Barely, barely edited. Still, woohoo for continuing to update huh?
Chapter 17
Time being of the essence, I placed her hastily on the bed, brushed her hair away from her neck and bit deeply. I waited several long moments before pulling back and getting to work sealing the wound. The sight of a very sharp branch poking through her torso put a grimace on my face. I had no idea what put it there, but fortunately it hadn't been removed. She never would have lasted this long without it keeping her blood from gushing right out. Now came the decision as to what should be done with it. Theoretically, her body could force it out on its own as it healed, but I could also eliminate all doubt by jerking it out and sealing the hole myself. As her body began twitching from the oncoming torture of the change, I decided on taking it out. I rolled her onto her side so I could work it out from the back by taking the thicker part of the protrusion and pulling steadily to avoid breakage. With a wet suctioning slurp the thick branch came free and in short seconds following, the wound was sealed. She will bear these scars forever if her transformation works, but hopefully she will, in fact, have forever to moan and groan about it.
"Don't let them win Isabella." I urged as I swept her matted hair away from her face. Her small frame was trembling with force now and I found myself truly surprised that she hadn't yet cried out in pain. The venom in her system would have no trouble repairing her damaged vocal cords though. The screams would most likely begin soon.
Fingers crossed that changing her will not be seen as an act of defiance, I set about making plans for us. She'll also have to be warned immediately upon waking not to let on that she met me at the Volturi castle. I winced internally, if she's rational enough that is…
Three days passed, and by some miracle we were not disturbed. I chalked it up to the way vampires so often lose track of time, knowing time has no real meaning to our kind. Her body is healed, but I'm stumped about her voice. She had thrown her head back - mouth wide as if to scream - many times during the change.
But no sound had escaped.
I've never seen anything like it. When her heart shuddered it's last beat, I waited for the typical newborn explosion.
It also did not come.
She inhaled sharply, one quick breath. Her body froze, rigid on the bed. She made no other sounds or movements.
"Isabella," I called gently. Her lids rose and she locked straight away on my position. Fear and uncertainty shined clearly through blazing crimson.
"Sit up slowly sweetheart and let's talk." I could see just how much the new eerie fluidity of her body alarmed her as she rose gracefully from her prone position.
"May I sit?" I asked, aiming to put us on a more even footing, at least in her eyes. She eyed me distrustfully but allowed a single nod to grant permission. She tested the air as I settled onto the mattress facing her. "Do you remember who you are or what happened before you awoke here?" Isabella's brow furrowed and she shook her head. She looked so curiously at me, as if trying to puzzle something out. "Am I familiar to you?" I wondered aloud. She twisted her head slightly to one side in contemplation. An unsure grimace crossed her face before she finally shook her head in the negative. I was about to ask something else when she tentatively reached out her hand for the section of long hair that almost always covers the right side of my face.
"I don't mind if you look." I assured her. "Seeing all of my face might well jog your memory, but be prepared. It will be unsettling." Isabella soaked up the warning, but continued slowly on course.
Starting at the top of my head at the hairline, she ran a finger down along the mottled skin, exposing it to her newly perfect eyes as she went. Her expression clouded with fear and anger, but I felt I could almost see a memory tugging at the corner of her mind.
She opened her mouth, but I immediately moved to silence her. Three vampires were approaching our room. I turned, slightly panicked to face Isabella fully. "Part of what you do not not remember" I spoke in a tumbling rush, "you do not belong with these people. For now, please trust me and go along with whatever they might say. I don't believe anyone here will try to hurt you. However, I need you to trust that at the end of the day, I'm the only one here who has any real concern for you." With those desperate and far too vague words I crossed the room and threw open the door.
As expected, I was confronted with three faces. My new "master" and two others.
"My friends, this is Peter. The vampire I have acquired to oversee training." The two ancient-looking vampires behind him passed milky red eyes over me with an air of disinterest before peering farther into the room to where Isabella cowered on the bed. I growled before I could stifle the gut reaction and Isabella twitched nervously in response. The movement drew the attention of the first vampire, who until now had seemed oblivious of her continued existence. He reached forward to clap me on the arm.
"I see you have decided to keep your morsel. Perhaps I begin to understand your interest." He said, clearly appreciating the vampire perfection opposed to the bleeding and scarred mass of battered human she had been before. He caught the stiffening of my frame at his statement and gave me what he must have considered to be a magnanimous smile. "I do not take back gifts given my friend. She must train, and we may find an interesting role for her to play, but in your free time she is yours to do with as you please."
The other two males made no noise of protest to his suggestions. In fact, they still seemed bored by the proceedings and I began to think Isabella and I might actually make it out of this alive after all.
"The latest batch is now old enough for instruction. The previous groups have rudimentary combat skills, but none to match your caliber. I expect you to start in the morning. You may use nights at your discretion." He finished with a leer at Isabella.
"But come my friends! I have so much more to show you now that we are together in person." The three left without a backward glance and I closed the door before slumping against it and blowing out a large huff of relief.
"Peter." Isabella whispered.
"Yes." I replied simply.
"I can make out your face in my memory, but I can't hear anything we said or make out the faces of anyone else in the room at the time."
Her voice was more beautiful than I had imagined it would be, even enhanced as it no doubt had been by the transformation. It was smooth and rich, lower pitched than many women's and it suited her completely.
I smiled warmly at her. "That's fine Isabella. More will likely come in time, or with the right stimulus."
She crossed the room with deliberate strides to stand within touching distance. I was amazed at the level of trust she seemed to have placed in me. Only two others in my long history had ever felt at all comfortable in my presence and only one still walked the earth.
"That vampire," she said.
"Joham." I bitterly interjected.
"Joham." She tested the syllables on her tongue. "He implied that we…" She trailed off, an awkward expression blooming on her face. "I don't remember, but are we, well…" As she trailed off again, she slipped her small, perfect hand into my own roughly scarred one. A bittersweet pain lanced my heart at the memory her innocent action invoked and I shoved it hastily aside. I squeezed her hand lightly and brought her knuckles to my lips for a quick kiss. "No indeed sweetheart." I replied lightly, forcing myself to cheer for her sake. Rest assured however that I will try my best to reunite you with the other half of your heart. He is no doubt sorely missing you, but you must not give anyone here any indication that you are not mine. That deception will assure your safety in this damndable place."
Fortunately and unfortunately there were plenty of humans around to sate Isabella's new thirst. She didn't seem disturbed by the act of feeding, but she did her best not to overly frighten the ones she chose. She was amazing. Didn't lose control at all even amongst the mass of humans. The questions began - as I knew they would – upon our return to what we refer to as "our" room.
"Peter, there were dozens of pregnant women in there…"