A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but here it is. I have received so many reviews for the laster chapter and I love every single one of them. I'd like to send a special thanks to roon0, who went back and reviewed almost every chapter; to zindad, whose comprehensive reviews I adore; to BriannaMacBride, who is always so enthusiastic; to semper, who reviews every time; and of course to KayMarieXW for her support and for being an amazing beta!
The next chapter is already finished. I'll upload it sometime between Thursday and Sunday, so you won't have to wait too long this time.
The results of the Canon Tour (you'll find the link in my profile) were released last Saturday. The stories that made first and third place are some of my favourites. They are truly amazing. Also, you must read KayMarieXW's entry Paved With Bad Intentions. It's incredibly funny! Jasper and Emmett struggle to keep Bella safe.
I'm on Twitter now and I'd love you to follow me TheaJa1 ! I'm already spending far too much time there!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga is property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm only borrowing due to obsession issues.
28. INTERLUDE
EDWARD
So take this night
Wrap it around me like a sheet
I know I'm not forgiven
But I need a place to sleep
So take this night
And lay me down on the street
I know I'm not forgiven
But I hope that I'll be given
Some peace
This Night by Black Lab
I wish I hadn't left.
Bella lay in my arms, just like she always had before I had left her, before I'd almost destroyed her. Her face was peaceful, the way a person's features only relaxed when they were fast asleep. Only her silent heart gave her away. I remembered the rhythmic thu-thud thu-thud, the sound that once had been the centre of my universe, with perfect clarity. It was easy, surprisingly easy, to imagine that we were still in Forks in Bella's little room, where I'd stayed with her almost every night. I would hum her lullaby until she drifted off to sleep and hold her while I listened to her talk, wondering what she was dreaming, wondering what it felt like to dream because I didn't remember.
Now she'd never dream again. Her dreams hadn't always been happy ones. There'd been nightmares as well, many, many nightmares. Despite her insistence that she didn't remember when I asked about them in the morning, I'd always known that the shadows of her nightmares at times haunted her in daylight. I'd wanted to chase them away, protect her from those dreadful dreams so desperately. I hadn't been able to, of course. Sitting beside her while she slept, holding her, was the only thing I could really do. I'd wished her nightmares would go away, even though I'd always known that they would stay as long as I stayed. How could she sleep and dream peacefully with a monster like me by her side almost every hour of the day?
But the dreams, the nightmares, hadn't stopped when I left, had they? No, they'd only changed and now she'd suffered night after night because I'd left, because I'd made a mistake so monumental it had nearly destroyed her—and me. And maybe what I'd done had already destroyed us. I didn't allow myself to believe that though. If I went there, into that dark place that was my future without Bella, I would lose myself. I didn't want that, not before she'd made up her mind. And maybe, I thought as a smiled down at her, a sad smile, but still a smile, maybe she'll decide to give me a second chance. With her lying in my arms and our fingers lazily entwined, it was so easy to believe. So tempting. I clung to that thought, at least for now, because what else did I have to hold on to? What else did I have to keep me from falling apart?
Bella sighed softly, making me wonder what she was thinking, but I didn't ask, pretending—just like she was—that nothing at all had changed, that I hadn't left and hurt her.
"It wasn't my idea!" Embry hissed downstairs, considering throwing the rag he'd used to wipe down the appliances at Jacob's head. "Seth told me to nuke it!"
Bella shifted in my arms, frowning softly. I felt the corners of my mouth twitch into a slight smile.
"I thought he'd pour the stuff into a bowl first," Seth said from the living room, his voice defensive. He rolled his eyes at Rosalie, who smiled. The squabble reminded her of home, of how Emmett went out of his way to provoke Jasper or me into a fight and, on occasion, even Alice. She missed him. She missed us all—even me—but she was afraid to go home and face us. Esme had tried to call her several times. Seth had reasoned with her for hours, trying to convince her to go home and talk to us or at least pick up the phone and speak to Esme. Rosalie knew that Seth was right, that she should just go home and apologise. But what if we didn't forgive her? What if Emmett didn't forgive her? That was what she was afraid of most. Of him leaving her. Of the one person in her world that had always loved her unconditionally abandoning her. Had she finally driven him away? Emmett had always supported her in the past, but when she confessed what she'd said to Freya he'd lost his temper with her. And the things he'd said… Rosalie shuddered at the memory.
Seth noticed and raised his eyebrows, guessing correctly that she was thinking about Emmett again. He felt sorry for her. He'd made it clear that he believed that she'd brought her family's anger and disapproval on herself, but he'd also told her that despite the horrible things she'd said to Freya—he'd heard it via Jacob, who'd heard it from Alice—he didn't think any less of her. People make mistakes, he'd said with a shrug. Convinced it would do no good if he went into it again now, Seth smiled and asked Rosalie to help him sort out an imaginary computer problem.
