Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all.
A/N: Sorry it is so long, but please read!
Many of you know that I am a validation beta on Twilighted. One of my fellow cohorts lives in Australia. A group of contributors have developed Fandom Fights the Floods to raise money for flood relief. You can find the site at:
http:/fandomsfightthefloods(dot)blogspot(dot)
I have signed up to write a one-shot for the project. Here is my proposition. I am putting this note on all three of my story updates (Full Moon Rising, Unloved Unwanted, and Unloved Unwanted Divergence) this week. Leave me a review including your one-shot desire, and after the week is over, I'll put them into a hat and draw one. I will not put any parameters on the request (other than it has to be Twilight related) – though if it is all human, I will most likely have to find another beta (smile). I will also make a donation in the person's name so that you will receive access to all the stories contributed to the cause.
Review and suggest – please. And please check out the cause when you have a moment.
I am surprised and honored to say that I was nominated for the "Walk of Fame Awards" under two categories: the Danger Diva - Most Daring/Boundary Pushing Author & the Hopelessly Devoted – Most Reliable Author.
The voting starts January 15, 2011.
You can access the site at the following:
http:/twinklingswfa(dot)blogspot(dot)com/?psinvite=-z6rG2nD9X-YIiQN2UJ31cjA3qlMu92XS2r-fWUu8UYdSjb9H_icIC7zEScwQ
If you feel so led, please go over and check it out. I must say…just to be placed on the list was an honor. I know one author has received, for just one chapter of her story, as many reviews as I've probably generated for all my stories combined (smile). There are a ton of great authors and stories nominated – so please go check out the Wall of Fame nominees. Thank you to whoever felt I was worthy.
Edward POV
The leader had been hoping that I would admit to belonging to the Guard, but his face broke into a victorious snarl when he saw my eyes. He didn't need me to answer anything.
I heard the huffing of animals around us, and it was then I heard the thoughts of the vampire that stood to his the leader's left. He was the one controlling the animals. His gift was similar to Chelsea's. All the wolves seemed to look to him for direction and followed without question.
"Bind his eyes, and let's return to the castle. I believe that Stefan and Vladimir will be well pleased with this trip."
Several vampires grabbed me, holding me immobile while a female in the group wrapped a cloth around my eyes. It was a useless process; I could see everything through their thoughts, but they didn't know that. Hands below my shoulders lead me forward, and I could smell and feel the fetid breath of the werewolves behind me.
Go along with this, I thought. Perhaps there would be a possibility that I could escape at some point. Even the werewolves wouldn't be able to catch me if I could get loose. I'd been surrounded before, but possibly I might find an opportunity where a clear path was possible. I monitored our course of travel as we flew through the woods into the wilds of Romania. Feng, the leader, was convinced that he would receive great rewards for my capture. I didn't doubt it.
Bella was going to believe I was dead, and the agony of the thought tore through me. I had to rely on Marcus and my family to hold her together, to keep her from doing anything stupid, until I could find a way to return to her. I constantly monitored the thoughts of those around me, hoping against hope that an opportunity would appear. When we crossed several rivers and reached the Southern Carpathian Mountains, I began to realize that my escape would not occur this day. The ground began to rise sharply under us, and I saw the wild beauty of the land through those that surrounded me.
It did not surprise me to see a fortress built into the side of a mountain. It was built out of dark stone, making it appear as if it had been carved from the land itself. This was not the majestic Bran Castle, or the gothic masterpiece of Hunyard Castle, which legend had long held to be the possible homes of Dracula. This was a cleverly concealed citadel. Its position against the mountain, surrounded on two sides by deep gorges would make it almost impossible for humans to storm. Even vampires would have to scale the canyon walls, making them easy targets to pick off as they came over the parapets. Several strategically placed werewolves could serve as adequate defense of the sides and rear, leaving the rest of Vladimir and Stefan's minions to protect the one defined entrance.
I could smell the stink of the werewolves as we began to race up the narrow pathway that led to the dark prison. A multitude of thoughts crowded my head as word spread that the group was bringing a captive back. Once we entered, Feng grabbed one of my arms away from a smaller vampire and pulled me down a hallway. I heard the murmurs and unspoken thoughts. Volturi guard member… Stefan and Vladimir will be pleased… He will be a veritable feast of information… Wonder how long they will allow him to survive… I wondered that myself. The continuation of that vampire's thoughts did not comfort me. …long enough to torture the information they want out of him.
I was pulled into a small interior study, and saw the two vampires rise when they saw me being restrained between Feng and the other guard member. The wolves literally nipped at my heels, intentionally scrapping their teeth across my skin and huffing their breaths across the back of my ankles, legs, and back. The men wore identical expressions of shock and surprise. They weren't tall, and both were slight in build. One was dark headed, while the other had ashy blond hair. They shared the powdery skin of the Volturi leaders.
"Take the wolves away." I heard the deep whispery voice of the darker one.
"Yes, Stăpîn," said the man who'd traveled just behind me, acknowledging the vampire with the Romanian term for master.
I still did not know if this was Stefan or Vladimir. I felt the heat of the werewolf bodies behind me dissipate as they left the room. It was a relief to have their presence removed; I'd barely been able to calm the instinctual need to turn on them and fight. They remained, however, just outside the door, blocking any chance at escape. Even if I tore through the walls, I could hear others circulating around us. I was well and truly caught and surrounded.
"Feng?" the blond one said in irritation.
