AN: This ended up being a lot longer than I had imagined. I had first intended that this chapter would include more scenes, but it ended up being more to explain that I first thought. On a positive note, the chapter is just about fifty percent longer than usual, so there's that. I hope you all enjoy reading!
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Deadly Affection – Reimagined
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters. I just play around with them.
Chapter 12: The Audition
Bella PoV
The sound of Alice stuttering was the most comical thing I've heard all week. I full on guffawed into the silent night without a care of being heard.
''Run that by me again Alice, I didn't quite catch it.'' I ask, after I hear a blur of words all melding into one, coming from the other end.
''I said what on God's green earth do you want Rosalie there for?!'' Alice shouted in a high pitched whine. It was actually so loud that I recoiled away from the phone at the outburst.
''Calm down Alice. I just need to ask her a question or two. And only if she wants to come, you don't get to force or coerce her.'' It would be impossible to get any answers from her otherwise by my reckon.
I did indeed surprise her by my request, even though she had seen me calling. I suppose it was a recent decision to add that tidbit, so that might be why she didn't catch it. The way I figure this whole deal to work was that the whole coven had to accept me. That included Rosalie. Hence the attempt to make nice.
''But why Rosalie?!'' Alice whined back, sounding like a spoiled brat that had to share her favorite toy with someone. The dull thud of what I imagined was a pillow hitting a wall was barely audible.
''Because of the two incidents that involved her this week. Please understand where I'm coming from Alice. I want to trust you. But how can I trust one of you when I haven't even met all of you. When I don't really understand how you all relate to each other.'' I decided to reveal a bit of information to shift her focus away from the Rosalie deal. And it worked.
''Do you mean? Really? You'll come over to our place?!'' I could hear her giddiness over the phone, before a brief silence. ''But you haven't decided. How does talking to Rosalie change your mind on whether or not to come to our home?'' I giggled, imagining the puzzled look on her face as she lay on her bed.
''Because there is something I need to know.'' I answered simply, kicking the dirt beneath my feet. ''I really need to go Alice. It's getting late, and I need to get home before Charlie freaks out.'' I can feel butterflies in my stomach forming already, imagining how the meeting will go in the morning.
''Okay. We'll be there at eight. Be safe Bella.'' Alice lets out with a sigh, before hanging up. For a moment I just sit there in the swing with the phone in my hand, looking at the reflection of the stars in the water. One moment they were so clear, before a gust of wind disturbed the surface, muddling the picture.
If there was going to be trouble, I better be ready for a fight.
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I stood near the swing, looking at the tree I had drained only a few hours earlier. It didn't look much worse for wear, with how little I had needed to top off my energy.
It wasn't even seven in the morning, but sleep didn't find me so I figured I might as well wait here. I didn't really know where they all lived, but as much as I had gathered from last week my guess would be somewhere south of Forks. That meant they would probably come from the same direction I had toward the clearing. Only they were vampires, so they could probably come from any direction that they wanted. The undead doesn't feel fatigue as far as I remember.
The weather had taken a turn for the better this morning. As far as I could see out of the clearing as I was in, there was not a cloud in the sky. This also meant that it had been really cold in the air last night, as proven by the thick layer of mist lying on top of the lake. But the sun was just about to rise above the top of the mountains behind me, so it was looking up.
Taking off my shoes and socks, I sat down on the bank and tested the water out with my feet. I was again reminded that it was in fact, still march. The water was fucking freezing, even with my newfound powers. Even on the edge of flaring my cloak, it still hurt my feet. One would think the snow in the trees and the forest floor would be obvious enough.
The part of me berating myself actually made another part of me mad. And the fucking stupidity of even taking the effort to process that mental gymnastics hurt my brain.
With a tired sigh, I stood up and walked over to the swing. Gently lowering myself into one of them, I started pivoting back and forth on my toes. Thankfully walking barefoot on the snowy ground didn't hurt, though why I reacted so differently to the water, I do not know. Maybe it had something to do with how efficient water was to transfer heat, compared to the snow? But snow was just water that was extra cold, so how did that make sense?
