2. The Strangest Family.
"We should start with Carlisle," Esme suggests. She glances at her husband who smiles warmly at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Carlisle was the first of our family. He lived in London in the sixteen hundreds. He was bitten by the vampire he and his mob were hunting and left for dead. Carlisle didn't want to be a monster, had no desire to kill and feed upon humans like the creatures he had hunted. He learned to control his thirst, and over time, he trained to become a doctor. Edward came next. Carlisle found him dying of influenza in a hospital in Chicago in nineteen eighteen. Carlisle was desperately lonely, and changed Edward so he would have a companion.
"Then he found me, left for dead in a morgue."
So Carlisle had his own unique way of helping the humans he couldn't heal. I wonder what Bella was dying of.
"Oh, Bella came a lot later. And our family is bigger than the four you see here," Edward tells me, hearing my thoughts again. "Rosalie was next. Carlisle smelt her blood and heard her cries in the street after she had been attacked. He had hoped she would become a mate for me, like Esme had for him, but it didn't work out that way. Then one day, Rosalie brought us Emmett, barely alive after a bear attack. Carlisle changed him, too, and they've been inseparable since."
Carlisle takes up the tale. "For some decades, it was the five of us, then we were found by Alice, and her mate, Jasper. Alice has a unique talent, stranger than Edward's in many ways, and she foresaw that she would meet us and become part of our family."
"And then came Bella," Edward joins in, smiling. "She was still human when we met. It's not easy, a relationship with a human."
Eight of them. That's the biggest clan I've ever known of, besides the Volturi. I want to ask, why fall in love with a human? Why not simply feed? The whole tale is strange – why would Carlisle want to control his appetite and become a doctor? Edward smiles more widely, hearing my questions.
"There aren't eight, there are ten," he replies. "Bella and I married – she was still human – and she fell pregnant. Yes, that was a shock," he adds in response to my expression. "We had no idea such a thing could happen. The baby was half human and half immortal, and bearing her was too much for Bella – she almost died during childbirth. The only way to save her was to make her one of us."
I glance questioningly towards Carlisle.
"No, Edward did it," Bella continues. "Edward made me a vampire, and Renesmee is our daughter. She grew alarmingly fast – she was an adult by the age of seven. Then three weeks ago, on her tenth birthday, she married her lifelong companion, Jacob." Bella sighs, and I wonder how much more there is to this part of the tale. "It's been hard for us, seeing her grow so fast, and having to let her go so soon. Edward and I came here to be alone for a while, to adjust, I guess."
"But nothing ever goes to plan with Bella around," Edward tells me, squeezing her shoulder fondly. "She found you, and we called Carlisle, and here we all are."
They all fall silent for a few moments, while I take it all in. The covens I had encountered in the past were never more than two or three in size and very transient in nature – I had joined and left several, rarely staying for more than a few months with one exception. A coven of ten, the core of whom have been together for the better part of a century, is quite remarkable.
"Grace is wondering how we do it," Edward tells the others.
"It's our diet," Carlisle answers. "In fact, I wanted to talk to you about that. I've noticed your eye colour – it's a lot lighter than most vampires, almost orange. Why is that, do you think?"
I can't tell them. I mustn't let Edward see. I picture the pain to keep him out.
"Please don't," he whispers. "Just imagine a brick wall, or something. I promise not to look over it."
Esme puts her hand on my shoulder, turning my attention to her.
"Look at our eyes," she says, gently. "You can't have failed to notice our colouring. It's because of our diet. We don't drink human blood."
I stare. Esme correctly guesses at my surprise.
"Some of us have never tasted human blood. Others have had to learn to abstain."
I raise my eyebrows.
"She wants to know why," Edward supplies.
"Conscience," Esme says, simply. "We think it's wrong to murder humans. So we feed on an alternative. Animal blood. And we believe it's what makes us more peaceful, able to live in a large family amongst humans."
"Grace, is your diet entirely human?" Carlisle asks.
I just stare, afraid to tell them. Is this a trick question? What's the right answer?
"Why is this difficult?" Esme asks.
Reluctantly, I allow Edward a tiny glimpse – of me, looking up from the carcase of an elk to find a vampire, a member of my coven at the time, watching me, a look of disgust and horror on her face. Of how she and her mate, who for months had treated me like their own child, had chased me away, calling me an abomination, threatening to tear me apart if they saw me again. Then, unbidden, an image of my companions of just a few days ago, pouncing on me while I fed on a bob-cat. I had thought myself alone, and they had surprised me, otherwise – I clamp down hard on the thought before Edward can see any more. Our eyes meet.
"She's been attacked in the past, when other vampires have caught her feeding," he explains, succinctly. "We won't do that, Grace. Please trust us."
