Summary : The cycle continued to spin. Offering another stolen identity, forcing another face to be worn, another life to be toyed with. This was just one more cycle to the endless circle of inevitable endings. Another setting with millions of memories that must be written to be recorded.
She was stuck between I don't know,
I don't care, and I don't give a fuck
- by anonymous (with slight alterations)-
Chapter Eight
It hadn't taken long for the good doctor and the beauty to invite their guests inside. Nichole hadn't wanted to come but she was more than glad to step back into their home if it meant getting out of the dense mist. Her hair was already a tangled mess of curls and the weather wasn't helping any. If she didn't sit down and comb through it soon she'd be forced to chop a large chunk of it off.
"Where's the rest of your nest?" Kane asks, his eyes scanned for other cold bodies but besides Carlisle and Esme there were none to see. Nichole settled a few steps away from the three, her own gaze finding itself fixed on a display near the stairs.
It had her briefly pausing to appreciate what felt like was a veiled witty joke encased in a display of colorful graduation caps. Somehow, the display in a home of immortal reminded Nichole of her collection of journals hidden behind simple book covers.
"Goat Rock Wilderness, it's well over one-hundred and fifty miles away." Golden hues swapped back and forth between the two mortals, as the mage shot a warning look towards Nichole. Esme, who stood at her husband's side, watched as the young teen separated herself further from the small group. A frown forming on her lips. "We thought it would be for the best until things were resolved."
"How many members are in your coven?"
"Seven, including my wife and I."
"When was the last time you were here in Forks?"
"1947." Carlisle replied, before inquiring. "Has anyone besides Miss Dante ever resided in the cottage? When we first decided to settle here there had been a little lot of land that we couldn't obtain. Over the centuries our offers on the property were always rejected, by a family in South Dakota. Is my assumption correct that the property belongs to your family, Mr. Klahie?"
"That's correct. It is one of the many around the world that have been passed down generation after generation through the centuries. We keep track of them and keep them maintained."
"Around the world?" A soft voice intervened, with an overlace of concern and curiosity to her words. "Does this have to do with the curse you spoke of?" Nichole flinched and her heart leapt in her chest at how close the beauty was. She had been oblivious to the women's soft steps. The opposite could be said when Nichole shuffled away. It was only to put an appropriate amount of space between the two of them, but Nichole could see how her actions affected Mrs. Cullen. It was all in her golden peepers — they spoke in volumes.
Instead of apologizing, or better yet acknowledging the twist in her gut, Nichole did what she knew Kane wouldn't. It was her curse after all, and she could be a fickle little thing when it got involved.
"I die a lot-" Her first words were like being unexpectedly popped by a wet kipper. It left not just the beauty blinking from shock. "-and instead of staying dead I'm born again. Think of it as a never ending cycle that is always offering different identities to be worn. There is this effect caused by the curse, or my own soul working to protect itself, where in some lives I don't have any memories of what has already occurred. Just as there are lives where I do remember. This time around it took some time before I began to remember, but when things began to come back and I could make sense of it I left."
There was a pause, a break, as Nichole caught her breath and gathered her thoughts. That and the looks Nichole was receiving were beginning to irritate her. Vivid yellow eyes were attempting to probe into her mind to make sense of what she was spouting. It was clear they were between being skeptical of what her and Kane were preaching and the possibility of how severe the situation might be. Neither of the vampires uttered a word, either from being rendered speechless or because they could tell that Nichole wasn't quite done yet. Whatever the reasoning it didn't change the fact that Nichole wasn't appreciating how openly they were analyzing her.
It was flat out annoying.
"I know that I should be grateful for what you did. That I should just find peace in offering my gratitude, but I can't do that. It isn't because I would be lying or am uncomfortable with how I know I should be responding. It is because within the next seven years I will be gone. In my eyes what you did was meaningless." Nichole didn't let the good doctor cut in on what she had just said when his mouth opened. She just kept on talking. "Before, when we spoke you repeatedly reminded me that you had no interest in endangering me or putting your family in unnecessary risk. I do not care if you endanger me because of how unpredictable and uncontrollable my deaths are. That is why I really do not care if you decided to stay or to go."
