*** 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 Sixty:
Soul Giver
It made sense to start with the Chamber of Knowledge. So, I told Edward of my visit to that place and the captivating angel mosaic set into its floor. When I told him of the legend Demetri had told me regarding the vampires' origin, one dark eyebrow quirked doubtfully, but he didn't interrupt me. I suppose his doubt was to be expected; even though I was simply relaying what I'd come to believe was true, it sounded bizarre.
I also told him about the spooky bookcase that Aro had padlocked and declared off limits—eventually owning up to my thievery of the last book. Edward stared at me incredulously. Then, ignoring the part of the conversation where the dark angels fell and became vampires—the myth that was now pretty much fact—he shook his head and blasted me. "You risked your life for a book?"
"Shhh," I knew he wouldn't like a lot of what I had to tell him of my adventures while he was away. But it couldn't be helped. "A very important book…" I rationalized.
Edward covered his face with his hands and leaned back on the altar. "What book is worth your life?"
His question was too close to the reprimand Demetri had given me that night when he'd saved me from triggering the alarm. "It was well worth the risk," I argued. "Just hear me out."
That's when I told him of the rest of the night: how the Lycans had invaded the underground tunnels and our strange experience with Ira and the young Julius. I told him of our visit with Muriel, leaving out much of the conversation concerning Thaddeus's book and saving that for last—just as I saved any real discussion of Demetri for a later time.
And as I told him all this, his face went through the full gamut of expressions, from stark disbelief to horror.
When I finished telling him of Muriel and the fascinating things she had to tell me, he stared at me as if I were an errant child. His voice was low and scathing, "Well…you've certainly been busy while I was gone. I'd like to say I approve, but I think you know that I don't. Just because some Lycan elder spins a bunch of fables doesn't make it true."
"Edward…" I started to argue, but then I shut my mouth. It was time to break out the proof. I untied my windbreaker and took out Thaddeus's book and the loose pages, handing them to him as if they were a gift—and in a way, I felt it was a gift. It would bring peace of mind, I hoped.
"This is the book?" he asked, frowning at the leather-bound cover and turning it over in his hands.
I smiled patiently. "Yeah. The reformer before me was named Thaddeus—it's his book. He chronicled his life as a reformer…kind of like a diary. It's written in Latin, but Demetri translated it for me. Read the last few entries...I believe you'll find it very enlightening."
He gazed at me, and then, as if to humor me, he said, "Alright, then…but I don't need these." He gathered Demetri's hand-written pages and gave them back to me. I sighed softly; I seemed to be the only one unable to read Latin.
I watched as it took less than three minutes for Edward to read the last twenty or so pages of Thaddeus' book.
I didn't get the reaction I'd thought I would, at first. He stared at the last page for entirely too long, his face unreadable. Then, he flipped back to where he'd started and read through each page again.
"Impossible…" he snorted finally, but there was the faintest tug at the corners of his mouth. He sat stiffly as he seemed to mull it over in his mind. "I have a soul?" he whispered to himself as if he couldn't possibly believe such an idea. Then, he looked to me, smiling softly, and said, "Carlisle was right all along."
Edward now held the book as if it were precious and might shatter in his hand if he wasn't careful; he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from it. "You said his name was Thaddeus?"
"Yeah. He was a monk."
"If this is the last book…well, it just abruptly ends. Do you know what happened to him?"
I nodded slowly. "Aro had him imprisoned, and then executed for high treason. Apparently, he managed to tell some of the vampires, and so Aro destroyed them all under the guise of ending the Lycan war with a truce. I suppose he had to make sure that the truth stayed buried—or locked up, I should say—for another millennia. Muriel knew about this, too—she warned me to keep silent."
He held the book to his chest and stood, slowly pacing in front of the altar. "It's extremely dangerous to walk around with this relic—it's like the Holy Grail. We really should put it back right away."
"Yes…but I was waiting to show Carlisle and the others before I put it back. Carlisle needs to see it, don't you think?"
"Yeah," he agreed. "But I'll keep it with me just in case Aro finds it missing. I admit, I would like to read it cover to cover."
I smiled at him, loving how affected he was by the book. At least I'd done something right.
He lifted his chin from the book to stare at me. "It still wasn't worth risking your life…" but then he startled me by suddenly lifting me up into the air with his free arm. His voice trembled, "I have a soul…I never thought I'd be able to say that…Thank you."
***
(This is my last chapter/ update for the week. "The boy" is taking me out of town for Memorial Weekend. Hope you guys have a great holiday weekend, too. See ya next week. And thanks for reading. OTM)