Wicked Casters
Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga
Chapter 15: Taboo
Eleanor's POV
I was in the kitchen cooking tonight's dinner. Zelena called, saying she would be arriving home in a few hours, so I thought of making a nice dinner. So what better than Italian? Sure, we had dinner at La Bella. But this is not a pasta dish. No, the carb was potatoes. I set the ingredients together, then turned on the television, searched the DVR recordings on Food Network, and started following the chef's instructions.
Somehow cooking relaxes me, whether brewing a potion or a dish. It was something I always did with my grandfather Horatio. After Grandma Edith passed from cancer, being my mentor kept him sane and motivated. Every time I came home crying after school, Grandpa Horatio would take me to the kitchen and hand me the cooking box filled with recipes he had collected over the years. I would blindly stick my hand in and pull out a recipe card. There have been so many recipes throughout the ages since the civil war and in different parts of the world.
Cooking and baking seemed to make me feel better. My grandfather taught me ways to cook. When I grew older, I mainly took over cooking. There were some recipes Grandfather would take charge of. Or when I had a long day, he had food ready for me. Especially when I started craving something international and looking up the recipe. The next day, Grandfather had it made.
Using the kitchen and distracting myself is how I escape from stress. Apparently, I got a new load of stress since coming to Forks. I don't know why, either because of the accident or the fact I go to a school with vampires. And just not any vampires, Cold Ones. The most lethal, dangerous, and hell, downright the top predator in the food chain. I wished Grandfather was here. How I want to hear his voice. I needed his wisdom.
"You add a little bit of olive oil to a non-stick sauté pan, and you want to cook with the olive oil in medium-high heat." The chef instructed. "What I do, I cut this strip, and then we gonna cut this . . ."
I snapped out of my train of thought. I almost fell into that dark memory. The worst day of my life. The day Horatio Rivers passed away. The day I found his body. I took several deep breaths, rewinding the cooking episode and following the instructions.
I felt a change in the barrier. I paused, wondering who it was. The door opened as I heard a set of footsteps.
"Ella, I'm home!" Ginger called out from the front entrance.
I exhaled, relieved that Ginger was safe. I paused the television, and removed the pan off the stove. Ginger's stunt to confront Edward this morning almost gave me an anxiety attack. All day without knowing if she is alive or not. I swear to the Three Goddesses that Ginger is going to be the death of me.
I walked to the foyer to see Ginger standing there smiling until Edward walked in. I shuddered from my magic, sensing a threat. Ginger gave a nervous chuckle as she rubbed her neck, trying to explain why he was there? I could not comprehend her words other than the words Edward, vampire, knows our secret. Furious, I conjured my magic using telekinesis to blast Cullen out of the house.
I marched out of the cabin using my magic against Edward. He tried to run fast, but I caught him in place. "How much do you know?"
"Eleanor, please," Ginger begged.
"You weren't supposed to tell our secrets!" I exclaimed, clenching my fist that bound Edward's limbs to his sides as he hovered in the air.
Our secret is exposed. This vampire knows what we are. Does his coven know about us? No, maybe. I didn't know what to do. I need to kill him. As my telekinesis grasped his form, making a mental note that he was indeed a Cold One. Not a Strigoi.
"Eleanor, please," Ginger pleaded, taking my hand. "I only told him the basics."
"Perfect," I growled, clenching tighter. "A better reason to kill him."
I squeeze tighter, hearing a crack. Edward's face contorted.
"Ella, please," Ginger said. "I thought we should be fair . . ."
"Let's keep pretending this isn't dangerous for all of us." I interrupted.
"I promise not to tell anybody of your existence," Cullen managed to say.
"I don't believe you," I yelled. "No one can ever trust a vampire, and you can thank the Volturi and Originals for that."
"Eleanor," Ginger pleaded.
"No, you two should know," I barked angrily. "The coven will be stigmatized if this ends badly. Zelena could lose the Council's trust. You and I would be sent off to another mentor. Or worse, death by fire!"
