Chapter 15:

Talia observed the burning pyres of the bodies that had once been. Marcus was still cursing the bite he had managed to receive trying to protect her (as if she couldn't protect herself). Such a mated male thing to do, she thought while she let her eyes flicker over the field and the nature they had damaged around the area as well. There had been a few losses. And yet there was one more kill to make.

Victoria was being questioned by Felix, while Alec had paralyzed her, making it impossible for her to escape. Jasper was standing close to validate truth or lie. She had followed Edward's scent, and he had been present at the battlefield – essentially dooming her. It had not been without effort that they had managed to catch her. Her gift working in her favor. Thankfully Alec had been as quick as he could and focused his gift on her.

Daniel appeared beside her and she raised her brows towards her brother. His wings were still spread widely as if ready to take flight at any moment. "The demons in Seattle have been vanquished for now. Good job," he said and briefly winced as he took in the nature around them. "The elves and fairies are not going to be happy about this."

"I assumed as much. We also lost the guard with earth powers to the newborns," Talia said, her eyebrows pulled together in thought. "I had planned for her to fix anything we destroyed. This was inevitable."

"How did she learn about newborn armies?" Daniel wondered.

Talia barely glanced at the redhead. "There was a while they did not detect her around the area, although some of her accomplices did enough to distract while she researched. She did not have to travel all too far before she learnt of newborn armies. Her rage truly has been fueling her."

"And yet, Marcus never went into that kind of rage?" Daniel asked, glancing over at the male whom talked with the rest of the Cullens.

"The Volturi guards' gifts helped that from happening. And he did get his revenge first. Maybe all too soon?" Talia pondered. "Anyway, it did not leave him in a great state."

Ariel appeared, her back to the Cullens, the pull intensified. She refused to give it more thought. "I have this for you," she said, sounding a bit breathless as she handed over the two necklaces. "Make sure Bella and Lucas wear it in about sixty to seventy years at least." She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

Daniel had raised his eyebrows in that span. "You better listen to her." He shrugged then and grinned. "Alright, time for me to return. Be happy, my sister."

Talia shielded her eyes from the light he gave off as he returned to the angel plains. She walked over to the wolves as they started a singular howl, mourning their loss. A few of the Volturi guards had met the flames, but from that they had been lucky. And at last Victoria was now gone too.

"We need to find a way to talk with the elves," she said after the howls went silent. "We all need to contribute to help this land thrive again. Plant anew if they want us to."

"I thought the fairies would be easier to find?" Felix asked his newest queen.

"Normally yes, but these lands are crawling with myths," Talia responded.

"The wolves are leaving," Edward stated, and they all watched them run.


Ariel stopped by her brothers and their mates. "I'm glad you're safe," she said as she put away her cup. She had decided to stay a bit while Leah shared the news and the grief that went through the pack.

They were quite grim, although they had all known the risks, and that it was likely there would be losses. They could only be grateful that it had not been worse.

"This went on long enough," Lucas commented.

"And now at last we may relax," Erlos pointed out. There weren't any more vengeful vampires out there to get them. Leah sat on his lap and his arms sneaked around her waist.

Ariel met Bella's eyes with a smile. "Any plans now that you no longer have to worry about the future being threatened by vengeful vampires?"

Bella shook her head. "I haven't dared. Everything has felt so uncertain, even if I knew we were protected. I'm just happy we can continue to live and embrace our lives." She looked at Lucas who in turn grinned towards her.

"How often will you visit?" Erlos then asked Ariel.

"When I can," Ariel responded.

Lucas nodded in understanding.

Erlos looked down, feeling a bit saddened. Ariel was one of his siblings he was the closest to apart from Lucas and Talia.

"Please tell me you will go somewhere with more sun," Ariel then teased, noticing how much Lucas' skin had paled as human.

Erlos raised his brows. "So you mean to tell me he's pale? Have you seen Bella's skin?" He laughed. Not adding that his own skin was similar to Bella's, and would now struggle in the sun too. While his darling brother would tan beautifully while soaking up d-vitamins.

Leah merely leaned into her imprint. Too tired to participate.

Bella scowled while Lucas chuckled.

"Point taken," Ariel said lightly.

The tone in Ariel's mind called her back to the plains and she hugged them all good-bye before she left. She stood in the part with pink and turquoise fields. Seeing a few of their newer siblings stretching after rest. She walked past them. Past a few whom were sharing their memories of what had transpired on earth. And then to the ones she was personally helping.

It was good to be back. Fighting demons could seem tedious in the millennia's passing. Even so, it was all most known apart from the familial bonds and the protection of others. It was truly fascinating how the different siblings could be individually assigned their own missions from their own creator. How they were all deeply connected even if some barely knew each other. With that in mind she delved into her own task. The future no longer a large concern.


Erlos and Lucas sparred in the backyard, keeping their bodies in shape, despite their demon hunting days being over. A few weeks had passed since the newborn fight and Talia had returned to Volterra with her mate and the guard. Now everyone seemed to be trying to figure out what to do next.

Erlos was trying to figure out what to do for work, and mostly awaiting Leah's own decisions.

Bella and Lucas would continue their own education, although where would still be the question that needed to be answered. The Charlie and Renée factor glaring their way most of the days.