The 'beep' of my phone going off drew my attention. Taking it out of my pocket, I saw I had a text from Alice. It was only then that another thought hit me. Vampires don't sleep. And Alice was probably very excited, and or nervous about the upcoming conversation. Which meant she was probably checking the future constantly to figure out how it would go. It also meant she probably knew I was already here.
'Are you ready for us?' Was all the text said. She really must be impatient about this, for her to skip all the pleasantry of even asking if I was here. Or if I was even up yet. Though the last one could have been neglected simply because vampires probably have little understanding of how fucking great sleep is.
The butterflies in my stomach made an effort to send me running, but the pressure of the weight on my shoulders silenced them. 'Sure.' Was my simple response. Putting the phone back in my jacket pocket, I stood up and faced the direction I had come from before while pushing my second sight out as far as I could. Sunlight hitting the peaks of the mountains across the water drew my attention for a second, before a single silvery outline entered my range. It was walking slowly down the same path as I had come here. Followed by a smaller outline a few steps behind. They were both walking at a normal human's speed, so getting here would take about another minute. And while the fact that Rosalie was walking first was interesting, it was another minute of me fighting the urge to flee.
Taking my phone back out, I sent another text, as simple as the first. 'Faster.' Then it was back in my pocket. Barely a few seconds later I saw the smaller outline stop and take out an item that on the outside looked dead, but on the inside held electricity. The bigger outline stopped shortly after, and a few words seemed to be shared, before they sped up dramatically.
Not two seconds later, I could see Rosalie enter the clearing in front of Alice, keeping herself between us. A small facet of the creature that was Rosalie became clear to me in that moment.
''Huh. So you're the defender in the family.'' The words didn't even process in my mind before I blurted it out. I could immediately see the tension building in her stance, with her knees bending ever so slightly.
''What's that supposed to mean?'' Came Rosalie's brusque reply. Alice peeked over her shoulder with a sheepish smile. It made me think she knew how this conversation was going to start off. Some things are probably more set in stone than we would like to admit.
''I'm sorry. It was just an observation. With how you came at me first to check out the danger, to you trying to stop me from getting crushed by a car. And to you protecting Alice when meeting me in a secluded location.'' I hadn't even thought of how they would have taken the request to meet Alice alone in the early morning in a place like this. It didn't matter that a few of them seemed to like me, they still believed I was a danger to them. It wasn't my intention to assuage their fears by inviting Rosalie along, but it was a boon all the same.
''Again, I am sorry. My brain can't keep up with my mouth sometimes.'' I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment, feeling the flush spreading across my face.
Rosalie neither moved, nor spoke for several seconds. Her eyes scanned my form, and I noticed her taking note of my shoes over near the water. Alice's hands had come to rest on the shoulders of her sister, while she peeked out behind her hair. And while that obscured most of her face, I could still see that she was struggling to keep herself from laughing. I swear, that little imp is going to be the death of me some day.
''Could you help me out here Alice? You've already seen this play out, so stop dragging it out so much.'' I say while rolling my eyes at her when she finally burst out laughing. Even Rosalie felt the need to turn around to stare at her after the outburst. Alice completely ignored her sisters questioning eyes, looking ahead to me instead.
''But it's so much more fun in person!'' Alice all but squeals out before laughing some more. Rosalie turns sideways on to me again, but I can still see her roll her eyes at her sisters antics.
''I've only known her for a week, and she's already driving me insane. How on earth do you cope with her around twenty-four seven?'' I mutter halfheartedly, not really expecting an answer.
''Lots and lots of full-body massages from Emmett.'' Rosalie stated it with absolutely no humor or inflection what-so-ever. Like it was just a simple fact of life. That was how you deal with being around Alice.
''Remind me to ask him to do that to me sometime.'' I respond, waiting for Alice to stop laughing. The sly smile that forms on Rosalie's face as she turns to me makes me rethink the last words I spoke.
''I'm not sure you could survive it hon. And even if you could, I'm not that keen on sharing.'' Rosalie replies with a sultry tone. Alice actually falls over laughing at this point, wheezing and kicking on the ground. Even Rosalie seems to have been bitten by the atmosphere as her shoulders move in a silent chuckle.
