Chapter 18 ~ Clearing The Air

Edward and I walked back to everyone, hand in hand. Looking at Edward you wouldn’t even know we just had a life changing conversation. He is so good at masking his emotions, I wondered if my face was just as blank.  Most of the wolf pack was together around a fire cooking what looked like rabbit, Maggie was sitting on a rock staring up at the moon, Zafrina was staring at a map and Alice and Jasper were leaning against a wall of rock, whispering. Edward nudged my arm lightly before he spoke, “Hey Jas I wanted to talk to you.” Jasper pushes off the wall with his foot and comes to Edward.

“Ok what’s up,” The two of them begin walking down the slope; I turn to Alice who is staring right at me.

“Hi Alice, what are you up to?” She simply shrugs saying nothing. “You alright?”

She rolls her eyes, and slowly crushes a rock in her hand turning it into sand. “Bella what do you want?”

Her sharp tone took me for a bit of a surprise, “I just wanted to talk is all, catch up, you know?”

She shakes her head, “You are so phony Bella, you are checking up on me just admit it.”

Maybe she actually could hear Edward and me up on the hill, “Why would I have to check up on you Alice?”

She whips her head at me, glaring into my eyes, “You know I should ask you that Bella, we all don’t feel that you have been forthcoming about the knowledge you have.”

I burst out laughing, “You can’t be serious Alice, you all throw this information at me and are surprised when I begin to act strangely?”

“No Bella, strange we can deal with but I know you are hiding something and the more you keep it a secret the more suspicious we all will be of you, that makes you a target.”

A twinge of anger flickers across my face, “Target, really?”

She inhales,” I just mean you are dangerous, and you can sway both ways good or evil, your secrets just show us you are opting for the easier path.”

I clench my fists, “Are you high or something Alice?” I can hear my voice getting louder, “Secrets engulf this group, you should know.”

She abruptly stands her body arching over mine, “Queen Witch or not I will rip out your tongue if you continue treating me like the enemy Bella.”

I stand pushing her slightly, “I would love to see you try.”

Maggie comes rushing in Zafrina doesn’t even look up from her map. “Now now girls what’s all the commotion?” 

Alice and I were frozen staring into each other’s eyes, one just waiting for the other to make the first move; I prayed it would be her so I was warranted to kill her. “I said what is going on, someone answer me please?”

Without changing my stance, “You don’t want to get involved in this Maggie.”

She positions herself between the two of us, “Like hell I don’t, I won’t be having us fight each other on top of Caius’s army, now break it up.”

“Funny thing Maggie, I thought I was fighting Caius’s army just now.” A slight smirk came across my lips thinking that would for sure push Alice. But it was Zafrina who interrupted.

“You think Alice is working for Ciaus?” Her laughter echoes through the cave, “That is classic.”

I turn toward Zaf, “Why is this amusing to you?” Edward and Jasper both return, looking at the situation with caution.

“It’s just that it would be more logical that you would think I was working for Caius, you know with all the hatred I have for you and all.”

Edward’s eyes are locked on me, Jasper returns to Alice’s side, “Honestly Zaf, I would have thought that myself, but…” I trail off knowing I can’t tell anyone about my mother.

“But what?” Alice says

“I just, I am remembering is all and Alice, everything about you screams traitor.”

“THAT’S CRAP!” jasper shouts, everyone is taken back by his outburst. “ Alice has gone to hell and back for you Bella, and here she is doing it all over again, what kind of shit are you seeing to think so ill of her?”

Edward slinks to my side clasping my hand, he leans in and lightly whispers, “You tell them or you stop talking, you can’t win with a broken story.”

I close my eyes and take in a deep breathe, “My mother is alive, and she told me Alice can’t be trusted.” When I open my eyes everyone is staring at me their mouths half open, as if they were in frozen shock. 

“Just give them a minute, Edward said quietly.

It was naturally Maggie who broke the silence, “When did you see her dear?”

“Before on the hill when we were flanking Caius’s army.”

Alice and Jasper look at each other; fear was painted on their faces. “And by the terror on your faces, it tells me that she is right.”

Edward grabs my arm, “Wait Bella hear them out.”

I turn to Edward, “you promised not to interfere.”

“I won’t, but if you are right then don’t you want an explanation?”

Jasper steps forward, “Bella, please don’t act on a feeling, you can’t trust what you saw.”

“Why, because Alice said she watched her die?”

“ No Bella, that was a lie, Alice didn’t watch her die, she told you that so you would think your mother loved you and that you would hold onto the hope that there is good in this world, and that you weren’t born into hate but into love.”

Edwards face was as confused as mine. “The secrets, all the secrets, I don’t trust any of you anymore.” I fall to the ground, covering my head with my hands, rocking back and forth; Edward wraps his entire body around me, comforting me.

Alice steps beside me, “Remember when I told you that when I was captured a man came into the room where we were held and I thought him to be my savior, but I would later find that out to not be true?”

I said nothing just sat in silence, so she continued, “ He worked for Caius, his name was Demetri, he swept me off my feet, always flirting with me at the castle, sending me flowers, and leaving butterflies in my room, he was a charmer, and that’s exactly what he was, a charmer.”

I lifted my head slightly, looking up at Alice, her gaze was distant, like she was remembering, “He was an amazing tracker but also gifted in the art of charm, he could plant a single seed of emotion inside you and it would bloom into whatever he felt was beneficial to his cause.” Jasper placed his hands on Alice’s shoulders for support. “He told me of the night of your birth and how he watched your mother turn to stone and ash, I believed him so much that it became a memory.” 

Edward was listening as intently as I was, “When we all got word of what Caius was planning I told Demetri of our plans to run, I thought I could trust him, he told Caius and they came for me in the night, they tortured me for eleven days, burned me, tore my arms and legs off, shaved my head, everything you could think of, never once asking me a question just pain.” 

I lifted myself up and sat on a rock, Edward beside me. “It was the twelfth day when she entered the room, your mother, I thought she came to save me, but she came to kill me, told me that you and the others had escaped and I was of no more use to the trilords, she informed me Aro left with you, I was so glad you were free, even if it cost me my existence I didn’t care.” 

Alice’s voice was beginning to crack, “Bella, your mother was so powerful, they all feared her and when she placed an Executive Order it was to be followed through or there was great consequence.”

I stood up slowly, “Wait Alice, I remember a conversation Aro had with the others Marcus said it was an executive order, he was referring to my mother?”

“Yes Bella, she was drunk on power, still is apparently.”

Edward s voice was so comforting, “Alice how did you survive, if she is so powerful how?”

She just smiled, “Jasper, he freed me and we ran, I knew Moriana would look for me but I wasn’t a priority, Bella and Mara were, But you never knew she was alive, until now that is.”

I knew I had underestimated Alice, I knew my mother had an amazing hold over me, but I also knew she would return to me, time was not on my side, “ Alice why does she want me dead, and Mara?”

“The blood same as before, she knew it could make her army unstoppable, Caius was immediately on board, Marcus had no choice, since Aro ran Marcus stuck by Caius and his choices.”

“She had me why didn’t she take me?”

“You cloaked Mara so well not even Moriana can find her, you see Bella, you hid her with the only thing that evil cannot penetrate, a mother’s love.”

Maggie was speechless, as were we all, clearly the lies had manifested into a life of their own, for once the air was beginning to clear, but I knew I needed to learn how gifted I was and just how powerful I could be before my mother returned.