CHAPTER
SEVEN

Suki had always been the girl to call if you needed something done. Or needed someone distracted and out of your way. That was why she was the perfect choice for distracting Thomas which would inevitably also distract Jasper and Alice since they'd be too worried about Thomas to care.

Helaena walked up to her room and closed the door as she began to write quite a few things down. She ran her fingers through her hair once she had finished and placed the papers down before deciding to change her outfit. Chewing on her lip as she walked over to her closet.

She had never been into an old house before. What was she going to wear? Probably something comfortable. Though, she needed something for protection after all. She wasn't sure if it was the safest to go unarmed.

Helaena simply decided to change shirts, leaving on her baggy jeans and converse, but now putting on a baggy oversized long-sleeve t-shirt. Tying her hair back into a ponytail before pulling out a few loose slipping pieces of hair.

"Helaena," The voice of her father called out as he entered the home, "I'm back from work."

He often called out to her to tell her when he was home. She adored her father, he always took care of her. They often spent their nights together and would go grab dinner when he wouldn't work late.

"Coming!" Helaena slowly began to walk down the stairs and into the front room where her father stood, a small smile on her face, "I thought about cooking dinner, is that fine with you?"

Helaena decided it'd be best to go once Charlie had gone to bed. Besides, she was rather hungry and she'd rather not wait to eat till after she was gone.

Charlie gave a small nod as he shrugged off his jacket, "If that's what you want, kid. I can help," He offered her a small smile.

Helaena let out a small laugh, "Please, I can do it. You've been working all day."

"Helaena," Charlie wasn't sure how to argue with her words before he gave up, "All right."

"I win," The girl smirked at her victory before walking into the kitchen, "Is lasagna, alright? Or didn't you say you wanted grilled cheese? Because I can make tomato soup to go with it."

Charlie couldn't help but let out a scruffy laugh at his daughter's words, "Grilled cheese. You can fix lasagna when Bella comes."

"Got it," Helaena grinned before she began to pull out bread, cheese, and then the ingredients for tomato soup.

She went to grab ½ pound of butter from the fridge before going to the pantry and grabbing 1 pound of onions about 3 medium and cutting them into ¼-inch dice. Before she grabbed ½ cup all-purpose flour and moved to grab 4 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes.

She proceeded to add in 1¼ cups chicken broth before adding ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Then she grabs and adds in 1 teaspoon celery salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper, ¾ cup half-and-half, and 2 tablespoons honey. She let it simmer for a bit before finishing the grilled cheese.

Once she had finished making their dinner, she placed it on plates as she called for her father to enter. A small smile on her face as she watched him move to sit at the table.

"I can clean the dishes," He began to speak as he took a bite of his grilled cheese, "Since you cooked dinner."

"Sorry dad, but that's not happening," Helaena let out a laugh as she sat down beside him, "You've taken care of me all of my life, it's only fair if I repay the favor."

The look on Charlie's face made Helaena let out a small laugh, "Stubborn," Charlie muttered under his breath as he continued his meal.

Helaena couldn't help but shake her head at his words. Continuing her meal as she carried on a conversation with her father. Their usual evening things, whether they were outside of their home or inside of their home.

"I have a question for you," Helaena asked as she finished the last of her soup before she adjusted her posture.

Charlie paused momentarily as he raised an eyebrow at his daughter, "What is it?"

"What do you know about my parents?" Helaena asked, Charlie went still as he looked at the girl, "Wendy and Peter Hermes," She said the names almost as if she had to clarify it to herself.

Charlie stopped momentarily as he seemed to try to figure out something to say, "They were archeologists," was all that Charlie spoke, "Why? Has someone said something again?"

"No. No," Helaena shook her head as she began to pop her fingers, "I was just thinking about it."

There was an uncomfortable silence that fell over the table. Charlie seemed to be trying to find something to say to his daughter that would take away her curiosity but nothing seemed to come out. Making Helaena frown ever so slightly.

"They were kind people. They didn't deserve what happened to them, Helaena," Charlie didn't exactly know where to take the conversation.

Helaena looked down at the table before adjusting herself as she forced a smile, "Yes," She began to gather the plates and begin to clean.

Part of herself wanted to scold herself for even bringing up her parents to her father. What if she made him think that she thought lesser of him since he wasn't her biological father? That was far from what she wanted.

Helaena started to clean up the plates and cutlery used by herself and her father, "Helaena, I know how you are and you are curious for information, but I need you to focus on school work. Don't think I do not know that you've been talking to the Cullen kids, I'm not mad about that. They cause me no trouble but I need you and Thomas to be careful. I know how you are."

