Chapter 7. Vampyr
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Bella's POV
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"So, let me get this straight," Emmett paused dramatically, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You're actually a time traveler?" Bella nodded. "You are completely cool with us being vampires?" Bella nodded again. "You travelled to Rosalie's past and saved her?"
"Not really, I mean she still died," Bella offered quietly with a small frown. A warm hand covered her own, which made her look up. Rosalie's eyes were filled with gratitude and something else Bella was unable to decipher.
"You still kicked the shit out of everyone and stabbed her ex-fiancé?" Emmett pressed. Bella nodded.
"That's so epic!" Emmett's smile was beaming. "You guys hear that?" he turned to his family. "My best friend is literally the coolest,"
"Pretty sure you are the colder one of the two of us," Bella rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
"Hah!" Emmett seemed incredibly pleased about her bad vampire joke. "I'm so glad we don't have to hide our secret anymore,"
"Speaking of which," Carlisle caught Bella's attention. "Rosalie mentioned you've met other vampires before?" he seemed intrigued at the prospect while his wife looked worried.
"I have," Bella smiled tightly, uncomfortable at the reminder.
"Vegetarians?" Emmett wondered, which brought a queer look from Bella. "That's what we call ourselves," the big man explained with a childish grin. "Because we drink from animals and not humans," Bella's frowned thoughtfully.
"This is why our eyes are not red," Carlisle added. Bella digested that information.
"What about your body heat?" she glanced down at Rosalie's hand, which still rested on her own.
"What do you mean?" the doctor wondered.
"Are you guys on a different diet than Rose?" Bella asked hesitantly, bewildered when the other exchanged glances. "What?"
"Why do you think that?" Jasper leaned forward in his seat, very interested in her answer.
"Because she's not freezing cold like the rest of you?" Bella stated more than asked.
"I am not?" Rosalie's eyes widened, staring at their entwined hands in fascination.
"Is that so?" there was clear excitement in Carlisle's eyes, as if she had just made a scientific discovery.
"Okay I'm starting to think that's new information for you guys," Bella deadpanned before adopting a playful look, eyeing Rosalie. "Does that mean you're going about this vampirism business the wrong way?"
"Vampirism business?" Rosalie's eyes shone with mirth.
"Yeah, I mean you're obviously special," Bella's eyes lit up. "Are you like a super vampire?"
"No," Rosalie laughed musically, the sound mesmerising Bella for a moment.
"That would be me!" Emmett butted in.
"Whatever you say big guy," the brunette drawled, eyes still focused on the beauty next to her.
"I am!" Emmett insisted. "I have super strength,"
"That's nice," Bella didn't even blink, resisting the urge to smirk at his downtrodden expression.
"It's awesome," the big man muttered to himself. Rosalie shot her an amusing look, obviously catching on to her teasing.
"Not as cool as mine!" Alice enthused.
"Some vampires possess different gifts," Jasper explained to a very confused Bella.
"Really?" Bella's eyebrow rose in surprise. "What's yours then?" she asked the pixie.
"I can read the future!" Alice seemed particularly smug about that. Bella simply blinked at the information.
"That's…uh…nice," Bella offered lamely, not sure how to respond. "Does everyone have different gifts?"
"No, it's rather rare," Jasper answered. "Emmett has super strength and Alice can read the future. I myself have Pathokenisis," the brunette tilted her head in confusion. "It means I can feel and manipulate other people's emotions," he looked positively sheepish. "I try to avoid it if I can,"
"Wow," Bella looked at him fascinated. "That's so awesome," Jasper's hesitation shifted into a pleased smile. Bella wondered if he was ashamed of his gift.
"My gift is awesome too!" Alice whined almost childishly, and Bella had to suppress laughter.
"Sure," Bella nodded with a straight face.
"It's much better than Edwards!" Alice said sulkily. Bella noticed for the first time that Edward was not there. She was pretty sure he was there when she arrived at the Cullen house.
"He's gone hunting," Jasper told her before she could even ask.
"What's his gift?" Bella wondered.
"He can read minds," Jasper answered promptly, and Bella froze. Jasper must have noticed that or at least felt her discomfort for he was staring at her curiously.
"It's super annoying though," Emmett complained grumpily. "There is literally no privacy around him," Bella knew her heart began to race madly. If Edward could read minds, that meant they knew.
"Everyone's?" she asked faintly.
"Everyone except yours," Alice explained with a nod. Bella's shoulders immediately relaxed, and her heart calmed. "Well only glimpses really," the pixie added, unknowingly making Bella tense up again.
"Why is that?" she asked tightly but Alice just shrugged.