"Vladimir, shall we allow Feng to remove the blindfold first?" the darker one murmured forebodingly.
So this was Stefan, and the blond was Vladimir. They were both eager to see why Feng had brought home a captive, knowing that there had to be an advantageous reason he would make such a decision…a decision contrary to the usual protocol. I was shocked to see that neither of them particularly liked this man. They considered him expendable; he'd made many decisions in the past that had not turned out to be useful to them. I realized I just might be the first time he'd done something they would consider valuable.
My hands were released as the binding around my eyes was torn away.
I heard their awareness form, and then loud hissing filled the air as Vladimir and Stefan continued to stare at my eyes. Rage that I could not explain poured from them, and for a moment, I thought I might be destroyed at that very second. Vladimir looked to his friend and growled before he approached me.
"WHO ARE YOU?" he questioned menacingly.
I listened to his deliberations and realized that lying at this point would make my situation no better; they would find out soon enough. There was no reason to borrow trouble for such a small thing.
"Edward Cullen," I said softly, but firmly. I was not going to show any fear. I brought my hands from behind me and moved them to rub my eyes. The cloth had stunk of werewolf and, ironically, burned my eyes. The woman who bound me had done this intentionally.
I heard excitement race through Stefan's mind just before he grasped my left hand. Hiding my wedding ring was another thing I hadn't even worried to consider. Feng would have told them immediately either way.
The greed apparent on their faces as they gazed at the ring on my hand was terrifying. I'd thought Aro was maniacal…he had nothing on them.
Stefan's bright red eyes jerked to my face, and he asked the question again, "Who are you?"
This time it was clear that he did not mean my name. I'd listened to Jasper too much over the years as he studied warfare, and wartime politics. I was completely aware that my value as a captive was about to expound exponentially. It was also what might keep me alive past this day, which is exactly what Jasper would have told me to do…if he was here. The best strategy of a captive is to always bide their time, no matter the horrors of captivity, until a successful plan of escape can be formed and executed. I remembered him saying this during one of our discussions on the atrocities of war that humankind had executed upon their fellows. The true merit of a soldier is not that he or she has escaped being captured and held captive. It is that he or she has successfully used whatever situation they are placed in.
"My name is Edward Cullen. I am the son of Carlisle Cullen…" Stefan jerked my hand harshly up, sticking the ring in my face – impatient to get to what he wanted "…and the son-in-law of Aro Velathri…the husband of Isabella Swan Velathri Cullen." I chose to use Bella's full name to provide the formality needed at the moment. It was a calculated move to emphasize her attachment to us all. It worked.
Victory blazed through both Stefan and Vladimir's eyes and minds. Hisses of approval were sent in Feng's direction.
"You were sent to spy?" Stefan questioned. He was astounded that Aro would allow me to meet with Agoston alone, and that he hadn't sent other escorts. Stefan considered me someone of great importance; little did he know that so had Aro. For him, I was the ultimate spy.
Here began my strategy.
"I was sent on a fact gathering mission, nothing more. Word of your unusual associates made its way to Aro's halls. He sent me to visit Agoston, at the vampire's request. Agoston wanted to show him the signs of your training."
Again, my belief was that, in this instance, the truth was better than a lie. Stefan and Vladimir both ran the statement through their minds, testing my words to see if there was anything to discredit. They knew that Aro would know. In fact, their use of the land so close to where one of Aro's associates roamed had been intentional. They wanted Aro to know they were training werewolves. It was part of their strategy, one of continual harassment. In that moment, though, I realized that Aro had no idea just how many of the werewolves they controlled. They had an army…
My years of lying and playing roles came in handy, as I barely controlled the fine shudder that almost overwhelmed me. Stefan and Vladimir wanted Aro exterminated, and they were close to having the means to do it. A legion of werewolves now patrolled this castle and resided in the various large caves that dotted the land surrounding us. They'd been breeding the creatures, stealing humans for food and to be infected. The Serbian wars had provided them the ideal opportunity to hide their actions. They hadn't attempted to hide the fact they had werewolves, just the creatures' true numbers, believing that Aro would find out one way or the other. They rationalized that Aro would discount the werewolves, believing that, if the Romanians weren't attempting subterfuge, the force must not be something to merit concern.
In a way, their plan had worked; the Volturi had no idea as to the extent of their preparation. They were intent on creating a war, and had for the past hundred or so years been conducting the breeding experimentation. Just as in the past few years of the Serbian conflict, the area surrounding Romania had been rife with wars for decades, allowing them to collect the humans they needed. They'd created a fine balance between vampire and werewolf numbers. However, their acquisition of a talented human had been their ultimate coup. The man had been bitten and his ability to control the animals around him had been cultivated and honed. It had been a delicate dance. It would seem that the Children of the Moon lived out normal life spans, and so much of the Romanians' time had been utilize to observe the werewolves as they aged and died, categorizing their strengths and weaknesses. They'd been patient, biding their time to determine when it was best to strike. They now had a large batch of werewolves at their disposal…werewolves that were at the perfect blend of strength and control.
Had they made the humans into newborns, the characteristic behaviors and feeding would have merited closer observation by the Volturi. As it was, the werewolves could be maintained in human fashion in a way that would not engender such scrutiny. Little did they know that, with the werewolves' presence, they had also effectively blinded one of our most powerful weapons…Alice. Of course, that also meant that they had inadvertently blocked my primary means to comfort my grieving family. How far would the wolves have to be away for Alice to capture a glimpse of me? I would have to work on ways of getting away from them…as much as possible.
