Bella's Point of View
The drive back to the apartment was relatively quiet. No one had much to say. The twins had fallen asleep. Ana was still sulking over Embry's coldness towards her. And Esme just hummed a tune to herself, appearing the most cheerful I've ever seen her. I was lost within my own thoughts as I let my hands rub over my stomach. I had begun feeling a soft fluttering under my hands. I didn't know if it was my mind playing tricks on me, or if I was beginning to feel the initial movements of the babies. The thought was thrilling, but my pleasant mood was short-lived as Esme disrupted the moment.
"I was meaning to ask you Bella." She started, her tone turning more sheepish. "I heard that you are the grim's biological child. The last daughter. Is that really true?"
"Yeah, I guess so…" I wondered where this conversation was heading.
"I hope you know that I've always liked you. As Edward's mother, I was always extremely hard on all of the women he brought home. They weren't good enough for him. And I knew that upon the very second, I looked into their eyes. But you were different. I had a gut feeling about you." She paused again, scanning over my expression. "I thought, if there was anyone that could come close to being worthy, it was you. I'm glad to see that my hunch was correct."
I wondered how truthful she was being right now. "So, what's the criteria you used to determine who would be good enough for him?"
"Someone as hard working as him. Dedicated to their career. Loyal to the company. And with suitable powers and abilities." Esme said with a sharp nod.
"It sounds like I just barely make the cut."
"On the contrary, you have surpassed all my expectations. It will be an honor having your blue blood within our family. This will only further our prestige and influence. With you by Edward's side, at the head of the company, the Boswel reapers will flourish. We will surpass all the other companies." Determination sparked within her eyes. It was obvious that Esme still cared deeply for the company that she used to run. Although she was exiled, she still had nothing but hope and pride when it came to that company.
I had the feeling that Esme only approved of me, because of what I had to offer. It was understandable. That's just the type of person she was. She didn't make decisions based on her own personal emotions, not in this scenario. The truth was, she wanted to elevate her family, and I was the means of doing that.
"I plan on staying by Edward's side forever. But I won't be taking a place in the company for a while. My focus is on the twins for now. Just raising and loving them. When the time comes, I will go back to work."
This didn't seem to bother Esme in the slightest. "That's a wonderful idea. That's exactly where your priorities should be." She smiled faintly. "I wish Alice would have been more like you."
"You can't fault Alice completely for how she is. Afterall, she had you to look up to. I'm sure she saw much the company means to you; how important it was to be successful. And she learned to always put her career over anything else." It was a speculation, of course I wasn't sure. But it would make sense. Both Alice and Edward seemed to work hard and care a lot about the company, I imagine it was because of their mother's influence.
Esme clicked her tongue, giving a jerky nod. "You're probably right. I wish that I would have taken more time to actually be a mother to them, but my sights were always pinpointed on my job." She paused, glancing over at me. "I've only realized my mistake once I was stripped away from my position."
"Is that why you want to host this party?"
"It's part of the reason, yes. I'd like to make it up to all my family for the years of neglect I've inflicted on them. I'd like this to be the first push towards unifying the family once again."
This statement sounded genuine, but I couldn't shake off my suspicions that there was more to this gathering. Esme was planning something. I just wasn't sure what that might be. Now would have been a great time to have Katlyn around. Her abilities could cut through all the pleasantries and bring out the solid truthful facts of this situation.
Any further discussions ended as Esme pulled into the apartment parking lot, where Edward, Jacob and Alice stood. Each of them held a look of annoyance on their faces. As everyone got out of the car, Esme smiled widely at Edward.
"You'd never guess who we ran into at the store." She began.
Edward pulled me to his side, wrapping an arm around me and pecking my lips. "Who?" His demeanor had lightened up immensely. I could feel the tranquilness of his emotions, like a ripple on the water.
"Embry, he had the pleasure of finally meeting Ana." She continued as she took a few steps back from us to lit a cigarette.
Jacob flinched, a glare coming to his face as he also pulled Ana to his side. He lightly stroked her cheek as his eyes scanned over her with concern. "How bad was it? Did he even talk?"
"Not really, he was more interested in what Bella had to say." Ana muttered with a sad look.
Edward raised a brow, tension in his jaw. "I've never really seen Embry being interested in anything or anyone, other than Victoria." Jealousy fell off him in waves, his face remained somber.
