Chapter Six: A Tale of Two Brothers
I didn't even bother to look at the speedometer; I knew we were going way too fast. The moment I had climbed in Ary's car, she had ignored every rule of the road. I glanced outside. The trees were whipping by faster and faster. I shifted uncomfortably, re-checking my seat belt, and heard Ary chuckle.
"You know," I commented sarcastically. "There's a reason they're called speed limits."
"It's only a recommend speed." She laughed. However, I noticed the car's speed began to slowly decrease. I had only a second to enjoy it before I was momentarily yanked forward and then forced back into my seat. Ary had stepped on the brake and spun the steering wheel, forcing the car into reverse. With that, she proceeded to drive backward through the forest.
"Are you crazy?" I stared frantically at her. Ary just smiled and continued to watch the rearview mirror. I looked around desperately but could not recognize the forest. The darkness seemed to go on forever. After five minutes of driving in the brush, there was a break at the end of the trees. In the middle of the clearing stood a giant panel of wood, a big door of some kind. Are we going to hit that?
Ary pulled out a small garage door opener and pressed a button. The door behind us opened quickly and we pulled inside. The car came to abrupt halt and the engine quieted.
"We're here," Ary said cheerfully. As she took in my appearance, she chuckled. "Bella, would you please pull your nails out of my leather seats?"
I glanced down and noticed that my nails had indeed deeply penetrated the leather, almost tearing the fabric. I cautiously pulled my hands to my chest and took a deep breath.
"Ary," I said slowly, after the feeling came back to half my body. "Do you have a death wish?"
She gazed at me humorously but her smile faded. "They know you're here," she said seriously. "Let's go, Bella. We're expected."
I unfastened my seat belt and opened the door quickly, staring at the enormous structure before me. To call this place a house was a travesty: three floors, ornate decorations, and a fountain placed in front. My mouth dropped open as a wave of insecurity washed over me. I couldn't help but feel diminutive in comparison. I had never seen a house that big before, at least in person. Not even the Cullens' home had been this grand.
"It's okay, Bella," Ary said, her voice startling me. "It's just a house."
"No, Ary," I said, my tone even. "My house is just a house; this is just a… mansion."
Ary rolled her eyes and walked past me, but I continued to stare at the structure. I felt a strange warming sensation inside me. Unlike the painful burning that thinking about the Cullens brought on, this was soothing. The feeling seemed to blossom the closer I got to the house. Was this new family waking me from my walking nightmare?
"Bella," Ary said impatiently.
I snapped out of it and nodded quickly. Walking with Ary seemed to go in slow motion. We crossed the rich lawn, up the sidewalk, and finally ended up at the elaborately carved front door.
This was where Ary stopped to address me with a serious expression.
"Bella, there's something that I need you to understand." She looked at me as if she were instructing me. "My family does not usually welcome guests, so just bear with us, okay?" I nodded eagerly. She half smiled and guided me inside the threshold.
Ary's home was beautiful. There were modern paintings hanging on every wall. Some of the paintings were rich with vibrant color and some with simple black and white patterns. There was also a gigantic fire place which held a massive roaring blaze. They were very different from the Cullens, at least in their taste in decorating. I couldn't help think back to Edward's home, to the classic furniture and the ancient paintings that were the décor of Carlisle's study. I walked forward a little bit and a dark green wall caught my eye, adorned with many framed portraits.
I saw all of the family members I had met: Skye, Eric, Dante, Ira, Melena, and of course, Ary. There were three additional pictures of men I hadn't seen before. A distinct giggle pulled my attention away. Before I had a chance to turn around, I felt the same weight on my back as before.
"Hello Skye," I said, not needing to look. I still remembered my first lunch with the McRae's when she had nearly squeezed the life out of me.
"Hi Bella," I heard her cheery voice say. "I'm so glad to see you! I didn't know that Ary was bringing you over!" Her voice sounded partially hurt for being kept out of the loop.
"It was kind of a last minute thing," I said, shrugging.
"Very last minute," Ary said seriously. "Skye, will you do me a favor? Will you gather everyone and ask them to meet me down here?"
"Sure," she agreed. "Why? What's up?" Her question was more idle than probing.
"There's just something I need to ask everyone, including you," she said, her voice becoming serious.
"Okay, I'll go get them," she said happily and bounced out of the room. A split second later she bounced back in, still beaming. "B.T.W. my answer is yes!" With that, she exited and disappeared around the corner.
"Is she always—?" I started to ask.
