Posted 2024-07-14; Beta'd by Eeyorefan12
Bella checked, for what felt like the hundredth time, to make sure Adelia was well.
"We need to go." Edward squeezed her hand as he settled into the wagon seat beside her.
The sun was almost set. If they were to succeed, timing was crucial. The change in guard would allow them a short window with fewer soldiers.
She stared at the veil in her hand. Grey, like the rest of her clothing, the thick lace would obscure her face, hanging from the double-triangular frame set squarely on her head.
"Gashte," she murmured.
"What?"
"The six points." She fingered the frame, thinking of the story Edward had told her in the mating house.
"Yes." Edward sounded distracted. The opaque cloth on his hat also sat on a six-point star.
Gashte and Octo, two figures whose names were now curse and blessing. She and Edward wore the marks of the former, and Bella prayed they would not come to a synonymous end. If she were religious, she would have prayed. Instead, she thought of their plans. Plans that rested on this crucial deception.
Oh, the web we weave. She could practically hear her father saying it. That and, hope it damn well works.
It had to.
"Ready?" Irene looked behind them to the wagon bed and to the tiny wood coffin in which Adelia slept.
Bella's job was to waft a wool ball wetted with sidero extract in front of the box's breathing holes every few minutes, a responsibility that terrified her. What if she gave her too much?
She clutched the ball tightly.
"Remember, she's Sabellian, so you can't harm her with it. Just don't inhale it yourself," Edward said.
Bella nodded, her anxiety only mildly allayed.
Seated in Miss Sarris's small wagon, they bounced their way along the road, gathering quickly deflected glances from passersby. No one, Edward had assured her, would dare peer too closely. No one wanted to see the grief of infant-bereaved parents. Hence the veils.
Even as they wound up the hill to the severance site, the first sentries looked away, though they challenged Irene.
"We expected a delivery, not mourners," the guard said.
"After I make my delivery, I'm taking them north to bury their child with their family," she said. "I'm trying my best to meet the demands of everyone involved."
Through her veil, her stomach clenching with nerves, Bella watched the guard frown.
"North?" the guard asked.
There was a rustling from the box and Bella stiffened.
"They settled here from Kaethe," Irene said.
Moving herself as little as possible, Bella wafted the ball in front of the breathing hole, praying the baby would stay asleep.
"They don't need to go inside."
"You'd prefer them to stand in the road outside, waiting with their coffined infant?"
The guard glanced at her and Edward and then away, still frowning. He and his companion shifted their weight, guns clanking. After murmuring to each other, one finally said, "Go ahead."
Bella resisted the urge to exhale in relief, still wafting the ball in front of the hole. Don't wake up. Don't wake up.
With a clack of the reins, Irene sent the alogo lurching forward, slowly driving the cart around to the side of the building where she pulled into a courtyard and parked on a covered loading area.
The sentry by the gate studiously avoided looking at them, turning back to face the fortress' exterior.
Once out of the guard's sightline, Edward yanked off his hat, veil, and coat. Bella followed suit, also removing her shoes and stockings. Pulling Adelia from the box, she listened with relief to her steady breathing. Edward tied his boots together, slinging them over his shoulder.
Keep the sidero oil with you, Edward signed.
Bella nodded, strapping Adelia to her chest with the long cloth wrap, pocketing the ball and vial.
"I'll go see the receiver." Irene wrapped Bella in a hug. "Good bye," she murmured, "and good luck."
"Thank you," Bella whispered back. "For everything. I . . . hope we can see each other again."
Irene nodded, reaching to put her hands on Bella's shoulders, holding her in place and looking her in the eye. "We will," she said sincerely. "Of course we will." She glanced to where Edward waited to give the two of them privacy before lowering her voice even further. "He will send for you, I promise. You and Adelia are his world now. He will do everything he can to bring you both home."
Bella nodded, swallowing hard, feeling the tears welling up and struggling to keep them at bay.
Irene smiled at Edward and waved him closer. "I'll meet you"—she glanced towards the woods—"later."
"What?" Bella had thought Irene would provide his getaway.
Too risky, Edward signed. If she's stopped going north, she can say we've begun the processional, but if I'm with her, it'll raise suspicion. Don't worry. I know how to get out and into the woods without being seen.
Bella looked out past the wall. The woods were far, far away. Clad all in black, he would mostly blend in with the darkened landscape—mostly.
He noticed her doubtful expression. It's dark. I'll be safe. Focus on what you need to do.
Bella nodded, recalling the steps. She patted her other pocket, where the tiny atomiser and its dubious contents sat.
