Chapter 16 ~ The Ties That Bind

As the sun begins to dip behind the mountains we all begin to travel, and by all I mean everyone Not one wolf or vampire strayed. We were a united front, I could feel how we were all connecting, and we were melding together. I was feeling everyone’s emotions, I knew where everyone was at every second, waves of cold would brush my cheeks when a vampire was near, but each with their own scent. A rush of warmth for the wolves, their scents a little bit more difficult to place but still each was linked to their own aroma. I was learning to connect with the darkness, but in a way where I could stay in control with it. My lips curl with amusement, Edward mimics my happiness, “What has you so content my love?” I shrug slightly, “I think I am getting this power thing under control, I can control it better I think.”  He shakes his head, “That’s great, we will need it.”

“I wonder what Aro would think of all of this?” Edward pulls my arm under his, gently kisses the top of my head. “He would be proud of you, you are amazing Bella.” I let my mind wander as we travel, letting Edward guide me.  I begin remembering when Aro would try to teach me how control my blood lust, but how the unchartered territory of me being part witch would throw him off guard. Once he put a boy no older than eleven in front of me, after I had not fed for days and told me not to drink from him. I circled the boy, inhaling his succulent fragrance, lightly growling as I wouldn’t dare disobey Aro’s rule not to drink. I sat across from the boy for what seemed like hours, Aro stood against the wall watching me, I knew he was trying to figure out what I was thinking. The boy was sweating, which made concentrating even harder.  That was when the darkness whispered to me, telling me how to get relief from my burning without drinking from him. I hopped off the stool, smiled at Aro, walked over to the boy, and placed my hand on his head. The boy leaped back, but my grip was fierce, he didn’t go far. I closed my eyes, and just breathed. The fire in my throat slowly began to diminish, relief was washing through me. I could feel strength empower every inch of my being, I was beaming with excitement and comfort. When I felt fulfilled I leisurely opened my eyes. The boy was hollow, his eyes caved in, his skin was the color of ash, he was dead.  I dropped him in shock of his sight, and turned to Aro, his face showed only amazement and wonder. Then I remembered, him telling me how I lifted the boys souls from his body and took it inside my own vessel.

I stopped walking, Edward turned to me, “What is it Bella?” I looked at him, “Souls,” He looked at the others, and put his face an inch from mine. “You don’t need them, you know that, you learned to deny yourself that, if you are hungry I will find you something.” I gingerly took Edwards hands, “No, I mean I remember what the witch in me ate, when I had asked Maggie, she shuddered and dropped the conversation, now I know why.” He lifted his head, “Yeah, some think it was that day in the basement when Aro gave you that boy that woke up the darkness, others think I did that.”  He smirks, and begins walking again.

I wish my mother were still around, so I can ask her what it all means, you are here to help with parts, but she knew so much that was unchartered territory.”

“Yes, Bella but you are doing outstanding on your own; don’t diminish what you have already accomplished.”

I kiss the palm of his hand, “You amaze me just as much.” Just then Jake runs to my side. “Bells, we have a situation up ahead.”

My eyes search the forest, a slight blockade was a good twenty miles up. “It looks like a few of Caius’s army, Jake.”  He nods. 

“Can you tell if any of them are gypsies Bells?” I scope them out one at a time, Edward interrupts, “They are all vampires, I am sure of it.” I shake my head in agreement.

“ I think Caius is setting these little blockades up all over, trying to figure out our path, as each gets destroyed he will be able to where we are going.” 

“So then we need to split up then Bells,” I look at Jake. “That could be dangerous, other blockades might have gypsies.” Jake rolls his eyes.

“What if we split up but here’s how it will need to work, “Edward kneels down and begins drawing in the dirt. “ about twenty  of us go up the mountain this way and see who the spotters are, the rest head for the blockade after the spotters have been identified and captured.” I turn to Edward,” Ok I will help with the spotters.” He shakes his head. “Too Bad Edward, you all don’t stand a chance if there are gypsies for spotters.” 

I raise my eyebrows and hold my ground. “Bella, you can’t fight off a group of Gypsies.” I reach out and place my hand on Edwards Cheek. “I don’t know what it is I can do, but vampires you can all take those no problem.” Edward stands, “I go where you go Bella, that’s one rule I won’t let anyone break.” I nod. “Fine, Alice and Zaf go with the wolves, You, Jas, Maggie and a few others stay with me.” We all agree and Jake heads to the others to go over the plan. 

