First Blood | Ed. Cullen & B. Swan

Chapter 12

They were in the guest room, enjoying the last few minutes of silence before they were supposed to head to the airport. Bella and Simon were together on the bed, cuddling with each other as Edward silently read on the other side of the bed. Bella ran her fingers through Simon's hair, enjoying the way he seemed to melt into her.

"Hey, Simon?" She murmured as she glanced down at him, "Back in Volterra, with the Volturi, what happened? What did you do? Did you know it would get them to stop?"

"I didn't," He mumbled, his face still buried against her shoulder. "I was first told it was just a legend, but it seems to have more truth to it than others believed."

He pulled away from her, moving to lie beside her instead. His gaze shifted over to Edward, who had put down his book and was now paying attention.

"Did Carlisle ever tell you the story of Lady Taliah?" He asked.

"Bits and pieces," Edward spoke, moving over to sit next to him. "He said he was never told the whole tale."

"He wasn't. The Kings forbade the telling of the whole story thousands of years ago, shortly after they became the Kings. Not knowing the rest of the story always bothered me, so during my travels across the world, I dug as far into it as I could. It wasn't easy to find, and many people weren't willing to share what they knew. Since Carlisle knew a bit more of the story, I was able to find where it originated."

He opened his arms as Bella moved to lay between his legs, leaning back into his chest. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as she became more comfortable.

"The story starts with Ares, who was said to be the first vampire. He didn't have the title of a King, but all those he created had treated him as such. Sadly, much isn't known about him. Mostly just how his life came to an end. Many of the covens that had existed at that time are now lost, but the few who do remain know the tale quite well. I found what was left of the Dacian coven –now the Romanian coven– a few decades back, and they told the tale as they witnessed it.

"It was said that as the years went by, Ares became tired of the life he lived. He didn't have a mate, and he grew bitter as he watched the vampires he sired finding their beloveds in a matter of years after their transition. He decided he would take matters into his own hands, and he took someone who he thought would be a good mate for him. He had chosen Lady Taliah, despite her wishes. She had warned him that her heart already belonged to another. Two others, actually. Ares refused to believe her. He thought he 'owned' her.

"In order to guarantee that she was his, Ares forbade Taliah from being near other men. He allowed her to have two handmaidens, but other than that, he didn't allow her to see anyone but him. The women she had chosen were Konstantina and Aikaterini. Taliah didn't argue much, and they remained civil for quite some time. Everything went wrong, though, when the covens decided to name them as their King and Queen.

"After their crowning, Ares came to the realization that Taliah never complained about her situation because Konstantina and Aikaterini were her beloveds. That night, in front of all of the covens gathered there, Ares ripped Taliah's mates apart before he turned their bodies into ash.

"Lady Taliah was devastated. As the King celebrated his actions, Taliah ripped his head off. None of the covens tried to stop her. She remained as the Queen for a few years after, but after sharing all of her knowledge on the species, she disappeared. Before she had left, she had put the Romanian coven into power, naming them as the rulers of the vampire world."

Simon went silent for a minute, gathering his thoughts as he twirled some of Bella's hair around his finger. He buried his face into her neck as he continued speaking.

"They had the majority of the knowledge she had left them with, but at the time, they had freely shared the information with the Egyptian and Volturi covens, due to Lady Taliah's request. During my time with them, Stefan gave me one of her journals, with the promise that I'd return it when I returned to visit them.

"It held the information regarding why no one objected to her as she killed Ares. It started with the way Konstantina, Aikaterini, and her were mated. In our world, there are blood singers and there are mates. If your blood singer is already a vampire when you meet them, you can tell," He paused briefly, shooting a small glance at Edward, only to find the older male already looking at him. "The urge to sink your fangs into them is still there. It's not as strong as whenever they're human, but the urge is no longer fueled by thirst. It's a different kind of hunger.

"Blood singers are often referred to as second chances. If you lose your mate, a blood singer is eligible to take their place. There are some special cases, though. The main example of that was Taliah's relationship. Aikaterini was her mate, but Konstantina was her blood singer, and vice versa. Their relationship was different because the very basics of it made them all need each other to survive. To be happy.

"It became known as First Blood because Taliah made it the first law of the vampire world. Triad mates are rare. Together, they become stronger. The very dynamic of their relationship is otherworldly, and the covens agreed upon the law. Any triad mates that were purposefully torn or kept apart, have the full right to destroy those trying to ruin their mates."

Simon became quiet again as he held onto Bella, pulling the smaller girl into his lap. He rested his head against hers, breathing in her calming scent in the process.

"So what you're saying, is that the Volturi aren't able to harm us unless it's proven false? How is it proven?" Edward asked from his spot.

Bella looked up, sharing a look with Simon. He faintly nodded his head, and she spoke as she looked back to Edward.

"By completing the process," She said, "I'd need to become a vampire."