"When did you take our esteemed guest captive, Feng?" Vladimir questioned rapidly.
"Just a few hours ago," the man answered with great pride.
I heard Stefan call out several names, but I was overwhelmed by the plan I heard forming in his mind. It was diabolical, and I cringed at what was to come…I was not good with pain. What I didn't know was why. What I heard was, "…take him to the holding room on the first floor."
Feng remained with his deceitful leaders, assured in his mind, of his own status. Little did he know…
While one part of my mind braced me for what was to come, the other part absorbed the details of the halls I was led down and the faces that stared at me in horror and interest. I searched their minds for any information that was useful to me, hearing random snippets.
The fortress was dark and utilitarian. There were none of the niceties that turned the Volturi castle into a show place. This was a man's domain. Such was the room I was led to. Cold and austere. It was bare except a large chair thrown into the corner, and various useless ropes and items haphazardly scattered across a table. There was no light, except that which streamed through the open doorway from windows in the hall. The fireplace looked cold, and I doubted a blaze had roared there for many years. It was a holding cell…pure and simple, and it stunk.
My mind however was fixated on the drama playing out in the study just down the hall.
"Feng, take care of him." Vladimir said it so softly that no one would have heard his order. My gift made me the only other individual there that was privy to the direction.
I saw the vampire start to question Vladimir's orders.
"You have your instructions," Stefan commanded. "Bring us back something to prove that it has been accomplished."
I focused again on the minds of the ancient pair, hoping for some answers but the Romanian leaders were so intent on the now that their thoughts didn't wander to the why. My mind warped around my panic, and I had to force myself to focus.
"Yes, Stăpîn," Feng acquiesced, bowing slightly at the two leaders before leaving the room.
I couldn't help but tense as I waited. It was surreal, and at the moment I was helpless to fight them. When Feng came through the door, accompanied by a mix group of vampires and werewolves, I knew the pain to come was inevitable.
One of the wolves lunged at me, ripping my arm off at the shoulder. I opened my mouth to scream, but a crushing grip around my head and neck turned the scream into a muffled gurgle. Before I could react, my head was twisted violently, first to one side, then the other. The last thing I remembered was a frightfully loud noise like tearing rock from somewhere close by…
Stefan POV
"We must choose wisely…someone new," I murmured quietly in my friend's ear.
"The Italian woman; she will do nicely. She is untalented, and if she is destroyed, it isn't a big loss. She hasn't seen the others, having just been brought to the castle," Vladimir responded.
"Perfect." We had little time and needed her here now.
I walked to the hallway and called for the guard there to bring Gilia to the room. Within moments, the pretty Italian child walked into the study. We had no time for preparation or niceties. I knew the rumors of our capture of a Volturi Guard would have already run rampant throughout the castle. I had to plan our speaking with her just perfectly. Feng needed to be distracted. Amidst the noise of daily activity, I heard one small, telling screech. It was enough. The time was now.
"Gilia, it would seem that a member of the Volturi family was captured today. We have need of you to deliver him back to them unharmed, with our apologies. We will write a letter of introduction to Aro and his fellow leaders explaining the situation, so that you are not held accountable. Your language skills and knowledge of the area make you the perfect candidate. We will be well pleased with you…"
Her eyes rounded out in fear, knowing that she was being asked to walk into our arch-enemy's domain.
"Do not worry, you are just a messenger," I assured her, wanting to laugh at my words, as they were the truth, strictly speaking. Vladimir did smile, but he converted it instantly into one that the young vampire would interpret as supportive.
I moved over to sit at my desk, starting the missive needed to perpetuate the act we were putting on. I hadn't been but a minute in writing when I heard Feng approaching.
Vladimir went to stand by Gilia, acting as if he was warming his hands by the fire. Feng strode into the room with a pompousstrut and blithely threw his gruesome trophy on the desk. I wanted to applaud his flair. As I stared at the finger of Edward Cullen…his ring finger…bearing the wedding band his wife had most certainly placed there lovingly, I wondered why Feng couldn't have come into his skills earlier. Never mind, it was too late.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" I roared, surging up, overturning the desk in the process and scattering the items that lay across it. It was necessary to destroy him before he said too much. "You were not ordered to destroy him! You may well have ignited a war with your actions!"
"I…" was the only words he uttered, confusion rippling across his face just before Vladimir tore his head off.
I flew into him with perfected rage. It was easy to allow my blood lust and anger to surface. Within moments, he lay in pieces, pieces that Vladimir quickly began throwing into the fire. I went to the quivering child, who was now crouched in defense.
"Gilia, I am sorry that you had to witness that. It would seem your mission will not be the one we'd intended. Aro will not hold you accountable…let us hope he will extend us the same courtesy."
Vladimir portrayed the ultimate worrier. "Stefan, he will definitely hold us accountable for the actions of one of our guard members." He held the frozen head of Feng aloft by the tips of hair. The disdain written across his face was not an act.
"Send him the head of the perpetrator, so that he will know that we've attempted to rectify the wrong on our end."
Vladimir moved to leave the room, on his quest to find something to pack our message in.
"Vladimir?" I called just before he stepped through the door.
"Yes?"
"Please bring the jewelry box from my room, as well."
He looked at me in question, until he saw me pawing through the refuse on the floor. His lips quirked when he observed me pick up the ringed finger. He fought desperately to keep from smiling as he exited.
