A/N: This is the 2nd installment of my Breaking Dawn continuation story. The first book is called Fire and Ice for those who are interested in reading it before starting this one!
~ Book Two ~
Heaven & Earth
Surviving death always comes with a price. For some it's the realization that you were so close to its icy fingers but slipped through only to be left wondering if it should have been your time. For others it's the loss of someone who got taken instead, the plight of grief and the eager fingers of despair that tangle you up in knots. I'm left wondering which price is mine to pay. It should have been an uncomplicated little hiking trip through a normal forest. Really, a town with the simple name of Forks should have been ordinary and yet I have to question the events that led us here to this not so ordinary fate. To figure out exactly what the catalyst was I would have to go back more than a few pages in this beaten little notebook – back to the night my sister, Piper had a dream. She'd called it a vision even though she wasn't prone to such things. Her powers lay in a very different, more earthen area of the craft's spectrum. She could shift into any living creature in existence and so it was impossible for me and our mutual sibling to take her seriously but then we always did have to take Piper with a grain of salt. Tristan had been the first to agree to go to the little meadow Piper had seen in her dreams where our supposed destiny awaited. It was supposed to be a fun way for us to celebrate the solstice, to honour the goddess with an idiotic trek through the foggy woods to a place that may or may not exist and for me it would hopefully be just the excuse I wished for to honour our parents. Thinking back now I realize we should have simply stayed to celebrate with the coven in the tiny area of Central Park that the city of New York graciously allowed us but I figured what the hell – we had braved the womb together, the death of our parents and our ascension to power; How hard could a little road trip be? I could bore myself to tears writing about the weather on the trip down, the hike that had left us all agitated and bickering or the replay of what Piper had really seen but instead I think I'll get straight to the point. Death came for us that night. It came in the form of a snarling, crazed being that we'd thought only existed within the realm of ridiculous late night horror movies – a vampire. It wasn't the cuddly, dry-witted Dracula version that one might see in a movie but an animalistic humanoid with rock hard flesh and eyes so thirsty red they were like depthless pools of blood. Even my power to use the elements hadn't been able to hold it for long but of course the damage had already been done – It had killed our beloved Tristan with one rabid bite. Or at least that's what I thought as I watched the light go out of his impossibly blue eyes and heard his last breath escape. I remember the anger boiling up like volcanic ash and the sting of electricity as I called a lightning bolt down from the cloudy skies. It had shot though my fingertips like liquid zapping the creature incapacitated to the ground before he could finish feeding on what was left of the third piece of me. Through the haze of the white hot current and my own seething fury I had seen an angel tearing through the trees. His beauty was such that at the time I had thought I too had died and this tall, unfeasibly blond man with eyes made of ocean water and spun gold was coming to take me to my parents. Then hell's hound broke through the brush quaking with a barely sustained howl. He was far too large to be a regular wolf and I had figured it was clearly judgement time for me. Both heaven and hell obviously wanted my soul. In my head I began to tally up all my sins along with all the old ladies I'd helped across the street, lost wallets I'd returned and favours I'd done for people I otherwise wouldn't give a crap about. Confusion settled in when Piper decided it was a good time to shift into the more feline form of a jaguar, her personal favourite, and attack the hound from hell. With one swipe she had torn through its flesh; her claws digging in with a ripping noise so sickening it had stopped me cold. I'm ashamed to say that my control completely wavered then and the electric bolt that had held the menacing creature writhing in a jolty cage broke. I was in far too much shock, or at least that's what I'm going to tell myself and anyone who asks, to brace myself for the impact of what felt like frozen rock knocking me to the ground. So, it hadn't killed me after all–yet. It was impossibly strong, taking up all my energy and strength just to keep it from getting a good chomp of my very human flesh. My arms had come up uselessly in defence but the creature was winning, leaning over me the same way he had leaned over Tristan, preparing to bite. It had been merely inches away from sinking its teeth into my arm when the angel floated into my view seemingly flying through the air. He tackled the vampire and with a strength that was obviously more than equal and sent them both rolling over the ground. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that my saviour was no more angelic than me and I instantly noticed the similarities between the two contenders. What happened next will live in the very deepest, darkest part of my soul for the rest of my life and possibly carry over into the next. It was a simple thing really, just a scream, from a dead man. I guess anyone reading this might not get the hint of sarcasm embedded in the word "simple" as it was far from that. Tristan was dead. Hadn't I seen him die with my own eyes, held his limp hand in my own as I tried unsuccessfully to staunch the blood flow?
