"What are we supposed to do now?"Kate asked from her spot on the couch next to Irina in the living room of the home she shared with her sisters and formally her mother. Those was the first words anyone had spoken since they left the destroyed village. Tanya was pulled out of her own thoughts at the question. She knew that it was up to her to answer but she honestly had no clue what to do. No one could have prepared any of them for something like this and Tanya wasn't sure how to go forward.
"You live."Death's Shadow told them.
"Why are you even here?"Irina couldn't think of a reason why Tanya would ask the woman to come with them.
"Because she is my mate."Tanya expected the looks of shock from her sisters. She shocked her as well.
"Death's Shadow is your mate?!"Kate wasn't sure she believed that.
Tanya nodded."We didn't say anything because we didn't want anyone to know."
"Why not?"Irina asked.
"It's not safe. Anyone who associates with me is in danger of being hurt by my enemies. My mate would be the most sought after target."Death's Shadow explained.
"How are you going to keep Tanya safe?"Kate was happy that her sister found a mate but wasn't pleased that she was put in danger because of it.
"First I'm going to shield each of your minds so that no one will be able to take the information from you without your permission."Death's Shadow told them.
"You can do that?"Tanya had never heard of such a thing.
"It's part of my gift."Death Shadow said."I won't force you to do it but it would be safer if you did."
"How does it affect us?"Irina was interested but didn't want to do it if it hurt them in any way.
"It will make you immune to any mental influence. Aro would no longer be able to read you, Dimitri would no longer to be able to track and the twin's gifts wouldn't have any affect on you."Death's Shadow said.
"I think we should do it."Kate would like to not have to worry about the Volturi's most gifted guard members. She would especially like for Aro not to be able to know her thoughts.
"I think so too."Irina was of the same thought as Kate. She would like the protection.
"Then we are agreed. We would all like to have the shield."Tanya was relived that her sisters agreed to be shielded. She wanted them to be safe and knowing that they would be safe from the Volturi kings and guards would make her worry less about them.
"Good then just follow my instructions and it won't hurt you."Death's Shadow cradled Tanya's head in her hands and looked into her eyes."Now keep looking at me and relax. You are going to feel a pressure on you mind. You will want to fight against but don't. Once you accept it the feeling will go away.
Tanya took a deep breath and kept her eyes on Death's Shadow. She felt the pressure she was told about and going against her instincts she relaxed as best as she could. As soon as she did the feeling went away."Did it work?"
"It did. Now Irina you go next."Death's Shadow repeated the process with Irina then with Kate.
"So all our minds are shielded now?"Tanya trusted Death's Shadow but wanted to make sure.
Death's Shadow nodded."No one will ever be able to get around the block or remove it. It is permanent."
"Now that it is safe can you tell us who you are?"Tanya asked.
Death's Shadow lowered her hood and removed her mask."The name I go by now is Bella."
"Gods."Tanya mumbled in awe. Bella was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life. She reminded Tanya of the paintings she had seen of the Roman goddesses. She felt almost unworthy to gaze upon such beauty.
"You are the most gorgeous woman I have even seen."Irina blurted out without thinking. She was happy she could no longer blush because she would have after realizing what she had just said.
"Thank you."Bella was used to this reaction but it still make her uncomfortable.
"Why do you hide your face?"Kate always thought Death's Shadow wore a mask because they were horribly disfigured.
"I don't like the attention my looks bring."Bella told her.
"I can understand that."Tanya and her sister may not be as beautiful as Bella but they did garner attention wherever they went. Especially from men who treated them like objects to use for their own pleasure. Tanya could only imagine how bad it was for her mate.
"Also if it was well known what I looked like then I wouldn't be able to live in peace because many people would try and challenge me to prove that Death's Shadow isn't that tough."Bella had to deal with enough people who tried to fight her while she was in her Death's Shadow persona she didn't want to have deal with it when she was trying to live her everyday life.
"That makes sense."Kate was embarrassed to admit she would have been one of those people.
"Why do you work for the kings?"Tanya had heard rumors that Death's Shadow was powerful enough on her own that she could overthrow the kings and their guard by herself.
"I don't work for them. They just like to claim that I do."Bella didn't bother correcting them because she knew they used it as a way to keep their subjects in line.
"If you don't work for the kings who do you work for?"Irina asked.
"I work for the gods."Bella said.
Kate was confused by that answer."What does that mean?"
"For you to understand that I am going to have tell you a story. Before I do you have to give me your word that you will never tell anyone what I am about to reveal."Bella usually wouldn't speak of this topic but wanted her mate to know her and knowing how close Tanya was to her sisters meant them knowing as well.
"We won't say anything."Tanya would never betray her mate.
"Yeah we will keep our mouths shut."Kate promised Irina nodding her agreement.