''Ohh. Ooooohhhhhh!'' The realization makes the blush come back with a vengeance, and it almost feels like my face is on fire. I'm barely able to keep from bursting my cloak as I bury my face in my hands.
Unbidden images of a sweaty and panting Emmett entwined with Rosalie came to the surface of my mind. In an attempt to put my minds to other thoughts I looked up to see Alice lying on her back, seemingly struggling to stop her laughter. My mind wasn't on my side however as I looked to Rosalie smirking at me. It decided to start undressing her with my eyes instead.
''Ohh god!'' There wasn't much more than shreds of defiance that stopped my cloak from bursting out then and there. In a desperate attempt to get back some control, I ran at full speed to the water, and dunked my head into the freezing depths.
My hands dug into the frozen bank as I almost tipped over myself from the momentum. The shock of the cold water biting into my scalp and face almost made me seize up. But it did the job. For a brief second there, it even seemed to disrupt my second sight.
I pulled my head up with a gasp, and whipped my now wet hair over my right shoulder and wrung as much water I could out of it. ''Fuck that's cold!'' I bark, wiping some water out of my face.
Alice was in the process of brushing the snow off of her clothes as I turned back around, while a bemused Rosalie had taken to sitting on the swing. ''So it seems you didn't invite us here to blatantly attack us. So why did you ask for this meeting?'' Rosalie's tone was guarded, even though it didn't feel hostile.
''You really like to make things difficult, don't you Alice?'' I responded, glaring at the little imp as she smiled sheepishly in return. She moved forwards and gently sat down on the other swing next to her sister without a word.
''Short version is that I'm at my wits end with how to proceed. I will explain more after I've gotten an answer from you Rosalie.'' I tilted my head in her direction, silently asking for her permission. She nodded and put her hand forwards for me to continue.
''I.. Why. Why didn't you attack me yesterday? You looked ready to rip my head off, yet you didn't...'' I knew I should not look a gift horse in the mouth, yet I felt this was something I needed to understand, in order to be able to trust them. Rosalie's gaze fell to the snowy ground as I spoke, telling me without words that she felt ashamed. That in itself was perhaps answer enough. It was an egotistical request to know her reasoning for her actions. If there even was any.
She had been on the defensive when entering this place, most likely expecting an attack as soon as they appeared. Yet she had not made gone for a preemptive strike, even when she seemed ready for one. Not even when my back was turned did they make a move.
The sound of Alice whistling drew me out of my intense line of thinking, greeting me with a genuine smile as our eyes met.
''I'm sorry. That was rude of me to even ask.'' It is my turn to turn my gaze to the ground. For several seconds not much is heard but my breathing, and the song of the birds welcoming the morning.
''No, it's okay. I can understand that you want to know.'' Rosalie's words come slowly at first, before they start to flow like water. ''Please understand that what we are... It's not an easy thing, being around humans.''
''Not only do they smell like food, but there's this urge... Like an instinct to prove that you're better than them. It's not so strong that you can't push it to the back of your mind usually, but if we smell blood, it becomes an incessant whisper. And that's not mentioning the burning in our throats that demands blood to subside.'' Alice had taken to swinging gently back and forth as Rosalie explained, but other than that she didn't show any indication as to what was on her mind.
''Your throat burns?'' I asked quietly, wondering if it was just a figure of speech, or an actual fire. It didn't really sound all that smart to go to a school full of humans, if a small cut was all that was needed to mess up your day.
''As our father described it once, it's like shoving a white hot poking iron down your throat. And all the while, every fiber of your being just wants to rip into anything with a beating heart close by.'' I noticed Alice smile dim ever-so-slightly at that last part.
''Sounds rough.'' I muttered, not really knowing how to even imagine what that would be like. Guess that was a pretty good reason to stay away from most people. I wonder if they had the same reaction to me? Shit, what about my period? It would be torture for them to be around me then. And what about when they had their periods? How would that work out?