"Embry likes anyone that doesn't worship the ground Jacob walks on." Alice said with her hands on her hips. She shifted to look down at Olivia and Alyssa. They stood completely still, their heads down. Not uttering a word. "Go to the car. I'll be there in a minute."
The twins bobbed their heads and wordlessly walked away from us and to the bright pink Porche that was parked next to Edward's Volvo.
"Well, before I go, there is a few things, firstly, what was this meeting about?" Esme asked, puffing on her cigarette. She flicked her ashes off to the side, before looking only at Edward and Alice.
"A group of rogues were spotted in town. They are organized and working under a leader. Since we are the only company in this city, it falls under our responsibility to eliminate the threats." Edward said with a sigh.
"It's a group of twenty," Alice spoke up, clicking her tongue. "We will send out our best reapers to deal with them tonight. We have intel that their base of operation is out of some run-down diner."
"What are rogues?" I whispered to Edward curiously.
"Reapers that refuse to join a company and act on their own. Taking souls that aren't ready for reaping. They are technically serial killers. They take human souls for sport, or personal desires. And instead of passing the soul along to their resting place, they simply destroy it, or offer it to a devourer."
"That's awful, why would they do something like that."
"Not all reapers are good natured. That's why we need to take care of this problem quickly."
Esme nodded. "So, what group will be taking care of this, I'm sure the grim would want our very best fighters."
Alice, Edward and Jacob exchanged annoyed looks with each other.
"Actually no, the group that the grim selected is… random. Or, at least, that's how it seems. The reapers he selected aren't special in anyway… in fact, they are kind of misfits within the company." Alice, pulling her nail file out to run harshly against her nails. "I mean, why would he pick Emmett? He is the weakest of the bunch."
This surprised me a bit. Emmett was half human and wasn't blessed with very much of the reaper genetics. In fact, he didn't have any reaper genetics. Esme had given him just enough power to save his life. What could he do against actual reapers? It just didn't make sense.
Esme's eyes widened, panic clouding her face. "No, not that boy. He will be killed. You are gong with him, right sweetie?" She looked at Edward.
"No, the grim refused to allow me to go along. But Katlyn will be with him. I trust that she will contact me if things go wrong. I'll be on standby. I won't let anything happen to Emmett." Edward said with a sharp nod.
Alice snorted, turning away from all of us. "That moron will probably run and hide the moment that danger is presented. It's nothing to worry about."
"Listen kids, I have something very important to ask you. This matters a lot to me, so please hear me out." Esme said abruptly.
Alice, Edward and Jacob all appeared tense now as they waited to hear Esme's next words.
"I need all of you to show up to my house this evening." She started cautiously.
"All of us? Why?" Edward instantly became suspicious.
Alice's face went sour. "I haven't been there in years. Why bother?"
"We are having a family reunion of sorts. Your attendance is mandatory. All of you." Her tone turned sharp. Her patience was already gone. "No further discussion is needed."
"You have to be joking." Alice said coldly, folding her arms across her chest. "Why in the hell would we do something like that? There is absolutely no benefit to it."
Esme paused, looking fully at Alice for the first time. "I love you dearly, I know I haven't said it enough. But I'd like to truly be a family again. Victoria will be there. She is your closest friend, isn't she? I'm sure she would love to see you."
Alice froze in complete shock, staring blankly at Esme. For once, she was speechless.
I had the feeling that Alice hadn't heard words like that from her own mother in a very long time. I could see the emotion dancing behind her eyes. But she kept herself from showing it outwardly. Instead, she turned around, so no one could see her expressions.
"What time," She muttered.
"Be there by dinner time. Bring the girls along with you. And don't make any plans on leaving for a while." Esme said with a hopeful grin.
"Fine," She replied, before quietly walking away from us. She went straight to her car without hesitation. It was clear she was slightly embarrassed. But it was nice to see there was a gentle side to Alice as well. Maybe she has been waiting for Esme to acknowledge her in this way for a while. I was happy for her.
"If Victoria is going to be there… there is no way I can go." Jacob said with a deep frown. "It would be too awkward."
Ana narrowed her eyes at him. "Why would it be awkward? You don't still have feelings for her, do you?"
"Of course not," Jacob huffed, his frown deepening. "All of those feelings died long before we even met. And with this marking between us, there is absolutely no changing that."
"So, it shouldn't be a problem if we go to this party then. It would be nice to get to know everyone in your family. Unless you're ashamed of me or something…" Ana said with a hurt look.
