CHAPTER THREE
ROSALIE
I reclined in the living room while the other members of my coven had retreated to their bedrooms to endure the usual sleepless night. Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor played on the television; it was easily one of my favorite films, if not the favorite. Elizabeth Taylor was stunningly beautiful and I adored the story.
Suddenly, I paused the film; I heard someone moving. As I rose, I saw a flash of Carlisle headed towards the front door. Hurriedly, I followed him out onto the porch. He froze and turned to face me, a severe expression engraved on his face.
"Where are you going?" I asked in a hushed tone.
"Spain, and perhaps Italy," he stated, which was the answer I expected but truly did not want to hear.
I bitingly replied, "I assume it is unrelated to the vampiress you helped bury alive?"
He frowned and I felt a pang of guilt in my gut. Then he averted his eyes for a swift second before returning them to me.
"Would you like to come?" Carlisle warmly offered and I furrowed my brow. "I know you didn't want to go to Alaska, but you could buy some new clothes while I deal with the situation."
"Why do you want me to come with you?" I asked, crossing my arms tightly over my bosom. "Is it not too dangerous for me?"
Carlisle gazed at the rotund moon for a few moments. I waited patiently, lips pursed, until he returned his attention to me.
"Yes," he said. "It is more danger than I would care to put you in, but I don't have to have Jasper's gift to feel your pain and sadness here in Forks. I think it would help you to take a leave of absence and sort out your thoughts about Bella Swan."
I unwrapped my arms from my chest and tried to think. On one hand, leaving would let my discomfort regarding Bella win over my strength. On the other, I knew I would accompany him not for my relationship of hatred but for my curiosity about Amunet and the mysterious name Angelique.
"I think I would like to get away from here. It is difficult to live in this town at the moment, as much as I have always liked Forks," I decisively replied. It was a partially honest statement, at least. I hated lying to Carlisle but I knew he would not take me if I told him it was solely about Amunet.
Carlisle gestured towards his car and I grabbed my purse.
[X]
First, we drove to Sea-Tac and purchased urgent tickets to Spain. I bought numerous crossword puzzles and fashion magazines in the airport to entertain myself during the lengthy flight. At last, we landed near Barcelona and disembarked the plane.
"Where are we going in Spain?" I asked as we slowly strode through the airport, seeking somewhere to stay until the sun went down. We would sparkle in this weather, which would attract the ire of the Volturi and loathing of humans.
Carlisle answered, stopping near a deserted terminal and locating two seats far from the window, "To where Alice last saw Eleazar and Carmen."
I could have guessed that; I wanted more specifics.
"To where Amunet was buried?" I prodded, gracefully taking my seat and setting my Ralph Lauren purse on my lap.
Carlisle nodded. "I need to witness what happened with my own eyes," he said. "Then, if need be, we will head to Volterra and see what can be done."
We said no more while we waited for nightfall. At last, it came, and the two of us nonchalantly left the airport, rented a car, and drove through the dark city to a shoddy construction site on the fringes of Barcelona. Carlisle parked and vacated the vehicle. I watched him cautiously walk toward the excavation. After a few seconds, I collected my thoughts and followed him.
In the middle of the now-closed site, a huge pit plummeted into a pitch black abyss. Around us were normal fixtures of someone building an apartment complex, but there, I knew Amunet lurked for centuries, until this construction crew disturbed her.
"I guess the humans picked a bad place to build," I remarked as Carlisle began to explore the area surrounding the pit.
"Rose, stay here and don't move," Carlisle ordered and my eyes flashed wide. I wanted to stop him, but he looked serious and I knew I should not intervene. He dropped down into the pit and I clamped my hands over my mouth to suppress a scream. He was a vampire; he could easily survive that drop, but it still made my stomach lurch to watch him fall.
I stood beneath the moonlight, counting the seconds in my head until the patriarch of my coven emerged, easily pulling himself to the surface. He stood and brushed the dirt off of his fashionable suit.
"It is exactly as I feared," gravely said Carlisle. I did not know how to react.
I took another peek at where Amunet was buried, and then headed back to the car directly by my adoptive father's side.
As I snapped my unnecessary seatbelt on, I asked, "Volterra then?"
