Chapter 22 – For Me, For You, For the Future

BPOV

Edward gazed down at me and I gave him a brief smile. Relief colored his features momentarily before being replaced with concern." How can we prevent the future battle?" he asked.

"Huh?" I was confused.

"You said there was a way to prevent the battle," Alice supplied.

I looked at her and then at Edward. Both of them were wearing concerned looks as was everyone else in the room. I jumped when someone touched my shoulder.

"Bells?" Dad questioned when I looked at him.

I knew one thing, I had to tell Edward, well, everyone something – the sad thing was Carlisle would understand immediately, and slowly Edward would too.

"Laird Taran McGregor followed me with another. I'm not sure who the other is," I sadly admitted.

Carlisle gasped.

I nodded at the unspoken and unasked question in Carlisle's eyes. I was dead certain it was Maribella's father. Everything I learned and didn't comprehend then now made absolute sense.

Laird McGregor's hatred for the magical and mythical worlds was evident throughout the whole McGregor clan. "He'll do anything to kill both Edward and me," I said, having locked eyes with Edward.

Edward's eyes went wide.

"He and whoever is with him knows how to vampires," I told him, reaching up and cupping his face. "I can't lose you."

EPOV

"You won't," I remarked, drawing Bella closer to me. Peering over her head at Alice and Jasper, I enquired what we could do. They both shook their heads.

"There might be a way," Moira supplied, sensing what my eyes were asking, "I would have to do some research."

"We'll return as soon as we can," Maidie told me before the sisters disappeared.

Moira POV

Once we were safely in the attic of our home, I turned and faced my sisters. "I recall reading something about the possibility of this coming about."

"What?" they asked shocked.

I walked to the altar that held our family's book. "And now that we know who is really after Bella and Edward, there is something we can do."

"What?" they asked again still shocked.

"Listen, do you think Maidie would have been sent a vision if we were not meant to do something to change the future? I sure don't."

"You're the one always telling us there are some things we can't change," Maisie whispered." Now you want us to, hell, what is it you want us to do about this situation?"

"Both Bella and Edward need to live," Maidie declared, supporting me." I've seen more I haven't told anyone about, but I believe Alice might have seen the same things, concerning the future."

"What have you seen?" Maisie queried.

Maidie wouldn't meet our probing eyes." I really shouldn't say anything." She looked at us pleading with us to ask. "If what I saw is to come to pass, then we have to do whatever we can."

"Fine," Maisie replied." What can we do?"

I threw a book at her, "Start looking for anything concerning Taran McGregor."

"In books of magic, okay," Maisie suggested as she started to flip through a book whose spine was nearly falling off.

Two hours passed and we had gone through dozens of books, I was beginning to give up hope. "This is pointless," Maisie said interrupting my thoughts.

"I think I found something," Maidie shouted when I was about to throw her another book.

"I can't believe this," she continued when Maisie and I turned our attention to her. "He's a demon. Look—" she indicated the page and the image from the website we found months ago stared back at us.

I started reading. "Taran McGregor was reported to be dead, killed during a hunt. The rest of the hunting party searched the woods for him and no trace of him was found. Three weeks later he walked into the keep with no recollection of where he had been. Strange and mysterious creatures, I cannot rightly call the man human, started coming to seek council from McGregor. Being the clan midwife, though my true nature as a seer was hidden from the laird, I observed many of the meetings. What I saw I cannot express in words. All I can say is that the laird was no longer the caring and gentle man he once was, but something nefarious, dangerous.

"Risking all, I plucked a few hairs and reciting a spell, I found the truth. He's a demon. And not just any demon… Aseruhz."

A vanquishing spell followed. I knew the language as did my sisters. It was way beyond any spell we had ever performed. Sure our spells were magnified by the power of three, but we would need more than our powers to pull it off. We needed a full coven, maybe three full covens.

"We're not strong enough to vanquish him," Maisie said, voicing what I had been thinking.

"True," I said. "Bella's not, at least not now. She's more powerful than all three of us put together. And he won't be expecting her to have already undergone the vampiric change."

"It has to be her choice," Maidie continued, "he's very powerful. Even though she's a force to be reckoned with, she may need more witches and wizards standing with her."

I nodded. "We'll be there if she needs assistance. And I sure our wizard friends will do all they can to help, too." I fell silent a moment. "Maisie," I said when nothing more was said.

She placed a hand on our shoulders and soon we were back in the library with only Bella and Edward, luckily they were clothed.

"Did you find anything?" Edward asked.

We explained to both of them what we had found. By the time we were finished Edward was up pacing the room.

"No," he said with quiet anger. "There has to be another way."

"There's not," I supplied.

"I have to, Edward. It will heal the rift between the two clans," Bella said.

"I don't like it, Bella. It puts you in too much damn danger."

I had a feeling what Maisie had seen. Bella was putting more than herself at risk. She was putting the future at risk if she failed. I mentioned for Maisie and Maidie to exit the room with me. We would inform the others what we found, so they were prepared for when Bella talked Edward into letting her try.

I knew he could deny her nothing.

BPOV

A pained look crossed Edward's face. "I have to do this, Edward. Not just for me, but for you and any future that we have."

"At least tell me you need my help. I don't want you to do this alone."

"I'm glad you want to help and you can by letting me take care of Aseruhz."

Edward cupped my face and leaned close so his forehead was resting on mine." You knew what he was before they returned, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I didn't know how powerful he is. I didn't know I would be the only one with enough magic to end him." Traitorous tears coursed my face. "I'm scared."

Edward said nothing as he pulled me into his arms.