"Not sure but it drives him insane," the smaller girl gave her a toothed grin.
"But he sometimes can?" Bella's voice did not come out as casual as she intended it to. Rosalie squeezed her hand gently, which oddly enough relaxed the brunette.
"Rarely," Alice hedged carefully. Bella opened her mouth to ask further questions but was quickly interrupted by Emmett.
"Which vampires did you meet?"
"What?" Bella blinked.
"You said you've met other vampires," Emmett elaborated.
"Oh, yeah," Bella couldn't stop the shiver, avoiding Rosalie's concerned eyes. "During one of my travels,"
"Where?" Carlisle wondered.
"When?" Jasper spoke at the same time.
For some reason their sincere curiosity made Bella relax further, and she chuckled.
"England," she answered the doctor. "I'm not sure the exact date, but sometime during the 8th century," Bella told Jasper.
"Truly?" Carlisle seemed fascinated.
"Yeah," Bella winced. "They were really into witch trials back then,"
"Fuck," Emmett's eyes were wide. "Did you witness one?" his tone indicated that he was unsure if he found it interesting or horrifying. Maybe a combination of both; morbid curiosity.
"Yeah," Bella sighed. "Almost stopped one too," an intense feeling of sorrow washed over her.
In an attempt to distract herself from the memory, she glanced at Carlisle and hesitantly added. "That's where I saw a vampire actually,"
"Do you remember how they-"
"He," Bella interrupted quietly.
"How he looked like?" something about Carlisle expression seemed guarded.
"Pale, red eyes," Bella scrunched up her nose in thought, oblivious to the fond look from Rosalie at the small action. "Blonde hair,"
"Very informative," Emmett teased, which made Bella roll her eyes.
"I apologise for not asking him for a name," she mocked in return.
"I reckon she was busy fighting for her life, Em," Alice piped in with an eye-roll.
"Not my life," Bella spoke without a thought. "He did lend me his sword though," the absurdness of the statement made everyone stop and look at her in disbelief.
"What?" she shifted under the attention. "It was not as if he needed it,"
"What the actual fuck?" Emmett laughed in shock.
"Language," Esme reprimanded, although as it was more of a reflex, since she too was staring at Bella in surprise.
"You took his sword?" Rosalie asked slowly, as if she wasn't sure she was hearing this correctly.
"No I borrowed it. I asked him for it, and he gave it to me," Bella answered nonchalantly.
"He had red eyes though," Jasper remarked. "You weren't scared?"
"Terrified," Bella acknowledged. "But he was the least of my worries in that scenario,"
"What was more terrifying than a human drinking vampire?" Rosalie asked incredulously.
Bella's eyes darkened at the memory.
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-Flashback-
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Bella blinked a few times, observing her environment in confusion. She wondered where on earth she was this time, and more importantly; when.
She was positioned of the outskirt of what could only be considered a small village and judging by its state and the materials of the buildings, she had traveled far back. It must have been early morning, since the sun had yet risen and it was remarkably quiet, as if everyone was still sleeping.
The houses were more like huts if anything, made of wood with roofs thatched with straw. They were all pretty small, apart from one big hut, which Bella reckoned housed someone important. All around the village was a high fence, which luckily Bella found herself inside of. It seemed to serve purpose of protecting the inhabitants and keeping the herd safe, from wild animals and enemies. That was Bella's logical assumption anyway.
A sound of bleating made Bella look to her right and notice a few sheep staring at her uninterestedly, munching on grass. The brunette stifled laughter at their deadpan expressions and shook her head lightly, reminding herself to focus and figure out where she was.
"Okay," she took a calming breath. "There are trees and the temperature is a bit chilly, which rules out a lot of places," she whispered to herself, her eyes drinking in her surroundings. "The buildings are rudimental but there are a few hints that give away advancement," she spotted a sword lying against one of the huts. "Think Bella,"
"Ōþstand!" someone called out, halting her thought process.
Bella glanced up and froze when she noticed someone staring at her suspiciously. Bella wasn't sure if she was relieved or not when she realised it was only a boy, about 12 or 13. His youthful face was quite pretty, half hidden under a mop of dirty dark brown hair. He wore some sort of a green tunic, hip length with long sleeves over brown woollen trousers. His shoes were made of leather, fastened with laces and their state was honestly quite pitiful. It was obvious he was not wealthy.
"Hū hāttest þū?" the boy took a few wary steps towards her. Bella frowned, not understanding his words but somehow, they felt familiar.
"Spricst þū Englisċ?" he continued, this time in a slower voice, his light blue eyes growing more suspicious with her silence. Bella gave a start at the last word, she at least recognised that.