Rosalie, knowing that Seth knew at least as much as she did and maybe—which she was able to admit, somewhat to her own surprise, without envy—even more, realised that he only wanted to distract her. She returned his smile and listened as he outlined the nature of the problem, her thoughts drifting away from Emmett for the moment. She liked Seth. He reminded her of her youngest brother, the one she'd always been fondest of.
"Forget it," Jacob muttered now as Embry started to scrub the walls, "that stuff is never coming out." Running his hand through his hair, he stared at the mess they'd made and considered his options. He was tired because working in the morgue was harder than he'd thought and because he'd gone for a quick run before the storm had hit, but he didn't want to leave the kitchen as it was. If Bella hadn't been so upset, he would have found it hilarious. As it was, not so much. He was still feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to stop Seth and Embry for wrecking Bella's living room, although he hadn't even been present at the time. "Let's clean up what we can," Jacob said grumpily, "and then go to bed. You helping us, Seth?"
"Why?" Seth called back, now defiant instead of defensive. "I'm innocent. Besides, doing some cleaning will be good for you. Leah constantly complains that you leave your stuff lying around when you crash at her place after patrol."
Jacob grumbled something that Seth didn't quite catch, but he knew his friend and alpha well enough not to push it. Rosalie laughed quietly, enjoying herself.
"I'm glad they get along," Bella whispered, curving her lips in a lazy smile.
"So am I," I replied just as quietly. "It was very kind of you to invite Rosalie to stay."
Bella shrugged. "She needed a friend." Then she added, as if suddenly remembering that she didn't really know whether Rosalie considered her a friend, "Seth really likes her."
We lapsed into silence after that again. Embry and Jacob rummaged around in the kitchen until Jacob declared himself satisfied and shuffled upstairs to shower and go to bed. Seth was already fast asleep on the sofa while Rosalie was finishing the application they'd been working on. Embry eyed her with mixed feelings as he zipped himself up in the sleeping bag on the floor. He'd begun to trust her as he had begun to trust as all, but he didn't like her and failed to understand what Seth saw in her. "Night," he yawned, punching his pillow into shape.
"Night," Jacob muttered as he stepped into the shower.
"Sleep well," Rosalie said softly, smiling because she didn't remember the last time she'd bade someone good night.
"Sweet dreams," Bella said, which caused Embry to snort as would have preferred to go without dreaming altogether. He had nightmares rather than dreams, unavoidable, he believed, in his line of work as vampire killer… I huffed at this last thought that brushed into Embry's awareness before he drifted into oblivion.
"What?" Bella asked.
"Nothing. Just something Embry was thinking about before he fell asleep."
"Do you see what people dream?" she asked, with genuine interest. It wasn't a question she'd ever asked me before.
"Yes. It's interesting as well as insightful. Freud would have loved to be able to do what I do. Seth is dreaming about home, I think. He's playing with a little child. It's a little hazy. Dreams usually are."
"I don't miss it," Bella said after a while. "My dreams weren't very pleasant most of the time. I miss sleeping though," she added a little wistfully.
"Sometimes so do I," I replied.
Jacob turned off the shower. He wasn't thinking of anything in particular. He was hoping we would find Bella's friend Olivia alive and well, at least as well as could be expected after several days of captivity. He was wondering what Bella and I were doing, if us being together in her bedroom meant that she'd forgiven me. He was looking forward to calling his friend Quil tomorrow night as they hadn't spoken since Jacob had left Forks so hastily. He wanted to ask him to send him some of his stuff because he doubted the situation with Victoria would be resolved anytime soon and he wouldn't leave Bella until it was over.
He frowned at his image in the mirror. He regretted how things had turned out. He didn't want to be an alpha. He just wanted to be Jacob and live his life the way he wanted. That wasn't an option anymore. Bella's transformation had changed everything.
His thoughts drifted back to that evening. I held my breath as the first images filtered into his mind. Bella hadn't told anyone what exactly had happened that night, not even Alice. But Jacob had been there. At first I saw only trees. Jacob had phased and he saw everything from lower to the ground than I was used to. He was talking to Quil as Sam hadn't phased yet when he heard Bella scream. He spun around, his paws easily finding purchase in the forest floor. Pushing the front door, which had stood ajar, open with his shoulder, he found Victoria standing over Bella, poised to strike. Her eyes were wild, her face twisted with fury. Bella was bleeding. Her blood only smelled like blood to Jacob, but I thought I still detected the subtle note that made her Bella. Victoria startled visibly when she saw him and hissed. Crouching low to the ground, she edged away inch by inch, probably intending to escape through the back of the house. Jacob shot after her, teeth bared and his russet fur on edge. She ducked out of the way in time to avoid his teeth, turning around to scramble away. Panic had joined the rage on her face. The hallway they were in was too narrow for Jacob to move properly. He rose on his haunches as if to leap at her, aiming at her face. His claws scraped over her diamond skin with the sound of metal being torn apart. Victoria screamed, again attempting to flee and this time Jacob let her go. He glanced over his shoulder at where Bella was lying on the floor, with her hand pressed against her throat.
