Cauldrons, Ice and Old Lace

Chapter 10

Many Thanks to my amazing Beta Thyme! She always make my chapters look beautiful!

Bella’s POV

Even though I have regained Annabel’s memories and spiritual gifts, I still feel like Bella, that awkward and somewhat strange young woman that has never fit in. I can see the memories of Annabel’s strength and high self esteem, but that seems like so many lifetimes ago. The memories are clear yet so foggy at the same time almost like they happened to someone else. I know the time I spent away from my beloved was very straining on my spirit. Being in a dark existence can take its toll on any spirit. I often wonder how my children will make it though all this unscathed.

Being in my love's arms again gave me so much hope. And I wonder how this perfect man could love me so much, but he does and he has for many lifetimes. I know it will take me a while to get used to the new world around me, when it is so old to me at the same time. I am glad I have him by my side to do so. There is a hell coming our way and I know beyond a shadow of doubt we will have to walk through the flames and back out to accomplish what we need to do.

Everything seems to be happening so fast. I am drawn out of my own musing and thoughts when Jasper opens the door. A gasp parts from my lips when I see my oldest and dearest friend from the past standing in front of me. It seems surreal. I remember him yet those memories are so foggy at the same time. Jacob is covered in blood with a broken woman slumped in his arms. My heart and soul goes out to him. Yet I stand there frozen in place feeling helpless.

Jacob does not even seem to notice I am in the room. He lays the mangled and torn woman upon the table, and instantly I know who it is, and my heart breaks even more. My whole world seems to crumble. The words leave my mouth before I can even think. “Angela! Oh god no, not my best friend.”

The sight before me becomes so overwhelming. I close my eyes trying to focus on my own strength and courage. I can hear my beloved and Jacob talking in frantic tones, but nothing is making any sense to me. I know I need to be strong for all involved, no matter how much I want to fall apart. Taking in a deep breath, I open up my mind's eye and I can sense so much around me. An unnerving chill runs up and down my spine, and I instantly know there is a great darkness in the room with us. Opening my eyes, I stand tall in a military stance. The strength of my spirit guides is consuming me. I no longer feel like the meek and mild young girl from moments ago. I feel like a warrior ready for battle.

Looking around the room, I can feel and sense an evil being standing in the corner. The anger and fury of the beast vibrates throughout the room. The dingy, black Hellhound slowly walks out of the shadows into the light and looks up at me with his red, beady eyes that penetrate deep into my soul. Bonelike spikes travel down his spine and tail. The tip of his tail was a barb of spikes. His breath is like steam coming from his mouth and nostrils. A growl rips from deep within his throat, when I take a step closer to Angela.

The beast growls once again as his lips snarl viciously. Blood drips from his fangs as he speaks with so much venom, stepping closer to me, “She’s mine!”  

A wicked laugh parts from my lips. Raising my hand I open my palm curving it ever so slightly. The voice that speaks through me is strong and unrecognizable to my own ears. “She will never be yours!” A burst of electrical blue current sparks through my fingertips casting a bolt of energy in the direction of the creature. He howls out in pain then leaps at me.

Crouching into a fighting position, I take a deep breath and focus a white light of heat around me as well as a protection of spiritual barbed wire arching over me. The Hellhound lands directly on the sharp prongs, and he cries out in pain. Quickly I pull back the spiritual barrier letting the beast fall to the ground like a rag doll. He tries to stand but I have him mentally pinned to the ground. I speak to him with venom pooling from my tongue “Tell your Master he will not win this war. The hell he intends to bring upon my people will not work. He will fail. He will see he has picked a fight with the wrong witch!” Walking closer I step on its side as sharply as I can. The creature cries out in pain then evaporates like mist into thin air.

Looking up I make eye contact with my beloved. Jasper nods his head at me and there is so much regret and sorrow in his eyes. I know neither one of them could see what I saw, even though Jasper could feel it. I listen to Angela’s faint heartbeat beginning to fade. We all look at each other knowing there is no chance she can survive the transition with such a weak heart.

Jacob Gently caresses Angela’s face. “Please try; you have to try?!” There is so much pain and desperation in his voice.

Jasper closes his eyes and I can feel his undead heart break for his friend. “There is no way she will be able to pull through this. I can try but it will not work.”

Tears stream down Jacob's cheeks. “Do whatever you can to bring her back to me.”

Jasper nods his head then leans down and lightly licks Angela’s pulse point. He gently wraps his hand under her neck and opens his mouth preparing to sink his teeth into her flesh. Before he bites I hear a loud childlike scream.