As Gilia continued to crouch, and the purple smoke of Feng's burning body filled the air, I turned to write the missive that would begin the downfall of Aro's empire. We had waited for centuries for an opportunity such as this. Edward Cullen had no idea as to how incredibly lucky we'd been at his capture.
After multiple reassurances to the young naïve child, we sent her along her way. She carried three important items. First, was the box carrying the useless Feng's head. I was giving Aro no less than a minute before that part endured the same fate as the others…fiery oblivion. The second was the missive explaining that a guard member had acted without direction, destroying Edward Cullen. The third was my favorite…a priceless jewelry box containing the only piece of him they would ever get back. Little would Aro ever know the hidden significance of that jewelry box, but I would, and I grinned in pleasure.
It was a shame that, once I had Aribert patch him back together, Edward would suffer from the burn of his missing finger. Maybe not…it would be a fitting consequence for him, though, his membership in the Volturi Guard was a sufficient affront that it deserved punishment. The sear of the venom at the wound site and absence of his wedding band would be a constant reminder to him of who now owned him. I'd wanted to crush the piece of metal and jewels when I saw the hated Fleur-de-lis, but I needed to forestall immediate pleasure. I needed it to be returned to them…to confirm what I assumed was their belief. The hundreds of years that I'd lived with the crushing blow that the Volturi had given us had done nothing if not teach me that patience was a virtue.
"How long do we wait before we reassemble our captive," Vladimir asked, stepping back into the room from escorting our messenger to the wall.
"Aribert's experiments indicate that we could keep him that way for years without lasting harm, but we won't need nearly that long. Once we know Aro has received our message, they will have their tracker look for him. We should wait at least a week once we receive word. There is no hurry."
He nodded his head silently, and turned to stare into the fire. "Aribert is going to enjoy this thoroughly," he murmured. I could tell he would as well.
"Inform him to save the torture for later. We may need it to get the information we desire. There is no reason to play our cards so early."
"We are very fortunate, my brother, to have this young man fall in our hands. The gods must be smiling on us now. Not only will this cause the Triad pain, but we will pay back the man who destroyed our revenge when he ended their suffering before. Which brings up an important point; he will be fed humans only, correct?"
At my grin, Vladimir smiled maliciously. "Serves him and his father right, believing they are above our nature."
Then he said the one thing that would throw a pall on it all. "She will be unhappy."
Yes, she would, but she too had learned not to question us. In fact, I would visit her this evening and tell her of our newest coup, before I availed myself of her charms.
Our messenger decided to take a little detour, so our message to Volterra was delayed by two and a half weeks. We'd had to send our tracker, Misha, after her. The little fool already thrown Feng's head into a fire, being unwilling to carry it. Ironically, she had not disposed of the box with the finger or the missive. I was guessing that she thought to sell the box and ring, in a misguided attempt to get money to escape us, but I wondered why she'd kept the gruesome reminder. I made sure that the guards that accompanied her to Volterra from hiding place in England did not allow her the privilege of carrying them again until she walked through the castle doors in Volterra. It was actually perfect. Her detour had allowed the Italian Scum to remain in a state of grief-filled suspicion before the ultimate evidence of young Edward's demise reached them. In the meantime, his other parts remained divided, twitching, but relatively unharmed in our holding room.
Bella POV
Small snippets of conversation started infiltrating the cocoon that I had wrapped around me. I wanted to scream at the voices to leave me alone. Here in the nirvana I'd created, the voices were not welcome.
Bells…come on, chica. I need you to come back to me.
Jake?
We need to get her to feed? Jacob, can you accomplish that?
I hissed internally at that voice. He was a murderer. He had my beloved's venom on his hands.
Umm…no. I won't participate in killing a human.
Some time later.
Bella, honey, you have to wake up. I'll be here waiting for you. Edward wouldn't have wanted you to kill yourself this way.
Jacob's imaginary voice continued to plead with me, using Edward's name in an attempt to make me leave my place of peace. I knew…I KNEW…that if I let go of the cocoon that the hole in my chest would throb, and I would not be able to survive it this time. My curiosity took over though; I started searching for the pain. I deserved it. Had Edward felt pain before he died? Or did he go peacefully seeing my face smiling at him, telling him I loved him? I wondered if he could look down from heaven and see me. Would he, as Jake had said, be upset at me for turning inward to die? How long would it take for my body to shut down? Carlisle had suffered his hunger for months, right? So many questions, yet so few answers.
I searched briefly for my heart; wanting to experience the searing pain I knew must be there. I couldn't find it, though…it was almost as if my body refused to believe he was gone. Is this what grief was all about? The denial. If so, I could live with this. I poked around a little, wanting to see if the pain would begin to throb, but there was nothing. Absolutely, nothing.
I felt as if I was being gently cradled, but I tuned out all other senses. Then the sun was carrying me with it across the sky. Maybe it was carrying me to heaven after all. Would I be granted that concession? I'd killed humans. Would it account that they had been bad ones? I didn't know if it could or would.
The sun burned at my lips, forcing my mouth open. Was it encouraging me to open my mouth and plead my case? I would do it, if it meant I could be closer to him.
Then the torture started as a nasty substance was poured down my throat. I had an equal reaction of disgust, while at the same time, need. I could feel the cells in my body absorbing the liquid, but it didn't taste right. I wanted to retch it back up, but my greedy body refused, and it filled me.
That's right, Bells. Eat.
I heard others screaming at my imaginary Jake, but then I heard Carlisle. Thank you. You didn't have to feed her this way, Jacob.