Ary cut me off. "Yes," she said as she nodded her head. "She's always been a source of unending happiness. It's refreshing, yet irritating."
One by one, the McRae family filtered in. I smiled at them as they entered the living room. Although Ary had said we were expected, her family still acted surprised to see me. I shifted nervously and spied two massive figures, standing in a darkened doorway.
"Ary," a very masculine voice said, "what's going on?" His voice was not unkind or threatening. It was warm, pleasant, and reminded me so much of Carlisle that I froze, momentarily, and marveled at the dull ache I felt. Normally, my chest would begin to burn at the mention or thought of the Cullens; however, this time, I barely felt anything.
"Good," Ary sighed, relieved. "I was hoping that you were home. Come over here, both of you." She motioned and they moved forward, forcing me to step back.
"Bella Swan," Ary said, in a very formal tone, "I'd like you to meet my brother, Avarice McRae. Avarice, this is Bella." She stepped back, allowing us to meet face to face.
He moved from the shadows, swift and graceful, standing a few feet from me. His simple black clothes flattered every part of his body. His hair—almost as black as Ary's—was tied in a ponytail, with a few strays dangling in his face. Curious, perhaps, he slowly cocked his head to side as he stared at me, a soft smile across his face.
Avarice McRae, the vampire I read about. I felt my breath freeze in my throat as I remembered all the stories I had read. Avarice and his brother were supposed to be compassionate and kind. I wondered if that was why they consumed animal blood. Were they like the Cullens in that respect? As Avarice moved closer, a small part of me cowered in his massive shadow. All of the McRae men were tall and formidable, and Avarice was no exception.
I wasn't terrified, just intimidated. I smiled and held up my hand. "It's nice to meet you, Avarice."
Avarice looked amused as he stared at my outstretched hand. In a swift motion, he bent down, grasped my hand and kissed it. He leaned back, a warm smile covering his face, and brushed his hair away. Avarice's hair was long—but not as long as Eric's—and his liquid topaz eyes smoldered, sending a wave of awe through me.
"It's an honor and a privilege to make your acquaintance, Bella Swan." His voice was crisp and rich with accent. I could hear the charming sounds of his Irish heritage clinging to him. He leaned back and gave me a dazzling smile before turning to Ary. "Now Ary, what's all this about?"
She raised her finger, almost as if to scold him. "Now Avarice, we have not finished with the introductions," she said, smiling. With that Ary extended her hand to the figure that loomed behind Avarice. "Argos?"
The shadow moved toward us, and once again I was compelled to step backwards. "Bella Swan, I would like to introduce you to my brother, Argos."
As he stepped into the light I looked up for what seemed like forever. I was instantly reminded of Beauty and the Beast, when the beast first stepped into the light and poor Belle shied away from his massiveness. Like Avarice, Argos had his sandy blond hair tied into a loose ponytail. He was also wearing clothes—black slacks and a maroon shirt—that accentuated his physique. I swear, I could pick out almost every line of protruding muscle. However, there was something different about Argos. His eyes were not amber, but a bright shade of green—emerald. There was also a strange intelligence that burned behind them, an ancient understanding.
I noticed that Argos shifted almost nervously and narrowed his eyes at me. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was gawking at him.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Argos," I said, flushing bright red. "I didn't mean to stare— it's just you have very pretty eyes." The whole room immediately erupted with laughter. Everyone was laughing hysterical, including Avarice. I was surprised to see Argos flush redder than me.
"T-t-thank you Bella," he said and lowered his head bashfully. Argos's voice was heavy with an accent, almost Russian but not quite. Despite his threatening physique, his eyes were soft and his smile was warm. After bowing his head, he retreated next to Melena, who smiled and softly stroked his arm. He turned his eyes to her and smiled in return, letting his massive hand clasp her waist.
"So," Eric said, breaking the silence. "Why the meeting, Ary?" The rest of them nodded in agreement and confusion. I heard Ary take a deep breath as she began.
"We've protected each other for many years now," she said seriously. "I have guarded your secret as you have kept mine. Now, I ask for your permission to share your stories with Bella."
"Why?" Avarice leaned against the mantel of the fireplace staring at Ary.
"Excuse me?" Ary narrowed her eyes at her brother. "What was that, Avarice?"
"Why do you wish to include Bella?" Avarice asked as he fiddled with something behind him. "Just a few days ago you seemed absolutely convinced that she was nothing special."