NO! That was all was able to think. No no no no no. This was exactly what he'd fought to avoid. He'd kept her safe for seven years, but in the end he'd still failed. He knew what he had to do, what Sam would expect him to do.
But could he do it?
"Jake," Bella whispered coarsely, reaching up to bury her trembling hands in the fur of Jacob's neck. "Kill me." For a moment Jacob thought she wanted to say something else, but she began to scream so suddenly that he winced, flattening his ears against his skull. Wide-eyed, he watched as Bella lay thrashing on the floor, clawing at her throat. I wanted to shy away from the memory. I didn't want to see Bella suffer, but I forced myself to watch.
This was as much my fault as it was Victoria's.
Jacob didn't know what to do. He knew what was happening of course. Bella had told him about how she had been bitten once before and how I had saved her, but he didn't dare attempt to do the same. Our venom was poison to him.
Jake, what's going on? That was Quil's voice. Jacob had completely forgotten that Quil was there and has seen everything and he startled because he knew that Quil would immediately inform Sam. Jacob frantically begged him not to say anything to Sam until he had figured out what to do, but Quil's consciousness was already fading away again. Jacob phased back as well without a second thought. He couldn't allow Sam into his mind. Not now. He'd order him to kill Bella and Jacob couldn't disobey an alpha order even if he wanted to.
The panic he'd felt before was suddenly gone. He'd made up his mind. He wouldn't kill Bella. He couldn't. Not yet. Maybe it was true what she'd told him about us. Maybe she'd decide to follow the same path. Jacob's cell phone started ringing. He ignored it. Instead, he went to close the door and the windows, then slid down onto the floor, slumping against the wall a few feet away from Bella. She was his friend. His best friend. If he killed her, he'd never forgive himself for as long as he lived.
Jacob blinked at the steamy mirror and the memory disappeared as he suddenly remembered my presence. What the hell… he thought tiredly. Just don't tell her I accidentally showed you. It wasn't my secret to tell. Figured it was since she didn't tell any of you.
"I won't," I said.
Bella squinted up at me.
"Just talking to Jacob," I replied, at which she rolled her eyes and then pretended to go back to sleep, nestling into my embrace.
oOo
"Thanks for coming," Esme said as I pulled into the driveway. "Not that I couldn't handle him alone," she added thoughtfully, "but I'd rather I didn't have to thwart his advances in the first place. With you there, he'll pull himself together. At least I hope he will."
I chuckled softly and kill the engine, the frame of the car moaning softly as the metal began to cool down. "He's not here," I explained when Esme raised her eyebrows at me questioningly. "Only his wife and daughter are. His wife isn't too happy about having to deal with you. Apparently, she doesn't quite agree with how her husband spends his money."
"That wouldn't surprise me," Esme muttered. Grabbing her black briefcase, she stepped out of the car and looked up at the house. She hadn't been here before as she usually met her client at the mansion outside Anchorage that he'd hired her to restore. It was beautiful, if a little too grand, even for this neighbourhood. Its Victorian-style facade was painted a bright blue, a blotch of colour in the sea of white. Overhead the sky was calm, grey and opaque. Only the biting wind reminded of the storm last night. "Still," she said eventually, "thanks for coming."
"You're very welcome," I replied, smiling broadly.
I was still in a good mood, although things had been a little awkward this morning when Bella had gotten up to go to work. Sensing that she needed to be alone, I'd left just as Jacob stumbled out of his bedroom, his thoughts sluggish with sleep or rather the lack thereof. "I'm getting old," he'd muttered. Bella's pealing laughter had drifted over from the bathroom and I'd allowed myself to join it as I left the little house behind me. Jacob may not have liked me much, but I was certainly beginning to like him.
Esme hadn't asked where I'd been. Kate had called to inquire about my whereabouts as I hadn't answered her calls anymore after she'd sent me after Bella. Esme correctly assumed that I'd been at Bella's place and although her curiosity rivalled what I'd gotten off Alice when I passed their car on the way home, she wouldn't push me. She'd wait for me to tell her and she'd decided to have a word about it with Alice as well because my sister was simply incapable of showing that much restraint, especially now that she was blind because of the wolves.
"Have you heard anything from Rose?" Esme asked as she waited for me to get out of the car and make my way through the snow to her side. Her client's wife was watching us from behind the curtains of a ground floor window and, as nobody had bothered to clear the driveway, we'd have to be careful to move like humans. Gentleman that I was, I took Esme's arm to lead her over the treacherously slippery surface and up the eight stone stairs that led to the white, polished front door.
