Part 7
Ivana
It was Tuesday. I had spent the last four days with mostly the only person for company being Micah. The day my patient died shook me to my core. I couldn’t get the little face of Nova out of my head since she died but I was adamant it wasn’t going to stop me. If anything, it pushed me to want to save more lives, to perfect my method in my ability. I would never forget Nova, I would fight for every other child I could save in her name.
Today was exactly a week after my mother left to find out what was going on in Italy and I hadn’t heard a thing from her all week. I spoke to my father every day but if my mother was keeping him updated he was very good at hiding it from me. He avoided the conversation at all costs other than to tell me she was okay.
It was also the day both Micah and I had to be back at the hospital. I had my three day shift again and Micah had a fourteen-hour day ahead of him. I woke to him kissing my neck and shoulder. We managed to adjust our lives pretty well for our newly developed relationship. I wasn’t going to lie, it was mostly the same but now anytime I had the urge to kiss him, I could and I never knew sex could be this good until now.
“Hmm,” I groaned, a laugh escaping my chest.
“I figured this would be a nicer way to wake up than that alarm,” he whispered against my skin. My hands flew to cup his jaw and bring his face up to mine so I could kiss him. A few minutes of that and I was starting to wonder how much the hospital would actually miss us if we had another sick day. He moved to kiss down my throat right as the messenger on my phone buzzed, his buzzed in synchronisation.
“No. Just ignore it,” he said kissing my skin.
They’re back. Lidiya announced in the group mind and I knew that the message had been from the Volturi.
“They’re back from Italy.” I told him and he stopped touching me to look at my face.
“Ugh,” he grumbled, his face falling to my collar bone.
“Let’s go,” I sighed gently pushing on his chest. He moved off me and I went straight to my closet to dress. I guess we weren’t going to the hospital after all. I was kind of glad. I didn’t think I was ready yet to go into that paediatric ward and not see little Nova’s smiling face.
We dressed quickly and made our way to the Volturi. The place was buzzing. Micah’s hand slipped into mine as we entered the very busy throne room. I looked down at our joint hands for a moment and then at his face. He smiled down at me softly before we parted ways. I went to my sisters and mother on the stage and he went to be with his parents talking to Edward and Bella.
The room was full of Cullen’s and guard. It was a few minutes before Pancrazio made a move to silence the room.
“Thank you all for coming yet again on such short notice. I’m going to hand the reins to Esther to explain what happened in Italy,” I looked over to my mother who stepped forward, a sad look in her eyes. Something had happened. I knew that much.
“Edward, Bella, Charlotte, Ezra, Isaac and I went to Italy to see if we could find these witches. Chloe couldn’t track them at first, it was difficult for her to get around their spells and we were one step behind them at every turn. In the process of making our way. We discovered some very unsettling news. Upon our arrival the coven had already started their attack on the Cullen family and managed to take down a small family of human descendants living in France. When we reached there we realised they had burnt them alive, destroying any hope of bringing them back,” she began her eyes darting to my sisters on the stage. People gasped in the room and began to murmur.
Fire had been used against my sisters before, with my niece Allesandra. Even though my sisters are legendary throughout our world some people have figured out that they cant bring something back if there's nothing left of them to save. The fear of retaliation and revenge had since kept any threats away since Allesandra but obviously this coven weren't scared of us. They clearly had nothing to lose. I doubt the Volturi were going to let this one slide, not when they were using fire as a weapon.
“The urgency multiplied to find the coven, you should notice Edward and Bella haven’t returned because they decided to stay with their son and his family in England after the events that followed. The witches found Addison Wright and Jay Black. They used magic to incarcerate them and they burnt them alive. We were only minutes away from the same thing happening to Addison’s brothers Christian and Sebastian, who had travelled to a remote area of Scotland to warn them of the threat. For a coven of witches to have held back not one but three Luna Bambini’s and a hybrid is a great cause of concern. If we hadn’t of reached them they would have died too. As you can imagine their family is distraught. Jay was Edward and Bella’s great-grandson.” She said pausing in grief as she said the next works. “Addison was my niece.” She managed to say, the room was silent and she finally turned to Carlisle. “That family in France were descendants of Carlisle,” she said before finally turning to the room, with a look I could only describe as pure anger and betrayal. “I will make sure that we avenge their deaths.”
The silence faded and the room was filled with whispers and fear. My eyes fell on Micah standing with his parents. His mother was sobbing and I couldn’t look away. This wasn’t just a threat anymore. This was a full-blown attack. They weren’t just killing Cullen’s. They were after anyone that associated with them, they were after anyone they could get their hands on. They were moments away from killing my sister’s husbands.
Holly. Avia. I gasped, giving them access to what was going on here.
We’re okay. Holly said although her tone of voice was far from okay. We've been so busy here, I'm sorry, we should have told you.
It's entirely understandable. I can't believe it. Addison. Jay. I said, tears were falling from my eyes at this point.
We’re sort of on autopilot. There hasn't been time to grieve just yet. My mother is trying her best to track the witches down so we can get our revenge. They have spells covering their tracks. She's never encountered something like this. There's never been someone she couldn't find before. But she'll get there. She's the best tracker in the world and nothing is going stop her getting our revenge for this. Holly’s anger was like a furnace, her unending faith in Chloe was endearing.