A person appeared out of nowhere. As a stronger force came in my mind, telling me to stop and breathe. My hand loosened, and a wave of calmness took over. This broke my telekinesis. Edward dropped onto the ground. He stood up and became a blur, making the distance between him and me. I panted, looking at the person to see Zelena. She must have transmutated at the gate. Followed by using Concilium to snap me out of my hysteria. She seemed a bit calm, although she took off her glasses which is not a good sign.
"Eleanor, no caster has been burned at the stake for over 300 years in the Americas," Zelena said. "Eleanor, go finish making dinner."
I hesitated, though Zelena gave me a nod. Not wanting to disobey her, I headed back inside and went back to cooking. What has Ginger gotten herself into? She told me she was going to find out what Edward is, not expose our secrets.
.o0o.
Ginger's POV
I watched Eleanor go inside, feeling a bit guilty about exposing our secrets. Never have I seen her like that. The moment she saw Edward, her eyes illuminated. She went into defensive mode. Something I have never seen before. It was mentioned Vampires, and Casters don't get along. Not since the vampires nearly exterminated the Were Race. But I didn't expect that.
I turned to face Zelena, who stood there, arms crossed, as she glared at Edward. Edward ran over to me at a vampiric speed as he stood by my side. Though his body tensed slightly, he seemed calm, as if magic was consuming him. Then again, Eleanor was about to draw and quartered him.
"Ginger, I say you can put yourself at risk. But I didn't say you could include Eleanor and me." She scolded.
"I know, but-"
"No buts," she interrupted as she walked over to us, stopping in front of Edward. "Can I trust you with our secrets?"
"Yes," Edward promised.
"Sadly, I don't believe you," Zelena murmured. She placed a hand on Edward's face chanting some sort of spell.
Before we could react, Zelena pulled her hand back and walked inside. I looked at Edward, who seemed amused about all this. I quirk a brow, wondering what is going on. He shook his head, gesturing me to follow him on the porch where the swing was.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"Ms. Bishop's rules," Edward answered.
We sat down on the swing and looked at the sky.
"What did she tell you?" I asked.
"To keep you safe and make sure nothing would harm you, or I'll be hexed to oblivion," Edward answered. "Although, I have to bring you home before five. Only to see you at the school, the meadow, and here. And another thing, a bit old school, I would say. Yet it's strange that I can't read your mind, but I can hear chanting in Eleanor and Zelena's thoughts."
"Sorry about that," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "It's just that things are difficult for us Casters."
Edward nodded, "Do you wish to continue to know my family?"
"Sure, though I don't think I'll be able to share my story," I said. "So, does a person have to be dying to become like you?"
"No, that's…that's just Carlisle." He answered. "He'd never do this to someone who had another choice."
"How long have you been a vampire?" I asked.
"Since 1918," he answered. "That's when Carlisle found me dying of the Spanish influenza."
I paused, trying to do the math in my head. Edward was 89, maybe 90 years old.
"So did you drink his blood, and he killed you? Is it by a single bite?" I asked. "Or is the transformation different?"
"Single bite." He confirmed. "The venom was excruciating. But what Carlisle did was much harder. Not many of us have the restraint to do that."
"Is the blood too tempting?" I know I'm asking a lot of questions. But I'm curious about the Cold Ones.
Edward stiffened slightly as he tried to explain, "When we taste human blood, a sort of frenzy begins, and it's almost impossible to stop."
"Damn," I whispered. "Carlisle must have a lot of strength?"
"First me and then with his wife, Esme." He said.
"So, I take it Carlisle is why you don't drink people?"
"No, he's not the only reason," Edward murmured, staring off in the distance. "I don't want to be a monster." He turns his head with a glint of humor. "My family, we think of ourselves as vegetarians, right, 'cause we only survive on the blood of animals. But it's. . . It's like a human only living on tofu. It keeps you strong, but you're never fully satisfied."