"I'm sorry," she said when she knew she couldn't hold her tongue anymore. "I'm afraid I don't understand. I speak English though," the boy's eyes widened in surprise. He let out a spew of words, his speech growing rapid. Amazingly he did not sound alarmed, as Bella had feared, but more curious.
"Whoa," Bella held her hands up in defeat, signalling him to stop talking, which he thankfully did. "Can you slow down a bit?" she requested apologetically. Understanding filled the boy's eyes and he adopted a sheepish look. Bella softened at the sight of it and gave him an encouraging smile.
"Iċ hātte Alec," he stated proudly and waited. Bella frowned in confusion. The boy repeated the words, this time pointing to himself.
"Alec?" she tested it out, almost laughing at the beaming smile and the enthusiastic nod she received. "Nice to meet you Alec,"
"Hū hāttest þū?" Alec asked in return and this time Bella didn't need a translation.
"Bella," she replied. ""Iċ hātte Bella, "she clumsily tried to repeat his words. Alec apparently found her attempt hilarious because he laughed gleefully. Bella simply smiled, feeling lighter under the happy sound. When Alec finally calmed down, he asked another question but Bella got distracted.
Noises were starting to come from the huts, as if people were starting to move around, accompanied with voices. She froze and her eyes snapped to Alec, who was staring at in curiosity and apprehension.
"Fuck," Bella swore under her breath. "Alec," she caught his attention. "This is going to sound strange but where are we? Are people here as friendly as you?" she knew her voice sounded too panicked, judging by Alec's surprise. Bella could tell he couldn't understand her words, but he must have caught the gist of her emotions, because he hesitated
for all but two seconds before motioning her to follow him. Without any other option, and the painstaking memory of her past travels being discovered, she followed without question.
Alec quickly ducked between two huts and masterfully avoided a few villagers that stepped outside. Bella kept her head down and followed, narrowly avoiding collation with one door that swung open unexpectedly. Alec simply pulled on her sweater impatiently and dragged her along. They only slowed down when they reached a lone hut, standing a bit further away from the others. More people were beginning to rise and exit their houses. Before Bella's curiosity could properly take over, Alec pushed her inside. She barely caught her footing and turned her head to glare at the boy, who wore an amused smirk.
"Alec?" a new voice exclaimed. Bella broke eye contact and looked to the direction where the voice came from.
A girl, bearing remarkable physical likeness to Alec, was staring at her with pale grey distrusting eyes. She was very pretty and if Bella could guess, around Alec's age. Maybe they were twins? Her hair was a shade lighter than Alec's and a bit longer, although no less dirty. She wore a haggard woollen dress and similar leather shoes as Alec did.
Alec started speaking in hushed notes, gesturing towards Bella, who was eyeing the girl warily. She caught her name in between words but other than that, she remained clueless of what was being said. The girl was staring at Alec with an unimpressed expression, obviously not approving of Alec's actions. Then they started arguing, albeit quietly, but there was no doubt in Bella's mind now what they were arguing about. Apparently Alec grew frustrated with the other girl words and threw his hands up dramatically. Despite the urgency of the situation, Bella couldn't stop her quiet amused snort at his adorable scowl. Alec paused and glanced at Bella, who gave him an innocent smile. The boy blushed crimson and cleared his throat, before looking back at the girl. His words were quieter now and almost pleading. The girl looked between Alec and Bella with what could only be described as pure exasperation, before she rolled her eyes. Alec turned to Bella with a dazzling smile.
"Þes pæs Jane," Alec said slowly, gesturing towards the girl. "Sweostor," he added proudly.
Bella's suspicions were confirmed and she looked at the girl, Alec's sister.
"It's nice to meet you Jane," she told her kindly. "My name is Bella," Jane merely rolled her eyes and stormed out the hut. Bella blinked in surprise and looked at Alec, who gave her an apologetic smile. Bella's answering smile made the boy blush and nervously look away.
Bella inwardly smirked. She already charmed Alec, now she just needed to work on Jane. She needed their help if she were to keep herself alive and find information about her whereabouts. She glanced at Alec, who was staring at her shyly. Bella reckoned she should start right away.
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Time went by slower than Bella could ever think was possible. She had been stuck in that village for a few weeks now, a longer time than she usually traveled, and she was counting the minutes to go home. She knew however that she had no means to go home, her power never worked like that. Either she got home eventually, or she didn't.
To pass the time she helped Alec and Jane with their daily chores. The brother and sister, who Bella was almost certain were in fact twins, reluctantly accepted her help. Sometimes she thought they considered her more of a hindrance than real help, but they were patient. Well Alec was patient; Jane had no such qualms although she got better with time.