“No!!!! He will kill me this way”

I call out to my beloved. “Stop! There might be another way.”

Jasper looks at me stunned and pulls away with a forlorn expression on his face. When he steps back I see the spirit of a flower faerie sitting on Angela’s chest. The small poinsettia looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “Please do not let him bite my human body yet. If he does I will die. I am not strong enough.” She gasps out in desperation and sadness. “My heart is not strong enough to survive a transition.” She taps her leaflike hand on her human chest then caresses it in longing. “Being in this body is the only way I could ever be with my love, my imprint. My human mind may not have known him or you for that matter, but my spirit, my spirit knows everything. And I know I have been led to you, my best friend, and unknowingly you led me to him, and I can’t...” She gasps out in turmoil. “Please call upon my sister faeries; they will know what to do.”

Gently I touch my best friend's leaflike hand. My thoughts remember back to my dear little poinsettia friend from years ago. The first time she saw Jacob, she had fallen in love with him. Unfortunately, with him being a wolf and she being a flower faerie, there was no way their love could ever flourish. She made a wish to the Goddess Diana to someday be born human so she could be with her love. The Goddess granted her wish by telling her when the time was right she would know, and she was not allowed to introduce herself to her imprint, but could watch over him in the shadows. Otherwise it would ruin what was to come.

Gently I clap my hands summoning the flower faeries. They all gasp out in horror when they see the condition of their beloved sister. They all scatter around her and sit upon her legs and belly, placing their leaflike hands upon her.  White light glows from their leaf tips. Daffy looks up at me with dew brimming on the pedals by her eyes. “Please fix my sister!  You need to use the electrical current that is inside you to revive her heart, just enough so we can give her a healing agent from our world. It will not heal her human body completely, only enough so you can feed her your blood. Your blood will purify her from any evil that lurks inside her from the vicious attack of the Hellhound. At the point she drinks your blood, Jasper will need to bite her, pushing his venom into her.”

I look to my beloved again. Jasper nods his head in understanding. Gently I lay my hand upon Angela’s chest, and I can feel the electrical current bursting from my fingertips, as I shock her heart to life. A blue light of purification and love beams around us. I watch as Daffy flies up to Angela’s face. Daffy gently sits down on her sister's human chin. Opening Angela's mouth carefully, she places a small leaf upon Angela's tongue. It dissolves like powder. My heart leaps with joy when I hear my best friend cough and gasp.

Lovingly Jacob kisses her forehead and starts whispering words of encouragement to his love, while he holds onto her hand tightly. Jacob looks at me with so much hope. Even though his fear is so strong he mouths the words, “Thank you.”

I hold my wrist up to my beloved. Jasper gently kisses it before placing his sharp nail upon my tender flesh puncturing his sharp nail into my skin, causing a small thin gash upon my wrist. The scent of fresh blood courses through the air around us. Swiftly I place my wrist over Angela’s lips.  My blood drips upon her dry lips and it moistens them into life. She licks my blood in pure desire, grasping her hand upon my arm tightly, feeding from me greedily. I gasp out, not in pain but sadness. I can feel the evil that has been placed into her beautiful spirit from the Hellhound. My blood seeps into her body cleansing her spirit, mind and soul.

I nod to my beloved, and without warning, Jasper tilts her head to the side and sinks his sharp teeth into her neck. He looks up at me with blackened eyes. I know he fears taking too much of her blood. Spiritually I send him so much love, and with my emotions alone, I let him know how much faith I have in him. My beloved relaxes and focuses on bringing Angela back to us. Angela gasps out in pain as the venom seeps into her bloodstream. My beloved then continues to bite her on both her wrists and ankles, giving her as much venom as he can.

Angela’s screams of torment echo all around us.

Tears brim in my eyes when I look to Jacob. “I am so sorry, my friend.”

He grasps onto Angela’s hand tightly, never glancing up at me. He only has eyes for his imprint. “I know, but there is no other way. I just wish it did not have to happen this way.”

I nod my head at him. “She was always meant to be yours. She traveled from her world to become human - just for you. I do wonder if she was always meant to be a vampire so she could live an eternal life with you.”

A gasp parts from his lips as I tell him the story of his love, and everything she has done to make her way to him, and how she has watched over him for so long. I am startled out of my conversation with Jacob, when I hear my beloved on the phone with my father. As soon as I hear the words fall from Jasper's lips, a cold chill runs through my body. “It has begun.”

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