Supernova c13: Event Horizon (part 2)

Two more chapters to go after this. Ill be posting them early next week.

Ivana Balev

Chicago, 2230

It had been seven days. I came to the Volturi every day, despite the leaders, my uncle Eddie, my aunt Naarah, my husband, my father-in-law, the guard, basically everyone, telling me to stay away.

How was I supposed to stay away when the fate of the world and the life of my mother, hung in the balance? I would return every day until they returned, or evil came to wipe the planet away. At that point it didn’t matter whose blood ran through my veins, we were all dead anyway. I would go down fighting, even if it meant creating a diamond steel wall around this building to encase everyone inside. I wouldn’t stand back and do nothing.

“Ivana” Zio hissed as I came to step into the courtyard. He was standing, arms folded as he was every day. I wondered if he stayed out here constantly. If he did anything other than wait.

I suppose there wasn’t much else to do with an impending apocalypse. Court and niceties seemed pointless when you stared death in the face.

“Save the speech” I murmured before he even opened his mouth to continue. He just sighed, letting me stand with him for a moment as we stared into nothing. At least, that’s what we both expected. I saw the spark of light faster than Zio did. I reached out and gripped his wrist in an involuntary movement. Before I could even register what was happening my uncle Eddie was at my side, actually he was standing slightly in front of me, other vampires appeared around us in seconds. Eddie reached behind him, pulling me closer but I sighed, knowing I couldn’t beat his strength I peered around his arm to look at the portal that was opening a hundred meters in front of us.

The first through was one of the bears in human form, I knew he was a bear from the tattoos. In his arms was a body, a limp body of a man.

Ignacio.

From behind him, people flooded out. All of them covered in black and red, exhausted and some unconscious being carried by their brothers. All of them falling onto the floor of the courtyard in the Volturi. The guard immediately began moving around me, Eddie’s grip on me dropped, clearly seeing we had won. There were no demons coming through the portal. It was the pack returning. My sisters appeared then, Lidiya and Anelie immediately ran to the closest wolf they could reach, Anelie making her way through the dead, bringing them back, Lidiya healing who she could. Other healers and doctors of the Volturi came to assist including my husband, all whilst I stood frozen at the sight of Ignacio in that bears arms. He was weeping.

My eyes fell on Lucan as he carried Alena through, she was unconscious too. Was she another casualty? Last through the portal was Amirah and Axton. Amirah… Amirah didn’t look like Amirah. She was covered in black, her dress and hair were matted, sticking to her body as she fell to her knees. Axton tried to talk to her, tried to say something but she wasn’t listening. I wasn’t even sure she could hear him.

I was hit by the familiar scent of my daughter as she ran full speed past me and into the crowd of guard and pack. I quietly cursed her as I followed her scent through the people to where she was searching for her imprinter. She found him with Alena right as Ophelia reached them.

“Is she alive? is she okay?” Ophelia’s voice was pure panic as she reached for Alena.

“she’s just exhausted,” Lucan said and stumbled slightly as the weight of Alena was lifted from him. Nova immediately collided with his chest. Holding him so tightly I wasn’t sure the man could breathe. But he didn’t seem to care as he returned the embrace, holding Nova impossibly close to him. I almost smiled at the sight except the smell of death surrounded my senses. The second Alena was held by Ophelia her eyes opened weakly.

“You are home,” Ophelia whispered as she held the woman closer.

“Mia,” Alena croaked out before unconsciousness overcame her again.

“Can you check please?” Ophelia asked me and I immediately nodded to my cousin, my hands resting on Alena’s shoulders and waist as I assessed for any injuries she may have. As I did this Ophelia and Nova were already surveying the area for their friend. Alena had said it as a warning, I was sure.

“Not a scratch” I informed Ophelia and she sighed in relief knowing her unconsciousness was just power exhaustion.

“I need to find Mia,” Ophelia said her voice strained as she continued to look.

“I’ll take her,” my aunts voice appeared behind us. Ophelia nodded to her mother, handing Alena to her with ease and thanking her.

“Mama,” Nova’s voice called, and she tried to take a step away from Lucan as he stumbled.

“I’ve got him Nova, I promise. Go find your friend,” I said as Lucan smiled apologetically as he slumped to the floor.

Lucan had only minor injuries, a few broken ribs, grazes, and cuts, but nothing serious. We both sat in silence as I healed him, knowing my daughter would not accept me abandoning him until he was fully healed. There were plenty of other healers around the area doing their jobs. My sisters the main force of that movement as they darted between the fallen that had been brought home. No one had gone near Ignacio yet. I caught the eye of Micah a few meters away and he gave me a knowing smile. It was over. It was actually over. And in a few days my mother would be woken from her spell. She’d finally be coming back to me.

“Ivy, we need your help,” Anelie appeared as I finished healing Lucan. I turned to her to see her looking over at Ignacio’s body, by him was Ophelia, Nova, and an empty looking Mia. Mia wasn’t looking at him though. She was sort of just sitting there, her eyes focused on something in the distance, as if she couldn’t bear to look at the body before her.

I gave a small nod and followed my sister over to where Lidiya was also walking to meet us.

“We’ll try Mia.” Anelie said, her hand resting on the tribrid’s shoulder for a moment.

“Can you assess him?” Lidy asked me as I took a hesitant step forward. My eyes were on Mia. There was something about her that ran a trickle of fear through me. How was she so calm? How was she so still and passive? How was she not screaming and crying?

I bent down, my hand touching the chest of the man before me. A gentle snarl escaped Mia at the contact, but she didn’t move, didn’t even look at me. It was a warning.

He was just atoms. Atoms, and molecules. I could do this. He was just matter, matter at which I controlled.