He nodded in silent assent.
[X]
Mere hours later, I stood in the headquarters of the Volturi, my posture stiff and my eyes flitting around in anticipation of an attack. To keep sane, I kept reminding myself that I had done nothing wrong, and that I had no desirable gifts.
"I didn't see remnants of a fire. What happened to Eleazar?" Carlisle asked, halfway through his conversation with Aro.
Aro coolly explained, "We cleaned up. We needed to do damage control before the construction workers returned," smoothly said the head vampire.
Carlisle frowned. "We all grieve for him, and in his memory we must track down Amunet."
"Yes," said Aro. "An unfortunate fate has befallen Eleazar, but I assure you, my old friend, that I have my best on the trail of our escaped enemy."
"What help did she have? I have the suspicion that the construction was not the full cause of her unearthing." Carlisle would not drop this, as much as I wanted him to. I knew it would be best to simply give our regards and flee this city, but he cared too much.
"She was exhumed by more than one of vampirekind. I have graciously been informed by Carmen that Angelique was finishing the work, but she did not do it alone. The girl always was charming, I must admit," explained Aro, a wicked smile creeping onto his lips.
I did not understand it. He should have been afraid, not amused.
"She cannot grow in power," Carlisle vehemently insisted, causing Aro to take a slight step backwards. That certainly impressed me.
"Yet, she has the same weakness she did before," Aro stated, his lips contorting further. "She would go far to protect her mate, like any of us. If they are together, as the situation implies, we can go for the head of Angelique. My people will take care of this. You have nothing to fear, but I would not mind your presence here."
Carlisle at last accepted the unchangeable and declared, "I should be headed home soon. I will trust in your words."
Aro smoothly asked, "You won't stay a while?"
Carlisle politely smiled and gave a brief wave. "I am afraid not."
He grabbed me by the arm a little too tightly while we walked away.
[X]
I wrinkled my nose from displeasure as soon as Carlisle began to drive. My bitter expression faded when I briefly lost myself in my glittering skin. I so rarely saw it that way; I was too careful.
"What are you upset about?" asked Carlisle.
"He didn't seem as worried as I thought he should be," I said, frowning again.
Carlisle casually replied, "His overconfidence has always been legendary. But I don't think we should worry much about Amunet. Aro might not take her seriously enough, but I believe she will leave us alone long enough for other vampires to ensnare her."
I rubbed my lips together then adjusted my lipgloss in the rearview mirror. Briefly, I bat my eyelashes at myself and flashed my stunningly gorgeous smile.
"You really do?" I said, leaning back in my seat. I needed to relax.
Carlisle confidently stated, "Yes."
"Alright," I said, accepting that Carlisle knew much more than me.
Still, I worried for my family.
[X]
Alice waited on the front porch. She sat on the swing seat with headphones clamped over her ears, humming contentedly. Alice turned off her music and set her headphones on her lap once Carlisle and I arrived at the big white house by the river.
"I took Bella out yesterday," she said, grinning. "It was a blast!"
"Good. You can keep her," I crisply said.
Alice rolled her eyes and giggled. "I took her out as a friend. She's so sweet. I think we should get to know her."
I huffed. "We don't get to know people. We need to keep our secret."
"Well, I am going to make an effort." Alice smiled mischievously. "And if we get closer, we could find out her secret. Whatever makes our powers useless on her and her fever so high."
"I had a thought about that on the plane," said Carlisle and Alice's eyes widened. "All those years ago when we interacted with the Quileute…"
"Have you seen her skin? She is as white as us." I derisively said, wondering if I was the only person in the family who had not lost their mind. "I doubt she's a wolf."
Carlisle shook his head. "Her mother has a… reputation, as we all know from the gossip in town. Perhaps she has some wolf blood in her."
"Or perhaps she is some creature of another breed," I insisted, planting my feet more firmly on the ground.
"Should we believe in what we have already seen, or should we believe in what best fits our biases?" Carlisle asked.
I kept quiet after that, but I knew it was absurd to assume Bella Swan was a biracial shifter.