That hurt, a lot. I tried to mask it, but my face betrayed me. I turned questioning eyes to Ary, who refused to look at me. I dropped my head and let the words replay in my head. Nothing special…nothing special… nothing special. I shook my head, trying to get the words out, and gripped my waist as a familiar feeling gripped my insides. My hearing became muffled as I concentrated on keeping the pain from surfacing. I would not let this happen again in front of the McRae family.
I could hardly hear Ary talking now, but her voice was louder as she argued with her family. I glanced up in time to see her swiftly approach her brother and bare her teeth. I tried my best to clear my mind, but I was so consumed with the pain. I turned my head and caught sight of Eric. While the others were watching Avarice and Ary, Eric's eyes were locked on me. His eyes were soft and his lips were forming a tight line. As I stared at him, he slowly shook his head and frowned, letting his gaze fall down to the ground. Something about the look in his eyes refocused me. I took a deep breath as my hearing began to clear.
"She already knows what you are," Ary said as her voice became more powerful. "Well, the majority of you anyway."
"How does she know?" Ira demanded, her voice filled with desperation. Her eyes moved from me to Ary quickly. Was she accusing Ary of spilling their secrets?
"That's the funny part," she said, smiling ruefully. She turned to Avarice, who looked perplexed. "You will never believe who she was close with: the Cullens."
"The Cullens," Avarice said their name in awe and disgust. "What do you mean by close?"
"She was involved with one of Carlisle Cullen's fledglings," she said, smiling.
"Wait, wait," I said aloud. I had been quiet for too long. "You know Dr. Cullen and his family?"
Avarice exhaled loudly. "Doctor Cullen?" He scoffed loudly. "Lap dog to the Italians and slave to his own convictions." A few chuckles resonated from Avarice's siblings. "Yes, we know him."
I turned wary eyes to Ary.
"That's enough, Avarice," she said, throwing him an annoyed look.
"Hold on a second, Ary!" My eyes were wide with disbelief. Okay, a new family of vampires moves in—that's implausible but not overly impossible—but one that knows the Cullens? "How do you know the Cullens?"
Ary and Avarice shared a momentary look speculation. I had a good idea of what they were thinking. Should we tell her?
Ary sighed and sat down beside me. "Bella, that's one thing you shouldn't know." Her brow was heavily creased as she spoke.
"Ary," I felt my voice rising as well as my temper, "if you only knew what I've been through, you'd understand my need to know."
A deep growl emanated from the room. I didn't get a chance to search for its origin. Avarice strode across the room and placed his face within a few inches of mine. "Bella, if you had any idea what we've been through, you'd understand why we're not going to tell you." His eyes smoldered, and his voice sent a chill down my spine. The term dangerously attractive crossed my mind.
As I stared into his black eyes, I felt my hopes fall to the floor as I muttered, "Okay," and dropped the subject.
"As you were," I heard Ary mutter angrily, as she rose to her feet. "All right, let's get on with this vote."
"I'll tell her MY story," Skye said as she sat down beside me.
"No, Skye," Ary said. "If one person does not agree, then nothing will be told. I already know your vote. Eric?"
"Of course," Eric said, smiling at me suggestively. "I trust Bella. I trust her completely." All eyes in the room shifted to him. The girls shook their heads, disgusted, and Argos leaned and hit him on the back of the head. "Oww! Hey!"
Ary shook her head. "Ira? Dante? What are your votes?"
The young couple turned to one another but did not speak. I was very intrigued by their interlude; they appeared to be having an internal conversation. Did one of them have a special ability? A few moments later, Ira returned her attention to Ary. "I trust your judgment, Aryana."
Dante smiled and nodded his platinum blond head. "I am in agreement, you've never steered us wrong."
Ary nodded in response. "Melena? Argos? What do you think?"
"I think she bears no ill will towards us," Melena said, her voice soft. "I don't know why, but I feel she is trustworthy. I speak for myself and Argos."
"All right," Ary said, turning to Avarice. "Avarice, the deciding vote rests with you."
Avarice walked forward and looked at me and then looked back at Ary.
"Let me ask you this, Aryana. Do you trust her?" He shifted his attention and stared curiously at me.
"Yes, I do, Avarice," she said, determination in her voice.
"I trust you, Ary. My vote stands with the rest: yes." He smiled and nodded toward me. I managed a smile and returned my eyes to Ary.
"All right," Ary said, taking a deep breath. "Who goes first?"
Skye waved her hand in the air, like a child at school.
"I think Avarice should go first," Argos said, his tone serious and respectful. Avarice glanced up and smiled. The rest of the family seemed to agree, except Skye. Skye pouted her lips and sunk back into the sofa next to me.
