Chapter 11 ~ Loss

I peer down from the roof and see Edward, Jasper, Alice and Zafrina’s eyes meeting my gaze.  Edward’s face is covered in a fading determination. I leap off the roof and slam Jane to the ground. “What’s his plan?” Jane giggles, I slam the heel of my foot into her stomach, “I was talking to Edward.” She hisses quietly, “You can read Jane’s mind right?” He nods “Of course I can” I smirk with great satisfaction. “Fantastic, so what is the hemorrhoid thinking?” Edward circles Jane’s fiercely coiled up body, digging deep into that warped mind no doubt. She growls and hisses but Edward doesn’t falter or backtalk, he just concentrates then quickly turns to me. “He is going to fire bomb the entire area, he knows you would likely survive it but with all of us destroyed he feels he can hone in on you and destroy you.” I take in every syllable, then turn my attention back to the direction Caius is. “That’s good news.” Zafrina grabs my arm spins me to face her, “How the fuck do you see that as good news?”  I brush her hand off my shoulder. “Because Caius knows Edward can read minds, so he would read Jane’s and Alec’s, therefore he planted a plan in their minds.” Zafrina stubbornly crosses her arms, “or he expected Jane and Alec to have killed all of us before Edward could extract anything important.” I smile, “sure that is a possibility, but a stupid one and I think we can all agree Caius is far from stupid.” She raises her eyebrows, irritatingly purses her lips and walks back toward Jasper. “So here is what I think we should do, we run.” Jasper laughs, “That’s a pointless plan.”

“He has Gypsies, he knows he can’t beat me, he knows you can only fight magic with magic therefore I have to assume those Gypsies will know how to kill me.” Jas just nods and Edward glides next to me and grabs my hand, “Bella, even if we run he will still find you, and I am just not sure that is our best option.” I turn to face him, “Edward, it’s our only option.”  He gives me his perfect crooked smile; it gives me a slight quiver in my legs. “Actually, there is another way.” His eyes shift to Alice, she is frowning, “Edward I am not sure we can find them all, they scattered many years ago.” I squeeze Edwards’s hand, “What is she talking about?” 

“ After the war ended and we went to the Gypsy to wipe your mind, she gave us some contacts of some voodoo people, other Gypsies and secret gifted vampires, it was her hope we would find them and protect them, she said in return they would help us with the magical element of all this.”  I can see Zafrina roll her eyes. “Did you ever find them?” He nods, “Some of them and sure they helped, they cloaked Alice and Jasper, and you to a certain extent, but not me.” I can hear Jane’s amused laughter. “Why wouldn’t they help you Edward?” He is gently rubbing the palms of my hand with his thumbs, “Because a high priestess said I caused the darkness within you to rise, and I was a cancer that spread through you, she said my link to you would cause you much pain, that I deserved death.” My hands begin to shake with anger, but Edward grips them tighter, and pushes me closer to him. “Edward, you don’t believe any of that crap do you?” He shrugs, “Asking me to not believe in magic would be like you asking me not to believe in you Bella.”

I sigh in frustration, “Well they can call you a Cancer to my face.” Edward smiles, wraps his arms around my waist. “I doubt anyone would challenge the almighty Bella the brave.” We are both laughing, feeling hidden in our little happy embrace, when we hear someone clear their throat.  “So Edward you are going to go take my daughter to the bowels of the earth in search of these creatures that hate you?” We both turn to Aro , I smugly answer, “ Yep, it sounds like a great adventure, I will bring snacks.” He shakes his head, “Bella I have spent years keeping you safe, I won’t have you running off and get yourself killed just because of him.” I walk toward Aro, and reach my hand out to him. “I think because I want you to that it will work, go ahead father dear, take my hand and tell me what you see?” Aro hesitantly takes my hand, places the other over top, and closes his eyes.  I watch as he sees my life through my own eyes, feels the anguish, fear, loneliness, empty existence I have had. Based on his facial expressions I can tell where he is in my life. I knew only with Edward would he see how happy, safe and loved I was. He releases me, opens his eyes and looks at me. “I never wanted a bad life for you Bella, I knew Moriana loved you, but when you were first born I didn’t care much for feelings, and connections, just power.” He places his hand on my cheek, “You must be an amazing witch to change someone like me, I would hold you for hours drawn away from the rest of the world, but when I heard others conspiring against you, well sweet child that is when I felt.” Aro’s face was full of sadness, and pity, but his eyes looked at me adoringly. “I know you did what you thought was best, I guess you did what any father would do.” He smiles and nods, “Yes, Bella, and I will do you one more thing.” Confusion lightly sweeps my face. “What would that be?” He leans in kissing each of my cheeks, I can hear Edward step forward, “Aro no, it’s suicide.” I turn to Edward, and back to Aro, who has a content smile, “You better keep her alive Edward, or I swear I will find a way to hunt you down.” My mind begins to make sense of the cryptic banter. “Aro you are coming with us, right?” He shakes his head, “No Bella, My final job is one of sacrifice, if you want to buy yourselves time, you will need a diversion.”  I grab Aro’s arms, “No that is not at all what I want, you need to come with me, I need you.” He reaches for me, wraps his arms tightly around me, “It means everything to me to hear you say that my child that is why I must do this for you.” My heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces, I tried not to cry, but no magic could stop the overwhelming emotion that engulfed me, and I sobbed into my father’s chest. Aro lightly caressed my head and tried calming me down with light hushes.” Now my beautiful Bella, you leave these wretched twins with me and you run, and don’t stop, and don’t look back, no matter what you hear you must promise me.” My shoulders slump as he gently pulls me from his embrace. “Do you hear me Bella?” I did hear him, but no words could form, just cries.” Edward, you must take her, and follow what I say, get her far from here, do not come back, don’t let this be for nothing.” I can feel Edward’s hands on my shoulders, “I promise Aro, I will protect her, with my own life.”  Aro brushes my cheek once more, and then I could no longer feel him. My body is numb, I think I stopped crying, but my vision was hazy, Edward was carrying me I could tell, and I knew we were running, and right as we disappeared through some brush, I could hear Aro’s last words, “I love you my Bella.”

