Disclaimer- I didn't write Twilight/ New Moon, those were written by the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. But I do own the character Sage.
Chapter 8- Monster
Sage's POV
I stepped back, my eyes open wide. I truly couldn't believe it. Yet at the same time, the energy running through my body was euphoric. I through back my head and laughed, the sound was deep and musical. Then I leaped forward and flipped, landing directly behind Jasmine. She quickly turned around, a smile was plastered on her face. " Guess who's back." I sneered. She snarled and ran towards me, but I just darted to the side, she skidded to a stop and whirled back around. " What? Think I'd be easier to beat?"
" No, I'm looking forward to the challenge." She sneered back. I laughed again and strode towards her, my pace was calm and slow. There was no rush.
" Sage. . . Sage come back to me." Carlisle pleaded. I turned around and smirked. My body pulsed, the blood hummed throughout my veins. It felt so good. " Sage, you can fight this." I turned back towards Jasmine and jumped, landing behind her. I threw my hands forward, the knives that were concealed inside slipped into my hands.
" Knives? Sage dear, you know those don't work on our kind." She laughed. " Or, did the blood make you delusional the first time back on it?" I grinned and started to walk around her in circles, she followed me with her eyes- never taking her sight off of me. That was smart.
" You don't know much about me do you? I mean, I killed your husband sure, but that's all you know of me isn't it? You don't know who I am, what I've done. Maybe you've heard the tales, but sweetie, tales are different from reality. I mean, look at what Briam Stocker said about vampires then look in the mirror."
" I know who you are. You're a killer."
" Don't be a hypocrite, so are you." Suddenly I was beside her, my lips next to her ear. " Tell me Jasmine, are you scared?"
" Why should I be scared of you? You're nothing to me."
" Then why do I smell fear just rolling off of your body?" I walked away; I headed towards Carlisle. I stood next to him and tilted my head to the side. " You're scared too. Hmm. In fact, I think most of you are scared. . . How funny." The sky rumbled, the sun was gone. In it's place was a familiar gloom- a familiar darkness. Rain began to fall, but I didn't care. The water soaked into my clothes, my hair stuck to my neck. I licked my lips and tasted the left over residue. Alice was holding Jasper, the smell must have gotten to him. His eyes were dark, his body shook with need. But he wasn't a monster, not like me. I sighed and shrugged my shoulders, no sense fighting history.
" Sagelle, take care of it. Get rid of your problem." Cassio spoke up. I faced him and nodded my head, then whirled around. Jasmine was behind me, her hand raised- getting ready to strike me. I laughed and whipped my hand to the side, she crashed into the castle's wall. The thud from her body and the wall was hidden inside the noise of the thunder.
" Oh come on Jasmine! You have to try better then that!" I exclaimed.
Bella's POV
I looked at Sage intensely, everything about her was different. Her posture, her appearance, her attitude. Everything. Edward was right, this wasn't good. He held me close to him, I could tell he hated seeing her like this. Her eyes glowed with excitement as she crashed Jasmine into the castle walls, she was like a five year old who finally got a toy they'd wanted for forever. Everything seemed to be more natural to her. Every glance, every raise of her hand, brought a new certain gracefulness with it. For once, she appeared to be her age. She laughed, her head tilted back and rain poured down it. I looked at Edward and laid my head on his shoulder. How were we going to get her back? " Sage! Sage stop it!" Carlisle yelled. " Go after her another day, we need to get that blood out of your system!" I could tell it was a lost cause. She faced us, her teeth gleamed in the dark.
" I don't want it gone Carlisle! It's amazing, how I feel! Everything is so damn clear! You should try this sometime, I forgot how awesome it is!" She cried in joy. It was disturbing to see.
" Sage please." Edward muttered. Her face darted to him, she looked surprised.
" Edward, you can't tell me you don't miss it." She blinked and smiled again. Edward's head hung low, he muttered something under his breath that I didn't care to hear. Jane stood beside us, even she looked scared. Carlisle walked over to her and pushed her into the wall.
" Why weren't you out here? How did you know not Jasmine was here?" He yelled. She clenched her teeth together and shoved him back.
" Excuse me, but my power isn't to see the future. I do believe that's the power of one of your children isn't it? Tell me, why didn't Alice see this?"
She replied. Carlisle sighed and shook his head, shoving some of the water out of his face. " I called Aro. He should be here soon."
" How soon is soon?" Esme whispered.
" I don't know."
" Okay, this is getting boring. I mean, you're not even putting up a fight!" Sage shouted to Jasmine, smacking her across the face. " Come on! Fight! This is what you wanted and you're just giving up?" Jasmine shook her head, she looked exhausted.
