Author's Note: I previously said I would update on this coming Sunday, but it seemed slightly ridiculous to only post the prologue, as it is simply an introduction to the story. So, here is the first chapter of Sempiternal. I hope you all enjoy it.
Collision
My fingertips grappled the granite of the cliff face. In a slick movement, I flung myself onto the rocky edge, balancing myself with ease. I scanned the area we had arrived at. An overwhelming amount of greenery was edging in from the forests, like a stalking shadow everywhere I looked. Over the cliff, the waves crashed harmoniously, the salty liquid veneering the jagged rocks. Their size decreasing rapidly, the waves tumbled onto the pebbled shore of the beach. Beyond the beach were scattered buildings – general store, hardware store, houses. All the buildings were brittle with native age. I grimaced, casting a look back across the elongated ocean. I wished I was in Texas – where I belonged.
I inhaled, expecting the diluted scent of salty water and humans. Instead, I nearly suffocated, metaphorically of course. Wafting up my nostrils was a dreadful stench resembling that of a dirty, wet dog. My nose puckered and my lips curled in revulsion.
"Is this Jasper's sick idea of a joke?" Charlotte jeered, her face distorted much like mine. Her cropped hair blew in obedience to the wind, and she flicked it in irritation. Beside her, Peter also held a similar expression of repulsion. The smell was awful.
"I'm going to take at least one of his limbs once I lay eyes on him," I promised candidly. Peter chuckled, shaking his head as if to rid the stench from drifting up his nose again. To back up my threat towards my brother, I stared avidly at a loose rock, willing it off the comfort of the damp ground, and watching it with control as it lurched towards a tree, easily puncturing an obvious hole through the thick trunk. Smirking shrewdly, I gazed at Peter and Charlotte before wordlessly leading them towards our destination, slipping into the forest. With ardent attention, I sniffed out scents of our kind, satisfied as I found a path that followed a recent, strong scent of a vampire. It was less than a minute when we found ourselves at the edge of a manicured property. Gazing upwards, I saw the elegantly stunning home, it's exterior walls completely window panelling. I heard the low mutters inside the large house, and promptly leapt through an open window, my feet planting levelly on the glossy marble floor of a kitchen. I peered around the room in curiosity at the odd contraptions.
"Ruby, Peter, Charlotte." We were greeted politely. Peter and Charlotte stepped forward, lining up with my footing. We watched the Cullen smile at us, thin-lipped, and all our eyes – undoubtedly – flickered to his golden-stained irises. It was such an oddity to me, I still hadn't gotten used to their unusual lifestyle.
"Edward," Peter returned courteously, tipping his head slightly. Edward ran a hand through his tousled bronze hair, and gestured towards the adjacent room.
"Please, follow," he requested. I stepped back, wrinkling my nose. Did he think I cared why he was the Volturi's most recent target? No, I was here because my idiotic brother had himself involved with the troublesome Cullens. Whilst they may have innocent intentions, I was irritated at their ability to constantly place my brother in the firing line, using his loyalty to their advantage.
Edward shot a steel glare towards me, his posture warping into one of defensiveness. In response, I stared straight back, my gaze not wavering as a nearby glass vase shattered, its splinters flooding the polished floors. I turned and sprung out the window again, swooping into a nearby tree, where I stretched across a thick branch, scrutinising the Cullens' mansion. Their dysfunctional coven was obsessed with acting human – still unable to accept the fact that they were vampires even after decades, or in some cases, centuries. Why couldn't they simply embrace their vampirism?
I unashamedly eavesdropped on the conversations within the house.
"Ruby'll come back in soon," Peter told Edward, as he and Charlotte quietly followed him into the next room. I wrinkled my nose distastefully. Piss off, Peter, I thought.
"Ruby?" An unfamiliar voice questioned with curiosity.
"Jasper's sister. She came here from Texas. She's not very… approachable." Edward chose his words carefully, aware of the damage I could cause to him if he were to irritate me.