Chapter 10~ The Twins

Maggie’s back was in the shape of a perfect arch, her eyes were squeezed so tightly I thought they might shatter, she was no longer screaming, the pain had her in a torturous silence. There was no darkness in Maggie that could come to the surface to save her, no power that could match the twins. Everyone was either looking away from Maggie and the twins, or staring at her, sympathetic to her plight. I knew this was not the first time I had seen these twins use their gifts on others; they were masters of their craft, manipulators to the elements that encompassed them. No one in this cabin was budging, if vampires could sweat they would all be doing so. 

I wasn’t sure what to do but deep within myself the darkness can feel my anguish and it whispers its blissful melodic tune.  Warmth overcomes me as my hands spread before Maggie’s bedeviled vessel.  I inhale her suffering, and lift the ache from inside her. The twins notice their powers being challenged, I can tell by the stomping of the foot the little girl gives.  I stare at the boy as he tenderly places his hand on his sister’s shoulder and curls his lips in an unmerciful smile, and adjusts his sights onto me. I can see him release his gift, knowing others see nothing. I quickly glance at Edward, as he stands close beside me, his eyes carry much worry, but not for him, I know he fears what will happen to me. 

 The boy’s gift is rather remarkable and through my eyes looks like a black veil pouring out from within him, slow moving, searching for its victim. Beautiful if it was not so terrifying.  A paralyzing mist, leaving its prey helpless to whatever madness that should be ordered upon it. You can’t run from it, you cannot yell for help, there is no bright light to be seen or reassuring words to be heard. If it gets you the only thing you know for sure is that your time on this earth has come to an end. That is the power this boy possesses, a rare, debilitating, threatening gift.

I try to ignore the boy’s gift until I know the girl has released Maggie from her grasp. His frightening fog lingers, as if waiting for me to give it the attention it deserves. I can see Maggie opening her eyes, and focus them onto my face. I give her a comforting smile and lift her up, “Edward please help her to the couch?” He takes Maggie in his arms and places her on the plush sofa. Seeing Maggie is alright, I turn my attention to the boy, “I suppose you want a go?” He nods, folds his arms behind his back, tilts his chin up a look of satisfaction is painted all over his face. “Remember, there is always a bigger fish Alec, I hope you can swim fast.” He gives a slight chuckle, and his veil rushes toward me, spinning around me like whirlwind, but never touching, the scent was like burning lavender, his gift did not threaten me, nor could it penetrate what I am. He knew this by the wide grin on his face. All he wanted to do was distract me, give him enough time to keep me preoccupied so his sister could get Edward in a shell of misery. “Release him Bitch!” She ignores me pushing her pain upon him further, his screams tear through me like shards of glass, and the darkness reacts. It peels through every layer with amazing stride, I can feel its potency, and how little control I had over it. It had a mind all its own, knowing what it had to do, all I did was will it and open the gate.  It shredded the veil, freeing me. My skin was on fire, I could hear the darkness shrill, and suddenly I was afraid of myself. It was as if I was standing over myself, watching. My body charged the girl, slamming her to the ground; Alec was immediately on my back trying to rip my arms off.  Suddenly Alec was being tossed over my body, and out of the cabin. Like a stampede others chased after him. I tightened my hands around Jane’s neck, she was clawing at my face, and I jolt her up crashing her through the ceiling. I rush out side, leaped to the roof and caught her before she fell.. Pulling her arms behind her, staring in to her eyes, “Either you are a stupid girl, or you have amnesia, how do you not realize what I can do to you?” 

