Chapter 23~ The Great Escape

The wolves began to circle the perimeter to keep an eye out for anything or anyone that might disturb me while I desperately tried to focus and concentrate on Zafrina. I tried closing my eyes, I remembered being roommates, the stupid shows we watched, everything. I lay down, stood up, paced I tried everything but I couldn’t grasp her location. Frustrated I pounded my foot into the ground, making an earth shattering quake. Edward walked to me and gingerly took my hand in his. “Bella, you are too tense, you can’t focus with a clock ticking in your head.”

“Well I have to Edward, we need to find Zafrina, and no matter how much anyone tells me to relax, it just won’t happen until I know our daughter is safe.”

I heard rushing water from a distance and began walking towards it. The static like sound it made was overshadowing all the voices in my head, and I felt at peace. I sat on a rock and dangled my hand in the crystal blue stream, using my finger I made circles repeatedly, almost hypnotizing myself. My mind began wandering to the time Zafrina tried to take me white water rafting. No matter how hard she tried I couldn’t grasp the concept to save my life. At one point my butt fell through the hole in the center and I got stuck. Zafrina laughed at me for a while and snapped a few pictures then leisurely grabbed my hand and effortlessly pulled me out. 

I began giggling remembering the look on her face, I suddenly became aware that Edward was close by, but I didn’t budge. I kept digging further and further into my memory. I remembered moving into the apartment. I had two bags to my name and she laughed at how poverty stricken I was. At the time it didn’t seem as humorous as it does now. She knew my past and all I had but played along to keep me safe. Even now I am boggled by it, I knew I killed her family yet she shielded me from so much.

I took my hand out of the water and watched as the drips danced down my hand and along my arm, the sun hit it just right and for a brief moment it blinded me. It was then in that moment I saw her, she was tied against the wall, it looked like chains but she couldn’t pull away, when she did she screamed in pain.  I kept my eyes shut and focused, she was covered in dirt, and her perfect skin had tears in them it was so odd seeing as vampires heal incredibly fast. Moriana was obviously keeping her in pain. I tried very carefully, to scan the room, all I could see was stone walls, a cement floor, and no windows. “Come on Zaf where are you?” I whispered

Zafrina’s head whipped up, “Bella?” 

She could hear me, oh my god, “Zaf you can hear me?”

She just nodded, “ Zaf where are you, we will get you out of there, we know what happens if you miss that phone call.”

She shook her head, “Bella, you can’t come; you can’t save me, please.”

“It’s not about you Zaf remember?” 

She was clenching her mouth shut, trying to hold back painful screams, I tried focusing on the tears, and slowly they began to heal,” Zaf, those are wounds made by magic, Moriana won’t stop until you have broken, she will find Mara through you and if that means taking it from your thoughts she will do it, she isn’t safe, not from your memories, so please Zaf where are you?”

“She took me to Volterra Bella, I am in the castle, and it is too heavily guarded, leave me, go get Mara.”

Volterra did present a problem for all of us, we didn’t have the man power for a rescue, “If I concentrate on Mara then Moriana will see and get to her first, you know that.”

Her face was covered in anger and remorse, “I don’t know. Bella, I am so sorry.”

“I know Zaf, just hang on a little longer please.” I opened my eyes; Edward was sitting in front of me staring at me.

“You found her, where is she?”

I slowly stood up, I paced back in forth a bit, thinking, Edward was watching my every step, finally I turned to him, “I need to go get her alone.”

He furrowed his brow, and shook his head, “No, why where is she?”

“Volterra” He was frozen, not sure if he was really frozen or just in shock, I gave him a little nudge.

“Why are you poking me?”

“Sorry you froze, the last time that happened my mother appeared.”

“Right, OK look Bella you can’t go alone, we go with you, that’s final.”

I gave a slight smirk, “Are you giving me orders?”

He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me close to him, “I am not going to sit here waiting, wondering if you are dead, not again I just can’t.”

“ Edward, I know how hard this is for you, but I think if I concentrate I can teleport myself to Zaf and get her out before Moriana or any of them know I was even there.”

“Fine, then you take me with you.”

“I don’t even know if I can do it, I am not going to turn you to ash trying Edward.”

“I am not negotiating here Bella, I go with you or on my own but I will be there.”

“There is no time to fight about this; we need to talk to the others.”

We walk back up to where the others are waiting, I immediately see Maggie, she gives me her usual motherly smile, Alice is sitting on a broken tree, twirling her bracelet, Rose and Emmett are whispering off to the side, and the wolves are circulating, I clear my throat to get everyone’s attention.

