Prologue
The scents of honeysuckle and elderberries mixed in the air to form an essence so reminiscent of my feelings that I had to wonder if it was contrived. Bittersweet. I will miss my garden the most. Asphodel, Sage, Rosemary, Monkshood. I'll even miss the pesky henbane trying to choke out my mint. I never thought there was a plant even more stubborn than my mint. Not until the thrice cursed feline dragged a pile of half dead henbane into my yard and it took root.
I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore. The land of supermarkets and bagged salad awaits. Speak of the Devil. The cat clawed his way up my legs, all the way up to my shoulder. The beast seems to like it up there. I scratched his ear, enjoying his purr right next to my own 's something intrinsically soothing about having him there. Maybe it's the pack animal in me that craves the companionship of living things.
My scoff was long enough to disturb the cat. He leapt from my shoulder and ran into the house to hide. "Enjoy it while you can, we're leaving tomorrow!" I shouted after him. He yowled back to me. I chuckled to myself even as the sound of crashing glass echoed from the house. My own protests were equally vehement when I was told about the move.
"Alastor McGonagall you have been called to the hall of the Blackthorn to fulfill your oaths and debts to this court." The Blackthorn sat above me on her pedestal with her customary mask of impartiality.
I ground my teeth and glared up at her. "Cut the crap Crone, you told me those debts were for the next Blackthorn to handle. What happened to grieving time?" I folded my arms. She promised. I owe the court for my mistakes but I do not need to have it rubbed in my face while the wounds are still raw. The Blackthorn better have an excellent reason for calling in early.
The matriarch sighed, her mask slipped. "You will take the name Allen. Arrangements have been made for you while you are at school. As for your duties, those will not be disclosed until we are sure you are needed."
Wait what? My duties entail taking guardianship, not attending public school. "Why in the name of all things sacred would I do any of this? I need no schooling. I already have a home! What use do I have doing those things? I am not even going to mention the lack of information about my actual assignments. Why can't you just bring it to me, and I will watch over it. Or are you forcing me into a new role for this assignment as punishment?" I will admit I grew rather snarky by the end.
She slapped her hand down and trapped my gaze with the steely eyes of a woman who has seen death and cruelty in all of its forms, and returned unscathed. The eyes of a leader, a warrior. Maybe it's been too long since she walked among the fae. I have forgotten the reverence she is given. I should know better than to question the Crone of the Blackthorn. I ducked my head in submission.
When she finally spoke her voice was frigid. "Alastor McGonagall, as the Matriarch of your clan, and the Blackthorn to whom you pledged allegiance, I call upon your blood oath to serve. You will protect the land of Washington with every ounce of strength you contain. You will reveal yourself and your purposes to no one, fae nor human. To accomplish this I demand you to attend a human school, feed as a human, live as a human in all aspects possible until your life itself is threatened. So it is said, so it shall be."
That was the end of it. I was not the end of my whinging, but it was the end of the argument. No one ignores a blood oath except to save their life. I pet the angry feline in passing. He hissed and swiped at my hand. That little bit of routine was a comfort. I hope the move isn't too traumatizing for the little monster. He's an abomination but he's mine.
Alice's point of view.
I saw his face before he even found his street. He's kinda handsome for a human. Hair black as pitch hung down to his shoulders and looked soaked as it shadowed his square jaw tipped with the cutest chin I think I've ever seen. Even cuter than Emmett's chin. This newcomer seems to have a penchant for leather too as his pants, boots and belt were all made of the dense material. In fact the only thing on him that wasn't leather was his shirt, composed of some kind of rough linen or something. I'll have to ask him when he comes to school, it looks comfy. "New kid at school tomorrow!" I called out. Technically I don't have to be loud but it's fun to raise my voice sometimes.
Edward's fingers stalled on ivory keys. "Why do you think he's here?" I stuck my tongue out at him, 'I don't know eddy-boy that's your job.' No one else could hear but no one else cares about newcomers. Edward chuckled to me, "I figured that you would be best one to know since you're the only one that's ever seen him." My brother smiled down to me. What would I do without them? Emmett's ability to laugh at anything, Carlisle's patience, Edward's friendship, and Jazz... What would I be if I hadn't woken up without his face to give me purpose? A direction?
Jasper sensed the shift in my focus and ran to wrap me up in his arms. I buried my nose in his neck taking in his scent. Every time, it's like returning home. Honey, Jasmine… It feels like something is missing every time he leaves. Sometimes it feels like something is missing even when he is here.
Eddy says it's nothing. Every time he catches me worrying over Jazz. What would I be if I hadn't woken up with Jasper's face to guide me? He's my soulmate. That should be enough. I've been thinking too much about it. It's nothing.
