Hey guys! So sorry for the late update but I was swamped with college work and then my laptop broke :( So here is the long awaited chapter 32. Hopefully this chapter answers some of the questions about Lizzie. The future chapters will explain more about her so be patient :) Enjoy reading :)
The fire was crackling around us, threatening us with its destructive power. The air was thick with smoke. It felt like the smoke was filling my lungs to the brim, making it close to impossible to breathe. The more I tried to catch my breath the more the smoke burn my lungs. The smoke and heat of the fire around me was stinging my eyes, blurring my vision. I trained my eyes on the beautiful woman a few feet from me. From what my blurry vision could make out her hair was long, wild and fiery red in colour. The black cloak hung from her body loosely, hiding her curves. Her face was the same round shape as Esme's. She had the same crystal blue eyes as her sister and father, however, there was a murderous storm brewing behind those eyes. It was like the calm before there storm, everything was eerie silent around us apart from the raging fire destroying my apartment. I could see her chest heaving with her heavy breaths. She quickly moved into an attack position and just as she was about to leap forward there was another loud bang coming from the side of the house.
Edward threw his body over mine and pushed me to the ground as the noise grew in volume and the smoke became unbearably thick. I turned my head to the side in an attempt to find where Lizzie was. I wasn't sure just how far she was willing to go. Would she stoop low enough to kill her own brother? Amelia's words suddenly came to mind.
"Everything is not always as it seems Bella. Sometimes things appear one way because someone wants you to only see it in that way to hide their true intentions."
Her words kept running through my head as my eyes landed on Lizzie's retrieving figure. I watched as she made her escape, leaving us behind.
"Bella love, are you ok? Can you move?" Edward whispered in my ear. I had to strain to hear him as my ears were still ringing. Edward moved to my side and started to help me up, not waiting for me to respond as the flames started making their way closer to us. Edward held my limp body pinned to his side as he stood up and looked for an escape route. My mind was foggy, my lungs and throat was on fire, my eyes stung and my vision was blurry. I frantically looked around us, at the anger flames destroying my apart, threatening to destroy us too. I was quickly starting to slip into unconsciousness. My legs felt limp and I couldn't make them move. Edward bent at the knees and gathered me up in his arms. I watched through hazy eyes as Edward manoeuvred his way out of my apartment. I remembered the first breath of clean fresh air as we made it outside, safe from the roaring fire. The last thing I remembered was another loud bang and then unconsciousness claimed me.
When I finally woke up in was in a very comfortable soft bed. Silken sheets were draped around my naked body. It felt wonderful against my skin, but I could still feel a layer a dirt from the fire on my skin. I moved my hand around the bed in search of Edward. I turned around to find Edward fast asleep in only a pair of boxers. He looked exhausted and trouble. I wave of guilt coursed through me as memories of last night flooded my mind. The person behind the black cloak was Lizzie. As in Lizzie, Edward's dead sister. I couldn't imagine what he was going through at this time. He was still trying to recover from her death and here she was well and alive. His head must be a mess right now. Lizzie was the one that is responsible for all the turmoil over the last few weeks. I still couldn't wrap my head around the mystery people being Lizzie.
I slowly crawled out of bed, careful not to wake Edward. I thought it would better to let him sleep for as long as possible. He needs a break from reality. I tiptoed around the room until I found the way out of the room and into a hallway. The bedroom did have an en-suite, but I desperately needed a shower and I was afraid the noise would wake Edward. I made my way down the hallway as quietly as possible and continued to open random doors until I found another bathroom.
The bathroom was spacey and beautiful. It was decorated in different shades of blue and white, giving it a beach effect. There was one big window, casting an amber glow into the bathroom with the sun rising. I walked over to the window, taking a few minutes to admire the beautiful view. I had no idea where Edward's parents apartment was in Seattle but from my view I was guessing a very expensive area. I could see the space needle and the sunrise lighten up the coast. There were a few white sailboats out, probably chasing the sunrise. I have never been on a sailboat, but always wanted to. I just stood there admiring the view as I thought of a peaceful future with Edward. I wonder if there was a possibility of a peaceful future for the two of us. My gut twisted painfully as I realised the chances of that were very slim.
