CHAPTER SIX

Bella

"I am half inclined to think we are all ghosts…it is not only what we have inherited from our fathers and mothers that exists again in us, but all sorts of old dead ideas and all kinds of old dead beliefs and things of that kind. They are not actually alive in us; but there they are dormant all the same, and we can never be rid of them. Whenever I take up a newspaper and read it, I fancy I see ghosts creeping between the lines. There must be ghosts all over the world. They must be as countless as the grains of the sands, it seems to me. And we are so miserably afraid of the light, all of us."

― Henrik Ibsen

I had never felt more nervous at the prospect of a meeting than I was now.

According to Edward, this would be the first time all sixteen—well, technically fifteen now—families would be gathered since the rift.

"I've never met half the people we're going to see," Edward said, shaking his head. "I genuinely have no idea what to expect."

His own uncertainty only fueled my anxieties.

We departed the Academy the morning after receiving word about the meeting, leaving Alice in her room in New Hampshire where she could safely work on opening the hard drive. She was less eager than me to see the Sixteen gather, and she was more than happy to stay behind out of the line of fire.

Edward and I had boarded his plane three hours ago, and we still had an hour left of flight. I couldn't help nervously looking at Edward every five minutes, new questions and anxieties brimming to the surface the closer we got to the meeting location.

"Will it be safe for me to come?" I asked, resisting the urge to bite at my cuticles.

Edward looked at me. "In what way?"

I gestured vaguely in front of me. "Charlie?"

Edward's face pulled into a tight scowl the way it always did when Charlie was brought up. "He won't put a hand on you," he growled.

I rolled my eyes. "You can't stop him," I argued. "He's technically my father. The only reason I'm allowed to come to this meeting is because I'm his heir."

My words only made Edward's scowl grow deeper.

I sighed and gazed out the window again. After today, the Sixteen would know that I was Charlie's daughter and my life would be irrevocably changed. I supposed up until this point, I'd still been living with a shred of denial that I could hide from the truth, that Charlie couldn't claim me.

Now, that would all change.

"What will they do?" I asked, turning back to Edward. "About our marriage?"

Edward sighed, shaking his head once. "It's going to be a shit storm of epic proportions," he said quietly.

"But they can't do anything, right?"

Edward frowned. "I don't think so. I mean, they could complain, and maybe try to overthrow us, but it would take coordination and a willingness to partner together, neither of which is likely."

I let out a tight breath. "And your parents will have our back?"

At that, Edward flashed me a small smile. "Yeah, well you sort of backed them into that corner, didn't you?"

I barked out a tight laugh, and Edward set down his drink to stand and slide onto the bench seat beside me.

"Bella, I don't know what sort of shit we're about to face," he said gently, taking my hand into his. "But I swear, I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you safe."

I frowned. "It's not just me that needs to stay safe," I reminded him.

He nodded. "Us safe, then."

I sighed. "I don't like this."

Edward nodded, his eyes closing as he took a long breath and tilted his head back. "I know," he whispered. "I don't either."

His hand was still wrapped around mine, and I was surprised to find his touch was warm and comforting, not stifling like I would expect.

I took a second to look over his profile.

Edward had changed since I'd first met him all those years ago at the Academy. His jaw was wider and stronger, his shoulders more defined, and lately, he'd been sporting stubble, perhaps out of sheer exhaustion due to our circumstances. It was a good look for him, I had to admit.

But it wasn't just on the outside that Edward had changed. I could vividly recall the arrogant asshole who had apathetically looked on at the sea of admirers who constantly surrounded him. Edward had been catered to in every way, but I'd only seen him truly alive when things weren't going his way.

Even since he first tracked me down in Oxford, Edward had changed. He was somehow simultaneously more and less sure of himself than I'd ever seen him. Perhaps it was that he'd finally been humbled enough to realize he didn't know everything.

It was a surprisingly appealing quality.

