Fill Me with Your Poison Chapter 13
"I really don't like her."
Edward stifled a chuckle at his mate's irritated comment as they left Jasper's house. He'd assigned one of his men to keep an eye on Maria, but he and Bella had stopped by a few times to see how things were going with her.
"She doesn't quite have the humanity that you do, love. She never did. I tried to warn him." Edward shook his head, remembering when she'd walked into Venom. "He didn't see beyond the outside."
Bella laughed. "Well, she is gorgeous. There's no denying that."
He shrugged. "She's all right. I never could get past her attitude."
"Well, aren't I lucky that my man is a mind reader?" she asked lightly, giggling when he swept her into his arms and nipped at her neck. She protested as he pushed open the door to the club. "Hey! We're not married yet. You shouldn't be carrying me over the threshold."
"Only a formality, my love. I've already pledged to be yours forever." His lips met hers as he ushered them inside.
They both sighed as familiar smells assaulted them. "Can't you still smell them?" she asked. "It's almost like they're here."
"I told you they'd still be as nauseating as ever," a welcome voice sniped, though Edward and Bella could hear laughter in the tone. They both looked up and saw Jasper and Emmett watching them from above.
"Emmett! Jasper!" Bella hopped down and was immediately engulfed in four strong arms. "You're back!"
She pulled back and looked up at Emmett, who was smiling, albeit more subdued than usual. "Are you okay?"
"I'm getting there. At least I know that my mate exists, and I'm going to make sure that she stays happy. If that's all I can do, that's more than some get, right?"
Edward clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "That's a great way to look at it. You're a stronger man than any of us."
"Jasper and El helped. The girls did, too. Hell, they've lived a few more centuries than I have without even finding their mates. At least I have more than they do."
"Damn right. It could be worse. You could still be stuck with Jane." Jasper turned to Edward. "I should kick your ass for talking about Maria like that, but since I feel the same way, I'll let it pass."
"One more month," Edward reminded him.
"Nope, it's twenty-six days, thirteen hours, and fifty-three minutes," Jasper clarified, making them all laugh.
"Not that you're counting or anything." Bella kissed his cheek. "We missed you both."
"Ha! As if you two noticed we were gone. We figured you stayed in the bedroom the whole time," Emmett joked, making them all feel a bit lighter. He wasn't as boisterous as he'd been, but he was still Emmett.
"Only part of it," Edward told them. "It turns out that you two idiots actually had responsibilities around here. Who knew? I was required to work." The tone of disgust he worked up had them all laughing again.
"Poor Princess Edward! Had to get his hands dirty and do more than stand around being beautiful and scary? However could you stand it?" Emmett smacked Edward's back, sending him lurching forward.
Edward's eyes moved over to Bella, and a slow smile spread across his face. "I found a way."
"Ugh," Jasper groaned. "If my wrist breaks from overuse due to your lust, you're going to have to take over my work permanently."
"Not a chance, brother." Edward watched him closely. "How did it go with El? Did you learn anything?"
"Yeah. He taught me how to control it easier, how to suppress it when I want to. I'm not perfect, yet, but I've got a handle on it."
"It's pretty cool! We ran across this sorority house on our way home-" Emmett grinned wolfishly"-and Jasper made them all completely horny. They were making out and touching and taking clothes off. It was a porno come to life!"
Edward shot Jasper a reproachful look but, Jasper just shrugged.
It made him smile. There haven't been enough of those over the last month.
Bella shook her head. "You're bad boys. I don't know why I missed you."
"Sure you do, sis. We make things lively around here! Plus, we brought you a present." Emmett sent off a text and smiled. "It'll be a few minutes."
As they waited for Emmett's surprise, the group chatted and caught up on the gossip from Alaska. Jasper eyed Edward as they talked about the wedding in Volterra, which now could be officially scheduled.
"Something's up with you, isn't it?" he asked. He'd always had good intuition, due to his unexplored gift, but now that he was finally in tune with it, he was picking up on an undercurrent of emotion running beneath Edward's placid surface. He felt a spike of surprise and a little fear at his question, which made him wonder all the more. "What is it?"
"We'll talk about it, but not now." Edward's tone held a warning not to push him.
Bella took his hand, seeking to soothe him. As always, her touch calmed her mate.
"Why is everybody so morose? I thought you'd be pleased to see your brothers."