I took one last glance at the breathtaking view and turned on the fancy shower. It took me a view minutes to get the temperature and pressure of the shower just right. I stepped under the stream of warm water and instantly felt my muscles starting to relax. The warm spray washed away the remains of yesterday's events. I grabbed some shower gel that smelled like coconut and lathered up my body. I took my time in the shower, making sure I cleaned every inch of my skin. The fear of being trapped in my apartment with a raging fire and a psycho bitch was too much for me to handle. I scrubbed my skin repeatedly in hope that I could wash away the memories of last night. It was no use, my skin was red and sensitive. I looked over my body to check for any signs of injuries. I had a few bruises that were already started to fade. My lungs were still sore as well as my throat. My voice was scratchy but what I know from smoke inhalation this was to be expected. My eyes weren't stinging any more and my vision has returned back to normal. I gave myself a few more minutes to relax under in the shower, and try to get my thoughts in order.
I tried to figure out how I was going to approach Edward about what happened last night. Was there a right or sensitive way to talk to someone over the fact that their sister is a lying psychotic bitch? I jumped out of the shower as the water ran cold. My thoughts were still a mess and I was at a loss as to how to talk to Edward about his sister. I grabbed a towel from a heated towel rack. It was nice and warm and super soft. It felt like I wrapping myself in a fluffy cloud. I quietly made my way back into the bedroom where Edward was still sound asleep. I spotted my bag in the corner next to a chair. I quickly grabbed my bag and moved back into the other bathroom to get dressed. I threw on a pair of worn out jeans that fitted perfectly. I pulled on a light blue cami top and slipped on a pair of socks, not wanting to wear shoes in the apartment. I never understood why people wanted to wear shoes in their house when walking around in socks were so much more comfortable.
After getting dressed and sorting out my messy hair, I went to search for the kitchen. The kitchen was beautifully modern and big. It was every chef's dream kitchen. The cabinets were white and had black marble countertops. The kitchen had every appliance imaginable. I rummaged through the cupboards to find a bowl and a pan and the rest of the appliances needed to make my famous blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes. I was in luck as the fridge was fully stocked and had all the ingredients I needed. I set about cooking the pancakes, lost in the culinary art. I have never been much of a chef, but I do have a few family recipes that I was able to make. Right now, I needed the distraction of cooking. It was easier to focus on something small before everything came crashing down. I finished making the pancakes just as Edward casually strolled into the kitchen, still only dressed in his boxers. I was momentarily distracted by the delicious sight that was Edward Cullen in nothing but black silk boxers. The boy was fine. I walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist and gave my shoulder a sweet kiss.
"Good morning, love. How are you feeling?" Edward said in a scratchy voice. I knew he must be suffering from a sore throat as I was and the scratchiness in his voice was not from just having woken up.
"I'm ok. My lungs and throat were still sore, but that is to be expected. How are you feeling?" I asked softly as I flipped the last pancake.
"Same as you. My throat is killing me. Your pancakes smell amazing." Edward said but made no attempt to move. I turned off the stove and turn around to face Edward. His eyes were haunted by yesterday's memories. I wrapped my arms around him and laid my head against his chest. We stood there in our embrace, relishing in the fact that we still have each other. Last night could have gone much worse. I couldn't even think about what I would've done if something had happened to Edward last night.
"Thank you for saving me last night," I said gratefully.
"I'll always save you Bella," Edward said and kissed the top of my head. I was a coward. Instead of addressing the elephant in the room, his psychotic sister, I untangled myself from Edward and grabbed plates for the pancakes.
"Do you want some? They are blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes." I asked Edward as I placed a few pancakes on a plate. I was starving.
"Yeah, I'd love some. Do you want some milk?" Edward asked as he turned and pulled a milk carton from the fridge.
"Yeah, that would be great, thanks," I said as I placed some pancakes on a plate for Edward. Edward grabbed two glasses with milk and I carried the pancakes to the dining room. We quietly enjoyed our breakfast, neither of us willing to break our bubble of silence.
As we finished up, I grabbed the plates and headed for the kitchen to clean them. I was so lost in my thoughts as I washed the plates that I didn't hear Edward enter the kitchen.