Esme giggled like a schoolgirl as she clung to my arm, even going so far as to pretend to slip every now and then. She was enjoying herself. I smiled. Jasper preferred Esme and Alice's presence over everyone else's because they were almost always happy, often using their happiness to improve the general mood at home.
Remembering that Esme had asked me a question, I said, "Sort of. She's at Bella's."
Esme slipped on the very last step, for real this time. I held her arm tighter, not because I didn't want her to fall, but because I didn't want her to try and avoid the fall as we were still being watched. "She is?" she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
I nodded. "Bella invited her to stay."
We reached the front door then and although she still had a million questions, Esme pushed Rosalie into the back of her mind for the moment, focusing on her work instead. The door was opened before I'd even touched the elaborate brass knocker. The smile on the woman's face belied the hostility lacing her thoughts. She'd never met or spoken to Esme before and what she saw now confirmed her fears. Esme was beautiful and much, much younger than she was. She knew rather than just suspected that her husband had tried to hit on Esme before, maybe even already slept with her. Patricia Lambert was well aware of her husband's infidelities, but because of the pre-nup he'd made her sign she couldn't divorce him without losing everything, including her daughter.
"I'm Esme Cullen and this is my son, Edward," Esme said, smiling kindly. "I have an appointment with Henry Lambert."
"He's at work," his wife said, her voice perfectly friendly. "But why don't you come in? It's as much my house as it is my husband's. I'd love to see the plans."
She stepped out of the way to let us inside. Esme entered first, but something caused her to freeze on the threshold. Patricia Lambert, having already turned around to go to the kitchen and get us refreshments, didn't notice her hesitation. I quickly followed to discover the cause of Esme's sudden confusion.
Impossible!
I looked at Esme and saw my own surprised and confused expression in her mind.
The scent was old and therefore weak. Pine, dry earth and iron and underneath the unmistakable sweet fragrance of a vampire.
"A vampire?" she said, her voice pitched so Patricia Lambert wouldn't accidentally overhear. "Here?"
I shrugged to indicate that I was just as clueless as she was.
Steps sounded overhead and a moment later a young girl came bounding down the stairs, the ponytail she'd pulled her golden hair into bouncing up and down. She was a mirror image of her mother, only a little taller in build and more athletic. Seeing us, she paused and her face, lit with a smile up until a second ago, fell. She'd expected someone else.
"Bailey, don't just stand there!" Patricia Lambert had reappeared with a tray laden with three mugs, a pot of hot tea and a plate of cookies. She noted her daughter's rudeness with disapproval. "Get our guests' coats."
Bailey rolled her eyes but did as she was asked. Cute, she thought as she took my coat, but not as cute as Austin.
I raised my eyebrows as soon as she'd turned to close the door and put the coats into a built-in closet. That was a first. Bailey followed us into the spacious living room that appeared to be bathed in sunlight despite the grey sky outside and parked herself on a black leather armchair at the far end of the room, a netbook on her knees.
"It's beautiful," Esme said admiringly.
Patricia Lambert smiled, the first genuine smile since our arrival. "Thank you. I did most of it myself with my daughter's help. Please, sit."
I didn't pay much attention to the conversation that followed and tried to come up with a scenario that explained the unknown vampire's presence in this house. With all that was going on, I was inclined to believe that this was just another of Victoria's games—Henry Lambert was Bella's boss after all—and I didn't believe in coincidence as a matter of principle. But maybe this was exactly what this was. I had to at least allow for the possibility. Still, even if this vampire didn't have anything to do with Victoria—which I found very hard to believe—we'd have to track him or her down and make it clear that he had to leave town. Under normal circumstances we wouldn't have bothered as what other vampires did or didn't do wasn't our business, but unfortunately Victoria had already attracted too much attention. If more humans turned up mysteriously murdered, especially someone like Henry Lambert's daughter, who I assumed was well-known, the Volturi would send someone to investigate. That was the last thing we needed. For the moment the killings seemed to have stopped, probably because Victoria had finally realised that it was getting her nowhere, but we'd all rest easier—figuratively speaking of course—when we'd disposed of her and the army of vampires she appeared to have assembled.
This vampire had to disappear, voluntarily or involuntarily.
"Mum," Bailey said, "Austin's coming over to take me out to lunch. Can I go?"
"Sure," her mother said, briefly glancing up from the blueprints Esme was patiently explaining to her. "Have fun." I detected no trace of the guilt in her voice that had settled in her mind. Her daughter was supposed to be at school and she'd only allowed her to stay home because she knew her husband would pitch a fit when he found out. It seemed that the War of the Roses had already started.
Why do humans do that to one another? I wondered. Why is it so hard for them to part in peace?
