Chapter 32 ~ Strategy

I raced down the corridor to the main practice room. It seemed large enough, and fireproof. Edward entered shortly after me. “Bella, what are you thinking?”

“Oh Edward I am thinking of everything.”  I felt confident, I felt like the battle with who I am and who I am supposed to be were perfectly in sync. “Watch,” I raced to one end of the room.

“Perhaps we should get Carlise to observe Bella?”

I simply chuckled, “Don’t be nervous, just trust me.”

“More than anything Bella, you know that.”

“Great, go sit on that stool.”

Edward looked at it, walked around it, rubbed it, and looked at me curiously,” Alright.” He sat, hands folded on his lap, and smiled.

“Ok now just keep smiling.” I took a deep breath, “And whatever you do, don’t move.”

I saw a hint of fear on his face, but I knew whatever happened he was going to be fine. I closed my eyes and focused on him, his touch and the feelings it all gave me. I watched as a stream of fire slowly appeared at my feet. “Amazing,” I could almost hear it speak to me, worshiping the power I had over it. I knelt before it, carefully putting my hands over top. The fire reached for me. I shot a look at Edward; His face was full of wonder. “Now remember, don’t move.”

He nodded; I took the fire and threw it at him. It was perfection, all he did was close his eyes, he didn’t move.  The fire stopped five inches from his face. He peeked one eye open. “Holy shit Bella.”

“Touch it,” he looked at me with slight madness. 

“It will engulf me and turn me to ash.”

I walked to him, looked at him in the eyes, “I won’t let it.” 

“You are that confident, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” he slowly lifted his hand, and at a snail’s pace inched it toward the fire before him. Suddenly a smile of relief and amazement painted his face. 

“Bella, this is outstanding, I can feel the heat, but there is no pain.” He looked at me, “How are you doing this?”

“I am doing this because I can; it is tied to me and me to it.” I placed my hand over the flame; it erupted and spun around the two of us wrapping itself around us like a blanket.

 

“How did you figure it out?” 

“ I spent so much time thinking of how I could defeat the unstoppable, and this whole time all I had to do was feel it, I needed to find my peace and with that I would find myself.” 

Edward leaned in and kissed me, at the same moment we heard gasps. I turned quickly extinguishing the flames.  There stood Carlise, Esme, and the others. “I apologize, I was simple training.”

Carlisle hesitantly walked toward me, “No apology necessary, we are happy to see you training."

Zafrina slinked in eyes to the ground walking to the observation booth. She hasn't been able to even look at me since she was taken by Moriana. We all knew she was tortured, but her reasons for sticking this out with us were very unclear. I wish I understood why she was still hanging out with us. Edward could see I was watching her, " maybe you should go talk to her Bella?"

I simply shrugged, " sure why not." I went to the booth, sat beside her. Neither of us spoke for a while. I had no idea what to say to her clearly anymore than she did. I took a deep breath, " I don't hate you, you know that Zafrina."

She chuckled sarcastically, " sure you don't."

I turned to her, " I am not kidding, I understand why you did what you did."

" How is it that you can understand something that makes absolutely no sense?"

It was a gutsy move but I reached out and took her hand in mine, "we do what we feel is right in a moment in hopes that it will write a perfect future." She just looked at our hands and back at me. " you didn't want Mara to die, but you rather see her die than be tortured like you were, right?"

She tried to speak, I could see her words were getting caught in her throat. Finally she collected herself, " Bella, when you killed my family, all I ever wanted was revenge for that, I told myself I would get myself in and get you to trust me and then when you least expected it I would get my justice." 

I wanted to gasp, and scream at her, but I knew she was trying to tell me something, explain to me how she came to stay and not rebel.

" But you don't remember my family and how you killed them, hell Bella, I could barely remember, all I knew was I hated you." She removed her hand from mine. " It wasn't until Moriana had me and burned me, cut me and tried to shatter me that I realized you did for me what I tried to do with Mara."

I felt confused, all I could do was listen to her, hope that some sort of sense was made.

" They were going to die anyway Bella, you spared them, you held this burden and risked breaking what we had so that they could go peacefully and not how I would have had you not saved me."

She put her head in her hands, I could feel her burning sadness consuming her inside. " Zafrina, I wish I could remember, and I hope you are right, I have discovered amazing things about myself today, and if I killed your family I did it out of kindness not malice."

She peeked up, she stared at me for awhile and finally wrapped her arms around me, " I am so sorry Bella, I hate myself for how I have treated you."

I was taken back, slowly I returned the embrace, " don't hate yourself, I have a perfectly good list of people you can hate." She giggled and nodded.

We got up and walked out of the booth toward Edward and Carlise. I knew by the look on Edwards face he was utterly pleased at the turn of events. I smiled back at him. " Ok boys what's next?"

Edward nudged Carlise," Oh alright well Bella if you are up to it, we want to establish strategy, we want to figure a way where your powers can protect the fighters."

" Protect what fighters?"

He gestured to the others in the room, " All of them."

" You have got to be fucking kidding me Carlise, I am not sending them into their slaughter, I think the best course of action is for a small regiment to go in and clear out what they can before sending in the masses."

Edward stepped in, " what exactly, or should I say who do you mean?"

I grabbed his hand, " Not myself alone, don't worry, I meant the gifted ones, you see we need to destroy the gypsies before anything else, I believe it is them that hold a spell over the castle that prevent me or anyone with powers to use them, except vampires like you Edward or Zafrina."

He nodded, " so what about a group of gifted vampires and a group of wolves?"

I smile, " that would give them one hell of a surprise."

Carlisle clicked a button on a little remote he had and a large screen dropped from the ceiling, and a blue print of the castle appeared." Alright Bella we will need to enter from different points in order to be successful."

" No Carlise," I interrupted. " We need to find all areas the gypsies are at first."

" How are we going to find them?" Zafrina asked

" That's where I come in, I can locate them." They all looked at me curiously, I walked over to the screen with the blue print and places my hand on it and gently brushed my hand side to side until little spots of light appeared.

" Bella is that them?" Carlise asked

" The blue lights are the gypsies, the red are the vampires, we can track them now."

I turned around and everyone was staring at me in what only could be amazement. Edward scooped me up. " You are more powerful than I ever could have thought possible." 

I just laughed Carlise just stood there staring, " Its outstanding, we know where they are at every moment."

" Yes," I said, " The Trilords and my mother aren't up there, but no matter, I can feel when my parents are close, and Alice, well without the gypsies they are all sheep headed toward the slaughter."

Carlise didn't remove his eyes from the screen, " I am going to come up with a few ideas, and make a list of the gifted vampires and the strongest wolves, I will have that by the end of the day."

" Are you dismissing us doc?" Zafrina asked in her usual go fuck yourself tone.

Carlise simply waved his hand at us. We all giggled, " Alright Carlise we will catch up with you later."

Zafrina headed toward the library. Edward and I went to walk in the garden.