The stare Nichole received from the Cullen's as she wrapped up her little speech was all too familiar. Eyes narrowed and frowns grew. They weren't too sure what to say in return, not without feeling awkward or worrying about crossing some invisible line, but the questions were there. More rising as the seconds passed.
Kane gripped his cane till his knuckles turned white. Nichole was surprisingly open with how much she was sharing about her curse. It was clear to Kane that the snip and cold edge to her voice wasn't because she was struggling to explain her actions and responses but because of her unwillingness to be here. How clear that would be to the Cullens was yet to be determined.
In all honesty, Kane thought he would have needed to pressure her into speaking to the Cullens. It worried him to a degree with how open she was being. He had only planned on coming to deal with the issue of her being a minor living so far away from any parental figures. He had not expected for the curse to be revealed. Nichole either had something bigger planned to get back at Kane for dragging her along or she was just attempting to make things go by faster.
The sooner the meeting could conclude itself the faster Nichole and Kane could leave, and once they left Kane and Atticus would depart Forks and return to their home. Things would then go back to how they were meant to be. Nichole living her life alone in solitude. A life where social connections were meaningless and unnecessary.
She could only hope that after this the Cullen family would keep their distance and leave her be. Maybe, if she got lucky they'd leave as well. Despite what she had told them there was a part of her that hoped they wouldn't stay. That he'd see her as too much of a risk and uproot his family and shuffle them to somewhere else.
"Seven years?" The porcelain skinned immortal asked, drawing both mortals back to the present conversation.
"You'd only be-" The good doctor began but Nichole cut in and finished for him. "Twenty three, almost twenty four."
It was breathy, barely audible to Kane or Nichole, but Carlisle muttered the age under his breath. He could hardly believe his ears, and was finding it incredibly difficult to grasp what the humans were telling him. There was no reason for him not to believe them, especially with no signs of either of them lying, but a curse that repeatedly had someone in a cycle of constant death? Was there truly something so horrible as that? Could it not be broken?
He glanced unceremoniously between the two. The silence that had fallen laid bare the questions both Carlisle and Esme had in that moment, and when it became clear Nichole had no more words to share with the group Kane took control of the conversation.
"I hope it won't be too much trouble to ask for a seat to sit in while we talk? These old bones aren't what they use to be." Eager to dissipate the awkwardness growing Esme jumped on the opportunity. A smile decorated her face and golden eyes twinkled as she tilted her head slightly to the side. "This way, please! I apologize for not showing you to the living room sooner!"
"No worries ma'am. Our conversation took a rather serious turn unexpectedly."
A hand found itself on Nichole's lower back as Kane gently pushed her into moving. He wasn't about to follow the Cullens into their living room and leave Nichole unsupervised. He knew her too well to just expect her to follow after. Kane knew how her mind worked and didn't doubt that she would just leave without being courteous and finishing the conversation she had started, or having the decency of saying goodbye.
"Please take a seat anywhere you wish. Would you like something to drink? I fear we don't have much but I can fetch a glass of water if you wish."
"We are quite fine, thank you for offering." Kane responded. "Now where were we?"
"Talking about how dead I get before I turn twenty four." Nichole prompted, crossing one leg over the other as she eyed the room. She'd have to give credit to whoever decorated the place because they did a very nice job. The room was handsome and well lit. The windows though. Nichole didn't like how open they left the house. How exposed it left her feeling.
"Yes," Kane inhaled deeply. This was not a powwow he was going to enjoy. "-death for her has always occurred before the mark of the twenty fourth year. As I said before not much is known about the curse. A lot of what is known comes from the records she has kept and left in the Saaven Covens care."