The other feminine voice, who I assumed to be Edward's newfound mate, paused in surprise. "Jasper has a sister?"
"Yes. She may not take kindly to you, nor Renesme," Edward warned her softly. "She's annoyed we have placed Jasper is danger with our antics."
"Annoyed is one word for it," Charlotte snickered. "Don't aggravate her and she won't break your furniture." A tinge of amusement blemished her voice, and my lips twitched slightly.
"What?" The unknown voice questioned in confusion.
"Ruby has a certain gift, a powerful one," Edward informed her, "She has telekinesis."
"Move objects with her mind?" The woman asked unsurely. I assumed Edward nodded.
"Well… would you like to meet our daughter, Renesme?" Edward's mate asked softly, to Peter and Charlotte, I supposed.
I then tuned out, ignoring the introductions inside. Swallowing the venom in my mouth, I grimaced. I needed to hunt.
If it were possible, I would've got whiplash. Below my tree, Edward appeared, his face set in a stony expression. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he glowered up at me.
"No hunting in the area," he ordered. I cocked my head, pouncing from the branch and landed gracefully in front of Edward, our bodies mere inches apart as I looked at him, my crimson eyes flashing.
"I'm here to help you and your pathetic newborn mate, and you think you are in a position to demand more of me?" Above me, the branch I'd been perched on snapped loudly, dropping onto the ground beside me with a solid thump. Low in my throat, a growl rumbled demonically, warding away Edward's ignorance. He had no right.
"No hunting in the area," he repeated tightly. I rolled my eyes at his puckered expression. Without a word of agreement, I blurred from his sight, running through the thick forest, tearing beneath the blanket of copious leaves. I weaved between trunks, leaping over fallen logs and swinging off branches as if I were a monkey. I slowed at the outskirts of Seattle, closing my eyes as I inhaled deeply, my chest expanding. I sniffed the compiled scents, all mixed together like they were in a blender. It was like a food contest. I, as the judge, had to choose the best meal. But I simply had the scent to choose from. Sniffing once more, I chose the scent of a middle-aged woman, who'd just finished a shift as a fast-food restaurant. My stance lowered dangerously, and I narrowed my eyes as my natural instincts grasped control of my actions. I slipped through the city like a blurry beast. Sniffing out my target's scent, I found her slowly wandering alone a quiet street, her stride tiresome and slouched. Without another thought, my arm snaked around her throat, and I pulled her from the open neighbourhood to an abandoned lot. She screamed in agony as I sunk my teeth into her warm, soft throat. Her blood washed through my mouth, as I sucked, it slipped down my throat slickly. I growled gently, grasping her tightly as I drained her, pinching my eyes shut in pleasure. Her blood was delicious, it scented with her unique smell. My chest heaved in content as I loosened my iron hold on her shoulder and throat, and let her slip from my arms, her corpse dwindling lifelessly to the ground. I ran my tongue along my lips and teeth, humming in satisfaction. I glanced down at the body I'd just drained moments ago, and within the second, I was gone from the scene. I took a leisurely route to the Cullens' home, slowing at several points to wrestle and tease the mammals I came across. It was midnight by the time I'd pried my presence from the forest, and re-entered the Cullen household. I wrinkled my nose, once again overwhelmed by the revolting scent of wet dog. I scowled in disgust.
"Ruby," Edward Cullen greeted, his voice all but happy to see me. I eyed him, and sidestepped past his right shoulder. I stepped through the threshold of the lounge room, surveying the near two dozen vampires within the room. Many were nomadic, not loyal to any particular coven, whilst others were large covens, such as the Denalis. They shared the same eating habits as the Cullens. I sought out Peter and Charlotte, who were quietly positioned in the corner of the room, watching their surroundings wearily. In the other far corner, was an English nomad called Alistair, who stood stiffly, looking out the window with a blank expression.