She growls, and uselessly tries to break free of my grasp, “You had to know Caius was going to send for you Bella.” His name sends waves of anger up my spine, “But to send two worthless little children to capture me, he is losing his touch.” She begins, to giggle, “Oh Bella, I guess you don’t have ALL your memories back do you?”  I clench my jaw, readying to squeeze her head right off, when her giggling turns to full blown laughter. “What about this moment is funny to you Jane?” She simply lifts her arm, and extends her pointer finger, directing it behind me. I turn to see through the forest, beyond the trees and past a river, at least five hundred vampires and gypsies all in a perfect line, and in its center on raven colored war horse, the fair haired TriLord himself. “Caius!” Jane stops laughing, “You didn’t think he would send us to retrieve you alone do you?” A hiss slips through my lips. “What was that you said to my brother Bella?” She smiles, “Oh yeah, I remember, there is always a bigger fish, so can you swim?”

Chapter 9 ~ The Plot Thickens

The darkness doesn’t frighten me this time.  It feels welcoming, like an old friend taking me home. All the anguish and pain I felt moments ago begins to diminish. I roll on my back, staring at the ceiling slightly giggling as it tickles my senses.  I breath in a sigh of well needed relief, push my hair out of my face, I feel the darkness trying to pull me deeper. It whispers the most amazing things, gives me promises I know it can fulfill. I was about to surrender to it completely when a knock on the door interrupts my perfect moment. 

Angrily I rush up and whip the door open readying to scream at whoever was behind the door, but he was always an exception.  “Edward, I will be down in a moment.” I go to shut the door when he abruptly stops it with his foot.  “I’m sorry Bella, but I think its best someone stay with you, if not me perhaps Alice or Maggie?” I roll my eyes, tired of feeling like a child that needs babysitting, “Whatever Edward come in, but I can’t deal with all those,” squinting my eyes, “What are they anyway?”  He takes a seat on the end of the bed, “You know what they, I, and to a certain extent you are Bella. “I bite my lip, and nod, “Vampires right?” He doesn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to I knew I was right. “Every night I have these dreams, but something tells me they aren’t just dreams because they feel like memories, am I right?” His eyes shift ever so slightly but are back on me in a second,” Most likely, would you like to tell me about your dreams?” I shrug, “sure, I guess if it will help.” He pats the bed beside himself, “have a seat, relax and tell me what you can, hopefully we can make sense of it.” Without over analyzing it like I so often do I just sat, dangled one foot off the bed and tucked the other under me. “Usually they just start out in a field of sunflowers, I am running through them arms wide touching every flower  I possibly can, I am so happy, never felt so happy, but as I get further in the field the flowers begin to die, and suddenly as I run they crumble and turn to ash.” I glance up at him, he is watching me intensely, and I have to look at the comforter to keep myself focused. “When I finally stop and turn to see what has happened, I notice the entire field is ablaze, and there are screams in the distance, but I am frozen unable to move to search any further, on  the top of a hill far from where I am I see the shadows of what looks like a hundred people standing in a line, and one by one they shatter like broken mirrors, I yell but there is no sound, nothing, I am a silent paralyzed vessel unable to undo the wrong.”  This time when I look at Edward he doesn’t meet my gaze, he is far from this room, like he is remembering something, “You know what it means don’t you?”  He places his hand on my knee and when he speaks its calm, collected, it’s like the lullabies Maggie hums to me. “You need to understand that no matter what you remember it is in the past, never changing alright?” I shake my head,” OK, but please tell me what it means.” He brings his face closer to mine and is staring into my eyes, looking for what though? As he pulls away his face tells me that what he was looking for was me. “You are summoning the darkness Bella, Why?” I shift back further from him, “Why would I do that, I hate it I don’t want it, I want none of this.” He stands up paces for a moment, “You didn’t do it on purpose, but I remember the way you were then, I know what the darkness looks like and I see it peeking through.”  Angrily I stand and push Edward; shockingly he slams against the wall leaving a large hole. “Oh my God Edward I am so sorry.” 

In seconds Jasper, Zafrina and Alice are all in the doorway, at first they look at Edward then me. “I didn’t mean it Alice I will pay for it.” Alice doesn’t move she doesn’t smile she is emotionless, “Bella, you are strong again.” Zafrina pushes past Jasper grabs my neck crashing me into the bed and the frame collapses. “You fucking bitch, why would you summon it back?” Without thinking I kick Zafrina off me she fly’s across the room, out of the door and through the wall at the end of the hallway. I stand bracing myself for Jasper or Alice to attack, when Edward is suddenly between them and me. “Enough, the more angry you make her the worse it will be, Alice call Aro, Jasper go do crowd control, we are fine here.” They just stare at Edward unmoving. “I said Go, NOW!” Jasper and Alice slowly exit the room, keeping their eyes on me until we are no longer in each other’s sites.

