Silver Assassin 15

“Holy shit!”Kate exclaimed completely in awe of what she was seeing.After speaking to the queen Jane had led them through the castle to the arcade.The door they stopped at wasn’t anything special and in no way indicated what the arcade was really like.Kate knew that the royals would put together something impressive but not as impressive as she was seeing.She thought there would maybe be a dozen games and a big tv with a bunch of consoles.That was not the case at all and looking around Kate couldn’t decide where she wanted to start.The stand up games were a good place but the screen that covered an entire wall would make playing some of her favorite games that much more epic.She was broken out of her musings when she saw the Assassin and Rosalie walking towards them.

“Hello Rosalie, and thank you for inviting us Assassin.”Tanya greeted.She wasn’t sure exactly how they were going to talk to Bella but figured that Jane or Rosalie would speak for her as Jane had done when they visited Alaska.

“She is very excited to show Kate around.”Rosalie had to reassure Bella numerous times that Kate was going to come.The longer Jane had been gone the more agitated Bella became and Rosalie had been about to go get them herself to calm her down.

“I’m excited to look around.Where do you want to start?”Kate asked.Bella pointed to the wall where Kate could see what looked like a map of the room.Taking a closer look she saw that it was actually an inventory of what stand up games were in the room.”I don’t know how to choose.”

“If you don’t want to use the stand up games the Assassin has every single game released for consoles.Even the lesser known ones like the Turbo graphic x and the Atari Jaguar.”Jane told her.

“Where do you keep them?”Kate didn’t see any of the consoles or games anywhere in the room.

“The Assassin has a console that one of the guards created for her that is able to convert all the games to be used on it.Every time something new comes out he adds them to it.”Jane explained.

“Holy shit.”Kate had a feeling that was going to be her go to phrase when hanging out with the Assassin.”So we can play any game that was ever released?”

Jane nodded.”Even the handheld consoles are available.”

“How much time do we have in here?”Kate asked earning a shrug from Bella.

“Why don’t we see how things go before we make set plans on how long we are staying.”Tanya suggested.

“Good idea.”Jane agreed.That would give Bella a chance to see if she would like spending time with Kate without the pressure of having to be there for a set period of time.

“Alright how about we start at the back and play some stand up games then we can move on to the consoles.”Kate really hoped that they were going to have at least enough time to play a row of stand up games.If not then she would have to do everything she could to get invited back again.

“We’ll come watch.”Tanya was definitely not going to leave Kate alone with the Assassin.The coven leader may feel bad for the young vampire but they were still one of the most dangerous beings in existence.One that had a violent reaction to many different things.Tanya wanted to make sure if one those things was Kate she could save her sister before Bella killed her.

“Is that your high score?”Kate asked.Bella nodded and pointed to the one under it.”The Devil’s Mistress.Who’s that?”

“That’s Queen Athenodora.She and the Assassin go back and forth on the leader board on that game.If you could beat her score it would not only irritate her but it would bring you a lot of respect from both her and the Assassin.”Jane told her.

“I’m so beating that score.”Kate wasn’t going to rest until her name was at least above the queen’s.

“Just don’t break anything in your excitement.”Tanya was already predicting that Kate was going to be on the hook for replacing at least one of the stand up games.Her sister wasn’t the most careful and often times forgot her strength when she wasn’t paying attention.That led to a lot of broken items.

“If she does it can be replaced.”Jane wasn’t worried about Kate breaking anything.Bella was known for it and they had a woman who specialized in restoring old stand up games that they sent them to to get fixed.The woman was paid quite well to not ask questions about how the damage occurred.

“She still needs to be careful.”Tanya said.

“I’m not going to break anything.”To Kate the machines were pieces of art.She would never willingly damage one of them.It would be sacrilege.

“We all have the upmost faith that you won’t and if you do it’s no big deal.The Assassin is well known for breaking some of them from time to time.Especially the ones with guns.”Jane figured the woman that fixed them bought replacement guns in bulk for the various machines Bella owned because of how many times Bella had crushed one by accident.

“Do you want to go first so I can see how to play?”Kate asked Bella.Receiving a nod in reply Kate stood close to the machine to watch but not close enough to crowd Bella.She didn’t want to upset her and have their fun stop before it even began.Watching Bella rush through the first level without even taking any damage Kate whistled in appreciation.”Damn you are really good at this.It’s going to take some effort to beat your high score.”

“Don’t be too discouraged.She sometimes spends days in here.She has a had a lot of practice.”Jane told her.

“I’ll just have to get some of these machines for home so when I come back I’m a better competitor.”Kate was already planning the remodel they were going to have to do to fit in the arcade she wanted to build at their home in Alaska.

“Are these kinds of machines still made?”Rosalie had thought the technology had left them behind.

