(5) "I Don't Care About Anything But Keeping Her Alive"
Odessa was greeted by everyone as soon as she walked into the Cullens' house. She pursed her lips and looked at everyone warily. Vladimir and Stefan were standing in a corner of the living room with smug looks on their faces. Edward approached her carefully with a pleading look on his face and she instantly put up her defenses. Whatever he wanted from her, it was big.
"Vladimir and Stefan have informed us of your decision to stay out of a fight if one were to occur, but I'm asking anyway," he said.
"I do not understand why we would need to fight. Your evidence is right here," she said, gesturing to herself and Renesmee.
"You don't understand," he said. "The Volturi will do anything to instigate a fight. We must prepare for the worst."
Odessa shook her head and took a step back. She wouldn't fight, not against the Volturi. Besides, the Cullens had over a dozen witnesses willing to fight with them. They didn't need her.
"Please," Bella said as she stepped up next to Edward with Renesmee.
"It is my decision, and my decision is not to fight. If you are planning to fight, then I will take my leave. I have no intention of getting roped into anything I refuse to do," she said as she turned her back on them. Her wrist was grabbed in a tight embrace. She tried pulling away, but the hold was too strong. With a growl, she felt for the person and took control of their body. She moved them so they were standing in front of her, and she snarled in their face.
"I saw the way you protected Renesmee today," Bella said as she struggled to move. Her fingers twitched in defiance against Odessa's gift. "You can help us keep her alive by helping us."
Odessa threw Bella to the side and walked to the back door. She hesitated for a second, but her mind was already made up.
"If Renesmee dies, it is because you were not strong enough to protect her. If I were you, I would improve your shield. You are going to need it," she advised before she left. The only reason she traveled to the Cullens' house was to witness for them. That was all. She never signed up to fight centuries-old vampires who had years of experience fighting. Instead of producing a full-proof plan, they were sentencing themselves and Renesmee to death.
She ran until she reached the Canadian border. Her visit to Canada was pleasant and there was still some time before she needed to go back home. She checked into a hotel and settled in. She was quite thirsty, and a small headache started to wrack her brain from using her gift so much. She decided to order room service for the time being until she could go out and hunt for a drink.
Her food came and she dug in. She had ordered a strawberry cake and green tea. The first time she had ever eaten strawberry cake was on her first birthday. It was also the last time she was able to eat it while she was still in Joham's presence. Her grandmother had baked it for her, and they had celebrated her birthday together. They had only spent ten minutes together before Joham had found out and ended the celebration. Two days later, her grandmother was found dead.
Odessa sighed and polished off her piece of cake. She sipped on her tea as she gazed out the window. The sun was finally setting and soon she would be able to feed. She stood up and stretched her limbs. She ventured out of the hotel and into the streets. She walked aimlessly for about an hour before she found her target. A woman in her thirties with a green coat on was walking by herself in the opposite direction. Her lips were painted a coral pink and a hat was nestled over her curled, blonde hair. Odessa forced a confused and afraid expression on her face and approached the woman. The woman was wary of her approach but stopped and gave Odessa her attention.
"Excuse me," Odessa said in a small voice. "I got separated from my parents and I'm kinda lost. Can you help me find our hotel?"
"Oh, sweetie, of course," the woman said as she untensed. "Which hotel are you staying at?"
"The Hilton," Odessa answered quickly, playing up the act of a helpless teenager.
"I can take you there myself if you'd like?" the woman said. "I'm heading in that direction, too."
"Thank you so much!" Odessa exclaimed as they started walking. "My name is Odessa. What's yours?"
"Fei. It's a bit chilly outside. Where's your coat sweetheart?" Fei asked. Odessa glanced down at her long-sleeved shirt and pants sheepishly. She shrugged and tugged on the bottom of her shirt.
"I didn't believe my mom when she said it was going to be so cold. I regret it now," she said with a small, rueful laugh. She shivered for added effect and briskly rubbed her arms. Fei took off her coat, revealing a black blouse, and handed Odessa her coat.
"You need it more than me," Fei smiled. Odessa put her arms through the coat sleeves, zipped the coat, and smiled in thanks. As they walked, Odessa monitored the number of people around them. The crowd of people was dwindling, and it was only a matter of time before she got Fei alone. Fei noticed her flitting eyes and talked about anything she could think of to ease Odessa's worries. Odessa almost felt bad for her future actions; Fei was so kind to her and trusting of her.
When they were close to the hotel and the streets were empty, Odessa shrugged off the green coat and handed it to Fei. The woman looked at Odessa curiously and asked why she was giving her coat back.
"I don't need it anymore," Odessa said casually. "To be fair, neither do you."
Fei laughed anxiously and said, "It's too cold to walk around without a coat."
