A/N: I admit it. I'm the world's worst updater. Try not too hate me too much :(
"Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am whole again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again"
- Lovesong by Adele
Chapter Seven
Behind Enemy Lines
Sebastian was like lightning through the streets of the city. Our sickening speed coupled with the blur of streetlights and noises as we ran through beckoning alleys and deserted squares was enough to make me queasy. I clenched my eyelids shut, thinking that if we made it to our destination right then, it would still not be soon enough. I balled up my fists in Carlisle's shirt, silently willing him to go faster. I just wanted to rest my feet on solid ground. Maybe then I'd be able to process everything that had happened tonight. A shiver crawled up my spine at the thought of it all.
My head was still spinning from my encounter with Sebastian. It was hard to shake his leering face from my mind's eye. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his shiny teeth, forming the words that so frightened yet entrapped me. The deep desire in his eyes had been so pertinent, so raw, that even the thirst I had seen James' eyes couldn't compare. With Sebastian there was more than just hunger or thirst, there was passion and raw emotion and an uncontrollable animal lurking beneath, longing to shred itself out of human skin, to tear through the air for the scent of blood. And as I remembered his odd, convulsing presence before he'd almost killed me, I knew that that very scent was enough to drive him positively mad.
For a fleeting moment, I felt pity on Sebastian. How torturous it must be, to be in a constant state of longing, a state of deprived nature that in it's essence, was wholly hedonistic. If a vampire did not indulge those desires, then I knew just what the consequences were. Edward had explained enough for me to understand the physical pain and ever-present, deep-seated longing in a life without blood.
At the memory of Edward, my thoughts abruptly shifted to Carlisle. He had been able to resist human blood for so long that he was almost indifferent to the scent now. I wondered about the physical pain and torture he must have had to put himself through to get to where he was. He had worked so hard to disprove himself a monster…
My fleeting pity for Sebastian was gone in an instant. It was possible to live without killing humans for blood. Carlisle proved just that. If he was able, then anyone should be.
We were slowing now, I could feel it. Carlisle always slowed gradually when I was with him instead of simply coming to an abrupt stop, knowing how queasy I tended to get.
The night may have been dark, but the ominous presence of the Sauvage quarters was hard to miss. We had to be well out of the city by now, for there were trees and bushes surrounding the castle-like structure and no visible hint of anything vaguely urban. The building was almost medieval-looking with the turrets on each side standing strong and foreboding. The dark façade coupled with the chill night air made me shudder and almost immediately, I felt Carlisle's arm drape my shoulder, holding me close.
"It seems the coven has upgraded the living situation since the last time I was here." Carlisle assessed nonchalantly. "A castle, not conspicuous at all."
I turned my head slightly just in time to see Sebastian's dark eyes fixed on Carlisle. His face was hard, the angles in his complexion seeming even sharper than before. He caught me staring and flicked his gaze down to me. There was still the remnants of longing in his eyes as he looked at me, but it was quickly replaced with fierce determination and a swift hatred. I felt almost squeamish under his intense gaze and averted my eyes.
"To be honest, it is a bit grand." He said in reply to Carlisle, "But isn't grandeur your thing, Cullen? L'Hotel de Crillon isn't for the simple type, you know."
I felt Carlisle stiffen. He looked over at Sebastian, who gazed at the castle with a look of mock innocence. I realized it then and so did he, that we didn't meet Sebastian out of coincidence tonight, he'd been watching us for a while. He knew both Carlisle's name and where we were staying which led me to believe he obviously knew a lot more, most likely about me. I moved myself closer into Carlisle's side for now I couldn't hide the trembling of my body.
"Well," Carlisle said flatly, composing himself, "Thank you, Sebastian, for showing us here. We can find our way inside ourselves."
Sebastian was a blur in the air, disappearing before Carlisle finished speaking. I glanced around to see whether he'd left, but he then rematerialized an inch from me. Carlisle quickly pushed me behind him.
"No, thank you sir, you relieving me of this duty." His tone dripped with sarcasm. "Now if you don't mind, I won't be joining you inside. I have some… hunting to do."
Sebastian watched me shudder indifferently, pleased by the effect of his presence. I clutched Carlisle's jacket with shaking hands, trying hard to conceal the sheer fear emanating from my body. He smiled slightly, showing just the very tips of his teeth as if taunting me.
"I can kill you, just one bite," he seemed to say.
"Don't feel too badly, dear." He said, leaning in tantalizingly close. Carlisle retreated a step backwards, keeping me behind him. "I'll be around, I promise."