"Ruby," Edward began softly behind me, "I apologise for my aggression earlier." His voice was taut, and I assumed he'd been ordered to apologise by his mate. I stared at him blankly.
"No need to apologise for words that did not affect me," I jeered, and joined Peter and Charlotte. I could hear the soft mumbles between Edward and his mate behind me, and soon learnt the newborn's name. Bella. I crinkled my nose. Edward shot me a look. I rolled my eyes, irritated by the brooding vampire. He had the personality of a rock. Edward wisely ignored my jabs, and I smirked haughtily.
"How was your hunt?" Peter inquired with a small smile.
"Tasty," I answered simply. After several more words were exchanged with the pair, I stepped away, and approached the silent, stony vampire in the other corner of the room.
"Still as sardonic as ever, Alistair," I hummed, leering at the older immortal. He looked at me reproachfully, tilting his head.
"It's been a while since I've seen your irksome face." My features showed no hurt by his words, instead my lips quirked.
"You smell like roadkill," I mused bluntly, my nose wrinkled in distaste.
His plain expression contorted. "Just two young birds on a girls weekend road trip," he replied easily. I snorted, easily understanding his interpretation of 'birds' wasn't quite referring to the winged kind.
"Lovely," I commented, and cocked a brow in curiosity at the English man. "How did you get roped into this affair?"
"Carlisle played the 'friend' card," he answered sourly, irritated by his old friend's antics. The conversation died, and we stood motionlessly side by side. From outside the doorway, a small child came trundling into the room, gazing around at the intimidating swamp of vampires.
"The Cullens created an immortal child?" I questioned Alistair. "Wow, how lovely of them to force the rest of the vampire population to face the deathly wrath of the Volturi." I eyed the sight before me as Edward collected the child in his arms, smiling widely as he listened to her innocent chatter. He shifted her to his hip, and approached me cautiously, his eyes flickering protectively to the child in his arms. In a flash, Edward's mate, Bella, was beside him.
"Ruby, this is Renesme," Edward informed me lightly. "She's a vampire-human hybrid." It seemed like he was correcting my words moments earlier, and I rolled my eyes.
"If the child has inherited your personality or your mate's lack of, I doubt we'll get along," I directed my frank words towards the broody vampire. Edward's face hardened, and Bella appeared taken aback.
"Ruby-" I cut off Edward.
"No, shut up. I'm here for my brother, and that only expands to his mate. I do not care for you, your mate nor your hybrid. Because of your stupidity, I am caught in your idiocy, and will become a priority on the Volturi's power hit list."
"Then leave," Edward hissed defensively, his arm hovering around his mate.
"I would," I snapped, "If you hadn't brought my brother into your mess."
"In case you haven't noticed, Jasper isn't here."
"You believe he and Alice will stay hidden throughout the entirety of your confrontation with the Volturi? He has moronic loyalty to your troublesome coven."
We'd gained the interest of the whole room, and every eye was glued to us. Conscious of the stares, Bella placed her palm on Edward's chest.
"Stop, Edward. Let's go to the cottage," she soothed him gently, and his face softened by her calmness. He shot me another dagger, before leaving the room with his mate and child in tow.
Edward had always been the most infuriating member of the Cullen clan to deal with. His insistent brooding and miserable personality always had me instinctively wanting to step on his throat. The rest of the coven was tolerable. Rosalie had always been my favourite.
Edward's behaviour had be planning the destruction of his family cottage, and during my revengeful plans, I was interrupted by Peter.
"Maybe you should keep your distance from Edward," he stated, chuckling as he recalled the conflict from earlier. "I doubt Jasper will be pleased with you if you destroy his friend."
I scowled. "I find it hard to believe Jasper has enough tolerance for that bastard. He's grown soft."
Charlotte gave Peter a look, which portrayed a message I was unaware of. Peter nodded to her, and looked back to me.
"We're going to go to Vancouver – to hunt," he informed me. "We'll be back in a few hours." I glared at the pair.
