Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Obviously ;)
Verity watched as the anger seemed to consume her sister entirely. She turned toward the door before it flung open aggressively at Maggie's gesture, banging against the door-stopper.
Verity gasped before raising her hands toward the door. "Shielded!" She yelled, as a translucent glow formed in the doorway. Maggie came to a staggering halt as she ran into the shield her sister had activated, causing her to stumble back and almost lose her footing.
Verity sighed in relief, thankful the two of them had already placed shield magic around their home to not only keep unwanted foes from getting inside, but for instances just like this.
Biting her lip, Verity spoke. "I-I'm sorry Mags. I didn't have a choice. I had to activate our spell to keep you from going after that vampire. I can't risk you harnessing all this anger. You know what the cost of magic used with ill-intent would bring and I can't lose my sister."
With a frustrated cry, Maggie made her way toward their bedrooms. "Whatever!" She yelled disappearing down the hall.
Verity sighed before moving toward the couch and allowing herself to fall onto the cushions. Baggins, who was excellent at detecting Verity's somber moods, came trotting toward her before bouncing onto her stomach and making himself comfortable as he lay there purring.
Verity smiled, as she stroked behind Baggins' ears. "Mags'll get over it." She said aloud. Baggins shifted, nodding his head in silent agreement.
Verity's eyes were fixed on the ceiling as she remembered the night her mother was bitten by a vampire. The night the Banks sisters had lost the woman who had taught them what it meant to be a conjurer of light magic.
A tear fell across Verity's cheek as she wiped it away forcefully. Time had not healed the pain either of them had been left with but instead fueled it. Knowing they would never see her again meant time was their enemy, but time had also created a permanent and ever-growing hatred for any vampire Maggie came across. Verity, who chose to believe that any being had a chance for redemption, remained cautious toward vampires but not hateful. Despite this, her mother's death was felt more often than Verity cared to admit, and the occasional stray tear that seemed to escape when thoughts of her mother would arise, were a reminder of that.
"Still, what if this one is her-her" Verity paused, struggling to say the words before swallowing. "Her killer?" Verity knew she had to be sure, but if it were true she couldn't go after him in anger. Verity would have to be certain she could remain rational and capture him through a Still spell.
Baggins seemed to hop off Verity's lap at her thoughts. He moved toward a hanging cat perch with teal cushions and black glittered writing that spelled his name in bold font. It was as if he'd given Verity the go-ahead to do what needed to be done.
"You're right, Baggins. I need to sense him out to be sure."
Verity extended her arm toward a black bookcase that was nuzzled against their living room wall. A large book with a thick maroon cover floated toward Verity before opening to page 56, hovering in the air at her eye level.
Repeating the phrase over and over in her head until she had it down without glancing at the page, Verity motioned for the book to return to its' place on the shelf.
"Mags, I'm gonna get ice cream, want anything?" Verity put on her grey sweater as she spoke. Mags was the type of girl who became closed off when upset, and tonight Verity would use it to her advantage. She waited a few moments before taking her sister's silence as a chance to escape.
"Okay then, bye!" with that, Verity stepped beyond the shield that let her pass with ease but had kept a highly emotional Maggie safe from losing who she was just minutes prior.
She took one last glance toward their front door before swiftly making her way down the hall than taking two steps at a time down the stairs.
She pushed open the door, breathing in the brisk air. It wasn't a harsh rain that night. Just a mist that caused her to blink as the wind seemed to make the rain trinkle sideways.
Zipping be up her sweater and drawing the hood over her head, Verity pulled her long chocolate hair out over one shoulder, and made her way down the block.
She waited until she was out of sight from their complex before she whispered the tracking spell aloud, her mind fixed on the vampire she'd sensed earlier.
"What I wish to seek, let me now find. As the path is revealed, let my thoughts be a guide."
Three days earlier….
"We can't lose him!" Emmett yelled with Bella not far behind. They ran at full speed, with Edward almost forty yards ahead. He was always the fastest, even after Bella's transformation into a vampire.