" Sage. . . I can't. . . " She whispered, her eyes rolled back into her head and she threw her head down to the ground. I heard her cough something up. Her eyes opened wide and she turned to Sage. " What did you do to me?" Sage smiled and threw the knife in her left hand to the ground, the sound echoed throughout the courtyard. I saw cuts across her arms and face. She wiped her face and sighed.
" You'll be dead in thirty minutes. . . I knew you'd be here Jasmine. I mean, you're you. You leave a message then go to the one place you knew Aro would send me to. Clever, but not clever enough. True, I hadn't expected the blood thing, but did you really think it would effect me that much? Do you know how many times I've needed to drink human blood to survive? I still hunt, you dumbass! I get hurt, sometimes hurt so much human blood is what I need." Sage started to walk away, but then turned back to Jasmine. " I am sorry. . . But he deserved to die."
" Who are you. . .To decide who lives and who dies?" Jasmine whispered, her body was shaking violently.
" I'm me. . . That's all I need to be. I listened, to the cries of the people your husband killed. They were almost as bad as mine were. But don't worry, you'll see him soon in hell." Sage walked away, back towards us. Everything that had changed about her was almost gone. She was still a tad more. . . Catlike then before- but she was herself again.
" And where do you think you're going to go? You think you've earned redemption Sagelle?"
" No. . . And I never will." Sage lowered her head for a brief minute. A drop of rain rolled down her cheek, making it look as if she was crying. I heard a snicker behind me-Jane.
" It was all an act." She laughed. " How pathetic, what kind of idiot would fall for that?"
" You did." I said. She turned to me, her eyes full of malice. " You're as much as a coward as Jasmine was. You wouldn't survive against her, admit it." Cassio smiled and nodded his head. Jane scoffed and turned to Edward.
" Be careful what you say Bella dear, I bet Edward would hate to full all that pain again."
" You leave him a-" I began, but suddenly Jane cried out. She slammed against the wall, Sage snarled in her face.
" I still have the poison I fed to Jasmine, you want some too?" She sneered. The venom in her voice was evident. Jane gulped and shook her head. " Good answer. Now, you're going to go inside, and wait for Aro." She lowered Jane and then faced Carlisle. " Bring Jasmine inside, we'll have to keep her body until it stops raining."
" What are you going to do with her?" He whispered.
" I'm going to send her home. . . " Sage whispered back. She walked over to Cassio and kissed his cheek. " I told you. . . I'm not a monster anymore. "
" Sage-" She put her hand up, stopping him.
" I never will be again. That's it. Final. I don't know why Aro sent me here in the first place, but I will not turn back into what I was. Do you hear me?"
" But didn't you feel that rush? That energy in you?"
" Yes, and I don't need it." Jasmine's limp body was in Carlisle's arms, we all followed him inside where he placed her on the floor. Sage's knife was in his hand. She took it and wiped it off. Then she stuck it back in it's spot, both of them. Silently, she sat down, her eyes on Jasmine. I sat next to her and hugged her tightly.
" It's over." I whispered. I felt her nod, then she hugged me back.
Sage's POV
Bella broke the hug and sat on Edward's lap. He gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze and they began to talk amongst themselves. I wasn't about to lie, the blood had changed me a little each time I drank it, and yes I was stronger. But I didn't need it. Not anymore. I never would again. I heard the front door open; it was followed by the rush of Cassio's voice-and Aro's. He ran into the living, his black hair flowing behind him. I tore my gaze off of Jasmine to him, my face was emotionless. " You shouldn't have sent me here." I whispered. He sighed and walked over to me, brushing his hair out of his face.
" I know, I'm sorry I missed the show. I heard you were just like your old self." He replied. He went to hug me but I just stared into his eyes.
" Is that all you care about? That I was almost a killer again?"
" You've always been a killer Sagelle. It's in your blood."
" So what? I'm not good enough for you now?"
" That's not what I'm saying and you know that! I love you Sagelle and I always will-"
" But I'm not the person you fell in love with am I? I haven't been for a while." I finished for him, saying the words we had both denied for a long time.
" Sage. . . " His voice sounded tired.
" No. . That's why I kept going back to Carlisle. . . That's why I can't stay at Volterra. It's not only because it reminds me of the temptation and my past, it's because we're not the same Aro. . . We haven't been for a while?" My words were broken up, it felt like my heart was breaking-but I had to do this. I stood up and walked over to him. Then I embraced him tightly and kissed him deeply. " I'll always love you Aro. But sometimes. . . I have to leave. I have to figure things out. Nothing's been right for a while now. I need to figure out who I am, what I'm not."
" Sage stop this." He said. His eyes flashed. " Do you know how much I've sacrificed for you?"