Edward intertwines his fingers with mine, “I just don’t want to lose you again Bella.” I look at him, his face full of worry. “Edward, I don’t know what will happen, but I know we won’t all survive this, but I know we will all fight harder than anyone and anything in this world, and I know you love me so that right there gives us points.” My humor is wasted on him, he is determined to protect me, I see this. If he tries I know Caius will destroy him, I can’t let that happen. 

The group divides, Edward, Maggie, Jasper, me and a few others trek up the mountain, Jake watches us intensely, and a few wolves are behind us just to give word to Jake and the others when the spotters have been taken out. We reach a peak, a tent rests atop it. Two figures facing the blockade paying no attention to us. I signal to Jas and Maggie to grab the one on the left, she nods. Just as I am about to jump on the other figure, my body becomes completely limp and I fall to the ground. The figures are unmoving, I try to look at Edward but in the corner of my eye they look to be frozen. Just then another body steps out of the tent, smiles and kneels in front of me. She was tall and beautiful, her hair was black like mine, her lips were as red as blood, her eyes were like clear crystals and her skin was as white as the moon.

I try fighting but it is no use, she reaches for me, hushing my struggles, “Don’t fight my dear, it’s useless.” I try and speak but my voice is gone. “Do not fret, your friends are OK just still at the moment, as are the two figures you came to destroy.” My mind was spinning; I couldn’t even hear the darkness. “You are wondering who I am yes?” She laughs, stands and circles Edwards’s statuesque body, she slides her finger along his arm. “He is a radiant creature; I can see why you are drawn to him.” I can feel the anger boiling inside me, I knew I couldn’t stop her I knew she could decimate us all. She walks toward Maggie, “The ginger is still following you around I see, and the mood ring,” as she rustles Jaspers hair. I can feel my face again and I am able to speak.  “What are you?”

She turns abruptly, “You are getting stronger I see, “She lifts me up, and searches my face for a long time. “ You look so much like him, it sickens me.”

“I will take your word on it, seeing as I have never seen my mother.” She grips the side of my face and pushes my face closer to hers, “Well take a good look my child, I am right here, mommy dearest.” I push my face from hers and drop to the ground. 

“My mother is dead, you are a liar!” She just laughs more. “Why, because that’s what Aro told you, or was it Alice?” She grabs Maggie’s hair and lifts her two feet off the ground. “No wait; it was the Nanny, in the study, with the rope.”

“LET HER GO!” I stumble but eventually am able to stand. She turns toward me still holding Maggie, “You are a foolish, naive child, you live in a world where you believe who you are told to believe, but deep inside, you can hear it, the darkness, she sings to you and you shut your ears to her melody.” 

“No I listen, I can’t understand everything, it gets mixed up, just please let my friends go and you can take me to Caius whatever you want.”

She screams at the top of her lungs, “I DON’T WANT TO TAKE YOU TO CAIUS YOU STUPID GIRL.” 

“Tell me then what do you want I will do it, anything.” Her glare would set me on fire if she wanted it to. I knew it. I tried to see the mother she was to me but found nothing.

“What did they do to you?” She drags Maggie by her hair as she stand before me. “Beat me, lit me on fire, drowned me, quartered me, you name it sweet child of mine and they did it.”

There was great anguish in her face; I knew she spoke the truth, “But why?”

“For you of course, Bella, they wanted to find your daughter, which they could only do if they had you.” 

“Mara, she is innocent she is nothing, and I don’t know where she is.” 

She slid her finger along my cheek, “That is where you are wrong, she is everything, she is the key my dear, she is the first bred of a hybrid, her blood it will give Caius the power to be like you, as powerful as a vampire but with the strength of a witch.” 

“Why not just take my blood then?” She sighs in frustration. “Your blood is too potent it would kill him, but Mara’s is perfect, if his drinks her dry he will be unstoppable.”

She drops Maggie, “ I must go Bella, but you need to open your eyes, they cannot be trusted, you were right not to trust Alice, when I am gone, the figures will be dead, you are to say you did it, whatever you must, no one can know I live, run Bella, protect Mara, Kill Caius!”

A massive dark cloud of dust engulfed my body and she vanished. Everyone was moving again the figures were on the ground, dead, all eyes were on me. “I killed them, the darkness it took over, I don’t understand it.”

Edward took my head in his hands, “Are you OK, It was strange like time froze.”

“Yes I am fine I swear, we have to go now.” He looked at me strangely and we all hurried down the mountain toward the blockade, when we reached it all of Caius’s army was destroyed. Alice grinned, and folded her arms. “All in a day’s work.” I just smirked back at her, the witch’s words echoing in my ears, I knew I had to kill Alice.