It had taken almost two years to get even the slightest trace of the vampire that had killed Alice, but Jasper had remained relentless in his search, and found the piece of shit(as he'd so eloquently put) in California after his next victim: a vampire that could manipulate both fire and ice. This vampire could take other's abilities once he killed them for their venom.
"Stay on him!" Bella yelled, as she focused her shield on Jasper. The vampire was capable of sensing abilities and would never even know Jasper was near him. Over time, Bella had become such a powerful shield, she could guard the ones she loved over hundreds of yards.
He was fast, and was a challenge for even Edward to keep up with but as a team they had the chance to flank him.
"Come on, catch him." Bella said aloud, as if her encouragement would give Edward the will to move faster than he was.
They were all a blur in the darkness of the hills. Each of them were moving so fast any human wouldn't even notice the shadow of their figures passing them by. The stars above were barely visible,hidden behind scattered clouds. They were miles from the nearest town, and the night was still, with only the sound of rustling animals in the distance.
"I'm taking the right! Emmett announced as he pushed himself to his limits in an attempt to head the vampire directly into Jasper's path.
Bella immediately veered left at his words, as a snarl escaped her throat. Her anger was taking over and she wished for nothing more than to rip his throat out with her teeth, but she would leave that pleasure to Jasper. Despite all of Bella's compassion, this wretch had taken her sister's life, and not even she would show him mercy.
The sound of rushing water could be heard as they now grew closer to the river they'd planned to reach. Bella estimated it was less than a mile away. She'd become quite good at determining the distance between herself and certain noises.
As the edge of the hill came into view, Edward dove toward the vampire with his arms stretched to attack.
Edward's sudden strike caused the vampire to leap across the water to avoid his grasp. With impressive agility and to keep from tumbling down into the water, Edward rolled forward before using the edge of the hill to launch himself across the water. Bella leaped in unison with Emmett as she snarled in vengeance, landing firmly on the other side.
Each of them were now surrounded by enormous pine trees, just like the forests of their own home. They all seemed to dodge and weave the wooden maze with ease before Jasper flung himself downward with a villainous cry.
The vampire's eyes widened with surprise as he tried to dodge Jasper's sudden attack, but Jasper was able to collide into him as he bit into the arm of the vampire before tossing it aside. With a hurtling scream, the vampire made a lasting attempt to be free of Jasper's grasp but could not shake him off. Jasper's impressive battle skills had him anticipating every escape move he made.
Bella, Edward,and Emmett surrounded them both, ready to step in if they noticed this worthless scum get an upper hand. Though all three of them believed this to be unlikely, as Jasper was a far superior fighter than any of them had ever seen.
"No, please!" He shouted before Jasper had almost lost his grasp, startled by the blue stream of blood now suddenly pouring from the place he'd severed his arm.
Jasper's vampiric sense of smell had had him flaring his teeth. The smell this vampire's blood(if that was even possible considering vampires did not bleed,, Jasper thought) was suddenly emanating a highly threatening odor. Almost as if Jasper had caught scent of the most deadly of predators.
Edward read his thoughts, and before he could tell his family this wasn't who they'd originally believed, his appearance began to change until the once dark hair was now as blonde as Rosalie's, and the red eyes were now a bright blue.
"Please! I'm not who you think! It was a disguise! I'm not the vampire who killed your mate!" The young man begged as he crawled away from Jasper in agony.
The Cullen clan now stood at each other's sides, as the shock of this man's transformation left them on guard. None of them had witnessed anything quite like it. It wasn't just that his appearance had miraculously changed, but that he wasn't a vampire at all. In fact, he wasn't human either, considering his blue blood that smelled entirely unfamiliar. This was a supernatural being none of them had ever encountered, and their natural instincts had them on edge. Uncertainty was an automatic threat to any vampire's survival, which made the Cullen's crouching in defense, ready to strike when needed.
"What are you?" Jasper growled, through flared teeth. He remained cautious, his senses on high alert toward this unknown being, but he wanted answers.
"A conjurer!" He yelled, unable to speak softly through the pain.