I could feel him, the human side of him anyway. I immediately began repairing the large lash across his torso. The skin began to knit together as I reformed his body. A few around me gasped as they watched my ability work.

“This is good right? If Ivana’s ability works on him? That means others could too?” a voice spoke from my side.

“Ivy works with atoms. Her ability would have always worked on him. She transcends limitations of other abilities; she is in control of creation and destruction. Just because she can repair him, doesn’t mean Anelie’s gift of life will work,” my uncle Eddie replied to whoever asked. “But there’s a chance maybe.” He said after a moment as if he couldn’t bear completely snuffing out the flame of hope.

“okay” I announced and stood up, there was nothing else wrong with his body. It was perfect, healed, and whole. Now we just had to hope his soul would return to it. I looked at my sister and moved from my position next to the body. Anelie knelt, resting her hand over him, the other holding Lidiya’s who was standing behind her. The pair stood, eyes closed, and I wasn’t sure anyone was breathing as we waited.

Whilst everyone was watching Annie, I was watching Mia. For a split second I saw myself, saw how I had felt just a fraction of the pain she was feeling now, and I had barely survived it. Had it been Micah? Gone. Dead at my feet. I couldn't even begin to imagine that kind of pain. And her link was greater than anything I had ever felt, for my mother or my husband. It had been her imprint, the man she had spent the last decade with, in partnership to save the world. I couldn't imagine that bond she had. I couldn't. I eyed my uncle who followed my gaze.

Is she okay? I asked he knew I didn't just mean grief. I meant power. I meant was she in control.

He slowly ever so slightly shook his head. I turned to my daughter who was now watching her friend nervously. Her eyes dancing around Mia’s body as she watched her aura. She hadn't been able to see Mia's soul over the years of her friendship but she clearly could now. Was that because her bond with Ignacio had been severed? Even Eddie seemed to be able to read her mind now, abilities worked on her again. If that wasn't proof that the man on the ground was officially dead I didn't know what was.

“Mia, Mia!” A panicked and relieved voice sounded across the area as Chartelle Black came running towards her child. She sighed in relief as she fell to her knees pulling the still woman in her arms. Mia didn't move, didn't register as her mother tried to hug her.

“Mia?” She asked as she pulled back but she looked to see everyone still hovering over Ignacio.

“Oh my god” Chartelle choked out tightening her grip on her child.

Anelie was still leaning over the body, trying everything she could but I knew at that point my sister’s ability worked faster than this. It was normally instant, and he still wasn’t awake.

“Here.” There was a voice and Annie looked up to see Ariella, one of the guard members with her hand extended. Annie took it and gave a nod in thanks as their hands began to glow between them. She was a magnifier. It was an ability my mother used regularly; Ariella was who she copied it from. Annie turned back to Ignacio using one last burst of power. She groaned in frustration as she fell back on her heels. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she slowly, ever so slowly, turned to Mia. It was then Mia moved, her dead eyes locking on my sister.

“I’m so sorry Mia,” Annie said and shook her head in defeat.

Everything that happened next happened in slow motion. I went from watching Mia to staring at my uncle. Showing him what I knew was about to happen, he nodded as if Mia’s thoughts confirmed my theory, and he was moving towards his niece as I began using every ounce of power I had, to create a shield around those close to Mia. As Eddie pulled Chartelle away and pushed Nova into my protective arms I manipulated steel made of diamond to grasp Mia’s wrists behind her back as she let out an ear-piercing scream.

Until now she'd been holding it in. I had seen it the second I saw her. How she had hope, just a slither of it, for a second, as my ability worked on her imprint. Hope had built and she was waiting to see if Annie could bring him back to her. The admission of defeat from my sister broke Mia’s soul. Finally fractured it as she admitted her imprint was truly and completely gone.

I had predicted the outburst because I knew, as I imagined Micah and I in their place I'd have done the same.

“Mia!” Chartelle gasped trying to reach past Eddie to her child.

“Mia calm down.” I ordered her from behind the shield. The restraints on her arms tightening.

“Let me go.” She turned to growl at me. It was quite possibly the worst look she had ever given me. In that moment I was quite sure if she didn't have the strongest substance in the world holding her down, she'd have tried to murder me.

“You need to cool off. You don't want to hurt your family.” I reminded her. Or mine I wanted to add but now wasn't the time to rile her up.

“Mia,” Axton’s voice appeared, soft and soothing at her side. Her face turned to look at him so close to her. He reached, resting his palm on her jaw as they stared at each other.

“I know you want to scream and cry but here is not the place.” He coaxed her.

“Take me away.” She said her voice breaking. The sobs wracked her body as she fell towards him.

Moments later he had teleported them both from the courtyard and away from us.

I dropped my defences immediately and turned to Chartelle who was now sobbing to her uncle.

“Let her process it. She needs time.” Eddie was whispering as he held her.

Whilst the commotion with Mia had happened, various wolves and bears had moved back into the mansion. They would be required for a debrief because there was no way Mia, Axton or Alena were in any fit state to report on what had happened.

I saw Micah standing a distance away, his eyes wide and dancing over us across from him. He had obviously seen the whole thing. I nodded, telling him we were okay, but he already knew that just from seeing our auras. He hesitated but went back to the wolf he was treating as I turned to my daughter who was staring at her best friends imprint on the floor.

“Hey,” I whispered as I reached for her. Her face was distraught, a picture of grief and confusion.

“We should... Where should?” She was barely speaking full words.

“He’ll be buried at home. We’ll take him home.” Vicente said as he took the hand of his brother.

