Ch. 3: Isabella's Keepers

Isabella stared up at the sky, wincing slightly as a sharp pain stabbed at her ribs and faded. “Could you untie me?” she asked Victoria. Tori broke the strings; Isabella pulled the broken remnants of them and tossed them to the wet grass. Rayne, Tori, and Cameron stayed well back as Isabella got up slowly and walked over to where Cole’s shocked face was focused so intensely on hers. 1

“It isn’t your fault,” she murmured, laying her hand gently on Cole’s tense shoulder. He tried to pull away, but Isabella’s gentle touch turned into an iron grip. His face went stone still. “It is my fault. I’ve threatened you, seduced you, and now I’ve killed you,” he muttered, staring into Isabella’s eyes unblinkingly. He stood slowly, keeping his blue eyes on Isabella’s face the whole time. 2

“She even thinks it’s my fault,” he said quietly, pointing at Naomi, who was now murmuring with the rest of the group. Something flashed. “Cole,” Isabella warned. He had put up a barrier. Cole ignored her. “I can take it back,” Cole whispered into her ear. Isabella restrained a glare when he said this and replied sharply, “And what if I wanted to suffer? What if I wanted to die painfully?” She glared up at his clear blue eyes. “Take it down,” she hissed. “What?” Cole said. “The barrier,” she said. Victoria looked up, eyes flashing. Cole shook his head at Isabella. “She knows,” he murmured. “Good.” Isabella smiled a grim smile, “She’ll break it.” Cole shook his head again. “Not this one,” he said, returning the grim smile. 3

He pushed Isabella to the ground and held her there. Tori yelled and Rayne, Cameron, and Naomi joined her at the barrier’s now shining exterior. They couldn’t do anything but watch. “I won’t let you suffer,” Cole panted against Isabella’s neck. “Cole, why are you doing this?” Isabella shoved him off and kneeled on her knees. He came back to her just as she reached for her dagger… and grasped empty air. She gasped just before Cole rammed into her. 4

The air was knocked from her lungs, and it didn’t help that he landed on top of her. She couldn’t breathe and she panicked. “I do not want you to suffer for my mistakes,” he murmured. Air whooshed into Isabella’s lungs, and she gasped again and coughed. She punched Cole in the stomach saying, “You will not get that poison back.” Cole growled slightly, sagging from the force of her punch. His weight pushed the air from her lungs again, making it painful to breathe. “Cole! Cole, get off of her!” Rayne yelled. Tori and Cameron continued to try and find ways to break the barrier as Naomi and Rayne yelled at Cole.5

The weight lifted off of Isabella’s chest. There was a pressure on Isabella’s legs as Cole sat back. The world was spinning around Isabella. She moaned softly. Cole’s eyes went from icy to worried. He leaned down again his hot breath on her face. She tried to focus on Cole’s eyes but her eyes wouldn’t cooperate. “Cole,” she muttered quietly. He blinked. “Can you look me straight in the face?” he whispered. Isabella shook her head once from left to right. Her focus slid away again. Cole sighed and moved his lips to her neck. “Cole, no don’t!” Tori yelled. 6

Cole bit down onto the sensitive skin on Isabella’s neck. A drop of blood rolled down her shoulder as he pulled her into a sitting position. She cried out when Cole bit down again. Victoria banged against the barrier and slid to the ground onto her knees. Isabella’s forehead fell forward onto Cole’s shoulder, her eyes closed, almost like she was asleep. Cole blinked and Isabella’s silver hair turned black. “What the…!” Cole said, jumping back. Isabella jumped at him, her silver eyes boring into his right before she bit down on his shoulder… hard. “Isabella, stop!” Cole yelled. 7

She pinned him down with one arm, still holding onto his neck with her teeth. One arm reached toward the left of the group, like she was reaching for a hand to help her up. Isabella’s dagger flew through the barrier, shattering it, and settled in Isabella’s hand. Cole’s eyes widened, and rage went across his face, but then it was wiped clean of all emotion, like a stone. It surprised Isabella. She hesitated and his hand flew toward the one with the dagger. He was too late. She plunged the dagger into his stomach. Her hair was a dark gray as she stood and threw the dagger into the trees. 8