 I go to leave the room when Edward grabs my arm. “Let go Edward, I am leaving, this isn’t working.” Pulling my arm away Edward grabs it again, “ No Bella, not again, not ever if you go I go, but believe me or not they want to help you.” I turn to face him, “Why Edward, why do you claim you love me, you are married to Tanya, happily ever after in your Executive mansion, lifestyles of the rich and famous existence.” He places both hands on my arms, intensifying his grip. “Bella, I have been doing just that, existing, waiting, the only time I ever lived was when I was with you.” His words are full of passion, but I can’t believe what I am hearing, “When were we together?” He shoots me his crooked smile, “Many years ago, we had what Maggie likes to call a forbidden love, you and I are like fire and gasoline Bella, but we never cared what anyone thought.” He releases one of his hands, and brushes the hair from my eyes. “ I worked for Ciaus, My gift of reading minds was to help him keep an eye on Aro, who was no longer sharing with Marcus or Caius anything about you, He himself wouldn’t go near you in fear, so he made me watch you, read your mind, but I can’t read your mind Bella, and the more and more I watched you the more I fell in love with life, and so I lied to Caius and told him what I knew he wanted to hear. “ I swallow, grasping every word Edward spoke. “ I told him you were not this evil he thought you were, that you would bring great power to this family, an so he asked me to get even closer to you, to watch you when you turned eighteen to see if what Alice saw was still in the cards.” I inch closer as he speaks, magnetically drawn to him. “ We would just talk for hours in the garden, nothing really fascinating, and we fell in love, you were two weeks from your eighteenth birthday and because I had no idea what that would mean I told you how much I loved you, you reciprocated every feeling, word, and thought, I was never so happy, we were never so happy.” His eyes fall slightly. “What happened Edward?” He places his hands in mine, stares at them.  “The night before your eighteenth birthday we made love, for the first time in a hundred years I felt truly alive.” He lifts my hand to his lips, and gently kisses my palm. “That sounds amazing Edward, why is that bad?” His grip is stronger, like he is trying to stop me from pulling away. “The next morning, on your birthday guards came to your room, they pulled me from your bed, tore off my arms, Felix one of the head guards, told me I was sentenced to die, but you Bella, it was a sight, you rose from the bed, your hair turned into night, your eyes were an inferno, you shredded Felix into pieces and with a touch liquefied him.” 

I see now why Edward was gripping me so tightly I was crumbling inside hearing what I was. “You saved me, but the trilords felt that our love was a cancer, and ordered us to separate, Caius wanted you destroyed but Aro would not have it, so Aro took you and ran, and Caius told me to stay by his side and if I strayed he would kill you slowly.” My head began to spin, I felt nauseous, “I remember Edward, I searched for you for a lifetime, tore apart towns, I killed thousands to find you.” He nods, “Yes and your dream was in Tuscany, it was toward the end of the war, when Caius cornered you, destroyed most of your army atop a hill, knowing you would see it.” I close my eyes picturing it all, “He wanted me to come to him, hoping when I saw you that I would falter and he would be able to kill me.” I look into Edward’s eyes, “But I never went to you, I knew he would kill you before I got there, that was when the darkness began to slip and Aro was able to drag me away, we went to Spain, and I remember Alice was there and she told me that I wouldn’t be in pain anymore.” Now Edward was clinging to every word I was speaking. “They took me to a Gypsy I can’t remember her name, she made me forget didn’t she?” He shakes his head, “Yes, and she planted memories for you, Bella, you can only fight magic with magic it was our only way to save you.” 

“What did Caius do to you?” He just shrugs, “Forced me to marry his sister Tanya, so she could watch me and make sure we never saw each other again.” He chuckles, “But two years ago this squirrely little intern comes in to her company looking for a job, So Aro planted Zafrina there, Tanya hired you most likely to torture me, and we waited, but you never faltered you were perfection Bella, so Caius let you live.” 

“Then who tried to kill me that night on the bridge?” He raises his brow, “We don’t know but we suspect it was one of Caius’s idiots.” I smile at Edward, “Thank you for this, I am remembering, and even if it’s bad I am glad I know.” Edward goes to speak but is interrupted. “Edward, why must you corrupt my daughter repeatedly?”  I turn to see Aro glowering at Edward, “He only did what I asked Aro, you will leave him be.” Aro laughs boisterously, “Or what my child?” I smirk in slight satisfaction, “Or I will destroy you.” He stares at me for a long moment, throws his hands in the air and storms down the stairs. I look at Edward; he is suppressing a laugh, “Bella, perhaps that wasn’t the best thing to say?”