"Records?"
When Kane glanced to his side, towards Nichole, he found her no longer making eye contact with their hosts. Instead she was focusing on the windows. He wasn't sure she was paying attention to the conversation any longer.
"When she can, Nichole, keeps a very detailed journal of what occurs during her lives." Dark hair, tipped in blue, was tangled about slender fingers as she snapped back to attention and stationed her stare on Kane. He could feel her gaze piercing holes into the side of his head. When she didn't attempt to intervene Kane proceeded on. "We don't have all her journals, it's impossible, but those we do have help us to understand her curse better."
"What do you know of her curse?" The question came sudden, and when Nichole fixed her sight on Carlisle he added, "As long as you don't mind me asking."
"What's your plan?" Nichole did mind. She minded greatly. This was carrying on longer than she had wanted, and while she knew she had opened a can of worms when she announced she was cursed she no longer wished to speak on the topic. The time for questions was over, and the time for departure needed to be upon them.
"Our plan?"
Kane swallowed, and a bushy grey eyebrow twitched. This was going to be a very long day if this was as far as Nichole was willing to let things go.
"Yes, are you going to stay or go?" Nichole paused briefly before adding. "I didn't come to tell you any of this so you'd feel sorry for me. I came because," Brows creased as her sentence faded out. Her mind mulled over what had happened and what had led to this situation. "-because I was pressured and wouldn't have heard the end of it if I hadn't. Frankly, I don't see why I must be here. I have no interest in interacting with you, or your kind, and everyone knows by now I have no relations in Forks."
To her side Kane's penetrating gaze said everything running through his brain. It was a warning towards her attitude, but there was no or-what if she decided not to listen. Threatening her would be as useful as attempting to psychological control her. His only option would be to persuade her verbally, and hope for the best.
"Nichole," Kane began, but her own tongue was in play quickly. So, with a wave of the hand Nichole was cutting him off. "Rude, yes-yes, I know." Her pale gazed stationed solely on the good doctor and his beautiful wife. "Do you have any more questions, or can we go?"
A disproving puff stifled Kane from whacking Nichole with his cane. Striking her would not be like popping Atticus. He had to keep on reminding himself that she was not his child, and as such he had no right to discipline her when she acted selfishly. Another part had to keep reminding himself that Nichole was much, much, older than the sixteen year old body she was currently inhibiting. He worried about the stability of her mentality. Despite the curse Nichole was still human, and all humans were preeminent social creatures.
But, fear can destroy a person as quickly as lasting emotional pain. Kane didn't doubt that Nicole had scars that still bled.
"We have no intentions of keeping you any longer than you wish to stay, but we do have a few questions we'd like to still ask." Nichole wasn't pleased, if the twitch in her upper lip was any indicator, but she didn't move from her spot on their sofa. Her annoyance with Kane was growing into irritation, which was being reflected in how she was choosing to speak to the darling Cullen couple. "As for our plan, to stay or not, we haven't decided yet. One of our daughters can see many possible futures, and none seem to be negatively impacted if we stay in Forks."
"Precognition? As in a psychic ability?" This wasn't something Kane knew about. If vampires were gifted beyond their species select hunting qualities then the philosophy that his people knew was off. This could change the whole playing field when dealing with their more human hunting relatives. Was it something acquired after turning could this daughter have been a witch or gypsy?
"Most of our children are gifted, but what worries us with Alice's visions is not that she doesn't see anything bad but that Mrs. Dante doesn't appear in any of them." Frowning, Carlisle leaned forward a tad. "It's difficult to explain, but you didn't appear directly. When Alice focuses on you she gets a mixture of images and colors. Everything is shifting too much and not willing to settle. Our family relies greatly on Alice's visions, especially when matters such as this arise."
"We are most worried about you being a blood singer, and the way your blood affects the entire family." Esme's words had Kane's curiosity building. Though as curious as he was there was more to what he asked next. "A blood singer? I've never heard the term. Can you explain?"
