First an exciting note on the Outtakes:
I think most of you have seen it by now, but I have a new story up and running: a canon-friendly AU called Sic Semper Tyrannis. Basically Jasper's story changes course in late 1941, a few days after Peter comes and tells him the truth so he can escape Maria and her lies. He ends up becoming a Volturi Guard and all kinds of craziness happens. But those first three and a half chapters are actually still in canon, since the AU split doesn't happen until Chapter 4. So here in the Index for the Tale of Years Outtakes I've made a note that those three chapters can actually be read as canon prequel one-shots set in 1941. The first one is a "day in the life" of Jasper's last weeks with Maria, including a battle. The second covers the tension rising between him and Maria in those dangerous last couple weeks, and Peter's arrival. The third and fourth cover his first couple days with Peter and Charlotte. So even if you're not particularly interested in the AU story itself you might enjoy those first couple chapters as canon one-shots, or a little 3.5-chapter story about Jasper escaping Maria, if you want to think of it that way.
Anyway, back to Tale of Years and Maria! This is her POV of the Calgary Incident. This matches up with the last few chapters of the 1950 story. I had a lot of readers request this one, so I hope you all enjoy! :)
Maria POV
late fall 1950
If someone had told me twenty years ago that I would ever have stooped this low, I'd have killed them where they stood. It was humiliating enough to be traipsing around North America just to fetch home the only one of my creations who had ever been worth the effort, but to have to do it with these two losers was just disgusting.
Carlos, I could handle. He was stupid enough to believe every word I said, even when I changed my story from one day to the next. It had been a balancing act to slowly introduce him and Paul to something resembling the truth: that, true, the Wars weren't technically everywhere, but you still needed protection-an experienced guide- because you never knew where the hot spots were from day to day. That there were, admittedly, a few pitiful vampires who eked out a living between the cracks, who skulked along the edges of the human world, but they were always on the run from the warring covens and their scouts. After more than a year of searching and finding stale vampire scent only twice in that time, I'd been obliged to change the story again. Okay, maybe there aren't any hostilities in Northern Canada, not right now. I invented vague rumors of devastating battles, massacres by the Volturi, vampire migrations due to human politics, anything to explain why my earlier lies were steadily being disproven. Carlos always blinked and believed.
Paul was more of a headache. I had chosen him as my latest second because he had half a brain, but apparently that had been a mistake. He asked too many questions, had too many ideas, and generally got under my skin. His latest brainwave went something like "hey, since there's nobody up here, why don't we stake a claim and forget all about Mexico?" At which point I patiently reminded him that the whole point of this little trip was to regain my… our territory in Mexico, and that if I thought the Canada thing would have worked I would have done it years ago, and that he really should let me do the thinking and that if he didn't shut up I'd use his tongue for kindling.
And then there was the fact that despite my efforts to the contrary, Paul still thought I was in love with him. You would think that would keep him in his place, but no. He thought that entitled him to help me run this three-man circus. You would also think repeated threats of death and disfigurement would discourage him, but some men are a little dense when it comes to these kinds of things. So I gave up and decided to keep up the pretense when it seemed profitable, occasionally giving him some one-on-one attention when Carlos was sent to feed. It kept him happy enough, and then when he got thinking a little too highly of himself I'd switch it up and pretend to be nauseous whenever he touched me. Then for the final touch I'd feign a little interest in Carlos, just before coming back around and restarting the whole thing. His insecure whining was pathetic but the game kept him on his toes, while keeping him close.
Not that Carlos was quality company either. Oh, he was secretly in love with me, they always are, though he was content to let Paul and me handle the romance side of the drama. It was just that he was so stupid and useless that his very presence was a glaring daily reminder of how low I'd sunk. How little I had left, that I had to keep him alive just so I'd have enough obedient muscle to protect myself and to get Jasper home when we found him. If we found him.
I really thought it would work, at first. If I were Jasper, I would have hightailed it to the opposite end of the continent, started myself an army, and staked a claim- a lot like Paul's idea. But I had forgotten how Jasper's mind worked. He was infinitely smarter than someone like Paul, and his intelligence was as subtle as his gift. For all I knew he'd left the Western Hemisphere years ago. But what choice did I have, other than to keep trying?
I was waiting on a park bench with Paul while Carlos ducked inside the Visitor Center, having a snack and getting us a map of the area. We had spent the past year searching the northern territories, British Columbia and the northern half of Alberta. Now we were steering south, curling down toward Calgary and the Rockies again. It was more likely that Jasper was closer to the cities in Ontario or Quebec, but I wasn't ready to take Paul and Carlos near anything like that. For one, they'd lose their heads with all the blood to be had, and two, they'd just see more holes in my explanations. I had brought them up and around in a tortuous line, heavily hinting that my vast experience had taught me the best route through the fighting- they'd either need to be slowly brought around closer to reality, or they would need to be replaced. For now, it was best to stick to the wilderness and hope for the best.
"We've been at this for a while now…" Paul began. The biggest downside to playing with his gullible heart was that when we were in an "off" phase, he talked a lot more.
"Spoken like a newborn," I scoffed. "Once you've grown up a bit more, you'll think in terms of decades and not years."
"We're wasting our time," he said sullenly, kicking his bare toes at a loose rock in the gravel. "He could be anywhere in the world by now. And Carlos is slowing us down."
I smirked to myself. This again. Best play along if I wanted another month of unquestioning obedience and less talking. "I've been thinking about that," I said slowly, as if my mind worked as sluggishly as his own. He shut up instantly, gazing at me with renewed hope. He leaned in, cautiously putting a hand on my shoulder and dropping his voice to a whisper.
"We could do it tonight," he offered slyly. "We could forget the whole thing and find a little place here in the mountains…" I clenched my teeth as his fingers crept around the back of my neck, but I twisted my expression just enough to encourage him.
"But I'm afraid," I murmured, leaning slightly into his shoulder. "Only two? We'd be so vulnerable."
"We can handle anything. And there's no one around. We wouldn't even need to create anyone else. We could live out our eternity in peace, just the two of us."
Oh, joy, I thought caustically. "I don't know," I pouted, swinging my feet underneath the bench. "Not yet."