" Do you know how much I sacrificed for you?" I replied. He nodded his head and stepped back. He was shutting me out.
" Fine. . Goodbye Sagelle." I lowered my head, I wouldn't be able to go through with it if I actually saw him leave. I heard him call Jane, then they were gone. I bit my lip and rose my head. I noticed the rain was gone. I picked Jasmine up and carried her outside carefully. I wrapped her inside a cloth, set her atop some sticks, and watched the flames rise around her. I hummed a little, then started to sing an old song-another one my mother had taught me. Everyone was beside me, watching the funeral of my oldest enemy-besides myself. Carlisle's hand was on my shoulder.
" Do you want someone to go with you?" He asked. I shook my head no.
" This is something I need to do. . . By myself." He nodded his head and stepped back. Edward helped me gather her ashes and place them inside a jar.
" What did you use? I've never seen that before." He asked quietly. " I didn't know you could poison a vampire."
" It's rare. Something I received from an old friend in Ireland."
" Ah. . ." Silence fell over us. " Sage. . . Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine. Aro still loves you, I mean the man is crazy-but you can tell how much he cares for you. And you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." I smiled and laughed softly.
" You're one to talk." He laughed too, a small piece of his hair fell in front of his eye and I gently brushed it back. " Thank you Edward." He looked at me confusingly.
" You're the only one who wasn't scared. Even Carlisle didn't trust me. You did."
" I may not have known you as long as Carlisle. But I know you Sage, I know you won't hurt someone unless you have to. You may have been different in the past, but who you are now. . . You're different, and you've changed. In my opinion, maybe you have gotten redemption."
" If I can get redemption, why can't you?" He looked down and I patted his back, then I headed inside the house.
I opened the jar and watched the ashes fly over the land, mixing with where her husband's ashes once laid. I placed the jar on the ground and shoved my hands in my pockets. " Rest in peace Jasmine." I said quietly. . . I walked along the path, even though my eyes were closed I knew I was heading in the right direction. When I opened my eyes, the green grass billowed where my childhood home had once been. I walked, finally they caught my eye. The gravestones of my family. I kneeled in front of them and closed my eyes, my hands traced the wooden crosses that marked where each body lay. " Please forgive me. . . For everything I've done. I know I haven't made you proud, and I'm so sorry." I whispered, my voice breaking for the dry sobs to enter. " I don't know what happened to me. I got so lost. I still am. . . I opened my eyes and bit back the cries. Broken memories ran through my head, one of my parents, one of me playing with my sister. " Maman. . . Papa. . Please. . I'm sorry. Help me to find my way again." I kissed each cross then got up and began to walk back to Cassio's. I wasn't expecting help, but it couldn't hurt to ask. . . .
It was dark when I got back, the sun had finally set. I knocked on the door and Raiana let me in, her dark blue eyes looked at me inquisitively. I ignored her gaze and walked into the living room. My cell phone rang, I flipped it open and sighed. " Yes?" I said.
" Hi Sagelle?" A voice said.
" Yes?"
" My name's Amanda, I work for Gabrial. He needs to see you." She replied. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and let out a groan.
" Can't it wait?"
" Hold on please."
" Fine." I waited a few minutes, then heard the smooth British voice on the other line. " What do you need Gabrial?" I questioned before he even said anything.
" There's a vampire here, hunting a family I know. I need her stopped. Can you come?"
" You can't handle a simple vampire Gabrial?"
" Yes, but I'm dealing with a witch, I need your help."
" What's her name?"
" Guillian."
" Fine. I'll be there in the morning." I hung up the phone and shook my head, that name sounded so familiar. I laid my head against the couch and breathed out deeply.
" Well, you look so happy." Edward joked and sat next to me.
" I have a case. Some Guillian chick is disturbing the peace over in England, I of course, have to go stop her."
" What did you say?"
" I said I have a case."
" No, what's her name?"
" Guillian."
" Oh God." He mumbled and stood up. " So then, we're going to meet you back in Forks?" I looked at him suspiciously.
" No way man, I want to go to England." Emmett said, everyone's bags were in the front hall. They were all looking at us.
" Yeah, England might be fun!" Alice spoke up, she was her usual peppy self.
" You guys sure?" I asked.
" Yeah. . . Edward, we could get married there. In England!" Bella exclaimed. " I've always wanted to go there."
" No, we need to go back to Forks." He replied.
" What's wrong? Why are you so against going to England?" I asked him.
" Because. . . I know a Guillian. . . " A light snapped in my head, that's why it sounded so familiar! I sank into the couch and laughed bitterly.
" You have got to be kidding me." I muttered.
