CHAPTER SIX
STALKER(S)?
"Is that her?"
Emmett doesn't even lower his voice - stating it at a dangerous volume. The moment that Emmett asks the question, Rosalie takes it upon herself to nudge him hard in the ribs with her elbow. If not for him being the biggest of them, it may have sent him flying back, instead he hardly even sways as Rosalie whispers at him harshly that he better stay quiet or she won't have sex with him tonight. The threat makes Edward gag, but it at least works as Emmett makes a zipper motion across his lips with a cheeky grin.
Despite the fact that Rosalie makes an offhand whispered comment about Emmett asking such a stupid question, Carlisle still nods as a way to confirm what they all already figured.
The woman sitting on the porch of their neighboring house is Ariel Sera. The woman from Alice's vision - the new nurse working with Carlisle. Carlisle had to admit that he didn't expect her to take the sunny day off as well - and some part of him had thought maybe she was just another vampire, a new hybrid or breed - but when they left in the morning, he had spotted her setting out plants unbothered and unaffected by the dawning sun. She had looked peaceful in the morning, happy, and content. He was the only one to stay behind enough to really see her when they left, but on their return trip home, she had garnered everyone's curious attention for the new neighbor. Alice's vision certainly warranted some curiosity over the woman.
She sits on her porch, watching the sun dip down with two odd pigeons situated on her shoulders - archangel pigeons, he realizes, having some vague memories of certain aristocats having them back in the day. Particular that he didn't see them in the morning - maybe they had been situated somewhere in the house. He wonders if she makes a habit of sitting on her porch like this every morning and each night. She doesn't look much different than she did this morning or when he has seen her at work, but he has to admit that she looks more content and that her flowing nightgown suits her.
"She's kinda pretty, huh," Emmett nudges Rosalie, but closes his mouth again when she growls at him, taking in the newcomer - the one who Alice still insists will become part of their coven eventually.
Personally, she doesn't really see what the big deal is. The woman is pretty, she supposes, better looking than most. Yellow eyes that would at least match their coven's enough to not warrant too much attention from any passing nomadic vampires - if they're lucky, the volturi wouldn't notice either. But she's a bit spinly and has marks on her skin that come from being under a beating sun - tanned with freckles and sun spots. It reminds her more of a labor worker than nobility. She turns her head away with a minor huff, arms crossed tightly against her chest as she wonders when they can just head home already instead of hiding out in the treeline like some borderline stalkers.
Edward glances at her, raising his brow, but she makes a face at him with a huff in response.
"She looks sad, don't you think," Alice notes with a frown and Jasper clasps her shoulder as a silent comment of comfort.
"She feels lonely," Jasper comments evenly.
Carlisle flinches, something that doesn't go unnoticed by his coven who eye him curiously. But all he can think about is, despite a few offhand comments about her family (that weren't directly positive), he doesn't know much about her family - or her, honestly. Whether she is human or otherwise, he can't imagine just moving to a new town by themselves, staying in that big of a house alone. Just the idea of being without his coven makes his heart ache.
Edward, however, has turned his gaze to Ariel with furrowed brows, a small frown forming on his face. Carlisle notices the look with concern, but starts to move the coven back home before they overstay their welcome and get spotted.
It takes a moment, though as soon as they've settled in at the safety of their own house, Edward doesn't waste a second to pull Carlisle over to the side.
"I couldn't get a read from her," Edward hisses. Despite his quiet tone and the illusion of privacy that he has with Carlisle, he knows that his 'siblings' can hear him easily. The important thing, however, is that now that they are home, there's no risk of Ariel overhearing them. "Every time I tried, it was like her mind had too much going on for me to actually get anything from her before being pushed out."
It's the best way that he can describe it. There are no words for what it was like trying to read her mind other than that it was too advanced for him to follow.
"Is it an ability," Carlisle presses gently. The idea of Edward not being able to get a ready from her is concerning, with Edward being one of their 'ace in the holes' so to say. Oddly fascinating, but continuing that train of the thought warrants a small glare from Edward.
"I don't know," Edward admits, "If it is, then I don't know what type of gift it is. But it does increase the chance of her not being human."
The unspoken issue is there, laced under his words - if this increases the chance of her not being human, it increases the chance of her being a risk to the coven. Despite knowing this, Carlisle feels the itch of knowledge wanting to know more about her - if she is a gifted human and if not, he can't help but want to know everything about what she is. The idea of Alice's vision is a far, out of reach idea in his mind.
"-It only increases the chance of my vision coming true," Alice's voice rings throughout the room, the laughter clear in her tone, but Edward has to disagree.
"Just be careful, Carlisle," Edward finally admits with a sigh.
"I admit that I'm curious," Carlisle agrees, "The idea of something more being out there is thrilling - but I would never do anything rash that risks the coven, I hope that you all know that very well."
They do, but Edward also knows more - he can read it all in Carlisle's mind, that burning thirst for figuring out the mystery, for learning something new, the idea of discovering a new species. He has to dig deeper to see that the idea of having her as a mate is an afterthought and draws what comfort he can from it.
"A little birdy told me that you have some pet birds now."
Ariel pauses in her routine, stopping in the hall with a clipboard in her hand as she glances toward Carlisle. He's flipping through notes and hardly sparing her a glance. As it is, his comment is casual and offhand. She wonders if Charlie told him about the birds or if he happened to see them when his coven passed by her property. She's not stupid, she noticed the way that they lingered in the treeline before returning home. She knows that she doesn't smell as human as she should, that she's a new fascinating toy in a little town that is drawn to get some attention. She just hates the idea of whatever drama it could bring if they keep showing an interest in her; she lost count of how many times Alice has sent her text messages, usually deeply coded with emojis. As if they're old friends or have known each other for eternity.
She has to admit that she's not fully sure what to think of Alice's - and by extension, Carlisle's - attention. It could bring a lot of trouble - or, a fleeting thought passes of the idea of good it could bring. From what she can see, Carlisle is a good man (vampire), an even better doctor. Alice has been nothing but pleasant, friendly. She can only assume that the rest of the coven isn't much different. It wouldn't be the end of the world if she become - acquaintances - with them. She swallows thickly, wondering how long her brother considered Chloe an 'acquaintance.'
"Archangel pigeons," the explanation passes from her naturally as she pauses, looking over the notes in his hands briefly before passing him a few papers from her clipboard to add to it, "-Beautiful birds, smarter than most people think. They're only bred to be pets nowadays so they can't survive in the wild. My younger brother sent them to me from LA."
Carlisle glances at her then, curiosity dancing in his eyes, "Younger brother?"
Ariel hums absently - information about her family has always been vague, often offhand comments. She knows that saying more is dangerous, but she still gives Carlisle a fleeting smile. Her chest swells in warmth at the mention of her younger brother, knowing that he sent her the birds to keep her company, that he's out there, somewhere, at least somewhat worrying about her. It's a comforting thought after spending so long away from her favorite sibling.
"Lucy," she softly whispers, "I have a lot of siblings, but Lucy has always been my favorite - he's one of the youngest ones, you know. My oldest brother used to always pick on him so I suppose I developed a habit of protecting him. Now he's returning the favor by making sure that the birds keep me company. He used to make such a big fuss about me being alone so much."
She lets out a small, fleeting laugh that fades away like a whisper. She seems to snap out of whatever daze that she had entered, fluffing her hair with a free hand. Carlisle spots the faint color that brushes against her cheeks. When she doesn't explain much more, continuing on her way with a passing goodbye, Carlisle watches her leave with an unexplained ache in his chest.