 “It would have been uncomfortable for all parties if he were here for what I am about to do.” He has a genuine look of confusion on his face, I chuckle and pull him to me, crashing our lips together, Edward grabs my lower back pushing me closer to him, and we fall on the bed. At the same time we land a huge explosion tears the side of the cabin apart, we rush to the window to see every car ignited in a tornado of fire. “What the hell?” Edward grabs me, “We need to get downstairs now!”  We rush down the stairs everyone backed against the wall staring at a withering Maggie on the floor screaming in pain but there is nothing I can see that indicates she had been harmed; I immediately rush to her side, “Maggie!” 

Then two figures stepped closer, a small blonde girl and a brown haired boy, no older than twelve I would say, I remembered them, they were known as the twins, and they possessed amazing powers.

Chapter 8 ~ Information Overload

My head turns at the sound of cars driving up to the cabin. “Who is that?” Alice rushes to my side with a wet cloth, “That would be everyone Bella, but they don’t want to hurt you they are only here to help you.” I grab the rag, quickly washing my face clean of the blood. “But my eyes, will they all know?” She smiles at me reassuringly, “They know why they are being summoned, no need to hide.” Jasper walks to the door opening it wide. “Alice, who by all do you mean?” She takes my hand and guides me to the coach, “Some you have met, but we can answer everything for you and be here in case,” her words start to drift. “ If I what Alice, freak out, try and stab myself again, because the last time that happened Edward just stared at me like a daft fool and ran away, what an asshole.” I can feel my blood boiling anger seeping through every inch of my being. “Oh he just makes me so angry, why is it he makes me want to rip my flesh off?”  Alice lifts her hand, a worried smile upon her face, “Please try and relax, please.”  She then points to the door; I turn to see Edward in the doorway, worry and longing painted all over his face, his perfect face.  I want to smile, ecstatic to see him, but refuse to let him see how his presence makes me feel, so I swallow, roll my eyes and turn from him plopping myself on the couch beside Alice.

“ Good afternoon Alice, Bella,” the sound of his voice is like silk being rubbed along my skin, it sends a pleasant shiver up my spine, but again I simply nod and shoot him a quick smile.  He approaches Alice and me. “Bella, I am so very sorry for how I acted, if we can please just step outside and talk briefly before the room fills up?” I wanted to jump into his arms and tell him to take me far from here and he can talk to me all he wanted, in between the breathless kisses, but I just couldn’t shake the anger. “No, Edward I think it best you back the fuck away from me before I go all exorcist on your ass.” He complies without question, which pisses me off even more, “Men,” Alice giggles, and I see the room getting tinier as more people enter. I stay in my seat just staring at the floor, making no eye contact, repulsed by the site of myself only imagining what they all think. I can feel Edward staring at me the entire time, not giving him even a side glance, my legs shake with impatience, I was about to run from the room when I hear someone clear their throat to get everyone’s attention. Quickly I look up just to see who it was, but the shock just makes my eyes wide, Zafrina just a few feet from me. I haven’t seen her since the threatening confrontation in our apartment when  she stormed away.

“Well well boys and girls we meet again, and we have Bella to thank for this rather unfortunate reunion… Again.”  She just gives me a sarcastic smile. “Zaf just shut it, that’s not going to help anything if you decide to go bitchzilla on her, besides if there’s a fight Bella would tear you apart.” The redheaded dimple faced waitress from Titillating Charlie’s, gives me a wink as she defends me to whom I assumed was a good friend, but clearly Zafrina hates me, No more than I hate myself I am sure. Slowly I rise from the couch, still focusing on the ground. A few people step back as if they thought I was going to attack them. I just raise my hands like I was surrendering, which in a sense I was. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, and I am not sure who in this room I have already hurt, what I do see are familiar faces.” I point to the red head girl, “like you, your Maggie right?” She nods and beams a truly happy smile. “What’s your deal, why were you in a dive bar a few days ago and now you are here, what are you to me?”  She gingerly walks toward me, and begins humming, that all too familiar lullaby I remember falling asleep to as a baby. My face relaxes, my heart flutters, I want to cry but I hold back so the blood will not frighten her. “You were my nannie weren’t you?” She rests her hand on my shoulder, again simply nods and continues the lullaby.  The emotions are too hard to control and I feel a scarlet tear glide down my cheek.  Lifting my hand to wipe it, she stops me. “No sweet child, do not hide who you are, it never mattered to me,” I couldn’t help it I embraced her and sobbed. I tried to cuddle my entire body into hers, hoping she would protect me from all the evil swimming inside me.  “Oh sweet Bella, my dear child, Mags is here, no danger shall come to you this day.” We slip down to the couch, she gently rocks me as I drift to sleep, her songs and arms sheltering all that is bad from touching me. 