Apparently not.
I knew without looking that Piper had heard it too or, rather, felt it; such was the usual way with triplets as closely bonded as we were. I had felt the life go out of my brother and yet there he was writhing and shrieking like a crazed animal. As if the night could get any more insane the wolf suddenly shifted into the form of a man, naked and recoiling as Piper had become suddenly distracted by the dead man rising. He was just a boy really with the lanky build of a teenager, a really big teenager and he was covered in his own blood; a gift from Piper the not-so-observant. The unlikely pair had obviously come to help when they'd heard our screams but Piper had seen them as the enemy coming to aid the first monster to darken our little camp-out. I guess that settles the sibling rivalry over whose powers of deductive reasoning are stronger. As I look back I wonder how so much can happen in such a small span of time, how confusing it was to watch the man I'd thought to be an angel ripping chunks out of the creature that had attacked us, his utter strength as he swiftly ripped the head clean off its body. In mere moments the monster was reduced to pieces that were quickly thrown into the fire we'd only minutes before been roasting marshmallows over.
Note to self: never eat marshmallows again.
The boy who had been a wolf was up and moving despite the deep wounds that surprisingly seemed to be closing before my eyes. He'd hauled on a tattered pair of cut offs from a bag that had been tied to his ankle; a strange but enterprising way to get around if you weren't magically inclined like Piper. Wolf-boy had asked angel-man what they were going to do with Tristan as if he were merely an inconvenience. I only remember hearing a name through the sounds of crackling fire and the stench of burning vampire parts-Carlisle. Sitting here now in this giant beast of a house I now know why the name had been spoken in such reverent and respectful tones. Had it not been for a chance encounter with a family of unlikely beings we all would have been lost. The confusion of that awful night is now at least somewhat behind us and we must now face the fate that Piper's vision has brought us to contend with. Maybe we were brought here for a reason, perhaps it was a hand reaching out from behind the veil to guide us but I'm not going to hold my breath even with what I know now. So you see, death always comes with a price and Tristan's is going to cost us dearly.
Aurora Cavanaugh sat in the high backed chair that was far comfier than it looked and closed her notebook with a snap. Sure, it would be easier and much more prudent to create a journal log on her laptop or even use a blog to center her thoughts as so many others did but Aurora was a private person with very old fashioned views on the subject of the written word. She believed, as any good writer did that there was a power in the scrawl of a word. No matter how hard you tried to erase it from the page there were always scratches and remnants left behind. She leaned back in the chair closing her eyes and thinking about how applicable that was to the situation they'd faced that night as Phoenix, the man formerly known as the angel and Seth the not so teenage wolf had carried Tristan through the woods while he bellowed and screamed. Only one coherent sentence had escaped his lips intermitted between the ungodly howls.
"Kill me"
It was easy for Aurora to slip back into the memory of that dark night. She had a very straightforward way of thinking and was constantly going over and over the events in her life to try and make linear sense of them. Sure, it was true that the story would end the same but the little moments in between were crucial to her logical train of thought. She remembered with perfect clarity her first meeting with the Cullen family. Before they'd even arrived at the mansion in the woods there was a crew of them, wolves and vampires alike, standing outside in the front driveway as if they were expecting them. The one Phoenix had called Carlisle had stepped up first taking Tristan swiftly and carrying him toward the house.