“No!” Victoria yelled. Isabella fell to the ground in a heap. Victoria rushed to her while Rayne and Cameron slowly picked up Cole. The shock of his stomach wound had sent him into unconsciousness. Isabella gasped for air and clawed at the ground. “Put him down,” Victoria growled. Cameron and Rayne set him down next to Isabella. “That’s a bit close,” Tori murmured. Rayne gave her a withering look and Victoria didn’t protest anymore. She leaned over Isabella. “I need to get an antidote Isabella. Do you know what poison it is?” she said. Isabella shook her head. Victoria looked over at Cole. “Tori!” Naomi said from behind her. She was pointing at Isabella. 9

A black colored cloud was spreading across the side of Isabella’s neck, turning the blue lines there a dark, stormy gray. “Cameron, wake Cole up now,” she commanded. Cameron tapped Cole’s shoulder with his fingertips and Cole’s eyes flashed open. He pushed Cam and Victoria out of the way, trying to get to Isabella. 10

Isabella’s eyes were changing from black to silver to blue and repeating the pattern. Isabella put a hand out as if to stop him and Cole froze. “Cole?” Rayne said. Amazement, wonder, and admiration colored Cole’s voice when he spoke. “She stopped me from moving…” Naomi gasped and Victoria stiffened. Rayne and Cameron stayed frozen as Victoria moved forward slowly, reaching toward Isabella’s hand. Isabella ignored Tori, keeping her eyes on Cole. Victoria’s fingers closed around Isabella’s and she held onto her hand. Cole fell to his knees, breathing hard. He stood, Isabella watched him. The hand that wasn’t held by Tori reached instinctively for her missing dagger. “Victoria back off. I think I can handle it,” Cole muttered. Tori left Isabella’s side with clenched teeth and when she did, Isabella’s hand rose again. But instead of stopping him, Isabella was reaching for him. 11

“Trust me Isabella,” he pleaded quietly. He took Isabella’s hand and knelt next to her. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Please trust me.” She growled so quietly, it sounded like a cat purring. “I didn’t think so,” his reply to that sound. He lowered his chin, raising his hand to cradle the other side of her neck. He bit down on the cloudy, black skin. Isabella flinched. She touched her hand to the wound she had left on Cole’s stomach. Cole froze, trying to hold back the pain. He bit down harder and tasted her blood. Isabella pushed with a little more pressure and he whimpered. 12

The hand that wasn’t twined with Isabella’s seized her free hand and slammed it into the ground, holding it there. Isabella started to struggle underneath him. Cole pushed himself up, looking at her face. He let go of one of her hands, but it was enough for Isabella. “Isabella,” he warned. She had him frozen in place. She put her free hand to his chest, still staring unblinkingly into his eyes, keeping him frozen. “What are you doing?” he murmured. “An easier way to stop you,” her voice was soft. She closed her eyes and her hand dropped from his chest. At that exact moment, Cole passed out, using his last effort to push himself to the side. 13

“What did she do?” Naomi asked, surprised. Victoria just looked at the trees flatly. “She put Cole unconscious and the strength it took knocked her out as well,” Rayne said for Victoria. “Cameron, you get Cole. Take him back to my house. Actually, follow Naomi. She’ll go in front. I’ll follow behind with Isabella and Rayne will be behind me,” Victoria ordered. Rayne pulled out Hitanken and was the last to go into the trees.14

Cole awoke to find himself tightly bound to a soft bed. Someone was sleeping next to him. Isabella’s scent flooded his senses and his eyes widened. He didn’t make a sound; he didn’t want to wake her. He saw Rayne sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. He didn’t care if he woke Isabella anymore. “Why didn’t you help me with Isabella?!” he yelled, pulling at the enchanted strings that Victoria seemed to love so much. They cut into his wrists. “What are you doing?” Isabella asked. Cole froze, staring at Isabella. Her eyes and hair were black. “Why is your hair still black?” he asked. It was true. Her hair was still black, her eyes still silver, and those blue marks shone against her pale skin. Isabella shrugged. “We lost her Kagehishu,” Rayne informed him. “She’s her regular self with different looks and way more predatory aggression.” 15

