Diamond Legacies: Part 24

A little bit of a back track time wise but it soon skips back to 3 months later like in Eden's chapter. The continuity didn't really work here but i had to include the conversation at the start of this chapter to make the rest of it make sense. 

------------ ------------ ------------

Chicago, September 2226

------------ ------------ ------------

Nova Cullen

------------ ------------ ------------

My life had become busier than I ever thought possible. I began to split my time between Chicago and New York and spending more time than ever at the Volturi Mansion, especially with Ophelia. Alena was often at work, so Ophelia was grateful for me being there with her whilst her girlfriend was being paraded in the Volturi.

It had been late one night when Alena returned home, and I had left them having a small argument about hours and miscommunication. I didn’t worry, I knew how both women felt about each other, it reminded me of my parents’ relationship. Never quite putting a ‘label’ on things but being so in love you would die for each other. Something caught my eye as I left their house. Across the silent gardens a door opened and out walked Amirah Cullen from the house directly across the street.

She exited her home and sat on the front doorstep. Her hands went to her forehead as she leant over her knees.

I couldn’t see her aura but something in me compelled me to walk across the clearing to see if she was okay. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be interacting with anyone that wasn’t Ophelia or Alena, but I couldn't resist the part of me that told me to go talk to Amirah Cullen that night.

“Hey, I don’t mean to turn up uninvited, I just wanted to check you were okay” I said as I reached the end of Amirah’s pathway to her house.

“it’s okay” she said lifting her head after a moment and moving along the step to make room for me to sit.

It was strange being around Amirah. She was the only person, apart from her demon imprint, that I couldn’t see with my ability. She was blank to me. It was oddly soothing without being surrounded by the brightness of someone’s aura. It was nice to just be with someone without constantly analysing everything about them.

“Your mother won’t be happy you’re here” she said as I sat next to her in the dark.

“She doesn’t have to find out” I murmured feeling oddly at peace by the tribrid. I should be terrified. I should be avoiding her at all costs. I shouldn’t be here at all. And yet… I felt a kinship I couldn’t explain. The only real encounter I had with her had been when I wanted to go to New York without Lucan, she had protected my freedom, stood up to both my imprint and my mother and helped me do what I needed to do. I felt indebted to her, and I also felt sorry for her. I couldn’t imagine being almost friendless in this battle. She had her imprint, I knew that, but everyone else either feared her or worshipped her. How did you make friends when you had those two options at your feet? The biggest influence on my sympathy for the tribrid had been when Alena told me her story. Hearing it from my parents was one thing but hearing it from someone who had helped raise Amirah, helped train her and been by her side for her entire life only to be separated from her and unable to help or be there for her anymore cut deep.

“Thank you for checking on me but I’m okay I promise” Amirah said but the words sounded rehearsed and overused.

“I may not be able to see your aura but I’m pretty good at reading people.” I said and I felt her eyes on me as I stared off into the distance.

“Things are just… its hard, being what I am, who I am. Sometimes I just need some fresh air. And I only ever get left alone at night. In the day, its wolves or guard members or Ignacio…” she said trailing off.

“sorry” I said realising I had interrupted her alone time. “I’ll go” I said and went to stand.

“No, it’s okay. If you don’t mind. I’d like the company” she said with hopeful eyes. I stayed and gave her a small nod. “you’re not scared of me.” She said and paused before she continued. “it’s a nice change.” She added.

“Lucan isn’t scared of you either, he worships you” I said knowingly. I had to admit a lot of my admiration came from how he spoke about her.

“that’s almost as bad. I love my wolves. I really do, they kept me safe when I needed them more than anything. They support me unconditionally and they would die for me. But ever since Ignacio, everything changed. I was never their equal, but before Ignacio I felt more like I was a part of the pack, I felt like one of them. Now I’m nothing like them, I have this power that is so unknown to me. Ignacio made me different. My power is unmatched and its volatile and it is no power that’s ever been seen before. I can’t sit with my pack brothers and bond over that. Not when I need to be their alpha, not when I have a responsibility to keep them all alive through this. I have to be separate. I have to be unbiased and avoid emotional investment or losing any one of them might crush me and risk the fate of the entire planet. They are puppies in comparison to me. I was born to be superior, to be their leader and its exhausting being a God in the eyes of children… no offense to your imprinter” she said, and I didn’t need my ability to know she was being brutally honest.