"You're leaving me here with the insufferable Cullen? You're assholes," I acknowledged. They both grinned at me, chuckling. It was several minutes later when they flew out the front door, disappearing into the surrounding forestry.
Alistair stalked from the room, and I followed him. He headed up into the attic, aware of my presence behind him. "Leave."
"No."
He sat stiffly on a chair in the said attic, and I inspected the objects inside the cramped room. They were all dusty, a shocking contrast to the constantly polished and perfect furniture downstairs. I brushed the twin chair to Alistair's, and planted myself rigidly on it. It was a quiet place. I could see why Alistair preferred it to the clustered room beneath us. I pulled out a bow, blowing the thick dust from the worn lid.
"Chess?" I suggested to Alistair, who didn't respond. Unaffected by his lack of enthusiasm, I set up the chess board, and gestured to the black chess pieces. "Your turn."
The game proceeded in silence, which I wasn't bothered by. Sometimes it was difficult to attempt 'friendliness'. I, personally, did not understand that term. If I wasn't particularly taken with a person, I didn't feel I should fake my feelings. That shouldn't be called friendliness – that was servitude to fakery. I already had a fair taste of servitude from my human years to feel keen to do it again.
"Alistair," I cocked my head sideways in exasperation. "Why does it always reek of wet dog here?" The scent this house was soaked in had bothered me. I had yet to see a furry creature bound inside, his tongue lapping sloppily out his mouth.
In a rare display of amusement, Alistair's lips twitched. "Ah, the Cullens have adopted several new pets." He moved a knight. "Werewolves."
My brows rose in surprise. "As in, Children of the Moon?" I slid my own knight across the board.
Alistair shook his head, his tangled chin-length hair falling in his eyes. "No, as in shape-shifters. There is a pack of their kind nearby."
I stared in wonder. The Cullens had shape-shifter pets, a hybrid child running around and a troublesome young girl who was newly turned. It was quite astonishing the Volturi had taken so long to take action against this coven. It also made me peeved at Jasper's stupidity for sticking around this Washington town. His brain had been much more impressive two centuries ago.
I lost to the English vampire, and after ordering a rematch later, I left him to his quiet sanctuary within the attic, and re-joined the vampires downstairs. Edward was nowhere in sight, instead Bella and her oddly named child were entertaining the undead guests.
"Hush, Ness. The others should return in an hour or two, and Jacob will come by to have dinner with you." The child had brightened, but still looked restless beside her mother.
"Where's Daddy?" The hybrid complained. She did smell quite nice, but not as appetising as my meal earlier.
"He's hunting," Bella soothed, "go play with Benjamin." I watched as the child perked up, and trotted out of the room, in search of the vampire. Bella glanced at me, aware of my presence behind her.
"I'm sorry for Edward's behaviour. Sometimes he's a bit…" She trailed off, pondering the right word to use.
"Selfish? Narcissistic? Miserable?" I offered. She winced uncomfortably at my suggestions.
She paused for several moments, careful. "What did you mean when you said you were going to be a priority on the Volturi's hit list?"
I gave a sadistic smile. "What do you think happens when the Volturi are hungry for a power such as telekinesis, and that vampire who holds the gift has no such coven to fight or protect her?" Bella's brows creased.
"You have Jasper. Us." The last word was tagged on uneasily, and I rolled my eyes incredulously.
"I hardly spend enough time around Jasper for him to be an obstacle to the Volturi." I was irritated by this personal path the conversation had taken. I did not like Bella, nor did I seek comfort from her. I turned away from her, abruptly ending the exchange of words, and jumped out the window, landing on the healthy grass that was the back lawn. I spotted the hybrid child, sitting in the dirt, with the vampire called Benjamin. Benjamin had power of the elements, and could manipulate them however he pleased. In a way, our powers were quite similar. I watched as he concentrated on the dirt surrounding the child, and it rose from the ground, spinning around the child like a tornado. The dirt-cloaked child giggled loudly, reaching out and poking her fingers through the mask of dirt. With a small smirk, I eyed the tree lurching over the two, and it began rattling, the remainder of its leaves falling onto the pair. Benjamin's tornado slowed, and he glanced up at me.