''I guess that's all a roundabout way to start to explain why I would have attacked Tyler yesterday. When it comes to you, that's a different story.'' Rosalie continued after a few seconds of silence. ''The honest answer is. I don't know. If you can attribute these, 'instincts' we have as vampires to an inner persona, my best answer would be that it... Hesitated.'' Her golden eyes lifted to look into mine as she spoke the final word, and it left me confused.
Some part of me wanted to feel indignant, like I wasn't good enough to be food to her. Another was gloating that I somehow scared her enough to not want to mess with me. I didn't really know which to go for, so I opted for a cautious response.
''Why did it, you, hesitate?'' Alice stopped actively swinging, but didn't say a word. Rosalie looked off to the side and looked to be contemplating. It really wasn't the answer to the question I was looking for in the first place though. I think I almost wanted her to say she was able to control herself. Like there wasn't more than just chance that kept both of our secrets safe from the school.
Wanting another answer didn't make a difference though. I think her honest one was probably better. It's given me even more reason to trust her, and as an extension, her family. Not that there was much she could have answered that wouldn't end with me trusting them, honestly. Maybe other than straight out saying she wanted to kill me later, without any witnesses.
''It was like a feeling you gave off. Like an aura or something, it's hard to explain. That, and that even in the face of what I truly am, you didn't seem bothered by it. Like you could as easily just swat me away if I tried to attack you.'' Rosalie sounded worried at the implication. If that was what she was thinking before coming here, why did she take the risk?
''I was really scared, and I don't really understand why I didn't back off. I freaked the fuck out later in the cafeteria, if you hadn't heard.'' From the nod I knew she had, probably hard for Emmett to keep that quiet from his girl.
''So.'' Alice said simply, skidding to a stop on the swing, looking expectantly at me. Like she had been waiting for me to get to this point.
''What, imp?'' I snarked back at her, rolling my eyes. ''Thank you for answering my question Rosalie.'' I give the blonde a sincere smile, which she returns. Guess it was my time to shine then.
''So the reason I asked you both out here. I don't really know how much Alice has kept from you, so I'll start from the beginning.'' Damn I was nervous. The butterflies were back in force now that I stood in front of these two vampires, about to do what basically amounted to swearing fealty to their coven. I don't think it was possible for Alice to look more excited.
''First of all, I've only been whatever it is that I am, for less than two weeks.'' Rosalie sat up straight as I said this, looking surprised. ''I had an incident at my school in Phoenix. It started out with one obnoxious kid hitting on me. Then I unknowingly pushed his friend to the ground, which he didn't much care for. It ended in a showdown in the library, where I punched him so hard he ended up being hospitalized.'' They both seemed to be listening closely, but didn't voice a single question.
''All the while I seemed to be sleepwalking during the night, missing clothes when I woke up. I didn't put it together until last wednesday, the fact that I wasn't all human. As a result of my fight, I got kicked out. Well not really, I convinced them to let me transfer. So I came up here on thursday to live with my dad, and finish school here.'' It really felt like a lot of time had passed, with how much had happened so fast. I still can't believe it's not even been two weeks.
''So you really don't know what you are?'' Rosalie asked with a puzzled look. Alice seemed to perk up as she asked this which had me confused. I thought I had told her that already? Or maybe she didn't believe me then.
''I don't, no. As far as I can gather it's not hereditary. Neither my mother or my father has commented on the oddities that has been going on.'' They both seemed to think about it for a short second, before looking to each other. Trying to come up with possible reasons for why I am what I am wasn't really why I was here though, so I moved the conversation forward before they spoke up. ''There's this thing I can do, where I have a sort of... Second sight. Where I can see everything going on around me for a limited distance, in all directions. And it seems keyed into whatever it is that makes us different, as that was why I knew immediately that you weren't human. You look different than other people.''
''That's how you saw me on friday!'' Alice exclaimed, whipping around to face me again. It took me a couple of seconds to think back, but then I remembered. At the diner was the first time I saw a vampire, up in the tree.
''That was you, up in that tree near the diner?'' I questioned, which caused Alice to nod her head vigorously.
''Yes! You scared the shit out of me when you just turned around and stared up to me out of the blue!'' At this point Rosalie perks up, before voicing her thoughts.