“None taken” I laughed and smiled at her. She returned it with a small smirk, but it dropped quickly.

“don’t tell him I called them puppies though.” She said with a nudge of her shoulder into mine.

“I won’t” I chuckled. “Why are you being so honest with me Amirah? Why are you telling me all this and not your imprint or your friends?” I asked after a moment of silence between us.

“You can call me Mia you know.” She said avoiding the question. It was an offer of friendship. I knew that no one outside of Amirah’s inner circle called her that. She was Amirah to everyone at the Volturi, hell she was even ‘Reinette’ to some. Her supernatural cover name that kept her real name anonymous.

“Okay Mia, why avoid my question?” I asked her again.

“Because you have nothing to gain with my friendship. You’re my frenemy’s daughter. We’re not supposed to say a single word to each other and yet here you are. If you’re willing to risk the wrath of your own mother to talk to me, I reckon you’re okay with keeping my confession a secret. Plus, I really need someone that isn’t my foreign demon shapeshifter imprint that doesn’t even know how to use a toaster to talk to.” she said, and I felt the pain in her voice at the end. Her eyes were fixated on the distance in front of us.

“You miss them” I said in realisation. I had come over here from Alena’s house. She had the house opposite her former best friends. She sat on the porch watching the house from afar when I had seen her here. She was still staring at the house now. She missed her guardians.

“More than anything” her voice broke and I looked to see tears were filling her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly to avoid them spilling over. My instincts told me to comfort her. I moved along the step, so I was right next to her now and leant my head on her shoulder, she copied, leaning to rest her own on my head.

“I’ll be your friend Mia.” I whispered and she let out a shaky laugh as she sat back up straight. I took my head from her shoulder after a moment.

“I’m going to hell anyway, I may as well risk the wrath of Ivana Balev going down.” She turned to smirk at me. Did she mean literally? Was that what this was about? This war?

“Can I ask you something?” I asked, she nodded but didn’t respond. “My mother, she said you both had an agreement, what was it?”

Mia scoffed and then sighed.

“So much for that. Us being here right now breaks that agreement.” I waited for her to explain. “Your mother and I have never been friends. We both have our own reasons for the things we do, and we’ve never really agreed on anything. When you were younger, I openly defied her in her own decision with you and your sister. The day your ability expanded, I helped to contain it. I told her the hard truths she wasn’t facing, and she didn’t like it. We had Esther back then to stand between us but this time, she’s not here. Ivana begged me to stay out of your life. To give Lucan the freedom to protect you as needed, to keep you safe and to keep you out of the demonic war I have to face. She begged me to set Lucan free so he could be with you, but Lucan wouldn’t accept that. He’s a fighter and he wants to be a part of this war. I won’t decide that for him. Your mother wasn’t happy so in return I told her that I would stay away from you and your sister, make sure you didn’t get tied up in anything going on. That I wouldn’t use you.” She explained.

“Why would you need to use me?” I asked with a frown, but I already knew the answer before she said it.

“To inspire. To instil bravery and loyalty. To create strength where the army falters. Having you gifting the pack with traits we need for battle would change everything.” She explained and I wanted to run and scream at my mother for taking a decision away from me like that.

“It wasn’t her decision to make” I murmured, and I saw Mia smirk out of the corner of my eye.

“That what I said, but I also didn’t want to anger one of the most powerful people on the planet. She bends atoms and creates and destroys from a molecular level. I didn’t exactly want to wake up with no intestines for not agreeing to keep children out of a war.”

“I’m not a child” I answered entirely too defensively.

“No, you’re not anymore” she responded with a sad tone in her voice.

“I want to help. It would help Lucan; it would help you and it would help what’s happening. Even if Matthew removed most of it from me. I know somethings going on with my grandmother. It’s tied to you somehow; I just don’t know how.” I said with a sure nod.

“Do you want it back?”

“My memory?” I asked sceptically. How would she be able to return my memory?

“Sure. It’s a simple spell” she said with a shrug.

“It was removed with an ability, not a spell” I said with shock.