"We're going to have to talk about Lizzie eventually Bella," Edward said nervously. I got such a fright from him that I dropped the soapy plate back in the sink.
"Fuck Edward, you startled me. Make a noise when you enter a room" I said as I tried to calm my racing heart.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." Edward said as he dragged a hand through his hair. I left the dishes in the sink and grabbed Edward's hand. I led him out to the living room and sat down on the plush couch. I figured doing it here would make it easier somehow.
"I didn't know Bella. I honestly thought she was dead." Edward said with pleading eyes.
"Edward I never thought otherwise. This is in no way your fault." I said firmly.
"Isn't it thought? How am I not to blame?! She deceived me! I was stupid enough to believe her lies! I should've noticed what she was up to! I was blind to what she was doing Bella! If I figured it out then none of this would have happened." Edward screamed and jumped up from the couch and started pacing and pulling at his hair.
"Edward calm down. This is not your fault. She deceived everybody. She was the one who lied. This is all of her actions. It is her fault and her fault alone Edward" I tried to reason with him. He sat back down and tucked furiously at his hair.
"I should have seen it though. I should have questioned her more when she left and when she started blocking my telepathy. I should have known something was up. I blindly trusted her." Edward said angrily.
"How were you suppose to known she would have done this Edward?" I said.
"I should've done more Bella," Edward said softly.
"Edward, there was nothing you could've done. You thought she was dead. Everyone thought she was dead. I still don't understand how she managed to fake her own death in the way she did." I said gently.
"I'm not sure. I was the last family member to see her alive. After I thought she died in my arms the paramedics took her away. We never got any proof that she was sick or anything like that. We just accepted what she had told me." Edward said quietly.
"How could she do this? Why would she do this?" I asked trying to figure out what motive someone with such a loving family would lash out like this.
"I honestly don't know. I don't even know how I'm going to tell my parents or Rose." Edward said with a sigh.
"Are you sure that she is behind everything though?" I asked.
"Yeah I think so. It makes sense. She knows the university like the back of her hand. She has had access to magic and books for all her life. I can't hear her thoughts so I wouldn't have been able to detect her mind. She must've been planning this for a very long time." Edward said.
"You're right. It does make sense. She had access and knowledge. No one would suspect her. She knew how to get around undetected." I said. It was like the puzzle pieces were starting to fit together. Lizzie had fouled everyone. No one would suspect the dead girl. Amelia had told me that the mystery person was a member of the royal family. Lizzie would have known about the protection spells around the university. She had all the knowledge she needed to orchestrate all of this. The only question I was currently worried about is what does she plan to do next? What is her end goal? What is she trying to accomplish?
"Edward we need to figure out what she is planning or more importantly how to stop her," I said as I placed a hand on his knee.
"Alice's vision. That's what she is planning. I have no idea why or how." Edward said quietly. I had temporarily forgotten about Alice's vision. My blood ran cold I remembered what Edward had told me about it.
"We need to be prepared. We need to learn how to fight them. We need to figure out when it will happen." I said trying to piece together the last bit of the puzzle. It still felt like we were missing a vital piece of information.
"I don't know Bella. I really don't when she is planning her next attack. When we get back to the University I'll talk to Jasper so that we can start training people how to fight and kill wolves." Edward said dejectedly. He seemed like he was giving up hope.
"Edward we will make it out of this. We will stop her. We will save Alice and you dad." I said as I curled up on his side. Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. We sat in silence for a few minute, giving each other time to think.
"We need to get ready. I called the facility where your grandmother is staying and they said we can come visit her this morning from ten onwards." Edward said as he got up from the couch and extended his hand to help me up.
"Thank you, Edward. It really means a lot to me that you went to all this trouble. I have missed her so much. I can't wait to see her." I thanked him.
"No worries love. It was my pleasure. I'm actually looking forward to meeting her myself, that is if you don't mind, of course." Edward said cautiously.
"I'd love for you to meet her. It only seems right." I said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I walked back to the bedroom with Edward following behind me.