"How long?" he asked in a voice that would put seraphs to shame. He was beautiful and from the quick survey Aurora had taken it seemed more like a house full of supernatural models. They all had the same unearthly pale skin, the same golden eyes and impossibly graceful movements.
"I'm not sure. Maybe twenty minutes" Phoenix replied following along. Seth had gone back to wolf form and was currently surrounded by several others with various colours of fur. As odd as it was they seemed to be talking to be having some sort of meeting. "I destroyed it but I can't tell if there were others with him" Aurora desperately tried to keep up as they entered the bowels of the white and airy house.
"Damn, it seems were going to be too late" too late. The words echoed over and over in Aurora's ears. "Emmett, Edward go check the perimeter" Carlisle commanded and had Aurora whirling to see who he had been talking to. When through the open door she saw two of them leave even though they couldn't have possibly have heard him Aurora began to feel a little out of sorts. Maybe this was a nightmare after all, just a very vivid dream and she would soon awaken to the smell of freshly perked coffee in her New York loft.
"What the hell is going on here?" she heard herself yell exasperatedly through the roaring in her ears. Silence settled momentarily as Carlisle turned with Tristan screeching in his arms and looked at her with a pained but sympathetic expression.
"Please, just let me help him" he quietly implored and Aurora felt the hysteria bubbling up.
"...but he's dead. How can you help him now? He's dead. I saw him die" she cried frantically trying to make sense of a situation that had taken them all completely by surprise.
"Jasper" Carlisle practically whispered and as if he'd been there all along a tall man with eyes so beautifully pale and hair the color of burnt straw was beside her. Where had he come from? Aurora instantly began to feel calmer, lightheaded, almost as if she'd had a little too much wine. Carlisle's face seemed even more angelic than before "I can help him but you have to let me" Aurora nodded faintly and focused on Carlisle's kind eyes. She felt in that moment that he would fix it, he could fix anything, or maybe it was just the dizziness.
"Bella" Jasper spoke calmly and before she knew it a woman who appeared to be about their age came over and led Aurora to an impossibly white sofa. She was beautiful but not in the traditional sense. With her long, chestnut hair waving to fall just past shoulders covered with a simple navy hoodie Bella looked almost out of place amongst the crew of perfectly dressed statues. If it wasn't for the color of her skin and the lovely sparkling wheat color of her eyes Aurora would have thought she was different. A much shorter girl dressed from head to tippy toe in designer clothing gently brought Piper over to sit beside her sister on the vast sectional sofa. A lovely woman entered the perfectly designed room so elegantly Aurora decided that she must have simply floated into the room. In her hand she carried a silver tray with two steaming china cups and a plate heaping with an assortment of finger foods. It reminded her that she had yet to eat anything since lunch and her stomach was still far too tied up in knots to consider eating. Jasper reached out to take the tray and it was only then that Aurora realized he had stayed beside her.
"Thank you Esme" he said and laid the laden tray down on the coffee table that looked as if it had recently been restored from a former antiquity. Aurora felt Piper's wracking sobs and as she laid her head upon her sister's shoulder the grief began to surface. There were so many questions swirling around in her mind, so many things that she needed to know, and seemingly no answers in sight. Aurora felt a hand gently stroking her back and when she looked up she saw Esme looking back with eyes that were so shockingly full of tenderness. She looked so motherly and yet it couldn't be possible for any of these people to be her children; could it? Esme looked far too young to be the matriarch of the family and yet she seemed to simply exude loving authority.
"Is my brother going to be okay?" Aurora asked but there was no response. Nearly everyone in the room had averted their gaze to someplace else, all except for Esme who sent her a strained smile.
"It's best if we wait for Carlisle. He will explain your brother's condition"
"His condition" Piper repeated finally turning her eyes up from the intense stare off she had going with her feet. "What does that mean? Why will nobody tell us what the hell is going on?"