When I wake she is still holding me, I can see through the blur of sleep everyone conversing and pacing, waiting for me I am guessing.  I never wanted to wake, just stay in the dreamless sleep Maggie was holding me in. But alas I cannot hide from what I am and so I sit up on the couch. Sighing as every pair of eyes turns their gaze upon me. “Sorry I fell asleep,” some murmurs but Maggie just reassures me and tells me to stop apologizing. Alice hands me some water, “Bella, we thought it would be best for you if we did a sort of Q and A, would that help?” Finally someone has a solution to organizing this chaos. “Yes Alice that is a perfect idea.” She has a pleased look, and then walks to stand beside Jasper.  Edward finally stopped looking at me and was sitting on the counter whispering with Zafrina. Again the intense anger feels like its crawling just beneath my skin. “So can I ask the first question?” Jasper steps forward, “that is precisely how it will work; there is not really anything we can ask you that we don’t already know the answer to.” Raising my brows in the realization he is right.

“Fantastic,” I place the water down, turn my attention to Zafrina and Edward. “Tell me why you hate me ebony goddess?” They both turn and give me their undivided attention. “Are you sure that is the first question you want to ask Bella?” Her tone is rough, dripping in hatred. “I am positive, let’s hear it” She shifts on the stool. “Very well then,” She sweeps the room with her eyes, I think to see if there are objections, but no one speaks.  “The short version, you murdered my entire family, and when I came to destroy you, you shattered my body into a billion pieces, Aro put your ebony goddess back together, and told me if I was to stay in one piece I was to shut my mouth and watch over you, If I so much as harmed a hair on your head he would see to it no one would put me back together, ever.” There was that silence again, that holy shit I am the devil kind of silence. “Oh Zafrina, I am, “I stop knowing a simple apology will never mend the wounds I have inflicted. “ Why would I do such a thing I don’t understand?”  She hops off the stool, staring me down, “Because the evil that lives inside of you takes no prisoners, does not know of free will, and sacrifices anything because it entertaining.” I am overcome with disbelief and disgust, “Why did Aro keep me alive, why not kill me I don’t want to live like that, like the thing I was before.” At first no one answers, and then Maggie breaks the silence. “  Oh Bella, many have tried to kill you, Caius built an army to destroy you, but like a breeze in the trees you decimated hundreds of thousands of his soldiers, but you should know that many stood shoulder to shoulder with you, because that darkness within yourself wasn’t who you truly were.”  I look around the room, now all eyes on me, “I am a murderer Maggie, a cold hearted murderer, who could possible love that and want to protect it?” Through my pounding heart, and the angry buzzing in my ears, Edward’s voice broke through, “Me Bella, I love you and would die a hundred times over for you.” That was it I could take no more, I raced up the stairs rushing into the nearest room, slammed the door, buried my face in a pillow and screamed, until my voice was hoarse and the darkness devoured my pain.

Chapter 7- Who Am I

My head was spinning, but not in confusion but in understanding. Alice was telling me a story that was full of only truths, this I knew. Staring at the floor, as flashes of memories begin to force their way through, but all so jumbled, I can hear the hums of a maiden comforting me to slumber, I can see birds flying around a veranda I know I stood on. The scent of orchids and honeysuckle even now wrinkle my nose with pleasant thoughts. The sweet blissful memories quickly subside and infernos, tears, mayhem and death now cloud my mind. My body jerks slightly, “Oh Alice I’m remembering” I shift my eyes to meet her gaze; her face is full of worry, and a familiar voice echoes through the cabin, “If she remembers, then preparations will be required, are you sure Aro wanted her to know?”

 My head turns a man with an emotionless expression, walks into the living room, and sits directly next to Alice. My body begins to relax, the thoughts disappear and calm devours me. “I know you, well I mean I remember your, oh what’s the word?” He interrupts my blubbering “My gift Bella, you remember my gift” I nod slightly concentrating on his face, “Why do I feel sadness when I look at you?” He holds his hand out, “My name is Jasper, I was one of the soldiers Aro sent to train you when you came of age, ring any bells?”  I shake my head, and trembling I take his hand in mine, the despair almost suffocates me I pull away immediately. “Oh God what have I done to you Jasper?”