"What if," I said softly, making Edward's eyes open and turn toward me. "For once, I am the one who keeps us safe?"

Edward smiled, and I was surprised to see it crinkle the corners of his eyes. "Sounds good to me," he agreed. "I trust you Bella."

My stomach flipped with uncertainty and pleasure. I liked that he trusted me.

I smiled a little and Edward let out a breath, closing his eyes again.

Taking our clasped hands into my lap, I gave myself permission to relax my posture, and I let my body sink back against the seat until my head was resting on his shoulder.

In my lap, his fingers squeezed my own and I squeezed him back in silent acknowledgment.

What was coming would come, but at least I knew that we'd face it together.

For once, I wasn't alone.

…

The wind was wild and whipping as I descended from the plane. On board, Edward had dressed me in a thick down jacket that came well past my knees. I thought he'd been overreacting, but it turned out he'd been quite accurate in his assessment. I'd never known cold like the wind that picked up as I scurried after Edward from the plane to the car waiting on the tarmac.

Edward held the door open for me, and as soon as I was settled into the passenger seat, he had the door shut and was jogging around to the driver's side.

Once we were both situated, I glanced over at him. "Where are we?"

Edward looked up as he started the engine. "Nunavut," he explained. "On a tiny, unmarked island in the Arctic Ocean."

I blinked. "This is where the Sixteen meet?" I shivered despite the heat blasting on me.

"One of several locations," he said with a nod. "I've only ever been here once."

I glanced at him curiously as he pulled the car into drive and began navigating us away from the airplane.

Outside was a world of ice and stone. It was such a foreign landscape, I couldn't help feeling like we'd left earth entirely.

Edward drove down a rocky road until a large blackstone building came into view. It was massive, five stories high and sprawling over the island's limited space. There was no sort of landscaping that I could make out. It was all just ice and rocks.

Edward hit a remote in the car as we approached the building and a ramp revealed itself, allowing him to pull the car under the building and park it in a garage filled with similar-looking cars.

Once he'd parked, Edward looked at me. "Are you ready?"

I licked my lips. "No. What's the game plan?" I asked, kicking myself that we didn't talk about this on the plane.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Am I going in there as Charlie's daughter or your wife? At what point do we reveal what's going on? Or do we keep it all under wraps?"

Edward frowned. "Let's stay as far below the radar as possible for now," he said softly. "Only the current heads and the declared heirs were invited to this meeting, which means being my wife won't be enough to get you through the door." His mouth pursed. "But I'll be damned if I let you just walk out of my sight to join that bastard."

I knew he was talking about Charlie, and I nodded in agreement.

"Okay," I said quietly. "Maybe I don't have to say anything right away. Maybe it'll be okay?" I asked.

"Maybe," he agreed.

We both climbed out of the car and I had to resist the urge to reach for his hand. The time for being coddled was over.

Now was the time to stand on my own.

…

The interior of the building was a labyrinth of white stone floors and white lighting perfectly sconced into the white walls, giving off a seamless, glowing look.

It was so stark inside, I felt like I might go insane on just the short walk from the garage to the elevator that took us to the main floor.

The ground level was less monochrome though no less welcoming, with large windows that looked out to the alien world outside and dark grey floors that carried the harshness of the landscape inside the heated building.

A man in a slate uniform was waiting for us just outside the elevator, and he motioned us to follow him as soon as we were out of the car.

"You're late," the man said with a disapproving scowl. "Please follow me."

Edward nodded and glanced at me as the man led us down a long corridor.

"I don't know what to expect next," Edward said quietly. "I've never been here while anything is in session."

I felt my teeth catch the inside of my cheek as I gnawed anxiously before letting out a breath.

"It'll be okay," I assured him. "Whatever happens."

Edward looked stressed but didn't argue with me.

Ahead of us, the attendant stopped before a large set of onyx double doors. He reached for one long, slim silver handle and pulled the door open enough for Edward and me to slip through.

