Ace Of Runes

Chapter 6: The Future of Love and Dealing with Princes.

Edward had no sense of what was coming. His lips were pressed tightly together and his forehead was creased. The expression looked too old for his young face. As everyone else sat, he could see the lines being drawn.

Rosalie sat directly across from Carlisle, on the other end of the long table. She glared at Edward, never looking away. Emmett sat beside her, his face and thoughts both wry. Jasper hesitated, and then went to stand against the wall behind Rosalie.

Alice was the last to come in and without seeming to think about it, she sat next to Esme. She rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache.

Edward took a deep breath before starting his explanation for the incident in the morning.

"I'm sorry," He said, looking first at Rosalie, then Jasper and then Emmett. "I didn't mean to put any of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility for my hasty action. I'm willing to leave now, if that makes things better."

"No," Esme murmured. "No, Edward."
He patted her hand. "It's just a few years."

Edward looked to Carlisle for his opinion on the matter. Carlisle shook his head. "I think Esme is right, Edward. The mundane girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave, or none of us."

"She will not say a thing."

"You don't know her mind," Carlisle reminded.

"I know this much. Alice, back me up."

Alice stared up at him wearily. "I can't see what will happen if we just ignore this."

Rosalie's palm smacked down on the table with a loud bang. "We can't allow that mundie a chance to say anything. Carlisle, you must see that. Even if we decided to all disappear, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind-you know there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else!"

"Rose-" Carlisle began.

"Let me finish, Carlisle. It doesn't have to be any big production. Every mortal goes to sleep with the chance of never waking up. The others would expect us to clean up after ourselves. Technically, that would make it Edward's job, but this is obviously beyond him. You know I'm capable of control. I would leave no evidence behind me."

"Yes, Rosalie, we all know how proficient of an assassin you are," Edward snarled, as his patience started to slowly drain out.

"Edward, please," Carlisle said. Then he turned to Rosalie. "Rosalie, I looked the other way in Rochester because I felt that you were owed your justice. The men you killed had wronged you monstrously. This is not the same situation. The Swan girl is innocent."

"It's not personal, Carlisle," Rosalie said through her teeth. "It's to protect us
all."

There was a brief moment of silence while Carlisle thought through his answer. When he nodded, Rosalie's eyes lit up.

"I know you mean well, Rosalie, but...I'd like very much for our family to be worth protecting. The occasional...accident or lapse in control is a regrettable part of who we are. To murder a blameless child in cold blood is another thing entirely. If we make exceptions to protect ourselves, we risk something much more important. We risk losing the essence of who we are."

Edward controlled his expression very carefully. It wouldn't do at all to grin. Or to applaud.

Rosalie snorted.

But he was no longer worried about Rose. His attention was on Jasper, who remained unmoved.

"Jasper," Edward said. Jasper met his gaze, his face expressionless.
"She won't pay for my mistake. I won't allow that."