Irene disappeared down the hall to the left. Edward and Bella flattened themselves against the shadowed entranceway, listening.
Now, Edward signed.
He'd had her practice running silently, barefoot, along Irene's upper hallway, though all she'd managed was to walk. Running was still beyond her. Now, walking as quickly as she could, she struggled to keep pace with him down the curved corridor, breathing heavily. Her body ached, and soon she was lightheaded from the exertion.
Edward pulled her into a dim hallway, off of which several doors opened. He gestured for her to sit in the shadowed corner. Wait, he signed. I'll get things ready and return for you.
She was only too grateful to rest, watching him slip away.
She waited, listening to the distant sounds. When footsteps approached, she kept still, hoping the shadows were enough to disguise her. Two sets passed, the men discussing the end of their shift. She'd waited another breathless minute when a single and much more energetic set grew louder. A suited figure passed by, the scent of cedar trailing in its wake—Mr. Stamakis!
Was he in kahoots with Mr. Othonos? She had no way of knowing, and no way of warning Edward either. She had to assume the worst and alert him. But how?
In her carrier, Adelia squirmed. Bella wafted the sidero oil-soaked ball by the baby's nose and she settled. Bella looked down the curving hallway towards the severance room. If Edward was doing as planned, he was priming the aperture from one of the anterooms.
And if Mr. Stamakis found him?
Her throat felt tight, as did her grip on Adelia. She loosened her hold, staring after where Mr. Stamakis had gone, her heart racing. Muffled by distance, she heard Mr. Stamakis speak. "Miss Sarris, how lovely to see you."
Thank god.
She listened to their conversation, stifling the desire to peek around the corner and see what was happening. Stillness had never felt so tortuous.
She didn't scream when she felt a hand on her arm, but she did startle. Edward pressed his finger to his lips, signing an apology.
This tiny gesture, so humane amid the terror of waiting, nearly brought her to tears again. Her throat tightened. Their parting was imminent. She'd pushed away thoughts of it as long as she could, but the dread had reached, and was now cutting away, her defenses.
Closing her eyes, she buried her face in his chest, trying not to wonder if it would be for the last time. He would fight to make her safe. Her job was to stay that way.
When she looked up, Edward's face looked as tortured as hers felt, and she returned his silent sorry. Her emotional indulgence was cruel.
We need to go, he signed.
She nodded, taking his hand and following him towards the severance room. He closed the heavy door with a quiet click. The wall's vertical strip of slow-moving light told her they were moments from her departure. Moving to the shielded control chamber, Edward flicked on a set of switches and returned to her as the lights brightened.
She passed over the contents of her pockets. Edward spritzed her clothing, her carry bag, and the cloth wrap holding Adelia to her with the contents of the small glass bottle, and she wrinkled her nose at the faint coppery smell. Even diluted, the scent of the few drops of her blood added to the solution turned her stomach slightly. Still, it was necessary to make sure enough of her DNA was on anything non-organic.
Edward grinned at her expression, giving an exaggerated wave of his hand by his nose.
She couldn't help her small chuckle, no matter the circumstance. He could make her smile, even now.
Then Edward pointed to the aperture, gesturing to the metallic circle where she should stand, and the two heavy levers she would need to pull. He had gone over this with her multiple times, his drawings an exact representation of what was before her. The day they had tested her to see if she felt the draw, she had only been in the room. It was much more daunting to stand in the aperture itself.
Edward's expression lost all its humor, and seeing that, she could barely think of the signs she needed. "Wait," she mouthed, pulling him towards her again. This, she knew, would be their final embrace, at least for now.
She closed her eyes and breathed, listening to four slow thumps of his heart. He brushed his hand over her and then Adelia's head as if blessing them.
No, actually blessing them. There was a distinct brush of four fingers from each hand.
That she would need any and all blessings was overwhelming, and Bella began to pull away. She had to go before she couldn't.
Edward tensed suddenly, his embrace transforming into a tight grip. He shoved her towards the aperture. "Get down!"
She dropped to a crouch inside the ring, shielding the baby with her arms. The door slammed open. Two soldiers entered, rifles in hand, Mr. Stamakis on their heels. Passing behind them, two other guards hustled a struggling Irene past the doorway.
Heart sinking, Bella watched Edward run back into the control room and fling up a lever. The strip of lights on the wall became a single flare of brightness.
"Don't move!" Mr. Stamakis said to the men behind him, freezing in place as they did the same. "The aperture isn't controlled yet."
"That's right." Edward kept a hand on a second lever. "And if you move, I'll open it."