Inside was a massive room that looked like it had been lifted from any parliament in the world. It was circular with sixteen distinct sections divided by thin rails. In the center of the room, a group of people stood chatting.

I spotted Carlisle and Esme talking to a tall blond man and I nudged Edward gently. "Go be with your parents. I'll be okay," I whispered. Edward opened his mouth, perhaps to argue, but I reached up and lightly shoved him. "Go," I hissed.

He scowled but turned, stalking toward his parents. I couldn't hear their conversation, but by the ramrod straightness of Edward's spine, I had to assume their greeting was less than warm.

He would be fine, I decided. I had to focus on what I was going to do. I didn't want to seek out Charlie, nor did I want to seem like I was hiding from him. The people surrounding me were mostly strangers, though occasionally I saw a face I recognized from the Academy.

"Aren't you that trailer trash girl?" a voice asked, cutting through my thoughts.

I spun around to see a stunning blonde striding toward me, contempt on her face as she looked me over. I thought I might have recognized her from our time in school. Rosalie, maybe?

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I asked, keeping my voice light.

I saw her nostrils flare and her perfectly arched eyebrows furrowed for a moment. Clearly, she didn't appreciate my little game.

"I don't know how you got here," she snarled. "But on this island, the trash is incinerated."

Her meaning was perfectly clear to me, and instead of flinching from her like I wanted to, I felt my shoulders uncurl and my back straighten. Knowing what I knew now of the Sixteen and how their children were raised, I realized that Rosalie wasn't someone to fear; she was someone to pity. This girl had been given the world since birth, but no amount of money in the universe could buy self-respect or compassion.

What a waste of a life.

"What is it about me that you fear?" I asked, my head tilting as I looked her over. "Do I represent every one of your insecurities?" I could feel her bristle as she processed my words.

"I—"

"Or perhaps," I mused, cutting her off and leaning toward her. "You're just jealous of me."

It was such a ludicrous thought that I almost laughed saying it, but when I pulled back from her, Rosalie had gone red in the face, and I wondered if I'd struck closer to true than I'd expected to.

I shot her a wink as I stepped around her, feeling my knees start to tremble slightly. For all my brave face, I was actually mildly afraid of Rosalie. I didn't know if she was involved in the plot to bury me alive in school, but I also wouldn't put it past her.

She didn't come after me as I walked away, which felt like at least a good sign that I'd shaken her up enough to distract her, but then someone was tapping a small gong and calling for all the families to find their seats.

I began to panic. Where was I supposed to go? What was I supposed to do?

"There you are, Bella," a voice said, making me whirl around. Charlie was standing behind me dressed in a black suit, a predatory gleam in his eyes as he glanced around the room. He focused on me and flashed his teeth in what I supposed was a smile. "Come, Pet. It's time for you to step into the light."

I eyed him warily, but followed as he made his way from the center of the room up a set of stairs. He stopped in one of the sixteen sections and took a seat, motioning for me to sit in the spot beside him.

Hesitantly, I sank down.

Wasn't he going to say anything about me running away from him?

"You know Carlisle and Esme, I'm assuming," Charlie said, glancing at me. I looked up at him and followed his gaze across the room where Edward was settling between his parents. Our gazes met briefly and I looked away, not wanting him to read any unease on my face. "To Esme's left is her brother, Benjamin. Word is he was going to take over the Platt line."

I glanced up at Charlie. Did he know about my deal with Carlisle and Esme? It seemed like it based on his wording, though he was acting far less angry than I would have expected. What was his angle?

My sudden uncertainty about Charlie and the breadth of his knowledge made me uneasy. Was I walking into a trap by making that deal with Carlisle and Esme? Was I putting myself or Edward in jeopardy, inadvertently doing what Charlie wanted?

It made me panicky to think about, and I tried to will the thoughts from my mind.