And with a chilling wink, he took off.
Carlisle was speaking in a soft, calming voice to me right away, assuring me that nothing, nothing, could hurt me while he was here. He wouldn't let anything come near me, everything will be fine, etcetera. But regardless, I had a strange fear inside of me, nestled deep in my core, taking refuge in the most vulnerable part of my brain. Carlisle had been there, all the time we roamed the city and as we took shelter in our hotel, but Sebastian had still found his way in, had still watched us with eyes like a predator. I knew that if he truly wanted, he could find a way to me. After all, that was exactly what had happened tonight.
"I know, Carlisle." I said, cutting him off, calming him down. "You would never let anything happen to me. I trust you."
His tense face didn't soften but he nodded. "Never forget that, Bella."
"I won't." I squeezed his hand. "Do you want to go inside?"
He looked at the castle, unsure of whether coming here had been the right choice. I could see the apprehension on his face, considering the worst. If the others were like Sebastian, what would stop them from attacking me?
"You said Anneliese and Solenne were your friends. If Anneliese is coven leader, she won't let anything happen to us, right?"
He nodded, though still unsure.
"I can wait here if you want. You can go ahead, see if they're friendly and come back and get me."
His head snapped back to look at me. "I'm not leaving you here alone, Bella."
I was glad. The last thing I wanted was to be left alone, at night, with Sebastian running loose. But I feigned bravery, for Carlisle's sake.
"It's fine. I won't go anywhere, I swear." I smiled slightly to reassure him.
"It's not you I'm worried about." He glanced shiftily into the silent trees before taking my hand and leading me to the castle door.
We climbed the footpath and reached the door. Carlisle took the giant brass knocker, banging it against the heavy wood twice.
"Stand behind me, Bella," He ordered gently, "Just in case."
I obliged. After all, the only thing protecting me now was Carlisle and it was probably best I listened to him.
Light filtered onto the dark earth as the large door swung open. A petite, blonde woman peered out, eyebrows furrowed, and gazed at Carlisle with piercing red eyes. She watched him for a moment, placing him, and as her gaze flitted to his eyes, she exclaimed.
"Carlisle?" She asked, awed. He smiled brightly and she peered at him wondrously for a moment longer before throwing the door open and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Carlisle!"
"Solenne," He laughed, hugging her back. "How nice to see you."
She pulled away and watched his face again with inexplicable joy. "Please, come in, come in! How on earth did you find us?"
He took a tentative step forwards then turned his head back to me. "Solenne," He began unsurely, "This is Bella, my…friend."
Her face dropped as she caught sight of me. It took her less than a second to realize what I was and by the look on her face, I guessed she wasn't too happy about it.
"A…human?" She stuttered, still gaping at me. "Carlisle, why did-?"
"It's not what you think, Solenne," He assured, "Can we come in and talk?"
Solenne watched me closely, as if assuring herself I wasn't about to do something crazy, like scream or run, but once I smiled unsurely up at her, she seemed to let up.
"Why, yes. Yes. Do come in."
She stood back and allowed us into the foyer, slamming the door shut behind us. She came around and stood before us, under the light of a large crystal chandelier. Solenne was not much taller than me, about an inch or so, and her most striking feature was the thick mane of light blonde hair down her back. Coupled with her pale skin and bright red eyes, one would find her either fascinating or absolutely terrifying. I thought she was beautiful.
"Oh, Anneliese will be so thrilled to know you've come to visit! Nicholas," She called to a passing figure, "Call Anneliese to the main sitting room, please. We have guests."
The figure nodded and took off down a dark hallway lined with paintings. I watched him go, remembering Sebastian's fierce laugh and exclamation: "A human educating me on Sauvage principles. Nicholas will never believe me."
I tried to repress another shudder.
Solenne and Carlisle were walking, almost halfway across the foyer now, talking boisterously as I ran to join them. Solenne was immersed in pointing out a painting, explaining who the man pictured was, as I caught up. Carlisle glanced at me fleetingly and must have seen the worry on my face for his eyebrows tensed. I shook my head and turned my attention to the painting Solenne was gesturing to, but as we walked on I felt Carlisle's unwavering eyes on me.
We turned at the first corner into a large sitting room. Dark leather sofas were placed for seating and complimented with a mahogany coffee table and crystal vases arranged artfully atop it. The room was lit dimly, candles maybe, and I smelled incense. The overall effect was quite pleasing.
"Please sit down, you two. You must have traveled so far." Solenne sat herself across from us.