I can't just watch her suffer, and this is better than the alternative.
I hummed from the full feeling, relishing the warmth the foul-tasting blood sent through me. I cringed, waiting for the throbbing to start, sure that this would be the trigger. My chest felt hollow, but the pain was absent.
Isabella Cullen, enough is enough. You need to wake up now. We'll figure this out…I promise. I'll be here for you, now come back to me.
You were able to get her to feed? Felix, bring some more blood immediately!
Murderer!
I felt the coolness of tile against my legs.
No! You called me for help, and we're doing this my way.
The heat and smell finally began to register. Jacob was here! He would help me with the pain.
Bright light hit me when I tried to focus, but then a dark shadow hovered just before me. Even though my vampiric nature wanted to jump back from it, I knew deep within that this was Jacob, and that I had nothing to fear from him.
"Bella!" Jacob called me, but I skittered back for a moment to hide within my comforting darkness.
If I let go of it, surely I would perish from the pain before Jake could help me control it. But surprisingly, I couldn't find the torture and that confused me. Then the reason hit me. Edward wasn't dead. There was no way. I would know, and the pain would be unbearable. I thought back over to what had been said, and I realized that nothing really had been said. The other vampire had arrived to find ashes and Edward's bag, but there was no evidence that he'd been destroyed. Certainly, some vampires had, but that didn't mean they all had. Wouldn't they want to take prisoners? As soon as I came to this conclusion, I felt relief flood my body. Edward was not dead, and I knew it. Which meant, he was waiting for me to come rescue him…me and his family. I was furious at myself for hiding away.
I pushed against my shield, for surely that had been what I'd hidden behind. The face before me began to shimmer, coming into focus. Deep brown eyes, mocha colored skin…and a broad smile.
"BELLA!" he yelled, pulling me into his scalding, stinking embrace.
I heard various voices around me, and I knew then that my family had stood vigil over me.
"I'm sorry, Jake," I said, my voice hoarse from lack of use.
"Sure, sure," he mumbled into my hair.
He pulled back to look at me, and I saw the grief etched across his face. I had to set him straight.
"Jake, he's not dead," I said.
He froze, a strange expression on his face. He then looked at someone over my shoulder. I turned to see the Cullens all sitting on the floor not far from me. I rose to my feet and spun to go to them, sliding back to my knees in front of Carlisle and grabbing his face between my hands.
"Carlisle, he's not gone. I would know it, and I don't feel it in here," I said, placing my hands above my heart.
Hope briefly flashed through his face, almost as if he wanted to believe me, but then I saw the grief settle back on his features.
"Carlisle, please believe me. I would know." I begged deeply.
"Bella…" his body shook softly "…we've had no word, and it has been two weeks."
"Two weeks!" I turned back to Jake. "I've been out for two weeks?"
I saw Marcus, Aro, and Caius behind Jacob. I could barely look at my father without feeling rage pour through me. Edward was most likely being tortured at this very moment because of him. I tore my gaze away from the hopeful pleading on his face. A door to the throne room tore open and Jane, Demetri, Alec, and Felix blurred into the room. They'd obviously heard Jake calling out my name. Felix never stopped running, pulling me into his arms in a bone crushing hug.
"Thanks, Mutt," he muttered against my hair.
"No problem, leech." I heard Jacob say.
I actually snickered at their interplay. I pushed Felix away just a little, and looked up into his broad face. "Felix, he's not dead, and I'm going to need your help to go get him."
"Isabella…"
I pushed away from him and stood to look at my family. Identical stares of gold and red looked at me with grief and concern. Carlisle had closed his eyes, and when he opened them I could see that he was struggling. He wanted Edward to be alive; the difference was that I believed him to be alive.
I turned to Jake. He'd always been my staunchest support, through everything. Warm brown eyes looked to me with acceptance. He would support me, I could see, but he was unconvinced.
"Bella…"
Rage pulled from my toes and traveled up my legs through my body and to my mind. "NO!" I yelled. "HE IS NOT DEAD, DO YOU HEAR ME!" I wanted them to feel my confidence in this. "NO!" I yelled one last time focusing every ounce of strength in my body to convey my belief. It almost felt as if my shield flexed, and then suddenly I saw everyone in the room fall to the floor as if I'd knocked them over.
"What the hell!" Caius roared, pulling himself up and to his knees to look at me in surprise.
I froze. I had done that. I had knocked them over. Somehow I'd sent my shield away from me momentarily.
Jane's face rippled with delight, and she was the first to rise to her feet and smile at me. I didn't think she believed that Edward was alive, but she was definitely tickled that I'd been able to bring them all down a notch. Of course Jane would be the one to enjoy the new revelation about my power. Now, if we could only harness it in conjunction with hers, we could take down armies.
Hmm….
"Bella," Jacob's voice brought me back to the moment. He'd risen to stand beside me and held his hand out in submission. "Bells, okay, I won't argue with you right now. I'm just happy that you are at least spitting fire at me again."
A door behind us opened and I spun to see Leah Clearwater enter, and behind her…Seth. I spun back to Jake in question.
"Yeah…uhmm…Sam wouldn't let me come without backup. Seth stowed away on the plane, and I may just have to live with you here because of it. Sue is threatening to have me neutered when we get back."
I heard Felix snicker and Jake growled at him. Marcus walked up and engulfed me in his arms, and I relaxed into him, drawing on his strength. He brushed his hand down the fall of my hair.
