And Yet They Shine

Chapter 14: Alone

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Isabella turned once, and then again, eyeing the beauty surrounding her. Why was everything so beautiful? She wondered. Do they even appreciate it anymore, or is it just so much furniture to them?

Esme took Bella's hand in hers. "It is very beautiful, isn't it? And yet…sometimes we do take it for granted. Come along."

The turned from the grand hallway and into a smaller set of apartments, still made of marble and gold, still warm despite the cold materials. At the far end, a man stood, looking over a table filled with crystals. Now and again he would pick one up, shake it, and stare into it, only to put it back down with a frustrated sigh.

"Darling? Still trying to play with my toys?" Esme tugged Isabella forward, and the man stood up with a sheepish look on his face. Bella's breath caught. Even with the sheepish grin, he was one of the most handsome men she'd ever seen. He was tall, with thick, golden hair and his eyes seemed to swim from amber to gold and back again. His skin was not pale and not dark, but somehow seemed to shimmer with a golden sheen. He looked warm and yet…terrifying.

And then he smiled. "You must be Isabella," he said, straightening and walking toward her. His smile revealed perfect, white teeth, and Bella found herself returning his grin. "Well, I can see why he's so taken with you. You are lovely."

The blush that lit her cheeks only caused her further embarrassment, thus piquing their color further. The man took her chin in his hand and she found herself meeting his golden gaze as he cocked his head. "Hmm…yes. Well," he said, turning to Esme. "To what do I owe the honor? Shouldn't she be with Edward?"

"That, darling, is the problem. Seems your boy's made a mess of things, again."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Better call the council. Once he discovers her missing, all Hell is going to break loose."

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After Esme asked Carlisle (Carlisle, she thought – not a name for a god at all) to call the council, she left Isabella alone in the room with the comfortable chairs and the table full of crystals. She was drawn to them, how they shimmered and sparked. Some were pale and milky white, while some glowed blue or purple, lavender and pink. She reached for them…wanting to touch them and yet somehow frightened. Would they shock her? Hurt her? She knew they were some kind of magic, but for ill or good, she wasn't sure.

She was startled out of her ponderings when a small, dark haired nymph came bursting into the room.

"Esme? I've got the—OH!" The spritely girl came to a halt and Isabella stared. She wore loose, filmy clothing that danced around her small frame. Her head was a mass of jet black curls held off of her face by a thin golden band. She had wide, gray eyes and a smile that showed too many teeth.

"Oh, you're her," she said, and moved toward Bella with envious grace. "I'm…Alice. I came to give Esme her crystals back, but she's not here now. Hmm."

Alice spun around Bella and laid the crystals in her hand on the table, positioning them with precision. She gazed at the table for what seemed to be minutes, and then plucked two of the most vibrant wands from the table.

She held them in her hand for a moment, and whispered something under her breath, so soft and fast that Bella couldn't make out the words. She turned and held the items out to Bella.

"Would you see that Esme gets these? They're important." With that, she blinked her gray eyes at Bella and walked out of the apartment, her skirts swirling around her as she went.

Bella sat down on the arm of the smallest chair. She held the crystals between her hands, enjoying the warmth that came from them. They pulsed, soft twitches of heat against her palm, and she brought one close up to look at it.

The bright purple of the wand grew milky, twisting into lavender, with swirls of pink and red. It felt alive in her hand, and as she watched the colors change, she noticed a distinct shape taking form. The milky colors cleared, and Bella found herself gazing at Edward.

Though the wand was small enough to fit into her hand, the image it projected was life-sized and so solid that Isabella felt she would be able to touch it, if she dared.

Edward sat upon his throne, hearing the pleas of the dead before him. He did not smile or frown, but there was a sadness in his face that tugged at her heart. She wanted to turn his face to hers, sooth the soft crease between his brow with her thumb until she was certain he'd be okay again.

After a moment of staring, she watched as he rose from the throne and set aside his crown. He turned his back on the crowd before him, and slipped behind the crimson curtain to the left. She watched as he followed a winding path which led to the one door she recognized: the door to her room.

His hand reached out for the handle and then jerked back as though it burned. He stood before the door, hand outstretched for moments, before finally allowing his hand to come to rest on the ornate wood. His fingertips traced one of the carvings, and Bella recognized the Minotaur from the fables of her youth. As she watched, he rested his forehead on the door and the expression on his face...was he in pain?

Bella felt the corners of her mouth turn down and the wetness on her lashes. She didn't understand him. He acted so sad, but he'd been so mean – his temper would flare and she'd cower, but as soon as he was calmed, he was contrite, and his loving glances, the way he'd touch her skin, as if she was made of spun sugar, frail glass – he drew her in and drove her away the moment she came too close.

Watching him, she felt she was coming to understand him. Despite the shades that surrounded him, despite having people on Olympus who knew him, and seemed to care for him, he was, at his core, alone.

When she looked back to the crystal, she found him sitting with his back to her door. He contemplated his long fingers, folded in his lap. He leaned his head back and sighed, the white collar of his dress shirt gaping a bit with the deep inhale of breath. The skin beneath gleamed pale light, and she remembered him telling her that her skin was like moonlight.

With a start, he stood, his movements pulling Bella out of her memories. He cocked his head toward the door, as if he was listening to something. She watched as his frown turned to fury and he burst through the door to her rooms, standing in the middle and turning full circle around.

She watched as he yelled her name, reading his lips, twisted with rage.

He looked up toward the sky and she could almost hear his curses.

He turned then, and Bella's heart caught in her throat. He seemed to be staring right at her. "Esme," he mouthed. "Gods damn you! Isabella!"

The crystal in her hand burned, and Isabella dropped it, shattering the vision into a thousand tiny shards. As she bent to retrieve the pieces, the floor beneath her feet began to shake, and the room was filled with a deafening roar.

"Isabella!"

The sound of her own name had never frightened her more.