"Trust me," he insisted, leaning closer. I let him kiss me for three seconds and then pushed him away before I bit him out of sheer disgust. He grinned and stood to pace around, looking like he had actually won something.
I should have bitten him. Moron.
"I found him!" Carlos called as he walked back towards us, map in hand.
"What?" I hissed, spinning around.
"See?" Carlos laughed, pointing to a green smudge on the map. "Jasper National Park."
I wanted to slap him so badly, but he was so tall I couldn't reach his face without the indignity of jumping up in the air. "You really think you're funny, don't you?" I asked coolly.
"It's worth a try," he said, looking wounded. "If you saw a park with your name written all over it, wouldn't you want to settle there?"
"Now why didn't I think of that?" I asked coldly, shooting a commiserating glare over to Paul before storming off. "And clean your face, you look like you just stepped out of a low-budget horror film."
Carlos jogged to catch up to us, wiping his bloodied chin with a pile of leaves. "So, Jasper National Park?"
"Why not?" I sighed, turning southeast. It was time to start turning my favor back toward Carlos again anyway, or Paul would actually expect me to go along with his ridiculous cottage-in-the-woods daydream. I knew this game couldn't go on forever- realistically, it would be a safer bet to have Carlos help me kill Paul, and then just abandon him. I wasn't about to risk my skin taking on someone that size without the support of at least two, and leaving Paul alive would be more dangerous in general. The question was, should I add a third before eliminating either of them? I didn't want to get rid of Carlos, though- if we really did find Jasper, I needed his bulk and unquestioning obedience. But if I had to start over completely, I would do it. I didn't want another Nettie-and-Lucy episode, especially not without Jasper's gift to keep me posted on who was in the mood to kill who.
We picked our way through the bush for a few more hours. Once the sun was up, I had the glamorous pleasure of not only untangling myself from spider webs and trailing vines, but of spitting out insects every few seconds, and my hair was turning into a comedy act. This climate was just revolting. Once I got Jasper back, he was going to suffer- not only for his betrayal but for every miserable day I was spending looking for him.
And wouldn't you know it, here he was.
I froze mid-stride, nose in the air. "Jasper," I breathed, my fists clenching at my sides. I couldn't believe it! Paul and Carlos circled back, confused by the grin spreading over my face.
"He's here?" Paul asked, looking around. "I don't smell anyone."
"That's because you're still in diapers," I snapped, all pretense at indulging him forgotten. I pressed on into the scent trail, moving slowly so as not to lose the faint tease on the air. I panicked for a moment when a breeze stirred up and snatched it away, but then we found it again.
"I smell it," Carlos announced a few seconds later. Paul immediately boasted that he had smelled it five seconds ago.
"No you didn't," Carlos sulked.
"Did too," Paul hissed, letting a lacy tree branch slap back into Carlos' face. Carlos lunged for him, snarling. Oh, I couldn't wait to get rid of these two!
"Cut it out," I ordered, moving on. "This isn't the time." I heard a few thunderous crashing sounds behind me but I didn't dignify their childishness with any further attention. They finally shut up and we began to move faster, following Jasper's scent southward. It wasn't exactly fresh; maybe a week or two. I couldn't believe my luck! This was actually going to happen. I'd try reasoning with him first, and if that didn't work…
I paused again, scowling. Two more scents were now tangled with Jasper's: one was a sickeningly adorable combination of honey, lilac and sunshine, while the other was a more respectable, woodsy aroma reminiscent of pine sap. They smelled about as stale as Jasper's. I snarled quietly, torn between anger and an embarrassing sense of possessiveness. It was one thing for Jasper to be out here, free and lonely and miserable. It was another for him to be making friends and enjoying that undeserved freedom. I wondered for a second if he might have created these two, but I seriously doubted it. Self-control was hardly one of his finer qualities. A mate? But then who was the third? Or maybe the other two were a pair…
"What?" Paul griped, stopping beside me.
"There are two more with him," I said tightly.
Carlos sniffed, standing taller and sticking out his massive chest. "We can handle it." Paul nodded his assent, not willing to be outdone. Well, that was easy.
"Of course we can," I agreed lightly. "We'll just have to be more careful. If they're all together, keep your distance. I'll do some talking first, and we'll attack when, and only when, I give the signal. Remember, I want to bring him back without a fight if possible. Got that?" They nodded grudgingly. It was time for a little inspiration. "This is it," I announced, turning around to face them with a dazzling, promising grin. "Things are about to change. We'll make our way back down to Northern Mexico and start rebuilding the army immediately. We should be ready for battle before three months is out, what with Jasper…" running things again? That won't sound too inspiring. "…there to help us. I'll set him to work managing the wilder newborns at first- his gift is good for that sort of thing. Paul, you'll be in charge of teaching strategy to those who can handle it. Carlos, you'll be the drill instructor, in charge of discipline and reinforcing essential skills on a nightly basis." I blabbed on, filling their ears with whatever I thought would help. If Jasper gave me a hard time, I might need to keep them alive for a while. It might be helpful if Jasper's two new friends could come along for the ride… I didn't want any divided loyalties, but on the other hand killing them probably wasn't the best way to regain his good will. Why did he have to complicate this?!
We picked through the woods more slowly and quietly now, following the three scents. I finally found a footprint- a shoed print, of all things- which told us we were heading in the right direction along the scent trail. It looked to be about Jasper's size, too. We picked up the pace after that; Carlos and Paul were getting worked up as my flattering speech got more and more ridiculous. I was just in the middle of inventing an official title for each of them when the wind changed, stopping all three of us in our tracks. There weren't three of them.
There were seven of them.
Jasper had gotten himself an army.
.
.
.
After a few rounds of nasty words and arguments, we pressed on anyway. There was no way that Jasper had created an entire army. He wasn't ambitious enough, for one thing, and while I could maybe see him pulling off one successful transformation, the emotional fallout would have prevented a second. I truly couldn't imagine him wrangling a batch of newborns, keeping them fed, and putting himself through the transformation process six times- or however many tries it would have taken. I couldn't have done all that alone, back when I was first starting out, and I didn't have his handicap. He had to have found an army already up and running and joined them.