"Why don't you have some tea, honey, while we wait for Carlisle?" Esme smiled kindly at the girl desperately trying to control her weeping and began to stir a lump of sugar into one of the cups. Aurora fixed her stare on the door where Carlisle and Phoenix had taken Tristan as if willing it to open. When the click of a door closing sounded she looked hopefully at the still closed door, sighed in defeat and leaned back into the comfort of the pillows. Edward and Emmett came up over the stairs and entered the quiet room solemnly. It was impossible for them to have properly checked the spot where Tristan had been attacked. It was at least a half hour away on foot and they'd returned in less than half that time.
"Did you find anything?" Bella said and glided over to Edward. With a strained expression he pulled her into an embrace so loving it nearly stole the breath from Aurora's lungs. They were a unit, so much a team that it would be obvious to even the very dense of individuals. When Aurora looked around she saw that most of them were coupled in much the same manner. Even though Jasper was sitting across the room, the dark haired, designer pixie had her eyes locked on him with the same infatuated expression he wore. Huge and menacing Emmett had immediately gone to the blond woman standing over by the fireplace. With one perfectly manicured hand she touched his cheek and oceans of understanding seemed to pass between them with only that simple touch. Relationships had always been something Aurora enjoyed studying for purely research related reasons, or, at least that's what she told herself. She was a writer by trade, a witch by heritage and a woman by nature. The woman in her very much longed to someday have a relationship with the same intensity that was obvious with so many of these people. Aurora looked back at Edward searching for answers in his melancholic visage since he seemed to be silently relaying the information to those around the room. It was apparent from the way that others about the room nodded ever so slightly that he must be able to push his thoughts silently outward. She wondered idly if he could also hear what she was thinking.
"Sorry Aurora. Where are my manners?" he said as if to answer her unspoken question and it became suddenly clear that he was a mind pusher like her father had been. She wondered if Piper, in her hysterical state, noticed it as well. "We found the spot of the...well, attack and there was no evidence to suggest that there were others. It may have simply been an isolated incident" he looked around the room as if searching the thoughts of the others. There was something else that he clearly wasn't relaying. Before she had a chance to even ask the wooden door opened and the angel stepped in. He was lovely to look at. His hair was so light it was practically white and styled in a series of spikes jutting out all over his head. He looked like something out of the anime movies she and Tristan usually watched together with his eyes glowing madly in their sockets. Their irises were the brightest shade of aquamarine she'd ever seen; so striking with the gold rims that surrounded them. He was tall and lanky but in a defined way that spoke of constant training. He looked straight at her as soon as the door was closed behind him but not before Tristan's howls echoed out through the doorway. It was a comfort, at least, to know that he was still alive. Or maybe he wasn't. It was all so confusing and yet so abundantly clear.
"Carlisle asked for you guys to come down" Phoenix relayed solemnly and gestured towards Emmett and one other large man. They were clearly the biggest of the group most likely the brute force of this strange family.
"You coming, Talan?" Emmett asked almost glaring over in the direction of the man standing next to another gorgeous blond and a dark haired pixie that looked eerily alike. Upon first glance one would not notice the reason for Emmett's obvious disdain but to a keen observer it was clear that Talan and the blond were involved. Their body language coupled with the way they looked at each other made it plain to Aurora that they were having what they thought of as a clandestine fling. She thought to herself that a man like Emmett would not be one to trifle with even if you were matched in size. It simply wasn't possible for him to be jealous of Talan's relationship with the girl. He'd been far too wrapped up in the blond bombshell for that. His concern seemed almost fatherly which was strange since he was only maybe a few years older than the girl. Brother maybe? Aurora needed to shut her mind down. She was getting overloaded with the tone of all the different ways these people related to one another. Focusing her attention on Phoenix seemed to slow things down a fraction and she watched as he whispered something to the two men in a voice so low it was nearly silent. As soon as the door closed again Piper suddenly snapped to attention, standing up and stalking over to the doorway. Her forward momentum was quickly stopped by the boy from the woods. Seth stepped in from the hallway and Piper, too wrapped up in her tantrum to notice collided with him. He helped her to right herself and Aurora watched as Piper brushed his hands off and went to stand toe to toe with Phoenix who was still at the doorway. He'd been watching her too.