"I know that I told Miss Dante about my family's eating habits but I don't know if she shared this with you Mr. Klahie." A nod from Kane had Carlisle not explaining what they drank and instead straight into the definition of a La tua cantante. "A blood singer is the blood of a human that is particularly appealing and highly irresistible to a single certain vampire. Each and every human has a different scent to them and their blood. It is different for all vampires but some humans are more appetizing than others. For our kind the more appealing the smell the more flavorful the blood is. Humans with such blood are very infrequent, and because of this their effect on the affected vampire makes it difficult to not lose themselves when indulging." Kane didn't so much as pause but pass his attention from Kane to Nichole. "When you first fell down that hill and got injured the smell of your blood called out to my whole family, not just one of us, but you already knew that didn't you. That had been a shock. I hadn't known a La tua cantante could affect a large group of vampires, and as far as I know it has never happened before, but from what I have gathered this most likely has to do with your curse."
It was the truth. As far as Carlisle knew there had never been a single human that's blood could call out to so many different vampires at once. He feared what would befall her if the Volturi discovered her. That is to say if they hadn't already. A La tua cantante that no matter how many times died would be reborn had to be worth something to the powerful coven. He could only hope that Nichole had never and would never cross paths with them.
"Jasper, my son who got to you first, is the newest to our way of life. He hasn't been feeding the same way as long as the rest of us have. He finds it difficult to resist the urges when blood is spilt. Normally, we can prevent an accident but this time Alice hadn't been able to see what was going to occur until it was already too late."
Waiting was a challenge for both Kane and Nichole. Sometimes they could be the post patient individuals in the room and other times neither could hold still. It be an overfull bladder, hunger, thirst, the cold or heat, aching muscles, boredom, or a busy mind. Nichole still had the urge to remove herself and leave, and if Kane wished to stay and finish chatting then so be it. She'd wait in the car. Kane on the other hand knew what he wanted to say next, but couldn't figure out quite how to word the phrases.
Magic, or those blessed, didn't work on Nichole because of her curse. The mages of the Saaven Coven had tried everything from psychics to mind readers. They had sought out the wisdom of gypsies and those banished. Nothing worked, and everything was obstructed by the dark magic wrapped tightly about Nichole. So, it didn't surprise Kane to learn that even the gifts of vampires could accomplish little as well.
"I'm not sure how much you know of our species, but when we bite our prey we inject a venom to paralyze them. It is extremely painful, and-" It didn't go unnoticed by anyone, especially Carlisle, when his voice drifted as his eyes shifted to the bite mark hidden by a long sleeved shirt on Nichole's right arm. Nichole who had been sitting so silently felt the hairs on her neck stand on end as faint ghost pains passed through her. They were quick but none-the-less unpleasant. "Normally, while it is a way to paralyze it is also the way we propagate for our kind."
A dark hand ghosted over her scar, and for the first time Nichole looked a bit lost and confused. It was an odd expression on the cold teen. So much that both Cullens had their eyes on her in seconds. Nichole knew their venom was painful, from her own experience and the records she had read, but she hadn't known this was what turned people into vampires. It was something new to her and Kane. One of the many well guarded secrets that hadn't been able to be revealed yet. Kane knew of theories similar but none were solely based on the venom of a vampire.
Oh, what he'd give to get his hands on a sample.
"What Alice saw hadn't made sense but what she could smell and hear did, and when she figured out that you were what Jasper was after she took off after him. The two of them had been out of our hearing range when she called out for help, but not for our son Edward. He had been able to catch the bits of what Alice had seen and was currently thinking in his mind. Edward knew something was off and barely informed the rest of us before rushing out. By the time I had arrived Jasper had already bitten you. Alice had just managed to pry him off when Emmett, another of our sons, and myself arrived." It went unnoticed when Carlisle took a very human like pause. Rolling his shoulders and taking in a few breaths, as if everything he had just rambled off had made him breathless. "When he let go the smell of your blood was able to affect everyone. Normally, I would have associated this with you being a blood singer for Jasper but never has one affected more than a single vampire. After our talk though and what you two have told us I want to reiterate that this is due to your curse correct?"