Charlie was staring at his daughter as he continued to sit in the wooden chair. Helaena pushed a piece of her hair back as she resisted the urge to sigh. Simply nodding her head before she turned and looked at her father, flashing a smile.

"I understand dad."

It wasn't long after that before Charlie had gone off to bed. Leaving Helaena to follow through with her plans after finishing the dishes and putting away the remnants of the soup. It wasn't long before she grabbed the things she had decided to take with her.

The girl easily managed to slip out of the house before grabbing the keys to one of the cars before she managed to get herself out of the driveway and start driving towards the house that had once belonged to her parents.

Helaena noticed as her phone began to ring, pulling the small thing out of her bag before noticing who's contact it was. Chewing on her lip debating on if she should answer or not. It took her a few moments before she sat the phone back down, letting it ring out.

Helaena looked at herself in one of the mirrors as she zoomed down the road. Her hair was tied back, the red color seemed less soft than usual. Something in her eyes had changed, and she couldn't exactly pinpoint on what it was yet.

Her phone began to ring again and she simply ignore it for the rest of the ride. Pulling in front of the home that had once been her residence. The home that had once housed her family during their days of living.

A certain uneasiness fell upon Helaena. She felt something inside of her sink as she forced herself to get out of the car. Something in her mind clicked as she gripped the flashlight.

You've got this... you've got this... Helaena was trying to give herself her own pep talk within her mind as she walked up to the old home that had caution tape placed around it. The wood. The wood was creamy and old.

Helaena trudged on as she took slow strides through the home, pushing past caution tape and dust that filled the air. Flashing the light around the darkness as the creaking of the floor became rhythmic.

Helaena stepped down on a floorboard which broke causing her to fall down onto her knees with a small cry of pain. She held herself up by her hands for a moment, waiting for a bit of the pain to subside from her ankle before she did anything.

The girl then pulled her foot out of the hole to hear the sounds of scuffing. The girl flashed the light in there once she managed to move herself around, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at the papers she had found.

She looked over the paper which seemed to be some sort of note that simply read, basement. third lock. ruby. Helaena seemed quite confused by this but forced herself off the floor as she winced at the pain in her ankle.

But she ventured on.

The girl continued on her way to find the basement, which hadn't taken long. She slowly descended down the stairs before pausing upon hearing the sound of quick footsteps, causing her to flash her light around look for anyone or anything in sight.

Helaena continued to go on down the stairs before she sighed. The dust had collected over the years but that was to be expected after all. She felt pain in her head before she finally found herself at a series of locks.

The girl found herself trying to pick out which was the third one as she tried to figure out how to unlock it. She couldn't place ruby in the dial, after all it was all numbers.

Numbers, what's ruby in numbers? Helaena asked herself before she tested her theory. Before it worked she heard something move once again, she felt something sharp press into her side which caused her to groan.

Her flashlight was on the ground, the light flickering on and off as the glass remained in shattered fragments. Helaena knew that it wasn't some sort of weapon that was causing her harm as if felt like someone's nails had been drug down her skin. 

The grasp on her throat was cold and tight, the boy looked like he could be no older than her and no younger than thirteen. His eyes were a menacing red, something about them seemed hungry.

"It seems you've forgotten yourself," His words were like venom as he lifted his hand, her blood resting on his fingers as he brought it up to his mouth.

Helaena's breaths became uneven before she grabbed ahold of the boy's necklace before he disappeared from in front of her. Causing her body to cripple over, but she still had the weird necklace that had belonged to the deranged man.

She was stunned. This thing moved faster than anyone had ever seen and had injured her without a single weapon. She couldn't let that affect her, not until after.

"Helaena!" She couldn't exactly tell who was calling out her name as she pulled the door that the lock held shut, "Helaena!"

The emotion within the air changed. 

The girl's eyes were widened as she laid eyes upon the one thing her parents had protected upon their death, the thing they had kept hidden. l'ascesa della triade degli dei.

But there was something else.

A birth certificate.

Helaena felt the hands that were placed on her body. Cold. Just like the ones before and she tried to push them off, but it hadn't taken long for the girl to realize who it was.

"You're bleeding," in his voice, there was a deep struggle.

Jasper's hands held her blood, something that he had been trying not to touch or even let affect him, something inside of him seemed to be going wild while Helaena only looked on at the paper in front of her.

Rhaenyra Hermes... Rhaenyra.

"Rhaenyra," she whispered as she heaved a breath.

"Helaena! Jasper!" Thomas was quick to run down the steps as well.

"How are you all moving so fast?" Helaena found herself asking as she narrowed her eyes, "How..."