“Not ones that are widely distributed.People still make custom ones but they stopped mass producing them decades ago.Now everything is on consoles or computers.Modern arcades are more for public access to those things.Stand up games went away the same way gas powered cars did.”Jane explained.

“That means getting them is extremely hard.”Tanya concluded.She was not looking forward to Kate trying to build an arcade for herself and was going to have a chat with her sister before she let Kate do it.Hopefully Bella would allow future visits and that would keep Kate from trying to make her own.

“It took the royals 50 years to get this collection and most of these are restored.Only a couple of them were in original condition.They still try to find them but it gets more impossible as the years go by.”Jane said.

“Well if we come across any we will let you know.”Tanya thought that would be a nice gesture of friendship to get Bella a new machine.It would also keep Kate from trying to build her own collection.

“Alright prepare to get your high score annihilated.”Kate said as she took Bella’s place at the machine.Bella had been nice enough to only go through a couple levels.Now it was Kate’s turn and she was going to break the machine with how high her score was going to get.

“So what other activities do you guys do for fun?”Irina asked.

“The Assassin is a very avid reader, she loves video games of course, likes flying planes and has in the last few decades turned into a very talented sculptor.”Jane smiled when Bella waved away the compliment.”It’s true and you know it.The royals have many of your sculptures around the castle including a few in the throne room.If they weren’t good they wouldn’t even bother.”

“You are an artist?”Rosalie was very surprised to hear that.Bella shook her head.

“Yes you are.”Jane argued.”She has her own studio where she does her work.I would offer to show you but that’s one of the places in the castle only the Assassin is allowed to go in.”

“I want to see some of your work.”Rosalie was very interested in seeing what Bella created.

“Tanya might have seen some of it recently when she was in the throne room.There are large busts of each of the kings and queens in the reception area.”Jane said.

“The Assassin did those?”Tanya had remembered the pieces as she hadn’t seen them in the room before.

Jane nodded.”She has also done a few of the guard members including myself and my brother.”

“They are very good.I had actually thought that they were manufactured not made by hand.”Tanya was impressed that Bella had such skills.

Bella pointed to Rosalie who looked at her in question.”What do you mean?”

“I think she is saying that she wants to make one of you.”Jane guessed earning a huff from Bella.Bella took her glove off and held her hand out to Jane.Jane took a moment to go over what Bella was thinking.”Bella wishes for me to tell you that she had already made one of you.It was one of the first ones she made.”

“You made a sculpture of me?”Rosalie was very surprised to hear that.She eagerly took Bella’s offered hand.She smiled brightly when Bella finished showing her the memory.”You made it so that you would have a way of seeing me whenever you wanted.”

“Why would she want to be able to see you?I thought that the mate bond wasn’t confirmed until Alaska.”Irina had assumed that Bella was in love with Edward not Rosalie.

“We believe that the Assassin felt the mate bond with Rosalie when she was human.She has shown me some of her memories and in them she brought up her doubts of being Edward’s mate and her feelings for Rosalie with the rest of the Cullens.Each time she did they were quick to assure her that it was just because she was human she felt that way.Anytime she tried to talk to Rosalie about it they made sure that they were quick to stop the conversation from happening.”Jane explained.

“Wait you are saying that the Assassin actually did feel the mate bond the entire time and even knowing it that the rest of the Cullens forced her to stay away from Rosalie?”Tanya was feeling very glad that she took the steps she did to get Carlisle and the others put in the dungeon.She felt even more pity for Bella.The poor girl could have been protected from the nomad if Rosalie was allowed to act on her instincts and protect her mate.

Rosalie nodded.”The Assassin loved me from the time our eyes first met.She had been planning on how to approach me but Edward got there before she could.”

“Jesus.”Irina couldn’t believe the manipulation that went into Edward claiming Bella.Mates were sacred to vampires.The mate bond being something that not only she longed to have but he sisters as well.To listen to what Carlisle had allowed pissed Irina off.Learning about all that Bella had been through was causing her protective instinct to kick in and Bella was becoming someone Irina cared about.Maybe not as strongly as her sisters but definitely as someone she cared for.She wondered if they would let her be involved with the initial punishment with Kate.Irina would like the chance to show her displeasure for all that Carlisle had done to the poor girl.

“That makes this whole situation that much more fucked up.”Tanya said.

“They will get what’s coming to them and the Assassin will finally have her own justice.”Jane knew that once Bella killed the Cullens she would be able to move on somewhat.Not all the way as they shaped every main event in her life but she would get some satisfaction out of ending them.

“Oh man.”Kate exclaimed in disappointment.

“What happened?”Rosalie asked.

“I didn’t even make it to level 8 before I died.The queen is at level 39.It’s going to take forever to beat her.”Kate complained.

“I don’t think your goal should be beating the queen Kate.”Tanya didn’t think the queen would appreciate Kate beating all of her high scores.