That was one of her many tendencies. Ana jumped to extreme conclusions. I'm not sure how her mind worked, but she always went to the worst possible idea. She's always been that way, even as a child. Jacob would have his hands full with her, there is no doubt in my mind. The thought was almost humorous, but I remained as straight-faced as possible.
Jacob's face softened as he pulled Ana close to him. "No, you have the completely the wrong idea babe. I'd never been ashamed of you. My family is just… difficult to get along with. I mean you saw how my brother is… the rest of them are pretty much the same way. I just don't want them making you feel unwelcomed."
"I don't care how the treat me, I'd at least like to meet them." She said stubbornly.
"Fine, we'll go." He groaned, kissing the top of her head. "But just remember, I warned you."
Esme smirked, bobbing her head with approval, before turning her sights on Edward and myself. "What do you say dear? Are you willing to come as well?"
"I don't really have an opinion one way or the other. It sounds like a waste of time. There are far better things I could be doing with my time." His eyes flickered to me. "So, it's up to you, love."
"I think we should go. After all, you got to meet a majority of my family. It would be nice to meet yours as well." I said without much further thought into it.
"Excellent, then I will see all of you later tonight. Dress casually." She paused, tossing her cigarette to the ground, before twisting her heel against it. "Take care." With that, she turned and walked back to her car.
Both Esme and Alice were gone, the rest of us made our way back into the apartment. There wasn't much discussion. Even as we all entered the living room, the silence continued. Ana took all her supplies she got from the store and took them to her room. Jacob plopped down on the couch and turned the television on to a sports channel. Edward went to his office space to finish a few more tasks he had to complete for the day. I was at a loss of what to do. We had a few hours until the party.
I decided on heading to my bedroom, to pull out my art supplies and start painting. It's been too long, since I've had the time and privacy to put my thoughts and feelings onto a blank canvas. This was my one and only hobby.
Originally, I intended on coming to this city of Boswel to sell my paintings for money, so I could afford Ana's cancer treatments. I found out quickly, there was no way that would bring me in enough money. No one wanted to buy art from a nameless country-hick, selling paintings in the park. I was naïve of how the city operated back then. Now that I look back on it, I realize I was foolish.
I placed my easel next to the window, which offered me a nice, natural light. I closed my eyes as a strong feeling swelled deeply inside of me. Warmth and raw feeling moved my brush to the canvas. I didn't open my eyes. I let the invisible force control my movements. This was always how I painted when I was painting just for fun. Eventually, I completely spaced out. Time lost meaning. Silence became deafening. I tried to stop, but my hand kept moving with more and more aggression. Soon, I was fighting to gain control over myself, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't even open my eyes if I wanted to. I could feel paint splattering against my arm as the brush smacked into the canvas. After a while, I felt my body hit the ground, I felt the force of the impact. And my mind went completely blank as I went unconscious.
A gentle hand nudged my shoulder, waking me up. I felt my eyes open, but I didn't recognize where I was. The area was pitch black, with a few candles shattered around me, a blaze of blue light. I sat up, immediately recalling the fall I had taken, and my hands moved to my stomach in panic.
"They aren't hurt, no need to worry my dear." A soft voice sounded from behind me.
I turned to see Matrika and the room standing there, both with worried expressions on their faces. They were both in black robes. Matrika bent down to lightly stroke my cheek. While the grim stayed back, analyzing me and the area.
"W-what happened? Where am I?" I said moving my hand to my head now as my head ached. It almost felt like I was hungover. The headache and slight nausea were overwhelming. I didn't even want to stand.
"We felt the seal on your abilities start to shift open, so we brought you to our plane of existence for a moment. Just to help put the seal back into place. If anymore of your power slipped out of you, while in your human form, it would have killed you." The grim answered with a frown.
"My powers… that's what was happening? It caused me to pass out like that?"
"Yes, what exactly where you doing, before you passed out?" He continued.
"I was just… painting."
Matrika and the grim exchanged looks with one another. They seemed a bit puzzled by my answer. With a little effort, I moved onto my feet, taking notice of the aching in my legs as well. It felt like my energy was completely zapped. I was exhausted, as if I had been running a marathon at a full sprint.
"All of a sudden, I couldn't control my body, something took over completely and I began to paint erratically. I lost control of my senses, my movements, then I passed out." I explained.
"That must have been terrifying for you dear," Matrika pulled me in for a warm hug.