“No.” Ophelia spoke squeezing Nova’s hand just for a moment. “We're going to save him. We’re going to find a way to save him.” She said strongly. Her eyes locked on Lidiya.

“Your mother did it. With your child. With your father. She can do it again. Esther will have the answers we just have to wake her up. The twins have to wake her up.”

My heartbeat sped at the words. With everything that happened with Mia I had forgotten just for a second that it was over. It was done. The world was safe again and my mother could come home. She could wake up.

“It will be years before Esther is strong enough. Years.” Eddie said pulling away from Chartelle to look at Ophelia.

“Then we preserve him.”

“You're going to expect Mia to live in limbo for that long? It will kill her.” Nova said and I swallowed my own emotions. I knew she said that out of her experience watching me grieve a mother I didn't know when would return.

“We don't tell Mia. Not yet. There isn't any hope. Not yet. These words don't leave this group of people. Not until we know more, not until we’ve exhausted and looked for every option first. Mia needs to grieve, we leave her to process how she needs to, in the meantime behind the scenes we do everything we can to bring him back to her.” Ophelia said with a glare at each of us.

“How am I going to keep this from my own child?” Chartelle asked with a scowl.

“You do it because it's what’s best for her.” Ophelia said. “I don't even know if I can do it yet. I need Axton or Alena.” She said right as there was a flash of light and Axton appeared again. Without Mia I noticed.  Chartelle was a better woman than me, had someone said that to me about my child I would have snapped instantly. But as I stared at Chartelle, I knew she couldn’t process what was happening anymore than Mia could. Her only thoughts were on her child’s wellbeing, she didn’t give a shit about anything else.

“I have to rest,” Axton said as he immediately stumbled. His power more than drained, I was sure. He nearly fell until stone arms caught him. Edward Cullen was behind him.

I knew he'd been staying with Clara the whole time Axton was gone. It didn't surprise me that my brother-in-law was ready to take him home to her.

Edward turned to Eddie and they both nodded in response to their silent exchange.

“I want us to preserve him. Just in case we find a way to bring him back.” Ophelia said as Axton was being held up by Edward. A flash of confusion crossed his face.

“I am in no condition to help you, Ophelia. I am so far past drained I may end up killing myself with another spell. I can talk you through it though. I can give you the spell.” Ophelia shook her head.

“I’m not advanced enough for this,” she said looking up at Axton in doubt.

“Ophelia, you are a child of Lilim. As a child your power was a battery for an entire coven of witches. You are the niece of Esther Josephson the most powerful creature on the planet. You can absolutely do this.” he coaxed her. She sighed as she took the pep talk in. “You have infinite magic like Mia. You were trained by her; you can do this.” He said as he looked down at the body. “One hand on his heart, the other on his hand, your palms must be touching, then copy what I say. Put your whole heart and soul into the spell, think of Mia, of how much she means to you, how much Ignacio means to her. Use that to fuel your intention.” Axton mentored her as she closed her eyes and did as he said. I watched him struggling to stay awake as he helped her through the spell. He was trying to buy time, he wanted to do this so that one day maybe when he and Alena were strong, when my mother was back at full strength, they might stand a chance to return him.

As Ophelia finished the spell I saw as a shimmering white barrier expanded from the palm on his heart all around his body, encasing him in magic. Ophelia preserved his body, keeping him in the current state protected by magic. That was good. Magic seemed to work on him, which meant magic could bring him back.

“Where is Mia?” Chartelle asked Axton after Ophelia had finished her spell.

“She’s safe that's all that matters” he answered

“Where is my child?” Chartelle asked again, with a little more maternal feistiness than before.

“She is safe. I promise you Chartelle. You entrusted me once with her wellbeing trust me now,” he said but he was fully using Edward as a crutch now.

“You need to rest,” Edward hissed to the man next to him. As if on cue, Axton involuntarily lost consciousness.

Edward took Axton inside to rest. Ignacio’s body was carried in too and I was left with my silent grief-stricken daughter. Knowing there was nothing I could do for her, I handed her to Lucan as her best source of comfort and turned to my uncle.

“Where is Mia?”

“I don't know.” He answered but I stared at him longer.

“Where is your wife?” I asked clarifying what I was asking of him. 

“Why do you care so much about Mia?” Eddie asked raising an eyebrow. I didn’t have to explain myself to him, but I knew he’d see it in my mind anyway.

“I want to make sure she's not about to burn down the world.” I answered but added another line in my mind for him to read.

With Ignacio dead, with my mother still gone, I may be the only person in the world that stood a chance against Mia Cullen.

Eddie waited for a moment but shook his head.

“Chloe can't see her right now. Which means she's under magical protections. She could be anywhere.”

I sighed but nodded as we all began making our way into the mansion for the debriefing. I'd have to trust whatever Axton had said, wherever he'd taken her, she was far away from here.

 

------

 

It was four days. Four days before the twins woke up. Axton was first and it was another day before Alena woke. It was on that day that Mia returned. From where she was, only Axton knew.

It had been several days of panic for some, those that loved Mia the most were beside themselves needing to know she was okay. Someone must have got a message to her because it was the sixth day when Mia appeared, walking through the park in the middle of the Volturi estate, heading straight for her house.

I had just been saying goodbye to my aunt when I saw Nova run from Ophelia’s house across the road. She ran for her friend, and I held my breath as my daughter encountered Mia.

I couldn't hear, not from across here so I turned to my aunt who was watching them too.

“Nova is asking if she can hug her.”

I didn't see Mia talk but she took a step back.

“Mia is telling her to stay away. She's saying she wants nothing to do with her.” Before Naarah could finish the words, I was walking over to them. Just as Ophelia walked out. Mia’s parents and grandparents Renesmee and Jacob emerged from Edward and Bella's house nearby and everyone converged on Mia.

