Forks, Washington. The forecast showed rain. The weather patterns supported even more rain. It seemed a quiet place enough, Kheti decided, as she rented out the house down the street from Allison Bishop. At first her Egyptian heritage fascinated the neighbors. Everyone wanted to know how she liked the United States, if she supported the President of the United States, and a few brave men even asked if she was married. She promptly raised her left hand, wiggling her fingers, one boasting of a rose gold and silver interwoven diamond and ruby studded wedding band. It crushed any hope that the men could interest her, and then the talk focused on the wedding band.
For the first three days she talked in a thick, ancient accent before abruptly dropping the accent altogether and sharing with everyone she talked to that she was born in the US to two immigrant parents who properly applied for work visas and lived in the US for over forty years. They eventually became naturalized citizens themselves as she was a toddler. As she recently won the lottery a year ago, she decided to travel and settle down, if only to get her head on straight before committing to anything permanent.
She found herself at odds with the truth and her mate's intentions to turn Allison Bishop into a vampire. Allison's growing magical ability as a witch had been tracked by Enzo since he started watching the Bishop bloodline over the generations. The possible ability that Allison could bring to the coven excited him and unnerved her. She long since seen what a devotion to a belief could do a society and people in general. The devotion to the gods in her original time seemed appropriate, respectful even. Looking back to the 1200 B.C. a shudder wracked her body.
The blindness and naivety of the people appalled her. Vampires helped drive the belief in gods. It gave the priests the power to control the population while the Pharoah bowed his will and might to the priesthood out of servitude to the sacred beliefs. Worse was the medical care then. Sekhet long since forsaken her family name, and back then, her family barely scraped by. When she almost died of Malaria, a physician spared her mortal death in exchange for immortality. Sekhet had been grateful then for the merciful extension of her young life and never regretted serving the man that saved her from a certain death. They didn't call it malaria then, but the physician knew enough to know she couldn't survive another week.
What Enzo wanted to do with Allison Bishop wasn't out of necessity, or even a want of companionship. It centered around him being a selfish being unable to respect the webs that were spun that allowed people to co-exist in peace and harmony. He once appealed to the Volturi, and now that they rejected him, he sought a greater prize – replacing the Volturi with his own band of leaders. Vampires needed the Volturi, and the Volturi understood how to curb the vampire numbers. She refused to play into his schemes, and that was why she traveled to Forks. Enzo was her mate, and because she loved him, she was going to protect him from himself.
That didn't make her mission easier. The presence of the Olympic Coven fumbled her first attempt to speak to the young woman. She decided to make a house call to the Cullens one early morning to better assure them that she meant no harm to the human witch. Before she could even knock, a petite raven haired female answered. " You must be Sehkhet Mariani," Alice Cullen greeted her.
" I am," Kheti answered equally pleasant, allowing a small smile to appear across her otherwise neutral visage. " I wish to speak with your mother."
Alice stepped aside. " Come this way. We've been waiting for you,"
" We?"
" Esme, Emmett, Jasper, and myself," The spirit-like female answered. " We have questions,"
" As do I," Kheti agreed. She reserved all other questions until they progressed through the house to the kitchen where everyone either sat on a stool or leaned against the counter. Taking in everything, Kheti calculated how often the house suffered damage from the many vampires that inhabited it.
Each person stiffened as Kheti entered the kitchen behind Alice. Alice sat herself down on the counter itself, earning a glance of disrespect from Rosalie. All noted the burgundy color of Kheti's eyes. Kheti made no apologies for her choice of food source. She put up both hands as a show of peace, and moved to position herself so that she could see all of them at the same time. She understood what an anomaly they were in the vampire world. For someone who lived as long as she had, a coven of their size defied odds. Furthermore to feed on wildlife and stay as strong as they had impressed her.
The lure of human blood sang to her so much that she could not imagine sustaining herself on animal blood. She used far more humane methods of survival. Her blood source connections permitted her to tap into donations that prevented her from attacking the populace for the most part. Enzo, on the other hand, preferred to feed from the homeless, the poor, the violent, and the criminal element. As much as she loved her mate, she also loathed his choices in life sustenance. More than once they had to throw the trail off of them after he created bloody trails that had police creating profiles on the same 'serial killer'.
No one said anything until Kheti unzipped her damp, double layered moss green jacket. Emmett tensed up, prepared to restrain her. " I lack a medical reason to speak with Carlisle. As I understand, he's been helping the witch navigate her mourning. I wished to speak with him first, but time necessitates that I introduce myself to you first," She glanced down at her waterproof wristwatch. " In a week's time, my mate will leave Canada, and with him, bring a young vampire of only 2 years of immortal age,"
Concern flickered across Rosalie's RBF, otherwise known Resting Bitch Face to the Egyptian ancient. The American beauty crossed her arms over her chest. " Is this young vampire also a human feeder?"
Human feeder. What perfectly crude and honest assessment. Why did that upset her then? She came to them knowing how she would be viewed, and yet her expectations of this coven failed to meet the reality. " Yes. He will be known to Miss Bishop as her former fiancé. The young man is in love with her, despite being separated for over two years. He is the bait, however, to lure the lady into the clutches of my mate, Enzo Mariani. Enzo intends to turn her and make her a part of her family," She neglected to mention his desire to betray the Volturi, an offense that might very well demand her head.