We got ready and set off to see my Nana. I was positively buzzing with excitement. It had been too long since I had last seen her. I had missed her so much and would give anything for some of her chocolate muffins. I tapped my knee impatiently as we got stuck in traffic. It was pouring down rain and the wind was blowing like crazy. I had missed this kind of weather. In Los Angles, it was warm all the time with only a mild breeze every other day since I had been there. I loved the sun on my skin, but I was born and raised in the rain. It was a hard adjustment going from the wettest continent in America to the place where the sun always shined nearly as bright as the Hollywood stars bleached teeth.
After being stuck in traffic for nearly an hour, we finally made it to the care centre my Nana was staying at. It was a care centre for elderly people suffering from mental disorders. I was slightly upset that this is where my Nana has ended up and I wished there was something I could do to make her better. She doesn't deserve to be stuck in there. She was supposed to be in her home, where she could bake to her hearts content and mess around in her garden. She loved planting flowers, even in the pouring rain. My Nana had always been a loving lively person that could make you smile without even trying. I was truly excited to see her but staring at the bleak building I was reminded of my past. I will never have my life back the way it was. I will never have parents again. I will never get to go to my Nana's house and help her with her baking or even help her plant some flowers.
My throat constricted from the sudden way of emotion and I could feel the sting in my eyes from tears wanting to escape. Seeing my Nana reminded me of the life I had lost. It reminded me of the naive girl who would've done anything for her family, the girl who trusted her mother blindly. I was just like Edward. I had blindly trusted someone I loved and never looked further and I ended up losing my dad because if it. I had spent so many nights crying and blaming myself for what had happened, just as Edward was doing now. Seeing the pain in his eyes gave me some perspective. It was my fault, I can't be blamed for my mother's actions just as he can't be blamed for what Lizzie has done. I just wished that there was an easy way of making him see that. I had struggled with the death of my parents for so long and I hope that I could stop Edward from having to go through that.
Edward parked the car and took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze.
"You ok love?" he asked with a concerned expression. I guess my face gave away my emotions. I really should learn to control my expressions when I go to my dark place.
"Yeah, I was just thinking about my past," I said as I started at the grey building that looked more like a prison from a horror movie than a home for the elderly. All around the building was high black steel fences that made the place look even more ominous. Do elderly people with mental health problems really need to be caged like this?
"Do you want to talk about it?" Edward asked calmly.
"I was just thinking about how what Lizzie did to you and your family is kind of like what my mother did to me. We both trusted the people we love and they turned around and stabbed us right in the back." I said softly.
"I haven't thought about it in that way but you right it is similar," Edward said as he looked out the window instead of me. I pulled on his hand till he looked back at me.
"You have told me in the past that what happened with my mother wasn't my fault and you were right. I can't hold myself responsible for her actions and you can't take the blame for what Lizzie has done Edward." I said as I stared into his emerald eyes.
"If only it was that easy. I just wish I knew why she did what she did. I always thought she was happy. I just don't understand why she would do so many cruel things." Edward said as he tugged at his unruly hair.
"I wish I knew too Edward. I wish I could make al this go away." I said softly and I truly did wish I knew how to make things right.
"Ok, enough with the heavy. Let's go meet your grandmother." Edward said with a small smile. Edward got out of the car and walked over to open my door for me as I got my bag from the floor.
"Thank you," I said and gave him a quick kiss. I have missed those lips. We walked hand in hand to the reception desk. The inside of the building didn't look much more cheery than the outside. There was minimal furnishing and everything was white or grey. None of the staff smile and it looked like they were all in pain being there. The man at the reception desk was large and bolding. He also looked like he might throw something at us and he smelled like cats, in a very bad way. He begrudgingly gave us both passes and directed us to the ward my Nana was staying at. Edward and I walked down the empty sterile hallways until we reached a common area. It was a large white room that had a few tables and worn out chairs. There was an old stereo in the corner that was playing a song that sound like a whale mating call. In the far right corner of the room sat my Nana in a dodgy looking chair. I kid you not, the chair looked like it was rat infested and about to fall apart. How could they let someone sit one that?
I led Edward over to where my Nana sat. She was staring out the window. She looked old. I know she wasn't exactly young, but she had aged so much since the last time I had seen her. Her skin looked sickly pale and her eyes had lost that twinkle of mischief it always had. My heart broke seeing her here and looking like she did. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath before I took the last few steps towards her.