Edward whirled at the familiar voice. "El! You masked your thoughts so I wouldn't know you were here."
"Guilty as charged, young man." Eleazar entered the room, his elegant demeanor not having changed at all in the years since Edward had last seen him. He was an older vampire, having been turned when he was forty-two. His dark hair had a hint of silver, and his Spanish skin was a darker hue than most vampires.
He hugged Edward briefly before turning to Bella, watching her with open interest. "Introduce me to your bride," he ordered Edward.
"El, this is my Bella. Bella, this is Eleazar, one of the few vampires in the world who would dare order me to do anything."
Eleazar took her hands in his, brushing a kiss over both knuckles. "It is an honor and a delight to meet the woman who has captured this one's heart. I've known him since he was but a little boy, but I always knew he was destined for greatness. It seems that he's finally found that with you."
"Wow," Bella murmured, knowing she'd be blushing if she had that ability. "I'm pleased to meet you as well."
"Mr. Smooth," Emmett said, laughing. "It's a damn good thing she's already mated to you, Edward. El might just steal her away."
"There's no possibility of that," Edward growled, pulling Bella back into his arms. He knew Eleazar wasn't a threat, but he still felt the need to reclaim his bride. She, knowing what he needed, brushed a kiss over his cheek.
"Sadly, no, I can see where her heart lies. Still, I always knew you'd find a fascinating mate one day. You have fulfilled that destiny."
El was watching her with such an interest that it made Edward's hackles rise.
Calm down, boy. My interest is only scientific. She reads minds as you do, yes?
"Yes," Bella responded for Edward, sounding a little put out. "You don't have to pretend that I'm not here."
He laughed. "I'm sorry, dear. I'm used to the boy being in my thoughts, but I'm not used to others."
"It's an adjustment for sure," Edward said dryly.
"I'll say! He wasn't too happy that someone could get into his head!" Emmett told them. "It's been hilarious to watch him deal with her knowing his every thought."
"Until they started talking to each other in their heads all the time. That was annoying," Jasper supplied, making them all laugh.
"And let's not forget when she'd send him a sexy thought, distracting him from whatever we were discussing and causing him to grab her and run out of the room."
Bella was both mortified and proud of herself. "He does it to me, too!"
"You are certainly a very unique pair. I've never seen mates with the same ability before." Eleazar's gaze stayed on Bella, as if he were trying to see inside her head.
"What?" Edward demanded, a bit annoyed at the attention El was giving to his mate.
"Something is different about her. I can't pinpoint it yet."
"Me? What's wrong with me?"
Edward glared at El as he hurried to assure his Bella that everything was fine. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're perfect!"
"My dear, excuse me. I didn't mean to alarm you. I get a sense of people, of their gifts, and I'm getting something different from you than Edward. It's strange because you have the same gift, is all. I'm sure I'll figure it out."
"Oh. So nothing is wrong with me? My power? Is it going away?" She didn't like that idea. She and Edward were equals, able to understand one another in a way that nobody else could, beyond being mated. She didn't want to lose that.
"No, they don't go away," Eleazar rushed to assure her. "My gift allows me to see others. Their aura, sort of. I see colors around each of you. Emmett is red, showing his strength. Even when he was a scrawny boy, I saw that he would one day be amongst the strongest vampires out there. Jasper is blue, showing his connection to emotion. Edward has a purple hue, showing power, royalty, and knowledge."
Bella was fascinated. "What color am I?"
"White, with all the colors running through it. I can see shades of every color in you."
"What does that mean?" Edward asked, linking his fingers with her. He didn't know if he should be excited by this revelation, or afraid.
"I'm not sure. It could mean that her power hasn't settled completely on her yet. It's possible that the purple will take over."
"But that's not what you think," Edward prompted, annoyed because El was masking his thoughts. His ability to recognize the power in others also allowed him to know how to thwart that power. Such was his gift, and it was a very strong one.
"I could be wrong-and I don't want to-"
"You're yellow," Bella said suddenly, stopping Eleazar's words in their tracks. "I can see it, now. I can see all of them. What does that mean?"
Eleazar's face was practically glowing. "It means, my dear, that you are even more extraordinary than I could have imagined. I never thought I'd see the day!"
Empath.