"I will start by telling you that before humans came along it was my species that inhabited earth. Let me explain first then you can ask your questions."Bella said when she noticed the sisters about to speak."We had similarities to humans but we lived off of the blood of animals. That was until humans were created."
"What do you mean humans were created?Are you trying to say that you were alive before humans existed?"Kate asked not able to hold back her questions.
Bella nodded."I was alive for many decades before humans first roamed the earth. At first we saw them as nothing more than animals but tasty animals none the less. When we realized how good they tasted we began keeping them like cattle and bred them."
"How did humans come into existence?"Irina asked.
"The gods created them."Bella told them.
"The gods aren't real."Tanya said.
"They are very real and during my time they were known to visit."Bella smiled at the looks of disbelief the three were giving her."I myself spoke to a goddess twice."
"You spoke to a goddess?"Kate wasn't sure she believed that.
"Yes I did but that part comes a bit later in the story."Bella confirmed before continuing."Where was I?We kept the humans and bred then like cattle. Well the gods weren't pleased with us for treating them like that so they decided to give them the ability to fight back. Instead of trying to live peacefully my people refused to let the humans have any rights. That made the gods angry. When they started to make their displeasure known instead of doing what they asked our leaders decided that they needed to do something to prove they were more worthy of the gods favor than the humans."
Even though Tanya could tell that Bella was getting somewhat emotional she couldn't help herself from asking."What did they do to prove their worth?"
"They started sacrificing their people."Bella told them.
"How did the gods react to that?"Irina didn't think they would be happy about it.
"In response to the sacrifices they warned us if we didn't stop there would be consequences."Bella said.
"Did they stop?"Tanya asked.
"No, in all their wisdom they ignored the warnings and decided that the gods were angry not because of the act of sacrificing their people but the quality of the sacrifices."Bella took a deep breath before speaking of the next part."They decided that if they sacrificed the perfect person they would get the gods' favor again."
"So wait, even though they were told outright by the gods to stop sacrificing their people they decided that the way to make the gods happy again was to sacrifice more people."When Bella nodded Kate was even more confused."Why would they do that?"
"Because they refused to accept that they were wrong. They were desperate to keep the power they had and in that desperation they came up with a plan. They sent out messengers to each village demanding that they send the most beautiful virgin that lived there to royal village. To the make sure they complied they offered a sizable reward to whatever village sent the girl who got picked."Bella told them.
Tanya got a sinking feeling in her stomach."Why do I have a feeling you were picked?"
"I was picked. There were 52 of us. We were made to bathe and given clothing to wear then we were paraded in front of a group of people.I was chosen out everyone to be the sacrifice.I of course was beyond scared and begged to be let go. They ignored my pleas. Then one night as the moon was at its highest they led me into the woods where they tied me to a stone table that had different prayers to gods carved into a it. After a priest blessed me they slit my throat and left me to die."Bella pulled down the front of her robe exposing a long scar that went from one side of her neck to the other. The three sisters gasped in shock.
"If you were sacrificed how are you still alive?"Irina asked not able to take her eyes off the scar.
"A goddess came to me. When she saw what had been done she shed a single tear that she used to spread on my wound. It healed me."Bella told them."When I asked her why she saved me she said that the gods had been watching me and they had seen my acts of kindness to not only my kind but the humans as well. She then asked me if I had the chance to save the humans would I take it.I told her that not only would I take it but I would not rest until ever single one of them were free. She smiled at my answer and laid a hand over my heart.I wasn't sure what she was doing but my body felt like it was on fire. The feeling seemed to go on forever."
"You were the first vampire."Tanya concluded in complete awe of her mate.
"I was the first vampire. Once the fire stopped the goddess explained my abilities to me. They were the abilities of the modern vampire and the gift of a shield to help me with my mission to save their creations. To make others know that I had the gods favor the goddess decorated my body with the crests of each of the gods and goddesses with silver imbedded in my skin."Bella rolled up her sleeve to show the sisters the silver markings covering the entire arm.
Tanya reached out and ran her fingers over the markings."They feel colder than the rest of your skin."
"You're feeling the goddess's power that remained in my body."Bella explained.
"Did the goddess create other vampires?"Irina asked.
Bella shook her head."No, I was the only one she created."
"How do vampires exist then?"Kate asked.
"Once I was changed I started to free the humans.I knew that we would never win against my people without help so I chose humans I thought were worthy enough to carry the goddess's gift and I changed them with my own venom. They then changed others and that is how the modern vampire came to be."Bella said.
"So not only are you the first turned but it's because of you that the vampire race exists."Tanya didn't know what to think about all this. She had always known that Death's Shadow was a powerful being that should not be messed with but to learn that it was only because of her that vampires exist was mind blowing.
"To free the humans we needed help and with that help we were able to overthrow those in charge. It came at a large cost though. My people weren't willing to give up their power even when faced with a stronger enemy.A bloody war was fought and in the end my people were no more."Bella still had mixed feelings about that. it saddened her that she was the reason for her species extinction but she knew that it was their choice to not admit defeat.
