The Alchemist

Chapter 21

The ceremony was lovely but I left soon after as I felt like I had to be home. "Dad do you mind if I go home already? I'm pretty tired." I asked Charlie.

"Oh of course. Be careful on your way, okay?" I nodded and said my goodbyes to the family before I found Paul.

"Paul, I'm going home. Keep an eye on Charlie, please?" I think he sensed I wasn't entirely true about me being tired. That there was a different reason.

"Of course, but don't you want me to be there with you just in case?" He asked but I shook my head rejecting that idea.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry." He hugged me and I could feel he was jut a little tense.

"I'm on guard duty now. I'll make sure she gets home safely." Jared assured Paul. And he did. Only I was shocked to see Carlisle's car. A Cullen in our home? which one? Not Edward, is it?

"Jared go home. Tell Sam the Cullens might come back soon. I will be okay, thank you for guarding me." He barked and I heard him run off before I went entering the house.

"Bella?" I called out a bit worried, what kind of an effect would their comeback have on her?

"In here." I found her in the living room with Alice and Jake. Alice looked surprised at both Bella and me. Jacob was  looking quite angry and yet worried. 

"Jake get out, you're shaking. Get some fresh air. We'll be okay." He left the room and went outside.

"Alice." I greeted her calmly.

"Leona." She replied the same way yet with more obvious distaste.

"What's going on here? Why are you in our house?" I questioned her.

"I lost sight of Bella's future and came to find out what happened. Rose knew and told Edward and now he thinks Bella is dead as that is usually the reason around a disappeared future." She explained.

"But you didn't know that you can't see us if the wolves are involved." I added.

"How..." It wasn't too hard to figure out, knowing what we know.

"You seemed like you were surprised that I came here as if you didn't know I had decided to go home earlier than Charlie and that Bella is still alive. Jacob's wolf must have been interfering with your visions as he hangs around her a lot and I was with wolves the whole time." I explained.

"Yes. Bella, you need to come to Italy with me to stop Edward." She turned to Bella who seemed somewhat in shock that Alice was back.

"Why?" I asked. Couldn't she have gone herself?

"He is planning on causing his own death to be with Bella. He is in Volterra wanting to expose himself in the sunlight. We have to hurry. Leona can come too. I don't know why yet, but she is the key to us getting out alive." don't know why but something told me she made that up.

"Okay let's go." Bella said. We didn't even pack a bag or something. Jake, bless him, tried to stop Bella from going but it was no use. I think she's back on the Edward-wagon.

So, we went to Italy making up an excuse for Charlie, or rather Alice did. I had taken my trusty knife and wasn't searched at all before the flight. There was something I had to ask Bella that still bothered me.

"Say Bella, what were you even doing when Alice thought you'd died?" I asked her. 

"I went cliff-diving. I just underestimated the weather and nearly drowned but Jacob got me out safely." 

"The weather was good though. It would've been a bad idea to go diving... two days ago... is that why you came home looking like a drowned rat? You said you had just been walking on the beach with Jake and tripped! Why did you lie?" One of the few things I don't like is being lied to. especially about serious things like this.

"I just didn't want to worry you, Leona." She tried to appease me.

"Why did you go cliff-diving? Because I am pretty sure Jacob nor any of the others was with you and you promised not to go alone yet until you got the hang of it."

"I don't want to talk about it. So let it go, Leona. Let's just focus on saving Edward for now. Please?" She had the audacity to roll her eyes at me.

"Fine but when we are back home, we are talking this out. and no, you can't get out of it." I warned her.

 We shook on it too. "Okay, deal." The rest of the flight I tried to think of why she could be so stupid to go cliff-diving on her own, in bad weather but to no avail. I truly had no idea what had her crazy enough to do it.

After landing in Italy I stole a car and we drove off. We were going to the one town in the whole world I was told not to go to. The capital of the vampire world where the rulers would give their orders. Volterra. seeing the town doom up on the horizon, I felt a bit nervous not knowing what to expect.

"Uhm, what is with all the people wearing red?" Bella and I wondered.

"Damn it, I forgot it's St. Marcus day. It's going to be packed in the city. Bella you will have to go alone, go to the clock tower. Edward will expose himself at noon precisely." Alice said.

"Ugh, drama queen." Bella ran as soon as the car stopped and I just had to follow Alice around. A shame of the car. It was a nice one.

When she went inside a building, she greeted the vampires there. Red eyed ones. "Gentlemen, please no drama in front of a lady, that's not very nice." What was I then, chopped liver?

"Don't worry Alice. I'm sure Edwina doesn't mind." I commented.

"Leona." What did I do to deserve such distaste when being greeted?

"Eddiekins. Just so you know, when we get home, I'm going to stab you in the face. Oh, and Charlie is probably going to shoot you on sight for this." I showed him some of what Bella did and was like when he left her. the bad things that is. Not the bits where she grew out of her damsel act. His sadness and guilt felt good to see. At least he has the decency to recognize how he left things was less than desirable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so we arrived in Volterra.

What do you think Alice saw when she said Leona was the key to get out alive?
What makes Edward and Alice greet her with dislike?

Let me know what you think in the comments or in a pm.

Have a nice week!!