“As you can imagine, the danger has multiplied. It is extremely important that any that are not aware of the current threat be informed immediately. The doors of the Volturi Estate will be opened for sanctuary. Other sanctuaries are being set up around the country. Any Cullen’s around Washington need to head to La Push where the Quileute pack will be the protectors. Leah and Zac have wolves in Utah for any further south that need help and the rest of the Guild pack are in Minnesota. We don’t know who they’re coming for next. So far, they’ve only attacked those in Europe and those that seemed vulnerable or easy to get to. Addison and her brothers had been far from the rest of their family when they caught them off guard. They don’t seem to be going to where there are a lot of us in one area. As soon as we get word on their location Esther and Allesandra will be ending the threat for good, in the same way they started it. Fire.” Zio announced to the worried looking relatives in the room. I looked to my mother. For good? I wondered. I turned to Lidiya and Anelie in question.
“There will be no mercy, there will be no second chances, there will be no remorse. The coven will die for what they have done to our family. They will show the rest of the world what they do when they question the Cullen name or any under the protection of it.” Zio finished and I had my answer before Lidiya and Anelie got the chance to answer.
He’s not using you? I asked Lidiya. She shook her head.
Mother is too afraid they’ll burn me alive on the spot. Whilst we don’t think it’s possible for me to die because of the paradox she doesn’t want to chance it. Its best to take those we know are immune to fire since it seems to be their weapon of choice. We know her and Alle can’t die by fire and immune to death itself. They’re the only true immortal ones among us and they’re going to burn them all to the ground. She said eyeing her daughter sitting on her father’s throne on the stage.
Part of me was jealous. I’d love to see my mother and niece walk into a room full of witches and burn them all to hell. My excitement quickly faded though when I saw Micah making his way across the busy room to me. When he reached me, his arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest tightly.
“It’s okay,” I whispered to him.
“Are you okay?” he asked pulling away to look at me.
“I will be when they’re dead,” I said looking over to my mother watching me. “I'll be a minute,” I said walking away from Micah but I felt his hand in mine as I began walking to my mother, my father at her side looking very worried.
“I’m so mad at you,” I said hugging her with one arm.
“My sweet girl. Do you think I was going to let you stop me from going? I already had enough of that from your father.”
“Well we’re very alike,” I smiled at my papa next to her.
“I’m the best one to go and you know it.” She said kissing my forehead. I looked over at my niece Allesandra being held by her mother and I turned back to my own.
“I can’t believe Lidiya and Matthew are letting her go,” I said.
“She’s a grown woman now, she’s the only other person in the world immune to fire. Her husband is the one fighting her on this, not her parents. He's adamant he wants to go with us but she's having none of it.” My mother explained, I looked to Jonathan, Allesandra's husband who was watching her with a permanent expression of concern on his face. He was the only person in the world, other than my mother, that has ever been seen holding my niece and her pyrokinetic power back, surely his power over ice would be a good thing?
"Not necessarily Ivy. He can still be hurt, Alle and I cant. He's safer here."
“What about spells? And whatever else they have? They held back three of our kind. What makes you think they don’t have something to hold you back too?” Micah asked, I squeezed his hand to try and comfort him a little. I knew this must be hard for him.
“I wish I had an answer to that with surety but I have power I’ve never had before. More than I had when we faced Lilim. Just trust I know what I’m doing,” she said in reassurance, looking between Micah and myself
“Please don’t die,” I almost choked on the words as I stared into my mother’s blue eyes.
“Impossible,” she whispered pulling me into her arms. Her lips were at my hair.
I held onto that word as I said goodbye to my mother and niece. I continued to remind myself of their true immortality every day after.
Micah and I went back to normal over the next few days. Our schedules barely matched but when we were both free, we spent our time doing usual things. He stayed with me every night he could until Saturday.
I was exhausted. I wasn’t doing anything more than I usually was and I felt like I was being dragged at half strength with everything I did. I put it down to worry mostly.
Micah watched me in concern as I barely made it down the stairs to get some blood.
“Ivy,” he said softly. It was his ‘I have something very serious to talk about' voice. I sat on the counter draining the warmed blood. I couldn’t seem to drink it cold anymore.
“Hmm?” I asked him. He leant against the door frame to the kitchen.
“I think we should make a visit to Carlisle together,” he said very carefully.
“Why?” I asked with a frown.
“To be honest I’m an idiot for not thinking of it before. I was just so consumed by you I didn’t give it a second thought. I’m so sorry love. You trusted me and I didn’t even think about it. I didn’t even register it was possible until now.”
“Micah what are you talking about?” I asked confused.
“You’re the progeny of two Luna Bambini. I am Luna Bambini,” he reminded me and it took me a moment for the realisation to hit but when it did it felt like my stomach dropped and I was about to vomit.
“Oh my god,” my hand flew to my lower stomach. I wasn’t sure what to say. Could he be right? Could my exhaustion and weird change of diet possibly be because I was pregnant? But I wasn't like him. I wasn't a first generation Luna Bambini like my mother. But then I guess I was my mothers daughter.
“Let’s go?” He asked, his hand reaching out softly almost scared to touch me. I could see the blame he was already putting on himself but he was wrong. It took two to make a baby. If we had done this, it was both of us, not just him. We were in this together if it was happening. We both just assumed I would require a moon pool to conceive but perhaps I was just too close to a Luna Bambini for it to be undiluted.
I took his hand without hesitation. Carlisle had finished his shift when I did so we headed over to the house by ours he and Esme had.
We knocked as we used our key to enter. Esme was coming down the stairs in her dressing gown as we did.