His body stiffens, “You are not only remembering, you are feeling as well, Alice the others must come immediately” Alice rises from the ottoman and is on the phone in seconds. “Jasper, I feel it you know, the darkness” He nods, “You are unable to control it, a constant battle, one that was forced upon you” I look to my fingers, noticing I have scraped all my nail polish from them. “I beg of you to tell me what I am capable of, what I have done, please Jasper, what am I fighting?” He scoots over to sit directly in front of me. “You were a beautiful baby Bella, harmless but even as a child you drew people, creatures anything in, there was nothing anyone wouldn’t do for you.” My palms sweat, I rub them on my pants back and forth over and over, nervous about what Jaspers words are about to uncover. “You wouldn’t hurt a fly, Aro was amazed by you how someone bred from such dark evil could be so pure, he never knew what he and Moriana would make he suspected greatness, but accepted ordinary because he too would have done anything for you.”  As Jasper speaks I remember sitting in a garden laughing as grasshoppers danced around me, and Aro laughed and clapped along with my happiness. “Caius stayed away from you, he suspected it would not last, he was right.” My heart beats faster; I can feel it in my throat. “With Aro being enamored by everything you did, he lost sight of what the future held for you, it wasn’t until Marcus asked Aro to let Alice read you that Aro saw what was in store for you.” I take a few breaths, “So Alice was finally able to see again, I mean get her visions I mean?” he gives a sort of half smile, but it disappears fast. “Within the confines of the castle gifts did not work unless it was allowed, so Aro allowed Alice to read you, and so she did.” My eyes widen, taking in every syllable of Jaspers words. “She saw at the age of eighteen, the darkness would overcome you, the thirst of what your father is and the power of what your mother was would extinguish everything pure and innocent about you and you would become the most evil creature this world had ever seen, many would die at your hands, others would be forced to bow before you, no one would be able to stop you and you would destroy everything.” 

It took only a moment to realize Jasper was staring at me in silence and Alice had dropped the phone. “What, what is it why are you staring at me?” Jasper gingerly places a finger below my eyes, when he removes it, it’s covered in blood, instinctively I put both hands to my eyes and again blood soaks my hands, I frantically race to the nearest mirror, the reflection is frightening, the tears I shed were no longer clear but crimson, the irises of my eyes were black with flecks of red intertwined. “What is happening to me?”  From a distance Alice answers my question, “The darkness, it's remembering to”

Chapter 6 ~ Know It All

The car has more power than I am used to but I manage to arrive at the destination Aro gave me.  I see a woman sitting on a porch swing, dangling her feet smiling and waving at me like we are long lost friends. I smirk at her obnoxious yet contagious happiness. Stepping out of the car and clicking the alarm, I turn and she is at my side, “How the hell?” She just giggles and hands me a glass of lemonade. “I am so glad you made it here safely Bella, although I knew you would” she taps the side of her head.  All I could do is nod, insanely curious if she is crazy or just high on life. “So you are Alice, I assume?” She places her cold hand on my shoulder, her face so inviting and stunning all I wanted to do was crumble in her presence.  “Yes that’s right, and may I say I am relived you listened to Aro and came to talk to me, come inside.” I’m not sure why but I almost skipped behind her mimicking her exuberant attitude. 

 “Alice, are you going to answer my questions, because if you’re not I am out of here” She opens the door to this elaborate cabin, certainly no cabin I have ever seen before. “Bella, I am well aware of the outcome if I don’t tell you exactly what you want to hear.”  Pleased with her answer I step inside; my mouth opens wide at the site of all the art, and history on the walls. Creeping further into the house I see a large portrait of a girl not much younger than myself sitting atop a horse, her dress lilac and hair a pleasant shade of burgundy. I inch closer to the painting, the horse I knew his name was Cody, and that girl was me. “Alice that is me a few years ago, and that’s my horse Cody, what the hell are you doing with this?!” She takes my arms tenderly spinning me to face her. “Listen to me Bella, but when you listen you need to know that everything I tell you is the truth, if you don’t this is a wasted effort on both our parts.” All I can muster is a simple shake of the head, “Good, first off, yes that is you in the picture, but it wasn’t taken a few years ago, it was taken about a hundred years ago.” My knees gave out first, and then the blackness.

I opened my eyes readying for a pain in my head, but there was none. There was a cool rag on my forehead and my feet were propped up on an emerald color ottoman, Alice was staring at me, a slight smile on her face but not as happy as before. “This is going to take forever if every time I tell you something you pass out Bella.” Shrugging, not sure what kind of response to really give her, “Thanks for not letting me hit my head” There is the beaming smile I am growing accustomed to. “Bella, I didn’t come to hold your arms for comfort, I knew you were going to faint, it my gift.” I prop myself up on the all engulfing couch, “What do you mean your gift?” She sighs in preparation to what I hope is a real explanation. “I am what is known in our circle as a future seeker, the only one left of my kind really, Aro hides me,” she giggles and continues. “Many years ago our kind were hunted, the more gifted you were the more the TriLords wanted you.” I hold a hand up, but she waves it off. “I was eventually captured by trackers, I knew eventually it was going to happen, and with the food supply running out we were all too weak to continue, death was a welcome exchange.”  Alice’s tells her story like she was telling a Grims fairytale, so much passion in it I can’t help but feel her emotions through her words. 

