Chapter 37~ Nightmares

I couldn't move, frozen and catatonic. Dread, and hopelessness washing over me. It felt like death was sitting on my chest laughing at me. I could hear the sounds of voices but it was suffocated echoes. My vision was blurry nothing made any sense and then again it made perfect sense at the same time. Aro was too quiet, he hadn't tried to invade the camp here, we hadn't heard anything. It was only a matter of time until he struck. Emily's words played over and over in my head ~ " They busted through the doors, they had to break my arms I swear I wouldn't let her go and I didn't until they forced her from my hold, They took us to the castle, Bella, I am kept alive only to deliver this message to you that they have her, so since this is the last words of mine you will hear, know that I love you, and that every minute of my life was blessed because of you and Mara, thank Edward for trusting me with her, and I am so sorry I couldn't keep her safer, longer, Be brave beautiful Bella, be strong, Bring our little girl home, and kill these mother fuckers!"~

My sister, my blood, and now they had my daughter. Everything was falling apart and we had run out of time. I felt my body lift. For a moment I thought I was floating until I smelled Edward and realized he was carrying me. Still there was nothing but loss in my heart. I couldn't do this alone and no one else was strong enough to take on our enemies. " We're doomed."

Edward stopped moving, he put his face in mine, " Don't you dare quit on me, we are going to get her back!" 

He truly believed it, but how was he full of hope when the world was falling apart. The only way out of this was to sacrifice myself, take their attention so that they can get Mara out and..... That was it! I jolted and hopped out of Edward's arms, " I got it!"

His face was hard, his eyebrows were a canopy for his eyes casting shadows over his beautiful face, " What is it Bella, you know something?"

" Yes, Me, he wants me, so we give him me!"

Now his face went from grave to horrified, " You are fucking kidding me, Bella No we have been through this, we go together or we don't go, I'm not losing you." He gripped my shoulders forcefully, " Never again!"

He meant it, I knew if I left he would come after me, I knew that if he did he would end up dying. " I know Edward, listen trust me this is..."

He cut me off, " Fucking hell Bella, enough I am not going to be OK with anything if it means you are not beside me through this!"

I reached up and grabbed his face with both hands, and pushed my face an inch from mine. " I know, believe me I do." Gently I kissed him, waiting for him to melt, for an ease that wasn't going to come. " Gather everyone to the training center, and let me explain, please."

He clamped his eyes shut, clenched his jaw and nodded, only once, " fine." He kissed my forehead and returned to get everyone. I ran quickly to my room, grabbed my hair brush and toothbrush and rushed back out to the training center. 

I could hear everyone talking before I got there, waves of voices, high and low, muffled with only one word here and one word there coming through. I slowly opened the facility door, trying not to disturb anyone's conversations. No matter though when I entered everyone stopped talking and just looked at me. I scanned the faces before me. I knew that what I was going to suggest was going to kill some of these people. There just was no other way to get Mara back and end this war. I cleared my throat and walked through the crowd of vampires, and wolves. Edward was standing beside Carlise. They both looked like they had been dragged through the mud. Esme was sitting on a chair, her hands on her lap, sadness weighing heavy on her face, no doubt she was thinking of her own daughters fate at the hands of Aro.

I stepped up onto the lift in the floor so that everyone could see me, and took a deep breath. Anger, desperation, sadness, and fear was flooding my senses. The room was clustered with emotion. It took me a moment to get my bearings. I focused on Edward, he was confused but more than that curious. He knew I had an idea, he also knew I promised him I wouldn't leave him again, I could only imagine what he was thinking.

" I know what I am about to ask of you all is more of a sacrifice than a retaliation, but if its executed right than it can be both." and another deep breath, " I have an idea, I really think this can work, but it's going to be tricky, hell its insane but it's all I can think of to get her back, and to hopefully end this." I reached in my back pocket and pulled out my hair brush, and my tooth brush. " The only way to get Mara back is to offer myself to him." That got the room buzzing, I waited for a moment and let everyone yell their No's, and fucking no's. Finally I stamped my food, loudly! " I know he wants us both, but I also know Aro is selfish and if he can consume my blood for his own personal gain than he would see that he can come after Mara later, he would think he would be invincible." 

Edward stepped forward, " If he kills you, if he fucking kills you he can kill us all, if he kills you ,you damn us all!"

" I know that's why he can't have me." Yeah that got everyone talking again, " Shut the fuck up please, let me finish."  taking the hairbrush and toothbrush I placed it on a chair, " My DNA, that is how we do it, if drinking me makes him powerful than it can make you all powerful."

At that Edward grabbed my arm and yanked me to him, " We aren't drinking you dry to win this war!"

" I am not asking anyone to drink me dry Edward." I ripped him from his grip and hopped back up. " We are going to give everyone enough of my blood to give them an edge to fight, but that's not all." I couldn't help but smile, not out of joy but out of realization. " We are going to do a little magic."

Rosalie stepped forward, " What kind of magic?"

She had been quiet since we got here I had thought she was contemplating whether she should run or not. " He will need to sense that what stands before him is me, my blood will give you not just the edge but the key into the kingdom sort of speak, my magic will give him the illusion that I personally will be standing before him."

Again Rose, " How!"

"By making you all look like me!"

Absolute fucking silence, like I can hear everyone breathe quiet. " I can do this, but like I said part sacrifice, part retaliation."

" Bella?" I turned to Esme

" What."

" I will do it."

Carlisle gently took Esme's shoulders, " Esme darling, there are plenty of us, I am sure if Bella can do what she says she can that we have enough volunteers to fool Aro in this endeavor." 

Esme smiled slightly and kissed Carlisle's cheek, " I love you so very much, but as much as I want to do this, I need to do this, it isn't a fight he is looking for, I know him, I can do this."

He shook his head with determination, " No, it's too dangerous." He looked at me frantically, " Bella, tell her the dangers!"

I wanted to tell her to stay, I wanted to stand next to Carlisle and tell him that I forbid it, but I couldn't, " I have told everyone its dangerous, downright suicidal but she does know Aro better than most, and that is a huge benefit."

Carlisle let out a loud growl, " He will kill her."

" Let's hope not." It wasn't much but it was all I could muster. Looking at Esme's eyes they were thankful. I understood her need to make this right, to be a part of the breaking and ruining of his hellish rule. For her children and her lover she needed to do this. 

" I will train everyone to move like me, he will be looking at mannerisms, little quirks and gestures that I make, so as uncomforting as it is, watch me."

" Will you be at the castle with all of us?" Of course Seth expected to go, his voice full of excitement.

" Absolutely, I will seek out Moriana, once she is out of the picture, his defenses will lessen dramatically."

" How will you kill her?" Another question

" The only way I can, with everything I've got."

Edward's face was exhausted, he just stared at me. " Where am I in all this?"

Of course he would ask that, I simply extended my hand to him offering my embrace, " You will be right where I am, always."

He took my hand and brought it to his lips, and never let go.