Chapter 30 ~ The Others

Edward and I walked quite a while until we came to a rather large Villa. Huge mountains flourished behind it and a magnificent garden covered the entire front. It was something out of a dream. Edward was holding my hand gliding me through.  All I could do was stare in amazement at the sight of the blissful slender.  We reached the front door and Edward walked right in without knocking.  It was like stepping into a field full of sunflowers, it was a garden inside the house. “This place is amazing Edward.”

“Esme spends a great deal of her time searching for the perfect serenity, I think she has reached it.”

I smiled, “Who is Esme?”

No sooner I said that I heard delightful laughter and she breezed right into the room, “Oh Bella, how wonderful to see you are well, we were so worried about you.”

Her face was like looking at the Mona Lisa, her voice was angelic, and she just drew me in. She reached for me and hugged me so tightly, I couldn’t help but return the embrace, I wanted to. But as we hugged an overwhelming rush of sadness came over me. It was mixed in with a happiness she had created for herself. 

When she finally pulled away, I looked into her eyes, I felt as though all she wanted to do was cry, but in her frozen state could not. “It is a very lovely home you have here.”

“Thank you Bella, that means a lot to me.”

Edward gently rubbed my back, “Come Bella, let’s go meet everyone.”

Edward and I walked through the enormous mansion; most of the rooms were empty. We came to a large burgundy door, Edward held it open for me and I walked down the corridor to an elevator. He hit the button and we walked inside. “Edward, where are we going?”

“To meet the others, it’s OK Bella.”

The elevator took a long time to reach its destination, and when the doors finally opened it was like stepping into a secret military base. “What the hell Edward?”

 

When the door closed behind me everyone halted and turned to me, “Edward why is everyone staring at me?”

His words were interrupted by another; I looked to a see a fair haired man in a doctor’s jacket, “We have waited for you for a very long time Bella.”

“Have you?” I looked at Edward who was smiling slightly,” What is this place, and where am I?”

“My name is Carlisle, and this is my home, you already met my wife Esme and these people, well I guess they are the others.”

I walked further and realized it was a balcony, and below was hundreds of thousands of vampires, and wolves.  “You have to be shitting me?”

Edward and Carlisle both laughed, “Bella,” Edward said, “Come meet them.”

“All of them, it will take hours and I don’t have time, my mother she is in trouble.”

Edward looked puzzled, “Bella your mother she is not on your side, did they give you a drug or something?”

“No Edward, she saved me, she got me to the tarmac I swear it.”

Carlisle and Edward looked at each other and then back at me, “I know what you are both thinking, but Aro has some sort of hold on her and that place drains you of your power while inside, she is a prisoner there.”

Carlisle placed his hand on my cheek, “She isn’t running a fever or anything.”

“I am not sick!”

“Look Bella, we are aware Aro is alive, one of the guards in the castle confirmed that, however he stays true to the fact that Moriana is indeed the ringleader of this circus.”

“No your guard is wrong, I am her daughter and I saw the burns on her body and I felt her love for me.” I was angry, I was feeling untrusted.

“Bella, listen lets go talk to this guard, sound good?” Edwards’s words were calming.

“ Fine.”

We walked to a large conference room. Edward sat beside me and Carlisle brought the guard in. I looked at his face; it looked somewhat familiar but nothing that screamed to me that I knew him.

Carlisle introduced him, “Bella this is Stefan, and he is one of Aro’s personal guards.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, “Personal guard?” I looked at their faces, but not a hint of humor peeked through. “Your spy is Aro’s personal guard?”

“Yes, Bella why does this this amuse you?” Carlisle asked

“Well for one having your spy so close to a man who simply has to touch you to hear every thought you have ever had isn’t exactly reliable.”

Edward just looked at me, a half smile painted his face.

“Not to mention Alice sees the future, you know she saw him coming and likely warned Aro of this?”

Again I looked at Edward, “Why are you staring at me like I lost my mind?”

He inched closer to me and took my hand in his, “Bella we already thought of that,” he paused for a moment shared a glance with Carlisle and began talking again, “actually you thought of that Bella.”

“Me, I thought of it?”

“A long time ago, before you went to the Gypsy, you said we needed someone inside always, to watch over them, you used so much of your gift to protect Stefan’s identity, and you blocked anyone who tried to penetrate it.” 

