The Portrait and The Letter
Chapter 18
Edward gripped the steering wheel as he drove around a tight corner. Bella leaned her head against the window, looking out at the tall trees covering most of the road, blocking out the sunlight, some of it managed to escape through, filtering in rays of bright green and gold as the afternoon progressed.
Behind the sunglasses, he'd glance at her now and again. Ignoring everything around them, it almost felt like they were two normal people, going away for a summer vacation.
He hadn't told her about Sam, the kidnapping or the complete disaster that was starting to take place. The Council was at a breaking point, Barker might be unmasked, and Bella might soon be able to return to her normal life.
Where would that leave them? Would he seek her out after all of this? Would she welcome him? Did she … know what he felt for her? He pressed his lips together as she played with a chestnut lock.
Probably not.
The bruising around her neck was almost gone. Though the thin turtleneck looked strange in summer, it was better than revealing what hid underneath.
As Edward had returned the previous day from whatever mission he had been sent on, she noted a shift in him. There was a rising tension that hadn't been there before. She hadn't asked, knowing there wouldn't be an answer, and for the first time, realizing that just because she knew his secret, it might not bring them closer. The car ride, thus, felt lonely to her, she didn't have the courage to speak to him, knowing that on her part, it would just be an empty conversation. Besides, he hadn't said a word since they had driven into Cadherra.
After much consideration, Bella was to be moved back to Safeira. Not that she wasn't safe in the cabin in Sorossa, but keeping her hidden in the largest city in Angloa and in familiar territory would be easier for Carlisle and the SCR than in the cabin. There they were open for attack and did not have the resources necessary should they be discovered. The noose around The Council was tightening, after all, and one of the most important chess pieces needed to be guarded at all costs.
Edward, of course, had seen the reasoning behind the decision but still tried to talk Carlisle and the other members out of it. Bella would be more comfortable in the cabin, where she could move about as much as she wanted outside and take in the fresh air. That would come to an end as soon as they entered Safeira. When she had been let in on the plan—as was her right now after her request to know all machinations of Carlisle's mind regarding her and her safety—she had declined at first. For the first time, Bella was aware of her situation and it frightened her. And, for the first time, she was afraid of Safeira and what she might encounter there.
The discussion between her and the Director had been long, Edward had scarcely said anything as Bella and Carlisle argued back and forth. It wasn't until Bella expressed an interest in seeking out further expertise beyond her field that she started softening. When Carlisle at last argued that she would be much safer in the vast city of Safeira and that she would have more access to knowledge there, Bella finally agreed. She would be sad to leave Raven's Grove and Sorossa, having come to enjoy the cabin despite the jarring circumstances surrounding her arrival there.
Edward would take her back by car to Safeira, both disguised in civilian clothing. What the other SCR agents were up to she had no idea, but she comforted herself with the idea that they were not too far away.
The familiar towers of the cathedral of Safeira could be spotted in the distance, as well as the impressive dome of Aldea. Saphire rooftops still revealed the reason for the name of the Angloan capital, even now. They dipped into a tunnel, transported under the city until they emerged on its outskirts. The small street was practically empty as Edward, clad in a cap and pilot sunglasses, stepped out to make sure the coast was clear. The street curved, leading to a small townhouse hugged by a small untamed backyard that looked more like a small jungle. Bella pulled the big hat further down to cover her face and sighed as she pushed up the sunglasses. She retrieved a small backpack from the back seat. It contained some of her belongings from home which the agents had hastily gathered for her. Edward opened the small iron fence leading up to the quaint drive as she leaned against the blue sedan—an inconspicuous enough choice to be traveling in.
He motioned for her to head into the house. It was in brick, the architecture reminiscent of the neoclassical style of downtown Safeira. A tall black iron fence separated the house from the rest of the street. She walked up the drive, met by the heavy black door, already unlocked by Edward.
Inside was a small hallway, with a burgundy rug steering the eye forward, through the thin foyer and onwards to the sitting room on the other side. Next to the foyer was a narrow staircase leading to the upper level. On the left side of the hallway was a small door leading to a kitchen.
"Your bedroom's upstairs to the left," Edward said with a forced smile as he started moving up the stairs himself with two large duffle bags.