The other possibility was too frightening to acknowledge- that he was going around North America recruiting mature nomads into an army- because I only had one guess as to what his final goal might be in that case: vengeance against me. As if I hadn't given him life, as if I hadn't bent over backwards for eighty years to accommodate him every time his gift got in the way! But honestly, I couldn't really imagine that was what he was about. It was more likely he had stumbled upon an existing army and offered his services, eager for the protection of allying himself to a local power. He wasn't used to wandering, after all; even if he had tried the nomadic life at first, I wouldn't be surprised if he had found himself uncomfortable without an established territory. Well, if he hadn't run away from home like a naughty child in the first place he wouldn't have had that problem.
But in that case, my curiosity was reason enough to risk this encounter. I hadn't heard of armies in the north! I really needed to keep up with the newspapers more. I supposed it made sense that having a second World War had stirred things up in the vampire world… but then, there hadn't been any fighting here in the mainland U.S. I was surprised, and more than a little disgusted at the territory which Jasper had attached himself to now. He'd thank me, eventually, for bringing him back home where you could actually breathe the air and see more than ten feet in front of you.
I had a problem, though- there was almost no chance of a fight going my way now, not if all seven were together. It was possible, I told Carlos and Paul, that the scents weren't related, had been laid down at different times, but that was only a lie to keep them moving. If I wasn't lucky enough to catch Jasper alone, I'd settle for meeting his new army and getting a feel for it all. Maybe I could offer a trade- Paul and Carlos for Jasper. Though that would only work if Jasper was fully agreeable, because then I'd have no one to help manage him… I discarded that possibility. Hopefully I'd be able to discern the existing hostilities within the group and use that to my advantage. If nothing else, I would just learn what I could and retreat, scoping out the area and watching until we were able to catch him out alone. But success was too close to turn back now- I'd risk everything and wait as long as it took. This had to happen.
We were upon them soon enough. We paused again as soon as we were within visual range, scanning the steamy forest for escape routes before moving forward. It was a little disturbing to find them ready and facing us in formation: Jasper out in front of an organized line. Three mated pairs, with wedding rings to boot, sparkling along with their skin. Now that was an interesting arrangement. But were they newborns or not? I drew forward a bit more, signaling for Carlos and Paul to follow as I squinted to see their eyes.
No, not newborns. At least their eyes didn't glow with the telltale brightness of infancy… but as I drew closer, my instincts shivered as I saw their eyes more clearly. They were dark… yellow? And something was wrong with Jasper's eyes, too- they were red enough, but something seemed off. Almost an orange tint… what the hell?! What was wrong with these people, and what had they been doing to Jasper? But first things first. I looked down the line again, sizing everyone up.
A tall, skinny redheaded male was on the left, not quite full grown, nervously clutching his mate's hand- as if killing her would be worth the effort. She was even skinnier, and so tiny she made Peter's mini-mate Charlotte look like a ready soldier. Her awful haircut was an interesting feature, though… I wondered if she was a runaway from the Wars like Jasper, though she didn't have any visible scars.
Directly behind Jasper were an older pair- older physically, anyway- and the male's eyes were an even sicklier yellow than the others. But there was no mistaking the seriousness in those eyes, and the threat; he was the leader. No doubt about it. Jasper might be standing out in front but he couldn't fool me.
Off to the right was an imposing couple. The female was blonde and tall, dressed like she had just stepped out of a magazine- but the danger in her posture told me what I needed to know. And her mate… well, I'd let Carlos handle that one if it came to it. He was enormous, and though his face was blank I could just tell he was aching to put those huge muscles to good use. This pair had potential on the battlefield, if they could be persuaded to come along with Jasper. Then we could get rid of Paul right off the bat, and see if Carlos was worth keeping or not. The scents were too muddled to tell which two had been Jasper's companions up to the northwest, where we had first found his scent. I wished I could tell that- it might be useful in sorting out who he trusted and who he didn't.
"Hello, Maria," Jasper said. He held himself loose but ready, his expression neutral. No new scars, but like the others he was clean and wore fine clothes and shoes. His hair was even combed.
I smiled, willing myself to feel as calm and amicable as I knew how. I had forgotten how annoying it was to have to play-act for the sake of his gift. He had always been a gullible fool, even with that gift, but it was time for my star performance now. "Jasper," I answered sweetly.
"Hey, Carlos." I snapped my eyes over to the right again, frowning to see that the words had been spoken by the big male. How could he have possibly known Carlos' name? Someone was gifted besides Jasper, but who? It had to be something about their eyes. But they couldn't all share a gift, though, surely. And how did that explain Jasper's eyes? What was wrong with these people? I scanned down the line again, observing everything I could. Even with their strange eyes muddling their age, it was obvious none of them were newborns- they were far too controlled.
"You're a long way from home," Jasper said drily, with a hint of a childish smirk. "Things going that badly?"
It seemed the false pleasantries were over already. Fine.
"I've taken time off before," I snapped. "The question is, what are you doing up here? And don't try to tell me you created them all, because we both know you're not capable of that."
The leader released his mate and stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Jasper. "This is Carlisle," Jasper announced, nodding his head slightly toward him. I studied Carlisle, equally disgusted and intrigued by his strange eyes. Since they were paler than the others, I wondered if he was the gifted one. It would certainly explain how he managed to keep control over so many mature vampires- three of whom looked as though they could take him out in a second. My instincts burned to retreat from this new danger, but I hadn't come this far to run away just because things got difficult.
Jasper turned toward his new leader slightly, but never broke eye contact with me. "Carlisle, this is Maria, the vampire who created me."
Oh, so I wasn't to have the pleasure of being introduced to all his new little friends? Pity.
"Welcome," said Carlisle. "This is my wife, Esme," he continued, gesturing behind him. "Rosalie and Emmett"- he waved toward the imposing couple on the right- "and Edward and Alice."
Well, at least someone around here had some manners. I had better remember mine, if I wanted a productive end to this nonsense. "And what is your territory, Carlisle?" I asked politely. "I wouldn't want to cause offense."
"You can stop pretending," the tiny female, Alice, spat out. "We know the real reason you're here." Well, little miss had a mouth bigger than she was herself.