Instantly I wrapped my arms around her. It just felt so natural, like I had been doing this for my whole life. It felt like… I was home. But in such a strange way. Because this is the first time, I can recall ever hugging her. There was such a deep sense of belonging here, it almost made me cry. Was that how it truly felt to be embraced by your mother? A mother that gave birth to you and loved you.
The grim moved to stand with us, his hand resting on the top of my head, stroking my hair. A smile came to his face as he watched the two of us. There was pride and joy in his expression.
"Don't paint any more, for now. For some reason, it's causing spikes in your powers. The seal can't stay in place if your powers aren't kept in a stable condition." The grim warned.
"Alright, sorry about worrying you guys." I said shyly.
"Think nothing of it. We will always be worrying about you. And keeping a close eye on you as well. I promise, we won't let anything bad happen to you, or the babies." Matrika said sweetly, before planting a kiss on my forehead.
I felt my entire face warm, and I hugged her a little tighter.
"As much as I'd like you to stay, your fiancé is growing increasingly frantic. So, I'll send you back now." The grim smiled, kissing the top of my head. "Farewell for now my sweet."
Suddenly, I lost my vision, but it was restored within seconds. I looked around, taking note of my familiar surroundings. I was bad in my bedroom.
"Bella, wake up, please." Edward urged with a look of fear on his face. I was cradled in his arms as he held me. We were on the floor, in front of the easel. His hand was supporting my stomach. The moment our eyes met; I saw a wave of relief. In the doorway, Jacob and Ana were standing with looks of horror and disbelief.
"What the hell just happened?" Jacob demanded, moving over to us. Ana followed closely behind, moving around him to bend down to me. She touched my hand, her hip quivering.
"Bella, you stopped breathing. Y-your heart stopped for a few seconds too." She sounded like she was on the edge of sobbing.
I shifted myself a little, but Edward wouldn't allow me to move, he kept his arms tightly around me. "It's alright, I'm completely fine. The babies are fine too. There was just a little issue with my powers. The grim pulled me into their plane of existence for a second… to help seal my powers back."
"Your powers started slipping through the seal?" Edward asked with a frown. "What could have possibly caused something like that?" His eyes scanned the room, before landing on my canvas.
His eyes widened. "Bella, is this what you were painting? Before you lost consciousness?"
I turned, looking up at the painting in bewilderment. It was unlike anything I've ever painted. The strokes were chaotic, the once white canvas was completely black, with wild fragments of purple striking through the center. Like a lightening strike.
"Yeah, but I had no control over this. I couldn't even see what I was painting. It was like something else was controlling my movements."
"So, in other words, this painting was created from your powers." Jacob said with a raised brow. "I'm not sure I understand what it is." He walked over, scanning over the painting.
"Well, don't ask me, I have no idea." I muttered as Edward helped me to my feet. Edward continued to watch me with concern.
"Are you sure you are alright?" Edward asked, lightly stroking my cheek.
Ana kept hold of my hand. "Can I get you something?" She asked anxiously.
I shook my head. "No, I just need to lay down for a bit. I feel exhausted. Just… wake me up to get ready for the party."
"Alright, well, we will be here if you need anything." Ana nodded, finally letting my hand go, before returning to Jacob's side. She clung to him, appearing a bit tired as well. I'm sure this had taken a bit out of her.
Jacob and Edward exchanged nods, before Jacob escorted Ana from the room. Edward turned to help me climb into bed, before going back to inspect the painting. A deep frown on his face. I could see the tension in his back as he faced away from me. I curled up in the blankets, letting my head rest on the pillow. It was so incredibly comfortable, but I couldn't help but notice a lingering feeling. There was a tingling in my fingertips. But I made no mention of it. I didn't want to worry anyone. I'm sure this sensation would eventually stop. It was just some side effects of my powers.
"Did you speak with the grim?" He asked after a while.
"Yes, briefly. Matrika was there as well." I said tiredly.
"This is all very… unsettling. We are going to have to be more careful from this point on. I'm afraid the seal may not be enough to contain your powers for much longer. We are going to have to have a conversation about that…" He said quietly.
I yawned, letting my eyes close. "Alright, we can talk about it…"
He turned now, his eyes softening. "After you get some rest." He now moved to lay down next to me. His arms came around me, pulling me close to his chest. "Sleep for now, we will talk more later."
Before I could answer, I felt myself relax as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. What do you think of Bella's powers starting to cause problems. What kind of future do you think is in store for her? Please leave a review with your thoughts or ideas. Again, thanks for taking the time to read this chapter