 “We were dragged to this gigantic castle, tossed into a dark damp room, I remember wondering why were we still alive praying for death, I was so hungry , the others would fight amongst themselves begging the other to kill them.” I was enveloped in the story feeling as if I had heard it before.  “It was around the time I actually contemplated smashing my head on the wall it hopes it would shatter my body that we got a visitor,” She smiles coyly,” He was dashing and when I looked at him I saw a heroic vision of him whisking us all to freedom and safety,” but later you will see that was a planted vision.” She shakes her head as if trying to erase the memory. “ He took us to this room, a circular room, slightly like a dungeon but fancy, the steps to the altar were marble and there was gold trimmed pillars, velvet scarlet curtains where I assume were windows once, but it didn’t matter it was gorgeous.” Her lips curl as she talks, “Two men stood before us telling us to stand up and show respect for the TriLords. So we did and they entered quietly in there Raven colored robes, so uniformed they sat at the same time and glared at us in unison, it was creepy.” I laugh, and then abruptly stop when I remember this is a true story. “ First Marcus spoke to us asking what our intentions were, but he looked at me so I told him our hope was to simply live, feed and be left alone, It was about that time the fair haired Lord laughed at me telling me such a dream does not exist, and how foolish I was to think otherwise.” I am practically on Alice’s lap listening intently. “When I looked at him I saw nothing, no future, it was odd and then I told him that I saw what my future holds and its happiness and freedom, he wanted to hear no more of my visions and told me that if I wanted freedom and happiness I would need to work for it.” 

“Alice, you said Marcus was the first who spoke what were the other Lords names?” She places her hand on my leg, “Oh god am I going to faint again?” Alice shakes her head, “No Bella, the fair haired lord’s name was Caius and the other who spoke very little, well that was Aro.” Furrowing my brows, I try sorting it all out. “ Don’t try Bella, you see Aro at one point agreed in new, gifted species, things with great power to further him through his existence, he even tortured many to achieve amazing obstacles but you see, it wasn’t until he conquered the most outrageous of feats that he changed.” Alice just stares at me, like she was trying to see deep inside my mind, but she would see nothing because I was totally lost. “ Bella, your dad, the one who died when you were little he was what we call a guardian, sent by The Trilords to watch over you, well sent by Aro to protect you, and he did just that.” I reach for the lemonade, feeling my heart flutter so fast like a hummingbirds wings, the air felt thick and suddenly I was feeling a bit woozy. “Bella, stay with me or I swear I will tell you no more.” Her stern tone strangely calmed me down. “OK Alice, you’re right I came here for answers and you are giving them to me.”  She takes the glass and places it down. “ Aro thought if he bred with a witch he could create the most powerful and amazing creature in the world, so he sent trackers to find one, and they did her name was Moriana, she was beautiful, her power was great but Aro seduced her, played on her weaknesses, she quickly fell deeply in love with him, But his intentions weren’t pure , he married her and impregnated her, Bella, you should have seen her she was the strongest being I had ever seen, she was hidden during her pregnancy.” Fear begins to fill my veins as if I know where this story is going, knowing the end. “ One night I heard horrific screams through the castle corridors, so I snuck out of my room past the guards toward the painful cries, I peeked through her door, she was delivering the child, and again my visions were blank I just wanted to see what the outcome was but in that castle everything was blocked for me.” Alice rubs her temple’s like she had a headache, “There was so much blood, black though and Aro stood over her void of feeling as Moriana pushed out this creature no one was sure what it would look like, or the power it would possess the nurses and doctors were feverishly trying to save the baby and her, but Aro only spoke to save the baby.” I wanted to hug Alice; her face was full of sadness. “When the doctor lifted the baby it looked totally normal like a regular child, Aro was pleased as he clutched his creation in his arms, he looked at her like she was everything he ever wanted wrapped up in a living breathing baby.” Alice became silent for a while.

“Alice what happened to Moriana?”  She turned to me, pain filled her eyes, “She died Bella, you see the baby’s blood was mixed with her own and with that of Aro’s, very toxic for her kind and she simply turned to stone.” Tears slide down my cheeks; Alice scoops them up with her hand. “It’s OK Bella, she would have done anything to deliver that baby, and she knew Aro would care for it.” This story felt familiar but not like I heard it before but like I had seen it in a dream, “Alice, what happened to the baby?” It was at this point that she grabbed my arms, and I knew the answer was going to cripple me. “Bella, you are the Child of Aro and Moriana.”