Isabella tried to sit up but winced as Tori’s enchanted bonds cut into her skin, making her blood flow as well. “Why did Tori make these strings so sharp?” Isabella muttered unhappily. She licked the blood rolling down her arm. Cole’s stomach, neck, and mouth tingled when she looked at him, gauging his reaction to her actions. He wanted to taste her, to kiss her, and to bite her all at the same time. It was difficult to restrain himself as he watched her. 16

Cole reached for her hand, only to be stopped by Victoria’s enchantments on the strings. He growled and tried to bite through them. Before he could even close his teeth to cut the troublesome string, Rayne had her dagger less than an inch away from his throat. She pressed it against his skin and it burned him. A small noise of pain escaped from his lips before he could press them together. Isabella glared at Rayne. “You shouldn’t do that,” Isabella growled. Victoria came in. “Back off,” she ordered. Rayne reluctantly came back to the doorway beside Tori. Cole watched them both warily as he lifted the string to his mouth and cut it with his teeth. Victoria didn’t move; Rayne twitched her dagger. 17

Cole reached slowly toward Yuki’s hand, asking, “Is this permanent?” Tori watched him carefully and then replied, “I haven’t gotten enough information, but I think it is for now. At least until we find her dagger or necklace. One of them at least keeps her halfway human, with both she even acts human all the time. Without both, even if she is only half-demon by blood—” at this Isabella let out a growl that was low and dangerous, “she’ll be a full demon until whatever the problem is has been resolved,” Victoria finished giving Isabella a brief glare before looking back at Cole. “I don’t think she trusts you and that’s the problem. Well actually, I don’t trust you either but that’s beside the point,” Victoria added, looking thoughtful. 18

Cole looked as if he was staring through Victoria; he was figuring it all out. It clicked into place. Cole turned to look at Isabella, who avoided his gaze. He snapped the string on his other arm and reached for Isabella’s hand, the one that was bleeding. In one, fluid movement, he leaned down, grabbed the string holding Isabella’s arm and bit down into it. Victoria, who happened to suddenly be behind him, pulled his head back by the hair. “She could kill us all,” she said furiously. Cole glared up at her vehemently and hissed, “I don’t care and if you are so weak as to worry that the both of you can’t fend her off if she does happen to kill me, then you have a right to leave.” They glared at each other for another long moment before Victoria replied, “Fine.”
She let go of Cole and turned to leave. “But Tori, what if she—” Rayne started. “Out,” Victoria ordered. Rayne left, followed by Victoria. The door slammed shut and the lock clicked. “I really don’t care if you do want to kill me,” Cole muttered. Cole leaned down and kissed Isabella’s forehead, snapping the string around her neck. 19

Isabella’s lips pressed against his. Cole pushed her back by the shoulders. “Do you trust me?” Cole asked Isabella. Her eyes avoided his face. Cole secured her chin in his hand and pulled her face back to look at him. “I want to know,” he murmured, using his eyes against her. Isabella looked frightened. “Answer me, Isabella!” he demanded. “No,” she admitted. Cole let her go, sliding back on the bed to sit in front of her. 20

“Why?” he whispered. “How many times have you almost killed me?” she murmured, very quiet. “I… that was both of our faults! You almost always start it!” he exclaimed. “Mm,” she was neither agreeing nor disagreeing with him. “With your teeth,” he growled, finishing his argument. Isabella jumped at him, getting one hand around his throat and pushing him against the bedpost. Her other hand was what stopped her. It was still tied. She gave him that paralyzing stare with her burning silver eyes. 21

“You shouldn’t have stayed,” Isabella growled. Cole looked surprised. “I know that I was right to do so. I didn’t do this to you. I don’t want you, a full-fledged demon, intent on killing me because I lost my temper with you. I want my Isabella back, the half demon. The one that is the only who knows that I’m half demon.” Yuki was backing up from him and wasn’t paying attention to how close the edge of the bed was. She fell off with a small thud, her arm pulling her halfway off the floor. For some reason, the shock of what Cole said and the short fall together put her unconscious. “Isabella,” Cole murmured. He pulled her face up slightly and realized that she was unconscious. He pulled her up off of the floor, and laid her down on her side on the bed next to him. Cole fell asleep with Isabella next to him.