A knock sounded on the door.
"That was quick," Patricia Lambert remarked dryly.
Bailey shrugged. "I guess he was already in the neighbourhood," she said evasively as she put the computer aside and padded into the hallway to get the door. I stared after her, confused. She'd lied. Why would she lie about her boyfriend's whereabouts? Her parents—or her mother anyway—obviously approved of him, otherwise she wouldn't have allowed to let her go. There was no need to lie.
Unless…
Bailey opened the door, smiling up at the pale, handsome face of a young man. Crimson eyes met hers. I gasped, causing both Esme and Patricia Lambert to look at the, the former worried, the latter blankly. "Tea was too hot," I managed. "Burned my tongue."
Satisfied, Patricia Lambert focused on the blueprints once more. Esme knew that something was wrong now. I gave a minute shake with my head to indicate that I wasn't sure what was going on yet.
The vampire—Austin, if that was his real name—entered and froze, just like Esme had as our scents registered with him. His nostrils flared, his eyes widened. "Do you have visitors?" he asked in a voice that seemed too deep for his tall, rather lanky frame. He couldn't have been older than sixteen or seventeen when he was changed. There was nothing remarkable about him, nothing that would make him stand out even in a crowd of humans. He was plain for a vampire. Only his red eyes gave him away. "I saw the car in the driveway," he added when Bailey shot him a quizzical look.
I focused on his mind. He was surprised. He hadn't expected to meet another vampire, let alone two of them, because he'd been told that he could have Bailey to himself. I almost laughed at his ignorance. In the vampire world everyone knew that Anchorage was the Denalis' territory, and by extension ours, and most vampires respected that claim. How could he not know that?
Because he hasn't been told, I realised. And who pointed Bailey out to him? Victoria or one of her lackeys?
"Yeah," Bailey said dismissively. "Dad's having someone restore the house he inherited last summer. Mum's in the living room if you want to say hello." It was clear by her tone that he'd better if he wanted to stay on her mother's good side. "I'll just go grab my shoes."
Austin sauntered into the living room, his face carefully arranged in a friendly mask. His eyes narrowed when he saw Esme and me sitting at the table. His eyes met mine and confusion swept through his mind as he wondered why my eyes were a different colour. He was also wondering what we were doing here, if he'd unknowingly encroached on someone else's territory. His creator had told him that he could have Bailey to play with and he'd been taken with the girl from the moment he first laid eyes on her, but maybe his creator had been wrong. He hadn't heard from him in a while after all…
What does he want? Esme asked, worried.
"Hi, Mrs Lambert," Austin said pleasantly. "Nice to see you again."
Patricia Lambert smiled in response. She knew she should ask him why he wasn't at school but didn't because she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She'd noticed that there was something strange about him and that his presence set her husband on edge—which was the reason she had allowed her daughter to date him although she was very much aware of how irresponsibly she was being. But how dangerous could he possibly be? He was just a boy!
I scowled. The vampire edged back half a step, uncertain, and Esme arched her eyebrows. Didn't she read the paper? Didn't she know what humans did to one another every day? Patricia Lambert was naive if she believed that nothing would or could ever happen to her daughter. But she was also desperate. She wanted Bailey to choose to stay with her if she ever filed for divorce and there was only very little that she could give her that her husband couldn't.
"Have fun," Patricia Lambert said without even asking where he was taking her.
Fortunately, the vampire had expected that question and had his answer ready—he was planning to take her to the McDonald's just a short drive away. It wasn't a lie. Good, I thought, knowing where he's going will make following him a whole lot easier. I had to follow him. I had to make sure he didn't hurt the girl—I didn't trust what I saw in his mind—and have a word with him once he was alone because we needed to know who'd sent him. I'd also have to make sure he disappeared for good.
I heard my cell phone, which I'd left in the pocket of my coat, vibrate once. A text message, from Alice probably. My sister was nothing if not quick.
"We're leaving!" Bailey announced as she walked down the stairs, more carefully than last time because the pair of high heels she'd put on to impress Austin was a size too big. Bailey obviously had a death wish. Then again, I thought with sardonic pragmatism, the vampire will probably keep her from hurting herself, if only to save her for later.
"I think I have a migraine coming on," I said as soon as they'd left, pressing my fingers to my temple and hunching my shoulders to make my performance more believable. "I'll be outside to get some fresh air. It was nice to meet you and your daughter, Mrs Lambert. I'll follow them," I added, so low that only Esme could hear. "Text me when you're done. I'll tell you where to meet me. We may have to kill him."