[X]
On Monday, I wore eyeliner sharp enough to stab a mortal with and a tight orange dress and an equally orange flower in my hair. I looked my best, with a little inspiration from my favorite film. I strode into the school with complete and utter confidence, that only faltered slightly when I saw Bella Swan leaning against her locker, trembling faintly.
I considered asking her if she was well, but I decided against it. The best course of action was to ignore the girl who made me feel so strange. My classes went smoothly, but when art came, I saw Bella working on a new project.
It puzzled me. "Why are you making a wolf mask? I thought you were making that one with the autumn leaves on it."
Bella's eyes widened into startled circles and her lips parted. She gawked at me for a few fleeting seconds before clearing her throat.
She awkwardly stammered, "I just—I just like wolves."
I absentmindedly ran my smooth scarlet nails across my lower lip and contemplated Carlisle's suspicion. Maybe she was a wolf. Then I looked at her physical features again and concluded that there was no possible way that could be true.
"I wish you luck on your wolf mask," I crisply stated, and returned to my pink sequins.
[X]
After school, I stood waiting for Alice—as I do daily—and watched Bella walk out of the school. She still looked sweaty and paler than usual. A well-built Quileute boy leaned against her truck and she smiled widely when she saw him. I ground my teeth as my cheeks heated and my heart fell into my stomach.
"Jealous?" Edward asked and I yet again loathed the fact he could read minds.
"Why don't you make actual use of your gift and figure out what the boy is thinking?" I inquired and Edward shrugged.
He stood rigidly, tuning in to one person's mind. I waited as patiently as I could.
Edward's expression contorted into one of shock before he turned to me. "I know what Bella is. It was in the boy's thoughts."
I haughtily replied, "I do not know why you think I care."
Yet, he told me anyway: "She's half Quileute shifter, like Carlisle thought. It doesn't explain why my gift doesn't work on her, but it explains a number of other strange things about her."
"Maybe. I guess she's just a freak, like we thought."
"I would call her as much of a freak as a vampire is."
"Please leave me alone about Bella," I said, and sternly enough to make it final.
Edward gave a slight nod and walked to his car, but I knew it would not be the end of my family's Bella Swan obsession.
BELLA
On Saturday, Alice Cullen pulled up in front of my house in her stunning, shimmering sports car while I was knotting my Converse laces. My heart fluttered. Friends. Friends was a new concept for me and, honestly, it was terrifying.
Charlie came up to me when I stood. Alice had yet to begin walking to our front door. He handed me a small wad of cash. I blanched and tried to hand it back to him, to no avail.
"Dad, I can't," I said, clenching my fist around the money. I was used to not having much; Renee raised me on a kindergarten teacher's salary and Charlie made a modest amount as a police chief in a small town.
"It's nothing, Bells," he insisted, giving me a stern look that meant he was serious. "I want you to have a nice outfit for the dance."
I studied his stern eyes and stoic expression and saw I would get nowhere with him. Embracing defeat, I just thanked him. The doorbell rang and I took in a sharp, deep breath. Swiftly, I scurried to open the door, revealing both Alice and Jessica standing on the doorstep.
"Ready to go?" chirped Alice, her eyes sparkling like golden coins.
"Yep," I said, grabbing my leather purse from the floor and slinging it over my shoulder.
Alice pointed at the car with a grin.
[X]
We listened to the radio heading to Port Angeles, which meant I could not make a fool of myself with words. Then, we parked and headed into the boutique of Alice's choice.
I looked around and decided that this place was probably far to expensive for me. Alice started running her hands across all of the glamorous dresses and Jessica joined her while I remained frozen in the doorway.
Alice turned to face me once Jessica starting floating between the pricey garments.
"What kind of dress do you like?" Alice asked me, cocking an eyebrow. The expression looked forced, but I did not mind.
Never had I put much thought into what kind of gowns I preferred, but as I looked around the boutique I decided.
"I want something simple and short," I said, rubbing my arm. I hated shopping for clothes and I hardly knew how to do it without looking like an idiot.
"Okay," Alice replied, smiling at me and examining one of the dresses. It was a mahogany color with a strapless top and a tiered knee-length skirt. I shook my head. "At least try it on."
"Alice, I really—I'm not really sure," I anxiously said.