"Please believe me. I just feel in my heart that he isn't gone. It is almost as if I can still feel him with me. The bond hasn't been broken. I would feel that right? If he was truly gone? I would just know – I'm sure of it!" I choked back a sob, knowing that he alone could understand my pleas.
"I believe you," he whispered. I gasped, feeling joy as his words washed over me, only to be brought back slamming down to Earth as he continued. "But Isabella, I must tell you that I felt the same when we found Didyme's ashes." He pulled back from me so that I was forced to look into his gentle red eyes. "I swore for months that it could not be her. I fought Aro, attempting to convince him, but as you know, my instincts were wrong. She was gone. I know the feelings you are experiencing, Isabella. But, it was not to be… I've grown to believe that when you truly mate, truly find the one that completes your soul, that their presence, maybe you could even call it their soul, never leaves you. It is as if a piece of them stays with you, keeping your heart strong for what you must do, waiting for when you will be reunited."
He put his forehead to mine, closing his eyes as my pain washed over him. A sob threatened to break over me. He was attempting to help. He was telling me in his own way that yes, this feeling could exist and the reason for your existence not. No! I would not be dissuaded.
I stepped back from his arms and I know I hurt him in doing so, but I was unwilling to accept his rationale.
"Marcus, I'm sorry that Didyme died, and I know you say that you felt the same way I do. But, I refuse to believe that Edward is gone. I will not speak to you again about this. I will not accept your nay saying. You either believe me and support me, or you don't."
I spun toward the door, to find Felix and Jane standing beside each other. Their hands were slightly touching, and I saw the peace in his face. "Well, at least something good came out of my two weeks nap. Now, if you will all excuse me, I need to go to my room and begin my plans to go find my husband."
I heard Jacob snort behind me, and the sound of his footsteps following me. I assumed the other two were Leah and Seth. Aro stepped in front of me with a plaintive look on his face. "Isabella, please come with me, let us speak about this."
I looked at the face that I'd grown to love. I knew I still loved him, but I didn't like him, and I didn't trust him at this moment. He'd willingly sent Edward into whatever hell he was living. I would not disrespect him though. I tore my eyes away from his face and Sulpicia's beside him and stepped around him on my way out.
"Isabella, you will not walk away from me," he hissed.
His pompousness broke my control. "Then why don't you order me to do whatever it is you desire then, Father. It seems you are good at taking away people's free will, and you only think of what is good for you." I turned to face him, in challenge. "Why don't you tell me what you, in your omnipotence, desire for me to do?"
The devastation on his face was gut-wrenching. My words had cut deeply, but I refused to take them back. Aro was stunned senseless, and I took the opportunity to walk out undeterred.
"We'll join you in a little while, Isabella," Felix whispered at I passed him. I could see him looking over my shoulder in pity. I was certain he was looking at Aro.
A small part of me wanted to go back and say I was sorry. But, I was tremendously angry…angry he had sent Edward away from me…and angry that he did not believe or support me.
"Bella," Jake's voice made me slow down. "What do you plan to do?"
"I don't know, Jake. Truly, I don't. I have no clue. Actually, I was hoping you'd have something." I said to him as we strode down the hallway, Leah and Seth trailing.
"Nope," he said, popping the "p."
I grit my teeth at the daunting task ahead of us, and the taste in my mouth reminded me of something I wanted to ask. "What the hell did you feed me, Jacob?"
"Deer."
I gagged thinking of the taste, and my respect for the Cullens and their choices immediately exploded.
Jake chuckled at the look on my face. "Emmett said it isn't so bad once you get use to it," he supplied in an effort to be helpful.
"To think I actually fought to get a hold of one once…" I let the implication trail off. This was a subject Jake and I had avoided before. I wasn't ready to lose his support over it now.
"Bella…wait!" I heard the pixie calling behind me.
The four of us turned at the sound of her voice. She had Jasper by the hand and was literally dragging him behind her. The rest of the Cullens moved gracefully down the hallway toward us.
She stopped in front of me. "I want to believe, Bella. Trust me, I do, but I've got nothing here," she said pointing to her head. "I've been looking so hard. I asked Demetri to look, too, and he couldn't find him. Give me something Bella, anything…because I can't believe he's gone either." Her voice faltered toward the end of her plea.
"Alice, I don't have anything, other than what is in here," I said, pointing at my heart. "Take it or leave it."
I saw them all glance around at each other, their eyes speaking in a communication that they'd perfected over the years.
Carlisle stepped up and cupped my jawline with his hand. "Bella, you are my and Esme's daughter. You were even before you married Edward." His voice quivered on my love's name, but he forced the rest out. "You are Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie's sister. We will not abandon you, although I know at one time you believed just that. Although, I cannot say that we have the degree of conviction you do about Edward's survival, what I do know is that you believe it. We will support you."
I guess that was as best as I could ask. "Thank you."
I couldn't stay mad at Marcus long. I was incapable of it. He'd said not a single word about my challenge for him to support me. He'd come in my room the evening I awoke from my "sleep" to find Jacob, Seth, and Leah spread out across the couches. Instead of looking at the papers we'd spread out across the coffee table, he'd gone to the fireplace and built a roaring blaze. The warmth from it had felt amazing against my back, and then he'd slowly lowered himself to the floor to sit beside me. I knew he'd glanced over our notes on what we knew about Vladimir and Stefan, but he never commented on the scarcity of knowledge written on the papers.
When the three wolves left my room to go to sleep, Marcus had remained and quietly watched me straighten out the mess.