“Of course it is.This is the only way I have of beating her at anything.I mean she could kick my ass at combat and I bet she is a lot smarter than me but video games are my domain.It’s my opportunity to show how superior I am to the royals.”Kate said.

Rosalie laughed.”You think winning a couple video games will show how superior you are?”

“Actually if she were to beat Queen Athenodora’s score on that game she would get a lot of respect.Both her and the Assassin have put in weeks worth of time trying to be the first one to beat it.They do that with most of the games and this is the one they are currently on.The other royals don’t enjoy video games.”Jane told them.

“See this is my chance.”Kate just had to have her name above the queens.Her honor was on the line.

Tanya sighed.”Just don’t break it while you are doing it.”

“Just think Tanya if Kate’s focus is on beating the queen at video games she is less likely to be causing trouble elsewhere.”Irina said.

“Very true.”Tanya conceded.

“The only trouble that I’m going to be in involved in is when I get my chance at the Cullens.”Kate said.

“I get to join you for all of them except for Carlisle.”Rosalie had been planning all the ways she was going to torture the other four members of her former coven.

“How are you going to be able to fight them with their gifts?”Irina wasn’t aware that Rosalie was a good fighter.

“The Assassin will be blocking everyone involved’s minds so that their gifts are useless against us.”Jane told them.

“She can do that?”Tanya asked.

Jane nodded.”The Assassin’s gift can protect anyone she chooses.The amount of people don’t matter.The only limitation being the distance she can cover.She doesn’t even have to be in the same room as them when protecting them.”

“That’s so cool!”Kate was now ever more excited about getting her chance with the Cullens.Without their gifts they were useless.Jasper may still be a problem but Kate wasn’t worried.”Would I still be able to use my gift?”

“Yes, the best way to describe the Assassin’s gift is to think of it like every vampire’s gift has it’s own frequency.She can pick and choose which people the frequency touches.If she wanted to she could allow everyone in this room to be immune to my gift but still allow them to be affected by my brother’s gift.Or if she wanted she could have Tanya immune to all mental gift while blocking Irina from everyone but my gift and leaving Rosalie exposed to everything.It doesn’t matter that you are in the same room.It doesn’t even matter if you are different rooms.Her gift works the same way if she can see you or not.”Jane explained.

“That’s wicked.”Kate tried to think about what she would do if her gift allowed her to affect people in other rooms.She would be unstoppable.

“Does her physical shield work the same way?”Rosalie asked.

“Yes it does.That’s why she doesn’t attend most court proceedings because the kings don’t need her to be there.Which is lucky because she hates dealing with people already and ones that simper and beg for mercy or favors piss her off.If she was forced to deal with them she would kill everyone who was brought to the castle for an audience with the kings.”Jane had no doubt that Bella would even attack the kings if she was forced to deal with politics.Her mate didn’t have the temperament to be in charge of others.

“Are you protecting the Denali?”Rosalie asked Bella receiving a nod in reply.

“You’re protecting us?”Tanya was surprised to hear that.

“Even Carmen and Eleazar?”Irina asked causing Bella to nod again.

“Thank you.”Tanya felt a lot better being in the castle knowing that they had the Assassin’s protection.

Kate groaned.”Shit not again.”

“Did you lose again?”Rosalie asked.

“Yeah and I only made it to level 6 this time.”Kate was hoping to progress not back slide.”You guys are ruining my focus with all the talking you are doing.”

“No one said you had to be a part of the conversation.”Irina said.

“Well then stop talking about cool stuff.”Kate replied as she restarted the game.

“Alright Kate we will just simply talk about the weather forecast.”Tanya teased.

“No because if the weather is cloudy then I want to check out the town and do a little shopping.”Kate had never gotten the chance to walk around Voltaire and see the sights.They had always been too afraid of the kings to stick around.

“Well then you need to get going on beating the game because tomorrow it’s going to rain.”Jane told her.

“Fuck!!”Kate decided to block out the others.Even if they talked about something cool she needed to focus.It was now her life’s mission to be better than the queen at this game.It didn’t matter what she had to do.She was just glad that she fed before she came as Tanya was concerned with how they would when they got to the castle.Kate wasn’t worried about it.After meeting the Assassin Kate knew that they wouldn’t be forced to do anything.The queen basically confirmed it by saying that she would help in anyway they could to help them be Bella’s friends.Not that Kate needed any incentive.She liked Bella.They had a bunch of stuff in common and for some reason Kate thought of Bella like a kindred spirit.Though she wasn’t treated as badly as Bella was Kate understood what it was like to be beaten and left for dead.She was just lucky enough to have someone come and save her before it was to late.Then once her wounds had healed they helped heal her emotional ones as well.Kate hoped that even if Bella had some mental difficulties that Kate would be able to bring some joy to her life.It was only fair because Bella brought some to Kate’s.