“Oh god,” Micah mumbled.
“Hello sunshine, what can I do for you?” Esme asked her son.
“I need dad,” he mumbled trying not to look at his mother.
“He’ll be down in a moment,” she smiled as she led us to the lounge. Esme eyed our joint hands but before she could say anything Carlisle appeared fully dressed.
“What can I do for you guys?” he asked as Esme disappeared, I imagine to get dressed.
“Um, we were wondering if you and your biologists have done any research for my kind,” I asked him and suddenly I felt awkward around a man I’ve known my whole life and love as an uncle.
“In terms of contraceptive?” He asked for clarification looking at our joint hands. Before we answered he simply replied,“ah,” he sat down on the arm chair off to the side.
“I can’t say I have. Your kind have a fool proof contraceptive method. You can’t get pregnant outside a moon pool,” he said with a smile of reassurance.
“Except we can, my mother can, with my father.” I said reminding him that both me and my sisters weren’t conceived in a moon pool.
“We figured with her unique lineage and since I’m a full Moon Pool Child that we might have a problem on our hands.”
“Well I can’t say I’m sure that it will work the same, given you are second generation, Holly can be with her husband Christian and Avia can be with Sebastian without a pregnancy but they are technically only half Luna Bambini. Their physiologies have always been different to Lidiya and Anelie because they were a product of your parents.
"But I understand your concerns and I'll draw some blood and get working on an answer for you as soon as possible if that’s what you wish.” He said with a warm smile. “I’ll try and do it as quick as possible,” he added.
“That’s the thing, it might already be too late,” Micah told his father. Carlisle’s face remained passive.
“I see. Perhaps you should come see me in a few days Ivana and I’ll run some tests,” he said looking at me. I nodded suddenly feeling sick.
“So, there’s a chance...” I said. He nodded and Micah squeezed my hand reassuringly. I sighed and relaxed into the sofa, looking up at the ceiling. I couldn’t believe how stupid we’d been.
“On a small note. I do believe that Esther’s ability to get pregnant might not be linked to the species. I’ve done a lot of research on them and tested both Esther and Elizabeth. Both female Luna Bambini’s they are quite different genetically. Esther has been altered by both magic and her abilities. I have always wondered if it’s just because she’s special. There is nothing in Elizabeth Cullen’s genealogy that suggests she can be impregnated outside a moonpool, even with another Luna Bambini.” He said clearly seeing I needed a little bit of hope.
“Thanks,” I mumbled but I wasn’t sure it worked.
“But she’s the daughter of that anomaly. You don’t think she’d get those genes Esther has?” Micah asked.
“I don’t know son. I really don’t know. Had you come to me a few weeks ago I might have had some answers for you before you consummated your relationship.” He said, it wasn’t judgemental, it was genuinely apologetic.
“Yeah I’m stupid. I’m sorry. I should have asked you years ago. I never…” I said looking at Micah. “I mean all the Moon Pool Children are my uncles or aunts and then there’s Micah. I didn’t think…” I said trailing off.
“I understand Ivy. It will be okay. Let’s just wait a few days to make sure any tests I do are conclusive and we’ll go from there okay?” He asked and I smiled.
“Yeah. Thank you,” I said and Micah moved to sit a little closer to me.
“We’ll leave you and mom to whatever you were doing before we came,” Micah said with a laugh as he stood and pulled me up with him. Carlisle smiled sweetly at his son.
“For the record. If you are like your mother, you're already pregnant so anything you do between now and our tests won’t change anything. You’re either fertile with Micah or you’re not.” Carlisle said to me and I contained my laugh.
“Thanks dad,” Micah spoke awkwardly and pushed me towards the door.
“Just saying!” He called after us.
“Bye dad, love you,” Micah called back as we reached the door of their house. I giggled as we left Micah was practically pushing me out. He shivered in disgust, as his arm wrapped around my waist. I laughed loudly as we walked back to our house.
“Your parents are amazing,” I sighed.
“Amazing? You’re killing me,” he replied as we reached our front door.
“To be that in love after hundreds of years. Yes, it’s amazing.”
“They’re soul mates, it’s hardly unusual,” he responded and I went stiff at the mention of the S word. I backed him against the closed front door.
“Soul mates are overrated,” I mumbled as I brought my lips to his. He kissed me back for a moment but I could tell it wasn’t with as much fever as before. “They don’t mean anything,” I said more urgently.
“Of course, they mean something.” he said not kissing me back. “Why would you say that?”
“I told you… I don’t care about soul mates. I don’t care who mine is. I want you. I’ve always wanted you. That’s all that matters.” I said getting angry we were even talking about this.
“Would you marry me one day?” He asked changing the subject. He wrapped his arms around me pulling me close to him. I laughed awkwardly.
“Is this you asking?” I asked watching his face. He smiled down at me.
“Not right now no. I’m just asking in general. Do you see us lasting until marriage?” He asked swaying me into our living room.
“Yes,” I whispered, our eyes not breaking the contact.
“I'd just like to have that faith, you know? That my parents had, that they didn’t need someone telling them they were soul mates to know they should spend forever together.”
“We’ve always known, to some extent.” I said reaching my hands up to play with the curls in his hair.
“I’m glad I know for sure now,” he said reaching forward to place a peck on my cheek right by my lips. I closed my eyes at his proximity.
“What do you mean?” I asked trying to concentrate on the conversation and not the feel of him against my body.
“The whole soul mate thing,” he said nonchalantly as he continued to kiss. This shook me out of my trance.