She glanced up as he disappeared into one of the rooms next to the staircase, then she put down her backpack and stalked through the narrow corridor and entered the living room. While modest in size, it was bright and cozy, the interior lit up by large windows that had been obscured by thin white curtains. A large dark rug covered most of the wooden floor and a set of white chairs and sofa clustered around a black table brought the room together. There was a small dining table near the far side of the room, by a set of French doors opening up to a small balcony. The balcony looked onto the small patio in the back. Beyond the patio was the untamed garden, large trees leaning over the back of the house, casting shadows reminiscent somehow of Raven's Grove.
By afternoon, Edward made them some dinner and seated himself in front of a laptop. Bella didn't speak as his fingers typed away at the keyboard.
Bella was looking at the news, nothing of note catching her interest other than Princess Victoria having canceled a public appearance earlier that morning. Bella frowned as she glanced over at Edward.
She knew something must have happened since his departure from Sorossa. Edward had returned so mellow, not his usual charming self. He was quiet, avoiding her gaze, engulfed by something. She wanted to ask… wanted to comfort whatever it was that now worried him. But she was afraid her support would be dismissed.
So she kept quiet, taking instead a bite of the pesto-covered pasta, looking down at her plate.
She noticed how his jaw tensed, his eyes still glued to his laptop, reading something. The more he read, the more she noticed the rest of his body tensing. Suddenly, he slammed the laptop shut and took a shaky breath. There was a harshness to his eyes, a harshness and something she didn't recognize in them—fear. For the first time, she detected something she wished she never would see in any of the SCR agents.
He was about to speak to her, and she had no idea if the words leaving his mouth would be harsh or dismissive. Before he opened his mouth, Bella decided she would be more than just the person finding the letter for them. Maybe he didn't want support or a friend, but he sure looked like he needed one now.
She gave him a gentle smile. "It'll be okay," she said. It was simple, short, and to the point but the words conveyed something Edward desperately wanted to believe in. And, as he took in the look in her chocolate eyes, he believed her, a warmth extending within him that everything would indeed be okay. Suddenly the harshness in his eyes softened.
His body began relaxing from the tension and he allowed himself to reciprocate her smile. "Thank you," he responded gently.
They locked eyes for a moment, Bella sensing how her heart fluttered under the intensity of his gaze, her cheeks slowly growing flustered as she was trapped under his spell—just as much as he was by her.
They were unaware of the other pair of eyes regarding them, a sorrowful understanding giving way to slow acceptance that whatever was transpiring between Isabella Dwyer and Edward Athar could now never be stopped. An unknown force pulled them to one another. Jacob sighed. Both were however dense enough to not have seen it yet, of course.
A pair of footsteps in the entrance to the living room broke the magic as Jacob entered in full uniform.
"You're needed at HQ," he said to Edward in the disguised voice.
Edward cast a worried look at Bella who kept casting her glance between Jacob and Edward. Edward got up with a sigh and started gathering his things. "Wait outside, will you?" he asked Jacob as he placed the laptop in a backpack.
Jacob left them without a word, Bella now focused on Edward as he checked the contents of the bag.
"Where are you going?" Her question was redundant for she knew he couldn't answer.
He sent her a faint smile. "Wolf and Fox will stay with you tonight," he started. "I'll be back before you know it."
A nauseating feeling took hold of her, as if an intuition told her he was in danger. "Don't go," she pleaded as her voice shook.
He had slung the bag across his shoulder and looked at her apologetically. "I have to."
She stood up from the table. "I don't want you to go," she said more forcefully.
He slowly neared her. "Why?"
She had to stretch her neck to look up at him, as he was much taller than her. She didn't want to get involved with an Athar, with anyone that came from the same world Mike did. She knew what would be in store for her, the heartache that was to follow. She had in vain tried to force any feelings she housed for him away, to repress them. But, to her sadness, she discovered it was futile—like trying to stop the waves at the beach or stop the rain.
"We have a new trail, a new way of bringing out The Council without the letter. This might be over for you soon, you won't have to live like this anymore," he explained. "It's safer for you this way too."