"You asked me to tell you what Edward and I spoke about during the time we spent at the hot springs," he intoned, breaking the silence. "I didn't tell you at that time because I'd made a promise to Edward."
His voice startled me, but then I began to grow angry because I felt like he was speaking about Edward as if he was dead. He saw the look on my face and held his hand up in petition, asking me to listen.
"One of the things he asked was that if anything ever happened to him...and stop before you grow angry with me…that I would take care of you. He realized that, with the life of a Volturi guard, there was always the possibility that something could happen…death or capture."
I'd relaxed a little when he uttered the last word. Whether he was acknowledging Edward's status, or just explaining the parameters Edward had set, I didn't know.
"I made that young man a promise, Isabella. I intend to stand by my word."
So from that night forward, he had done exactly that. He never discouraged me, and my outline about the Romanians grew with the knowledge he willingly added. Carlisle added notes during the times the family visited, as did Caius, Athenodora, Sulpicia, Demetri, Felix, and Jane. Only Aro avoided me, and only after I'd ignored him the one time he attempted to visit my room. Sulpicia remained quiet about my caustic words, but I could tell that she was grieving the rift between us.
So, it was with some degree of curiosity that I followed Demetri to the throne room, when he came to tell me that the elders needed my presence. I walked in the room to a strange eerie calm. No one would look at me, but unlike the last time, my heart did not sink. I was as sure about Edward's survival as ever.
Aro stood when I came before him, standing to the side of a strange vampire. An animalistic reek rolled off of her, much like that of my Quileute friends, and yet distinctly different.
Aro came to stand before me, looking me in the eye. "Isabella, this young woman was sent by Vladimir and Stefan. She brought a letter and…" he paused and then could not continue. I reached to his hand, pulling the letter from it.
I read the lies quickly and then looked to the girl who stood beside me. She held something in her hand. I reached for it, and she willing dropped a heavy jewelry box into my hand. I knew I was not going to like what I saw, but I quickly opened the chest. Agony, pure and simple waved over me.
"Caius…how long can a vampire part survive without the nourishment of blood."
"Why do you ask Isabella?" he rasped out. He already knew what the letter said.
"Vladimir and Stefan have sent us Edward's finger." Agony made my voice hoarse, and I heard the moans of pain from Esme, Alice, and Rosalie.
"Isabella, I've read young Gilia's mind. She saw Vladimir and Stefan destroy the offending vampire for what he did to Edward." He grabbed my face turning me to him. "Isabella, my child, there can be no other explanation. If there was anything else I could believe…I would for you. Sorry does not even describe what I feel at this moment. I would trade my life for his, if I could."
His last statement and the sincerity I saw within his eyes broke down the anger I'd thrown between us. I briefly laid my cheek against his chest, and felt the sigh that went through him.
"Father, are you through with Vladimir and Stefan's messenger?"
"Yes," came his puzzled answer.
I pulled away from him and then turned to her, quickly overstepping my boundaries. "Get out," I hissed at her.
As she ran out of the room, I wanted to tear her apart, knowing that she had most likely seen Edward as he was taken into their hideout. Had he been scared as he went through those doors? I would have been. Felix followed her out along with several of the other lesser guard members. When he returned, I knew we were safe. I turned back to my father.
"This…" I tapped the box "…is proof that he is alive, not dead."
I knew that some within the castle thought my grief had driven me crazy. For a moment, I saw that my father struggled to not believe them. He grabbed my free hand, wanting to comfort me. I squeezed his gently, wanting to impart my willingness to move forward. He'd been more than patient with me.
"Why would that vampire, the one you saw in her thoughts, not just destroy him completely?"
"Because he needed to show his masters proof that he had done so," he said simply.
"Then what do Vladimir and Stefan have to gain from sending you this package, Father? Tell me. They could have just allowed us to believe that Edward was killed in the original ambush. It is easily explainable, almost an accepted casualty of the skirmishes between you. Instead, they send us 'proof' of his death, as if it's a peace offering? They want to punish us, to drive us crazy with our grief. In a way, they've won, I cannot stand to think of the pain he must be in…"
My father closed his eyes, unable to either counteract my rationale or because he could not stand to see his certifiably crazy daughter blather.
"Isabella, you need to let go of him," Demetri said softly, just to my side. His was grieving, believing that Edward was gone and that I could not accept it. "I've looked. Over and over again, I've looked, and I cannot find him."
"Then keep looking Demetri, because sooner or later you'll see him," I said, striding out of the room, pain washing over me in waves.
My love…I am so sorry. I promise that when I get you back, you'll never know another moment of pain. I knew the eyes of every vampire in the room followed me as I walked out. Most thought my grief had driven me crazy…but I hoped a few loved me enough to help me in my "delusional" plight.
Edward POV
The last thing I remembered was a frightfully loud noise like tearing rock from somewhere close by…
…and suddenly, flashes of fire streaked through my brain, searing at me. I tried to reach for my head to push against the bones in an effort to find relief, but nothing happened. Then the pain intensified around my neck, as if venom had been poured on an angry wound. I was pulled by my chest as if I was being sucked through a vortex. The flames streaked around me, as if they were racing me as I traveled through a ghostly tunnel, helpless against the forces pulling at me. I writhed against the burn of the flames that licked hungrily at my skin. I wanted to scream, but something told me to stay strong and silent.