The three men were perfect statues.
Stay there, Edward signed one-handed to Bella. Quick.
What would be quick?
She looked to Mr. Stamakis, who eyed Edward and then Bella, his gaze narrowing.
"Sending all of us is as good as leaving her here," Mr. Stamakis said. "We'd be well equipped to return. At least some of us."
Would they be? Was their information programmed into the aperture? Bella thought of the complicated severance preparations Edward had made. In the control booth, he was protected, but if he flipped the master switch, it would eventually send everyone in the main chamber. The secondary levers she was to operate narrowed the aperture to only take her. She wasn't sure what would happen to someone who went through without that preparation, but she knew it couldn't be good.
She watched Edward, hoping to find some hint in his face as to what to do, but there was nothing. He was probably considering what Mr. Stamakis had said, wondering if it was true—if sending them would be tantamount to killing them or putting Bella in more danger. Bella looked at Mr. Stamakis and the guards, whose faces were equally noncommunicative. The committee's betrayal ran so deep, who knew what they'd done?
Heart racing, she contemplated their options. She and Edward were outnumbered, not that she could count herself any sort of real combatant, especially with the baby strapped to her. Three to two, only one giant weapon at Edward's disposal. Did he have another plan in mind?
"I like her chances in a world full of humans better than here," Edward said.
Maybe not.
"All you have to do is walk away, Mr. Cullen. Everything can be smoothed over, I'm certain. We can speak with the council on your behalf. Just release the lever and we can talk. Your wife and child can wait here quite safely."
Edward eyed him shrewdly, glancing at Bella. "I need more than vague promises."
Mr. Stamakis blinked, clearly surprised that Edward had offered him this opening. "What would you need?"
"Someone with the authority to negotiate an appropriate settlement."
"Such as?"
"Mr. Othonos and the council Matriarch."
"I think I can arrange the first, but not the latter."
"Too much scrutiny?" Edward said derisively. "How will you explain the apothecary's sudden disappearance?"
"People go missing all the time, Mr. Cullen, as you well know. Miss Sarris is a valuable member of our community. I'm sure the committee will put her to use somewhere more suitable, given her evidently criminal inclinations."
"Criminal." Edward nearly spat the word. "And what would her crime be?"
Mr. Stamakis glanced at the guards. "Not everyone here is privy to this business."
"Then send for someone who is. Someone who can negotiate." To anyone who didn't sign, Edward would look like he was scratching his nose. Bella knew better.
Straightening up slowly, Bella stared at him. Her performance needed to match his.
"Damonsenes, send a message to Mr. Othonos. Ask him to bring the Matriarch to negotiate, or someone with her authority," Mr. Stamakis said.
"Sir?" The soldier didn't move.
"As I said."
With a curt nod, the sentry left.
Two to two. And Mr. Stamakis wasn't armed.
Bella began her performance. "You promised, Edward. You said you'd see me safely back to Earth."
Something in Mr. Stamakis's posture shifted. Yes, the tremble in her voice was believable enough.
"Circumstances have altered." Edward gave her a convincingly hard look.
"You'll be very well cared for, Mrs. Cullen," Mr. Stamakis told her.
Good. He's buying it.
Edward let go of the activation lever. Despite her faith in him, her breath caught.
"How long until Mr. Othonos can be here?" Edward remained by the controls, standing tall, hands on his hips.
"Within the hour. He returned a few days ago. I'll just close the aperture then, shall I?" Mr. Stamakis nervously took a step closer to the control room.
"Stand down the guard before you do."
Mr. Stamakis paused.
"I don't want anyone to get hurt. She's still my wife, and that's still my child. I'd prefer they not be shot."
"Stand down, then," Mr. Stamakis said over his shoulder.
The guard hesitated.
"That's an order. Lower your gun."
The soldier, an older man, did so with obvious reluctance.
"I doubt a newly-delivered human mother will offer you much fight," Mr. Stamakis said to him, slowly approaching Edward.
Bella heard the familiar pop of a tiny cork, but didn't look towards the sound, eyeing the soldier instead. His rifle pointed downwards, the loose strap at odds with his tight grip on the gun. He gazed back at her. She cupped Adelia's head, hoping to reinforce Mr. Stamakis's characterization.
The soldier's shrewd gaze softened marginally, tracking from the baby to Bella, and she thanked every single Sabellian deity she could think of for their infant-related reverence.
There was a rustle and then a thump. She and the soldier whipped their heads towards the controls, where Mr. Stamakis lay on the ground, a wool ball rolling away from his face. Edward yanked down the second lever, and the sucking sensation began.