"What color do you want?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder as Jessica walked out in her deep indigo blue dress. "That is so cute on you!" Then she turned back to me. "What color?"
"I like black and white," I said, walking towards a dress that caught my eye. I discreetly examined the price tag and saw I could thankfully afford it. "This one."
"Is it love at first sight?" Alice beamed.
I bit my lip and nodded. "I guess I have to try it on."
"Absolutely!" Alice beamed. Jessica strode out in a pink tulle dress. Alice turned to her and chirped, "That is lovely!"
I walked into the curtained, maroon and saccharinely scented dressing room and shimmied into the black dress with white beading wrapped around the bodice. When I walked out, Alice feigned swooning. My cheeks burned.
"Is it good?" I nervously asked, looking in the mirror and picking out my every flaw.
Jessica declared, "It's perfect."
"You need heels," Alice interjected, backing towards the platforms of shoes.
I shook my head. "I can't walk in them."
"It's an art and you can learn it," Alice chirped, holding up a pair of sparkling ivory ones I would never wear in a thousand years. "You will glide in them by the time I'm done with you. And speaking of art, I hear that's the class you have with my sister?"
"Uh, yeah," I quietly said, averting my eyes.
Jessica raised her hand. "I call picking out Bella's shoes!"
"Awww," whined Alice, giggling.
I slunk into the dress room and started changing back into my jeans and shirt. When I at last emerged, the dress draped over my forearm, I saw Jessica holding up plain white shoes that matched the gems on the dress.
"Do you like them?" my first friend inquired.
I shrugged. "They're not bad."
Jessica set them on the counter, snapping the shop-keep into action.
"The shoes are my treat!" Alice chimed, and I wanted to protest, but I knew I could not afford them and I did not want to deal with that embarrassment. "I needed to give you a gift for saving Rose's life, don't I?"
"Thank you," I said, offering a smile. Alice beamed back. "But what about dinner?"
Alice sang, "The etiquette rules of dinners are that the inviter pays for the invitees."
I did not know if that was true, but I nodded. Alice seemed determined to make this afternoon and evening as painless as possible and I appreciated that.
We paid, left the store, and walked to the restaurant, Jessica and Alice giggling about gossip that I hardly could follow since I did not know most people in Forks yet. My new friends chose Bella Italia, an Italian place that shared my name.
"Do you like it?" Alice asked, beaming.
"Yeah," I said, glancing around at the décor.
"So, Mike Newtown…" continued Jessica, catching Alice's attention.
During dinner, Alice did not eat, which made me feel awful. She should not have to pay for me and Jessica—even if her family had more money than God—so I ordered the cheapest item on the menu and only drank water. Jessica, however, had a fancy seafood dish and three sodas.
"Bella, how's your love life? Did you leave anyone in Arizona?" Alice sweetly asked, leaning forward and widening her pleading eyes.
I set down my spoon. "Oh… I've never dated anybody."
Alice prodded, "A crush, maybe? Don't lie."
It made me nervous to be open about my sexuality to small town girls but Alice had such kind eyes and I knew from the political buttons on her backpack that Jessica was progressive. "I had a crush, but she was way out of my league. Her name was Millie and she was from England. She had this natural platinum hair and such a classy accent. But she was one of the most popular girls in school and I don't think she knew I existed."
"Do you like blondes?" Alice teased with a strange, knowing glint in her eyes.
"I wouldn't say I have a real type," I admitted. Then it hit me; she was talking about Rosalie. My gut twisted and my heart imploded, therefore I tried to change the subject from the beautiful girl with whom I knew I was in love. "But I know when I know, y'know?"
"I do know," Alice said, she then smiled as if she had an inside joke with herself and added, "I knew when I knew about Jasper."
Jessica gushed, "He's so hot. You're lucky. And I bet he's sensitive. He looks sensitive."
"He is," Alice said with a smile.
I returned my attention to my meal.
[X]
On Sunday, Billy and Jacob came over for the game, rolling up in Jacob's truck and upholding rowdy conversation immediately. I grinned when I saw my old friend and he pulled me into a hug that nearly crushed my bones. When he finally released me, we both laughed. Billy and Charlie already started cracking open beers and settling down to watch the game.