"We have no permanent settlement," Carlisle said vaguely, ignoring Alice's outburst. "And thus lay no claim to territory, as you are accustomed to. This is because we do not feed on human blood."
I laughed. The sickly eyes suddenly made sense. "And what do you drink instead? Animal blood?"
"Yes."
Oh, this was too much. Anyone with a moderate spark of intelligence could deduce that we could drink animal blood- it was blood, after all- but it looked like Jasper's new friends had made a habit out of it. I'd done it once myself, just out of curiosity- horrid stuff. My confidence was beginning to return- I'd given animal blood to my soldiers before, and the results were pretty unimpressive. There was a reason I'd stopped doing it long before Jasper came along.
"You've fed on animals?" This time it was Alice's red-headed mate, Edward, that was speaking out of turn. Maybe he was the gifted one, then. Good to know.
"What?!" Jasper hissed, inching forward. His pretended calm was suddenly gone.
"Of course," I said, pleased at having made him react. "And I experimented with it in the past for my creations, in times when hunting was difficult. I've even tried it myself. But that was before your time."
"You might have mentioned there was another way," Jasper all but snarled. "all those times you saw me suffering! Considering the pack of lies you fed me…"
Oh, cry me a river. Of course Jasper had jumped at the chance to feed on animals, so he could feed without side effects. "It's a poor substitute," I sighed. "We certainly never did it for very long. It made the newborns weaker, less effective in battle. I wasn't aware there were other side effects," I added, peering again at Carlisle's yellow eyes. Disgusting.
"It is true that feeding on animals makes our eyes this color," Carlisle said. "But I'm afraid you are quite mistaken about it being a poor substitute. I have fed exclusively on animals for two hundred and eighty-seven years, and taught my creations to do the same."
Jasper isn't your creation! I thought fiercely. He's MINE.
"The lighter eye color and steadier emotional state allow us to live alongside humans, and enjoy as normal a life as possible," Carlisle droned on. "I work as a physician at our local hospital, and the younger ones attend school. We simply move and make a new start before our lack of aging is noticed."
Seriously? They did this so they could play human? I glanced over their fancy clothes and polished shoes again, trying not to laugh. This was going to be easier than I had thought. Everyone was too controlled for me to pick apart who hated who, but the difference in Jasper's eyes was telling. If this Carlisle valued the goodwill of the humans so much, I'd be happy to take his biggest liability off his hands.
"Your newest acquisition doesn't appear to be very good at your yellow-eyed way of life, Carlisle," I began.
"I'm learning," Jasper muttered. But I was rewarded with a faint doubt in his eyes that hadn't been there a moment ago. His red irises darkened slightly, and he swallowed. My poor Jasper- he had obviously had a good meal more recently than the others, but he had to be famished. I could remedy that.
"And this is the life you have chosen, over the one I made for you? A homeless wanderer, spitting out fur and starved for real blood? Newest and lowest in the perverse coven you've attached yourself to, and playing with humans your greatest goal? You were made to be more than that! You were made to command the most terrifying force ever to-"
"-rule the bloodfields of a land stretching from ocean to ocean, yes," Jasper interrupted. "Curious, though… I also seem to remember you telling me that the Wars covered the earth. That every vampire in existence was a member of one army or another. That there was no freedom to be had apart from you and your worn-out vendetta, and that violence was the only way!"
"You needed guidance," I said hurriedly, before he could ruin any more of my strategy that kept Carlos and Paul close and loyal. "You wouldn't have lasted a week without me, if one of the others had found you. I taught you to survive!"
Jasper was close to losing it. He leaned down just slightly into a crouch, but his fists were clenched. "What you taught me was to wallow in blood and kill everything in my path! You watched me suffer every time I fed, when you knew the entire time that there was another way! You taught me to be a mindless weapon in your hand, to serve you like a blind fool!"
"Because you were a fool!" I snarled back, but I caught myself and straightened back up. Manners. It wouldn't do to pick a fight, not here. Jasper's new friends might be delusional but there were seven of them. I wouldn't be surprised if he was using his gift on me right now, trying to get me to overstep myself. Nice try. I might not be gifted but I knew how to draw him along. I knew what he wanted. I drew a sharp breath through my clenched teeth, letting it out slowly.
"All right," I said, once I was calm again. "If you're still so enamored with the idea of freedom, then come back with me. Things can be different this time- you'll have your own territory. I'll kill your humans for you, if you like, so that you can feed without suffering their emotions. I'll even let you manage your subordinates however you see fit."
"Starting with Paul?" Jasper challenged. He looked over my shoulder. "Are you aware, Paul, that Maria has already decided, should I rejoin her, that my first task would be to execute not Carlos, but you?"
I didn't dare flinch or look over my shoulder or anything. One wrong move and Jasper would have Carlos and Paul eating out of his hand. Think! I roared to myself. I had been so wrapped up in talking Jasper out of his new army that I hadn't accounted for the danger of Jasper talking me out of mine.
"It won't work," Paul grumbled from behind me. It was all right; I just needed to do some damage control. Good boy, Paul.
Jasper laughed. "She's obviously given you two a different story than she gives most of her creations, if she's brought you up here. But surely you're familiar with the way she runs things. Her strongest creation is the only one who survives. I killed every single one of the men and women she changed for a span of eighty years. Those that survived the battles I led them into, that is. Maria might want me back, but do you? Because I can assure you, if I were to come back, killing the two of you would be my first order of business."
"Times change," I answered, smoothly as I could. "Look at their eyes; you can see that neither of them are newborns. The three of us have coexisted peacefully for the past two years. And if you take my offer to run things as you choose, you'll need both of them. You were always chattering on about leaving more veterans alive so that the army could operate more intelligently. And…" I forced the words out. "You were right. I see that now. That model you envisioned is our best chance at success."
"What success?" Jasper parried. "The extermination of the Arizona Coven?"
What else, you idiot?! "That, among other things." I glanced at Carlisle. "Those kinds of details are best discussed in private. I don't know how you run things here in the North. Is Jasper free to leave if he chooses?"