All of them asking if she was OK, asking what she needed, asking where she was. Mia’s eyes darted around her loved ones, and I saw it again. I saw the outburst that was about to happen.

This wasn’t what she needed right now; I could see it was too much, too much stimulation, too much of anything. No one here knew how to deal with grief, especially not to this level. Everyone thought they were helping, Renesmee and Jacob had flown in from La Push to support their daughter and granddaughter, Chartelle and Ryan had been using every method, ability, and witch they could to find out where she had gone. She just needed a break, time to process without everyone asking if she was okay yet. She would never be okay.

I ran as Mia began to take quick breaths, not wanting to hurt those around her but not wanting to be touched either.

“Back off, everyone just back off,” I said, and Mia’s raging breaths focused on me in front of her. I knew she was probably confused what I was doing so I turned to face her, keeping my expression void of emotion. I had no hatred or anger for her. I showed no pity or sympathy either. She needed someone neutral in this and maybe our history made me the perfect person for that. I didn’t love her like those around us did.

“Don’t do something you’ll regret,” I said softly seeing her trying to control herself and process the words of everyone around her as they coddled and worried.

“I just want to be alone,” Mia gasped.

“I know, I know, just go.”

I knew she had no clue why I was helping her, but she did as I said anyway. She turned and ran into her house. I manipulated the door behind her. Sealing her into the house and away from the bombardment of her family.

“Give her time!” I yelled at them all.

“She’s, my daughter!!” Chartelle snarled at me.

“I'm well aware of that Chartelle. She just lost her imprint. She doesn't need questions or hugs or your concern right now. She needs to process she needs to heal. If she can even begin to do that.” I said with a humourless laugh at the thought. Renesmee reached for her child but Chartelle moved faster than her mother. She was was over by the house before I could turn.

“Let me in.”

I walked over and stood where the door once was.

I don't want to face them. I don't want to see them. I don't want to see their pity or their love for me. I don't want any of it. I only came back so they knew I was alive. Mia’s voice echoed through my mind.

I won’t let them in. But they won’t back down until they know your basic needs are being taken care of. I answered her.

You're the one in control of the door. You can bring me what they want. But you only.  She said before the connection was violently cut off.

“I'm not going to let anyone in without her consent. She deserves space. You know where she is now. You know she's safe.” I informed Chartelle and the others behind her.

“Mama,” Nova’s voice was strained as she begged.

“Leave her alone.” I said to them all again.

I wasn't sure why I of all people was running to the defence of Mia, but I had seen myself in her that day she knelt on the floor. A shell of who she used to be. I had seen just a fraction of her pain as my own and it had nearly crippled me. The thought of what she was going through was unfathomable to me and I knew when you had the power of a god at your fingertips and the pain of grief you could very easily destroy everyone you loved from the blindness of the pain. I would make sure she didn't do that. For Nova. For everyone here. And a small part of me knew it was for her too. Because no one deserved that pain, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

“Ivana” Axton said softly turning to me and Nova. “we’re going to wake up your mother, do you want to come?” he asked, and my heart slammed in my chest. He saw the hope on my face and instantly frowned. “She wont wake up today, but the process will start. In a few months Eddie might be able to read her mind again. She’ll be recovering for a long time before she wakes,” he cautioned me.

“I want to be there, to see it” I said, and Axton nodded but I paused. “Where is she?” I asked.

“She’s right here” he smiled.

“Here? At the Volturi?” I asked and I wanted to cry. I knew the position of my mother had been wiped from the consciousness of all that knew it. It had been for her protection; we didn’t want any of the disciples finding out where the body of my mother was, but Axton and Alena had always known. She had been here? The whole time? My heart ached at the thought. Of course we’d have put her here. It seemed like the obvious choice, which meant it was the last place anyone would look.

“Come Ivy.” He said offering for me to follow him.

“Can I come?” Nova asked carefully and Axton gave her a nod as she took my hand and we followed him and Alena into the mansion.

“We were on our way to make the preparations when we felt Mia appear in the courtyard. We’ve had spells to alert us of her presence since I woke yesterday.” Alena explained as we entered the mansion and headed for the door that led to the deepest basement level of the mansion. Axton entered code after code as we descended the four stories below ground. I wasn’t even aware the Volturi went this deep. I guess that was the point. This entire floor had been wiped from our minds to protect the location of my mother.

“We’ll adjust the spell on the room to let anyone with a blood connection to Esther inside” Axton announced as we entered a lobby area at the bottom of the stairs. The only thing in the room was a white metal door. It pulsed with energy.

There was a cough from someone in the lobby. My uncle Eddie.

“And you Eddie, yes. Aleksander too.” Axton added looking at my father who was perched in the corner. He looked nervous. I walked right over to him and pulled his hand into mine.

“It’s okay papa. She’s coming home to us” I said in a low whisper. He reached and kissed my hair but said nothing.

I watched as Axton and Alena opened the door easily and entered the room.

“there’s nothing in there” Eddie said with a frown.

“You can’t see her. Not yet. Just give us a second. As I’m sure you agree, our power should be used on waking her up first. Then we’ll work on the enchantments.” Axton answered. We could see the twins as they stood a few metres apart staring at something invisible between them. I watched Alena swallow and blink quickly as she looked up at her brother. He nodded, gave her a smile, and reached across the space to grasp his sisters’ hands. Axton looked to Eddie and gave him a nod as he began the spell with Alena.

I turned to my uncle to see what that nod was about, and I noticed him walk to a fridge in the corner I didn’t even notice. He opened it and I gasped at the sight of dozens and dozens of blood bags. Not just any blood. Human blood.