"What the hell is a conjurer?" Emmett asked to no one in particular.
"An immortal being like us, but they have magic." Edward announced as he continued to read the stranger's mind. "He's telling the truth, Jasper. He used what they call a glamour spell to hide his appearance in order to lead us away from the vampire. The spell allowed him to have the speed, the looks, and agility of the vampire but wouldn't have lasted much longer."
Bella clinged to Edward protectively. There was no telling what a creature capable of using magic could do to her family. She'd already lost Alice, and nothing was taking Edward from her without one heck of a fight. Shielding each of them, Bella hoped he couldn't harm them if she used her ability to keep her family safe.
"Please, I don't want to hurt any of you." The rhythm of this being's heart beat was as quick as a humming bird, Bella noticed. With his eyes still on the Cullen's, fearful to look away, he reached for his severed arm before reattaching it, as the wound began to heal.
"You helped the vampire escape!" Jasper snapped. He moved toward the conjurer menacingly, his eyes were filled with all the rage he'd felt since Alice's death. 'You helped the piece of shit that killed my wife, escape!"
"You don't understand!" He cried as Jasper raised his arm, ready to rip his head clear off.
"Jazz, wait!" Edward quickly moved between them, as he placed his hands against his brother's chest.
"He's being controlled. When a vampire bites a conjurer our venom blends with their magical blood until a bond is formed. It's so powerful the conjurer is from then on compelled to do whatever that vampire tells them."
"What the hell? Does that mean Jasper can control this dude now, 'cus he just took his arm clear off." Emmett said, still trying to process everything before continuing. "I'm pretty sure that constitutes as a bite!"
"It means I'll live conflicted." The conjurer was almost in tears. "Most conjurers, go insane after a bite, because they can't live of their own accord, but having been bitten by you it'll be like living with three consciences-all of them battling for dominance. Either way, I couldn't harm you, even if I wished it."
"Why haven't we heard of these beings?" Bella asked curiously.
"Maybe because you never asked your leaders of our existence." The conjurer started out. "The Volturi have a truce with our kind." Standing to his feet, the pain he'd had from losing his arm seemed to finally subside, as Bella kept her eyes on him cautiously. He may have been under Jasper's control, but as far as she knew, he could still harm herself, Emmett, or Edward, and she wasn't going to simply take his word for it.
"We are never to attack or harm a vampire, and you are never to attack a conjurer. I've heard our scent is highly threatening to your kind, which means most vampires avoid us all-together, and when they do seek us out, most conjurers. go into hiding, as to keep from being bitten." He paused before looking at each of them as a deep and strenuous sigh escaped his lips. His hands began to shake as he seemed to be having a battle within himself.
"There is nothing worse than knowing I can't control my own actions, but now this torment inside me has grown. I don't know how much of this I will be able to take." There was a deep sorrow in his voice as he lowered his face to the ground. "I will strike a deal with you." His eyes looked toward Jasper pleadingly before he continued. "I will give you the vampire's whereabouts and future plans, without you wasting your time needing to interrogate me, if you allow me to go to my own kind so they can kill me."
He was asking Jasper to free him. To send him to his own kind so they could bring him death in order to be released of this vampire's hold over him. In that moment, the Cullen's pitied him. They knew what it was like to have something control their desires, because blood did so to them. Glancing at one another, they all came to a silent agreement.
Jasper grimaced. He couldn't blame another being for doing something they had no control over, and his thoughts had gone back to the day he'd almost killed his brother's love, who was now his sister-in-law. Bella had almost died because of his bloodlust, and in that moment, it was the only reason he'd chosen to agree to the conjurers terms.
"Fine." Jasper started out. "Tell me where he is, what his plan is, and then go to your own kind."
The conjurer tensed, as if a part of him was keeping the truth from coming out before he finally spoke. "He- he went to- to Portland, Oregon." Each word seemed painful for him to speak. Like a jolt of electricity had surged through him every time the conjurer betrayed the other vampire.