Nichole's grasp on her scared arm hadn't relented and with the attention now focused solely on her once more she could feel her fingernails digging into the skin beneath her thin long sleeved blue shirt. Even if she wanted Nichole couldn't seem to get her mouth and tongue to work in unison. Either sensing this or helping to control possible verbal damage Kane swooped in and became her voice.
"What you are describing is accurate, partially. This La tua cantante affects only one vampire, but what Nichole's blood does isn't just drive vampires over the edge but all supernatural beings. It's not just her blood either. Inhumans that thrive off of mortal flesh have similar reactions to the smell of her flesh. As far as we can tell it is all due to the curse, and only gets worse the older she gets. Her amulet helps but I fear the older she gets the more powerful the curse becomes. It can adapt on its own and change to fit what is occurring around her."
"It's my soul." Nichole's free hand grappled for the pendent Kane spoke of, but she found nothing.
"As far as we can understand the physical effects might just be after effects of the dark magic used when the caster casted their spell. Her soul is what was damaged. It is linked and chained in random repetition." Kane explained.
"Mages can see the soul?" It was Esme, and she looked surprisingly shocked. It had Kane cracking a small smile despite the severity of the conversation. "Not exactly. We can't see a soul, but our most powerful ancestral mediums have the ability to feel living souls."
"And, Miss Dante's soul is cursed by darker magic?"
"Yep, cursed to always repeat death after death. Always be in an endless cycle of misfortune and hurt." For some odd reason Nichole had found her voice, and as suddenly her defenses were raised. This was enough, they knew enough, the conversation needed to end now. Her mind was screaming and screeching but the tone of her voice was solid and calm. Like she was in the middle of some random conversation that she wouldn't remember in two weeks. The looks she was receiving had her seething, though. The sympathy and worry and concern.
Nichole could see Kane was close to jumping in and that the Cullen's still had about a dozen questions to ask. They all revolved around her curse, her issue. So, she diverted the conversation.
"You said that your venom is used only to procreate and to paralyze your prey. If that is the case then why am I not dead? This is not the first time a vampire has attacked me but this is the first that I can remember where I am still the same person breathing after." And, in doing so put a plug in the old conversation
There was no sound for a bit and it seemed no one knew how to break the tension that had settled. Kane wanted nothing more than to rub his temples but took to staring at Nichole in disbelief and unease instead. Esme looked uncertain. As for Carlisle, when he finally broke the silence it was slow and hesitant. He felt like if he said the wrong thing or spoke to loudly he'd set off a bomb.
"That's because normally if a person isn't fully drained they turn."
"When my husband returned with you in tow he had ordered the two of us remaining to leave. I traveled to Goat Rock Wilderness with my daughter and other children. After making sure everyone would be ok I returned to Carlisle's side. I was hesitant when I returned, not sure how your blood would affect me after the time that had passed, but Carlisle had already burned and cleaned the majority of it by then. Even though Carlisle had attempted to withdraw Jasper's venom we didn't know if you'd wake up human or would still turn."
"How does it work? From the way you talked about your venom it made it seem like there was just death or creation, but Nichole is still mortal." Kane would have thought it was because of the curse that she didn't change, but what if her curse hadn't been a key player in her staying mortal.
