment the hallway itself was empty.

"Not much has changed since I left," Edward whispered dryly in my ear.

"Hmm?" I said, closing the door behind us.

"We're still playing cat and mouse in the House of the Damned," he told me under his breath.

I smiled at his razor-sharp wit as I tugged at his arm. The quicker we were out of the hallway, the better—especially as we were going in the direction of the wrong staircase.

Quietly, I led Edward all the way down the stone staircase, trying not to look at the deep impressions in the walls from Demetri's hands just the day before. The dust and debris from Demetri's rampage still covered the steps and crunched underneath our feet, a constant reminder of the tall, dark-haired warrior. For some reason, Demetri's presence felt stronger down here…almost tangible. In my mind, his handsome face alternated between scowls and devious grins; one moment his eyes were glaring with intensity, but then just as quickly, they were as soft as his breath against my cheek…

I clenched my teeth together and brushed the images away. Even in his absence, he was driving me crazy.

When we walked through the antechamber and onto the upper ledge of the cavern, Edward stopped abruptly. "Whoa," he said with eyes wide. "It's huge."

"Yeah," I said. "It's intimidating the first time you see it…the height…" I trailed off, remembering how frightened I had been walking along the two-foot wide ledge that night.

The interior of the cavern was darker than before, too; the candelabra wasn't lit on the small table next to the rock-hewn stairs, nor were the candelabras down on the altar below. Edward took a book of matches from his pocket and lit the candles, and then he lifted the candelabra and reached for my hand as we made our way down the countless stairs.

Here and there along the way, he paused, holding the light up to gaze at the steep walls of the cavern. "It looks like it was chiseled out of the earth like a great big bowl."

I'd missed this portion of the scenery the first time around while gliding down to the floor on Demetri's back. Curious, I looked closely where Edward held the candles. There were faded wall paintings in certain places. The scenes appeared primitive, as if a child had painted them with finger paint. But then I turned away. I'd noticed that most of the figures, people and animals alike, had wounds on their heads and throats, the dribbled red-black paint a ghastly image.

Edward immediately lowered the candelabra. "Oh…sorry. No telling how old those paintings are."

When we reached the floor of the cavern, Edward took a moment to look around, walking from one end to the other. Then, he hoisted himself up to sit on the stone altar. I was envious of how he appeared to be totally at ease with the wall paintings and relics that surrounded him. The tray that still held the white robe I'd worn that night was behind him; a silver goblet mottled with tarnish was next to him on his right, as he sat there on that altar that was clean…for the time being.

He curled his fingers over the edge of his stone seat. "So tell me…how'd the transformation go?"

My stomach fluttered with dread, although it was a harmless question. I wasn't ready to talk about Demetri, even the mention of his name made my heart pound with its awkward little secret.

Automatically, my gaze went to the white robe on the tray. Again Demetri's image floated through my mind, his cape as dark as my robe was white. "I guess it went smooth. With all the other drama…you know, the stupid war and stuff…we haven't had a chance to do other transfusions."

Edward tilted his head and looked at me. "I would've thought that to be top priority with Aro…as motivated as he is." He hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Carlisle is wondering if the transformation was really necessary…"

***

(Note: Since Fanfic's technical difficulties, I've had time to write the next two chapters and they will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thanks for reading. Thanks for the PM's, and the patience… OTM)