Bella loved the warmth and sun, and yet she had come to love Forks. That was due to the people there and her friends – her now extended family. She knew her mother wanted her close again, yet she could not deny her fondness for her father and the relationship they had started to build. It was one of the main reasons she debated staying and only leave for Seattle. She and Lucas did have more options and the world was starting to open up to them. They would visit Italy soon, paid of course by the Volturi. After that they would fly to France due to Alice and join her and Jasper there before the summer ended.

It was an exciting prospect to Bella. She would start to see the world. She was fortunate and therefore quite grateful to her circumstance as she did not know how possible all of this would have been before the Cullens entered her life.

Yes, maybe years from now she could have saved up enough money to tour Europe at all, or she would never leave the states. That was no longer something she had to think about with Talia living in Italy as the newest Volturi Queen and Lucas being part of the Cullens in a more official way.

"Are you excited?" Charlie asked from the other side of the dinner table. Bella barely lived home after graduating, although she made certain she visited a lot. Often Lucas came along as well, but today she was alone.

"Very. Talia is wonderful and I can't wait to see where she has planned to take us," Bella responded and picked up another forkful.

Charlie nodded. He had briefly met Talia, and could only conclude that the family Lucas spoke of had to be his own adoptive one of sorts. As if he had adopted his greatest friends to be part of his chosen family before moving to Forks. He could see it with the type both he and Erlos were. It was perhaps also humorous enough that the two men were really bad liars. The only reason he knew this was because he had caught them trying to practice just that, and failing miserably. It was good to know he would only get truth from the two of them. He briefly thought back to that time.

"I love the color red," Erlos said and then started to laugh.

"Obviously you don't," Lucas said followed by a sigh.

"Your turn."

"I enjoy eating spicy food," Lucas said and snorted.

"This sucks," Erlos responded. "We can say a lie, but everyone will know it!"

"Obviously. Which is why there is no point in even trying."

"Glad to hear it," Charlie said as he walked around the corner. The two stared at him in surprise and then at each other. "I see I'm interrupting. I did knock, although no one answered."

Erlos shrugged.

Lucas smiled. "We were focused."

"I noticed." Charlie felt his grin widen. "No spicy food, eh?"

"Only because it does not agree with his stomach," Erlos said and laughed loudly.

"And you only tolerate red, but you love brown because it is earthy," Lucas pointed out.

"Wait, how much did you hear?" Erlos then asked Charlie.

"I walked in on that color lie," he responded honestly.

Both seemed to relax.

"How long have you two been practicing this?" Charlie asked with raised brows.

"Would you believe us if we only said ten minutes?" Erlos asked and laughed, it sounded strained.

"You suck," Lucas said and threw a pastry at the man. "Some over an hour," he then said to Charlie.

"For what purpose?" Charlie wanted to know.

"Do you know how difficult it is to even surprise someone when you can't lie? Or avoid offending someone?" Erlos felt his cheeks heat up with the admission. "How can I even work with people if all I will do is tell them the blunt truth?"

Lucas nodded his agreement.

"Ah, I see, no sugarcoating. Have you tried to see it in the way that you will have to work around what you want to say? Or that you can say nothing and divert the conversation elsewhere?"

"It wouldn't be any different from what we did before," Lucas muttered.

Charlie studied them.

Erlos sighed, not saying what he wanted to.

Lucas stood then. "Well, we're off." He grinned at his future father-in-law. "Ready?"

"I am the one that's been waiting," Charlie pointed out.

Yes, the two were odd at times, although no more than the rest of the Cullen family. Even if Lucas was a cousin, he was still easier to be around. He had never been able to put his finger to it, and he was not starting now. They had not caused any harm, quite the opposite, and therefore he would leave them be.

"You will be careful," Charlie then said, resuming the conversation as Bella removed their plates.

Bella debated asking in which way he meant and stopped herself. "Of course. And most of the time we won't even be travelling alone. That should ease your worrying." Her mother did not worry as much as her father, she was more excited that she got to see more of the world.

"Lucas is looking forward to this trip as well," Charlie fished.

Bella shrugged. "Not as much as me, as he has been travelling more in the past."

Charlie nodded. Yes, he knew as much.

"He says that as long as he gets to spend time with me, he'll be content. Of course, he's also looking forward to seeing Talia again." Bella felt the heat in her face spread down her neck and to her ears.

"It's different to travel with the person you love," Charlie merely said and leaned back in the chair, observing as Bella turned, her head briefly tilted to the side with an unspoken question. "Don't worry so much Bells." He shook his head. "Ignore me." He smiled and saw her own easy one reach her eyes. It warmed him, how happy she seemed now. Almost to the point of carefree. Embracing life.

"Do you think Alice will let us go to any museums?" Bella wondered aloud.

Charlie chuckled. "Since Jasper is going, I would say yes. Although, it's hard to say. That girl knows how to shop. Stand firm with her and I'm sure you can be the tourist you want to be," he said.

Bella nodded and chewed on her bottom lip, not pointing out that her friend even had him wrapped around her fingers. He might believe that that would be the solution, and if he thought as much it could only be because Alice wanted it to seem that way. Only time would tell she supposed. If anything, Lucas had pointed out that they had plenty of time to visit the world. He would gladly take her wherever she wished to go.