"As far as I know there has never been an instant where the venom hasn't turned a human." Linking his hands, Carlisle placed a majority of his weight on his elbows that now rested on top of his knees. Pale brows creased as he spoke. "It had been an untested idea. One that had been impossible to attempt without an infected human. When you got bitten Miss Dante you begged for me to get it out. I was hesitant because I didn't know if it would save your life or just prolong the transition, but the venom hadn't reached your heart yet so my theory seemed plausible. After you woke up, still with a beating heart and bleeding wounds, I had thought that I had found a way to stop the transitions in those who didn't wish to turn. Now I'm not sure it has anything to do with me removing the venom."
Neither Nichole or Kane could answer the question the good doctor was asking. It was impossible to know if the curse had a hand to play in it or if sucking the venom out was what kept Nichole mortal, not without testing it on someone normal. The likelihood of that happening wasn't high. Especially since the Cullens only dined on animals.
"The curse, as I mentioned, is complicated and little is understood of it. I don't know if it could have counteracted against the venom. It seems highly unlikely but anything is possible." Rubbing his hands together Kane glanced between their hosts, his mind digging for information. "How did you extract the venom?"
"I had to create a suction and with time so short I used my mouth to extract the contaminated blood. I spit the blood out when my mouth became filled and the venom became too much for me to handle." Not needing Kane to ask Carlisle continued on. He was becoming accustomed to the through questioning from the older mage. "Our body's only fluids are the blood we consume and our venom. It laces our joints and is what hardens our bodies. It gathers in our mouth, like saliva, and to keep from poisoning you with my venom as well I had to keep from letting any of it slide."
"Her blood is highly intoxicating for the supernaturals. Can you explain how you managed to just spit it out?" It had both their interests, but Kane was the one to ask. It was impossible for either to know that until that fateful day Carlisle had never drank human blood. Even if it had been a small amount Carlisle had guilty enjoyed it, and the more monstrous part of his craved for its next fix.
"The venom of a vampire is not just lethal to humans but to other vampires as well. It is one of our most basic weapons, and when another vampire is exposed to it there is an extreme sensation of burning. If it is inflicted via a wound the wound often doesn't heal correctly or leaves a scar. Jasper's venom burnt the inside of my mouth. Even with how her blood affected me, by taste and smell, the burn of the venom was still too strong and helped to push back the desire to consume." Beneath Carlisle's words was a sense of regret. Nichole hadn't expected for the monster to feel regret for contemplating eating her. It did little to comfort her though. There was still the feeling of being in the company of predators stronger than you. It made the urge to get up and leave more intense.
The silence as no one spoke made the room feel heavy. Nichole had long since stopped making eye contact and was staring out one of the many wide open windows. As for Kane he was trapped in his own thoughts. Their meeting had been both educational and worthwhile, if not a little off track. At that moment there wasn't anything more he could think of. He'd need to time process what he had been given.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?" It was all he could think of to break the standing silence. "There isn't much more I can say about the curse but I can try to answer any other concerns you may have."
It took Carlisle no time to speak up. Of the many things they had covered there was one that still hadn't been discussed in length yet.
"The pendent. Miss Dante spoke of a pendant that she usually wore that helped with the smell of her blood. I'm not sure if it cracked during the fall or during the attack but it seemed to still have some effect when she held it. Would she be in possession of another of these or was it one of a kind?"
Once more Nichole's hands went in search of the obsidian stone. Her mind knew she'd find nothing because the night prior, soon after Kane and Atticus had arrived, she had given it to the older mage to examine.
"Nichole's pendent was one of a kind." Nichole watched, with creased brows, as Kane reached into the inner pocket of his coat. She unconsciously leaned in closer as a familiar cracked stone with a moth encircled in three interlocking rings was pulled out. Her pale gaze never leaving the enchanted pendant as Kane displayed it to the Cullens in the palm of his outstretched hand. It was an understatement that she was surprised that he had brought it along to their little meet and greet. Even more so when Kane pulled it back and tossed it at her. "It's supposed to help dilute the smell of her blood and flesh, but as you can tell despite it being cracked the magic embedded in the stone is still partly effective. Due to Nichole's particular circumstances her pendants are a bit tricky to make. Her curse is constantly changing and adapting, and because of this her pendants often have to be remade. Currently my son is continuing the casting on her new pendent. The casting will be finished in two days time but the magic will have to settle before it will be useful to Nichole."