And they would be parted soon, she supposed.
Strange, Bella thought, that she didn't blabber anymore around him when she was nervous. She hadn't realized when it had stopped.
"What about your safety?" she asked timidly.
"My safety?" he asked.
"Will you… be okay?"
He didn't know she'd worry this much for him. Edward grew warm at the very thought of it. His smile grew warmer as well. Despite himself, and despite the professional relationship they were supposed to keep, he pulled her in for an embrace. He thought it might be short and friendly, but as he held her in his arms, he didn't want to let go. Instead, he buried his nose in the top of her head, taking in her scent. Bella rested her head against his chest, slowly encircling her hands around his waist, closing her eyes. They didn't know how long they stood like that, but it was serene—right for some reason.
"Cullen?" Wolf said from the hallway. "Time to go."
Both Bella and Edward jumped at the amused tone. Bella grew red as she realized Wolf must have been watching them this entire time. Edward gave her an awkward chuckle. "I'll be back before you know it."
She wanted to trust him as she watched him heading for the door.
Bella sat down to the rest of her meal. The pasta in her mouth felt like sand as she chewed it unwillingly, grimacing as she swallowed. She expected Wolf to disappear without a word, knowing he would be somewhere in the house. They both heard a car leave the drive and Bella's fork came to rest on the porcelain plate with a loud clank.
She heard the scraping of a chair as he sat down opposite her. It looked strange, to have the stoic agent in his uniform take such a laid-back position at the table.
There was a melancholy air slowly filling the room that pushed down on her, making her feel uncomfortable. They were worried as well, and doing a bad job at hiding it. Or, maybe, they wanted her to know the truth of their current situation.
"Is he… this is personal to him, isn't it?"
She knew the team had lost someone, but she had never wanted to inquire as to whom it might have been—only that that mission in which their member had died had secured them the information that had eventually led her down this path as well.
"Cullen had a brother once," Wolf said quietly, his hand resting on the table, his head tilted slightly down.
Bella's shoulders sank.
"And his brother was captain of the SCR until two years ago."
She could sense how she started paling and a knot formed in her stomach.
"Oh," she whispered with a quiver in her voice. "Thank you for telling me."
He looked at her sharply behind the mask. "Don't thank me yet."
Fox finally joined them and the strange exchange was like dust in the wind, Bella not daring to inquire further on a matter she knew was none of her business.
Before the car ride to Safeira, Edward had asked her to compile a list of people she needed to speak with. It was short and to the point. That list had been narrowed down to one name by the SCR.
She tried to accept the name, knowing this person would indeed be in peril if she tried to visit them. Bella had argued that contacting this person by phone was the safest bet—quickly shut down by the agents and Director who said the lines would be easy to pick up any chatter and that her voice could be narrowed down in the sea of conversations by The Council. She would have to contact this individual in person, with the help of the SCR. And it would happen tonight. As Edward executed his mission, all attention from The Council would most likely be on him and Bear, it was the perfect opportunity for Bella to venture outside the safe walls of the townhouse. It was the perfect diversion to remove the attention from her. That was why she had come, after all.
Dr. Miranda Gonzalez was the foremost authority at the University of Safeira when it came to Medieval history. If there was anyone Bella trusted and anyone who would know where to keep looking, it was Miranda. Alas, contacting her as Bella did now would put Miranda in a dangerous position.
It was after ten when Bella left the townhouse by car. She was driving alone, closely followed by Wolf and Fox. The streetlights had just turned on and she nervously gripped the steering wheel as she drove to the outskirts of the city where Miranda lived. Bella still went through in her mind how she would explain all of this to Miranda. She hadn't technically disappeared from society or anything. As far as Miranda knew, Bella was extending her vacation in Hayes. However, showing up so late in the evening, asking specific questions tied to General Cullen's portrait would more than raise a few eyebrows, that much Bella knew.
Wolf had said that she couldn't, under any circumstances, reveal the real reason for her being there as it would only place Miranda in more peril. The less Miranda knew, the better for her. Bella, of course, had argued that Miranda wasn't stupid. She just hoped she would be smart enough not to ask any questions.