We sat side by side on the couch and Carlisle lazily draped his arm across the back of the sofa, letting his hand rest upon my shoulder. I wasn't sure he even noticed what he was doing but Solenne's eyes watched his arm critically. Her face was impassive but I could see her brain whirring, trying to make sense of the action.
"Actually, we were in the city." Carlisle replied. Solenne's gaze flitted back to meet his. "Business."
"How lovely." She smiled, and delved straight into conversation. "We haven't heard from you in so long, we wondered whether you'd found a coven or not. It must have been difficult…with your diet and all."
"Actually," Carlisle laughed, "I formed my own. I met my first son, Edward, not long after I left here. He was a patient of mine, dying of influenza. I was alone, had been so for too long, and once I considered that he'd barely had the chance to live in the world…I decided I would turn him. In fact, his mother almost directly suggested it."
"Remarkable." She said leaning forward, enthralled. "And the others in your coven? You changed them all?"
"All but two." He smiled.
Another woman's heels were approaching the door. A hand pushed open the door and the vampire entered the room before Solenne could reply. She was quite tall, statuesque really, with curly black hair tied back into a ponytail. Her eyes, like Solenne's, shined bright red but her pallor, though pale, was olive toned. She was grinning.
"Carlisle Cullen." She smiled, "Nice of you to remember us."
"Anneliese." He stood to greet her. "It's been too long."
"It has. Too long." She laughed as she hugged him tightly. Her eyes met mine over Carlisle's shoulder. "Nicholas told me you brought a guest."
Carlisle pulled back and gestured to me. "This is Bella Swan. Bella, Anneliese."
I extended a hand. "It's nice to meet you."
Anneliese ignored my hand and leaned directly over to hug me. She pressed me close firmly. "Enchantée. Any friend of Carlisle's is a friend to us."
I pulled back and smiled up at her somewhat unsurely.
"No need to look so scared, Bella dear," She laughed, "We won't bite!"
I knew she had said it teasingly, but her words inexorably made me think of Sebastian, and a cold sweat broke out on my back. Carlisle must have noticed the change in my expression for sat me down beside him on the couch and rubbed my hand reassuringly, coaxing it out of the tight fist I had unintentionally made.
"Only joking." Anneliese said awkwardly, placing herself down beside Solenne.
"Sorry, Anneliese. It's nothing to do with you, actually. In fact, Solenne, to answer your first question, it has to do with how we found you here…"
Carlisle briefly recalled our meeting with Sebastian, the odd, unsettling promise he'd made to return and his relaying of information we thought no one knew, like our hotel and Carlisle's name. Anneliese listened silently, though intently, and Solenne shook her head many times, muttering what I could only guess to be a string of swears.
"Ann," Solenne said, turning to Anneliese once Carlisle had stopped speaking, "We must do something about him! He is not a true Sauvage! He has no respect for our way of life. Take him out of the coven or in God's name, I will deal with him myself!"
"Solenne, sister, calm please." Anneliese said serenely. "I will deal with Sebastian, I swear it. He has gone too far."
"Has he done this sort of thing before?" I asked quietly.
"Too many times!" said Solenne heatedly.
"Yes," replied Anneliese, picking herself off the couch. She walked to the window and stared out into the darkness. "But he will do so no longer. We will not have a savage amongst our kind. If he will leave the coven peaceably, fine. Otherwise, if it is necessary, we will dispose of him. Vampires who disvalue human life are not worthy of their blood."
The room was silent with the ringing of the coven leader's words. Anneliese did not seem like a woman who angered easily or did so dramatically but the calm and certain tone she spoke with now was enough to keep anyone in line. She emanated leadership and strength, as if her word was law, much like Carlisle did with his family in Forks.
"Solenne," Anneliese said, turning back towards us, a renewed smile upon her lips, "Take Bella to the kitchen and treat her to some of our finest wine and food. She deserves some kindness and hospitality after the embarrassment Sebastian bestowed on us."
"Come along with me, Bella." Solenne said nodding, extending her hand to me. "Let's get you fed."
I looked to Carlisle, who smiled reassuringly, and took her hand. She smiled broadly and lead me out of the room, where Carlisle and Anneliese had renewed their conversation, and into the large stone hallway outside of it. She walked slowly, keeping pace with my human stride, and immediately struck up a string of chatter.
"I must admit," She said, turning us into an adjacent hall, "I was surprised to see Carlisle with a human. But if there was any vampire who could befriend humans, it would be him, wouldn't it?"
I chuckled. It was very true.