"I want to see my brother. Let me through" Piper commanded defiantly. Phoenix put both hands up and Jasper seemed to be there in a blink soothing her instantly with his presence. Aurora was far too numb with worry to let anger take over. Carlisle had given his word that he would help and she believed that he would do whatever he could. There simply wasn't anything left to do but wait.
"Carlisle will be up shortly to explain" Phoenix said as Piper went back to her quiet weeping and allowed Jasper to help her back to the couch.
"Explain" Aurora echoed as if the word held a wealth of meaning. Something was clearly strange about this whole situation, the people and this place but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. "It's obvious that something strange is going on here. This one, Edward, you're a mind reader aren't you?" she watched the expressions in the room go from solemn to deference in a breath. Without waiting for a response she continued "Jasper, you alter emotions and you...you all have the same skin color, the same eyes but that can't be possible. You're a family and yet that too is impossible; you all look the same age"
"Well I guess it isn't going to be hard to explain after all" Seth interrupted with a wry grin. Aurora's glaring eyes whipped over to the young, lanky boy standing with his arms crossed beside Phoenix.
"Seth, you can shift just like Piper. You all can" Aurora rose and motioned towards the group of copper skinned men and the one woman who stood together as if they were their own separate clan. "I'm not altogether sure yet if you have a talent, Phoenix" she nodded toward the doorway where Phoenix stood smiling oddly at her.
"Well it's not every day I come across a person who can shoot lightning from her fingertips" he shot back a little sarcastically. "So I guess we all have some explaining to do now don't we" She wanted to wipe that smug little smile off his face, to say something so brilliant in return that he would slink away to lick his wounds but before she could open her mouth Carlisle came through the door. He had changed his bloodstained formal clothes for a more casual button up shirt and khaki coloured casual pants.
"I see the speculation has begun" he said shooting a look at Phoenix that erased the smirk from his lips. Clearly, this man was the leader and it wasn't hard to see why. "I don't believe it's necessary for all of us to be here right now. I'm sure you can all find something more constructive to do with your time" The veiled command was instantly obeyed by most. Jasper stayed behind as well as Edward and the little, dark haired fashion maven. Esme remained perched on the little coffee table while Bella and the impossibly gorgeous blond stood together by the fireplace. It was clear that they were the core unit of the family. Phoenix lingered by the stairs looking over at her strangely before turning to climb. There seemed to be a huddle going on amongst the pack of wolf-men and woman and it seemed to be decided that Seth would be the one to represent them. It was a little odd and if Aurora remembered her anthropology classes correctly there was most always an Alpha wolf and yet neither of them seemed to hold that power. Seth strode over to sit on the arm of the couch crossing his arms over his chest with a painful wince. His brown t-shirt was crusted with dried blood and Aurora wondered why nobody, especially the doctor hadn't given him stitches or at least a bandage. Carlisle sat in the armchair before them and his face was familiar somehow. The expression reminded her of the doctor who'd stood in a hospital corridor and told them that their parents were gone. She had the distinct impression he was about to use the usual clichéd platitudes. Aurora watched his every movement, the tense way he laid his hands on the arms of the chair, the twitch of his mouth and the flicker of regret in his eyes.
"Would you prefer the good news or the bad news first?" he asked calmly and almost completely directed at her. Piper was obviously far too upset to deal with anything, let alone this.
"I've discovered bad news tends to go down easier when you still have the good news to look forward to" Aurora stated in a clear voice that belied the fact that she was holding her breath.
"There was nothing I could do to save your brother. He's gone. I am very sorry that I didn't get to him sooner" Carlisle's revelation sent Piper into convulsions. Her desperate moans were the only noises in the relative quiet of the room. Aurora sighed deeply. Though she had known what he was about to say it still felt like a knife to the heart that had already been broken.