The GPS guided her to a back alley and Bella thought she might break the steering wheel from squeezing it so hard. She heard the camouflaged voice in her ear and pinched her eyes shut. Why was she nervous? Nothing would happen… she would be fine.
She wished Edward was there with her.
She took a deep breath and pulled the hood of her jumper low over the cap as she rounded the corner and jogged to the front door.
"Short and to the point, remember that," Wolf said in the earpiece.
"We'll be right here with you," Fox said, his voice distinguished by being somewhat lighter and not as muffled. It sounded softer somehow to Bella.
She pushed the digital doorbell button by Miranda's last name.
"Yes?" came the familiar voice.
It felt strange hearing Miranda. The university felt like an age ago. So much had happened since she had left for Hayes, so much that Bella was certain Miranda would be able to read it on her face.
"Hello?" the voice asked again, confused.
"Miranda, hi! It's me, Izzy," Bella said, using the hated nickname. It was better than shouting out her full name on the desolate street.
"Izzy?" came the voice again but it had shifted from suspicious confusion to pleasant surprise. "What are you doing here at this hour?"
"I… uhm, I just really needed your help with this small theory I ran across when working on my thesis you know. I've been stuck for days trying to figure this out when I remember this might be your area of expertise and I thought coming to you—"
The sound of the buzzer made Bella stop.
"Come in, Dwyer," Miranda laughed.
Bella took a deep breath and stepped inside the apartment complex, heading toward the elevator, pressing the button leading to the third floor. She didn't know why she was nervous, she just hoped Miranda wouldn't sense it.
Miranda was indeed surprised to find Isabella Dwyer on her doorstep at ten in the evening on a Monday, paler than usual with slight rings under her eyes and wearing a turtleneck under a thick hoodie at the height of summer. She arched an eyebrow as she let her in without a word, Bella smiling awkwardly as she stepped inside the apartment. The door was closed and locked behind her. She was ushered into a nice foyer opening to the living room, an extravagant art deco style mixed with baroque and mid-century furniture, very on brand for Miranda.
"Where's Anna?" Bella asked, inquiring after Miranda's partner.
"Visiting her sister in Meer," Miranda responded. She wore a colorful kaftan in silk, her black bob prominent, making her already sharp jawline appear even sharper.
"Oh," Bella said, grateful it would only be her and Miranda talking.
"Tea? Or something stronger?"
"I wouldn't mind a nightcap, to be honest," Bella admitted as she was shown to the sofa.
Miranda gave her a smirk and started pouring some amber liquor. "You could just have called, you know?"
"Where's the fun in that?"
"Engulfed in that thesis of yours, then?" Miranda asked as she dumped some ice from the freezer into both glasses, surprising Bella as she too joined in on the drinking.
"You have no idea," Bella said as she accepted the glass gratefully. The French balcony doors were opened, letting in the cool summer breeze. Miranda's balcony faced the inner courtyard of the apartment complex, allowing them some privacy as they looked at one another in awkward silence—mostly awkward on Bella's part for she hated being this vague.
Whatever it was Miranda thought of the strange visit, she didn't comment on it, probably because she was usually so aloof herself. Or maybe because she wanted to allow Bella some secrecy, whatever that secrecy was.
"So, what is this wall you've hit then?" Miranda asked, taking a sip. She leaned back into the sofa with a smile. Miranda looked so pale without her usual bold lip and colorful makeup. She looked her age as well. Bella always forgot that Miranda was more than fifteen years her senior.
"I know it's not your main area of expertise… but you have dabbled in some Renaissance history, haven't you?" Before Bella dove into her questioning, she needed to be certain she was indeed questioning the correct person.
Miranda sipped on her drink, arching an eyebrow at the question.
"I might have," she smiled.
"Well, you know my thesis has been very focused on Cullen… and from recent news surfacing I started thinking about something."
"The news about the empty graves in Adelton, you mean?"
Bella nodded. "God knows where William Fell's body might have been kept but… and this really has been keeping me awake at night you know… what if Swan was buried with Cullen, after everything that transpired. What if she finally returned to rest alongside the man she truly loved?"
Miranda looked at her as if entertaining the thought. "That would mean that whoever had her buried, knew where Cullen's final resting place lay…" she mused.