“What is that?” Aleksander asked as Eddie pulled out two bags and began decanting them into a flask with a straw.

“You know what it is”

“what’s wrong with our usual diet?” he asked, and his voice raised slightly.

“it’s not enough, she needs more” Eddie answered and Lidiya, Anelie and my father flinched at the smell of it as it poured into the flask. I could barely register it as human, I was so used to that smell. So accustomed to human blood I wouldn’t have known until I tasted it. I just so happened to see the sign for universal donor on the blood bags. The Cullen hospital emblem at the top.

“Carlisle agreed to this?” Lidiya asked.

“he’s the one that got the blood” I answered. Eddie nodded in confirmation.

“This isn’t the way she’d want it” I said nervously at the thought of my mother drinking human blood. I would go hunt a dozen elk and drain the blood in flasks myself if that’s what was needed. I’d do anything to help my mother return to us.

“here’s the thing.” Eddie said nervously, shutting the door and closing the flask, holding it in his hands as he waited for the twins to finish. “she’s going to be weak, weaker than you can even imagine. Weak enough to be killed.” Eddie said and paused as everyone reacted in anger. Me included.

What the hell did he mean weak enough to be killed? My mother was immortal, truly immortal. Nothing could kill her. Nothing.

Voices around me were shouting at Eddie.

“She knew it would happen yes, but it didn’t matter anyway. She’d either kill the planet or risk killing herself. You know there was only one option for her” Eddie told the room. He knew. This whole time my uncle knew. I resisted the urge to claw at him in anger.

“She is going to need 24-hour protection for several years whilst she recovers and for her best chance of doing that, she needs human blood. The twins will feed it to her immediately after they finish, and she will need regular flasks of it over the next few years.”

There was sudden silence from inside the room next to us and we all turned to Axton and Alena who had stopped talking.

“We did it right?” Alena asked, looking up at Axton he gave a nod and looked towards us at the door.

Axton walked out, past us and towards the fridge where he lifted a knife from the top and walked over to me and my sisters.

“Who wants to use their blood? Doesn’t matter who, I just need someone biologically related to Esther” Axton said looking at each of us. I held out my hand before my sisters did and Axton didn’t hesitate as he sliced open my palm. “On the barrier. Eddie and Aleksander you too” he said, and my father and uncle copied but they didn’t have to draw blood as their entrance wasn’t tied to their blood. Axton said a few words and the barrier went from feeling like glass under my fingertips to nothing. I took a step inside and nearly fell under my own weight at the sight.

My mother.

She was still sleeping, her longer than I remembered blonde hair spread out on the pillow. Her hands crossed over her stomach, and she looked like she was sleeping peacefully.

“Aleks, do you want to…” Eddie asked looking to my father and handing him the flask. Aleksander shook his head, his nose scrunching at the smell of the flask. Eddie didn’t ask again or pressure him to accept. He walked over to where Esther lay and almost fell onto the bed. His hand reached for hers and he leant forward to kiss her forehead, a single tear fell from his eye onto her skin at the contact. He pulled away slightly but stayed close by her as he gently opened her jaw and brought the flask to her lips. Her body instinctively swallowed, and I let out a breath I didn’t realise I was holding.

She was alive. She was here. And she would wake up. She would come back. We just had to wait a little longer. When I had waited for ten years, one more to wait until she woke wasn’t a lot to ask.

“it’s going to take time, time and a lot of blood” Axton said to the room as he watched us all staring at the still form of my mother. Nova squeezed my hand and I turned to smile at her widely. The look on her face was a picture as she smiled back, as if she knew this was the start of it. The start of us finding a new normal again. Of Esther returning to our lives.

“Ivana, Chartelle is looking for you” Eddie said turning to look at me in the room. I shook my head.

“Tell her Mia can wait. I haven’t seen my mother in ten years” I scowled.

“She said she’s going to leave a few things outside the house, and when you’re ready can you take them inside. She said there’s no rush.” He added and I nodded in response, grateful Chartelle wasn’t going to try and drag me away from spending time with my family.

We all stayed in that room, talking and taking turns holding Esther’s still cold hand. My father hadn’t gone near her but he sat, staring at her the whole time. My aunt Naarah and Ophelia came in too, sitting with us as we just stayed in her presence. Even though she wasn’t awake and couldn’t talk and Eddie said she had no thoughts yet, just being in the same room as her for the first time in ten years was enough.

Axton organised a rotation with Eddie. There would always be someone in this room that had permission to be here to keep an eye on her, to feed her the blood and to check for any change.

“ill take first watch” my father said as Axton announced the next few days of the rotation. I would spend tomorrow afternoon with her.  Axton nodded to my father and headed towards the door. “I will always be connected to the room. I cant hear what happens inside but my magic will alert me to anyone that enters. Clara and I are staying in our apartment for another few years before we move, so I can be close by. When she’s awake we’ll be able to move her into her house and set up wards in there so she’s somewhere more comfortable” he announced looking at Aleksander. I frowned at my father when he didn’t react to the idea of his wife coming home.

I knew the last decade had been hard on him, but she was here, she was alive and awake from her spell. Sure, she wasn’t talking yet but the process of her returning to us had started. Why wasn’t he happier? Why hadn’t he climbed out of the hole of depression he’d been in? I hadn’t blamed him for a second of the last ten years, but I didn’t understand his reaction now. Not now she was coming back to us.  

“I’ll keep everyone updated with anything that changes” Eddie said with a nod to everyone in the room and some started to leave. I moved to my mother’s body and placed a kiss on her forehead before I too left that room. I looked back just for a moment from the stairs, but I couldn’t see her, I could only see Eddie and my father who were looking at each other across the room clearly in a silent conversation.