"Of course he is," Carlisle answered serenely. "Because he was never an acquisition in the first place. Our diet does not just help us blend in with our human neighbors; it frees us to form genuine relationships with one another. This is not merely a coven. This is a family, and Jasper is my son now."
"Your son?" I coughed out, finally risking a quick look back at Paul and Carlos. They weren't amused. "I wonder how much you know about your new son, Carlisle? Has he told you how many vampires he has killed- both in battle and in cold blood? How many thousands of humans he's fed on, many of them women and children? What role do you think your new son will play in your little charade? The only thing he's good at is killing, and doing it well."
"He told us everything," a new feminine voice piped up. It was Carlisle's mate, moving up to stand beside him. She held herself upright, but there was violence brewing in her eyes. "We know what you trained him to do… to be." She looked up at Jasper and suddenly the hate vanished. She didn't even look like a vampire anymore. She was a yellow-eyed human, weak and soft with love as she gazed dotingly on her new son. "And that makes us all the more proud that he has chosen to live our way."
"And he's more than a killer now," the blond female, Rosalie, added indignantly. "When you don't spend all your time fighting, you actually have the chance to live your life. Jasper is a genius at electronics now. He's been learning carpentry and masonry, and studying world history, and practicing being around humans without killing them- which is no easy task, thanks to you."
"I don't know, Rose," her mate said, his voice booming out joyfully. "Maybe we should thank her. She's the one who taught him to fight in the first place, and now he's trained all of us." He grinned larger, his smile slowly baring his teeth as he locked eyes with Carlos again. His meaning was obvious: bring it on, Jasper's trained us and we'd be happy to slaughter you here and now. I finally felt a thrill of fear staring at his gleaming teeth and those enormous muscles; if Jasper had worked with him, I doubted even Carlos would stand a chance. I ground my teeth, determined not to get myself killed here and now. Jasper wasn't worth all this, not by a long shot. But I was not leaving Canada without him.
"Well, Jasper?" I asked angrily.
Jasper narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Even if I were interested, it comes to mind that the last time you and I were together, you were plotting to kill me."
"A misunderstanding," I allowed. One last try, and then I was going to get out of here and regroup. "I can see now that we just needed some time apart. And you needed some time away, time to see how good you had it when you were with me." I dared another step forward, sauntering closer with a confidence he knew wasn't real. But I knew what language to speak in: blood. "Do you remember, Jasper?" I cooed, tilting my head. "Do you remember how richly we fed after our victory in Monterrey? How the blood flowed, when we pushed the Guatemala Coven out into the wilderness?"
Jasper swallowed again, but he stepped backwards to his original place. "Go home, Maria," he said flatly.
I drew in a slow, angry breath. "If you need more time…"
"I have been patient so far," Carlisle interrupted suddenly. "Even though we know you came here to take Jasper against his will. But my patience is wearing thin. Jasper has given you his answer, so you have no further business with us. We are a peaceable coven, but we will defend his freedom if you force us to."
Unbelievable! I jerked back to stand with my soldiers, laughing so I wouldn't scream with rage. "Do you take me for a fool, Carlisle? I wouldn't dream of attacking such a large coven, not with these odds. You have nothing to fear from me." At least, not until I could return with more. I'd start rebuilding my army here and now, because that was the only-
"We are not fools either," the one named Edward called out. "It's obvious that you have every intention of returning with a larger army as soon as possible."
"I suggest you drop that plan immediately," Jasper hissed, leaning forward in an attack crouch. The others copied him, all but Carlisle. And yet he was the most frightening one of all- such a deadly, unnatural calm, and I could almost feel the sinister power he had over the others. Despite the watered-down bloodlust of their backward ways, they were milliseconds away from swarming on me, held back only by the yes or no of this man. His discipline during training must have been brutal for their obedience to be so controlled and exact. I couldn't help but admire that, but this time I was the one in the hot seat. One wrong word- one wrong thought, apparently- and I wasn't going to make it back to the U.S. alive, to say nothing of Mexico. I trembled with rage, unable to bear this wretched feeling of helplessness.
"Very well," I sneered, digging my nails into my palms. "I can see your new diet has addled your wits to the point where you would be useless to me anyway!"
"Then in the interest of peace," Carlisle murmured dangerously, "I suggest you leave the area immediately. And I think you have noticed that we have certain ways of collecting information. We will know if you change your mind and prove treacherous."
"And we will act," Rosalie snarled.
I let my anger flush through and outside of me, willing myself back together without it. "Then we leave in peace," I said calmly. I stood tall, glancing over everyone again and mentally spewing a few choice words for Edward or whoever was picking my plans out of my brain. My eyes finally rested on Jasper. "Enjoy your new coven."
Traitor.
"Not my coven," Jasper called out behind us as we ran. "My family."
.
.
.
"Family," I spat, shoving a centuries-old oak out of my way once we were out of hearing range. They didn't even consider themselves an army, and still they outshone my century of effort!
"Family!" I screamed in frustration, knocking a whole line of trees down one at a time in quick succession. I wanted to tear the yellow eyes out of the leader's mate- it made me sick how she had doted on Jasper. How dare he find that much happiness? How dare he stand there and smirk and enjoy their protection when I needed him?! There was so much to be done! Did he think I created him just so he could lounge around North America, wearing fancy patent leather shoes, contentedly sipping squirrel blood with his new little friends?! I would tear him apart for this! I had never been so humiliated in my life!
"What now?" Paul grumbled.
"What nothing!" I sneered, storming on. "In case you didn't notice, one of them was gifted. I had a plan going, and they knew about it in less than two seconds. Two seconds! We're lucky we got out of there alive!"
"So we come back in force," he suggested. Never mind about Jasper's yellow-eyes coming to kill me. I was going to die right here of the stupidity that surrounded me.
"Have you been hitting the squirrel blood too? That. Was. My. Plan! They'll know if we plan anything!"
"Even if we're farther away?" Carlos said slowly.
"We move out a couple hundred miles and build the army," Paul said firmly. "That way it won't matter if they see us coming."