"You won't be able to feel the cold soon," Odessa said eerily. She took control of Fei and made her follow her into an alley. When they were far enough into it, Odessa relinquished control and slammed her against the wall. Fei tried to scream, but Odessa clamped her hand over her mouth.
"Please stay quiet," Odessa said. "I would like to take my time."
Fei clawed at Odessa frantically, but nothing worked in her favor. Odessa bit into her neck and began to drink, savoring the coppery and sweet flavor of blood. Fei's struggles grew weak until, eventually, she stopped. Odessa gave one last suck before she extracted her teeth and licked her lips in satisfaction. She picked up Fei's body and ran to the edge of the city. She stuck to the shadows and made sure she wasn't seen by anyone. She used her nails to run a deep line through Fei's neck and threw her into the big body of water bordering the city. She stared at the body for a moment before she turned and ran back to her hotel.
Now that she was fed, she could think properly. Leaving the Cullens wasn't hard to do, especially with the mob mentality everyone there had. Odessa wasn't one to be pressured into doing anything. Every decision she made was based solely on what she thought was best. She had made the best decision for herself. But why did she feel regret?
Renesmee.
That was the only explanation. She didn't want to leave the hybrid alone to defend herself. The Cullens weren't strong enough to protect her. Their allies were strong and were the Cullens' greatest assets, but how loyal were they to the Cullens? If Renesmee was in trouble, would they set aside their selfish reasons for fighting and help her? There wasn't a way to find out. There was only one thing she could do to ensure Renesmee's safety: She had to expose herself to the world.
Odessa ran as quickly as she could to the Cullens' house. She had waited a few days to leave the hotel because she didn't want to get there too early; she didn't want to be in their presence longer than necessary. Large groups and crowds made her anxious due to the long amount of time she spent alone. She was going to wait a week, but she was scared she would miss the fight.
She arrived at the Cullens' house and cursed. No one was there. She was too late. She pulled at her hair until she caught a whiff of a path of their scents leading out of the house. She followed it into the forest and beyond the border of Forks. Their scents grew stronger and mixed with the smell of wet dog. She wrinkled her nose and continued cautiously.
Up ahead, the trees thinned and gave her a glimpse of what awaited her. The Cullens and their vampire allies were standing in a semi-circle in a huge, snow-covered field. Integrated within them were a dozen or so wolves as big as horses. Directly across from them stood vampires donned in cloaks varying in colors of black. They stood in formation with three of them in front of the rest. Just the sight of them put Odessa on edge and made her want to turn around and run. The three kings - Aro, Caius, and Marcus - were standing in the middle and their guard wrapped around them. Behind them were at least thirty vampires standing in a group. Witnesses. They outnumbered the Cullens' side by a lot and had the advantage. A breeze blew through the air and her nose flared. She stilled and glanced around the clearing.
That smell.
It reminded her of her first visit to Italy, reminded her of that small vendor and the baked goods she had indulged in. Allspice. It was heavenly and invaded her nostrils, blocking out every other scent in the vicinity. She didn't want to draw any more attention to herself, but she needed to find the source of the smell. She tried to pinpoint the vampire of interest, but, unfortunately, she was distracted by someone else.
Edward's head snapped to the side and made eye contact with hers. He smiled a hopeful smile before it soured and his face became ashen with fear. Confused, Odessa looked across the field and saw Aro give the Volturi a signal to attack. She came just in time. Niceties were over, and Renesmee's life was now in danger. She flicked her eyes over to Renesmee and witnessed Bella giving her a hug and a kiss before placing her on top of a russet wolf standing beside her. Odessa narrowed her eyes at the action and wondered what Bella planned.
Her focus shot back to the Volturi, who was running towards the Cullens' side of the field. In defense, the Cullens and their allies attacked as well. Knowing she had to stop the fight from breaking out, she rushed forward and expelled her gift over everyone moving. She grunted at the immense strength it took to freeze everyone but sighed in relief as no one was able to move. She could feel her power slip on a few people within the clearing as it was being stretched to far and used on too many individuals.
"Why you little wench!" Caius shouted before he ran to attack her. She took one glance at him, and he stopped mid-run. He stared at her in shock, and in her tired state, she rolled her eyes at him.
"Incredible. Who might you be, my dear?" Aro asked. Caution was masked by unadulterated glee as he took a step in her direction.
"Do not take another step," she warned him. He stopped moving and held his hands up in a surrendering motion. Discreetly, he motioned for Jane to invoke her power on Odessa, but Odessa caught the motion and seized better control over the small blonde.
"Don't even try," she said confidently. She felt Jane wiggle within her grasp and heard her snarl in anger. "Now, everyone is going to return to their respective sides of the field, and we are going to talk in a civilized manner."