"Hello, Nana," I said as happily as I could. She slowly turned in her seat and her eyes lit up when she saw me. I quickly moved to wrap her in a hug. She still smelled like I remember. When I let go of her I could see the tears in her eyes.
"Hello, my dear. I'm so happy to see you. And who is this handsome fella?" she asked as she looked at Edward.
"I'm Edward, Bella's boyfriend. It a pleasure to meet you. I have heard so many wonderful things about you." Edward said charmingly. Nana looked back at me with her signature raised eyebrow that indicated I was about to be grilled for information.
"Boyfriend? Well, Bella dear it seems you have been holding out on me. I always wondered if I would get to meet one of your boyfriends before I was dead." she said teasingly and I could feel the blush tinting my cheeks. Edward chuckled beside me and I blushed harder. Why was this so embarrassing?
"How about I pull up some chairs for us to sit one while you explain to your Nana why you have left her in the dark," Edward said with a chuckle.
"Oh, I like him dear. He seems funny and not too bad to look at either. If only I was fifty years younger." she said with a wink as she clearly checked out Edward's ass as he went to get us some chairs.
"Nana!" I said shocked.
"Oh come on dear. I might be old, but I'm still alive. So tell me about him." Nana said with a hint of mischief in her eyes that I had missed so much. I gave her a quick overview of my relationship with Edward before he return with two of the most stable looking chairs in the room. The three of us sat by the window, chatting and laughing at all the stories my Nana told Edward from when I was a kid. Granted there were some highly embarrassing ones that made me blush like a tomato but it was fun listening to her reminisce. The zombie looking staff brought over some coffee and biscuits for us. With their attitude, you would swear someone was poking them with burning needles. We ate the biscuits, that were surprisingly nice and drank our lukewarm coffee as Nana told Edward about how she met my granddad. Edward's phone rang just as Nana finished her story. He politely excused himself to answer the call as it was his mother updating him about his dad. I hoped Carlisle was doing alright. My Nana turned to me and took both my hands in hers.
"Bella dear, I'm actually happy Edward is giving us a few minutes alone. There is something I need to talk to you about," she said seriously. That explains why Edward made such a quick exit when his phone rang. He would have already known what she was going to talk to me about and probably just wanted to give us some privacy.
"Ok, this sounds serious. What's going on Nana? Are you ok? Are you ill? Do you want me to find you somewhere else to stay?" I asked as a million things ran through my head. What if she is unhappy here? Who would possibly be happy here? Was she sick? Did someone hurt her?
"I'm fine dear, the doctor put me on medication that is controlling the hallucinations. I wanted to talk to you about your my side of the family. I want to talk to you about magic Bella." she said seriously. What? How does she know about magic?
"Nana what are you talking about?" I asked unsurely.
"I know you're a witch Bella and so is Edward. I also know about your mark," she said. This was not what I was excepting.
"How do you know about that?" I asked confused.
"I know a lot more about magic than you think Bella. I'm a witch and so was your father," she said gently. What the hell? That's not possible.
"No, he wasn't! I'm an Outcast. I have one witch parent and one normal one. That's why I have a mark Nana." I said trying to figure our where she is going with this.
"Bella calm down. You're technically only a quarter human and three-quarters witch, that is why your magic is so much stronger than any other Outcast. Your father never knew he was a witch. I bound his powers and stopped practising magic when I met your grandfather. The life of magic was not one I wanted for my son. Our family carries a burden of the magical community. There were reasons why your mother went after your father Bella. He was always part of her plan." she explained. My heart was beating like crazy and my mind racing at the new information, but what does it mean?
"I don't understand Nana. What do you mean by burden and why was my dad part of my mother's plan." I asked agitatedly.
"Bella our family are special. We are what the magical community refers to as the guardians," she explained.
"Guardians of what exactly?" I asked.
"We are the guardians of immortality." she whispered as Edward returned with a big brown leather bound book partially hidden under his jacket.
So what do you think of Nana? The next chapter will be up hopefully by the weekend. A little teaser, the next chapter will be about Nana explaining to Bella about her family history and it is date night for Bella and Edward so it's gonna be lemony ;)