"How long will it take to settle?"
"We sped up the process due to what is happening, but the settling of such a casting takes time. At the longest it could take nine or ten days. The best estimation I can make is that the pendent will be completed by August 29th, give or take a day or two."
The Cullens looked between Kane and Nichole. They were clearly unsure of something, and Kane had a hunch that something had to do with their decision to stay or go. It was understandable, though he wished Nichole showed the same kind of response. She was more interested in her broken pendant than the uncertainty of the Cullen family's decision in staying in Forks.
"After I drove you back to your home Esme and I traveled to where the rest of our family was to talk about what had happened. Normally, after an accident such as this we leave but," The sides of Carlisle's mouth tugged upwardly into a smile. He couldn't help himself from smiling, not with how unusual this ordeal had become, and struggled even more to pull it back down. "I apologize that was uncalled for but everything has been a bit bizarre, even for us."
"If it makes a difference, until you called I had been sitting behind a desk plucking skin beetles for hours. It's a welcome distraction." Kane told, and unlike Nichole who scowled in disgust a false smile playing at his own lips. A soft chuckle came from Carlisle as he shook his head and took Esme's hand in his own. It was a bit of a comfort that this had been just as strange for them as it had been for the Cullens.
"When I arrived things were in disarray, to say the least. Some of our children were still knocking against themselves for what had happened, and a few of the others were angry because it most likely would mean that we would have to be on the move soon once more." Carlisle's eyes focused on the pendant Nichole still clung to. "As I explained, Alice can see things that might come to pass and she has been doing so for a very long time. She explained that despite what Jasper did that it doesn't seem to negatively impact our stay here in Forks. No matter how she looked she couldn't see Miss Dante in general. It was always constantly moving figures and shapes. Which I understand now is due to your curse."
Nichole nor Kane could notice, or hear, the conversation Carlisle was having with Esme. Their voices were far too low and the words spoken too fast for their ear to pick up. To them it was nothing more than a momentary pause as Carlisle gathered his thoughts and rearranged his words.
"I can't say we will be staying or leaving, not till we know for sure if we will be posing as a danger towards Miss Dante. I can say that my family does want to stay in Forks. We don't like to constantly travel but it is necessary, since after a handful of years people start noticing how we don't age."
"It's up to you and your coven what you decide to do next." Kane glanced between the two, as if considering their options. "The pendant that is being created will help. It will dilute Nichole's scent and leave her smelling like any other mortal."
Esme squeezed Carlisle's hand, and under her breath murmured to her husband. It was another quick conversation between the two of them that neither Kane or Nichole could hear. The silence the mortals heard was littered with gazes of contemplation. Kane knew Nichole would not uproot herself and leave, not unless something or someone pushed her into doing so. If the Cullen Coven stayed it would endanger her lifespan, but anywhere Nichole went her life would be in danger. There were threats Kane could eliminate and diminish but he could never stop her curse from activating and killing her. As uncomfortable as Kane was with the thought of the Cullens staying in Forks there was little he could do but persuade the vampires to leave, and starting a war wasn't an option.
To his side Nichole was still staring at her cracked, and practically useless, pendent. Slender fingers running over the carved moth and three rings. She was done again with this conversation and the only further communication any of them would most likely get out of her would be when she walked out the door at the end.
"Before you two arrived this morning Esme and I had a talk that the others of our coven were not involved in. We weren't sure how this meeting would go or what we would learn. Undoubtedly we have learned more than we expected and a lot of the questions and concerns we had are settled now. I can't say we still don't have any more worries or inquiries, because we do but they are minor in comparison. When we left Goat Rock Wilderness a majority of our kids agreed to wanting to stay in Forks, as did a few who disagreed because of what had happened" Carlisle spared a quick glance to his doting wife, looking for any sudden changes in what they had just discussed. She simply smiled comfortingly and squeezed the hand she was holding. "I would like to keep my family in Forks."