“I have located Zafrina, but no one is coming with me to retrieve her, she is in Volterra.”

Alice hops off the tree, “Oh I am going Bella, and you promised me.”

“You will get your chance Alice; I am going to teleport in grab her and be back here before you even know I am gone.”

Jake appears from behind a tree, adjusting his shirt, “You can do that?”

“I am going to try.”

“Bella, look I am not sure we can save Zafrina, you might need to locate Mara,” Maggie added

“I wouldn’t leave any of you behind if it could be helped; I am not leaving her to be tortured by that bitch!”

Emmett stepped forward, “Then we all go with you.”

“I can’t worry about all of you and Zafrina and getting us out of there without further casualty.”

Rose chuckled, “You don’t have to worry about us we are capable.”

“Alright well, I can’t teleport you all with me, and we don’t have enough time to travel there.”

Alice stood at my side, “Ok how many do you think you can take?”

I shrugged, “I have never done this before I don’t even know if I can take myself, and I have no time for practice.”

“Take, Me, Edward and Emmett across the river, if you can teleport us across that, then we go with you.”

It wasn’t a terrible idea, “Fine, but if I can’t then I go alone.”

“Deal” she held her hand out to shake. I rolled my eyes and shook it. We all walked to the river, everyone else followed closely behind. Edward, Alice, Emmett and I took each other’s hands, everyone was silent, and all you could hear was the rushing water once again. I concentrated until I felt all four of us connect, every fiber in our beings were one, I took a deep breath, I bent my knees, they bent theirs with me, and I lifted up, it was like vapor, in a flash we were on the other side.

I opened my eyes, turned and saw it was a success. But it was Emmett’s boisterous laughs and pats on my back that brought me back to reality. “You did it Bella, see I knew you could, Alice said with a sound of elation in her tone. 

“ Alright Alice, you win, but if we are all going to do this, then you all need to listen to me and always stay close.”

Edward took my hand, “We stay together, get Zafrina and we are out of there, Emmett you cover Bella, Alice you focus on where Moriana is at all times, I will help free Zaf with Bella.”

I squeeze his hand, “That is a perfect plan.”

“He smiled, “Thank you.”

“Now everyone take my hand, and be very quiet, I need to locate Zafrina again” We were all hand in hand again, I closed my eyes, remembered Volterra, and the room she was in, the chains, the cold, I inhaled her scent, her voice, and like a deep sleep she stood before me, hanging limply on the chains, fresh tears where the others had healed were present.  I bent my knees, and like before the others followed, we lifted and were instantly in the dungeon of Volterra with Zafrina. 

Zafrina lifted her head, she looked at us in bewilderment, not sure if what stood before her was real or an illusion I am sure, I reached for her face, and she instantly smiled, “You came for me.”

“The fact that you doubted me is insulting,” I gave her a smile in return. 

“Oh Bella, I am so sorry, please forgive me.”

“I told you it’s OK, now let’s get you out of here, you have to call Emily.”

“NO please leave me let me die.”

“Shut up you are being ridiculous now.”

Edward grabbed my hands and fiercely growled at Zafrina. “Edward what is it?”

“She broke!”

I looked at Zafrina,” NO WHY?”

She didn’t speak, she hung her head,” It was too much, I am not strong like you, you have to find Mara.”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know, Moriana did what you said she went in my mind, I don’t know how she found her, but she just smiled and that was it she left.”

I put my face to Zafrina’s, “You come with us, you call Emily and you warn her, you tell her to run, when we are safe we will go to her.”

Edward tears off the chains, Emmett turns,” Hurry they are coming.”

I concentrate on the river, where we were, it wasn’t as difficult to get back, the next thing we knew, we were all in front of Maggie, Rose and the wolves.  I looked at them, “Moriana knows where Mara is.”

I took Zafrina’s phone from my pocket and threw it at her, “Call, it better not me too late.”

She quickly dials, “Emily, its Zaf, listen take Mara, and run just keep running don’t stop….”

I stared at Zaf as she spoke, “She is coming for her, don’t ask run, I will call you in…” I grabbed the phone.

“ Emily, its Bella, you will go you will keep Mara safe, stop with the questions, run or die its simple, run North, I will catch up, go to the house Maggie took us to when you were five, remember it?”

All she said was a simple yes, but the sound of her voice brought tears to my eyes, “I love you sister, protect my baby.” I shut the phone, and we all just began running, everyone followed behind me and Edward, Emily’s voice was music to me, and just what I needed to get to them.