“You know?” I asked.
“What?” he asked shaking his head as if to clear his vision.
“You know I’m your soul mate?” I asked for clarification. All lust evaporated in an instant and I stared at the man I trusted with everything for me to tell me the truth.
“Oh… yes,” he said and I watched the realisation go across his face as to what he had said. So, he knew and he hadn’t told me. He knew we were soul mates?
“I’m your soul mate?” I asked with a frown. “You can see your soul?” I asked in shock. He nodded in response slowly as if he expected me to explode.
“I started to see parts of it last week. Just little glances when I looked at my hand or my leg. I just thought it was you but then I started to see it when you weren’t around. I knew I was seeing my own soul then.”
“You could see your soul.” I said in disbelief. The anger was building up inside me and I knew that this was too much for me to handle right now.
“Yes, and it’s a match for yours. We’re soul mates, we always have been,” he said with pure happiness but he didn’t understand how mad I was yet.
“I thought you wanted to be with me because you loved me,” I said. I stepped away from his arms in utter denial.
“It is because I love you. Ivana what are you talking about?” He asked confused, he reached for my arm to face him but I snatched it away.
“You lied to me,” I gasped. “When I told you, I didn’t care if I met my soul mate, that they wouldn’t mean anything to me like you mean to me. That I didn’t want them, that I wanted you, you knew then?” I asked in clarification.
“I didn’t lie to you,” he said a frown furrowing his beautiful face. I had to look away, because this was real anger and betrayal I was feeling and I knew the sad puppy face would melt me back into his arms and I would forget why I was angry in the first place but I had to get this off my chest. I had to know if this man I spent everyday for fifteen years with, who I had laid my heart, body and soul too, quite literally had lied to me. I didn't know this man was even able to hide something like that from me.
The height of the situation suddenly overcame me. Emotion wracked my body, the fear of pregnancy, the loss of both Nova and my niece, the feeling of betrayal and confusion over came me at once. I stumbled and he caught me, pulling me into his chest for support. His arms wrapped around me in comfort and I hated that it worked. It didn’t change anything and yet the mere presence of him calmed me. It always had, from the moment I met him as a child. He sat us on the sofa, with me facing sideways across his lap. His fingers were running along my leg and my hair in comfort.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” he whispered into my hair. “I didn’t think it mattered,” he said and the tears flooded down my cheeks silently. I couldn’t even get my thoughts out in coherent words to explain to him the betrayal of him keeping this from me.
The words soul mate surrounded us every day for fifteen years. Those words stopped me from admitting my feelings for him for so long and now I find out that it was all for nothing?
Don’t get me wrong I was over the moon, elated, that we finally knew, that the thought of ‘what if’ no longer plagued us but I couldn’t get away from the feeling of betrayal that he hadn’t told me. That he made us more without giving away the most important detail of our lives. He knew what it meant to me to have kissed him without that confirmation we were meant to be together.
This wasn’t my friend. This wasn’t the man that I fell in love with. That man wouldn’t have kept this from me and just thrown it out there in a regular conversation like it meant nothing.
“Have we just ruined our friendship?” I asked him barely loud enough for him to hear. His fingers ran across my cheeks.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re still my best friend, nothing about this is going to change who we are. You have and always will be my soul mate.” He reassured me. I almost flinched at the words. Maybe I had been wrong. This entire time I thought he was the tortured one but perhaps it was me. I spent so long trying to fight my feelings for my best friend because I knew the depths of his ability that I assumed the words ‘soul mate’ meant more to him than they did, and really, they meant something to me instead. I didn’t know how to reply to his words. I sat across his lap staring at the window in the room. Watching the leaves of the one tree outside our house swaying in the wind. He kissed my cheek and my jaw trying to get my attention, his fingers starting to play with any exposed skin he could find.
“Do you think I’m just going to have sex with you and forget this conversation even happened?” I asked, still staring out the window.
“No, that wouldn’t be something you would do,” he mumbled into my skin as he kissed the crook of my neck and shoulder. They weren’t sexual kisses, they were just touches of reassurance to make sure I knew he was still there.
“I think we made a mistake,” I breathed softly. I didn’t know why I said the words I just did.
The past week had happened so quick and so much had happened. Our immortal family was fractured and irreparable. My patient had died unexpectedly and it shook me to my core every time I thought about little Nova. And to top it off, my one consistent, my best friend, had lied, even if it was only an omission of a fact we always wanted, it still felt like a lie. My whole world was upside down and I just needed sometime to process it all. I knew it was a possibility that this was all hormones but I needed space. I needed time to think.
He stopped moving, his kissing stopped and he stopped breathing beneath me. The only movements were my own breathing. I knew he was watching my face but all I could do was watch the leaves on the tree, swaying mindlessly in the wind.
“I need some space. Can I have that? Just for a few days? To get my head around everything. Until the tests?” I asked him. I finally looked at his face to see utter and complete heartbreak.
“I don’t know how to live without you. I wasn’t trying to lie to you Ivy. I thought if I told you you’d think I only wanted to be with you because I knew you were my soul mate. That wasn’t the case. I wanted to be with you long before that.” He ranted and I shh’d him as I rested my hands on his jaw line.
“I know.” I said softly. “I know.” I said kissing him very gently, barely adding pressure onto his lips at all. “I can’t live without you either. I’m not saying I need space from you forever. I’m saying I need some time to process the last week. I need to sleep. I’m so so exhausted.” I sighed and rested my forehead against his. “I just… I need…” I began again but I didn’t know how to explain.
