RISING MIDNIGHT
CHAPTER 1: PREFACE
Scarlet bounded from the trees, landing on the ground with a thud. She jumped up, darting precariously between the branches. She could hear
the footsteps of her brother coming closer and closer. His breathing coming louder and louder. She felt a hand grasp her shoulder and hastily
pull her up into the treetops. Scarlet fought back, but the grasper pinned her down. "Calm down! It's only me!" He yowled. Scarlet opened her
eyes and peered closer through the darkness of night. "James! Thank goodness it's only you! I thought you were Edward!" She shrieked, relief
flooding her. Scarlet had joined The Nomads a while back, about when she was 17 maybe… She was the youngest of the Cullen's, and was
always taken for granted. She wasn't the strongest, she would admit to that, but she was still pretty strong, she was the fastest however,
being able to outrun her whole family. Once Scarlet decided to leave and join The Nomads, she realized that she had deeper feelings for James,
the leader. Love. She loved James, and she had liked him since she had first joined them. She was 16 now, becoming stronger day by day,
working alongside The Nomads. It seemed whenever Scarlet was ever in a fix, James was there to back her up, and she didn't truly mind.
James extended his hand toward Scarlet. Scarlet looked at his hand and then back at him, his beautiful hazel eyes, making her melt on the
inside. He smiled. Scarlet could feel her cheeks turning red. She returned her gaze to his hand for a brief moment. "Come on. I won't bite." He
said, smiling, baring his perfect teeth. Scarlet grasped his hand and he swung her on his back, and she grasped his shoulders. She blushed
hard as his hand brushed hers. "We have to get back to the hideout fast, and you aren't the strongest when it comes to comparison, I don't
want Edward finding us." James said, explaining. Scarlet gave a brief nod hiding her face in his long silky hair. She blushed again. James lunged
from the branch of the treetop, bounding back and forth until they were at last on the rooftop of the hideout. The hideout was nothing more
than an abandon warehouse, the walls being made of mirror glass. A few remnants lied around the warehouse, such as chairs or tables. Mainly
the warehouse consisted of burnt patches where The Nomads occasionally had their bonfires. James bounded through the window that was
set on the rooftop and landing softly on the cement floor. He put Scarlet down and set up the few chairs that lied around the room into a circle.
Suddenly, two more people appeared through the window of the ceiling. It was Laurent and Victoria. "Yes, James?" Laurent spoke in his deep
and sophisticated voice. James gave a half smile and walked behind Scarlet, grasping her shoulders and walking her to a chair, and sat her
down. He gestured the others to sit as well, as he took a seat across from her. "We must get the Cullen's off our back." James said, once
everyone was situated. "Their main goal is her." He said, tilting his head in Scarlet's direction. Scarlet put her head down. He was right. Her
family wanted her back home. Thinking that it was The Nomads who 'captured' her instead of realizing it was her own choice to be here. "Well,
what do we do?" Victoria spoke up." James gave a plotting smile. "We kill them." He said, baring his perfect teeth once again. Scarlet gave a
gasp, but cut it short, when the others looked her way. James gave a half smile. "Scarlet, we need our help, do it for us." He said leaning closer
toward her ear. "Do it for me…" He whispered softly, friendly, it sounded. Scarlet held her breath. "Alright…" She whispered… James smiled and
leaned back against his chair. He looked at Victoria and Laurent and flashed a look at them both, signaling something she couldn't decipher.
"Come on… The night is still earl. While we have a chance…" James said, standing up, clenching his fists. Scarlet stood up and followed the
others out and to the rooftop. She lunged off the rooftop and into the treetops, bounding to and from each tree, following behind the other
Nomads. She dropped to the ground floor and took off running, becoming nothing but a faint blur at her speed. She saw James and the others
stopped up ahead and stopped her herself. "What is it? Why are we stopped?" She asked, looking around, in case of upcoming danger. The air
was still, and everything around was silent. She kept looking around and knew why the others had stopped. There was something wrong.
