Chapter Five
Bella knew after such a high sleep was needed. Sleep before you step out into the world she told herself. So her eyes began to close. She found no relief; she was running through her father’s mansion. He was coming, chasing her through the house. It was a hunt, and she was the hunted. The animal that was trapped inside a large cage, but it was still a cage. He had let her go, unchained her from his lair, in order to train. So that she could improve her fighting skills, she had no doubt that improving them would benefit him somehow. Nothing in this world was meant to help her, only him. She was the puppet in the house, he pulled the strings and she began to dance. But strangely she did not want to be real, because she did not understand the appeal or the concept.
She ran around corners, sliding to try and gain the slightest bit of ground. But Valentine knew his castle, and he had made it well. Every corridor looked the same, a maze in disguise. She had seen the outside a handful of times. It was beautiful, lavish in decoration. It was grey and full of beautiful statues of gargoyles. But it was a trick, just as Valentine’s face was. It was perfect in complexion and defined in features. His grey hair seemed to make you believe he was caring, like a grandfather. But she doubted any grandfather would lock you away in his castle and chain you up like a dog. She was dizzy, she was getting lost. No longer recognising which walls she had past and which ones she needed to, in order to escape. Her skin ran cold, it was crawling. He was close, just as he always was. He enjoyed the chase, he was always ahead. He could run as slowly as he desired, knowing he would find Isabella lying on the ground. Then he would pick her up and move her hair away from her face. This was his only affectionate action. Then he would strip away her clothes and the process would begin again.
His voice reached her, next came the punishment: the beatings for her feeble attempts to escape. She was tired, but always fought his whip. She raised her sword, she would not beat him. She could neat beat Valentine Morganstern. He was the best and she was weak, a girl untrained. But he was convinced she would be great, he wanted to know her secret. How she kept the power locked away. But she knew this was his insanity talking, Bella would rather die than let him touch her, but dying was not easy. She had tried several ways, thousands of attempts. Each time it became harder, like she needed to make a larger fall. He appeared. His smirk plastered across a face, how he loved a fight. A fight he won time after time. The game was more interesting, if you had spirit. If you resisted, she stood a moment in confusion. What was better, letting him win or fighting? Either way he would win and then she would find herself chained up again.
Bella woke back up in the memory. His smirk was gone but his eyes twinkled with happiness at her defeat. “Another failed escape, Isabella. When will you learn that I always win”? The whip was on her cold, naked body before she could even reply. The wounds poured out blood and his laugh could be heard throughout the mansion. But no further, no help, no handsome prince coming to her rescue. The prince would not care, and if he did he would not hear her. It was cold and maniac; it followed her back into the office in the present. Her last thought on the matter was “Never father, never”.
Bella got up and teleported out of the base, without a goodbye. She needed help, and she could only think of one person who would provide it to her without a price. She was sick of owing people, she could never pay. Then they tended to hurt someone, someone she loved. She did not knock, and stormed into his house. Bella had not been to see him for a long time. Standing before he was Magnus Bane and his face was bright red.
“Bella, what the hell are you doing here? I thought you were dead. I heard you got killed, years ago. I stopped looking for your body. Now you walk in, no contact for 100 years. Does our friend ship mean nothing” Bella had already tuned him out. She could not bring herself to listen to this lecture. She waited until he had finished and replied simply. “I need your help” Magnus sat down and ran his hands through his black hair; his catlike eyes were calm now. “Of course I will help you: after you explain your disappearance.” Magnus looked at his friend for a moment and nearly turned away in shock. She looked close to death; she was dressed as beautifully as ever. But her eyes looked empty and her face hollow.
Bella sighed and knew she could not explain it all. But she gave him what she could “The truth is I ran away. I was afraid, Magnus. I felt so alone and after the war. Our world, my home, all I saw in everything was memories I did not want to see. So I ran into another world. A quiet place hoping I would remain undetected there. But it was opposite, I stood out vividly. I did it again, Magnus. I am locked in war and this time I do not have it in me” Bella knew he wanted to shout at her for not telling him before. But Magnus did what she came for, he hugged her and stroked he hair. Just whispering “I know, Bella”
Magnus shifted himself away from Bella, he knew she must have left without telling anyone. It was a habit of hers, to leave and then return hours or years later. Time meant nothing for her, a break from people could last a lifetime. Then she would return and find generations of people buried in their graves. He grabbed her mobile and sent a text to Jace Wayland, he would have gasped. She still spoke to him? He knew that would be enough. He did not move, but examined the girl before him. She looked old, not as old as her true age. But she had aged years in their time apart. He knew he looked the same, but she looked broken, in the war against her father, she looked better than this. That worried him, such beauty worn on a tragic face.
He waited was seemed like decades, Bella woke and he did not say a word. Knowing she must have come for something, she did not visit otherwise. She visited a friend, when times were desperate. He had changed though; he would not give her heroin to make this go away. Drugs did not make it better, certainly not drugs like that. Before he would of gave her whatever she asked just to see a smile on his friends face. But he knew now the smiles were fake, the drugs a temporary fix. She whispered, as if any more noise required too much effort. “I came because I need a special drug, not heroin. I need something magical, something warlock: from our old days of experimentation. Something to make sleep come, I won’t bother you again” Magnus looked deep into her eyes “What drug? We did a lot of shit back then. We thought we were gods, controlling every element in the sky. We were fools Bella. At least I changed; I know not to fuck with nature. Magic is not a trick, Bella. It’s a force and it will destroy you, if you let it” Bella say nothing, she had not come for a lecture, she wanted help. He would always give it, but the price was different here. It was not physical, but it was much worse. He told the truth and then gave you the help. Leaving you feel guilty for even being in his presence. Soon Bella was on her way, with a pot in her hand. The lie had worked, she got what she needed. Soon the harmless substance would cause much pain.