Charlie nodded across the room and I sighed, following his line of vision. Benjamin Platt looked much like Esme, with thick, caramel hair and light eyes. He had a rounder face than Edward, and though he was sitting, he appeared to be shorter than Edward too. Benjamin looked to be in his early forties or so, though it was hard to tell from my distance.

"Beside them is Jasper Whitlock. His old man just died." Charlie's lips pursed. "I'm told the boy is smart, even if he is young." Charlie looked at me. "You were in school with him, weren't you?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "I honestly don't know who was there with me. I kept my head down as much as possible." It wasn't totally a lie, and Charlie nodded, accepting it.

"Looks like you made a friend with young Rosalie Hale," Charlie said, chuckling under his breath. "I've heard she threatened to burn Norway to the ground unless Walter declared her heir." He smirked, looking impressed. "It's that sort of initiative that I wish I could see from you, Pet."

I rolled my eyes and ignored him. Rosalie was clearly a psycho if she was doing anything that impressed Charlie.

"Charlie," a man said one section to our left. I looked up at the man who leaned over to shake Charlie's hand.

"Marcus, good to see you," Charlie said, sounding friendly.

The man, Marcus, glanced over at me curiously but didn't ask as he took his seat. Charlie turned to me and muttered under his breath. "Marcus Vanderbilt is my second," he explained.

"Second?" I asked.

Charlie looked at me in surprise. "The Vanderbilts rank second after our family. Marcus and I have had a good working relationship. He's a bit too sentimental for me sometimes, but he gets the job done." Charlie shrugged. "His daughter, Dianna, is the woman behind him. She's a few years older than you. Has a daughter herself, I believe. From what I gather, they are just as sharp as Marcus." Charlie looked at me. "That bodes well for our future endeavors. It's good to have level-headed partners in business"

I barely resisted rolling my eyes. I'd never met anyone less level-headed than Charlie. He was the definition of a megalomaniac.

"Charlie," a woman with platinum blonde hair scraped back into a severe bun stopped in front of us, looking up at Charlie.

"Sasha, how have you been?" he asked, giving her a bright smile.

The woman sniffed. "Waiting for our deal to be finalized," she said, giving him a stern look.

"Naturally," Charlie agreed. "We'll do the final contracts over drinks."

Sasha's eyes narrowed. "You better not be fucking me over, Bourgault," she snarled.

"Whatever gave you the impression that I would do such a thing?" Charlie asked, sounding so innocent that I almost believed him.

Sasha let out a breath, her icy eyes flickering in my direction before she looked ahead and strode toward her section.

Charlie leaned toward me again. "Sasha Albrecht. Her whole line has only ever been led by women," he said. "Personally, I think it's made them a little crazy." He tapped his temple and shook his head. "But they are good allies to have and have proven themselves loyal."

I thought about how Edward had described his parents' standing in the Sixteen. It had sounded like they did occasional deals with other Sixteen families, and even though they held the most power on their side of the rift, no other family reported to them.

Charlie on the other hand, acted like all the Sixteen families on his side paid him allegiance, like he was some sort of king.

For all I knew, he was.

Someone rang the gong again, and I looked down at the center of the room where we had all just been standing. The attendant who had shown us to the room stood there, his hands clasped as he waited for our attention.

"This meeting is now in session," the man said. "Please go around the room stating your name and status." He pointed to the family just to our right and an older man got to his feet. The room was now filled, the continuous circle of box seats all accounted for except for one. I eyed the empty box several to my left and fought back a shudder. The Moronis should have been there.

I forced my gaze away from it and looked down at the man still standing in the middle of the room.

"Who is that?" I asked Charlie.

"He's an impartial party," Charlie explained. "He maintains the grounds for us, and when we are in session, he acts as moderator."

I nodded, intrigued. How did one even stumble into a position like that? How often did he have to host all these people? What did he do the rest of the year?

The man to my right finished introducing himself and his heir and now the next family was up. It would take a while, I realized, to go all the way around the room.