To her left, four vampires revealed themselves from the foliage and walked towards the middle of the field. She recognized two of them from portraits she'd seen around the Cullens' house - Alice and Jasper. The other two she had never met or seen. One was an olive-toned woman with a long braid of black hair trailing down her back and burgundy eyes. The other was a man with rich, brown skin and familiar teak eyes. His hair was black and braided down his back. A fast heartbeat emitted from his chest, surprising Odessa.
"I have evidence the child will not be a danger in the future," Alice announced. Odessa quirked an eyebrow at the newcomers and turned back to face Aro.
"If you promise to hear her out, I will relinquish control and let everyone go," Odessa said. Aro nodded his head and one-by-one, Odessa allowed the supernatural creatures in the clearing move. Once everyone settled, she said, "I also have evidence the child is not dangerous."
"The time for witnesses is over!" Caius shouted angrily.
"Peace, brother," Aro said. "Let's hear them out."
Alice stepped forward and said, "This is Huilen and her nephew, Nahuel."
"And you?" Caius questioned, rudely pointing at Odessa.
"Odessa," she said simply. "I am a hybrid like Renesmee."
"We will listen to the young man and his aunt first. Then we will hear from this young lady. Speak, Huilen," Aro commanded.
Nervously, the woman looked at Alice before she stepped forward and said, "A century and a half ago, I lived with my people, the Mapuche. My sister was Pire. She came to me one day in secret and told me of the angel that found her in the woods, which visited her by night. I warned her." Huilen shook her head mournfully. "As if the bruises on her skin were not warning enough. I knew it was the Libishomen of our legends, but she would not listen. She was bewitched.
She told me when she was sure her dark angel's child was growing inside her. I didn't try to discourage her from her plan to run away; I knew even our father and mother would agree that the child must be destroyed along with Pire. I went with her into the deepest parts of the forest. She searched for her demon angel but found nothing. I cared for her, hunted for her when her strength failed. She ate the animals raw, drinking their blood. I needed no more confirmation of what she carried in her womb. I hoped to save her life before I killed the monster.
But she loved the child inside her. She called him Nahuel, after the jungle cat, when he grew strong and broke her bones, and loved him still. I could not save her. The child ripped his way free of her, and she died quickly, begging all the while that I would care for her Nahuel. He bit me, though, when I tried to lift him from her body. I crawled away into the jungle to die. I didn't get far - the pain was too much. But he found me; the newborn child struggled through the underbrush to my side and waited for me. When the pain ended, he was curled against my side, sleeping.
I cared for him until he was able to hunt for himself. We hunted the villages around our forest, staying to ourselves. We have never come so far from our home, but Nahuel wished to see the child here," she finished. She bowed slightly and stepped back beside her nephew.
"Nahuel, you are one hundred and fifty years old?" Aro questioned with pursed lips.
"Give or take a decade," Nahuel answered in a clear voice. "We don't keep track."
"And you reached maturity at what age?"
"About seven years after my birth, more or less, I was full grown."
"You have not changed since then?"
Nahuel shrugged and said, "Not that I've noticed."
"And your diet?" Aro pressed, seeming interested despite himself. "Mostly blood, but some human food, too. I can survive on either."
"You were able to create an immortal?" Aro asked, gesturing to Huilen, his voice abruptly intense.
"Yes, but none of the rest can."
A shocked murmur ran through all three groups and Aro's eyebrows shot up. Odessa's eyebrows scrunched together at the thought of there being more hybrids in the world. She was so closed off from everyone and everything that she wasn't even aware of others like her.
"The rest?" Aro asked for clarification.
"My sisters." Nahuel shrugged again. Aro stared wildly for a moment before composing his face.
"Perhaps you would tell us the rest of your story, for there seems to be more."
Nahuel frowned and said, "My father came looking for me a few years after my mother's death. He was pleased to find me." Nahuel's tone suggested the feeling was not mutual. "He had three daughters, but no sons. One of his daughters had run off and he expected me to join him as my sisters had. He was surprised I was not alone. My sisters are not venomous, but whether that's due to gender or a random chance, who knows? I already had my family with Huilen, and I was not interested in making a change. I see him from time to time. I have a new sister; she reached maturity about ten years back."
"Your father's name?" Caius asked through gritted teeth.
"Joham," Nahuel answered. Odessa's head snapped up from the ground and her eyes narrowed at the name. Of course, he was still experimenting. But that meant only one thing: She had siblings - brothers and sisters. Nahuel was her half-brother. That must be why his eyes were familiar: They had the same eyes. She inspected him carefully but grew frustrated when all she could see was his side profile.
"He considers himself a scientist," Nahuel continued. "He thinks he's creating a new super-race."
Caius looked at Bella and demanded, "Your daughter, is she venomous?"
"No," Bella responded. Nahuel's head snapped up, and his teak eyes turned to bore into Bella's face.
"And this Joham? This immortal so fond of experimentation?" Caius asked.
"Perhaps we should speak with him," Aro cut in.