It took him by surprise how quickly Nichole's attention was grabbed by Carlisle's last sentence. It made him wonder if he had been wrong, maybe she wasn't quite done with the conversation just yet.
"We will be careful and make sure to keep our distance from the cottage until the pendant is finished. Final judgement I suppose will have to come if the pendent works as well as you suggest it will." Carlisle made sure to make eye contact with Nichole while he had the chance, a small smile on his lips to help comfort any worries she might suddenly have at the declaration he had made. She didn't return the gesture and just blankly stared back.
"I would be lying if I said it gives me comfort to know you have decided to chance staying, but to keep Nichole safe she will be staying in the cottage till the pendent finishes. I can begin casting a few concealment spells on the place to help, but with my departure in the next couple of days I fear I won't be able to finish them to my level of content, but my son can. He is more than capable of such simple magic." Carlisle's proclamation had caught Nichole's attention but this had her head snapping to the side. Her eyes narrowed at whatever was going through the mage's mind. She had a feeling that what was about to spill she wasn't going to like. Kane wasn't sure he liked the idea he was going to propose either. It had its own risk. Yet, despite him not wanting Atticus chancing interacting with vampires it had to be better than risking what could possibly happen if his son returned to their coven. The safest option would be to leave Atticus here in Forks while Kane worked on figuring out what exactly was going on in their own coven. "Do you know who I can talk to for enrollment for Forks High?"
"You're going to transfer him during his senior year? Is that really smart?"
"Not just him but you as well. I'm going to enroll you both into high school."
And, there it was the thing Nichole knew she wasn't going to like.
"No, no, you're not. It will be a waste of time and money. I have no interest in going to high school and less interest in socializing with others. I did not ask you to travel this way or interfere with what happened. I was more than satisfied with things going back to how they had before the attack, and awaiting my death date." Nichole scowled, and her displeasure came through words crude and snappy.
"Nichole, I-" Kane was treating her like an insolent child. Something that didn't know any better. Yet, he still insisted on pushing the buttons he had no authority messing with.
Clenching the broken necklace Nichole stood up. Eliciting spite at him had Nichole promptly hissing, "No you aren't. You feel obligated you feel like your people still owe me for what I did all those fucking years ago." It was time for Nichole to leave, and she couldn't have been happier to do so. Kane was on his feet as soon as his cane was in hand. She was faster, younger, and her legs worked. By the time Kane had rounded the corner he could see Nichole pulling the front door open.
"You can't hold up for eternity. You need people, social interactions, just like everyone else." Nichole didn't stop to listen. She left the door open and headed straight for the Klahie rental car. "It is not better the way you have been doing things. Nichole, you need to have connections and ties -" Kane all but stopped at the entrance of the house, the Cullens not far behind. Carlisle's hearing focused both on the conversation and the unsettling rhythm of the mage's heart. Without working himself up Carlisle wouldn't have noticed the now obvious murmur in the graying mages organ. "Nichole we need to talk ab-"
"I don't want to." The door to the car slammed shut, promptly ending their conversation and the meeting with the Cullens.
Kane stood still, his chest heaving and spiked blood pressure, before turning towards the Cullens.
"I apologize for having to witness that. If you have any further questions or concerns feel free to contact me. As for who I can discuss late enrollment with do you by chance know who that would be?"
Jemstone6259 : This is such a long chapter! So much dialog! I hope it wasn't a bore to read but I promise things should pick up soon! Thank you for reviewing, favoriting, and following it means a great deal to me!
The Twilight Saga is Owned by Stephenie Meyer
Other Characters and Plot Developments belong to Jemstone6259
And lastly, a special thank-you to the readers!