“Space,” he repeated and his eyes closed in defeat.
“Space.”
Today was exactly a week after my mother left to find out what was going on in Italy and I hadn’t heard a thing from her all week. I spoke to my father every day but if my mother was keeping him updated he was very good at hiding it from me. He avoided the conversation at all costs other than to tell me she was okay.
It was also the day both Micah and I had to be back at the hospital. I had my three day shift again and Micah had a fourteen-hour day ahead of him. I woke to him kissing my neck and shoulder. We managed to adjust our lives pretty well for our newly developed relationship. I wasn’t going to lie, it was mostly the same but now anytime I had the urge to kiss him, I could and I never knew sex could be this good until now.
“Hmm,” I groaned, a laugh escaping my chest.
“I figured this would be a nicer way to wake up than that alarm,” he whispered against my skin. My hands flew to cup his jaw and bring his face up to mine so I could kiss him. A few minutes of that and I was starting to wonder how much the hospital would actually miss us if we had another sick day. He moved to kiss down my throat right as the messenger on my phone buzzed, his buzzed in synchronisation.
“No. Just ignore it,” he said kissing my skin.
They’re back. Lidiya announced in the group mind and I knew that the message had been from the Volturi.
“They’re back from Italy.” I told him and he stopped touching me to look at my face.
“Ugh,” he grumbled, his face falling to my collar bone.
“Let’s go,” I sighed gently pushing on his chest. He moved off me and I went straight to my closet to dress. I guess we weren’t going to the hospital after all. I was kind of glad. I didn’t think I was ready yet to go into that paediatric ward and not see little Nova’s smiling face.
We dressed quickly and made our way to the Volturi. The place was buzzing. Micah’s hand slipped into mine as we entered the very busy throne room. I looked down at our joint hands for a moment and then at his face. He smiled down at me softly before we parted ways. I went to my sisters and mother on the stage and he went to be with his parents talking to Edward and Bella.
The room was full of Cullen’s and guard. It was a few minutes before Pancrazio made a move to silence the room.
“Thank you all for coming yet again on such short notice. I’m going to hand the reins to Esther to explain what happened in Italy,” I looked over to my mother who stepped forward, a sad look in her eyes. Something had happened. I knew that much.
“Edward, Bella, Charlotte, Ezra, Isaac and I went to Italy to see if we could find these witches. Chloe couldn’t track them at first, it was difficult for her to get around their spells and we were one step behind them at every turn. In the process of making our way. We discovered some very unsettling news. Upon our arrival the coven had already started their attack on the Cullen family and managed to take down a small family of human descendants living in France. When we reached there we realised they had burnt them alive, destroying any hope of bringing them back,” she began her eyes darting to my sisters on the stage. People gasped in the room and began to murmur.
Fire had been used against my sisters before, with my niece Allesandra. Even though my sisters are legendary throughout our world some people have figured out that they cant bring something back if there's nothing left of them to save. The fear of retaliation and revenge had since kept any threats away since Allesandra but obviously this coven weren't scared of us. They clearly had nothing to lose. I doubt the Volturi were going to let this one slide, not when they were using fire as a weapon.
“The urgency multiplied to find the coven, you should notice Edward and Bella haven’t returned because they decided to stay with their son and his family in England after the events that followed. The witches found Addison Wright and Jay Black. They used magic to incarcerate them and they burnt them alive. We were only minutes away from the same thing happening to Addison’s brothers Christian and Sebastian, who had travelled to a remote area of Scotland to warn them of the threat. For a coven of witches to have held back not one but three Luna Bambini’s and a hybrid is a great cause of concern. If we hadn’t of reached them they would have died too. As you can imagine their family is distraught. Jay was Edward and Bella’s great-grandson.” She said pausing in grief as she said the next works. “Addison was my niece.” She managed to say, the room was silent and she finally turned to Carlisle. “That family in France were descendants of Carlisle,” she said before finally turning to the room, with a look I could only describe as pure anger and betrayal. “I will make sure that we avenge their deaths.”
The silence faded and the room was filled with whispers and fear. My eyes fell on Micah standing with his parents. His mother was sobbing and I couldn’t look away. This wasn’t just a threat anymore. This was a full-blown attack. They weren’t just killing Cullen’s. They were after anyone that associated with them, they were after anyone they could get their hands on. They were moments away from killing my sister’s husbands.
Holly. Avia. I gasped, giving them access to what was going on here.
We’re okay. Holly said although her tone of voice was far from okay. We've been so busy here, I'm sorry, we should have told you.
It's entirely understandable. I can't believe it. Addison. Jay. I said, tears were falling from my eyes at this point.
We’re sort of on autopilot. There hasn't been time to grieve just yet. My mother is trying her best to track the witches down so we can get our revenge. They have spells covering their tracks. She's never encountered something like this. There's never been someone she couldn't find before. But she'll get there. She's the best tracker in the world and nothing is going stop her getting our revenge for this. Holly’s anger was like a furnace, her unending faith in Chloe was endearing.