She watched as the soldier lifted his rifle, aiming it at her husband.
No!
It was like fighting gravity, feeling the draw, and it was with a painful wrench that she threw herself out of the metallic circle, barely keeping upright. The gunshot was a painful clap, leaving her ears ringing as she looked for Edward, who had launched himself forward and now struggled with the guard, trying to pry the gun away.
The draw was growing. Even outside the circle, it was primed to take her, and it felt like pieces of her were being sucked away. She staggered toward Mr. Stamakis, grabbing the ball of wool from the floor before half-crawling to the two men still locked in a struggle for the gun. Spotting her, the soldier swept an arm in her direction to ward her off. Using the distraction, Edward punched into the man's face, leaving himself open for a much larger strike to the side of his head, stunning him. The guard rolled them so that Edward was pinned beneath him, and the gun fell to the side.
Time froze. Edward was inches from the aperture, barely moving, the guard's hands around his throat. Shifting Adelia to one side, Bella lunged forward, wrapping her arm around the man's head and stuffing the sidero-soaked ball against his nose. He reached back with both hands, aiming for her face. She turned her head, evading him, and he frantically clawed at her arm, trying to dislodge her. He was strong, but the strength she found was greater as she wrapped her other hand around her wrist, locking it in place and desperately hoping the sidero would do its job. Adelia began to cry, but Bella couldn't spare an iota of attention to even look. The seconds stretched like minutes as she felt the draw pulling at her, weakening her hold. The baby's cries became louder. Her hand was slipping, slipping away when Edward suddenly flung his arm out to the side, grabbed the gun, and slammed the butt of it into the guard's head, connecting with a nauseating crunch. The man dropped to the floor, unconscious.
At least Bella thought he was only unconscious. The blood seeping onto the floor could suggest otherwise. She shifted the carrier sling so that Adelia was in front of her again, still crying, but seemingly unharmed.
She watched Edward struggle to his feet. His hair seemed to be lengthening, strands of it spreading like spider silk towards the aperture—a visual manifestation of the draw.
"Edward, we're alright. Go!" she called, allowing herself to be drawn back into the circle, cradling Adelia against her.
Edward dashed back into the control room, slamming the door. Through the window, she watched him sign for her to pull the levers.
It was in her arms where she saw it first. Dust. Specks of it. Then she realized it wasn't dust, but the absence of where she'd been. Panic set in. She needed to do this now.
She stood before the wall inside the metal circle, reaching for the first lever and trying to pull it down. Straining with both hands, she managed to lock it into place, but when she reached for the second lever, it wouldn't budge. She yanked hard on it, grunting with the effort. Nothing. She shifted her stance, trying again, and then again, but it remained stubbornly in place. After using all of her reserves fighting the guard, she had nothing left to draw on and her arms trembled with the effort, a trembling that seemed to spread to the rest of her body. She glanced in Edward's direction, making eye contact through the window, his expression of fear and helplessness surely matching her own.
There was a groan from nearby. Gasping, she watched the soldier they'd knocked out begin to stir. With a shake of his head, he stood up, spotting and then lurching towards her, grabbing her arm, trying to pull her from the circle. She held stubbornly to the second lever with her other hand.
Then he reached for Adelia, whose cries turned into high-pitched shrieks.
"No!" Bella's voice sounded like it had been swallowed. She abandoned the lever, wrapping her arms around the baby. The guard grabbed her arm and dragged them from the circle.
There was a loud bang, and suddenly Edward was there, shoving the soldier off of her and kicking him away. He grabbed Bella and Adelia and stepped into the circle, keeping one arm tightly wrapped around them.
Undeterred, the guard stood and lunged for them again. Nearby, Mr. Stamakis stirred, beginning to push himself up from the floor.
When Bella looked up and caught Edward's gaze, his expression made her breath catch; Love, determination, and resolve were all there. Not breaking eye contact, he nodded once, then reached up and threw the final lever.
— o — 0 — o —
She blinked up at the night sky. Small bright clouds, prickles of light, and the sliver of one single moon greeted her. The air was warm and humid. She breathed in and out, catching the familiar and somehow-welcome scent of honest-to-god diesel.
Adelia squirmed on her chest, beginning to mewl. Bella ran her hands down her little body. She was all there, and if her sounds meant what they normally did, she was hungry.
Bella flung her arms out to the side, reaching to where Edward had been.
Grass. Dirt. Hay.
"Edward," she sobbed, closing her eyes.
There was a rustling behind her. "I'm here."