That's what Eddy tells me everytime he catches me worrying about it. Over Jazz's shoulder I saw he was making that face again. 'Fine I'll leave it alone.'
Allen's point of view
What are they all staring at? Quite obviously it's me. Every eye in town was fixed on my truck the moment I drove into the town proper. That's confusing. It's not as if it stands out from the others in size or quality. If anything the mud stains and rust make it look worse than the others. Maybe it's the plates, I haven't gotten the chance to change them yet. Damn. The American ones are on the table waiting for me. Ugh, I'll probably have to explain that away somehow.
When this is over the Blackthorn and I will have words. I looked over the sheet of instructions left by my predecessor who was courteous enough to leave me a note, rather than gloating over their replacement, this had to be a punishment, though binding me to my oath for it seemed extreme. The main office, where is that? How do I identify one out of the twenty identical buildings? I wasn't left to my confusion long. A young female tapped me on the shoulder. Out of all the girls wearing artificial scents, this one is clean of those fumes. Like a well kept feline in a horde of skunks, this girl stands out pleasantly. "Hey, you look a little lost, would you like some help?" Her accent is strange but the sweetness she exudes leaves me a little more hopeful that this isn't the hell I imagined.
"Yes please, I would love guidance. I am afraid I cannot locate the main building to gather my schedule and such."
Angela, as she later told me while blushing profusely, led me through the process of getting all of my slips, maps, locker combinations and whatever else that woman shoved into my hands. Most of it was shoved into my messenger bag for sorting during the lunch hour. The map and slips stayed out as I was told that every teacher would need to sign them.
My classes were utterly dull, teaching me of sciences that I am proficient in, the biology of living organisms, the structure of a language barely as old as myself, and worst of all was the chemistry class. I had foregone history for a second science class, fearing that I would spend too much time mocking the woefully ignorant teachers for their complete lack of knowledge, but the only science class available was an 'AP chemistry'. It was easy convincing the woman in administration to allow me to take it, but I almost wish I hadn't when I walked into the sterile room.
I handed over my slip, per the norm, and waited for my seating assignment just like everyone else. While waiting for the human to finish their activity, I took a deep breath, testing the air I would be breathing for the next hour. Burning astringents filled my nostrils, chemicals bared to their full potency, but missing the aspect of their original substance, distasteful, but not unpleasant. My brewery smelled similar, perhaps worse to anyone unused to the virile plants I used in my concoctions.
As I grew used to the chemicals, I registered a secondary scent, one so much stronger it should have been immediately noticed. I locked eyes with the vampire, and took another whiff of the air, more deliberate, taunting her with the knowledge that I knew what she was. Honeysuckle, and fresh bread came to mind as I memorized that smell. No perfume could compare. I took my signed slip from the teacher and ignored whatever placement he'd given me.
A scent so tantalizing deserves to be admired by one who can truly savor it. I sat beside the vampire and examined her while I removed my notebook from my bag. Her hair stuck out in all directions, the dark brown accented by the pallid cream of her skin. Hauntingly beautiful, and so perfect that even the humans knew something wasn't right, her body matched her light face, thin to the extreme, and short, her head couldn't reach any higher than my collarbones unless she tried hopping. I pictured the little pixie hopping to reach my height, and couldn't help smiling lazily at the adorable image.
"I am Allen, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." I offered my hand.
She shook it, a confused look on her face, she seemed to be testing the air herself. "Alice Cullen." Little Alice looked down at our still clasped hands, perhaps wondering at the clamminess of my skin, or the cool touch that wasn't quite the same as her own.
I took my hand back, and absently took notes on the class, my eyes on her, "Don't worry Pixie. I don't bite."
She glared at me all through class, watching me carefully for any signs of what I was, I couldn't help but grinning. Nothing about the girl was intimidating, and even worse, she seemed to think she should be. Oh the poor little vampires, all caught up in their self-centered world, they rarely noticed the Fae, and those that did, well they rarely survived to tell the tale. Unlike my brothers and sisters however, I find the curiosity amusing, rather than threatening.
At the end of the hour, I had a full sheet of notes on safety tips on how to tell dangerous chemicals from harmless ones, and different terminology for the various substances that I would summarily ignore for the rest of the year, my nose is the only warning I need. I put away my book and was amused to find the Pixie escorting me into the cafeteria. The amusement faded as the doors opened and I was attacked by the rancid smells. Overcooked meat, stale bread, vegetables that were far from fresh, smelling more like an operation room than the freshly picked greens I had grown used to. I gagged, holding back vomit. The scents were overwhelming, thrusting themselves upon me like some undesired suitor.
