Chapter 10

I checked myself in the mirror for the fourth time to see if there was any change. I didn't even look translucent.

"Give it a rest, Cass," Jack said softly, wrapping his arms around my stomach. "Kianna was right; your invisibility won't work here. Stop trying to disappear." I sighed.

"I just hope it doesn't go away for good," I mumbled. "That power was very useful at times." He chuckled.

"I'm sure it was. Like sneaking away from the Volturi. We couldn't have done it without you." I smiled slightly and leaned into his chest.

"We should probably get going," I murmured, kissing his collar bone. "Kianna will be waiting on the beach about now." He nodded and led me outside into the bright sunshine. Well, I may not have the power of invisibility on these islands, but at least it didn't look like I needed it here. Our skin looked utterly human.

We swam through the waves as quickly as we dared, slowing even more when we got closer to the other island. Only a few humans were there, sunbathing like they didn't have a care in the world, and they paid no attention to us, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

We spotted the familiar golden eyes in the shadows of a nearby snack shack, with the unforgettable red eyes just underneath them. Both pairs watched us curiously.

"Interesting," Kianna said as we walked up. "The rumors of vampires burning in the sunlight are false, I presume?" I nodded.

"Actually, we sparkle," I said, giggling slightly. It sounded so… odd. "The magic around here seems to have canceled out that effect." She appraised me thoughtfully.

"Interesting," she repeated. "Where would you like to go? I could show you a good place to hunt not far from here, if you wish. There are plenty of fruit trees as well." She eyed me carefully and I looked down, embarrassed.

"That sounds good," Jack said. "I know Cassy here hasn't eaten in a while. She has to 'hunt' more often because her prey is kind of small." I rolled my eyes.

"Very well. Follow me." She turned back towards the tree line and kept to the shadows, making her way towards the branches. We followed her lead, though it was rather unnecessary to hide, and eventually came back to the clearing from the night before. The colors had drastically changed, from ominous purples and blues to cheerful yellows and oranges. It was almost like a different place, except for the unforgettable scent of burning incense that came at a vampire's… funeral.

"Originally I would walk around this place," Kianna said, "but seeing as I will not burn in the light, I think we can take the short cut." We came to the edge of the sunshine, stopping just before it could touch us. She almost seemed scared, which was terribly ironic for a vampire slayer. We stepped out first to assure her that nothing would happen and beckoned her forward. She smiled as she watched us, then looked up at the sky slowly as she stepped into the sun's rays. She sighed.

"I have been a creature of the night for over one thousand years," she murmured, relaxing her shoulders. "You would not believe how much I have missed the sun." We grinned ourselves, enlightened by her happiness, and edged her forward, insisting that she keep going. She was reluctant, but eventually came to her senses. The dog was just as eager as she to stay in the light, but she followed her mistress obediently.

It took us about five minutes to get to our destination. There was a subtle, fruity aroma in the air that hinted we were in the right place, along with the thudding of hearts all around us. I hated that some of them would stop because of our existence, but my husband did need to drink something soon. Kianna beckoned Jack forward, whispering that there was a wolve's home nearby. I shuddered and stepped back, choosing instead to look around at all the fruit. I found a pineapple bush not too far away, as well as a few mango trees, and I decided to try out these new tropical fruits. They were much better than the everyday apples and things that I usually ate, probably because they were right off the stem, and I figured I should probably start buying them at the store as well.

Jack and Kianna came back pretty quickly, not a scratch on either of their clothes, and we moved on with the tour.

"So you trained your dog not to drink human blood?" I asked, attempting to make conversation. "How did you do that? And how did she even become a vampire in the first place?" She looked down at her faithful companion and patted her head.

"I was walking down the beach one night about thirty years ago when I heard a strange faint yelping sound," she said, her eyes glazing over as she thought through the memory. "I looked out over the sea and saw a little white speck. She was swimming towards the shore, but she was getting slower, weaker. I knew immediately that it was an animal in danger, and I could not just let her drown, so I jumped in and helped her to land. Her heart was faint, barely audible to even my ears, so I bit her. I helped her through the transformation, and when it was finally over I immediately began to teach her my ways. She is a very smart canine. She only hunted a human once, in her first year as an immortal. She was very lucky in that one circumstance." I nodded thoughtfully.

"Would she mind going back to the states with us?" I asked. "If you want to join us, that's fine, but I'd hate to separate you two if she likes it here."

"She is fine with it," Kianna replied. "We talked about it last night, and she is willing to deal with the change. We simply need to find out how to get her there; surely the airport doesn't allow pets?" I laughed.

"I don't really know," I admitted. "They probably won't allow a pet that size, but maybe we could pull a few strings, if we call Carlisle and Tanya…" I looked at Jack questioningly.

"Sure," he said. "I'll talk to them as soon as we get back to the cabin. That is, if you've decided to join us." We both turned to our new friend. She frowned slightly.

"I have a few questions before I make that choice," she said. "For instance, which vampire myths are real and which are not? Why does your family live the way I do? How big is your coven? Do you know of any other vampires like us? Any other immortal animals like Tasha?" So that was the dog's name.

"Slow down," Jack laughed. "Don't worry, we'll answer all your questions. We have two weeks on these islands. We have plenty of time."

"Though we'd still like to have some time alone," I cut in, looking up at him. "No offense, Kianna. But this IS our honeymoon, after all." She looked down in embarrassment.

"Of course, of course," she mumbled. "I understand. But I do have one question to ask that I need to be answered immediately." We watched her silently, waiting for her to continue. She took a deep breath. "What would you do if the Volturi was after you? Would you hide under this magic shield for your entire life? Or would you fight back?"