"and the good news?" she questioned and saw Jasper lay a hand on Piper's shoulder. It was unclear as to whether the gesture was meant to soothe or restrain.
"Surely you must have some idea of what attacked your brother" Carlisle began and Aurora suddenly remembered the frantic trek through the woods and the one whispered word that passed between Phoenix and Seth. Though it seemed utterly ridiculous it was the only thing that made sense.
"Vampire" she whispered blowing out a breath. It was intense, the pressure building in her chest was enormous and Aurora just waited for the laughter to start. When there was only silence she looked around the room at the sympathetic faces of Esme and Bella, the barely contained smirk from the little dark haired girl and Jasper's thin frown.
"I don't understand. Tristan was bitten by a vampire?" she questioned. Her eyes were focused only on Carlisle's face, her lips set in a thin frown.
"It would seem to be the case" Carlisle responded in a sympathetic voice. "I know this is a lot to take in one night but it is good news. Tristan will still be alive in the most literal of ways although, he will no longer be human. He will become like the creature that bit him; a vampire"
"He'll be a monster?" Piper's voice was whispery and raw from sobbing. She was furious now, completely bewildered by the entire situation.
"That'll be up to him" Carlisle replied quietly. "If it's his choice we can teach him to ignore his more feral instincts in lieu of a more earthen diet" It all began to make sense to Aurora now. Carlisle and the others were vampires. In many ways they were similar to the creature that had bitten Tristan and yet so different. Clearly, it had been their choice to turn away from the lures of human blood.
"Vampires that drink the blood of animals, teenage boys that can shift into dire wolves; it's all a little much to swallow for one night" Aurora sighed softly and swallowed back the tears that threatened to spill. Shock was beginning to give way to grief and she didn't relish the sensation.
"Yeah well I hardly expected to come across a girl who can call a lightning bolt straight out of the sky and shoot it from her fingers. You lit up like a fucking Christmas tree and yet you don't have a mark on you. Maybe this is all just a clever enemy plot" Phoenix appeared with arms crossed over his chest and a sneer at the base of the stairs as if he'd been there all along. The idiot must have been listening at the top of the stairs.
"Let's please not forget panther lady over there. I certainly wasn't expecting to get reamed by a big cat tonight" Seth added clutching his chest with a wince. Piper laid her head in her hands and shook it violently from side to side. With that, Aurora decided anger was a much easier emotion than grief and shot up out of her seat. She tore off towards the angelic looking man she now knew with absolute certainty was a vampire. Angrily she poked a finger into his rock hard chest.
"You think were the enemy? That's a fucking riot. Really I'm laughing on the inside. It was your kind that killed our brother and you think we were somehow involved" The low rumble of thunder sounded off in the distance and Aurora could feel the life of the storm raging inside her. Fury was bringing her energy back and if vampire-angel boy didn't let up she would probably bring the house down around them.
"How do we know you aren't with the Brethren?"
"Who the hell are the Brethren?" Aurora waved her arms wildly and the wind began to pound against the windows violently shaking the trees in the yard. Lightning burst in a chain of electricity that lit up the dim room.
"Like you don't know"
"Phoenix, stop it" Esme cried from behind her but Aurora's attention was too focused on the irritated, obviously insane man. He towered over her in height but she stood toe to toe with him, unwilling to back down.
"No, I don't know and I'm starting to think you might be this family's resident jerk. We were attacked, lost a brothertonight and you want to blame it on us; are you really that cold?" She yelled gesturing towards a hysterical Piper. "Have you no soul?" That one question seemed to stop him in his tracks and with a frown he turned his gaze to the weeping girl wedged between Esme and Jasper. Bella stood behind her stroking the girl's hair. Seth sat on the arm of the couch shooting him a look of bewildered shock. Perhaps he had misread the situation but Phoenix refused to completely believe their story just yet. He would back down for now but if he discovered that they were a part of this insanity than there would be some serious hell to pay.