"Wouldn't they though?"
Miranda shrugged. "Izzy, you as well as I know that no one knows where he was buried."
"But there are theories."
"Of course," Miranda nodded.
"Theories that you yourself have looked further into."
"All we know—from unverifiable sources I might add—is that Cullen was buried somewhere deep in Raven's Grove, the ceremony was especially heightened because it was attended by the king—something that was as you know a big no-no back then."
Bella nodded, she knew as much about this too. "Yes, and I was of the same mindset until I stopped to really think… because there is now new information to go on, I really do think Isabella Swan was entombed with him. Think about it, there were rumors of a secret marriage between them, think about the words to the Cadherran folksong during the Singing Battle of Adelton Hall… 'here where my bridal bed stands'."
"You think that an old folksong is the key to all of this?"
"Not really, but it did put me on this new trail."
"If you are convinced then why come see me?"
"Because I know you have looked deeper into the entombment of Cullen than you let on. Ten years ago you were involved in a project trying to locate his tomb but you were never successful, were you?"
Miranda sighed, leaning back into the chair. "We couldn't very well look through all of Raven's Grove, now could we? All we had to go on was that it was a fairly long walk into the forest from Adelton Hall, the procession was composed of at least half the existing court at the time. If the king himself joined it couldn't be too far away from the security of the castle. There was an attempt at an areal scan but nothing was ever found and the donations to the project dwindled."
"Thinking about it, they must have entombed him somewhere accessible for people," Bella said, thinking out loud. "He was a hero, after all." Maybe, she thought, the tomb was hidden once William Fell and Isabella were buried, in order to secure the secret. But how would people in the past ever come to know that the skeleton in the tomb had belonged to their former king? Unless the grave somehow gave it away.
Miranda looked pensive as well, her eyes resting on the glass. "Come to think of it—not that it ever stood out to me at the time—but we did go over records from both Adelton and Aldea at that time and the subsequent surrounding years, anything that had to do with Raven's Grove. Building on your new theory, however, might make this more interesting. At the end of the 16th century, there were some documents detailing some sort of project done in the forest. It was first commissioned by Isabella Fell, and later continued by her son. The plans were of a watchtower, but it could also be a cover for having hidden the grave of Cullen and thus having moved Isabella to him as well."
Something, an eagerness to continue diving into the records, made Bella all bubbly inside. "Did the records detail where this watchtower was being built?"
"On the outskirts of the Grove, bordering Sorossa. The location wouldn't fit with the believed original resting place of Cullen, don't you think?" Miranda couldn't help but smile as she saw the cogwheels turn in Bella's head. "Seems I've put you off to a good start," she blinked.
Bella nodded vigorously. "I can't thank you enough…"
Miranda sipped her drink. Bella suddenly heard chatter in the earpiece she had been provided with by the SCR. "Get out of there!" someone said and she paled when she noticed a dark figure in the hallway. Miranda turned around and looked in the same direction.
Miranda shot up from the chair. "Who are you?" she demanded.
What sounded like a sudden whoosh of air had Miranda suddenly drop the glass. It fell on the rug, a muted thud that saved the glass from breaking albeit the remaining contents spilled on the vibrant textile. Bella's mouth went dry as her heartbeat increased. So many things were transpiring at the same time that she did not have time to fully register them. A dark stain started growing on Miranda's upper chest as she fell back into the chair, her body limp and lifeless. Bella tried to say something, tried to react, but her limbs were frozen in terror as the dark figure neared her. It was then that she realized that it was not an SCR agent, but something much worse.
She felt the familiar tightening around her throat as she was taken back to that evening at her apartment and she hoped they would be swift this time and not let her suffer. Someone forced her hands behind her, holding her steady as the man in the balaclava with the black eyes shoved a needle into her neck. It all went by so fast that by the time Bella tried to react, she was already drowsily falling to the floor, a black bag placed over her head.
A/N: Sorry for posting this chapter so late. I am planning a move and have had little time for else. Thank you very much for the reviews on the previous chapter, I always love reading them, they always encourage me and your theories are always so interesting :) 3 I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)
Cheers
Isabelle