The siblings somehow managed to convince the other villagers that she was their cousin from another village. They added to the story that she was mute, which Bella was entirely grateful for. She had found out that she was in England, somewhere around 8th century, but Old English was not modern English, and while she could understand a few words here and there, most of it was lost on her. So she was glad for the excuse to not speak to anyone. Bella did notice that the locals thought she was slow in the head, assumption made on her lack of understanding and limited amount of knowledge on the basic tasks, but she would rather be considered dimwitted than an enemy.
Despite the language barrier, Bella was slowly getting to know the twins. Alec was much easier of the two. He had a calming presence and a bright smile. It did help that he seemed to have developed a small crush on Bella, much to his sister's annoyance. He answered Bella's questions, when he understood them, and tried to answer hers in return. Bella couldn't understand much of it, but there were a few things she learned.
Jane was a whole different matter. She was distrustful and sometimes downright cold and only Alec seemed to manage to thaw her icy demeanour. Still, Bella was nothing but stubborn, so bit by bit she started to grow on Jane. She scowled less and her eyes didn't narrow as soon as Bella was in her sights, once she even caught a fleeting smile from the usual stoic teenager. That counted as win in Bella's book.
Bella understood Jane's attitude better the more she stayed in the village. The locals were extremely unfriendly towards the siblings and eyed them with thinly veiled distaste. They stared at them as if they were waiting for them to grow horns at any moment and declare their unwavering loyalty to the devil. Bella had glared right back when she noticed this, which apparently was enough to make the locals to dislike her just as much. Bella didn't care about that but apparently the twins did. Alec had offered her an adoring smile while Jane's features softened slightly. Their approval was more than enough to Bella and she vowed to herself to try her best to protect them as long as she was stuck in their time. They had won over her affections with frightening ease and she started viewing them as her adopted siblings. Bella didn't know much about the twin's history, only that they were orphans and she guessed their family life hadn't been a happy one. Alec always shied away from the topic and Jane promptly ignored it when Bella tried to bring it up.
Life in a small village in the 8th century was relatively boring, mostly just chores and a lot of dead time. Bella reckoned she could have arrived to a worser place in this particular time period, so she was rather thankful for the boredom. She realised on the fifth day that she had celebrated too soon. It was then she witnessed her first witch trial.
She had been horrified as she watched two men dragging a screaming old woman through the town. Her legs automatically started to move but Alec caught her hand and shook his head firmly. She was not to intervene. When Bella asked Alec about the woman's crime, it was Jane who answered. In a dull voice she explained that her healing plants worked suspiciously well on wounds. Bella had just stared at her incredulously for a long time, wincing when she heard a high pitch scream overpowering angry shouts. The screams died after a few moments, followed with a cheer. Bella balked in disgust, both at the horrific event and the defeated expression on the twins. They acted as if it was a normal occurrence.
Bella was surprised the twins never gave her up to the superstitious locals, or never even asked her questions about her own origin. In fact, everything about her arrival, her inexperience at the basic daily tasks and general being, suggested there was something supernatural at play, which anyone else in the village would have taken as witchcraft. Yet Jane and Alec never did. Bella privately wondered if they never did because they too were different. She had no real evidence, but something was strange about the twins. Once she swore she saw one of the villagers bow down in pain when Jane glared at him for too long. She couldn't be sure though, and she couldn't even put her finger on it, but Bella instinctively knew the siblings were of the supernatural kind.
Bella witnessed a few more witch trials after her first and the accusations, the so-called-proof, was more absurd after the other. One woman was trialed for being barren, another for 'having too many strong opinions', one man was supposed to have signed his name in the book of devil and one old woman spoke to harshly to the Chief of the village. Bella felt utterly powerless and longed to help but the twins were always quick to intervene her rescue attempts. Normally Bella would have argued and made a point about morality but there were always emotions in the siblings' eyes that stopped her from doing so. Defeat, sorrow, anger but most of all, fear. It broke Bella's heart every time she had to witness it. For the first time ever, Bella feared of going home, but not for herself.
