Chapter 15 ~ Shock, Dismay, Worry, Revenge

 I am fairly certain I had turned to stone and any chance of speech had run from me.  Edward wasn’t moving either, except for the slight flicker in his brow every minute or so.  Finally Jake broke the silence. “Bella, you still with us?” His words were full of worry, and genuine concern. “Um, I think, maybe,” I slide my hand from Edward’s cheek, but my gaze remained on his golden eyes. “Did you say sister, and our baby, yours and my child?” Edwards lip almost quivered, tears would never find his perfect eyes, but pain was a constant resident in his soulful heart. I could actually feel the torture he endures; I don’t know if it’s part of my power or that I just know him so well. “Edward, please, speak.” His eyes drop, he stumbles over his words for a while. “Bella you have every right to be angry with me, I would understand, I just couldn’t lose you or them, you are all I have, without you and our daughter my purpose on this earth is pointless.”  My heart was racing, I knew it wasn’t your average heart, but the feeling was amazing. It was as if someone was telling me my child was alive, only after thinking she was dead for many years. I felt elated. Edward was killing himself over a secret, a secret that kept our family alive. I could never fault him for such a sacrifice. I knew he had this knowledge, but no way of knowing where exactly they were.

“You don’t know where they are Edward do you?” He shook his head lightly, “I never wanted to, you see before you went to the Gypsy you took your sister and our daughter to a safe place, well hidden, you told no one because you knew that Caius would stop at nothing until he found them, and after you met us in Athens where the Gypsy erased everything, and planted a fake life.”  A single crimson droplet fell from my eye. “But I can’t remember Edward, and I desperately want to.” He cupped my face with in his perfect alabaster hands. “I know Bella, part of me wants you to remember to, I miss her so much, it’s as if I have no arms without her.” My tears begin to flow freely now. “I don’t even know her name Edward, if I am not with them how can I keep them safe, how do we know they are still alive?”  He pressed his forehead to mine, we close our eyes, I sobbed like a child, and I knew he would if he could. “My dear Bella, because Caius seeks you only means he has not found them, trust that you did right by them, walking away from them was the hardest thing anyone could do.” I was begging the darkness to shine the light for me, to show me where my baby was, I was making silent deals left and right, but nothing, was the dark trying to keep them safe to? “Your sister’s name is Emily, and our daughter, her name is Mara, you named her after your mother, Emily is not gifted in anyway, she was a failed creation of Aro’s but loved all the same.” 

My cries, taper off slightly, “Did my mother give birth to Emily?” Edward rubs my head, “No, he tried to mate with one of the children of the moon, it went horribly wrong, Aro debated killing Emily for some time.”  I wipe my blood strewn face with my sleeve, and then Maggie hands me a handkerchief, I smile,” Thanks Maggie.” She kisses the top of my head and steps back. “What made Aro change his mind?” Edward’s lips crack a halfhearted smile. “You of course Bella, you wanted a sister so badly, it was the only reason Aro agreed to it in the first place, you and Emily were inseparable.” My eyes searched over the crowd of people watching Edward and me, most of them sympathetic to our loss, only a few showing no emotion at all. “When Aro came to you and said that Emily had to go, you gave him one hell of a temper tantrum; you said you would never forgive him and never talk to him again, so she stayed.” I released a single chuckle, “I sound like a brat.” A few giggles were heard from everyone.

“On the contrary,” Maggie chimed in, “You were made with the best parts of your mother and your father, and you were born a fighter, live as a protector, and will be remembered as a savior to many, no matter what the outcome may be.” I slowly stand, and face the many people, wolves, and vampires before me. Edward stands beside me grasps my hand. We look into each other’s eyes for a moment, he didn’t have to read my mind, and he knew me like no other.

 “Emily is my sister, and she is yours as well, her mother was of this tribe no doubt that is why you joined this fight to begin with, we are linked and we fight for the same purpose, we fight to be free, to live, we fight for the fallen, together we can end this, but I no longer will ask you for your sacrifices, from this point forward if you follow it is a choice you make, but know this, if you run, that will change nothing, many have died and I will be in your debt forever, if  you need me I will come, I will protect any of you until there is no life left in this vessel.”  Edward squeezes my hand, like he was sending me strength through touch. “I will not force myself to remember where Emily or Mara are, if it comes to me than only I will know, I will not endanger anyone further, I will go to them, and hide them once more, and if I must, I will wipe my mind a hundred times until Caius and Marcus and that hoard of sadistic savages are dead, and they will die, at that point we will be avenged, and we will breathe the air of freedom.” 

I look over the crowd, many smiling, others standing taller more confident, a few still suffocated in fear. I didn’t know how many would fight with us, but for the first time I knew what the goal was, I knew I wasn’t alone and I felt loved that love was worth dying for.