Edward and Bella both gasped as his thought hit them. Before anybody could say a word, Edward held up a hand. He listened and breathed and found that they were entirely alone. He knew who his mole was, but he'd elected to let her live for now, electing to keep his enemies close. He figured he could use Bree to spread misinformation to Aro if necessary.
"Everyone's gone?"
"Yes," Jasper answered, his nerves spiking at the emotions that were swarming into the room. "Emmett and I told them to take off until opening since they've all been pulling extra hours while we've been gone. Nobody protested."
"They ran off like bats out of hell. What aren't you telling us?" Emmett asked. He was ready at any moment to do whatever Edward may order him to do. He didn't know what was going on but he knew that his brother was going to do whatever it took to protect Bella.
"Bella's an empath," Eleazar announced, his voice almost reverent.
"What does that mean?" Emmett asked, annoyed that he alone appeared to be clueless.
"It means that she doesn't have one power…she has them all," Jasper supplied, sounding awed as well.
"Not exactly. An empath has the ability to have all abilities, but they must be exposed to them in order to learn to use them."
"So, Bella was able to read minds first because Edward is all up in her business twenty-four-seven," Emmett surmised, making Edward scowl while the others laughed.
"More or less, yes."
"She's perceptive, like Jasper," Edward announced. "She picks up on how people are feeling, but she doesn't control it or anything."
"Because he couldn't. He resisted learning how to use his gift, and thus it was an untapped power until recently. Now that he knows how to use it…"
"I will?" Bella asked. She'd remained quiet as the men discussed her gift. She wasn't sure how to feel about it. On the one hand, it was overwhelming to think that she possessed an ability to do pretty much anything. On the other, it was exciting and exhilarating. Her mind whirled at the unknown.
"Yes." The reverence in Eleazar's voice made Bella nervous. "You can do anything you allow your mind to do. You've simply to open up, absorb the gift into yourself. Think of yourself as a mirror, but instead of reflecting back the gift, you can pull it in, while still reflecting. You don't take the ability away from the vampire; you just absorb it into yourself."
"Are there limits?" Fear gripped Edward. "If she's around too many different powers, will it overwhelm her? Could it hurt her?" That was not to be allowed. He'd keep her away from all other vampires if that was the case. They'd hide away from the world and not let anyone near her.
"Edward, it's okay," Bella reassured him, although she wasn't sure herself.
"I can't say for sure, of course, but she's around three talented vampires, and it isn't causing her any harm. You are thinking of Volterra, yes?" Eleazar asked, still studying Bella intently.
"We're supposed to be wed there, soon. I won't risk her." Edward was adamant about that.
"Of course, I understand your reticence. I don't think it'll be an issue, however. If you wanted to diminish it, you could perhaps expose her to some of the talent that will be there before you arrive. Let her absorb and understand one by one so she's not overwhelmed when you're there."
Edward liked that idea. He could request visits by various vampires who would be in attendance under the guise of wanting to find his replacement at Venom. He had planned on taking time off to travel with his bride anyway. He had planned to leave the club in Emmett's and Jasper's capable hands, but he knew Aro would be more comfortable with someone higher in the organization stepping in.
"You think that would work?" Bella asked, having heard her mate's thoughts. She knew that Edward wouldn't risk her mental health by exposing her to all the vampires at once, and it seemed like a good idea to her.
"Of course! I'm sure once Aro knows about her power; he'll want to do anything he can to make her as strong as possible! He's going to lose his mind over her!"
Eleazar had said exactly the wrong thing. Edward growled, and before his brothers could react, he had Eleazar pinned to the floor, his mouth at the older vampire's throat.
"Edward! What are you doing?" Emmett started to pull him off, but Bella stilled him.
"Don't," she warned, knowing that her mate was ready to kill to protect her.
"Aro can't have her!" Edward spat, his grip on Eleazar tightening to the point of pain, making him cry out.
Edward was beyond rational thought. He had nightmare visions of his Bella being taken away from him, being locked in that terrible castle just like he'd been as a child, unable to escape; bending to Aro's will and working for him. It could not happen.
"We have to stop him. He's going to kill El!" Emmett protested, turning on Bella.
Jasper sought to send calm to the room, but Edward's rage was more powerful than even he could breach.
Bella knew she had to help Jasper and Emmett understand Edward's rage before they turned on him to save Eleazar.