There was also another reason that worried Bella, aside from the witch trials. There was a new arrival to the village who gave Bella the creeps. He came one night and managed to charm almost every local. He was undoubtably beautiful, lean figure, pale skin and fair blonde hair. He wore more expensive clothing than anyone else Bella had seen in that time period and carried around a gleaming sword. Despite his obvious wealth and unearthly beauty, his most noticeable features were his red eyes. Bella knew for a fact that contact lenses hadn't been invented, so she grew suspicious right away. The women in the village fawned and blushed over him, while the men grudgingly accepted his gifts; although not without shooting him distrusting looks. Bella herself, was not so easily charmed. She disliked him immensely, and it had nothing to do with envy or lust, but because how he stared at Jane and Alec. He never engaged with the twins, but he watched them carefully, unnervingly. One time he didn't even blink for two whole minutes and on reflex, Bella had pulled Jane behind her back protectively. Jane protests died on her lips when she noticed the serious look in Bella's eyes. The stranger had merely raised one eyebrow with a mocking smile before his red eyes landed on Jane and winked. The gesture shot blind fury to Bella's chest and she practically growled and took a step towards him, as if preparing to attack. Jane caught her hand and shook her head gently, although her eyes were softer than usual. Under the softness was surprise, as if the concept of anyone defending her was alien. The look momentarily calmed the fire inside of Bella, and she allowed Jane to lead her back inside their hut. Jane set out to distract her as soon as she stepped inside the threshold, and Bella played along but mentally reminded herself to keep an eye on the stranger.
Two weeks later the stranger left, much to Bella's relief. Bella knew he had been amused by her attempt to shield the twins, and she wasn't sure if her presence made any difference, but he never bothered them. Jane and Alec found her protectiveness bemusing, but they indulged her, nonetheless. While Alec always gave her a fond exasperated smile and Jane continuously rolled her eyes, Bella knew they appreciated the sentiment.
Bella estimated she had been in the past for almost two months when everything crashed and burned. An uneasy storm had been brewing for quite some time, so it was only inevitable when they came for them.
They has been peacefully sleeping when the first knock came. Alec and Jane immediately shot to their feet, while Bella still lay on the cot, trying to comprehend the situation still half asleep. Someone shouted and pounded on the door. Bella took one look at the fear in the twins' eyes, before she too got up. Jane and Alec exchanged glances, one of which Bella had dubbed 'twin speak'. They often talked without words. Bella was about to speak when Jane turned to her and pulled at her night dress. The force was enough to make Bella stumble.
"Leáfa!" the younger girl urged, pushing her gently towards the only window in the hut.
"I'm not leaving," Bella frowned, ignoring Jane's annoyed expression. "I'm not going without you," she insisted.
"Bella," Alec's soft murmur caught her attention. "Leáfa," Bella opened her mouth to protest. "Please," he added in broken modern English. Bella sucked in a harsh breath and looked between the siblings, who both wore defeated yet stubborn expressions.
"No," it came out pathetically small. "Come with me," Bella pleaded. Jane's stared at her with conflicted emotions, as if seriously considering it, before her lips thinned and she shook her head gently. More banging on the door, accompanied with several angry shouts. The volume indicated there were many people at the other side. Before Bella could say anything else, the door sprung open and Jane pushed her out the window. She fell harshly on the muddy ground, headfirst.
Bella saw stars for a few seconds, and it took her a few more moments to fight off the disorienting feeling. When she finally pulled herself up, she remembered why she was there in the first place, and panic began to seep in. She had to stop them. She immediately broke off into a run, following the sound of angry shouts. She only just reached the Chief's house when her body automatically froze, and she came to a screeching halt. Fear crawled up her spine as she stared at the unbelieving scene.
The beautiful stranger was back and had a young woman pinned up against the house. Normally Bella wouldn't have blinked, after all sex was natural and she was no virgin, but this she had not seen before. He wasn't kissing her neck, as one would assume, but drinking from it. One of his hand held the woman's body up while the other muffled her screams. Bella could do nothing but stare in horror and disbelief, every limb refusing to cooperate. Almost half a minute passed until the woman slumped down, obviously dead. Bella gulped loudly, the sound drawing attention to her. The stranger's eyes gleamed with mirth as he stared at frightful state, giving her a bloody smile.
"Vampire?" Bella blurted out loud, her brain trying to comprehend what she had just witnessed. Unbelievable, the man's smile grew bigger.
"Vampyr," his melodic voice confirmed. He eyed her for a moment, as if he had underestimated her. They stared at one another for a long time, Bella terrified while the man seemed intrigued. A piercing scream snapped Bella out of her stupor and pure desperation overtook every other sense. It was as if she forgot in that moment that she had a supernatural predator in front of her, one who could easily snap her neck, and her whole mind was consumed with the danger the twins were facing. Bella frantically tried to think of some sort of a plan, when the man shifted and a gleam caught her eyes.
"May I?" she pointed at his sword, which she now suspected was more of a play than real need to carry around. The man tilted her head in curiosity.
"Not to kill you," Bella rolled her eyes. "I need to help them," she knew in all likelihood that he had no idea what she was saying, so she pointed in the direction of the screams. Red eyes lit up in understanding and his lips curled into a smile. He said something back in a soft voice, although Bella could neither hear nor understand him. She caught the gist of it anyway. He didn't believe she could save them.