She loved Enzo and valued their bond. If she could stop him from ruining his life, she might be able to save the world and him at the same time. If she couldn't stop him but hinder him, the Volturi would spare her. Their laws were practical by nature and helped them live as long as they have without being widely hunted by humans.
" Is the Volturi aware of Allison Bishop?"
" I would hope not. Not all witches turned have abilities, and those that do have abilities after turned are often unstable," Sekhet found herself recalling various meetings over the many centuries. Witch craft always existed in co-existence with Werewolves, Shapeshifters, and Vampires. " The stability that is gained is often centuries after surviving the turning," The coven before her was young. Carlisle, the founding member, was the youngest, and her mate predated Carlisle by a century and half. None of them possibly could understand the danger of turning a witch, and Enzo refused to listen to her warnings.
" The Volturi also dictate that if a human knows of us, they will need to be turned and as Allison hasn't made her knowledge of our origins known-" Rosalie started to point out.
Emmett shook his head. " Witches are exempted from that law, as long as they do know harm to the vampire race or attempt to out us, Rose," The mountain of a man acknowledged Kheti. " He is absolutely determined in this goal?"
" Enzo is headstrong. He does not care for boundaries or beliefs. He will seek what he believes is rightfully his to take,"
" The witch is not rightfully his," Esme declared, all heads turning to her. Her voice was soft and motherly, yet the hardness in her features warned Sehkhet she was not to be challenged. " If any blood is spilled in Forks, the Quilleute Pack will exact blood on the offending party,"
" I am aware of this," She was aware of many things. The ability to never sleep and to be always alert often lead the woman to keep tabs on the Vampire 'Nation'. She considered herself a historian of their achievements and notable events. This did not mean that she followed every current event of note, as that would require more time than she had in a day, days in a month, and months in a year. " I am also aware that my mate will not respect those boundaries regardless of the consequences, which is why I offer my services to the Coven. I have…lived a full life, often thought too long by many, I wish to see Enzo live, even if it is as the prisoner of the Volturi,"
Emotion thick in her throat, she didn't trust herself to speak further. The very lack of heartbeat defied the swelling emotion in her chest threatening to claw its way out past the organs, ribs, and skin. Jasper reeled from the depth of her pain and fury, a pained expression permanently marring his handsome face. " They do not take prisoners,"
" They will take him prisoner," Sehkhet insisted. She had no abilities to speak of, other than her age. Her loyalty to the laws consisted solely of the need to survive in a world that did not support their right to exist. " As the Historian of Vampire Past, Present, and Future, I have the ear of the Volturi and understand their laws. Without their laws, we would be hunted down and exterminated as the Children of the Moon were and are,"
Esme bristled under the authority exercised before her. " You will be betraying your mate," Everyone observed Sekhet now as she nodded. " You are choosing the Volturi over your mate, Your mate will never forgive you," Vampires were infamous for being stuck in the grasp of emotions for long periods of time due to their bodies 'being frozen' in time. Nikolai Mikhalev would never know love with another as long he lived because of his undying love for Allison Bishop. If Sekhet went against Enzo, Enzo would never forgive her. It may even cause Enzo to kill her.
" I am aware of that, and I support the continuation of our race over an early extinction. This visit is a warning to you to protect Miss Bishop," Sekhet made a show of producing a personalized business card, black with white Papyrus print. " That is my contact information…I'm staying in the area until Enzo is driven from the area,"
Rosalie moved forward. Formerly reserved, she now offered a hand. Sehkhet allowed her to take the offered business card and shook her hand at the same time. Alice stayed sitting on the counter top cross legged, frowning and cocking her head. " We wish you luck in your mission,"
" I love Enzo, Rosalie. It's not luck I need, but forgiveness when this has all transpired," Sekhet excused herself, Emmett following her to the door as Rosalie held back with Esme, Alice, and Jasper. No one spoke until the female left the premise and Emmett returned to reassure them that the woman did indeed leave the immediate area.
Alice turned to her adoptive mother. Rosalie beat her to it. " We must warn Allison Bishop,"
Already assuming that this was the required course of action, Esme breathed deeply. " Carlisle has been speaking to her of Ellena Bishops contributions to Forks' citizens. If the Bishops were to lose grandmother and granddaughter, it would be unthinkable," She allowed herself to absorb the gravity of the situation.
" I do not believe that she is defenseless against vampires," Alice stated clearly. " People will do anything for love,"
" If you are counting on the newborn," Rosalie snapped. " A devoted woman willing to imprison her mate to see him live just left this house not more than ten minutes ago,"
" I am not counting on people to be rational," Alice said serenely. " I am counting on people to do what is best. It may very well be a sacrifice, but we must do what must be done,"
Jasper winced from the growing tensions in the kitchen between his darling mate and his antagonistic sister. Esme nodded in gentle understanding with Jasper. " Who will speak with the witch?" Jasper cut them both off before he needed to kill something. Sometimes his Alice and Rosalie worked on his nerves like Peter and Charlotte. When that happened, he needed a break from their presence. It'd been too long since he seen his friends and first family.
Grabbing her satchel full of swath samples, color sample cards, and general design sketches, Esme vowed that such a noble sacrifice as inspiring one's mate's hatred would not go in vain. She didn't give the others a chance to stop her as she grabbed the car keys and travel the human way.