"You must be Ruby." His eyes shone with interest.
"Benjamin," I replied tersely.
He smiled, his eyes glinting as he gestured around him. "Please, join us."
Wordlessly, I pounced into the overhead tree, and watched from above as Benjamin entertained the child. Several times, I tripped him over with a branch that I'd temporarily adopted as a mischievous pet. Benjamin laughed all incidents off, not bothered by my antics. I eyed the branch, and it floated up, loyally lingering by my side in the tree.
"Ness!" a voice called cheerfully. I peered around the trunk of my tree, and spotted a shirtless young man. Before I could mentally compliment his impressive muscles, I sniffed and nearly fell off the branch. He reeked. The stench of wet dog wafted quickly up my nostrils, and I held my hand over my nose, as if to protect my sense of smell from the foul odour. The child clambered to her feet, and she leapt into his open arms. As the mutt hugged her fiercely, he looked over her head at me, and narrowed his eyes slightly. I wrinkled my nose, slipping off the branch and landing several feet from the animal.
"Who are you?" he asked prudently.
"Ruby Whitlock." My answer was short, blatant.
His brows creased. "Whitlock? Is that…"
"Jasper," I supplied. "I'm his shameful little sister who eats people." He blinked at my forwardness, and began looking very uncomfortable. He inched backwards, holding the child protectively; as if afraid I would tear her throat out. Unlikely, I mused, she was covered in the scent of dog.
Behind me, I heard light footsteps, slowing as they neared. With a small sniff, I recognised the man approaching. Covering my grimace with a smirk, I looked at Edward.
"Catch a Bambi?" I mocked. There was a stifled snort from the dog. Edward didn't reply, instead he headed over to the dog and hybrid.
"Ness, are you hungry?" The child's head bobbled.
"Seth's coming," the dog told Edward. "He's curious about all these vampires." Edward gave an amused smile, and the two went inside, the child wandering between them.
From the edge of my peripheral, I saw a log flying towards me. Automatically, I thrust out my hand and it rebounded before it touched my hard skin. Benjamin grinned, and eyed the log carefully, using his powers to manipulate the wind and throw the log back at me. His throw wasn't as powerful as mine, as his power was focussed on wind, not objects solely.
Without many words, we continued to toss the large log back and forth. Benjamin's mate joined us, and sat cross-legged on the ground several meters from Benjamin. The game grew more advanced as an hour flickered by – Benjamin began a dirt storm and two more logs were added, which caused both of us to begin ducking and dodging whilst also tossing the logs back towards the opposition.
Our game was abruptly halted by a loud noise of awe to our right. The logs dropped to the grass, and the dirt floundered in the air before landing on us. I shook my hair out, irritated. Exiting from his haven in the trees appeared a young man, shirtless. He shared the same physique as the dog. Although his face was much more desirable. His features appeared boyish, much more welcoming and warm than that of the mutt. With a subtle whiff, I grumbled in distaste. He too was a mutt. His rich chocolate brown eyes were glued to me, raking over me intensely. As eye contact was made, I frowned oddly. Did this creature have Tourette's? His mouth was loosely hanging open, and I cocked a brow at him.
"You're a dog," I stated frankly. He didn't blink, but appeared momentarily confused. Beside me, a log began hovering. "Fetch."
The log powerfully lurched through the air, towards the young mutt. He didn't seem to comprehend my actions, still staring deeply at me. Hurling, the log neared the unnamed dog, and slammed directly into his face.
I tilted my head to the side. Odd.
Author's Note: As I have school and several assignments due this week, I may not be able to update by my target of Sunday, but hopefully I do. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter - please review, favourite and follow! :)