"Benjamin," she murmured, causing both vampires to turn and stare at her.
"What?"
"Aro killed that little boy, Benjamin, who you were all friends with when you were children."
"No, he got sent home to his family," Emmett told her, speaking slowly, confused as to what that had to do with what was happening right now.
"Aro killed him, right in front of Edward. And his mother was killed when he was taken, and his father died of a broken heart, and Edward hates Aro." She let it all go, because she knew from her mate's thoughts that Eleazar wasn't going to be able to alert anyone to her abilities. "We're going to kill him when we go to Volterra to get married."
The shock that went through them all at her words could be felt even without Jasper's gift.
"You can't!" Eleazar shouted, trying to struggle. "Aro is our leader. It is because of him that we are all here today. I won't allow this."
"You don't have a choice," Edward hissed, his hands tightening around El's throat.
Emmett shook his head, slowly coming back into focus. "You've been planning this?"
"Since you've been gone, although Edward's been planning it all his life, pretty much," Bella answered, her eyes on her mate. He was seconds away from destroying Eleazar. "We were waiting to talk to you, to see if you'd help. There are others…" She broke off, not wanting to say too much. If Emmett and Jasper weren't on board, they were going to be in major trouble.
"He killed Ben?" Jasper asked softly, his mind picturing that delicate little boy.
"And others who weren't gifted. You all got to live because Aro wanted to turn you into his army." Bella glanced at where Edward had Eleazar pinned to the floor. "El was able to tell him which ones would have talents and which wouldn't…"
Before she could finish the sentence, Emmett had hauled Edward off of Eleazar.
El was beyond relieved. "Aro is going to be most unhappy to hear about your behavior, Edward. He expects better from you. I know you want to protect your mate, but she will be a most cherished asset to the coven. You should be honored!"
"Did you do what she said?" Emmett demanded, his voice rough. "Did you tell him which of us were going to be valuable?"
"Well, of course I did! He didn't want all those children about, but it made Sulpicia happy, and once he realized that some of you had gifts, he saw that he could benefit from the arrangement."
"So you told him Ben wasn't gifted?" Jasper asked, his eyes shooting fire.
Eleazar felt the tension in the room. "Yes, but-"
That was all he said, because Emmett snapped head off and Jasper started ripping at his torso.
"He had to die, right?" Emmett asked, looking at Edward, who was staring dispassionately at the pile of limbs before him.
"Yes. Aro can't know about Bella. And he can't know what we're planning," Edward responded, his mind already calculating what to do about the mess.
"When were we going to know?" Jasper was irritated at having been shut out.
"As soon as you got back. I need you if we're going to take down Aro. Obviously he isn't the only one."
"Caius," Emmett said with a grim smile. He had always hated Caius. It would be a pleasure to kill the sadistic bastard.
"Chelsea, obviously. The shields. James. What about Mother?" Jasper asked.
Edward hesitated. Sulpicia was the reason he'd been taken, and she'd killed his real mother. He didn't hate her like he did Aro, though.
"I don't know. I guess we have to see how she reacts. He's her mate, but…"
"We're her children. And she's crazy about her children," Jasper finished, conflicted as well. He'd follow his brother anywhere, but he wasn't sure if he could kill his surrogate mother. Aro wasn't an issue.
"We've time to figure it out. First, we need to dispose of this before the others return. Emmett, Jasper, you take him somewhere and burn his remains. Bella, grab his phone. We'll text the girls that he's received word of a talented vampire and he's heading out for a while. It'll buy some time, and we can all swear he left here healthy and happy."
Edward turned to his mate. "Do you think you're going to be able to pick up these gifts on your own? If I could have kept him alive, he could have helped, but he was too much of a threat."
Bella wrapped her arms around him. "I'll do whatever I have to; you know that."
"I'm sorry you had to see-"
She cut Edward off with a kiss. "I'm going to see a lot more of it before we're done, and I don't care. I only care about you."
As always, she humbled and amazed him. "I love you."
"I love you, too. Let's get to work. Call in the vampires."
There was no time to waste. They had much to do before they headed to Volterra.
A/N Hi El...bye El! The threat had to be extinguished! To clarify, Bella's power being referred to as an "empathic" one isn't the same as Jasper's. If you watched Heroes, they called Peter and Sylar empaths and they had the same ability she does. Makes things interesting, huh?