“And I’m immune to all abilities.” She said with a knowing smile. Did I want her to do this? My mother had done it to protect me, and I didn’t want to disappoint her but at the same time I hated she had taken this decision from me. I was a part of this the day Lucan imprinted on me. Did she really think she wouldn’t lose her daughter if I lost him? Did she really think this was protecting me when I should be the one to protect Lucan? I felt like I was missing all the pieces. I didn’t have the information I needed to judge my mother’s decision.

“Do you think my mother made the wrong decision to keep me out of what’s going on?” I asked her carefully.

“Your mother and I very rarely see eye to eye. I can’t understand the love of a mother or that desire to protect your child, so I reserve my judgement. If you ask me to, ill take away the block on your memories but I’m going to need you to help me if your mother finds out, which she will.” She said cautiously.

“I thought you were scared of my mother. What if she hurts you somehow with her ability?” I asked worried why Mia was so willing to throw away any agreement she had with my mother.

“Because she needs me. I agreed because it was the easiest option at the time, I was new to my abilities, I had a lot to do without worrying about what Ivana Balev was going to do behind my back, now? Now we’re close, we’re so close to being successful and she needs me alive if she ever wants her mother back. I don’t doubt her love for you, but I have more faith in her love for her mother. I’ve seen what you and your father have gone through, I’ve seen your mother and her grief. I pity her and it only made my guilt worse knowing I was the only one that can change it. But you are your own person. You deserve the right to make your own decisions.”

“I know the pain of losing your freedom” I said echoing her words to me. She smiled at me in recognition.

“Do you want me to give you your memories back Nova Cullen?” she asked as she stared at me at her side. I swallowed nervously and waited before I finally made my decision.

“Yes”

------------ ------------ ------------

December 

------------ ------------ ------------

 

My friendship with Mia had started three months ago. Since then, our friendship of two turned into a friendship of three as Ophelia was the first to find out about our concealed friendship. It was no secret Mia and Ophelia were alike, but their friendship was natural and the three of us bonded easily. I had always been close to my cousin, so it made sense that it was inevitable Mia and I would have a good friendship too. The second person to find out had been Lucan. It was hard to keep anything from him and he was more than happy to keep quiet about it. He worshipped the ground Mia walked on, he did what he was told without much prompt.

Lucan and I were recovering from our rocky argument over New York but he had finally come around, after all the imprint was there to keep me happy wasn't it?

I was back and forth from New York to Chicago, in the week I split my time with work and my friends and at the weekend I split it with my sister and Lucan.

He had not been happy about the whole thing at the start of this. He insisted I was getting involved when I didn’t need to be, but I couldn't help the desire to protect my sister. I had a gut feeling I needed to be there for her as much as I could.

Talking of my sister it was no surprise she had kept her mind hidden from me during the week. I didn’t blame her; I knew although she didn’t blame me for what I did she was still hurting. I also had just enough of a reason to hide my thoughts from her too.

By Christmas, the mutual mind block had become a problem. When she came home on Christmas Eve, I knew something was different. It had been late, and I hoped it was just because I was tired but the next morning when we sat around the tree with our beaming parents, I could see something had changed with her.

She tried to hide it, but her aura and her soul sang. I didn’t need to read her mind to know she had reconciled with Nicholas. Lara had told me she had caught Nicholas leave my sisters dressing room on Christmas Eve, she had insisted Eden looked sad not happy, but I knew my sister better than Lara did. I could see her happiness radiating through her aura like a neon sign. It was a new kind of happiness too. It wasn’t just reconciled love. There was something else but I avoided any mention of Nicholas or Eden's life in New York. I wouldn't ruin this week for my mother, or for our family. She was hundreds of miles from him for now. I would ask her about it in a week when I followed her back to New York after the New Year celebrations.

The week I spent with my family was nice, my father’s parents came over for a few days and then so did my mother’s father. The days with Aleksander were the hardest. There was an empty seat at his side and the room was filled with Esther’s absence. My parents had found out about my friendship with Mia, but they hadn’t found out about her returning my memories. I guess both Eden and I were keeping a secret from the people that loved us the most. 

My mother had been silently furious when she found out I was spending time with Mia, but Mia had been right. My mother did nothing, at the end of the day Mia held the power not my mother. My mother would wait until after Mia fought a war to return my grandmother, by that time my grandmother would be back, and she could help the two through their conflicting power struggles.