"Well, where would you like me to start?" he asked, now eager to tell his story.
"Start from the beginning," Ary said. "Tell her everything."
Avarice walked to the fireplace and rested his arm on the mantle. He finally took a deep breath and turned towards the group, who were eyeing him intently. It almost seemed like they were as interested in hearing the story as I was. I quickly returned my eyes to Avarice, who appeared lost in thought.
"Bella," he said, seriously. "We are entrusting you with our secrets and our lives. Do you wish to carry this burden?"
I glanced around at the McRae family; they were all staring intently at me.
"Yes," I said, keeping my face serious. "I do."
"Ary speaks of your knowledge," he said, his tone growing sharper. "She says that you know what we are. I ask you now, Bella Swan, speak what you believe."
I took a breath, growing nervous. "I believe you, and others of your family, to be vampires," I said, having to force the words out of my mouth. I felt my face grow hot as I glanced around the room. Each one of the McRaes' was focused on my face, making me nervous.
Avarice nodded his head slowly. "And how is it that you have come to this conclusion?"
He was asking how I knew; what was the best answer? "I have spent a good amount of time around vampires," I said, my voice stronger now. "I have learned how to recognize them." I slowly noticed the McRae family glancing around, murmuring to one another.
"What have you noticed about us?" Avarice asked, his voice becoming more speculative. I looked at Ary, who nodded reassuringly.
"Well, I've noticed your family's eye color. It means you feed off animals." The surprised look on their faces made me smile smugly. They obviously were not aware that I knew so much. "Then there's your attractiveness, your smell, and you absence on your first day of school. Ary was there but the rest of you weren't, because the sun was out."
The McRaes smiled and chuckled.
"Aryana did not exaggerate," Avarice said with a smile. "You are quite perceptive, for a human. I'm very much impressed." He laughed.
I smiled, feeling happy and relieved; they were vampires. I was not crazy or imaging things, another family of vampires had come into my life. I wasn't overlooking the strange coincidence, but I wasn't going to complain about it either.
"This is odd." Ira's voice called my attention back to the present. Her face was bunched up, confused. "Normally when a human realizes we are vampires, they run screaming." The entire family chuckled and nodded in agreement.
I smiled. "Well, I've been around your kind before." I'd heard my reaction was strange before, too.
"Yes." Avarice's face became strained as he spoke. "Well, I guarantee you we are very different than the Cullens." There it was again. Whenever he spoke their name, there was a strange twist to his voice. It was as if their name disgusted him.
"All right," Ary's voice filled the room, "that's enough. Avarice, why don't you tell her your story? You know 'A Tale of Two Brothers'."
There was a stifled giggle that filled the room as Avarice rolled his eyes and growled softly. "So that's what you're calling it now?"
"At least they've stopped with Clash of the Titans," Argos smiled and chuckled.
"What's the Tale of Two Brothers?" I asked Ary, curiously.
She smiled. "That's what we call the story of Avarice becoming a vampire."
The family settled down as Avarice took a deep breath and turned to me, a serious look in his eyes. "Bella, I was born in Ireland in 1601." 1601? Holy crow, he's older than Carlisle! "Every day my brother, Lazarus, and I would work our hardest in the fields. There were plenty of times where we would sleep under the stars, guarding our sheep from the wolves."
I vaguely noticed Ary cringe at the mention of Lazarus' name. Though curious about her demeanor, I returned my attention to Avarice.
"I enjoyed my life but, like my older brother, I longed for a different experience. Predestination was a truth, not an idea in our life. We were born to be the good sons who tended the farm long after our parents died. Though this idea contented me, knowing I'd always have somewhere to call home, it also kept me from my true ambitions.
"I wanted a chance to fight, to be gain glory in battle. There were so many wars going on, I wanted to do my part. However, every time I spoke with my father, he would tell me that I was reaching beyond my grasp and scold me for my insolence." The memory was obviously painful for Avarice. His brow furrowed, and his eyes trailed to the floor before he continued.
"It was the fall of my 25th year when my life changed forever. I had just spoken once again with my mother and father about leaving and joining the battles raging across the lands when a boy ran into our house, screaming that Lazarus, my brother, was dead. I start immediately running, hoping it was a lie. I found my brother by the river, almost lifeless. The dogs that had been his protectors were lying dead all around him.
"I cradled my brother's head in my arms as I lay there next to him. When I leaned in, I could feel him breathing. I picked him up and whisked him back to the house as fast as I could. My parents demanded to know what had happened to their first born. I showed them his neck and surmised that it was a wolf. I told them not to worry, he was still alive.