Perhaps I should just tell them. I'm at their mercy right now whatever I do. Inside my head, I give Edward another glimpse of me hunting in the mountains. I love mountains, although I can't explain why. I show him the deer, the elk, the bears, the lions, and the most prized prey of all – the lone traveller! My throat constricts painfully at the memory, reminding me of my thirst. Edward frowns momentarily.
"When she's too far from humans, she feeds on animals," he tells the others. "You spend a lot of time on your own in the wilds, don't you?"
"So your diet's mixed?" Carlisle confirms. "I thought as much. Your eye colour made me think so. Have you ever thought of abstaining from human blood?"
There are a hundred reasons I can think of why that is a ridiculous idea, and I have no voice to explain any of them. I look to Edward but he just smiles at me.
"You can tell him yourself when you're able," he suggests.
"I'll take that as a 'no,'" Carlisle says, but he's smiling at me.
Abruptly, Edward's head turns toward the door.
"Alice and Jasper have come!" he announces, looking surprised.
With a nod from Carlisle, he and Bella disappear from the room. I hear their feet descend stairs, then a door opening. An unfamiliar voice, girlish and exuberant greets them, echoed by a deeper voice with a southern drawl.
"You needn't have come," Edward is saying. I can't hear any reply, but he goes on, "That's as maybe, but I'm not sure she'll cope with more visitors. She's incredibly shy as it is."
His protestations are clearly ignored, as two unfamiliar sets of feet approach, followed by Edward and Bella. A young woman dances into the room. She's tiny, not very much bigger than me, with a shock of dark, cropped hair that accentuates her elfin features.
"Hello, I'm Alice," she states, not waiting to be introduced. Unperturbed by my shocked expression, she lifts my unresisting hand and shakes it. "And this is my mate, Jasper…" she looks around when she realises he isn't beside her; he has hung back, just outside the doorway. "Oh, look, he's shy, too!" she exclaims.
"Pleased to meet you, I'm sure," Jasper says, but does not come any closer – I crane my neck painfully but can't see him properly.
"Alice, you really are too much! Come away, give her some space," he admonishes.
"Oh, but she needs clothes, Jasper, and I've brought lots –" she breaks off as her eyes become unfocussed for the tiniest second. "All right, then," she sighs. "It might be better if Esme shows them to her."
And just like that, she dances away again. Outside the door, I hear her whisper to the other vampire, "She doesn't say much, does she?"
Esme watches her leave, an indulgent smile on her face, then turns back to me.
"Don't worry; they're both lovely," she says, "Alice just gets a little… enthusiastic."
Carlisle pats my arm. "Maybe Esme can pick you out some clothes, and we'll see if you're able to get up yet," he says. "You must be incredibly thirsty. There are plenty of deer nearby, if that would be acceptable…?"
Well, of course, I would have preferred human blood, but these strange vampires seem absolutely sincere in their belief that they should not hunt humans. As their guest, I will have to go along with it for now…
The meadow is bright in the moonlight. I sit on a tree trunk and wait, not sure quite what is expected of me. Edward and Bella have moved further into the forest, while Esme has hung back a little, on the path that leads back to the lakeside and the strange lodge that is their home. For now, I'm quite alone, and use the peace to take stock of my situation.
Several things are becoming clear. It is obvious what had happened after the others had attacked me. Edward and Bella had disturbed my coven and they had run off, leaving the young couple to quite literally pick up the pieces. They had called Carlisle to help them, and he had somehow acquired human blood. That part is a puzzle – they won't hurt humans, so where did the blood come from? Carlisle told me, before we set off, that he had noticed a definite acceleration of my healing after each feed, and was confident that more blood was all that was needed to finish repairing the damage around my throat and start restoring my strength.
In the meantime, I was to remain their guest for as long as my recuperation lasted, and we could discuss the long term at a later date. I did not feel able to tell them that I had no long term plans – in fact, I tried to leave the moment we exited the lodge. While Edward led the way, Bella walking in front of me and Esme just behind, I stumbled along slightly unsteadily between them. As we reached the tree-line, I tried to make a break for it, but I fell after just a few paces, too weak to even walk unaided. Edward, having heard my intention, I was sure, simply picked me up without a word, and set me on my feet next to Esme, so that she could support me the rest of the way here.
A cool, autumnal breeze whispers through the meadow, picking up the first fall leaves and swirling them around me in an eddy. I stiffen as I catch the scent it carries; at the same time, the bushes behind me rustle, and a young doe staggers into the clearing coming to stand just yards from me, her eyes wide with fear. In the moonlight, the bite mark on her flank glistens silver; in that moment I realise either Bella or Edward have injured her to slow her down then sent her my way. Until now, I had somehow harboured the hope they would send human prey my way, but instinct takes over and I pounce, sinking my own teeth into the throbbing artery at the base of her neck.
