WAIT, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
'UGH, MY HEAD..' EDWARD THOUGHT TO HIMSELF AS HE SLOWLY CAME TO. HE WAS NOT PARTICULARLY INJURED, DESPITE THE HUGE BLAST HE HAD FALLEN VICTIM TO, BUT WAS STILL DAZED AND UNSURE OF HIS SURROUNDINGS. WHEN HE OPENED HIS EYES, HE SAW AN ORNATE CEILING FAR AWAY, AND GIANT BOOKSHELVES ON EITHER SIDE OF HIM. BEFORE HE COULD SIT UP TO GET A BETTER LOOK AROUND, HE HEARD THREE GIRLS GIGGLING FURIOUSLY A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS, PATCHOULI-SAMA? IS THIS WHAT YOUR RESEARCH TURNED UP?"
"IT'S LIKE I SAID. THIS AND AND A FEW OTHERS LIKE IT WERE THE ONLY THINGS KOAKUMA AND I FOUND ABOUT A CREATURE LIKE HIM IN THE WHOLE LIBRARY. I THINK THIS MIGHT BE MORE THAN JUST A FICTIONAL STORY."
"I WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT IF THE EVIDENCE DIDN'T SHOW UP AT THE GATE. VAMPIRES THAT SPARKLE AND SMELL SWEET? I WONDER WHAT THE MISSTRESS WOULD THINK IF SHE HEARD ABOUT THIS."
SLOWLY, EDWARD GOT TO HIS FEET AND SNUCK CLOSER TO THE SOUNDS, HOPING TO OBSERVE THE PEOPLE BEFORE THEY REALIZED HE WAS AWAKE. THEY HAD APPARENTLY PICKED HIM UP FROM OUTSIDE, WHICH HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR, BUT HE STILL COULDN'T BE TOO CAREFUL. BESIDES, THEY SMELLED LIKE MORTALS, AND IF THAT WAS THE CASE, MAYBE THEY WERE THE VAMPIRE POSEURS THE FAIRIES HAD TOLD HIM ABOUT.
JUST AS HE PEERED OUT FROM BEHIND A BOOKSHELF, HE SAW A BLUE AND SILVER BLUR, AND THE NEXT THING HE NOTICED WAS A KNIFE PRESSED TO THE BACK OF HIS NECK.
"HEEL, SAKUYA. FROM WHAT I'VE READ IN THIS BOOK, OUR GUEST IS MOSTLY HARMLESS," PATCHOULI CALLED OUT. SAKUYA CLICKED HER TONGUE IN MILD FRUSTRATION AND CASUALLY WALKED BACK OVER TO PATCHOULI AND KOAKUMA, LEAVING A SLIGHTLY BEWILDERED EDWARD CULLEN TO COLLECT HIMSELF.
"I'M ACTUALLY REALLY DANGEROUS, YOU KNOW," HE RETORTED TO NO ONE IN PARTICULAR.
"WE KNOW, WE KNOW. IT JUST ABOUT SAYS THAT EVERY TEN PAGES IN THIS BOOK," PATCHOULI REMARKED, HOLDING UP A COPY OF TWILIGHT. EDWARD JUST STARED AT IT, CONFUSED.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT BOOK?"
"I'M NOT GOING TO TELL. FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF."
EDWARD NARROWED HIS EYES SLIGHTLY IN ANNOYANCE, THEN BEGAN TO READ PATCHOULI'S MIND. HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO PIECE IT TOGETHER HIMSELF, HE HEARD HER THINKING A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF THE NOVEL TO HIM. SHE NOTICED THE CHANGE IN HIS EXPRESSION AND RESUMED SPEAKING.
"THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. YOU REALLY DO READ MINDS. IT SEEMS THIS BOOK IS TELLING THE TRUTH AFTER ALL."
"CAN I STAB IT NOW?" SAKUYA ASKED, TWIRLING A KNIFE IN HER FINGERS AND WHINING A BIT.
"NO, NOW GO SEE IF OUR OTHER GUEST HAS ESCAPED FROM THAT BAG OR NOT, AND USE YOUR KNIVES TO TEST IT." SAKUYA BEAMED AT THIS SUGGESTION BEFORE DISAPPEARING IN ANOTHER BLUR. PATCHOULI SIGHED LIGHTLY. "SO, MR. CULLEN, BEING A VAMPIRE OF ANOTHER WORLD AND HAVING WOUND UP IN THIS ONE, YOU'VE NO DOUBT COME TO THIS MANSION SEEKING THE ONLY TWO VAMPIRES ANYONE EVER TALKS ABOUT AROUND HERE IN ORDER TO GET SOME ANSWERS ABOUT THEM AND THIS WORLD. THEY'RE UPSTAIRS. SAKUYA WILL BE BACK MOMENTARILY TO ESCORT YOU. NORMALLY I WOULD PROVIDE A BIT MORE EXPOSITION THAN THIS, BUT I THINK REMI REALLY WANTS TO DO IT, SO I WON'T GET IN HER WAY OR SHE'LL BE POUTING FOR WEEKS. OH, AND YOU GOT KNOCKED OUT WHEN YOU FIRST SHOWED UP, BUT WE BROUGHT YOU INSIDE."
EDWARD STOOD WITH HIS JAW HANGING OPEN. PATCHOULI SEEMED UNFAZED BY THIS. AS HE COLLECTED HIMSELF, HE MANAGED TO MUMBLE "WELL, THANK YOU... IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN REPAY YOU FOR THIS?"
"OH, DON'T MENTION IT. I'VE ALREADY COLLECTED SAMPLES OF YOUR BODILY TISSUES AND ALL OF YOUR BODILY FLUIDS. THIS SHOULD PROVIDE ADEQUATE SAMPLES FOR MAGICAL RESEARCH IN THE FUTURE. YOU'VE ALREADY DONE QUITE ENOUGH SIMPLY BY SHOWING UP UNCONSCIOUS."
EDWARD STARED FOR A MINUTE, THEN BLUSHED ABOUT AS MUCH AS A HUNGRY MUSEUM STATUE CAN. SAKUYA RETURNED WITH A CRAZED GRIN ON HER FACE, ACCENTUATED BY THE BLOOD ON HER FACE. "THE MISSTRESS WILL SEE YOU NOW."
EDWARD WAS SOMEWHAT CONCERNED BY THE NATURE OF THIS MANOR'S INHABITANTS.
HOW WILL REMILIA REACT TO THIS NEWCOMER IN HER MANSION? WILL FLANDRE GET IN ON THE ACT SOMEHOW? WHY IS PATCHOULI SUCH A CREEP? AND JUST WHAT THE FUCK DID SAKUYA DO TO THAT BAG OF MARISA OUTSIDE? ALL THIS AND MORE IN THE NEXT EPISODE OF A VAMPIRE STORY!