''That's why you were so anxious? You got spotted when you were out spying on young girls?'' She teased her sister, bumping her with her elbow.
''I wasn't spying on anyone!'' Alice retorted, crossing her arms. The pout on her face was hilarious.
''So what were you doing out there then?'' I asked Alice, more for wanting to get some payback on the little imp than I was curious.
Umm... I was... Umm... Investigating. Yes, investigating. On what kind of... food, the Chief's daughter liked...'' It seemed like we'd caught her off-guard again, as she was really prolonging the words to get more time to think.
''So you were spying on her.'' Rosalie deadpanned. Alice practically folded in half before she muttered a muffled 'yes' through her legs. It was hard to resist the urge to laugh, but seeing her like that stopped me. Didn't need to kick her while she was down. Rosalie did smile to me though.
''It's okay Alice, I don't mind. Well I did then, as that was the first time I'd seen any other supernatural beings. Or... Sensing. I'm still not sure how to put it into words.'' I really made a muck out of trying to make her feel better.
''You said it's keyed into 'us'? Like in all supernatural beings? And how do you recognize them as different?'' Rosalie prodded, distracting me from the embarrassment I felt.
''Yeah, well I don't really know if it's all supers. You're kind of the first ones I've met. There's this kid down at the rez that looked kinda off too, but not like you. How to explain it best... There's like this image, in my mind, that feels... orange. And living things are like, a brighter color than everything else. After that, there's plants and trees. And the wood in our house is even duller than that. And it goes down all the way to lifeless, which is just a dark void.'' Alice perked back up again as I was explaining it, as I was starting to emote with my hands in a moronic attempt at visualizing it. All the while Rosalie was keeping eye contact with me, absorbing the information.
''And then there's you guys. If normal people are bright like a small light bulb, you guys are like a small sun. At first it was painful to even be near you. Like you were burning my mental eyes or something. And you're like a silvery-neon color, instead of orange.''
''Why would it be painful?'' Rosalie muttered quietly, probably just thinking out loud. It was a question I hadn't actually thought about yet, so I indicated my curiosity to her with a tilt of my head. ''I was just thinking, if this is something you are, as in didn't become but was born like this. Why would it hurt if you were just 'awakening' your abilities. They should be part of you already. So maybe you weren't born like this. Are you sure nothing happened? No lost time, or painful experience prior to 'unlocking' any of this?'' Frankly I was a bit stumped by what Rosalie was saying. The way she was thinking almost seemed alien to me, yet it made sense.
I started thinking back to last monday, trying to find any oddities. But I didn't find any. I woke up like normal, I did my normal routine, and apart from being bothered by Justin, there was nothing. Only...
And like a flash, it felt like I was back in the classroom that day. In biology, feeling like I could just about murder someone. Where I had pushed Dustin out of his seat. And where I had somehow felt... the frog dying.
''There was this... moment. We had a biology class where we had to dissect frogs. And I was in this rage. Just, boiling over on the inside, wanting to gut my teacher instead of the frog. And I felt the heat of the frog disappear as it died.'' I whispered, feeling the hairs on my neck stand up. The image of the bird I had killed lying on the ground flashed in my mind, making me wince.
''Are you okay?'' Alice asked, her eyes scanning my form. It wasn't until she did that I realized my eyes were flaring up. I briefly wondered if I should have worn my shades for this, but disregarded the notion. They needed to see me as I am, and I needed to be honest with them if this was going to work.
Taking a deep breath, I forced my power to recede again, before looking to Alice. ''Yeah, I'm good. Just a bad memory.''
''And what would that be?'' Rosalie pursued, eyeing me suspiciously. I probably would have to tell them. Maybe even giving them a little show of what I know I can do would ease their suspicion.
''I will tell you, but first I want to explain why I said I'm at my wits end.'' I walked over to one of the support struts of the swing on Rosalie's side and leaned against it. She didn't move out of the way or anything, but I could tell she was getting tense from the proximity.