“Mama I have to go home, thank you for taking care of Mia. Even if she wont let anyone else see her.” Nova said getting my attention. I gave her a soft nod.

“I’m doing it because she’s your friend.” I told her. Partly the truth, partly because no matter what I felt about Mia or our history. I couldn’t leave someone to suffer, not when I was the only person she seemed to want anywhere near her right now.

“I don’t think you are, but thank you” my daughter said with a sad smile as she turned to walk away from me. Of course, my daughter knew my intentions better than anyone.

I exited the mansion and made my way over to Mia’s house. Instantly creating a door and placing the bag inside.

“From your mother” I called into the house but didn’t enter. I reverted the door back into a wall and left her in the peace I knew she so desperately needed right now.

 

A week later.

I stepped inside her house to find her sitting on her couch staring into the fake fireplace. I felt so out of place, I felt so awkward and lost but I had promised her family that I’d sit with her each day, if only for a few minutes in case she wanted to talk, or just wanted to be around someone. She never said anything. In fact, she didn’t even acknowledge me when I sat in the arm chair across from her each day.

She wasn’t eating. Well, she wasn’t drinking I should say. I noticed the blood I had brought two days ago still sat in the bottles on the counter, untouched. But the food had been eaten, at least some of it.

The house smelt of coconut soap. Overly concentrated actually, as if she had taken a shower every hour. I wondered if the feel of that blood, of Ignacio's blood matted to her hair and clothes and skin felt like it was permanent for her. I wondered if she had so many showers because she was trying to constantly wash it off even after it was gone.

Other than the overwhelming smell of soap, there were no changes to Mia from yesterday.

I sat and watched her for a moment, she didn’t look at me, she continued to stare in the fireplace as she did every day.

My five minutes were just about up when she moved slightly on the couch. A movement ever so small I almost didn’t see it. But it happened.

“Do you need anything?” I asked her softly, trying to keep my voice supportive. She didn’t move.

I made a movement to stand up and heard her making a small sound as if to clear her throat to speak. I paused, my hands going to the armchair.

“I won’t tell them you know. What ever you say to me. If you want to talk, I won’t tell them what you’ve said. They like to know you’re still alive but that’s as much as I say. I’m not here to pass on messages unless you want me to.” I told her wanting to make sure this was a safe place for her.

She moved her head then, a small tilt to the side as her eyes moved from the fake fire to the mirror above it.

“What was the point?” her voice was raspy, as if all she’d done for the past week was scream.

“Sorry?” I asked confused. This was the first time she had spoken. Was she asking what was the point of me being here?

“What was the point? Of me of training the wolves? Of creating the most powerful pack to ever exist? What was the point when all it came down to was our deaths? What was the point?” she almost screamed the last question. She stood and faced herself in the mirror, staring at her reflection as she waited for my answer, or was she talking to herself? As I stared at the crazed woman before me, I wasn’t sure.

I wish I had answers for her. I wish I knew. It did seem like a rather cruel twist of fate. To give her all that power, to give her an army to lead. To train them for a decade for it to be over in a few hours. For it to have come down to the death of one person.

I didn’t pretend to understand how gods, or the universe worked. I had never believed in any of that stuff, not when I was raised by Esther. Mythical gods had nothing on my mother.

“I wish I knew,” was all I said.

“I don’t want to talk anymore,” she answered after I waited, giving her the space to continue her rant if she wanted.

“Okay,” I said as understanding as I could. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said and headed for the door to leave. She didn’t turn to look at me, she just continued to stare at herself in that mirror as I left the house.

That was the first day she began to say small sentences and words to me. After another week past I was starting to stay a little longer than five minutes as often it took the five minutes for her to build herself up to talk to me.

She asked me about her family, about where her parents were and her grandparents. She asked me about Nova and Ophelia and Axton and Alena, but she didn’t once ask about the wolves or the bears, or Vicente and Ignacio’s people.

The bears had returned home a few days ago, Vicente had refused to go though and was currently staying in one of the Volturi guest apartments hoping he’d get to talk to his alpha when she was ready, but I warned him that might not be for a very long time. He had shrugged and said that he had plenty to do helping the Volturi and said his home had always been where Ignacio was anyway. Since he was still here, even as a corpse in one of the Volturi basements, here was where Vicente would stay. I admired his loyalty and pitied his grief.

“Why do you let me in to see you? Why can’t you face your family? One of them would be more than happy to wait on your hand and food. Why pick me?” I asked softly after I had finished updating her on the fact her grandparents Renesmee and Jacob had returned home to La Push reluctantly on the order of Chartelle. Chartelle had become the alpha of the wolves again, at least the La Push group. Without Mia, they needed a leader and none of them wanted to join the large pack Zac and Leah ran so Chartelle had taken the mantle back until Mia was ready again.

“Because we were never friends, we’re not family in the traditional sense. You never loved me, you never cared for me. I can face you because I know nothing has changed. Your pity doesn’t sting like it does from them. Being a bitch to you is no different from before, the others are getting a taste of that Mia you’ve always known, and I can’t help it. I can’t change how empty I feel now. I have no love for them, no meaning to my life. I want to know they’re safe, but past that, past them being alive, I don’t care for them. At least I know you can understand that. I know you won’t be begging me to be myself again. You won’t expect me to be better.” she answered but didn’t move, her eyes didn’t move from that empty gaze she had.

My heart ached at her words. I couldn’t imagine the pain she was feeling and yet I tried to keep my face passive, as if nothing she said affected me. Not all her words were true. I did care for her in my own way because of how important she was to my daughter, but I had to remain passive. If that’s what she wanted, her enemy as her ally because she couldn’t face her family, I would give it to her. Anything to help burden the kind of pain she felt, and more importantly, to keep her power at bay.