It is over in seconds; the poor creature becomes still apart from the spasmodic twitching of her hind-quarters, which slows then ceases altogether. For the briefest of moments, I feel relief at having my thirst assuaged, then the pain hits, a white hot bolt through my throat. For several long seconds, I writhe silently, trying not to call attention to my suffering. At last the pain begins to ease, and I lay my head against the doe's still-warm side, panting slightly. A small groan escapes my lips, hoarse and rasping, and my breath catches – is my voice returning?
I have barely begun to ponder the meaning of this development when the undergrowth is disturbed again, more loudly, and a much larger, more mature doe bursts through. Somehow I manage to pounce again, and feed greedily. Once more, the fresh blood brings on another spike of pain, but this time I'm expecting it, and push my face into the belly of my victim to suppress my cries. It is in this state that Jasper finds me when he jogs into the meadow, having decided to join our hunt.
I see him clearly for the first time, and shrink back in horror. I have met his kind before – the scarring and pitting on his face and arms, the obvious bite marks criss-crossing his throat, accentuated by the silver light, giving him away – and waste no time in drawing myself up into a defensive crouch, snarling warningly at him. His own eyes widen in surprise, then he steps towards me, his arms reaching out to grab me. But he gets no closer. I flex my mind, and he is thrown backwards, hitting a large pine tree with a deafening crack. Behind me, Edward crashes through the trees, and I flex again, sending him tumbling back into the undergrowth. Then I am up and running, my only thought to escape before my strength gives out.
I can hear both vampires gaining behind me as I run blindly on. I have no idea which way I'm running, so my breath whooshes out with a surprised "Oof!" as I collide with Esme and we fall to the ground in a heap together. She barely has time to get her arms around me before Jasper and Edward are upon us, Bella just behind.
"What on God's Earth did you just do?" Edward roars, pulling up short when he sees Esme stiffen, her arms surrounding me protectively.
"Boys, what has gotten into you?" Esme demands, as I glare, panting, between Edward and the fiend. Do they not see what they have here? The danger we are all in?
"Bella, don't shield," Edward commands, "I need to hear."
I turn my attention back to Jasper as he takes a step towards me.
"Stay back," I croak, "I know what you are!"
A look of hurt flashes across his face which he quickly suppresses. But instead of attacking, he lowers his eyes and relaxes his arms non-threateningly. At the same time, a strange sense of calm begins to wash over me. Despite the danger, despite my terror at encountering such a creature when I thought they were all gone, wiped out by the Volturi over a century ago, I begin to feel sleepy and relaxed. And the more I fight it, the stronger the sensation becomes. The others must be feeling it too, because their own defensive postures begin to relax.
"Oh, my goodness, nobody move!" We all whip our heads round at Alice's approach.
"Grace, you silly thing," she admonishes, "Jasper wasn't going to hurt you! He isn't what you think. Well, he was…" her eyes flicker to Edward's, and understanding dawns across his face.
"You've met newborn armies before?" he guesses.
I nod, too confused to speak. This creature has clearly been the General of such an army; the most deadly of all vampires I have ever encountered, and yet these strange, gentle people allow him among them like a brother. I turn back to stare balefully at Jasper.
"They destroyed the only family I ever had," I tell the others in a hoarse whisper, my eyes not leaving Jasper.
"I'm sorry," Jasper replies. "I didn't mean to alarm you. You were in pain, I thought I could help…" The calmness seems to be coming off him in waves. I want to believe him, want to trust…
"That doesn't explain what Grace just did," Edward presses.
I think it might be easier to show them, so I flex gently, and a pile of twigs and leaves lift, hovering in the air in front of us. I make them eddy and swirl for a moment, then lower them once more to the ground.
"Wow," Bella breathes. Edward whistles.
"Telekinesis? That's some talent," Jasper says, impressed.
"Carlisle will be fascinated," Edward agrees.
"But with a defence like that, how did you manage to get attacked before?" Jasper wants to know.
I just shrug at him. But the truth is, I was caught completely off guard, lost to the pleasure of the feed, or they would not have got the better of me. I'm proud that this Newborn General had been unable to surprise me in the same way – I've learnt my lesson, never to drop one's guard.
"Back up a minute," Edward says to Jasper, suddenly, "what do you mean, she was in pain?"
His eyes move back to mine, and I have the feeling he is trying to read me. He really has to stop doing that – there is so much I don't him to know. So I let him have it; the memory of the sudden spike in pain around my neck after the feed. To my satisfaction, he staggers back immediately. Keep out! I think, as hard as I can.
Taking hold of my hand, Esme rises to her feet, lifting me with her. She seems oblivious to the silent exchange between Edward and myself.
"Well, my little bundle of surprises," she says, addressing me. "I think we need one more feed, then we should get back. It's time you told us a little about yourself."