"There are-" His legs began to give from the obvious pain as he fell to his knees. Bella's compassion began to build as she wished something could be done. She took comfort in knowing he would be free of this once he told them the truth and made it to his kind.
With a hiss and through clenched teeth, the conjurer continued. "There- there are two- female conjurers- he- he is sear- searching for. He plans-to- to bite- th- them."
The Cullens looked at one another curiously. "Why?" Bella asked before the others. "What makes them so special?"
The conjurer sighed, as he looked up at Bella. "If I knew, I wouldn't be able to answer unless-" He tried to stand but failed as Bella reached out her hand to assist him. Edward moved forward along side his wife. He knew he was telling the truth, but that didn't mean he wouldn't remain close to Bella. If anything, his threatening scent alone was enough reason for Edward to be protective. It was strange, Edward thought, that the pieces of information he was supposed to keep hidden we're almost blocked for him to read in his mind. Like unless the conjure willingly told them, he wouldn't have been able to read that piece of information. He wondered if it had to do with the bond.
Surprised by her kindness, the conjurer eyed Bella curiously, taking her hand, before finishing. "Unless he asked."
Jasper then tried to use his ability to calm his emotions, hoping it might help the confliction even he could clearly feel was happening to this conjurer.
"What's your name?" Jasper asked as he watched the conjurer relax slightly.
"It helped, but only a little. As if the bond wants to resist your ability to control emotions,but it's dulling the pain.' Edward announced.
"Peter Holmes." He said, as he now seemed slightly more at ease.
"Who are these girls?" Jasper asked.
"He only said he-he needed them. Ne-never why."
Jasper looked to his family, they were already looking toward him. It would be his decision what their next move was, because it was his mate that had been lost.
"Who's ready to see the weirdos of Portland?" Emmett said with a grin.
Jasper then turned to Peter. "Go." He said. "Do what you feel is right."
Peter sighed in relief, knowing he would soon be free of this endless turmoil.
"Thank you." Peter said to Jasper sincerely, who nodded in response
"I'm sorry this happened to you." Bella held onto Edward as she spoke, and hoped that Peter could sense she meant it.
Peter's lips turned into the slightest grin as he shrugged. He knew that going to the conjurer leaders would be a tough journey. Even with two sides of his will in agreement, the other part of him still wished to obey the other vampire who had been ruling over him. Going meant there would be pain along the way. But Peter looked beyond the journey. It was the freedom to come he looked forward to, and that was enough to motivate him.
"I've been alive for four hundred years. I guess death is overdue."
With that, Peter turned to take his leave. "Goodbye." He said over his shoulder. With a huff of air, Peter seemed to muster every bit of strength he had, before twirling his left arm counter clockwise
"Open the way, fold time and space, through the portal I leave for another place."
The Cullen's stood in awe as they watched a bright light escape Peter's hand that formed a circle until the area inside it changed. Inside was a new place entirely. Peter had done exactly as he'd said: opened a portal.
"Holy shit." Emmett said in utter astonishment.
As Peter stepped across the portal it shut abruptly with a pop, and suddenly the Cullen's were completely alone.
Staring at one another, the three of them were in stunned silence. Of Course they were all accustomed to the supernatural, but adding magic to the mix of this crazy world meant it was even more dangerous than they'd originally thought.
"Whatever he's up to, it can't be good." Emmett said, knowing his family would understand he was referring to the vampire they were after. "The way he's racking up abilities and trying to control people with magic."
"He's staying one step ahead of us." Edward started out. "He must have known we were looking for him, considering he used this conjurer to distract us."
"He has her ability." Bella replied, as the words were filled with the pain of their shared loss.
"So how do we catch him?" Emmett asked, hoping one of them had a plan.
"We play with the blindspots of the ability" Jasper started out, knowing that ability a too well. Just the thought of her made his insides ache. "We bring Jacob with us."
A/N
Thank you all for reading the second chapter! I hope you're enjoying it so far. In the next chaoter Jasper will meet Verity. What do you all think their first impressions of each other will be? Let me know, and please leave me a review as it helps me to keep going!
Until next time,
Jezzy