“I guess you’re right. Whatever version of you you are doesn’t matter, you’re still going to be a pain in my ass.” I said and I thought I saw just for a second her lip twitch as if she thought about smiling. It was gone in a blink.

“Thank you. For shielding me. Until I have to face them,” she said after a moment. I didn’t answer, I just gave her a curt nod.

“you’re going to have to though, one day.” I said making my way over to the wall where the door was supposed to be. I began reforming it so I could leave.

“I know” was all she said as I left her alone again in that house. I ran my hand back over the wall, the door disappearing from it as I replaced it with steel and brick.

I was barely a foot into the Volturi mansion when Chartelle Black was in front of me, her pain etched on her face as she stood fidgeting.

“She didn’t speak much. She ate one of the meals. She didn’t touch the blood.” I explained quickly knowing the drill. Chartelle nodded in relief. I lied about the talking. There was something so vulnerable about Mia as she spoke to me that I didn’t want to share with others. She wasn’t my friend, but I wouldn’t break her trust. Not in this weird new bond that was forming. If you could even call it that.

“Thank you” the woman said. I hated seeing her pain. It was so easy to put myself in her shoes, to see Nova the one that had lost her imprint. To see my own daughter grieving as I saw Mia through Chartelle’s eyes.

“it’s going to take time” her husband Ryan said from her side. Chartelle nodded as if she’d heard this from him a thousand times already.

“I’ll be back tomorrow” I said and left them in the hall to go back to my family.

I hugged Nova a little tighter that evening when she came over to hunt with me. I kissed Micah a little harder that night and made sure he knew how much I loved him and how unbelievably grateful I was that he had stood by my side as I had gone through the last ten years. I had called Eden in the morning to hear about her week and listened just a little bit more intently as she ranted about a charity fundraiser she had done for her ballet company, and how Nicholas had been keeping her from doing her job by tucking hundred-dollar bills into her tutu to keep her from talking to the other rich men. I chuckled softly at the thought of her vampire fiancée jealous of old human men. She had updated me on the latest with the wedding planning that even though she had told Nicholas’ family they were having a long engagement, roughly five years in fact until Esther was strong enough to attend, they had been pushing her to make it sooner so they could start a family whilst they were still young. They didn’t know the details of her missing grandmother, only Nicholas did.

The thought of Eden and Nicholas having children, of Eden being a mother, was not lost on me. Even as Eden laughed about how Nicholas responded with a great inside joke about his immortality and years of children in their future. Eden having her own family was an image I hadn’t let myself see. I hadn’t imagined either of my daughters with children of their own before now.

“What are you thinking about my love?” Micah said coming to kiss the back of my neck from behind me.

“Family. Marriage. Children” I mumbled. Grandchildren. My grandchildren.

“You want more children?” he asked as he came to sit next to me. He didn’t portray any shock or excitement at my words. It was a curious question.

“No,” I turned to smirk at him. “Well, I won’t say never again. But no that’s not what I was thinking about,” I said and began creating patterns with my finger on his forearm next to me.

“You are very deep in thought, contemplating happiness and your meaning in life.” He said knowing everything about me as his eyes danced over my invisible aura.

“Eden mentioned that Nicholas’ family want them to start a family soon. I was caught in the vision of us as grandparents.” I answered him truthfully. He let out a small chuckle and reached forward to wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me into his body. His lips ran over my temple and hair line as he spoke.

“here’s me thinking you were finally ready to marry me” he joked kissing my cheek.

“I am.” I told him truthfully. I had been for a few years now, but I knew we wouldn’t even discuss it until my mother was back, until she could be there. “I want to elope. Just us and our parents. Maybe the girls but only them.” I said telling him what I had already thought out.

“we’ll go to my mothers island. Send them all home afterwards and we can stay for our honeymoon” he said into my hair.

“Sounds perfect” I admitted, my gaze drifting to him at my side. He moved to look at me.

“we’ll let Eden have her day first. I think she might kill us if we finally decided to marry when she is planning her wedding” he said resting his forehead on mine. I nodded giving him a knowing smile.

“I can wait. Another ten years is nothing.”

“I think the last ten years is evidence to the contrary my dear” he chuckled reaching to kiss my nose in a gentle peck. I rolled my eyes at him.

“The last ten years is why I know I can wait another.” I countered him and he nodded.

“touché”

I caught the sight of the time over his shoulder, and I gave him a quick kiss on his lips before I moved from the couch.

“it’s my time for me to talk to my mother” I said as I went to grab my shoes.

“Tell her I said hi” he grinned, and I smiled back, blowing him a kiss, and leaving our house.

I spent several hours at my mother’s bedside, updating her on Eden, Nova and even the conversation I’d had with Mia that had triggered my reflection about my family. I didn’t know if she could hear but I felt better talking to her anyway. I couldn’t wait for her to reply and talk to me again like we used to.

After my hours were up Eddie came to replace me and I gave my mother a kiss and headed back towards Mia’s house for my usual late afternoon visit. The bag from her mother was waiting again, food, blood, a few other items I wasn’t sure Mia even looked at. I took them inside and placed them on the kitchen counter and went to find Mia in the living room.

She wasn’t there.

I frowned and looked around the ground floor of the house.

“Mia?” I asked calling through the house.

“Upstairs” she answered, and I took this as an invitation as I found her in one of the smaller bedrooms in the house. It seemed like this was where she was sleeping, in a little bed in the corner. The room was filled with old books and pillows and blankets. Like she had made this room her own escape. I saw only one door closed in the hall on this floor and I knew enough to guess it was probably the bedroom Ignacio had owned. The only room untouched.