"No," Carlos growled. "We move on without Jasper. Look at us!" He turned on me and loomed over me, his hugeness suddenly taking on a chilling, threatening feel. "We've been roaming Canada for over a year, and for what? So that you can have Jasper back? I don't need Jasper. Seems to me that Canada is wide open for settlement. Carlisle himself said that they're moving on before long anyway."
"The Arizona Coven isn't in CANADA!" I shrieked, shoving hard against his chest. He didn't budge.
"I don't care," he said stubbornly. "And what was all that about Jasper running things if he came back with us?"
"It was what he wanted to hear," I growled.
"So do you just tell us what we want to hear, too?"
"Don't be an idiot!"
Paul fell silent, staring at Carlos and me without expression. See, if I had my empath back in my pocket, like I should have by now, I wouldn't need to guess whether he was plotting to murder Carlos in two seconds, or wondering if maybe murdering me might not be a better plan. This was bad- if I didn't kill something soon I was going to talk myself right into a pile of ash.
"You know what I think?" I hissed. "I think we all need to hunt. This has been a long day and we all need to just take a break for a while."
"Hunt," Carlos agreed, relaxing his looming posture. But Paul was still brooding over something as he followed me deeper into the bush. I caught him looking back over his shoulder once. Maybe he'd go back on his own and get rid of a couple of Jasper's new friends for me before they tore him apart. See, that would actually be helpful.
"Come on," I ordered, shaking the map back open. "There's a village up this way."
We made our way into a little settlement called Bragg Creek. We found a nice little woodshop-farm operation on the edge of town, and its inhabitants made for an excellent lunch. I was careful not to turn my back to Paul and Carlos while I fed, though I didn't feel safe giving them any space either. We buried our prey out behind the woodshed.
"All right," I said finally. "Now that we're all calm and civil again, let's decide what we're going to do."
"Go back," Paul said flatly.
"Move on," Carlos grunted.
"Just this morning it was you who wanted to move on," I told Paul peevishly.
"Well I didn't think we would ever actually find him! You saw how he whipped that coven right into shape- that's what we need!"
"Jasper's not in charge of anything there," I scoffed. "The leader, Carlisle- he's the one who's got them wrapped around his finger. That one's a menace." I paused, clenching my teeth and forcing myself to accept the fact that now was not the time to insist on returning to Mexico. At least not until I could slip away from these two. "Carlos and I want to move on," I decided aloud, switching tactics.
Sometimes I make mistakes. This was one of them.
"What do you mean you and Carlos?" Paul hissed, drawing closer and looming over me himself in a sudden rage. Instead of coming to my rescue like he was supposed to, Carlos backed away.
"I'm just being realistic," I snapped, backing up myself. "I don't want any of us to get killed when our chance of success-"
"Funny," Paul sneered, stepping closer again. "Just this morning you were singing a different tune. Wanting to kill Carlos ourselves so that we could settle out here alone."
"You're a filthy liar!" I shouted, backing up in a real panic this time. Carlos's face was twisting in a strange combination of hurt and murder.
"Maybe I'll go on without either of you," he muttered. He locked eyes with Paul and for one horrible second I didn't know what they were going to do. Think fast, Maria!
"No, you're right," I stammered. "We should go back. But let's not get ourselves killed for no reason. I've handled these kinds of situations before." Paul exchanged a skeptical look with Carlos, but he waited for me to go on. "We scope out their territory," I continued quickly. "We observe their patrol patterns. Then we can lay our strategy, when to attack who when they're separated from the others. Two of these attacks in quick succession, and we're down to three-on-three. The one called Edward will be the primary target since I'm pretty sure he's the gifted one."
Carlos shook his head. "I don't-"
"And you noticed their eyes, right? Now, I've never fed my soldiers animal blood long enough to bleach their eyes out like that, but like I was telling Carlisle, the reason I stopped is that it made their performance begin to slip-strength in particular. That big one, Emmett, might look like he's a match for you, but with his eyes diluted like that, his strength will be even more diluted than I ever let those soldiers deteriorate to."
"I just want to move on," Carlos insisted again.
"Go ahead," I said firmly. I steeled myself and slipped my hand into Paul's. "Paul and I are going back to see what can be done about Jasper. But once we start staking claims around this area- I'm thinking all of Alberta for starters- you won't be welcome. Unless, of course, you come with us and make the odds more favorable, so that the Alberta Coven can be established." Paul squeezed my fingers, and I hoped it was only my imagination that he crushed them a little too hard on purpose. I smiled up to him, absolutely refusing to acknowledge the pain in my fingers as they crackled back into shape, waiting until the threat in his red eyes began to soften. "I was wrong to give up so easily," I sighed. "I just needed to feed. This will take a few weeks more of patience, but it'll work."
"And Mexico?" Paul asked suspiciously.
"Mexico will always be home to me," I said wistfully. Paul, I am going to burn you for this. Slowly. "But I can't do it without your help- both of you," I added, smiling triumphantly over to Carlos. "And it sounds like you're not willing to go back down there, at least not right now, so we won't. We've had our differences, but we're in a new land now. Let's see what it has to offer."
I held my breath as Paul and Carlos scowled at each other for a few more seconds, but then nodded their agreement. "For now," Carlos muttered, following behind Paul and me- or rather behind Paul as he dragged me through the bush. I gritted my teeth and played along, because this new plan was my last chance at survival: take them back toward Jasper's coven, cut them loose and then run for my life.
It worked perfectly. More than perfect, actually- for a minute I actually thought my false plan- picking the yellow-eyes off two at a time- was actually going to work. Jasper really was losing his touch, if he thought it was a good idea to come out hunting with just Emmett this soon after a hostile encounter. So much for their all-knowing Edward; he wasn't even here. No sooner had we scented them than Paul and Carlos lost their heads and ran headfirst into the attack.
That was my cue to leave, except for half a second I thought they were actually going to win, so I stuck around half a second too long. Jasper ducked right under Paul's attack and went straight for me, and Paul, faithless bastard, joined Carlos in taking down Emmett. Jasper had me backed up against a rock face in a flash. He didn't strike though; he never had before. He knew, back in his final days with me, that he should have killed me, and he couldn't bring himself to do it. He waited instead, crouched in readiness and totally ignoring his new "brother's" fate as Paul and Carlos tore him apart. But that was when everything went south.