Esme's expression was pained. Jasper and Emmett are better suited for that kind of job, she pointed out. Unfortunately, Jasper had taken Emmett hunting yesterday and they were at least a few hundred miles away. I'd seen nothing in the vampire's mind to indicate that he would bolt—he didn't appear to consider Esme and me a threat—but he might change his mind and I'd rather deal with him now than later. Tracking someone who didn't want to be found would be difficult in this kind of weather, even with Alice to guide us.
oOo
The vampire didn't appear to be very creative when it came to dating. I'd followed them to the McDonald's I'd seen in his mind on foot, slowly making my way first through snowy backyards and then back alleys. He wasn't aware of my presence and I intended to leave it at that until Esme was with me. Alice hadn't foreseen any problems, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.
He'd bought her a burger and a coke and was pretending to nibble on some fries while he patiently listened to Bailey complain about her life in general and her parents in particular. I was lurking in the shadows behind the McDonald's to avoid detection and as I had access to both their minds, I didn't necessarily have to see them. A fast food restaurant would never have been my first choice for a romantic dinner—or in this case lunch—but Bailey didn't seem to mind. I got the impression that she was just glad to get out of the house for a while. She'd noticed the increasing tension between her parents. I would have loved to find out where she'd met the vampire, but neither of them wanted to oblige me. Bailey's thoughts were firmly on her new boyfriend and the vampire's thoughts were, for the most part anyway, firmly on Bailey.
He's confident, I mused as I leaned against the wall, listening to the rise and fall of voices and the cacophony of thoughts inside. It never even once occurred to him that Esme and I might pose a threat to him. Then again, Esme and I hadn't exactly been at our most intimidating. The thought made me smile. Esme was never particularly intimidating, but that didn't mean she was any less dangerous than the rest of us.
"What would you like to do next?" the vampire asked now, his melodious voice easy to pick out among the sea of human voices.
Bailey shrugged. "Anything as long as it doesn't involve going home anytime soon. Mum and Dad are driving me crazy. He actually tried to forbid me to see you again! Mum took my side, though I have no clue why she did that. I know she thinks that I'm too young to be dating."
The vampire smiled, flashing his perfectly white teeth. Even through Bailey's mind I saw that they were coated in venom—he found her very appealing. "I happen to think you're very mature for your age," he said, throwing in another smile for good measure.
Bailey blinked and for a moment her mind grew unfocused. She'd wanted to thank the vampire, but she seemed to have forgotten how to speak and I absently wondered if this was what Bella had meant when she accused me of dazzling her. Bailey gave herself a little shake to clear her head and finally replied, "Thank you, Austin! That's very sweet of you."
"It's the truth."
Bailey smiled, looking down at her half-eaten burger to hide her blush. She'd had a boyfriend before—her parents didn't know that of course and she preferred it that way—but she hadn't felt about him the way she felt about Austin. I think I'm falling in love, she thought giddily.
I grimaced. Perfect. I wished there was a way to let her know that her boyfriend wasn't what he seemed. She'd be heartbroken when he disappeared and never came back and while I knew that she'd get over it eventually, I could certainly relate.
Then again, Bella never did get over you as you believed, now did she?
I scowled at the thought. Well, I was certain she'd prefer being lovesick over being tortured and murdered by a sadistic vampire, which was exactly what would happen eventually. Austin's mind wasn't a pretty place to be.
"Anyway," Bailey said, "my favourite band's new album was released yesterday. Can we go and get it?"
I knew the music store she wanted to go to. It was just a block from here, barely a five-minute walk. It was also very public. Esme and I could lure him away from Bailey and talk to him without having to fear that he'd cause a scene. At least in theory, I thought wryly, hoping his creator hadn't neglected to tell him about the Volturi.
Esme texted me as Bailey and the vampire were half-way to the store, talking animatedly about their favourite music. I had to admit that they both had good taste. I gave Esme instructions where to meet me and how to get there without accidentally tipping the vampire off, then ducked into the shop next to the music store to keep an eye on them from there. I didn't realise it was a clothing boutique until I was actually inside. The salesgirl had already noticed me and was striding purposefully in my direction, the stale air that smelled of lavender, vanilla and dust swirling as she moved. "Can I help you?" she asked eagerly. Apparently, I was the first male customer since she started working here a year ago.
"I'm looking for a present for my girlfriend," I lied smoothly while I watched Bailey and the vampire browse the store for the CD she wanted.
"What do you have in mind?"
"I'm not sure," I admitted. "Why don't you just show me what you have and I'll make a decision based on that?"
The salesgirl shrugged. I followed her to the back of the boutique where she began pulling clothes off racks with a speed and determination that rivalled Alice's. Maybe that was prerequisite for selling clothes. I picked a pair of jeans and a blouse that I hoped Alice would like—it struck me as rather suicidal to even attempt giving Bella clothes—and left the shop just as Esme's mind drifted into my reach and Bailey was paying for her CD. Perfect timing.
Esme eyed the bag in my hand curiously.