''I'm... just... going insane. I don't have anyone to talk to about this. Being... not human. I have no idea what's happening to me, or why. And it's changing me in ways that scares me. Sometimes it feels like I'm hearing voices. And it feels like I have several different people vying for control of what I do.'' It felt like the weight on my shoulders lessened, if only slightly, with each word I spoke. The relief made me slide down the post I was leaning against, ending up sitting in the snow.
''I don't know if trusting a bunch of vampires is a good idea. Hell, if you'd asked me that two weeks ago I would run for the hills. But now, I don't think I can do this alone. I think I would loose myself to whatever this is doing to me.'' I took a deep breath and exhaled shakily, closing my eyes. The weight all but vanished as I admitted how I really felt out loud. It was scary, to bare ones deepest fears to someone else. Yet I felt rewarded for it as I saw Alice's expression turn to a sympathetic smile, before she looked to her sister.
Rosalie just continued to stare at me, but must have noticed her sisters look, as she nodded her head. With little wasted movement, Alice rose from the swing and walked over to me, sitting down in the snow next to me. I didn't bother opening my eyes as she snaked her arm around my side and pulled me gently into her. Leaning my head onto her shoulder, she rocked slowly back and forth.
''We won't let you loose yourself Bella. I promise.'' Alice whispered near my ear. I couldn't stop the tears that started to trickle down my chin, onto her cold shoulder.
We sat like that for several minutes, without any of us saying a word. Rosalie was staring out at the lake, where the rays of sun had started to disperse the mist that had been on it earlier. My tears had stopped quickly, but that didn't stop her jacket from feeling damp. Added with her own body temperature, and sitting in the snow for so long, I was actually starting to feel it.
With a gentle nudge to Alice, I started to untangle myself from her and stood up, brushing my clothes free of snow. Little could be done with what's already melted into my clothes. Stupid of me not to remember to bring a set of change in the car. Whatever.
Stretching my arms out, I tried to force the stiffness out of my muscles again. ''Thanks for that.'' I say over my shoulder. Walking over to my shoes near the water, I gaze out at the lake. The surface is as calm as it was yesterday, only now the sun is shining down on it. The mountain range and forest is reflected almost perfectly.
I glance out to the far end of the lake, where there are building and cars close to the edge of the water. There are people outside, milling about, doing their thing. The world doesn't wait for anyone. I can see that I still hold their attention, and I speak with my back turned to them.
''I think I should show you what I can do. At least what I've figured out so far. Is that okay?'' They both rise from their respective positions, now looking curiously towards me. It is Alice who nods imperceptibly this time, before Rosalie answers.
''We've both seen your... power. The healing. How it increases your strength and speed drastically. Is there more to it we should know about?'' Her tone is merely curious instead of accusatory, and I gather I've earned a little bit of trust. It brings a small smile to my lips.
''Healing?'' Alice pipes up immediately, locking eyes with me. Rosalie just pokes her in the ribs for Alice to stay silent.
''I'll show you sometime. Anyway, there's the cloak that you've seen, and my second sight that I told you about. But the thing is, my power... it doesn't just come to me for free.'' With my blush hidden from their view, I start to undress, putting my clothes on top of my shoes with each layer that comes off. ''Some part of it's innate, but it feels like it works almost like a battery. It can go to zero, but I will go up to some set point after some rest. But when I'm low, I might not be able to control myself. I think that's what was happening when I was sleepwalking the first few nights.'' I was down to my underwear when I stopped taking off my clothes. We were all girls here, but if I could reduce my time being naked in front of them, I would.
''I found large patches of dead plants the mornings after. It's actually something I haven't been able to replicate since. But it increased the maximum amount of energy I can hold, I think. Now I just recharge my energy from draining it from plants.'' Unfastening my bra, I add it to the pile. Then I wrap my right arm over my breasts, and turn my right side towards them. Then I bend down and use my left hand to take off my panties and toss them into the pile as well.
Then I let my control go, feeling the rush down my spine as crimson energy bubbles to the surface and envelops my body. The range of my vision increases dramatically, and I even see a herd of deer grazing further north from us. My cloak now stands almost three centimeters thick from what I could guess. And it seemed more... condensed than before. It was more like a thick liquid than the fog-like state it had been the first time.