She tried to stand, a wave of aching dizziness landing her hard on her backside. "Edward?" Was she hallucinating?
A dark form lurched towards her. "I'm here," he repeated, dropping to his knees beside her.
Every part that Edward touched on Bella hurt when they hugged, but she didn't care. Adelia squirmed and then squawked in protest at being crushed in her parents' embrace.
"You're safe," Edward whispered. He leaned his forehead against Bella's.
"We're safe," Bella answered.
In turn, they took in their surroundings. Damp soil. Plants. Flat ground. It smelled of cabbage and animal dung. In the far distance, a set of headlights zipped down a darkened ribbon. There was another whiff of diesel.
She half-sobbed with relief, squeezing his shoulders. "We made it!" She could hardly believe it, and though time felt like it had twisted in on itself, the visage of the soldier and Mr. Stamakis were fresh in her mind. The relief was powerful.
And short-lived. This had not been what they'd planned for. What would happen now? Was there even a way back for Edward . . . if that was what he wanted?
She knew his being here wasn't something she'd chosen for him and yet, she needed to say something.
"Edward, I'm sorr—"
He touched her cheek, shaking his head. "No, don't say it. You have nothing to apologize for."
"I know it's not my fault, but . . . Irene, your family . . . I am sorry. You didn't want this. You could have—"
He squeezed her shoulder. "I made this decision. It was my choice, Bella. I would do it again."
Oh, how she wanted to believe him. "But . . . "
"Shh. Not now. We are safe and we are together. I love you. The rest we'll figure out."
Edward turned to Adelia, running his hands over her little body, helping to unwrap her from Bella, then running his hands over her too. He was checking, she realized, that they were indeed whole. And while their clothing was intact, his was much less so, thinned in places—and he seemed to be missing a coat sleeve.
It was so comical, she giggled. Edward glanced down at himself and gave a chuckle. "I guess I should have worn these longer."
When the moment passed, he leaned in to embrace her again, and her laughter faded, the relief and comfort of his presence all-encompassing again.
— o — 0 — o —
They went quickly from walking hand in hand to Edward supporting Bella while he carried Adelia. "Severance is harder on humans," he said, speaking English again.
She didn't disagree, leaning on him as they moved slowly towards the road. She was glad she'd been able to feed her daughter before they'd started walking. She couldn't help wondering where she and Edward would rest, or where they'd find food and water. She had the few bills Edward had given her tucked into her clothing, but they weren't much good if they were in the middle of nowhere.
She turned to him. "Do you know where we are?"
"Roughly, yes. A few miles from Altus."
Close to where she'd been taken from. Close enough to walk. Or hitchhike. She'd forgotten about hitchhiking. But they didn't have a car seat. Was that safe? She frowned, taking another step and then stumbling over something.
Something rubbery and flesh-like. And . . . was that the smell of blood? Edward caught her by the arm, steadying her.
"What did I just trip over?"
Edward glanced behind them as he led her away. "I don't think you want to know."
She eyed him, contemplating the suggestion. No, she decided, she needed to know, whatever it was. Her safety had come at great cost to Edward, Irene, and most likely to others. What other price had been paid? "What is it?" she asked.
"The guard's leg."
Oh. "So, he's . . ."
"A severance victim. He won't have survived." Edward's tone was grim but not sympathetic.
She nodded, taking another step forward. Should they bury the leg? She glanced back.
"He knew what he was doing, Bella. He doesn't deserve your pity . . . or respect. He'd have killed us both if it had suited him or his masters." Edward blew out a breath. "I'll take care of it once we're settled—if the local wildlife doesn't do it for me."
"And Mr. Stamakis?"
"I don't know. Likely the same fate, though."
She gasped. "And Irene?"
"Those in the rest of the building would have been shielded. Anyone nearby with similar genetics would have been at risk of being drawn in, but it was night, and most people would have been home, well out of range. Irene will be safe."
As safe as she could be. Bella gave a silent prayer for her.
"There's nothing we can do for anyone there for now. We need to take care of ourselves." Edward ran his hand over Adelia's hair.
Indeed. Bella scanned the landscape again, deciding one end of it looked brighter than the other. "There."
Edward nodded, still supporting her as they moved forward. While they walked together toward the distant lights, Bella couldn't help occasionally smiling to herself as waves of relief swept over her. Soon enough, there would be plans to form and decisions to be made, but they were alive, they were safe, and they were together. At least for now, it was enough.
Author's note:
Thank you for journeying with this story, folks! There will be a brief epilogue posted in the next few days.
Best,
Erin