"Let me try at least," she huffed out and held out her hand impatiently. A small voice at the back of her mind asked her if she had lost her mind. Luckily the vampire found her amusing and instead of killing her, he simply unsheathed his sword and handed it to her.
"Hearding," he bowed his head theatrically with a mocking smirk. She grasped the handle.
"Ic þancie þē!" Bella whispered reverently, one of the few words she knew in old English and broke off in a run. She was completely oblivious to the amused red eyes that followed her fleeing figure.
When Bella finally arrived at the spot the locals performed their witch trials, she slowed down and took in the scene. Every person carried a torch, which illuminated the dark night. They stood in a semi-circle around a huge bonfire, which was thankfully unlit.
Alec was already tied up on top of the pile of wood, fastened to a wooden plank. His eyes were wide and fearful, staring down at the angry faces. Jane was being hauled up by two men, but she was resisting; shouting and fighting out of their grasp. The sight steeled Bella's resolve and she acted without hesitating.
She pushed through the crowd with her borrowed sword raised high. The men let go of Jane in shock, surprised at her entrance and fierce expression. Jane took the opportunity and rolled out of the way, which Bella was incredibly grateful for. She then slashed the sword without the fear of accidentally hitting Jane. She managed to stab one of them in the stomach, who fell down on his knees with a pained howl. The other man scrambled away, eyeing the sharp weapon in fear. Bella wasted no time and pulled Jane to her feet and shielded her body, glaring at everyone in the circle.
"Bella," Jane's relieved gasp made Bella's heart clench painfully. Had the girl really thought she would abandon them this easily?
"Stay behind me Jane," Bella ordered firmly.
"Drýicge!" someone shouted from the mob. Bella knew that word. Witch.
"Stay the fuck back or I'll gut every single one of you!" she screamed back, knowing that even though they couldn't understand the words, they understood their intent. The crowd shuffled, no one daring to step forth and meet her ire.
Bella eyed them warily for a few moments before glancing back at Jane, whose eyes were filled with tears and unbridled fear. It was such an uncharacteristic look on someone who usually tried their best to show no emotion, and it tore at Bella's heartstrings.
"Jane-"
"Bella!" Jane cut her off with a warning cry, eyes fixated on something behind her. Bella turned around on pure instincts and barely managed to block the incoming sword with her own. One of the men had decided to risk attacking and while he was obviously no fighter, the hatred in his eyes was enough to fuel him. Bella threw her body weight into her block, the force of it making him stumble back. He quickly recovered and was about to swing his sword again when he unexpectedly fell down, his body writhing as he screamed in pain.
Bella blinked in confusion and looked up. The mob was yelling in fright and pointing at something. Bella followed their eyes and noticed Jane staring at the man in quiet fury. Bella shook her head, deciding that was not the time to ponder over the implications and gently grabbed Jane's arm. The screams of the man quieted down to pitiful moans when Jane's eyes met Bella's.
"We need to get Alec," Bella urged her. Jane's eyes lit up in understanding and snapped to her brother, who was staring at the scene in bewilderment and with no small amount of hope. Jane rushed into action and climbed the unlit bonfire while Bella faced the mob, whose fear had been replaced with its previous anger. Bella knew it was only a matter of time when someone decided to engage her again. Her eyes scanned the area, quickly trying to come up with some sort of a plan.
Her eyes caught the still lit torch one of the men had dropped, and she hurriedly picked it up and threw it in the tall grass in front of the mob. Not her brightest plan but she knew this area was mostly used for witch trials, which meant that the grass was dead and hopefully flammable enough. Smoke started to form almost immediately, and a small fire began to grow. It was pure dumb luck that she stood in a pool of mud. The mob took a step back but otherwise did not react, only kept shouting curses and accusations at Bella and the twins.
"Bella," a tug on her sleeve made Bella look down. Jane had freed Alec and they were now standing behind her, shivering and afraid but very much alive. Bella let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Good," she murmured, mustering up a small, albeit forced, smile. Bella looked back and saw that despite the fact that the fire was growing at an alarming rate, the mob was not leaving. Something red caught attention and she noticed the beautiful stranger stood in the back, staring at them as if this was the funniest thing he had ever witnessed. A cold shiver ran down Bella's back. While the mob couldn't get them now easily, a vampire sure could.
Bella turned towards the twins, who were staring at her expectantly, as if she should know what to do.
"Alec," she looked into light blue eyes before shifting them towards grey. "Jane," they both perked up at their names. "Leáfa," she said slowly but firmly.