She was putting the books in a box.

“Going somewhere?” I asked her as I watched her.

“I’m leaving. I don’t know where I don’t know how long. I just…. I need to be free. I need to… I just need to go” she said her words were void of any emotion, but she struggled to speak them anyway.

“Your family won’t like that” I told her truthfully.

“I don’t really care.” She said as she taped the box and started to work on the next one.

“they’re less likely to bother you if you stay here where they know where you are. If you leave, you’re only going to worry them more.” I explained. I didn’t want to force her decision, but I wanted to make sure she know what she was doing to them.

“I’m not me anymore. I’m not who they think I am. I need to find out who I am now. I need to find a new normal because staying here, sitting in this house is going to drive me insane and I don’t want to think about what I’d do.” She explained and turned to look at me. “I’m telling you I’m leaving so you can tell them. I won’t do anything stupid I promise. I just don’t want to face them; I don’t want to have this conversation over and over again to everyone that loves me.” She said her eyes dropping from my own. I considered for a second telling her what they’d done with Ignacio’s body. But Ophelia was right. And I knew she’d never forgive me if they couldn’t pull through. Past me would have revelled in knowing information that the tribrid didn’t, that our rivalry would soar with this information, but I took no joy from the thought of teasing the woman before me. Previous Mia would take it in stride and given me a snarky remark, but this wasn’t Mia anymore. She wasn’t much of anyone anymore. I wouldn’t give her false hope.

“Chloe can keep an eye on me. I won’t mask my location from her. Ill let her track me and keep my mother updated. I’m happy for her to tell people where I am but I don’t want people following me. I don’t want people around me.” She explained.

“I’m not sure that will be enough” I told her truthfully.

“It will have to be.” she said. The intended threat behind her words was more emotion I had seen from her in two weeks.

“I don’t want to see them, so I’m leaving now. Tell Zio he can empty the stuff I haven’t already packed. I don’t want anything else. Only what’s in the boxes. He can give the house to someone else. I don’t need it anymore.” She said taping one last box and moving past me back into the hall of her home. She grabbed a backpack and swung it onto her back. “I’ll send you a message in a few weeks from a new phone with an address to send the boxes I’ve packed. I would appreciate it a lot if you sent them to me. It won’t matter if you give anyone the number because ill ditch the phone after you’ve sent them.” she said as she descended the stairs. I followed her as she pulled out a flask of blood and began gulping it down in one movement. She grabbed one of the other flasks and tucked it into her bag before moving past me again and to the door. She paused at the wall as she waited for me to let her out.

“Mia…” I began to speak but I knew better. I bit my tongue, pushing the words back and shaking my head. “It doesn’t matter” I added after a moment, and she turned to look at me.

Those eyes, so void of anything stared at me for a moment.

“Thank you for what you’ve done for me the last two weeks.” She said and I wasn’t sure how to reply. I wasn’t sure how to talk to Mia in a civil manner at all really. “I don’t want to say goodbye to them” she reminded me, and I nodded, lifting my hand, and running it over the wall to recreate the door for her to leave.

What she wanted didn’t seem to matter. As I opened the door to let Mia finally out, her entire family was waiting for her, had they known? They couldn’t have heard our conversation, how had they known? Even Zio was there, a few metres behind them, arms folded as if he wanted to see first-hand how Mia was doing.

“Mia” Chartelle stepped forward, but Mia snarled.

“Your neighbour saw you packing boxes, they came to tell us they thought you might be leaving” Zio answered Mia’s hostility and confusion at the sight of everyone in front of her.

“Leave me alone. All of you. I don’t want to see you I don’t want to be with you. I don’t want to look at you” she said her voice shaking. “Yes, I’m leaving. I have to go. I can’t stay here. I can’t be here with all the reminders. So, I’m leaving and I’m not coming back, not for a very very long time and if I catch a scent of anyone following me, I will lash out. I will kill anyone that tries to come after me, and if you try and force me to do anything I don’t want to do I will make you regret it. I know you love me. I know you care but I don’t want it. I don’t need it. So do not follow me.” Her voice was cold as death. Her gaze focused on them all, her family, and her friends. They stood in pure shock. Hell, even I was a little shocked at the depth of her words. Zio spoke from a few metres away.

“You will always have a home here Mia.” It was kind and fatherly, but Mia didn’t even look at him before she answered.

“Burn it to the ground for all I care.”

“Mia, I know you don’t mean that” Nova said, and my breath caught in my throat as she reached for Mia trying to pull her into a hug. Mia growled, knocking Nova away from her. I intercepted her quickly pulling Nova to my side and away from the tribrid. If she was going to fight my daughter for caring I was sure as hell going to be standing in the way.

“Don’t. Touch. Me.” she said each word slow and with threat as she stared at my daughter.

“Back off Mia” I glared at her; we may have formed a bond the past few weeks but there was nothing I wouldn’t do for my child. No person I wouldn’t fight.

“don’t come after me or I will kill someone,” she said glaring at them again before she took off running out of the estate. I could hear sobs and gasps and murmurs behind me as Mia’s friends and family spoke about what they’d seen. I held Nova into my chest as she burst into tears as her heart broke.

Even with the past few weeks, even with the understanding and the sanctuary I had given Mia as she grieved, I couldn’t help the eruption of hate in my heart at the sight of my child hurt. If I ever saw Mia again and she wasn’t grovelling for forgiveness hurting her supposed best friend, she’d get that fight she always wanted.

Maybe we’d finally put to rest who was the strongest between us.