“Mama” I said the day before Eden was due to return back to New York. It was our last day together as a family before we returned to our lives.

“Yes, sweet girl?” she asked but she didn’t lift her head from the board game we were all playing.

“I’ve decided to help Mia” I announced with a shaky voice. This got my mothers attention. She looked at me with a murderous look on her face. I hated I was doing this to her, I hated the fear and panic that spread through her aura. I hated making her upset, but I had a bigger investment in the war now. It wasn’t just Lucan I worried for, I worried for Mia, and for Ophelia’s part in this, and for Alena and Axton. If something happened to them it would hurt Ophelia and Mia and I didn’t want that for them.

“What do you mean?” she asked slowly and precisely.

“Mia told me what you and she spoke about. Why you wanted her to stay away from me, but I don’t agree Mama. I know you wanted to protect me, but I can help. I can really help them. If it means Lucan comes home to me, if it means Mia survives this, I’m going to do it. I won’t be in the battle, I’m not getting involved that way, but I will be there to help them before it starts. I’m going to help them in the way I can” I said strongly, and I noticed the smile on my fathers face. His aura flooded with pride.

“Nova…” my mother said but I was surprised she didn’t add anymore words. She watched me with a strange expression on her face, but she sighed. She looked to my father for a moment, and he smiled softly at her, the smile he only reserved for my mother. The smile that made my stomach flutter seeing how much love he had for her. “okay” she said turning back to me and nodding in defeat.

“What?” I asked suddenly. I hadn’t expected that answer.

“I said okay. You’re right. You won’t survive the guilt if something happens to Lucan or your friend when you could have done something. I should be encouraging you to spread your wings and use your ability for good, I should be supporting you becoming an adult and not keeping you tied to me. I grieved the loss of my own mother and wanted to make sure you never experienced that, in doing that I kept you from growing up. You’ve done so much for me and as your mother I couldn’t be more grateful or prouder of you. But I need to let you go, I need to trust you.” she said, and her hand reached across to rest on my cheek. Her eyes looked pained, but I knew from her soul she meant every word.

The words she said shook me to my core.

It felt like something inside of me shattered, a wall or a barrier I had been holding up, the resolve to save my mother. Eden had once told me that I mothered our own mother, that I was consumed with the idea of ‘saving’ her because I felt like I had owed her. I didn’t stop to consider it might have been as a result of my own mother’s abandonment issues. She projected her own issues with Esther and tried to make sure it wouldn’t happen with us. Was this her finally accepting that?

“And Mia?” I asked.  She sighed with slight annoyance for the tribrid, but her soul didn’t match her expression.

“Mia has the weight of the world on her shoulders, I can’t imagine the pressure she must feel. I may not agree with some of the things she says but I have never once doubted her ability to do what was needed. She’s a good person and she’s very lucky to have my daughter as her friend.” She said with a wink.

“So, you’re not mad I friended your frenemy anymore?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m not sure that word is appropriate.” She said with a thoughtful pause. “One day she will be the reason Esther Josephson returns to the world, she will bring my mother back to me and she will do it no matter the cost. How could I call someone that selfless my enemy?” she asked, and I looked at my father for a moment. Those were his words. I knew he had tried to help my mother understand after finding out about my friendship with Mia. I knew he trusted me more than my mother did because of our kinship in our abilities. He couldn’t see Mia’s soul now either, but he had often told me about what it was like before she became Ignacio’s other half. She was good and he had liked her the whole time, he only kept quiet to placate his wife.

He’d obviously finally got through to her on the subject.

“Thank you, mama,” I said and stopped my voice from cracking with emotion. She let out a smile and returned back to our game.

I thought my life would be easy after that, that was until I remembered that Eden may or may not be back with the most influential man in the human world.

I was grateful my mother had finally accepted my role in Mia and Lucan’s life, but it only gave me more time to worry about Eden.

On New Years Eve she went back to New York, and I decided to stay in Chicago for the night to be with Lucan and see the new year in.

We were having our own party at the Volturi. It wasn’t as grandiose as the ones when I was a child. The celebrations had been scaled back slightly in recent years, especially since the preparations of war consumed the guard but Zio insisted, we weren’t going to cancel tradition. It wasn’t something Esther would want so he kept the annual parties and balls going.