The siblings exchanged incredulous looks and simultaneously shook their heads. Bella almost smiled fondly at their shared stubbornness. She had no idea how to make them understand how dire this situation was.
"You have to go," she urged them, before looking pointedly at the crowd where the beautiful stranger was watching. Their eyes followed hers with confusion. "Vampyr," Bella stated as clearly as she could. Jane's eyes snapped to hers in disbelief. Bella nodded.
"Go, I'll hold them off," Bella knew they would understand her. Alec shook his head vehemently while Jane just stared at her, seemingly at loss. Bella let out a sigh and pulled Alec in a one-armed hug, before repeating the action with Jane.
"Leáfa," she whispered in Jane's ear and softly kissed her forehead. "Now!" she ordered firmly and reluctantly looked away.
"Bella!" Alec cried out, obviously refusing to leave her. Bella turned back but as soon as she came into contact with light blue eyes, a familiar pain hit her.
"Fuck," she hissed. "No, no no," Bella bit back the tears. "Not now!" alarmed, the twins rushed forwards. Another invisible blow hit stomach, a telltale sign of what was to come.
"Not yet!" she practically demanded, although no higher power was listening.
"Bella?" Jane's frantic whisper was enough to make a sob escape. Bella swallowed and her vision swam with tears.
"I'm so…so…sorry," she murmured. "I can't stop it," smaller hands caught her as she fell to her knees. "Run!" Bella only just managed to take a final look into pale grey eyes before everything went black.
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-End Flashback-
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"Bella?"
Bella blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. She looked up and found worried topaz eyes.
"You okay?" Rosalie murmured gently, her eyes searching hers questioningly.
"Yeah," Bella sighed and offered a small sheepish smile. "Just lost in thought," she blushed slightly, wondering how long she zoned out for.
"You sure?" Bella made eye contact with Jasper, who looked hesitant. "Your emotions are all over the place," the brunette frowned momentarily, before remembering his gift. She inwardly sighed, realising his inner knowledge of her emotions would get old pretty soon.
"Yes," she nodded stiffly. The Cullen's exchanged dubious glances but luckily no one pressed her.
"How about one game before you go home?" Emmett suggested lightly, pulling out a gaming console. Bella could have kissed the man in that moment and grinned.
"You're on," she winked, forcing the painful memories away. Distraction was always her chosen method. Not a healthy option for the long run, but it would do for now. Perhaps one day she would face her feelings and mourn the twins, but today was not that day.
A soft squeeze to her hand made her look at Rosalie, who rewarded her with a small smile. Oddly enough her usual plan was all but forgotten in that moment.
.
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Rosalie parked the car in front of Swan residence but Bella made no move to get out. Instead they sat there in comfortable silence. The car ride had been the most peaceful part of Bella's day and she truly treasured the blonde's company. The conversation had been relatively light, which Bella had been thankful for.
Despite Emmett's best efforts of pulling her out of her funk with video games, she still felt a bit raw with her emotions. Rosalie read her mood correctly and while she was a bit awkward, she still managed to make Bella smile easier.
"You don't like being a vampire," Bella observed, studying the blonde quietly. She had noticed the girl had shied away from every questions Bella had about vampires. Rosalie scowled and shook her head.
"I detest it," Rosalie's honesty was refreshing, as always. The blonde adopted a wistful expression. "Humans have no idea how good they have it. They can eat food, grow old," something dark entered topaz eyes. "Have children," Bella didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. "I hate being this monster," Rosalie whispered, more to herself than anything. Something about that quiet confession broke Bella's heart and she felt compelled to speak up.
"You're not a monster," her voice was firm. Rosalie shot her a sad smile, as if she appreciated the sentiment but clearly did not believe it.
"I'm serious," Bella continued. "I've seen true monsters Rose, and most of them were humans," Rosalie seemed skeptical but at least she seemed to be listening. "Have you forgotten our conversation?"
"Which one?" Rosalie teased half-heartedly.
"You know which one," Bella admonished lightly. "If our actions to simply survive, define us?"
"I drink blood Bella," Rosalie's smile was sardonic. "Drinking blood is literally what defines a vampire,"
"Perhaps," the brunette agreed calmly. "But not from humans," dark brown eyes met topaz. "Why is that?" Rosalie's expression shifted into something Bella liked to describe as reluctant understanding.
"So we don't have to kill anyone," Rosalie explained tiredly, which brought out a small smile from Bella.
"And you're trying to convince yourself that you are a monster? Pretty sure that's a noble thing to do, going against your instincts like that," the brunette pointed out and Rosalie shrugged sheepishly.