As I walked over to a tree near the edge of the water I figured out another mistake I had made. Just last night I had topped off the 'tank'. If I tried to drain any more now it would probably start hurting again.
''Okay, so there's a small problem.'' The bass in my voice was something I didn't know if I'd ever get over, but it seemed like it was here to stay. Turning my head in their direction, I lock eyes with Rosalie. ''I kind of recharged last night, so I'm at max capacity right now.''
''What happens if you try to drain more than you can store?'' Alice asked, standing up on her toes.
''Nothing good. It feels like I'm being torn apart at first, before it gets... vented. Alice, do you remember the broken tree where we met the other night?'' From the way Rosalie's gaze snaps to her sister, I'd wager Alice didn't tell anyone about our nightly encounter. What's driving her to be so secretive towards her family?
''It's fine Rose, we can talk about it later.'' Alice rushes out, giving her sister a look that causes Rosalie to back off. Rosalie definitely trusts Alice's judgment, to back off so easily. But why doesn't Alice trust Rosalie enough to have told her? Given her ability to see the future, I'd guess it had some adverse consequences. But what could those possibly be, from just having a chance encounter in the forest?
''And do you mean the old one that was cut from it's trunk?'' She continues, to which I nod. This causes her to do a double take. ''But you've only been here for a week right? That break looked old.''
''That's because of the draining. It makes things desiccate, only it's not really even that. It's hard to explain...'' I struggle to find the right words, when Rosalie speaks up.
''What do you mean; things?'' Her eyes are piercing as her demeanor goes tense again. I freeze as I realize the perceived attempt to hide it was making her edgy again. I turn towards them in exasperation, using my left hand to cover my modesty.
''I mean things, as in plants and animals. I was getting to that, as it has to do with the bad memory I was telling you about earlier.'' Rosalie seems to relax again, so I continue. ''So to confirm your suspicion, yes I can probably drain people. Possibly even vampires. Though in my defense, I have no intention of finding out, ever. The last time I created a circle of dead plants down in Phoenix, there was this bird. A cactus wren, that I had killed in a rage. It didn't even phase me until another one came looking for it.'' I was getting kind of choked up, recalling the events. The vow I had made was more clear than the event itself, but that didn't change anything.
''That's one thing I will warn you of immediately. If you ever think I'm loosing it, get the hell away from me. That accident in Phoenix was the only one since this all started, so I don't know if that's how it's always going to be. Whatever I am, it is not benevolent.'' The atmosphere became really tense, with both of them eyeing me like I had said something wrong. How was that not something sane for supernatural beings to admit? When dealing with extremely deadly entities, be extremely cautious when things go to shit. Isn't that just common sense?
''So what's the boilerplate waiver when it comes to dealing with vampires?'' I joked. They shared a look before they shared a nervous laugh. ''So if we can get back to my earlier point. Absorbing too much energy is bad.'' I turned back around and walked over to the edge of the water. With my back now to them again, I regained use of my hands.
''The cloak around me is also... not good. It seems to break down or corrode anything it touches.'' To prove my point, I dug my hand into the snow and found a rock, holding it in my open palm towards them. Slowly but surely it chipped and crumbled in my hand, without a speck of dust falling to the ground.
Putting my hand back down I saw them talk in their incredibly fast and quiet manner, but I couldn't make it out. I would imagine it had something to do with their safety around me when I'm cloaked up. Perhaps what would happen if I touched them for a prolonged time. Do vampires heal? They're supposed to be immortal, but I can't recall if they were supposed to heal or if they would have to live with some... battle damage.
The water drew my attention again. It looked tempting to jump in with how the sun was shining down on it, but I knew better. I do wonder if it would feel cold now though, with the cloak on. And how would the cloak react to water? It was ethereal in some ways, so does that mean I would be able to walk on top of the water? Would the cloak treat the water like any other surface? Probably not. It would still have to support my weight spread over the relatively small surface that was the feet of my cloak.