"Wanna sit with those guys?" I asked Jacob and he nodded.
We ended up seated on the floor in the living room, laughing as we reminisced about being kids together.
During a commercial, Charlie drew my attention when he remarked, "Bella is joining the tennis team. I never thought she'd do a sport."
"I'm sure you'll have fun, Bells," said Billy, lifting his beer towards me.
"I'm pretty psyched. I start practice tomorrow after school."
"Hey, I wanna see that," Jacob said. "The school on the rez gets out earlier than the Forks one; why don't I swing by? Meet you at your truck or whatever and see if you get knocked out by a tennis ball."
I rolled my eyes. This good athlete change happened overnight, and I knew I would not easily live down my past clumsiness.
"You can do that if you want," I said. "I'd actually like it if you did. I'm pretty nervous about going to practice. I'm pretty sure it could go all Invasion of the Bodysnatchers if they realize I'm not one of them."
Jacob asked, "One of the tennis players?"
I shook my head and casually replied, "One of the people who doesn't trip over her boots and doesn't honestly even know the rules of any sports but baseball."
He shot me a toothy grin.
[X]
After the game, Jacob asked, "Wanna head to La Push for dinner? We'll fire up the grill. Best burgers in Washington, guaranteed. Chief, Bells?"
Charlie frowned and gruffly replied, "I can't; I have a shift at work, but Bells?"
"Yeah," I eagerly said, and I did not waste any time getting in Jacob's truck, sitting in the back with no seatbelt while Jacob helped Billy get in the passenger seat.
Jacob turned on the radio and it predictably started playing a grunge song.
I listened to it and to the banter between Jacob and his dad. It brought a small smile to my lips during the car drive.
At Jacob's house, I watched my old friend start the grill and sipped a can of Dr. Pepper. He was telling a story about his friends Quil and Embry, and the trouble they got into while swimming in the fountain at the mall. When it concluded and he got the meat on the grill, he turned to me.
"Wanna check out the trail behind my house?" he inquired.
"Are you hitting on me?" I asked.
"Nah. Come on." Jacob started walking and I hustled to follow him.
We strode for a while beneath the thick canopy of trees, disappearing further and further into the woods. I inhaled the fresh, cold spring air of the Pacific Northwest and reveled in the calm and comfortable silence.
Suddenly, Jacob rose his arm to stop me.
"I heard something," he remarked under his breath and I frantically glanced around.
Then it approached us. It was a ragged and overlarge coyote that stood on the path in front of us. Why were there so many angry wild animals on the Olympic Peninsula?
"What do we do?" I hissed. "Do we play dead?"
"Just back away slowly," Jacob whispered, taking a few steps and pushing me with him.
Then the coyote growled. It gnashed its teeth and I felt everything in my body ripple and morph in merely a few seconds. The adrenaline in my veins spiked; my heart pounded out of control. I later would realize it reminded me of my nightmares when I was sick, but that was not on my mind when my paws—yes, paws—hit the dirt and I began to bound forward.
In an instant, I ripped out the coyote's throat with my fangs and I remained circling around, panicked at my new height, new sensations and all of the overwhelming scents. Finally, I squeezed my eyes shut and felt that change wash over me again. I stood again at my full height and shivered in the torn clothes that I had to cling onto in order to cover my lady bits.
Jacob stared at me, agape.
I asked, "What just happened?" and then the ground began to spin and the trees blurred until they became pitch black. The last thing I felt or saw was Jacob catching me in his arms as I freefell.
[X]
When at last I woke up, I was lying on the sofa in Jacob's house, the fire crackling in the hearth nearby. I stared at the ceiling for a moment and tried to suppress my nausea. Slowly, I moved and saw Billy sitting, head bowed. Jacob had his face buried in his hands.
I noticed I had a large men's jacket wrapped around me and my tattered clothes underneath it. It helped me feel less humiliated.
"What happened?" I croaked, rolling over to face Billy and Jacob head on.
Billy turned to me, fumbling for words. "You shifted. Was it the first time?"
"No," I said. "In my dreams I did… but…" maybe those dreams were real.
"This means many things," soberly said Billy, now turning to me. I sat up and my head spun. "I am going to tell you a story passed down through the generations…"