"Stop Joham if you will," Nahuel said flatly. "But leave my sisters be. They are innocent. He has a gift. He can persuade others into doing his bidding. He has used it on me before, and only Huilen helping me stopped him," Aro nodded, his expression solemn. And then he turned to face Odessa. Aro stared at her for quite some time before he addressed her.
"Odessa, was it?" he asked. "How old are you?"
"I was born in 1806. I'm sure you can do the math," Odessa snapped.
"You will mind your tongue," Caius warned. She huffed and crossed her arms. She was annoyed with the Volturi's actions and couldn't help but regard them lowly at the moment. She was also frustrated with Joham and how he had continued to experiment throughout the years. Nonetheless, she nodded her head and agreed to act civil.
"At what age did you reach full maturity?"
"Roughly seven years after my birth. I have not changed physically since."
"Your diet?" he implored.
"I drink blood. Human blood. It tastes better and my prey doesn't ruin my clothes. I don't rely on it as much as full-fledged vampires, though. I can taste and digest human food, as well," she answered.
"And are you venomous, my dear?"
"No."
"And your creator?"
"Joham."
There were ripples of whispers throughout the clearing at her revelation. Nahuel stared hard at Odessa, and she twisted her neck to stare back at him. Teak eyes met and assessed each other. His eyes questioned her, but she shook her head, indicating she would answer his questions later. For now, she wanted to focus on the problem at hand. She turned her attention back on Aro as he started muttering to his guard and his 'brothers'.
"It appears we have one more stop before we head back to Volterra," Aro muttered.
"Indeed," Caius agreed. Odessa's eyes traveled along the length of the Volturi guard as the leaders discussed things over. Her eyes focused on the four elite guards: Felix, Demetri, Jane, and Alec. She remembered bumping into them some time ago and was glad they didn't seem to remember her. Once she was done helping the Cullens, she'd return to her cottage and continue living in isolation - away from everyone. She knew it wasn't necessary once the Volturi dealt with Joham, but she lived alone for so long she didn't know any other way to live. As her eyes wandered, a pair of crimson ones took control of them. She couldn't look away even if she wanted to.
They belonged to Alec. He stared at her with an intensity she was unfamiliar with, and it made her want to hide away from his vision. It was primal, real, intrusive, and intimate. It was like he was seeing through her instead of looking at her. What he saw, she didn't know. What she did know was that she wanted nothing more than to walk to him and acquaint herself with him.
Starting from his head, she analyzed his form slowly. He had a head of dark-brown hair that swept over his dark eyebrows and the top of his ears and ended at the nape of his neck. Two thick sideburns framed his face, and even though they were outdated, they made him look better. Dark, crimson eyes accompanied a slightly upturned nose, high cheekbones, pouty lips, and a barely noticeable cleft chin. He was tall - almost six feet tall - and was clad in a red and black hooded cape.
Her breathing hitched once she realized he was giving her a once over, too, and she looked away quickly. An unfamiliar feeling washed over her, hitting her like a waterfall rather than a calm river. She bit her lip and glanced his way again. His gaze never wavered from hers and she glanced around, always coming back to his gaze. He smirked and she tsked at his confidence.
Aro heard her noise of indignation and swiveled around. His eyes darted between Odessa and Alec, and with a hum, he walked over to Alec and held out his hand. Without breaking eye contact with Odessa, Alec placed his hand in Aro's and allowed him to read his thoughts. A grin slowly overtook Aro's features.
"Interesting," he dragged out. Then, he addressed everyone. "Dear ones, we do not fight today."
The guard nodded in unison and got ready to depart. The Volturi witnesses were still wary; one after another, they departed, scattering into the woods. As their numbers dwindled, the remaining sped up. Soon they were all gone. Behind Aro, the guard, along with Caius, Marcus, and the wives, began their departure. Only Alec and Jane lingered.
"I'm so glad this could be resolved without violence," Aro said sweetly. "My friend, Carlisle—how pleased I am to call you friend again! I hope there are no hard feelings. I know you understand the strict burden that our duty places on our shoulders."
"Leave in peace, Aro," Carlisle said stiffly. "Please remember that we still have our anonymity to protect here and keep your guard from hunting in this region."
"Of course, Carlisle," Aro assured him. "I am sorry to earn your disapproval, my dear friend. Perhaps, in time, you will forgive me."
"Perhaps, in time, if you prove a friend to us again." Aro bowed his head, the picture of remorse, and drifted backward for a moment before he turned around. Alec held out a hand and waited for Odessa to take it and leave with him. She furrowed her eyebrows and stared at the appendage curiously. Sure, she felt an attraction towards him, but she didn't want to leave with him. At least, she didn't think she didn't want to. Taking her silence as rejection, he lowered his hand and left with Jane, taking the spicy smell away.