“As you can imagine, the danger has multiplied. It is extremely important that any that are not aware of the current threat be informed immediately. The doors of the Volturi Estate will be opened for sanctuary. Other sanctuaries are being set up around the country. Any Cullen’s around Washington need to head to La Push where the Quileute pack will be the protectors. Leah and Zac have wolves in Utah for any further south that need help and the rest of the Guild pack are in Minnesota. We don’t know who they’re coming for next. So far, they’ve only attacked those in Europe and those that seemed vulnerable or easy to get to. Addison and her brothers had been far from the rest of their family when they caught them off guard. They don’t seem to be going to where there are a lot of us in one area. As soon as we get word on their location Esther and Allesandra will be ending the threat for good, in the same way they started it. Fire.” Zio announced to the worried looking relatives in the room. I looked to my mother. For good? I wondered. I turned to Lidiya and Anelie in question.
“There will be no mercy, there will be no second chances, there will be no remorse. The coven will die for what they have done to our family. They will show the rest of the world what they do when they question the Cullen name or any under the protection of it.” Zio finished and I had my answer before Lidiya and Anelie got the chance to answer.
He’s not using you? I asked Lidiya. She shook her head.
Mother is too afraid they’ll burn me alive on the spot. Whilst we don’t think it’s possible for me to die because of the paradox she doesn’t want to chance it. Its best to take those we know are immune to fire since it seems to be their weapon of choice. We know her and Alle can’t die by fire and immune to death itself. They’re the only true immortal ones among us and they’re going to burn them all to the ground. She said eyeing her daughter sitting on her father’s throne on the stage.
Part of me was jealous. I’d love to see my mother and niece walk into a room full of witches and burn them all to hell. My excitement quickly faded though when I saw Micah making his way across the busy room to me. When he reached me, his arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest tightly.
“It’s okay,” I whispered to him.
“Are you okay?” he asked pulling away to look at me.
“I will be when they’re dead,” I said looking over to my mother watching me. “I'll be a minute,” I said walking away from Micah but I felt his hand in mine as I began walking to my mother, my father at her side looking very worried.
“I’m so mad at you,” I said hugging her with one arm.
“My sweet girl. Do you think I was going to let you stop me from going? I already had enough of that from your father.”
“Well we’re very alike,” I smiled at my papa next to her.
“I’m the best one to go and you know it.” She said kissing my forehead. I looked over at my niece Allesandra being held by her mother and I turned back to my own.
“I can’t believe Lidiya and Matthew are letting her go,” I said.
“She’s a grown woman now, she’s the only other person in the world immune to fire. Her husband is the one fighting her on this, not her parents. He's adamant he wants to go with us but she's having none of it.” My mother explained, I looked to Jonathan, Allesandra's husband who was watching her with a permanent expression of concern on his face. He was the only person in the world, other than my mother, that has ever been seen holding my niece and her pyrokinetic power back, surely his power over ice would be a good thing?
"Not necessarily Ivy. He can still be hurt, Alle and I cant. He's safer here."
“What about spells? And whatever else they have? They held back three of our kind. What makes you think they don’t have something to hold you back too?” Micah asked, I squeezed his hand to try and comfort him a little. I knew this must be hard for him.
“I wish I had an answer to that with surety but I have power I’ve never had before. More than I had when we faced Lilim. Just trust I know what I’m doing,” she said in reassurance, looking between Micah and myself
“Please don’t die,” I almost choked on the words as I stared into my mother’s blue eyes.
“Impossible,” she whispered pulling me into her arms. Her lips were at my hair.
I held onto that word as I said goodbye to my mother and niece. I continued to remind myself of their true immortality every day after.
Micah and I went back to normal over the next few days. Our schedules barely matched but when we were both free, we spent our time doing usual things. He stayed with me every night he could until Saturday.
I was exhausted. I wasn’t doing anything more than I usually was and I felt like I was being dragged at half strength with everything I did. I put it down to worry mostly.
Micah watched me in concern as I barely made it down the stairs to get some blood.
“Ivy,” he said softly. It was his ‘I have something very serious to talk about' voice. I sat on the counter draining the warmed blood. I couldn’t seem to drink it cold anymore.
“Hmm?” I asked him. He leant against the door frame to the kitchen.
“I think we should make a visit to Carlisle together,” he said very carefully.
“Why?” I asked with a frown.
“To be honest I’m an idiot for not thinking of it before. I was just so consumed by you I didn’t give it a second thought. I’m so sorry love. You trusted me and I didn’t even think about it. I didn’t even register it was possible until now.”
“Micah what are you talking about?” I asked confused.
“You’re the progeny of two Luna Bambini. I am Luna Bambini,” he reminded me and it took me a moment for the realisation to hit but when it did it felt like my stomach dropped and I was about to vomit.
“Oh my god,” my hand flew to my lower stomach. I wasn’t sure what to say. Could he be right? Could my exhaustion and weird change of diet possibly be because I was pregnant? But I wasn't like him. I wasn't a first generation Luna Bambini like my mother. But then I guess I was my mothers daughter.
“Let’s go?” He asked, his hand reaching out softly almost scared to touch me. I could see the blame he was already putting on himself but he was wrong. It took two to make a baby. If we had done this, it was both of us, not just him. We were in this together if it was happening. We both just assumed I would require a moon pool to conceive but perhaps I was just too close to a Luna Bambini for it to be undiluted.
I took his hand without hesitation. Carlisle had finished his shift when I did so we headed over to the house by ours he and Esme had.
We knocked as we used our key to enter. Esme was coming down the stairs in her dressing gown as we did.
“Oh god,” Micah mumbled.
“Hello sunshine, what can I do for you?” Esme asked her son.
“I need dad,” he mumbled trying not to look at his mother.