I briefly recalled floating in a warm, bright place, suspended in a noiseless, painless state. I wasn't even conscious of the place or my existence until just as I was snatched from it by the cruel inferno. I moved my head and twisted to see where I was being pulled from, and I saw that the bright light was fading quickly away from me. I wanted to return, until I realized that while I'd been in that place, I'd forgotten all about my life, my wife, and family. Bella! I'd gladly live through any pain to be able to remember her, Carlisle, Esme, and my siblings.
The sounds came crashing around me, and the voices, both spoken and unspoken suddenly became clear. I had my hearing and then, with a "whoosh" I had my sight. I opened my eyes to the sight of a dark headed vampire bending over me. I hissed in reaction and went to grab him.
He sneered at me. Impudent fool. I will make him pay for his insolence, when I am allowed.
I wanted to lash out at him, but my arms would not comply.
It was then I realized that I had no arms; he had not given them back to me yet.
"You will be allowed your extremities only after you have come to an understanding of your position and status, foolish child."
I didn't realize I'd been so obvious with my desires.
Pain flared from my throat; my thirst wrapped its greedy claws in me. It was unbearable. How was I to hunt if I could not run? It was then the horror set in. They would not allow me to, so therefore I knew what I'd be forced to drink. Panic set in…I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill a human again.
You could if it meant getting out of here…back to Bella and your home. My subconscious spoke.
As the man walked out of the room, I looked around and realized I was no longer in the room in which I had been torn apart. I heard the noise of the masses far below me and realized that they'd brought me to the top level of the castle, away from the others. The large chair from the previous room had been moved with me, and the table as well. I wondered at the move, but then I was distracted.
I could smell the fragrant blood as it was being carried to me.
My mind warred with my thirst and body. The pain of the healing where they'd connected my head to my torso and the excruciating burn of my throat temporarily distracted me from the thoughts surrounding me; I was little more than an animal at that moment. So, I gasped when the vampire came to stand in the door, holding the large goblet and pulling a cart behind her with several large jugs upon it. The sweet perfume of the offering permeated the air, luring me and making my hunger unbearable. The animal in me won out, and I began snarling.
I caught the essence of Stefan and Vladimir's triumphant thoughts from down the hallway. They knew I would prefer animal blood, but I would not be allowed to follow my moral guidelines. They were hoping that I would be so enthralled by our "natural source" again, that I would be helpless to do anything differently. They could be correct in their hopes. I'd struggled the last time I'd indulged in human feeding and attempted to stop.
It was just the beginning of the tortures they had planned for me.
Jasper's calm face materialized in my thoughts. I could see him clearly as he leaned against the back of a couch in our Fork's home and lectured me patiently.
The best strategy of a captive is to always bide their time, no matter the horrors of captivity, until a successful plan of escape can be formed and executed.
I focused on the female vampire who stood before me, and I started in shock. I had never met her before, and yet…
Jasper's words, the smell of the blood, my desperate need, and the woman's presence (and its implications) temporarily overwhelmed me. As she pulled my torso upright and tipped the cup to my lips, I lost all ability to fight the inevitable.
Please forgive me, Carlisle…
Thick, rich, delicious human blood poured in streams down my throat. I drank greedily, feeling the burn of my throat stop temporarily for the first time in over seven decades. The small taste of Bella's blood had far surpassed what I was now receiving, but it had only served to ignite the flames more. The liquid I gulped now continued to coat my throat, soaking into my hungry, healing tissues, soothing the need, at least temporarily. But as I stared into the red eyes of the female that held me and listened to her jumbled thoughts and fears, I realized there was a drawback to using the preferred food source of our kind. My body quickly wanted to take advantage of the human nourishment and heal itself. Pain lanced through me at the points at which my arms and legs should be connected, and I hissed out as she poured more of the warm liquid into the goblet from the quart containers.
She saw me gazing hungrily at the goblet she controlled. She spoke in a strangely emotionless voice. "You should be screaming…the others did. It has been awhile since we were required to patch someone back together and feed them. Don't worry; there is enough. I know what you would prefer, but it would be in your best interest to not fight them on this. Go along with them, and they will at least make your body whole."
What she didn't say out loud was, unfortunately young one, your heart and soul will most likely never recover.
Pain, shame, and deep grief held her enslaved. She knew they had no intentions of releasing me, and she saw any form of fight on my part as futile. Vladimir and Stefan had literally sucked the joy out of her life, and I saw the methods they'd used…humiliation, sexual and mental abuse, and treachery. She did not see herself as the person she'd once been…believing herself to be undesirable and useless…for all intents and purposes, she was dead.
I knew that others waited in the hallway, but this was one of those momentous occasions in life that something just had to be said.
"I will not fight them on this. I will save my energy to plan how to get us out of here," I murmured only loud enough for her to hear.
She turned to glare at me, but put the cup back to my lips once again. Although she would not admit it, her touch was just a tad gentler.
"Attempts to escape are futile, young Edward. If you are ever able to find a way out, I would suggest you do so alone. I would be but a burden."
She truly believed it, and I wanted to cry out at the sacrilege.
Amazingly, even amidst the chaos of my life at this moment, the surreal situation I found myself in, and the excruciating pain radiating from the areas that they refused to reattach, I wanted to laugh in joy at my discovery. I turned my head slightly to break contact with the life giving substance she now gently fed me. "I know someone who would disagree whole heartedly with that statement, Didyme."
I could not do this without a wonderful beta:
Crmcneill – Thanks for putting up with me, and my less than stellar comma skills. I've learned what screaming looks like over a PM. Trust me the man can scream.