"The easy way would be to give in. That's what a monster does, isn't it? It has no regard for other people's feelings, it just takes without thought because that benefits them. They never question their decisions because they have no moral compass to guide them. They are driven by their primal instincts and never stop to question their actions. To put it simply, they just don't care," Bella caught Rosalie's eyes. "That's not you. I see you Rosalie Hale. You care," she added a small smile. "Even though you do your best to hide that from others,"
"Yeah well…" she seemed to be at loss what to say, as if the thought hadn't occurred to her.
Bella instinctively knew Rosalie needed time to process her words, so she decided to lighten the mood.
"So… I guess I should postpone my plans on adopting a dog?" Rosalie gave her a queer look. "Believe me, I'm whole heartedly on board with your diet but I don't want you to eat my future pets," Rosalie rolled her eyes, a small smirk tugging her lips. The expression was illegally sexy, Bella couldn't help but to notice.
"I would never lower myself to drink from some Cujo," the blonde snarked, obviously disgusted with the mere idea.
"Are cats safe too?" Bella couldn't help but add. She almost made an inappropriate joke but managed to catch herself. "What do you eat then?" The inquiry was sincere. Bella meant to ask about that earlier but forgot.
"I like deer," the blonde mused out loud. Then she raised one eyebrow. "Plus, we drink. No one is eating," Bella gave her a devilish grin at the words, that Rosalie looked apprehensive of.
"That's a pity," the brunette teased and added a wink for good measure. She mentally facepalmed herself for her dirty mind and impulsiveness. She had honestly tried to make no inappropriate jokes. Emmett was a bad influence.
The reaction she got was much better than she expected. Bella could only imagine that Vampires didn't blush but if they could, she was pretty sure Rosalie would be doing that now.
"Err…" Rosalie said intelligently as if her brain had paused and despite her own embarrassment, Bella couldn't help but to laugh at how adorable she looked.
"I'm sorry. I'm only teasing you," she admitted after a moment, grasping Rosalie's hand. Rosalie shot her a playful glare that told Bella that she was more amused if anything. Still, there was tension in the air now, that wasn't there before. Bella wasn't sure what to do with that.
Under any other circumstances, with any other girl, she might have made a move. This was Rosalie, however. The fact that the other girl was a vampire played only a minuscule part, or the fact that she looked like a goddess. It had everything to do with that despite the hard demeanor, Rosalie was sweet and kind. She was strong, intelligent, funny, patient and understanding.
Rosalie Hale deserved the whole world. The only thing Bella could offer was pain and broken pieces of herself. Not exactly a sweet deal. On top of that, Bella was still on the fence if she wanted to live or not. Rosalie didn't deserve that.
There was also the fact that Rosalie had not remembered meeting her at first, which suggested she had suppressed the memory of her due to the traumatic circumstances she technically first met Bella. Bella had to use key words to trigger the memory, which she did without thinking about the consequences. She never should have said anything to begin with. It was highly likely that Rosalie would now only associate Bella with her trauma, which could develop into an unhealthy communication pattern. It was also a probability that she somehow felt indebted to Bella, which was the last thing she wanted. If Rosalie wanted her company, it should only because of that reason and not because of a guilty conscience.
Bella should distance herself now before Rosalie would be reeled into her drama. Being around Bella was dangerous. Just because Rosalie was not human and therefor stronger in the physical sense, she was still susceptible to emotional pain. Bella refused to be responsible for that.
"I should go," Bella said quietly, reluctantly dropping Rosalie's hand.
"Oh," Rosalie blinked, obviously confused by Bella's shift in mood. "Okay,"
"I'll see you tomorrow?" the brunette mustered up a smile, which was probably very unconvincing. Rosalie seemed to think so, since she gave Bella a skeptic look.
"Of course," Bella flashed another smile and before Rosalie could say anything else, she opened the door and fled the scene.
It wasn't until she was inside the house when she heard Rosalie start up the car again. Bella sighed heavily and leaned back against the front door. She was in over her head.
A flashes of red eyes, fire and pleading pale grey eyes unexpectedly assaulted her mind, and Bella flinched hard. She let out a shaky breath and peeled herself off the door, making way to the kitchen.
It looked like Mr. Jack Daniels was about to help her forget tonight, again.
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Old English translation (taken off a website, not exactly an expert here)
Drýicge: witch
Ic þancie þē: thank you
Hearding: Hero
Leáfa: leave
Þes pæs Jane: This is Jane
Sweostor: sister
Hū hāttest þū?": what is your name?
Iċ hātte: my name is
Spricst þū Englisċ? – Do you speak english?
Ōþstand! - Stop
Hū hāttest þū? – what is your name?
To be continued...
Not the vampire(s) you expected?