"How he is able to resist blood is truly something, isn't it?" She mused, "Wonder how he stands it, being a doctor and all… he's really something. As close to human as our kind gets."
"Yeah," I agreed admiringly, "He's amazing. The scent of blood doesn't bother him at all anymore. He's trained himself to be immune to it, it's crazy. Judging by what I know about vampires, I'd never have thought it possible if I hadn't met him."
Solenne gave me a mischievous look over her shoulder that I didn't quite understand before turning into a brightly lit kitchen, equipped with refrigerator, stove and all. She sat me down on a stool at the island and turned to the cabinet to fish out a plate.
"How come you guys have a kitchen?" I asked, awed, looking around. Solenne reached into the fridge and pulled out a loaf of bread. "And food? Vampires don't eat."
"Many in our coven have friendships and business with the humans in town. It would be rude to invite someone over without at least offering them a glass of wine!" She laughed, reaching behind her for a bottle. "We like to have a stock of food and drink, just in case someone drops by. Wouldn't want to be rude to our human friends, would we? Red or white wine, by the way?"
I shook my head. "Er… I don't really drink."
She laughed and poured me a glass of red wine. "You're in Paris, dear. Now's as good a time to start as any."
I laughed and accepted the food and drink with a thank you as Solenne sat herself across from me. She placed her elbows on table and leaned towards me excitedly as I began to eat.
"So?"
"So…what?" I laughed.
"You and Carlisle?" She said, waggling her brows at me. "What's going on there?"
I nearly choked. With a cough, I swallowed down my bite and gaped at her. "What do you mean?"
"Darling," She giggled, "A couple doesn't come to Paris on business. Unless…" She said thoughtfully, "Unless it's that kind of business, if you know what I mean!"
"Oh my God…" I said embarrassedly. I could feel my cheeks turning red. "No, oh God, no. It's nothing like that. Carlisle and I aren't a couple."
"Mhm," She smiled, enjoying my flustered state. "I'm sure you aren't."
"Really!" I insisted, but she continued to grin at me.
"Alright dear, don't choke now."
I shook my head and picked at my food. Solenne began to hum something slow and soft as I continued to chew my food but the desire to question was eating me up. I picked up my glass and took a tentative sip, then put down my spoon and looked at Solenne.
"Solenne," I pursued quietly, "How come you thought that? That we were together. Does it…does it seem that way?"
I stared at her, genuinely curious to hear her response. Oddly enough, I didn't feel embarrassed by her assumption, more inquisitive… more interested. She looked back at me and the smirk on her face faded to a look of sincerity once she caught glance of my expression.
"He hasn't let go of your hand once since you arrived, Bella." She answered me directly, "And he just seems so…happy isn't the word. More like…complete. He seems complete. And when he looks at you, making sure you're comfortable or if you're happy, it just seems like that's the only thing in the world that's important to him. You're the only thing."
She shrugged and tapped the countertop with her nails. "He never stops looking at you. Reading your face, your emotions. And when he does, he has this look on his face. It's peaceful. Like he's got the whole world in front of him."
I rested my hand under my chin to steady myself. Things were suddenly getting a little dizzy. If what she was saying was true, then…
Then, what? What did that mean? Did Carlisle feel more for me than he was letting on? Was that even possible? I cleared my throat, trying to think of something to say to fill the growing silence. She seemed to understand my state of speechlessness and rested her cool hand on top of mine.
"Listen, I don't know what you two have. I don't know how you met. I don't know your story. But let me tell you something, Bella." She said softly, "There's something there. Between you. I won't say it's love. But it's very strong. You are essential to him."
"How do you know?" I asked quietly, refusing to meet eyes with her.
She straightened herself up on her stool and pushed her hair behind her ears. "When I was changed, centuries ago, I came into this life with an…enhanced ability." She said, speaking slowly. "I have the ability to interpret body language into feeling… or rather, the intensity of feelings. When you two sat down in the sitting room, you remember he put his arm around you? Something stood out to me there immediately. I can't tell exactly what feeling the person is producing, but I can tell how strong it is. And when he touched you, it felt very strong. Intense."
I looked up at her. She met my gaze and held it, trying to convince me she was being honest. I believed her. For some reason, something inside of me compelled me to believe her. But believing her would mean I acknowledged Carlisle had feelings for me. Which led me wonder… what did I feel for him?
"And me?" I asked, taking a steadying breath. "What did you feel from me?"
She considered me for a moment. "Exactly the same."
I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. Solenne appraised me and the shakiness of my hands she had spurred by her words.