" I suppose I have no choice but to believe you for now but you've got to give us some answers. How is it that you can do that" he pointed out the window to the storm that had seemingly come from nowhere. Thunder and wind rained down shaking the walls while lightning continued to flash against the windows. Aurora struggled to calm herself down and as her breathing slowed so did the wind. When the flash in her eyes died down Phoenix saw a lightning bolt flicker out in mid air and the thunder sounded distant once more. As perplexed and wary as he was by this petite girl he couldn't help but find himself intrigued by her obvious gifts. He wondered idly what would happen if he combined his gift with her obvious talents.
"If I must label what we are I guess I would have to say that we're witches"
"Witches?" Phoenix snickered and ran a hand through his impossibly pale hair. When he looked up again his eyes were glittering with a humour that made Aurora want to call another lightning bolt just to show him what she could do. Exhausted and more than a little upset by the night's events she sighed dejectedly.
"Children of the craft, wiccan, warlock, whatever you want to call us; we were gifted with powers. Some believe the abilities come from a higher power and others, like me think it's simply genetics. Our parents were gifted as well and their parents before them; we come from a long line of hereditary witches dating back to Columbus and the pilgrims" All eyes had turned to her and Aurora suddenly felt uneasy giving up their secrets to people who were for all intents and purposes strangers. Of course it was unavoidable considering the situation. Carlisle stood and in his eyes Aurora saw fascination budding. He was clearly trying to quell his obvious curiosity; unsuccessfully.
"What a very intriguing turn of events" he said not quite able to hide the smile in his eyes. "May I ask what your individual gifts are specifically?"
"I guess it can't hurt to tell you. I have what we call elemental control. Piper can shift into any living creature and Tristan, well, Tristan's ability is fire; he's...was a flamethrower" Aurora corrected herself. Carlisle nodded slightly.
"Well I guess that explains the burnt door downstairs. I'm having Talan and Emmett watch over him in case he tries to do it again. His abilities will be out of whack for a little while"
"How long will he need to be watched for?" Aurora asked and looked over to see that Piper had fallen asleep nestled against Esme. She needed the answers but now she had to figure out what they were going to do in the meantime.
"It'll be a few days before the change is complete and even then you won't be able to be around him without constant supervision from one of us. You must understand that when he awakes the only thing he'll want is to feed. We'll have to take him hunting and he will have to learn to live on the blood of animals. The process can be lengthy"
"Not always" Edward interrupted stroking Bella's arm affectionately.
"No, but we all know Bella was a bit of a special case. She was completely prepared for the change and her ability helped her to control the bloodlust. Unfortunately, Tristan will not know what is happening to him and he definitely won't have the same control"
"Trust me it's a lot harder than it looks" Jasper interjected coming to stand beside Carlisle. "It does get easier with time. Perhaps the fact that he has never tasted human blood will help?"
"Perhaps" Carlisle replied quietly "We'll just have to wait and see"
"Is there a hotel nearby, somewhere we could stay? Piper and I will want to stay here in Forks until he's deemed capable to resume his normal life" Aurora watched the sea of faces in the room turn grim.
"He can never go back to his normal life, Aurora" Phoenix murmured quietly behind her and she whirled to face him once more. His eyes were drawn, his lips set in a hard line and for the first time Aurora saw a little sympathy reflected in his facade. "It has to be as if he died; at least to the human world"
"Phoenix is correct. I'm very sorry" Carlisle's voice sounded far away and Aurora simply felt too drained to argue or express the outrage. Why was this happening to them?
"We won't abandon him" She said firmly and glanced around the room. Esme looked up to meet her gaze and with a nod to Seth gently shifted Piper so that he could lift her. His huge arms came around her and raised her up as if she were light as a feather.
"Follow me. You can both stay here for tonight. We'll figure the rest out in the morning" Esme shot a chastising look at her husband. Aurora watched as Seth began to carry her sister up the stairs.
"Before we go I have one more question. Who the hell are the Brethren?"