Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Azial popped into the steamy bathroom, sparing a small glance at the figure behind the shower curtain before her gaze zeroed in on the object she was here for.

She hesitated briefly, feeling a little guilty that she was forced to invade the girl's privacy this much to get it, she usually had the utmost respect for her charge's personal moments, and would try to keep her distance. She tried telling herself it was okay, it wasn't like she was peeking or anything. As much as she couldn't deny that Jasper's mate was a very beautiful girl, she didn't swing that way... she didn't swing any way, really.

No, she wasn't asexual, Her Goddess would never have been cruel enough to have her Righter's constantly surrounded by the many forms of love, yet never allow them to experience it themselves. While Her Goddess may have never encouraged, nor discouraged her Righter's to remain celibate, she simply left it up to them to choose. But for the soul-bond that Her Goddess had promised each of her Righter's was out there for them, it was treated as a privilege you would have to earn through duty.

Azial's sisters, relatively newer to the job then she was, had chosen to occasionally indulge in pleasures of the flesh, knowing that the rights to their mates were hundreds of years off. But Azial had made decision to wait for her soul-bond instead. Sadly, it would take another century for him to be born, but she felt that it would be worth it. She had seen the power of the bond and she wanted more than anything to feel it herself, and not merely comfort herself with the moments of brief satisfaction that came with, what did the mortals call it? Ah yes, one night stands. Besides, she had waited 500 years already, what was a hundred more when it came to soul mates?

Giving her head a shake to get her mind on track, she reached for the small, antique ring that was lying on the sink counter.

Alice's had been so much easier to get, and a heck of a lot less evasive. She had simply trailed her to the mall, and thrown a little influence her way when she was passing by a small, but respectable jewellery store.

It wasn't ten seconds later that Alice darted into the store with a, "I should really get my wedding ring polished, it hasn't been cleaned in forever," followed by a high pitched giggle as her and brunette girl at her side shared a laugh over the emphasis she had put on the last word. Behind them, Jasper, several bags dangling from his arms, had rolled his eyes.

Azial stepped closer to him when he began to murmur under his breath. "Yeah the whole, I'm really a vampire that's been around for a hundred years or so and you have no idea gets old fast. Like forever ago." The both snorted loudly. She wasn't worried about being heard, but he snapped his head up quickly, a look of half-contriteness on his face.

He didn't need to worry though, Alice was too busy making her demands very clear to a pale-faced employee about 'taking care of my ring' and 'it took ME forever to find the perfect one' and 'if there is a single mark on it when I get back, I'll have my father sue you into bankruptcy' as she slipped the ostentatiously gaudy ring off her finger and handed it to the shaking clerk.

"Yes ma'am," the clerk had stammered. "It'll be ready for you in a half-hour." He promised, as he nodded his head exuberantly enough to almost dislocate it from his shoulders.

She had danced her way out of the store, an arm linked with Jessica's, throwing a cheery, "you better," over her shoulder. Jasper trailed reluctantly behind them.

Azial had stayed behind, following the clerk to the back room and quickly snatching the ring up when he left the room to grab his forgotten glasses. She held the ring lightly in her hand, fighting the urge to sneer at how ridiculously over the top it was.

She concentrated, focusing her magick on the object in her open palm, and allowing a softly whispered spell to pass her lips. The ring glowed an intensely dark pink for a few long seconds, before returning to its original state. She closed her eyes for a moment, fighting off a brief wave of light-headedness. As powerful as she was, it had taken a significant amount of her magick to, not only accomplish initiate her plan, but to have it hold for two days. She was unable to allow the spell to last any longer, as it might cause irreparable damage. She stared at it, amazed that such a small object could hold such power in it. Magick really was a wonderful thing sometimes. She placed it back down and allowed a quick grin to tug at her lips.

Now the other one, she thought, locking on to her next targets signature and popping to her current location.

It was rather serendipitous that she happened to be in the shower at the time, considering that was one of the only two reasons the girl even took her ring off, the other being to wash the dishes. It was clear Her Goddess approved of her plans.

She allowed that thought to further console any lingering guilt as she plucked up the tiny ring and brought it closer to her face. It was much more tasteful then Alice's ring, silver with a small heart-shaped emerald at the center of it. Simple. Elegant. Beautiful. Just like the young woman who wore it, whether she believed it or not.

Azial knew it had belonged to the girl's grandmother. She could still feel the bonds of love the original wearer had for the person who had given it to her (a relationship that had been a surprisingly rare example of a human soul-bond) and also for the granddaughter who now possessed it entwined around the band. Not even time could fade love that powerful.

She closed her fingers around the ring this time, containing the glow that it gave off when she repeated the same words she had whispered earlier. When she was sure the glow was gone, she unfolded her fingers and replaced the ring in the same position on the sink counter. A sigh of relief passed her lips, knowing that the first part of the plan had been set in motion.

She pushed away the smidge of worry that was beginning to creep in as she though over how the rest of it would go. Alice's part might take a little more effort than she was hoping for, but as for the other two, it would be up to them. She hesitated again, unsure if it was best choice to leave it entirely up to them, especially considering how difficult the male was proving to be. Deciding that the girl was the more accepting and reasonable of the two, she made a tentative addition to her plan, rolling over the exact way to go about it.

That will work, Azial told herself with a firm nod, when she came to a decision. She repeated the phrase a few times in her head, allowing her confidence to grow.

She tensed briefly when a corner of the shower curtain cracked open and a head, hair darkened almost a muddy-blood color by the water, peeked out and scanned the medium sized space with wary, chocolate eyes.

Azial didn't know what it was about this girl, but she quickly came to realize that if she spent more than a few minutes in her presence, even fully cloaked, the girl would eventually get a sense that something was there. It amused and intrigued her, but Azial was here for a specific reason, she didn't have the time to familiarize herself with anything that wasn't related to the bond. Perhaps it was something she could look into in the future. Maybe after she found her own mate and settled into semi-retirement (a Righter's job was never truly over.) After all, if things went to plan, this girl would be living for a very long time.

The curtain closed and the girl resumed showering, but Azial could still tell that she felt uneasy. She was done anyways. Now she would step back into her observing role, at least for the time being.

She gave one last glance at the darkened silhouette behind the shower curtain. "Good luck, Bella," she whispered before popping out of sight. You're gonna need it.

-oo-

A few moments after that uncomfortable feeling of being watched disappeared, definitely not the best feeling to have in a shower, Bella turned off the water and stepped out from behind the curtain. She stood naked for a moment, her shoulders immediately drooping as the weight of what felt like the entire world weighed down on her. She had hoped that the hot water would wash away some of the pain she had been feeling for the last...

The last what? she thought sluggishly, unable to grasp a specific time. Instead, she reached for her towel and began drying herself harshly with the grainy fabric, her mind wandering to the moment when she had met the Cullen clan for the first time. Deep down, she suspected that that was what eventually lead to this pain, what eventually lead to...to...

Jasper.

A/N: For those of you that are wondering about Azial and what she actually IS and who she actually works for... well, I'm sorry to say I never really come out and say it. I suppose if you want to get technical,her boss could be construed as The Goddess of Love, but I didn't really feel like opening up that particular can of worms, so she'll only be refereed to as Her Goddess.