I tried to assess the families, but knowing nothing about them nor how the rift ended up getting structured, I was a bit at a loss. I wondered if all of Charlie's allies sat on this half of the room, or if they were all spaced out. If they were at war with one another, what kept the peace here and why didn't it extend to the world outside?

I glanced up at Edward and wasn't too surprised to find his gaze on me. He looked stressed, and I wondered if it was his safety, or mine, that was causing the expression on his face.

Beside me, Charlie hummed and I glanced over at him. "What do you think of that woman about to speak?" he asked, surprising me.

I glanced across to the woman Charlie was referencing. She was young, maybe near my age, with bright red hair slicked back into a tight bun. She had the most stunning cheekbones I'd ever seen and a gaze so narrowed and sharp, it looked like she could light fires with a single glance.

I turned back to Charlie. "I'm not here to play your games," I told him dismissively.

"Bel-la," Charlie chided. "Play along. Tell me what you think."

I don't know why I was giving into him. Charlie had proven himself to be pretty insane. There was no use entertaining someone like him.

But then Charlie flashed me a challenging smile, almost as if he believed I didn't have it in me to keep up with him, and I felt my stupid competitive nature come rearing out of me.

I turned back to the woman, examining her closer. "She's young," I said quietly. "Ambitious, ruthless, and maybe even vindictive." I was surprised by my random observations. There was absolutely nothing to base them on except my gut feeling on how she looked.

"Would you trust her in a deal?" Charlie asked.

"Not as far as I could throw her," I told him. "That being said, I supposed if I knew there was a carrot juicy enough to dangle in front of her, she looks like she might be a formidable ally."

I sat back, surprised at my assessment of this total stranger.

Beside me, Charlie grinned and leaned lazily back in his chair, one hand coming up to rub his chin. "You really do have my mind, Pet."

I scowled at him and shifted so that I was angled away from him. I wanted to be nothing like Charlie.

The woman introduced herself as Victoria Walton and Charlie leaned toward me. "We're working on this deal," Charlie whispered near my ear. "Victoria is a piece of work, but she's as you described—formidable. I want you in on the negotiations."

I turned to glare at him. "What makes me think I want any part of your work?"

Charlie grinned. "Of course you want part of it. Who doesn't want to rule the world?"

My temper was starting to rise, but then Esme's voice rang out, drawing my attention across the room.

"Esme Platt, head of the Platt line," she declared. She looked at her brother, who was watching her expectantly. Was he hoping to be named the heir to the Platt line? Would Esme renege on our deal like that?

Esme took a breath before turning back to the center of the room. "I name my heir Edward Cullen-Platt."

There was murmur that broke out in the room, and beside her, Esme's brother lunged to his feet, clearly outraged. He was whispering furiously to Esme who turned from him, coldly ignoring his outburst.

Carlisle stood next, shaking his head once before speaking. "Carlisle Cullen, head of the Cullen line, and I name my heir Edward Cullen-Platt."

At this, the chambers burst into raucous chatter as each and every family lodged a complaint against what had just been declared.

The man in the center of the room picked up a large baton and hit the gong several times, trying to call order to the room. "This session is not to dispute heirs," he announced. "If there is such a desire, you must lodge an official request to reconvene on the matter," he explained. "Families, please continue."

The next family stood up, but my eyes were on Edward. Was he okay? What was going through his mind?

He glanced up and his gaze met mine, letting me see the set of his jaw and the resilience in his gaze. He'd fight for his position if he had to. We both would.

Finally, Marcus was done announcing his name and heir, leaving Charlie last. Charlie stood, grinning around the room. I could feel eyes on me, wondering who the hell I was as Charlie clapped his hands together.

"Charlie Bourgault, head of the Bourgault line," he said, rubbing his palms together. This was it, after this next moment, there would never be any going back for me, ever again. "I name my heir, my daughter, Isabella Swan."