“He’ll be down in a moment,” she smiled as she led us to the lounge. Esme eyed our joint hands but before she could say anything Carlisle appeared fully dressed.
“What can I do for you guys?” he asked as Esme disappeared, I imagine to get dressed.
“Um, we were wondering if you and your biologists have done any research for my kind,” I asked him and suddenly I felt awkward around a man I’ve known my whole life and love as an uncle.
“In terms of contraceptive?” He asked for clarification looking at our joint hands. Before we answered he simply replied,“ah,” he sat down on the arm chair off to the side.
“I can’t say I have. Your kind have a fool proof contraceptive method. You can’t get pregnant outside a moon pool,” he said with a smile of reassurance.
“Except we can, my mother can, with my father.” I said reminding him that both me and my sisters weren’t conceived in a moon pool.
“We figured with her unique lineage and since I’m a full Moon Pool Child that we might have a problem on our hands.”
“Well I can’t say I’m sure that it will work the same, given you are second generation, Holly can be with her husband Christian and Avia can be with Sebastian without a pregnancy but they are technically only half Luna Bambini. Their physiologies have always been different to Lidiya and Anelie because they were a product of your parents.
"But I understand your concerns and I'll draw some blood and get working on an answer for you as soon as possible if that’s what you wish.” He said with a warm smile. “I’ll try and do it as quick as possible,” he added.
“That’s the thing, it might already be too late,” Micah told his father. Carlisle’s face remained passive.
“I see. Perhaps you should come see me in a few days Ivana and I’ll run some tests,” he said looking at me. I nodded suddenly feeling sick.
“So, there’s a chance...” I said. He nodded and Micah squeezed my hand reassuringly. I sighed and relaxed into the sofa, looking up at the ceiling. I couldn’t believe how stupid we’d been.
“On a small note. I do believe that Esther’s ability to get pregnant might not be linked to the species. I’ve done a lot of research on them and tested both Esther and Elizabeth. Both female Luna Bambini’s they are quite different genetically. Esther has been altered by both magic and her abilities. I have always wondered if it’s just because she’s special. There is nothing in Elizabeth Cullen’s genealogy that suggests she can be impregnated outside a moonpool, even with another Luna Bambini.” He said clearly seeing I needed a little bit of hope.
“Thanks,” I mumbled but I wasn’t sure it worked.
“But she’s the daughter of that anomaly. You don’t think she’d get those genes Esther has?” Micah asked.
“I don’t know son. I really don’t know. Had you come to me a few weeks ago I might have had some answers for you before you consummated your relationship.” He said, it wasn’t judgemental, it was genuinely apologetic.
“Yeah I’m stupid. I’m sorry. I should have asked you years ago. I never…” I said looking at Micah. “I mean all the Moon Pool Children are my uncles or aunts and then there’s Micah. I didn’t think…” I said trailing off.
“I understand Ivy. It will be okay. Let’s just wait a few days to make sure any tests I do are conclusive and we’ll go from there okay?” He asked and I smiled.
“Yeah. Thank you,” I said and Micah moved to sit a little closer to me.
“We’ll leave you and mom to whatever you were doing before we came,” Micah said with a laugh as he stood and pulled me up with him. Carlisle smiled sweetly at his son.
“For the record. If you are like your mother, you're already pregnant so anything you do between now and our tests won’t change anything. You’re either fertile with Micah or you’re not.” Carlisle said to me and I contained my laugh.
“Thanks dad,” Micah spoke awkwardly and pushed me towards the door.
“Just saying!” He called after us.
“Bye dad, love you,” Micah called back as we reached the door of their house. I giggled as we left Micah was practically pushing me out. He shivered in disgust, as his arm wrapped around my waist. I laughed loudly as we walked back to our house.
“Your parents are amazing,” I sighed.
“Amazing? You’re killing me,” he replied as we reached our front door.
“To be that in love after hundreds of years. Yes, it’s amazing.”
“They’re soul mates, it’s hardly unusual,” he responded and I went stiff at the mention of the S word. I backed him against the closed front door.
“Soul mates are overrated,” I mumbled as I brought my lips to his. He kissed me back for a moment but I could tell it wasn’t with as much fever as before. “They don’t mean anything,” I said more urgently.
“Of course, they mean something.” he said not kissing me back. “Why would you say that?”
“I told you… I don’t care about soul mates. I don’t care who mine is. I want you. I’ve always wanted you. That’s all that matters.” I said getting angry we were even talking about this.
“Would you marry me one day?” He asked changing the subject. He wrapped his arms around me pulling me close to him. I laughed awkwardly.
“Is this you asking?” I asked watching his face. He smiled down at me.
“Not right now no. I’m just asking in general. Do you see us lasting until marriage?” He asked swaying me into our living room.
“Yes,” I whispered, our eyes not breaking the contact.
“I'd just like to have that faith, you know? That my parents had, that they didn’t need someone telling them they were soul mates to know they should spend forever together.”
“We’ve always known, to some extent.” I said reaching my hands up to play with the curls in his hair.
“I’m glad I know for sure now,” he said reaching forward to place a peck on my cheek right by my lips. I closed my eyes at his proximity.
“What do you mean?” I asked trying to concentrate on the conversation and not the feel of him against my body.
“The whole soul mate thing,” he said nonchalantly as he continued to kiss. This shook me out of my trance.
“You know?” I asked.
“What?” he asked shaking his head as if to clear his vision.
“You know I’m your soul mate?” I asked for clarification. All lust evaporated in an instant and I stared at the man I trusted with everything for me to tell me the truth.