"For Alice," I said, handing it to her because it was a touch too feminine for my taste and because I'd just had an idea. I peered through the glass front of the music store and found Bailey standing in line at checkout, her free hand on the vampire's arm. "I want to talk to him," I continued quietly. "Do you think you could distract Bailey for a minute or so?"
"Of course," Esme replied. "What do you have in mind?"
I gave her a crooked smile. "I'm sort of making this up as I go." I crossed the street and entered a little shop that sold spices. Fortunately, the saleswoman was on the phone with her mother and left me alone.
"I'm so sorry!" I heard Esme exclaim. I slipped behind a shelf so that the vampire wouldn't accidentally see me if he happened to glance my way, pretending to read the labels on the spice jars for the benefit of the saleswoman. "I didn't see you there." She smiled kindly at Bailey, who'd just run into her and lay sprawled on the sidewalk, momentarily stunned. That's not quite what I had in mind, Esme thought contritely and offered Bailey her hand to get up. The vampire stared at Esme in bemusement, not quite sure what was going on.
"You're Bailey Lambert, aren't you?" Esme asked, helping the girl to brush the muddy snow off her coat and jeans. "I'm sure you're looking forward to living in the house your father's having renovated. It's beautiful."
"I've never seen it actually," Bailey muttered as she flipped open the CD case to make sure the disk hadn't been damaged. "Dad doesn't want to take us out there until it's finished." And I really don't care, she added silently.
Esme smiled fondly. "I'm a bit of a perfectionist myself. I never let any of my children see my on-going projects. I sometimes take my son along though, when I have errands to run. You've met him."
I grinned as I realised what Esme was intending to do. Hopefully, the vampire would get the message and leave. If not, we'd have to be more… persuasive. I hoped it wouldn't come to that though. I didn't want to kill him unless I absolutely had to.
"That was your son?" Bailey asked, then cringed as she realised how rude that had sounded. She just looks so young, she thought. And her son was what? Sixteen? Seventeen?
Esme didn't have a mind reader to know what was going on in Bailey's head. She was used to that response when she introduced us as her children and while she didn't talk our 'adoption' with people she barely knew under normal circumstances, she wanted to make a point.
The vampire hadn't yet grasped what Esme was getting at.
"He's adopted," Esme explained. "All of our five children are." She looked pointedly at the vampire as she said it and his eyes widened in understanding and apprehension. "In fact, I just bought something for my daughter." Esme held up the bag, smiling. "Anyway, it was very nice to see you again."
How was I? Esme wanted to know as she walked away.
"Perfect," I said even though Esme was too far away to hear. "I couldn't have done it better myself."
I watched the vampire take Bailey, who was still wondering why Esme had basically told her the story of her life although she didn't even know the woman, by the hand. They strode off, Bailey more running than walking to keep up. The vampire was confused now, a hundred questions rushing into his mind. The urge to track down his creator and demand answers made him careless. Bailey was secretly relieved when he ditched her at a bus stop. Austin's behaviour was confusing as well as scaring her a little. She was aware that there was something strange about him, something that she'd never seen in another person, but normally he took great pains to hide his otherness. He didn't now though, and that made Bailey, much as she liked him, feel uncomfortable.
I left the shop and followed him, past the bus stop where Bailey was standing shivering and cursing her uncomfortable shoes, and through the crowd. The vampire kept throwing glances over his shoulder as he walked, suspecting that he was being followed. Suddenly he froze as Esme's scent registered with him. I smiled as I closed the distance between us. Esme had guessed correctly as to where he was headed and circled around the block to cut him off, assuming I'd be right behind him. She was still several hundred yards away, but the wind carried her scent directly at him. He spun around to hurry away in the opposite direction, only to find his path blocked by me.
He growled as he glared at me and hoped that I wouldn't realise that it was just for show.
"Let's talk," I said and moved forward, managing to wind my hand around his right arm although he tried to step out of the way and away from me. Esme suddenly appeared and secured his free arm in her grip, helping me to haul him into the semi darkness of a narrow alley just off the main road. His attempts at resistance were half-hearted; with so many humans close by, he didn't dare do anything that might attract their attention.
"Look," I said and I let go of his arm to show some good will as there was nowhere he could have gone without having to get past Esme and me first. "Under normal circumstances your hunting habits would be none of our business, however, we maintain a permanent residence nearby…"
His eyes first widened and then narrowed as he wondered how we could possibly make that work if there were really as many of us as Esme had claimed there were.
"…and for that reason cannot afford to attract any attention. If you read the paper, then you know that we're having to deal with a rampant vampire already." That wasn't exactly the truth, but the whole story would have taken too long to explain and he didn't need to know it anyway.
"I'm not that vampire!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with fear. "I didn't do it, I swear! I just want that one girl and then I'll leave Anchorage. Craig said I could have her!"