"The next few days I took to remaining by his side all day. He was my brother, my best friend. I couldn't be away from him. I believe it was the fourth day of his supposed illness that it happened. I was pacing in his room when I saw him start to shake. Running to his side, I begged him to stay with me, to wake up. It was then that his eyes—now a morbid shade of red—flew wide open. He took a deep breath and lurched at me. He bit into my neck and I begged for him to stop. I began to punch him and push him. I could do nothing but wait and hope for him to release me. Suddenly, I began to feel a scalding pain. I truly felt like my skin was burning and peeling off." I cringed at the description of the pain, briefly remembering James and the burning feeling.
"The bedroom door was thrown open, and my mother and father appeared. Their presence must have startled Lazarus. It was at this point that I completely blacked out. The pain was so intense that I could not keep myself conscious. It took about four days for me to transform. At last, I opened my eyes to see my brother staring at me, his face full of concern and horror. My brother was devastated; he had murdered our parents, all the helpers, and a girl that lived down the road, the girl he had always felt he loved." His body began to slightly tremble as he spoke.
"My brother provided me the unconscious body of one of our field hands. I had grown up with him. His father had known mine as a boy. He was a person I knew well, and I couldn't do anything but…feed." His bottom lip quivered as his hand curled into a fist.
"Avarice," I spoke quickly. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt."
He managed a smile and nodded. "Oh, it's all right, Bella, my story is concluded. I don't think there's much more to tell."
Eight sets of eyes were on me now, and I grew nervous. "I just wanted to ask you a question." His eyes held a confused and amused stare. "I, well, kind of found information about you on the internet."
Avarice's head jerked back in surprise. "Oh? I did not know I was on the World Wide Web." He smiled wide, causing his eyes to tighten.
Ary's voice grabbed my attention. "Skye," she sounded annoyed. "You didn't make him a MySpace page, did you?"
Avarice's brow indented as he turned to Ary. "What's MySpace?"
"You're kidding, right? Avarice, I'm older than you, and I know what Myspace is." Ary shook her head. "Well, back to your question, Bella."
My mouth was wide open as I stared at Ary. She turned and her eyes widened. "Bella? What's wrong?"
"You're older than Avarice?" I remembered our earlier conversations. Ary didn't know her birthday or how old she was. She only knew that she had been eighteen for a very long time.
Ary sighed. "Don't worry, Bella. We'll get to that."
I swallowed and nodded, attempting to find my voice. "Well, Avarice, I read somewhere that you were known for your compassion. I was curious if that's the reason you drink animal blood and not human."
Avarice's face could only be described as shocked. His lips curled up as he narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, Bella?"
"You know what it is?" Ary spoke before I could answer. "It was that one time, remember? When you rescued those girls from the barn - I told you that would bite you in the ass someday."
The family began to laugh again, and I stared at them, confused. Ary took note of my demeanor and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Bella," she frowned as she spoke. "We don't mean to sound so heartless. It's just funny to see how certain things work."
"But, I don't understand." I was confused. I lowered my head and shook it side to side. "You do drink animal blood, right?"
Avarice smiled sadly. "Yes, Bella, but not for the reason you believe." He sighed and hesitated a little. "The best way I can explain is this. Have you seen a population map? You know, a red dot indicates a certain amount of people?" I nodded. "Well, as you get close to big cities, the red becomes dense and thick; this indicates a heavily populated area. In this place, a vampire could easily feed two times a week, and it would go unnoticed." I nodded again, beginning to understand. "However, in a rural area, like Forks, the red is sparse, and a death causes suspicion. So it's more convenient to consume animal blood in rural areas."
I was confused by his answer. The Cullens had been able to fit in more, with their topaz eyes; how were the McRaes able to fit in? "But, how would you go unnoticed around humans? I mean, at school and such?"
"We don't attend school too often," Melena said with a smile. "Usually, we only go when we're bored. You see, Bella, we never stay in one place longer than a year. We're forced to move around a lot,"
Melena's voice became strained towards the end. I remembered Ary's angered voice when she spoke of moving away from Sudbury. It appeared Melena was also unhappy about moving.
I shifted uncomfortably. I was sitting in a room with six confirmed vampires who did not value human life. They consumed animals strictly for convenience. I glanced around, my heart starting to pound. An extremely warm sensation caught me off guard. I jumped and found it was only Ary, stroking my shoulder. She grimaced at my reaction, and her eyes became cautious. "Bella, no one here will hurt you, trust me."
Author's Note: Repost