The familiarity of Stefan’s face was becoming clearer to me, “And this was able to block Alice as well?”

“Everyone, even from my own gifts Bella.” Edward said with amazing pride in his voice.

I smiled, amazed at my own power, slightly jealous that I couldn’t summon this outstanding creature inside of me to come forth and save everyone. I looked up at Stefan, focusing on his face. I forced myself to remember. “Your name is Stefan?” He nodded. “And you have been with Aro for many years?” Again he simply nodded. “You can speak, I don’t bite.”

Stefan looked at Carlise, Carlisle stepped forward, “No Bella he can’t.”

“Why not?” I was puzzled.

“Stefan is from Romania; hundreds of years ago The Trilords invaded killing everyone, even his children and wife. Aro always leaves at least one survivor of every encounter; he likes it to be as a warning of his capabilities. But he never leaves the survivor unscathed, so he turned Stefan into a vampire, and after transformation removed his tongue and destroyed it so no one could hear his cries.”

My heart ached as Carlisle told me Stefan’s story, I could feel the anguish pouring from his body. “Then why would you plant yourself in that place?”

“He did it for us, well for you and the hope that we could destroy the Trilords Bella.” Carlise said.

“I see, and knowing only Aro would have the power to read your thoughts, clearly I knew this and prepared for it.” I stood and walked to Stefan, “Every day you stayed in that place, you tortured yourself daily reliving it all.” I put my hand on his cheek and looked into his painful eyes. “What was your price?”

Edward came to my side, “He wants to die, Bella.”

“Of course he does, I can feel it, you watched everything you loved die, and the hope that you could simply take your life to end it was taken from you when Aro, my father, turned you.” His eyes dropped to the floor. “Very well I will kill you.” He immediately looked up at me. A twinge of relief came over him. “I just have one question.” He nodded, “why are you so certain my mother’s kindness is not real?”

He took a deep breath, I could see he was trying to figure out a way to explain it to me; he spotted a dry erase board and began writing. His handwriting was beautiful, and his speed was as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. 

When he was done it simply read, Moriana lives because you and Mara live, her motives are selfish, if Aro kills you then she dies with you.

“But that means she would protect me?”

He shrugs and writes, unless she realizes how your blood if consumed could make her untouchable.

“If she let Aro drain me he wouldn’t share any of it with her, so she will keep me safe until he is destroyed and then she will come for me and Mara.” He just nods. “Once again I am the fool.”

I plop down in a chair, head in hands. I feel a hand on my shoulder, I thought for a moment it was Edward, but turned to see it was Stefan. He takes the marker and writes on the table. “Love seeketh not itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives its ease, And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair. “

“That is beautiful, William Blake?”

He smiled and nodded, and under his words wrote, “You are heaven’s door for all of us stuck here in hell.”

I rose up and embraced him, “your wife and children wait for you Stefan, and it is time you go to them.”

He gently pulled himself from me smiled and kissed my cheek. Edward took my hand “Bella, to take his life it might destroy you.”

“Edward my internal struggles are not because of doing what is right, every single vampire or werewolf here has been tortured because of my parents, and I will not be like them and make them suffer longer.” I kissed Edward, “I love you for loving me like you do, I need to keep the promise I made with him, or I am no better than they are.”

He kissed me back, “You are amazing Bella.”

I led Stefan to the couch, “lie down and close your eyes, think of your family and of a happy time you had with them, remember when your wife would make you laugh, and when your children’s hugs magically made every moment better.” I placed my hand on Stefan’s chest. “Think of the intoxicating scents your wife embodied and the melodic sounds of your children’s happiness.” Slowly Stefan’s body hardened and turned to ice, not an ounce of pain touched his already tortured being. I watched how he peacefully slipped into a place where his life was only happy, fulfilled and rewarding. Little pieces of light shot out of his chest and they dissipated into the air until his body no longer remained. I sat there for a moment; the tears pouring from my face, Edward knelt beside me. 

“I was afraid it would ruin you.” 

I looked into his perfect copper eyes, “I am not ruined Edward, I am relieved, he finally has the peace he desperately craved, he has his family, he has love.” I stood and looked out the window to the others who were practicing fighting. “This must end.”