Not that it would stop me from testing it anyway. Standing with one leg on the bank, I gently placed the other one down to the surface of the water. An extremely loud hissing noise erupted as the cloak touched liquid, like the sound of the Leidenfrost effect, but louder. And I could immediately feel a drain on my energy. In fact, not long after I first placed my foot onto the surface, I noticed the herd of deer perking their heads up in our direction, before the range of my second sight fell so dramatically that I could no longer see them.
The bubbling of the water, and the steam it gave off surprised me less than the appearance of oily spots quickly racing across it's surface. And then the sound stopped, without me moving an inch. Only a second later did I realize that my cloak had shrunk down so much that it no longer touched the surface. I jumped backwards from the water in surprise, which started the two behind me.
''Huh. That's new.'' I uttered, still in a daze. I had touched the surface for maybe five seconds, and my cloak was down to about a centimeter outside my skin. That is one scary weakness I now had to consider, and the vampires behind me had witnessed it.
''What happened? Are you okay?!'' Alice asked, rushing to my side. She looked me over for any injuries before she apparently seemed to recall my state of undress, and her eyes locked onto my face instead. I had enough mental faculties left to cover my body before I turned around so I could see them both.
''I guess we now know of one of my weaknesses.'' I said, directed to Rosalie. She promptly closed her mouth which had been open in shock or surprise.
''It would seem so...'' She trailed off, seemingly unsure of what to say.
Selecting one of the smaller trees for the purpose of a demonstration of the worst case scenario. The poor Douglas fir was only about two meters tall, and from what I could see, I would probably drain it dry with ease. Walking over to it, I noted that the vampires in the clearing remained still.
''This is what happens when I recharge my energy.'' I said into the forest, putting my hand to the tiny trunk. I felt a little conflicted, knowing I would sort of kill the tree in the process, but I felt like I needed to give them a demonstration. If only to hammer the point home.
Like a small vortex in my palm, I saw the energy being sucked away from the extremities of the tree. The familiar sense of warmth spread through me as my cloak flared and grew with each second. Needles started raining down around me, as the upper parts of the tree shrunk into itself when the energy were drained completely from its branches. More and more fell to the snowy ground as I gripped around the trunk completely, sucking it out faster and faster, until it was all gone.
With the simple twist of my hand, the trunk snapped, and I held the top part of the tree in front of me. Tossing it towards the ground in front of the vampires, it's branches snapped and fragmented like glass in the snow.
My cloak wasn't even at the level it had been when I had first flared it up earlier, but I felt like the demonstration was enough. With haste, I walked over to my clothes and forced the cloak to recede. Then I quickly dressed up again. Putting my shoes back on felt awesome, as the dull coldness was replaced by comforting heat.
Rosalie had taken to inspecting the pieces of shattered wood on the ground, while Alice only stared at it with a look of contemplation.
''You weren't kidding when you said you were dangerous.'' Rosalie remarked, picking up a piece of the trunk, crumbling it in her hands. ''And you're saying you can do this to us?'' The tone she held turned sharp, giving me the indication she wasn't after a comforting answer.
''I honestly believe so, yes. But I have no wish to test that theory.'' I replied solemnly. The two vampires shared another wordless glance.
''We would have to confer with the rest of our family about this. We must make a decision as a family, before making any promises.'' Rosalie spoke warily, but I had no qualms about that. If the roles were reversed, I would do the same.
''That's completely understandable. You know how to get in touch with me when you decide.'' She looked relieved, with her standing back up before heading in the direction they had come from. Alice didn't follow along however, which made Rosalie stop and turn back around at the edge of the clearing.
Instead Alice walked up to me and grabbed me in a hug. For such a small frame, the girl was really strong, as I felt my ribs cry out in discomfort. The feeling of her short spiky hair on my neck contrasted the surge of fear that she might bite. But she didn't. After the initial surprise had faded, I hugged her back, adding a little of my own strength. She giggled at the pressure, before disentangling again, staring into my eyes while holding her hands at my sides.
''Don't worry Bella. I won't let them do anything less than accept you.'' The way she said it made me believe her implicitly. And finally the butterflies in my stomach was all gone.
Then, with nothing more than a wave, they left the clearing.
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AN: So that was another chapter done. As always, I hope you enjoyed it. And if there is anything off, please let me know!