"So, uh, you're always hungry?" I asked, chuckling nervously.
Edward nodded as he stood up, giving a fake stretch. "It wouldn't be like drinking your blood, for instance."
We chuckled, sharing a slight laugh, even though the joke was a bit morbid. Once the laugh passed, we sat there staring at each other. I wasn't sure if we should continue this conversation, not with my coven inside, probably planning to place a curse on Edward. The door opened as Eleanor came out with a question. She still seemed on edge as she leaned against the door frame, as her right-hand fidgeted with her amethyst bracelet.
"Was it other vampires that killed the guard at the Grisham Mill?" Eleanor asked.
"Yeah," Edward confirmed. "There are others out there, and we run into them from time to time."
"Who else in your family can read people's minds?" I asked.
"No. That's just me," Edward answered. "But Alice can see the future."
"I bet she saw us comin'," I chuckled.
Edward shook his head. "Alice's visions are subjective. I mean, the future can always change."
"So she has precognition," Eleanor noted.
Edward nodded, then looked up to the sky. I did as well, realizing the day had gone by into twilight. Wow, time does seem to fly by when you're in a deep conversation. Without further ado, Edward said goodbye and left for the day. He walked like an ordinary human till reaching the forest, disappearing in a blink of an eye. I sighed, standing up to see Eleanor glaring at me.
"What?" I asked.
"You do realize the risk you are taking?" Eleanor replied.
"Yeah, but I know he won't hurt me," I answered.
"Ginger," she sighed. "If you know what is best for you . . . do me a favor, and not put too much of yourself in this relationship."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
Eleanor stared at me, debating to answer my question. A minute later, she shook her head, saying, "You shall know it when the time comes. If it comes." She just wishes I didn't realize it before it is too late. A bit irritated, I headed upstairs to my room to get some privacy. What gives? Seriously, is there so much bad blood between witches and vampires to leave a childish dispute? Okay, if it were between vampires and werewolves, I understand the whole supernatural rivalry thing. But seriously, I thought witches were supposed to be Switzerland! Neutral on the battlefield.
When I got to my room, I locked the door and pulled out my cellphone. There was a slight hesitation as I searched through contacts stopping at one ID: Mom. Should I call my mom for some advice? Deep down, I really wanted to call her. We used to be so close before she dated the wrong guy and the foster system. And yet I couldn't press the call button. No one other than Edward's family and my coven can know about this.
Another secret was added to the list.
.o0o.
All week I spent most of my time with Edward. At first, it was awkward when he started driving me to school. Edward tried to earn Eleanor's trust, yet she was still on edge, even rejecting a ride offered. I chuckled at our surprise when finding Edward at our front step with his Volvo. Since he and I are in a strange relationship, it seems logical to ride with him.
I chuckled at the memory of how my classmates reacted. The day after Edward and I confessed what we were to each other. After he drove me to school, he kindly walked around to open the door for me. He carried my bag and wrapped his arm around me as I got out. Nearly a third of the student body watched us in sheer surprise as we walked to the classroom.
Eleanor stood next to our friends, looking at the flier for prom until she saw us. Instantly her eyes widened, not considering we would actually take the next step. Her shock was joined by Eric, Mike, Jessica, Tyler, and Angela.
"It's weird that everybody's staring at us," I noted.
"Not that guy." Edward pointed to one student. "No, he just looked."
"Seriously," I chuckled, shaking my head.
"I'm breaking all the rules anyway." He murmured. "Since I'm going to hell."
And since that day, things had been awkward. Gossip is spreading around about Edward Cullen dating the wild new girl, Ginger Ives. Jessica started to get a bit annoyed, trying to make me confess how I've done it. And then there was Edward's family. They seemed a bit irritated, except for Alice, when they saw us together. I just hope Rosalie Hale doesn't come for my blood.
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