"Jasper," Thomas gave the blonde boy a stern look as he stared at the wound.

Helaena wasn't sure why any of this was happening. Looking at what was in her hands and inside the safe. Helaena attempted to push the boy away from her but she couldn't get him to move.

"I'll take this stuff," Thomas's lips were pursed in a thin line as he spoke, "Jasper," His voice was stern as he looked at Helaena, "Maybe I should take her..."

"No, no," Jasper seemed to be fighting the idea of giving her off just as much as he was fighting off the idea of helping her, he really needed to make up his damn mind. 

Helaena felt as Jasper was quick to pick her up and move her in the blink of an eye which caused fear to strike through her. She was right, anything was but normal.

They were moving faster than anything and anyone she had ever seen. Helaena pushed Jasper away from her as she sat in the passenger seat of her own car. Holding the necklace tightly in her hands.

"That was so stupid of you to do," Jasper scolded her as he got into the car, being careful as he drove her back home to the Cullen home.

"Don't lecture me," Helaena snapped at the... what even is he?

"You almost got yourself killed, I could kill you, don't you understand that?" Jasper's words were harsh and venomous as they reached the woman's ears.

"Then why don't you do it," Helaena snapped as she pressed pressure to her side, "You think I haven't noticed how strange everything is? I've done my best not to pry because I want to know about my family and quite frankly you aren't my top priority!"

"You don't understand anything," Jasper's speed was almost maxing out her car, "Whether I am your top priority or not you are mine."

"Oh, and for being your top priority you want to kill me? How lovely you dumb southern ass!" Helaena yelled as she looked angry, "You fucking psycho stalker."

"I'm not a stalker," Jasper found himself snapping back as he turned to look at the girl, not even paying attention to his driving.

"Says you. You know where I am at all times, not to mention, you're almost everywhere I go at school," Helaena looked as if she were erupting in flames as she stared at the man, "Look at the fucking road when driving dumbass."

"Don't use that tone with me, Helaena," Jasper had yet to remove his eyes from the female.

"I don't want to hear it from you," Helaena sneered as they pulled into the Cullen driveway, "I won't go in there."

"You will," Jasper moved in a blur from the driver's seat to opening her door and trying to force her out, "Don't make this a fight, ma'am." 

"Don't give me those fake ass formalities," Helaena wasn't going to move, "I want you to take me home."

"You're injured," was all Jasper spoke as his eyes stayed trained on her wound.

"What? Can't handle blood?" Helaena slipped the necklace into her pocket as she shook her head, "Like I give a damn. I am not moving." 

Helaena was doing her best to make this as difficult on Jasper as she needed to. If he was threatening to kill her, why was he so keen on helping her? He seemed like an entire contradiction and despite how angry he made her, something drew her in.

"Stop making this... difficult," He was struggling, struggling worse than she had ever seen. 

Jasper wasn't going to put his hands on her. She knew that. He was too polite to do that and he seemed to be scared of getting her blood on his hands. Whether it was a fear of blood or if it were something else. Helaena really did not give a damn for an excuse.

Her mind was just settled on the events that had gone down within the old Hermes home. 

"Carlisle!" Jasper wasn't going to fight it and move her, instead getting Carlisle to come out and attempt to help the stubborn girl, "She's injured. Lower abdomen."

"Oh is he actually trying to control himself? How lovely!" Helaena couldn't help but scoff under her breath as she huffed out while Thomas arrived once more.

"Kermit," Thomas scolded her as he seemed unamused by her actions, "Not the time and there's more than you know and this is not how you are going to find out."

"Tommy," Helaena huffed out clearly annoyed as she looked over at him, "We're going to have a word about this later." 

"I'm going to need to help you," Carlisle came out the door of his own home as he looked at the girl, "And I would be appreciative if you'd let me do it inside."

"As long as no one puts their hands on me, I can walk," Helaena looked rather annoyed as she looked at Carlisle.

He seemed opposed to the idea but kept his words to himself as he moved out of her way, "As you wish."

Helaena got herself out of the car and simply dragged herself along. Stopping as she gestured for the older man to lead the way for her while she felt the number of eyes that had settled onto her.  She wasn't deterred by it.

"I don't need an explanation. I don't care about what's happening behind these doors," was all Helaena said as she sat down for Carlisle to begin his work, "But not a word of what has happened tonight will be spoken to my father."

"Helaena," Carlisle sighed as he began to get his medical supplies ready, "Your father deserves to know."

"Then he also deserves to know the fact your son admitted to wanting to kill me as well as being everywhere I have ever been," Helaena looked at him as something in her changed, "One word of this gets to him and I'll make sure that does too."