"We know that you didn't kill those women," Esme said quietly. "Is Craig your creator?"
"Yes! I was on my way to talk to him when you guys all but abducted me!"
I snorted. "Please, don't be dramatic. Besides, I know you haven't seen your creator in over two weeks? Do you even know where he is?"
Images flashed up in the vampire's mind. He and his creator—a short, rather sturdy-looking vampire with a round face and wavy blond hair—hiding in the trees in the Lamberts' backyard, watching Bailey through her bedroom window. The vampire entering the run-down building his creator was supposedly staying at and finding it empty. It was raining in both memories, so they were at least three weeks old, probably even older.
"Why this particular human?" I asked, jolting him back to reality. "What's so special about her?"
The vampire shrugged. "I don't know, man. I figured Craig knew what I liked and wanted to be nice. Look, if you want me gone, I'll take her tonight and leave. I'm not looking for trouble."
No! Esme exclaimed forcefully.
"I'm sorry, but you can't," I replied. "That girl is the daughter of the Dean of Medicine over at the Alaska Regional. Her disappearance would raise all kinds of questions. Your creator did tell you about the Volturi, right?"
I had expected him to react rather strongly, but I had not expected him to fly into a rage. He didn't even seem to hear my question about the Volturi. Instead, he growled savagely and charged, going straight for what he believed was the easier target—Esme. Compared to the rest of us, with the exception of Bella, she wasn't a very strong fighter, but she could hold her own. Jasper had made sure of that.
Esme leapt out of the way, surprised by his unexpected attack. What's going on? she demanded as she neatly evaded the vampire's swipes. I grabbed the vampire by his shoulders and hurled him into the wall behind us. It trembled alarmingly, snow and plaster drifting down. He was back on his feet within the fraction of a second and charged, again focusing on Esme. I seized him once more. I held on as he struggled, snarling ferociously. The fight ended as quickly as it had begun. Esme spun around on one foot to gather momentum and brought the side of her hand down onto the vampire's neck. His pale skin cracked and black hairline fractures began to spread down his neck and along his collarbone, disappearing under the collar of his jacket. He gasped, panicking now. Esme repeated the movement and then the vampire's head rolled lazily through the greyish mud, his widened crimson eyes staring vacantly up at us. His body was still struggling, but its movements grew weaker by the second and eventually it was still.
"What just happened?" Esme asked as she stared down at the head in dismay. She had never killed another vampire before and had always hoped she would never have to. She knew that it was for the best, that it would save Bailey's life, but still she couldn't bring herself to feel happy about what she'd done.
I smiled sympathetically. Esme wouldn't be Esme if she took joy from hurting others.
"I'm not really sure," I replied. "I've never seen anything like it and he wasn't exactly thinking coherently anymore after I told him that taking the girl wasn't an option. From what I gathered he was very… possessive of her, which makes me wonder what he was like in his human life. I caught glimpses of what he planned to do to Bailey… I'm sorry," I said when Esme's horrified expression registered with me. "I'll spare you the details. Suffice it to say that he was a sadist and that you did the world a favour by destroying him."
Esme regarded me doubtfully.
"It really was for the best," I said softly.
My cell phone started vibrating in my pocket. If that was Alice to tell me what to do about the vampire, she was a little bit too late. I checked the caller ID before accepting the call. It was, in fact, my sister.
"Alice, now is not a good time," I said apologetically as I gestured for Esme to begin disassembling the body. The humans passing by just a few feet away hadn't noticed the fight—it had only lasted a few seconds after all—but I'd rather we got rid of the body as quickly as possible, just in case someone decided to poke his head into the alley. Getting the remains unseen wouldn't be easy as it was. You couldn't just walk around town with a head under your arm and I had a feeling that Alice would skin me if we packed it with her new clothes.
Esme's face was unhappy, but she did as I had asked.
"I know, I know," Alice said hurriedly, her voice an octave higher than usual with excitement. "But I just had a vision about Victoria and you have to come to the hospital ASAP. Hurry!"
The phone went dead just as I wanted to ask what her vision was about, if Bella was in danger. I trusted Emmett and Jacob to keep her safe, but Victoria had proven how clever she was time and time again.
"I'm sure she'd have told you if she'd seen Bella," Esme said softly; my worried expression had given me away. "Go and find out what's going on! I can handle this. Go!" she urged when I remained rooted to the spot. "This is exactly what we've been waiting for, isn't it?"
"Thank you," I whispered. I kissed Esme on the crown of her head and sped off.
Esme was right. This was exactly what we'd all been waiting for.
oOo
What do you think? Any favourite moments? I'm sure some of you have a pretty good idea now as to where I'm headed with this. PM me for spoilers if you can't wait. Please review if you enjoyed this chapter and even if you didn't. I always love to hear what you think!