"Allen? Allen are you okay?" Alice waved her hand in front of my face, and I ignored all manners, grabbing her wrist and pulling it to my nose as I took deep calming breaths. Slowly, my stomach stopped twisting itself into knots, and I released her hand.
"Apologies, I don't think I feel like eating." I turned and left the building, heading outside where the stench of such ill-treated food wouldn't affect me as strongly. I pulled my thermos from my bag and downed half of it in one go, the cool pond water soothing my stomach. "Disgusting." I muttered, trying not to think of that cafeteria again.
"What's disgusting? And there's something in your hair." I hadn't realized it, but Alice had sat across from me in the grass, watching me. Curiosity burned in her eyes and I fought off another smirk, it must be killing her.
I ignored the hair comment, the tiny strands of moss and algae were as connected to me as the band around my wrist symbolizing my oath. "Curiosity killed the cat you know," I informed her, stowing my thermos, I hadn't expected to need it so soon, I would have to be more careful.
She giggled, getting the second end of the joke, "Well satisfaction brought it back."
Cute little vampire, I'd have to watch myself if she ever became a threat. "Mmmn, I think it would take a lot more than answers to bring you back my little Pixie."
She wrinkled her nose, "Oh come on, just one answer? Two?"
I chuckled, "You wouldn't understand, food has no draw for you at all… Or perhaps you would." I tilted my head, noticing her butterscotch eyes, "That… Massacre in there is as repulsive to me, as eating animals must have been to you in the beginning. I should have known to bring my own lunch."
Her eyebrows furrowed, and she opened her mouth to ask me a question, thought better of it, and a little smirk danced on her face as she asked, "And what would you have brought to lunch."
I shrugged, thinking nothing of the question, "Fresh food from my garden, I try to be self-sustaining, though I will have to stock my larder eventually."
"Larder?" She wrinkled her nose again, looking me over. "If you're so self sustaining, where did you get all the leather?" The lack of segue had me thrown, but so far she hadn't asked anything dangerous, so I answered her squirrel-like questions.
"I killed the animals, skinned, tanned, and dyed it all myself. I had a friend take care of the sewing, she's far more concerned with the cut of my clothes than I am."
"What about this, I thought you weren't supposed to get leather wet?" She reached over to touch my bracer.
I ripped my arm away faster than she could see and stood up, my heart pounding in my chest, "Don't ever do that again Alice." I snapped, my body shaking with rage as I stalked away. I knew I had no right to be angry at her, it was sheer ignorance that caused her actions, but with my life bound to the secrecy of this place, I couldn't let her get that close again.
I made sure Alice was not in any of my other classes, but I found the scent of many vampires criss-crossing the grounds as I walked to each class, and I couldn't help but find it an amusing diversion, I may not be able to reveal myself, but I can certainly play with them. I walked into my math class, got my slip signed, and yet again sat down by the vampire. Another female, but blonde this time, a glorious tribute to humanity. Her golden hair cascading down strong shoulders that spoke of independence, leading the eye from her perfect waist down to legs that never seemed to end. I looked up into amber eyes and allowed a hum of approval, "There is one thing I shall say for your kind," I took a deep breath, savoring the smell of pine, and sunlight, "Your appearance never disappoints." I murmured, too low for others to hear.
She leveled me with a sneer, "Pig."
I laughed, drawing attention from my peers who were waiting for class to start, "It was only a compliment." Her snippy remark reminded me of my cat, hissing at anything that moved, and yet still attaining the look of a truly graceful creature.
"That's just Rosalie Cullen." A girl on my other side commented, a pretty little morsel, but nothing like the vampire, she was attractive, but she reeked of raw chemicals. "She'll bite your head off for just looking at you wrong."
I smiled and took the girl's hand, kissing the knuckles, "And will you also attack me for my admiration?"
She blushed, "N-no, I'm uhh, I'm Jessica." She stammered.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Jessica." I released her hand slowly, hiding my amusement. Two sentences and the girl was smitten, jealous looks thrown at her from all corners of the room, I had forgotten how fun it is to play with humans.
"Th-the uh, the same." She nodded, staring at me with wide eyes, her heart pounding in her chest.
Behind me, Rosalie muttered, "Pathetic." No one else heard her, and I couldn't help but agree, if all the humans are so easily manipulated, it is going to be a very boring time here.
"She can't help it." I murmured just as low, smiling as Rosalie whipped her head around to glare at me, "She is only human." I had to hold back laughter at the vampire's fury. She couldn't insult me without defending the human for whom she obviously held no regard, and she was trapped by the same humans, unable to attack me without drawing attention. I could smell her rage like a fine wine, intoxicating. Sitting in that classroom, savoring her anger, I decided Alice was an amusement, and the glorious Rosalie is nothing short of captivating.