"What happened to the vampires after the humans were free?"Irina asked.
"Initially humans and vampires lived peacefully together because humans knew that the vampires were once human. That changed when some vampires decided that they should be in charge of all humans and vampires.I stopped that rebellion before it even got off the ground but realized that I needed to set up a government for vampires so that they would have clear laws. The following centuries I policed the vampires and humans with an iron fist until one day the goddess came to me and said that although I was doing the job they gave me I needed to let the humans and vampires make their own mistakes. She wanted me to still step in and stop things before they got out of hand but mostly she wanted me to leave them alone."Bella said.
"Did you help the Volturi come to power?"Kate asked.
"The Romanians went to far. If they had been allowed to continue to rule it would have led to the extinction of the human race.I picked out the current kings because I knew they would be strong enough to keep vampires in line but fair enough to not to abuse that power."Bella explained." The fact that your maker was given a second chance after creating an immortal child is proof of that fairness."
Tanya winced thinking about Sasha."I think that brings us back to the original question are we going to do now?"
"As I said before you live. The feelings that come with the betrayal will linger and some days they will be overwhelming but the best thing you can do is live your lives to the fullest."Bella told them.
"How do we even do that?Sasha was our coven leader. She took care of us."Irina wasn't sure how to even survive in the world without their mother's help.
"I will step up and take the lead."Tanya knew that is was up to her to take care of her sisters and that meant that she would have to be coven leader.
"Why not you?"Kate asked Bella.
"It's not my place to be your coven leader. You need someone who knows you and has always had your best interest at heart.I may be those things one day but right now I am a stranger."Bella wouldn't take the lead as coven leader because even though she was officially a member of the coven by being Tanya's mate it wouldn't be right to be in charge of the sisters.
"I think Tanya should do it."Irina said.
"I'm alright with it."Kate wouldn't mind Tanya being in charge. She only asked Bella because she had the most experience.
"Then it's settled. Tanya is the new leader of the Denali coven."Bella was happy for her mate. Being coven leader would give her a focus. Something she would need because once things settled and the sisters were able to process everything that happened with Sasha they would need guidance.
"I think I'm going to go hunt."Irina needed to after being around all the dead human bodies and the smell of blood.
"I'll go with you."Kate was still on edge from everything that happened and didn't feel comfortable having Irina away from them.
"We'll stay here."Tanya told them.
"We aren't going to go to far."Irina said before she raced out the front door with Kate behind her.
"Is it weird that I want to go after them?"Tanya asked Bella.
Bella opened her arms for Tanya who immediately snuggled into her."You just lost your maker.I think that you will feel the need to have then with you for a while to come."
"I don't know how we are going to survive."Tanya said.
"Yes you do. You are going to do what you had been doing already.I know that Sasha had been leaving for weeks at a time before she was killed. What did you do then?"Bella asked.
"I shouldn't be surprised that you knew about Sasha's activities before the punishment happened."Tanya realized that Death's Shadow knew more than they did about their maker.
"I had suspected that she would try and create another child so I had people watching her."Bella had told Aro to kill the woman the first time it happened but he was convinced that she was too afraid of the Volturi to ever break the law again.
"If you had people watching her why didn't you stop her?"Tanya asked.
"The only way Sasha was ever going to be stopped from making another child was if she was in prisoned or dead. Her mind was set. Nothing anyone could do or say could have changed her mind."Bella knew that Sasha would never give up trying to replace her dead son."It was an obsession that I feel got worse after she created the first one."
"I guess I will never understand that woman."Tanya had always thought that Sasha loved her and her sisters like they were her own. Knowing that was a lie made Tanya wonder what was actually real. Did Sasha fake every laugh or cringe at every hug?She would never get any answers to those questions.
"I don't think that woman understood herself."Bella said.
"I don't want to talk about her anymore.I want sit here with you and enjoy our time alone before my sisters get back."Tanya wanted a chance to have some private time with her mate because once Kate and Irina came back they would need Tanya to be there for them.
"If that's what you want then that's what we will do."Bella was more than happy to spend time with her mate.
"It's exactly what I want."Tanya snuggled further into Bella's arms and sighed. Many things were going to change now that Sasha was dead. Tanya was now a coven leader and it was her responsibility to take care of the coven. She felt better knowing that she had Bella's support and knew that Bella would be willing to help her along the way if she needed it. Tanya wished that she had met Bella when things were calmer so that they would have the opportunity to spend some time together exploring the new bond. Then again if they had then Bella wouldn't have been there to save Tanya and her sisters from death at the hands of Aro and the guard. Tanya nuzzled her nose into Bella's neck and inhaled her scent. She could worry about everything else when her sisters came back. Now she was going to take the moment of peace and enjoy her mate.