“Oh… yes,” he said and I watched the realisation go across his face as to what he had said. So, he knew and he hadn’t told me. He knew we were soul mates?
“I’m your soul mate?” I asked with a frown. “You can see your soul?” I asked in shock. He nodded in response slowly as if he expected me to explode.
“I started to see parts of it last week. Just little glances when I looked at my hand or my leg. I just thought it was you but then I started to see it when you weren’t around. I knew I was seeing my own soul then.”
“You could see your soul.” I said in disbelief. The anger was building up inside me and I knew that this was too much for me to handle right now.
“Yes, and it’s a match for yours. We’re soul mates, we always have been,” he said with pure happiness but he didn’t understand how mad I was yet.
“I thought you wanted to be with me because you loved me,” I said. I stepped away from his arms in utter denial.
“It is because I love you. Ivana what are you talking about?” He asked confused, he reached for my arm to face him but I snatched it away.
“You lied to me,” I gasped. “When I told you, I didn’t care if I met my soul mate, that they wouldn’t mean anything to me like you mean to me. That I didn’t want them, that I wanted you, you knew then?” I asked in clarification.
“I didn’t lie to you,” he said a frown furrowing his beautiful face. I had to look away, because this was real anger and betrayal I was feeling and I knew the sad puppy face would melt me back into his arms and I would forget why I was angry in the first place but I had to get this off my chest. I had to know if this man I spent everyday for fifteen years with, who I had laid my heart, body and soul too, quite literally had lied to me. I didn't know this man was even able to hide something like that from me.
The height of the situation suddenly overcame me. Emotion wracked my body, the fear of pregnancy, the loss of both Nova and my niece, the feeling of betrayal and confusion over came me at once. I stumbled and he caught me, pulling me into his chest for support. His arms wrapped around me in comfort and I hated that it worked. It didn’t change anything and yet the mere presence of him calmed me. It always had, from the moment I met him as a child. He sat us on the sofa, with me facing sideways across his lap. His fingers were running along my leg and my hair in comfort.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” he whispered into my hair. “I didn’t think it mattered,” he said and the tears flooded down my cheeks silently. I couldn’t even get my thoughts out in coherent words to explain to him the betrayal of him keeping this from me.
The words soul mate surrounded us every day for fifteen years. Those words stopped me from admitting my feelings for him for so long and now I find out that it was all for nothing?
Don’t get me wrong I was over the moon, elated, that we finally knew, that the thought of ‘what if’ no longer plagued us but I couldn’t get away from the feeling of betrayal that he hadn’t told me. That he made us more without giving away the most important detail of our lives. He knew what it meant to me to have kissed him without that confirmation we were meant to be together.
This wasn’t my friend. This wasn’t the man that I fell in love with. That man wouldn’t have kept this from me and just thrown it out there in a regular conversation like it meant nothing.
“Have we just ruined our friendship?” I asked him barely loud enough for him to hear. His fingers ran across my cheeks.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re still my best friend, nothing about this is going to change who we are. You have and always will be my soul mate.” He reassured me. I almost flinched at the words. Maybe I had been wrong. This entire time I thought he was the tortured one but perhaps it was me. I spent so long trying to fight my feelings for my best friend because I knew the depths of his ability that I assumed the words ‘soul mate’ meant more to him than they did, and really, they meant something to me instead. I didn’t know how to reply to his words. I sat across his lap staring at the window in the room. Watching the leaves of the one tree outside our house swaying in the wind. He kissed my cheek and my jaw trying to get my attention, his fingers starting to play with any exposed skin he could find.
“Do you think I’m just going to have sex with you and forget this conversation even happened?” I asked, still staring out the window.
“No, that wouldn’t be something you would do,” he mumbled into my skin as he kissed the crook of my neck and shoulder. They weren’t sexual kisses, they were just touches of reassurance to make sure I knew he was still there.
“I think we made a mistake,” I breathed softly. I didn’t know why I said the words I just did.
The past week had happened so quick and so much had happened. Our immortal family was fractured and irreparable. My patient had died unexpectedly and it shook me to my core every time I thought about little Nova. And to top it off, my one consistent, my best friend, had lied, even if it was only an omission of a fact we always wanted, it still felt like a lie. My whole world was upside down and I just needed sometime to process it all. I knew it was a possibility that this was all hormones but I needed space. I needed time to think.
He stopped moving, his kissing stopped and he stopped breathing beneath me. The only movements were my own breathing. I knew he was watching my face but all I could do was watch the leaves on the tree, swaying mindlessly in the wind.
“I need some space. Can I have that? Just for a few days? To get my head around everything. Until the tests?” I asked him. I finally looked at his face to see utter and complete heartbreak.
“I don’t know how to live without you. I wasn’t trying to lie to you Ivy. I thought if I told you you’d think I only wanted to be with you because I knew you were my soul mate. That wasn’t the case. I wanted to be with you long before that.” He ranted and I shh’d him as I rested my hands on his jaw line.
“I know.” I said softly. “I know.” I said kissing him very gently, barely adding pressure onto his lips at all. “I can’t live without you either. I’m not saying I need space from you forever. I’m saying I need some time to process the last week. I need to sleep. I’m so so exhausted.” I sighed and rested my forehead against his. “I just… I need…” I began again but I didn’t know how to explain.
“Space,” he repeated and his eyes closed in defeat.
“Space.”
End of Part 7
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