Edward came rushing in like a hurricane. I had never, not in more than a century of warfare, seen anyone move that fast. One second he was at the edge of the wood and the next he was plowing into Paul, snarling in rage and tumbling away with him. Their fight was embarrassingly brief.
Goodbye, Paul, I thought smugly as the flames took him. See you in Hell.
"It's not a game, Emmett," Jasper called over his shoulder. He hadn't taken his eyes off mine the entire time. "End it." His nostrils flared as the sickeningly-sweet scent of the fire reached us. Talk about nostalgic! He really was going to kill me this time, or his new brothers were. They had mates to protect, after all, and I was a threat. Emmett dispatched Carlos with surprising ease, using a kick-bite move that was identical to one of Jasper's trademarks. He had taught them, all right.
Jasper finally inched closer, Edward and Emmett flanking him and practically panting with energy. But their yellow eyes were as sad as they were angry. They must have been unhappy about having gotten their designer clothes dirty. "I told you there would be consequences if you crossed us," Jasper hissed, but he didn't move in for the kill. Talking was always a good sign- maybe I'd get out of this alive after all. I'd keep up the game as long as he'd let me. And if I went down today, I'd go down on my own terms.
"What consequences?" I said. "I wanted you to kill them. They were furious when we went away empty-handed. You just saved my life."
"Let me kill her," Emmett snarled.
"Did you see me attacking?" I demanded. I stared into Edward's ugly eyes and focused on the argument I had just barely survived with Carlos and Paul. Whether he could see my thoughts or my past or my future or whatever, I hoped it was enough. "Did you see me fighting? Did you hear me give them any kind of command at all?"
"You stink of lies as much as you ever did," Jasper growled, but he turned toward Edward for confirmation. Whatever that gift was, it was powerful. Why couldn't I have gotten that out of the Civil War? All I got was a lousy turncoat empath. And now I had nothing. Except my own skin, hopefully.
"I admit we circled back to see if there was any other… option." I shifted my weight ever so slightly, ready to spring and make a run for it as soon as I got the chance. "But they were threatening to kill me, I had to give them something! I didn't think you would be stupid enough to split up right away like this. When we crossed your scent, they just attacked without my permission."
The standoff went on for another few seconds. Finally Jasper straightened up, followed by his brothers. "I'm going to give you exactly one hour to get out of Canada. I'll know if you don't. And then I'll be more than happy to watch you burn."
"Shame about Carlos," Edward added. "You didn't even know he was gifted, did you?"
Gifted?!
"Some kind of tracker, we think," he went on, wearing the same childish smirk Jasper had worn earlier. "That's probably how you were able to find Jasper so easily. I suggest you don't try again."
"No," Emmett growled, "Please, try again."
"I won't bother," I said, and I meant it. Third time wasn't the charm when it came to cheating death with odds like seven to one. I waltzed between Jasper and Edward, giving them a smirk of my own as I did so. Humiliating defeat or not, I had my pride. "I can see where you stand," I sighed. "Though why you've chosen these jaundiced idiots is beyond me."
"I know it's beyond you," Jasper said, and he sounded so pitifully sad that I turned around to look at him one more time. He was already on his way to looking far too human, like the others. He seemed to want to be like them. Well, at the very least I could take that away from him.
"Look at them," I scoffed. "They're not killers, not even when they kill. You'll never be like them."
That hurt him. Good. "Maybe not," he murmured. "But they're my family nonetheless. I'll thank you to stay away from them in the future." His eyes hardened one last time with the unspoken threat. It burned me to the core to see him so loyal to these people- had he ever defended me like that? He had given me eighty years of servitude, true, but that hadn't been a willing gift. I hated that he knew he could be free now, and yet he chose to serve this bunch. How could he even stand it, when everyone except himself was paired off like that? But then, he was an empath. Maybe those feelings flying left and right were just the sort of drug he needed, especially now that he wasn't getting real blood anymore.
Pathetic. I was glad to be rid of him.
I would keep telling myself that until I believed it.
.
.
.
It was the strangest thing; I had lived for over a century, and yet I had never run like this before. My journey north had been the longest trip I had ever taken, and that had been in spurts and stops, hiding from humans, hiding from the imaginary armies that I was careful to invent to keep my soldiers afraid enough to stay close. Well, now I had no reason not to enjoy the run for itself- that thought soothed my pride, since it sounded a lot better than running away. I ran from the woods outside Calgary straight down, cutting a line south through the Midwestern United States. The wind teased my hair until it finally slipped out of its long braid, flying loose and free. Even with the foul mood I was in, I couldn't deny the beauty of the land I was passing through. The wide rippling plains called to me as they never had before, whispering promises of a life of peace and quiet. I had never been one for peace and quiet, but I was tired, so very tired of all this. Tired of failing and starting over, failing and starting over. Paul and Carlos hadn't understood me at all. Did they truly think I didn't wish for peace? For rest? Did they think I enjoyed working nonstop with the training and the lies and the shouting and the patrols and the venom and the vitriol? I hated it!
Once I hit the Arizona border, I faltered. I finally crashed to my knees in the dirt, screaming my bitterness in the general direction of Lorenzo and his band of cutthroats, screaming until my venom had dried up and I wasn't producing sound anymore and I was just sobbing, my forehead shaking against my knees on the ground. Too tired to fight it, I lost all hold on that painful, hollow place inside me and it burst wide open, searing me with its escaping flames. Alonzo, I have tried! I have tried so hard, and for so long, and I am so very tired… I wept his name over and over until I hated him again. Everything I did was for him, because he was the only thing I had ever loved. Would he never let me rest?! I loved and hated him so much, so very much. I only wanted to be free… wanted to want it, at least. But he would never set me free. That is what Wars are made of.
And so I did the only thing I could do. I scrambled up to my feet and slapped away the dirt and braided my hair and marched myself down through New Mexico into the panhandle plains of Texas. A few well-placed sniffs told me that neither Lorenzo or El Serpiente had taken advantage of my absence, at least not up here. But the best bloodfields were along the Mexican border, and Monterrey not long behind. Home.