Suddenly, someone barreled into James, knocking him over and into the dirt. The attacker looked up toward Scarlet. "Edward!" She shrieked.
James lunged at Edward, knocking him over as well, the two fought, tumbling over and over. Laurent and Victoria lunged after them. Scarlet
stood in the clearing, alone… Still in a state of shock. She heard a voice. "Scarlet…" It was a friendly voice, welcoming almost. She turned
around in all directions. The voice sounded again. "Scarlet." It was even friendlier that before. She found the source of the voice resting in one
of the larger branches from the treetops. "Carlisle?" She said, bounding toward him. "Scarlet, why join the Nomads? The Cullen's want you to
come home." Scarlet pushed away from Carlisle and shut her eyes tight. "I belong with the Nomads…" She whispered. "Do you really?" He said,
in a questioning voice, knowing that Scarlet was lying. "Yes, I do." She heard Carlisle give a sigh and finally he spoke up. "Is it the Nomads you
belong with? Or is it James?" He said turning around and disappearing up through the trees. Scarlet shut her eyes tighter. "I belong with the
Nomads…" She said, denying what he had said. Suddenly a hand brushed her shoulder. Scarlet whipped around in fright and let out a breath of
relief when she saw who it was. "James… You startled me." She said, letting relief flood her. James gave a smile and walked around her deeper
into the forest. "Come on." He said. Waving his hand in follow. Scarlet caught up with him and walked alongside him. The air was still quiet,
allowing everything to be quiet as well. Only the sound of crushed leaves under her feet were heard. "What… Happened to Edward?" she
asked, trying not to sound too intrigued. James smiled, "Carlisle came and took him away…" He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. Scarlet
nodded in understanding, looking away from James' bewildering eyes. She could tell that he was smiling which made her blush. She put her
head down, letting her hair fall and cover her face. She felt James's cold hand, brush her cheek and tuck her hair behind ear. Scarlet looked up.
James smiled. Scarlet felt her cheeks turning red and she blushed hard. She put her head down again. She did love James… And she didn't
know if he loved her back… Scarlet fought to keep her head down. She wanted to look up at James just once and into his deep hazel eyes. She
heard his soft voice speak, "I'm going hunting." Scarlet caught Victoria's eye, she watched her rise up. "You should have someone to go with
you, James. It's too dangerous with the Cullen's still out there." James narrowed his eyes at his partners and turned to Scarlet as well. She felt
herself stiffen as his eyes turned black. He was mad… "You're right Victoria…" He said, not taking his eyes away from Scarlet. He walked toward
her and put his hands on her shoulders and gave a crooked smile. His eyes went back to hazel. But he still looked a little mad. His eyes locked
with hers and Scarlet she blushed. James smiled and Scarlet's cheeks turned redder and redder by the second. But he never broke the gaze.
"James, we have to get hunting before sundown." Laurent said, breaking James's gaze. Scarlet put her head down in embarrassment, letting
her hair fall in front of her face. She felt James's cold touch on her cheek and he brushed her hair back behind her ear. He turned around.
"Victoria, why don't you come with me tonight and Laurent you can go with Scarlet." Scarlet stiffened. She was a bit shocked that James wasn't
clinging to her. She shook her head of the thought and nodded toward James. She saw Victoria flash her an envying glance. Scarlet fixed a look
of confusion on her face and turned to Laurent. "Come, Scarlet. We have to move fast." Laurent jumped through the window that was located
at the ceiling that always remained open. Laurent gestured her to follow and she bounded up through the window following Laurent into the
forest. Scarlet walked into the forest, taking the lead. She peered behind her, briefly glancing in Laurent's direction. She gasped and whipped
around. "Laurent? Laurent!" He was gone. He abandoned her in the forest. The forest! She heard a rustle and whipped around in all directions.
She took off through the trees, darting; only barely missing the hanging branches and trunks. She saw something straight in front of her. She
tried to come to a halt, but the figure reached out his hands and grabbed her hands, stopping her instantly. She looked up at the figure, a look
of sheer awe on her face. "Scarlet…" It was James's voice.