"You feel safe with him." She persisted, not letting up now that she had started, "You feel happy with him. He calms you, he makes you feel well. You want him near you, always." She watched me closely, gaining confidence in her assessment when I didn't object. "You may just love him."
My head snapped up.
Love? Now this was a whole different level. Could she really have gained that much from my actions? Love… it wasn't possible. I loved Edward.
Didn't I?
Solenne looked confident. She shook her head, as if answering my silent question.
"He's married." I said tonelessly, for this was the truth and surely, surely, she had to be wrong. "He loves Esme, his wife."
"Then tell me something, Bella." She leaned across the island again, close to my face. "If he loves his wife, why is he here in Paris with you? Why doesn't he ever leave your side? Or ever drop your hand?"
"He's protective." I sputtered, "He has to protect me, it's his job. We're here so he can protect me."
"No." Solenne shook her head. "If he loved his wife, I mean truly loved her, then he would look at her the way he looked at you." She pulled back from me with a look of satisfaction. "I may have never met her, may have never seen the two of them together, but I'm not inclined to think he looks at her that way. Are you?"
My silence was enough of an answer to satisfy her.
There were footsteps, laughter, in the hallway outside the kitchen and Solenne hopped off her stool, grabbing my dishes as she went. Carlisle and Anneliese entered the room nearly a second later, laughing off the remnants of their conversation.
"Ah, I see that Bella is well and fed." Anneliese said, smiling at Solenne as she retook her seat on the stool across from me. "I do hope you accept our sincere apologies for Sebastian, dear. We aren't all like him, trust me."
I gave her my best fake smile and mumbled, "It's no problem at all."
I could feel Solenne's eyes on me, calculating. She would see straight through my actions, but at least Anneliese wouldn't.
"It is a problem, though." Anneliese responded, dispiritedly. "We will have to take immediate action with him. Once he returns here." She said, nodding at Solenne.
"Are you ready to leave, Bella?" Carlisle asked, "It's getting late."
"But Bella and I were having such fun!" Laughed Solenne, taking my hand, "You'll simply have to come back."
I smiled tightly at Solenne as she grinned at Carlisle's arm, which had draped itself over my shoulders yet again. "Definitely." I answered politely.
"Actually," Anneliese piped up, throwing Solenne a significant look, "To further apologize for Sebastian and as an excuse to get you two back here," She winked, "I am formally inviting you two to our Soirée des Étoiles tomorrow night!"
"What's that?" I asked curiously.
"It's a ball!" Solenne interjected excitedly, "We're holding a ball here tomorrow night. We're inviting all our human friends from the city and we're decorating the ballroom! There'll be dancing and dresses and food, it will be divine. Oh, such fun!"
I had to admit, though dance was definitely not my forte, this Soirée did sound like fun. If I could take away anything from the huge castle, the beautiful rooms and paintings, it was that this ball would definitely be lavish.
Carlisle smiled at the other two vampires. "That sounds lovely. We'd be more than happy."
"I don't have anything to wear," I admitted sheepishly, "I didn't pack anything that formal."
"That's no problem." Anneliese said confidently, "Sister, find Bella a dress. We have more than enough variety here, I'm sure we'll find you something," She added as Solenne ran off, "So many girls in one home, couple that with extravagant tastes and we've got plenty of extra clothes. Most of which never gets worn more than once!"
She led us into the hallway and to the front foyer, where Solenne was already waiting, garment bag in hand. As we neared, she held the dress out to me and leaned in to whisper, "Carlisle will just love this one. Trust me."
I pulled back and gave her an exasperated look, to which she just replied with a smirk.
"Thank you for visiting, Carlisle. Don't be a stranger to us anymore. You and your coven are welcome here anytime." Anneliese smiled down at me, "And of course, Bella too."
I smiled in return and we said our goodbyes. Solenne held open the door as we exited.
"Bonne nuit, friends! Good night, dears."
Carlisle waved over his shoulder at her and turned to me once we were outside.
"Here, let me carry that." He said, prising the garment bag out of my hands. "And it's chilly too. Take my jacket."
Carlisle shrugged his coat off and draped it around over my shoulders. "All set?" He asked quietly, pushing a strand of hair out my face. I nodded.
And just as we prepared ourselves to leave the chilly wood and shadow of the Sauvage mansion, I glanced back over my shoulder. There Solenne was, still waiting at the door, watching Carlisle fix his jacket around me with a smug expression that seemed to say the dreaded words: "I told you so".
Review? Next chapter is the soiree! Ooh la la!