I looked to Arizona with hate-filled eyes, and then turned aside to survey the dusty territory I would be calling home until I had a new army up and running. The thought of starting over from scratch, again, made me feel sick. It made me feel old. It made me feel furious because the whole point of these two years, now completely wasted, was to bring Jasper home to make my effort worth something!
I was safe from the yellow-eyes now. I spun and faced the north, burning with rage over my humiliation, but even more over the infuriating look of pity in Jasper's eyes when we had parted. I should be the one pitying him. For one wild moment, I considered going back again and putting Paul's plan into action. But suicide, that coward's escape, wasn't my lot. I knew my duty- it had been branded onto my heart the instant I had smiled at Alonzo when he awoke, the instant I had heard his voice. His scent...
Stop.
I would not think of him, not right now. I closed my eyes, unbreathing until I had sealed the flaming edges of the hole in my chest, welded it closed with the promise of vengeance. I opened my eyes, strong again and ready to wreak the one form of vengeance that was actually easy to achieve. Absurdly easy.
I could play human too.
A doctor! What a joke. We'd see how the good citizens of Calgary felt about Carlisle if they knew a bit more about him. We'd see if Carlisle's mate would still love her new son when she counted the cost. If Jasper's association with me caused him to lose his place in his new coven, then I would have achieved that, at least. If it brought him home to me, so much the better.
I sauntered right into town, ignoring the looks the humans gave me and my bedraggled appearance. I headed straight for a phone booth and got a hold of the operator.
"Calgary, Alberta, please, in Canada," I said sweetly. "Police station."
There was a long wait as the human's brain churned to life. "Deposit thirty cents, please."
I shoved the coins into the slot, cooking up my story as I waited. At least this performance wouldn't get me killed if I didn't pull it off. But I would, and easily- humans were infinitely easier to manipulate than vampires. If hurting Jasper was all I had left in this failed battle, I'd give it my very best.
"Calgary Police Department," a male voice finally said. I had never done a Canadian accent before; this should be fun.
"I have to report a crime," I gasped.
"Now, ma'am, take a deep breath. Can you tell me your name first?"
Nope. "He killed them! That doctor. He killed them all! His name is Carlisle. I don't know his last name. He has blonde hair. He works at the hospital in Calgary…" I gasped another breath, pleased with my performance. I had never dabbled with the humans over the phone before. "I was visiting my friend yesterday, down in Bragg Creek-"
"Bragg Creek, did you say?!" the policeman interrupted excitedly. Ah, so they had already been notified- that would speed things up nicely, especially if they knew where to find the bodies. This was breaking the Law big time, but then I did that on a regular basis already so I might as well enjoy this to the fullest.
"Yes. She and her husband live there, and there was another man there- a hired man, I think…" I hitched a sob. "We were just sitting there having lunch, and he just broke down the door and killed them!" I added a sniffle for good measure.
"How?" the policeman asked. I could hear his pencil scratching. "Was there a weapon?"
"No!" I wailed. "It was so horrible. He just bit them, right in the neck! He's insane! And- oh, you'll think me so silly for this, but it's true…"
"Go on…"
I leaned into the telephone, lowering my voice in impart the final touch. "There's something not right about him. His skin is so cold, and hard like stone… and he looks strange in the sunlight… the others were that way too."
"How many?"
"Seven. They buried…" Sniffle number two. "They buried them out behind the woodshed. They said they were going to eat me later for dinner, but I ran, I ran so fast and I just know they're going to find me!"
"We'll send someone to get you right away, Ma'am. Where are you?"
"No! I can't… they might find out. Just please, stop them before they hurt anyone else!"
"We're on it," he promised solemnly. "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?"
I hung up and stepped out of the phone booth. Piece of cake- good luck with that, "Doctor" Carlisle, I thought acidly. As if he was qualified to practice medicine anyway- he probably just did it for the occasional sip of human blood when his creations weren't looking. The townspeople of Calgary should thank me for this. I looked over my shoulder with a little thrill of superstitious fear, as if Edward or some other magically gifted vampire might suddenly arise out of the desert and swoop down on me. Well, with any luck Jasper's new coven would be rethinking their newest addition within the hour. I doubted that would win me any points with Jasper, but you never knew. At least he would be alone again, and as miserable as I was. It was only fair.
Well, that was done. Time to get down to business.
I drew a long, deep breath, reorganizing myself into a more human, feminine posture as I exhaled. I flounced into a department store and kept my eyes down, stealing a tube of lipstick and a rather fetching red dress that hugged all my curves just the right way. A few minutes working on my hair in the ladies' room and I was back out on the street. I strolled around for a while, eventually finding a saloon that seemed to be attracting the type I was looking for.
I reclined at the bar, sitting pretty and mentally sifting though the riffraff that kept vying for my attention. Finally my eyes caught on a tall young man, lean but strong, with honey-gold hair that was messily tied back. He stumbled a bit and his breath reeked of alcohol, but he looked like Jasper. A lot like Jasper. I stretched and leaned over the counter, getting myself a drink.
"Hey there," I mouthed across the noisy room, twirling the glass loosely in my hand. He was parked at the bar next to me in one second flat, his eyes wide. "You look familiar," I hummed, looking away and touching my lips to the glass. "What's your name, mister?"
He touched his dusty hat. "Wyatt Whitlock, miss. And what might yours be?"
"Whitlock?" I laughed. "Oh, this evening is turning out better even than I expected." I leaned in, setting the odiferous drink aside. "My name is Maria," I murmured so softly he had to lean closer to hear. "And I think that you and I might have a date with destiny tonight, Mr. Whitlock."
He grinned, though he was beginning to look anxious. "Is that so?"
He followed me out the kitchen door and into the shadows of twilight that were just beginning to paint the alley a dark red. He reached for my shoulder, but I spun him around with one hand and wrenched his throat to my teeth. I bit deeper than I needed to, poor man- but his last name had earned him a little extra suffering along the way. He writhed against my grip, his scream muffled against my other hand. I dragged him out of town into the darker shadows, one hand on the scruff of his jacket and the other clamped over his mouth.
"This is your lucky day, Wyatt Whitlock," I announced, smiling as I looked grimly out onto the southern horizon. "You're in the army now."