I was actually having fun, Mia was allowed to come because Alena, Ophelia and Axton had gone out of town to celebrate the holidays with Clara’s human family. So, it was a whole new world spending time with Mia around other people. She had to order her wolves a few times to leave her alone but eventually she relaxed enough to have fun with Lucan and I well into the night. Even Ignacio showed up for an hour or so to witness the celebrations. He wasn’t used to American culture, so this was a little too much for him, but he wanted to support his imprint even just for an hour.

“He really can’t get used to being American, can he?” I asked as we watched Ignacio leave. I watched as Mia’s eyes followed her imprint out the door of the Volturi ball room.

“he’s trying,” she said before finally turning back to me. “he’s not exactly-“ I didn’t hear the rest of Mia’s sentence. My mind was distracted as Eden’s mind barrier slipped and her thoughts flooded my own. I saw as Nicholas beamed a smile at her across from the room she was in, I saw as he wrapped his arms around her and twirled her in the middle of the dance floor. He placed her on her feet and kissed her forehead. I felt her happiness and her feeling of sanctuary being in his arms.

“Hello little swan” he whispered to her, and she responded with “hello charming”

I shook my head feeling a little nauseous. I was about to bring the barrier back up to avoid seeing her thoughts when his next words put every nerve in my body on edge.

“How was your week with your vampire family?” he asked with a wink, and I felt her panic and guilt at his words instantly.

She didn’t know I was in her mind; she was far too distracted with her boyfriend to notice. So, I quickly lifted the barrier to make sure she wasn’t aware of my own panic that flooded my body.

I felt like a fool for not putting two and two together. I knew something was different about Eden but I couldn't figure it out without the other half of the puzzle.

But it didn't matter now. One thing was clear.

Nicholas Disney knew about the world of the supernatural.

“Nova, are you okay?” Mia asked when she realised I wasn’t paying attention. I looked up and realised I was in a very dangerous place to find out about this revelation. I took a step backwards and tumbled into one of the only people in this room I did not want to be near at this very moment.

My uncle and the father of Pancrazio Cullen himself. Jasper Cullen.

“Nova…” he said but trailed off. He could feel my panic I was sure of it. He could feel my dread and my disgust with my sister. He could feel my fear. “Are you okay?” he asked but he already knew I wasn’t. I looked over his shoulder to see my uncle Edward was watching me from across the room. He would have read my mind the second I put the barrier up removing mine and Eden’s link. Whilst we were connected, we were protected but the second we went into our little rooms in our heads our thoughts were open to other telepaths around us. I looked next to my uncle Edward to see Eddie Cullen watching me too. He wasn’t as good at his poker face as his father was.

“Why are you so scared Nova?” Jasper asked curiously and Zio turned at his side to look between me and his father in confusion.

“Nova?” Zio asked echoing his father. I swallowed in an attempt to lessen the dryness in my throat but it didn’t work. I was staring at the most powerful man in the supernatural world with knowledge I really didn’t want to have.

I wanted to protect my sister.

But what was the right move here?

Was keeping my mouth shut protecting her? Or was telling Zio about Nicholas protecting her?

Was keeping my sisters secret the right thing to do when the safety and livelihoods of every single person in this room was at risk? She had broken her promise to me. She had understood why she and Nicholas couldn’t be together and cracked under his influence all the same.

I looked around the room at everyone smiling and laughing and dancing. The vampires, the witches, the hybrids and the shapeshifters. Zio had built this, well it had started with his son, but they had maintained and kept the peace of the supernatural world for decades, for centuries. And my sister was willing to throw it all away for a man.

I turned back to Zio who was watching me expectantly and I knew I would probably pay for this decision for the rest of my very long life, but I had to do it. I was trapped, telepaths and empaths knew something was wrong, I wasn't sure I could lie my way out of this. There was only one way to answer this question.

My sister wouldn't get in too much trouble if she cooperated. Zio was our cousin by adoption, Matthew was our uncle by marriage, Asta was our blood relative. They wouldn't hurt her right? They would help her, maybe they could take her memories away too so that she didn't have to live with the pain anymore.

Telling them was the the right thing to do. To protect the majority over the minority. 

...... Right?