Nightfall
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THIS CHAPTER IS RATED STONG T FOR VIOLENCE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS AND MATURE THEMES
(it's nowhere near M so don't get too excited, but either way, you have been warned)
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He let go of me so fast if I hadn't been a vampire I would've fallen sideways. In a flash, his tiny silver cell phone was at his ear.
"Alice. We were set up."
I looked out the window then, as if some invisible force were pulling my eyes to the side of the road. A huge, wild, furry animal sat a few feet away from the highway. Its sheer size made me cringe with fear. It stared at us as we drove by with its powerful blue eyes.
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I could hear Alice yelling over the phone, screaming about the news and the danger and god knows what else. Edward tried to calm her down long enough to speak. After a minute of yelling back and forth Alice told him to go to some hotel.
They got off the phone and Edward slammed his feet on the gas pedal. The forest flew past us in a blur. I kept thinking about the huge beast I'd just seen on the side of the road. "Edward, there was an animal..."
"I know." He answered, but offered no more information. I noticed his clenched jaw and tight hold on the steering wheel and decided to stay quiet until he calmed down.
I tried to order my thoughts. I'd seen those powerful eyes before, more than once now that I thought about it. I'd seen them in the woods near Edward's house a while ago. I'd seen them in the meadow at the end of my transformation. But I'd also seen them recently, just a few minutes before in fact. Not many eyes could have that pull, that kind of gravity.
Realization hit me like lightning. The huge animal had the eyes of Billy Black's brother, the Quilute elder.
"What the hell is going on here?" I shrieked.
"I thought you would've figured it out by now." Edward murmured.
"That was a wolf!"
"Good girl. You're halfway there."
"But... wait, what?" I stuttered. "Are you trying to tell me that beast was actually Billy's brother?"
Edward raised his eyebrows at me. "Yes, that makes sense."
"How does that make any sense?" Nothing made much sense to me.
"Wolves and vampires have been enemies for a long time." Edward offered.
I remembered a conversation I'd had a while ago, with the very person I'd eaten for lunch that afternoon. "The Quilutes turn into wolves?"
Edward nodded once. I raised my eyebrows. "That's like... physically impossible!"
"You are a walking, talking, crystallized, immortal being and you're talking to me about physical impossibilities?" Edward let out a strained laugh.
"But how do they even do it? I mean, where do they keep all the fur?"
Edward turned to stare at me like I was losing my mind and shook his head. "You're focusing on all the wrong things. You see, Bella, those wolves are the only creatures out there capable of hurting a vampire. We had a treaty, one that you broke today when you bit Jacob."
Even thought his gaze wasn't accusing me of anything, I hung my head in shame. "What do they want? Will they follow us? Hunt us down for revenge?"
"You're missing the big picture, my love. They are not the only pack of wolves in the world. They're not even the only one in the country! Any vampire that runs into wolf territory will be hunted. As soon as the word gets out that wolves are on the prowl the vampires will attack. We are quite defensive in nature."
I stared at him, my eyes wide as saucers.
"Bella." He cupped my face with his hand. His eyes were sad, remorseful even. "You have started the war."
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Edward guided me up the stairs of a hotel somewhere in Canada without even bothering to ask for the room number. He'd gone off the road to cross the border and he refused to take the elevator. I guessed he was keeping something from me.
He pushed the door of a suite open and dragged me in. Emmett was sitting on a couch with Rosalie. She looked pissed, he seemed weary. Alice was pacing with her eyes closed, her head rolling from side to side. Jasper stood leaning against a wall close to the door with his arms crossed. Esme, sitting on the edge of the bed, looked profoundly worried. Carlisle was staring at the television, even though it wasn't on. He was holding the remote control.
No one moved when we walked in. Esme let out a relieved sigh and Carlisle, his gaze troubled, turned on the T.V.
"... is still unknown. Experts studying this tape believe it was probably a light effect, even though they haven't been able to..."
He switched the channel without a word.
"... is the angel of death! The time has come for the final..."
Switch
"... are coming to get us! Don't let the government tell you lies! The aliens are here!"
Switch
"... will try to contact the spirit again. The troubled soul..."
Carlisle turned it off again. "Lucky for us, no one knows that vampires glitter. Even though I doubt the Volturi will see it that way."
"The what?" I frowned but Alice interrupted before I could get my answer.
"If the Quileutes are really setting us up they might leak the story."
"Can't you tell what their plans are?" Rosalie asked her.
"Do you think we'd be in this mess if I could?" Alice snapped.
"Calm down, girls. This is not the time to lose our tempers." Esme scolded them.
"I'm just saying, something like this must've taken some serious planning. I never saw it coming." Alice shrugged. "I'm guessing you didn't either." She spoke to Edward.
He shook his head. "The boy let me see what he wanted me to see. He must've known about us from the beginning. He set the whole thing in motion."
"Explain." Emmett leaned forward.
"He was the one who told Bella about us. He also told her about the wolves, probably as a warning."
"Too bad she wasn't smart enough to pick that part up." Rosalie mumbled. Edward growled in her direction.
"How did he get you to go with him into the woods?" Carlisle asked me.
"He was returning my jacket. The one I lost the day before my transformation."
"The one that lead the other vampire to you?" Alice asked.
I shrugged "Yeah, I guess."
"So that's how they got around it." Edward smacked his forehead. "The other vampire bit you before you were fully transformed. If you hadn't been halfway into becoming a vampire, you would've been killed. Their legends said you had to be changed because of an accident... I guess that fits, but it's a huge stretch."
"But why would the Quileutes want to set us up like this? Why start a war?" I was on the verge of a freakout. Edward noticed and wrapped his arms around me.
"Vampires kill people, lots of them, on a regular basis. They want to rid the wolrd of vampires, you were just the excuse. Think of this as our kind being terrorists and the wolves being the government."
I opened my mouth and then closed it again. It made sense, too much sense.
"It doesn't matter how it happened or why. We have to deal with the consequences and we have to do so quickly. I have a plan but we'll have to wait until tonight to carry it out. While we're waiting, would you like to explain why you froze in front of a camera on broad daylight?" Carlisle asked. He wasn't scolding Edward, the way an angry father would, he sounded merely curious.
"Well, we think we found Bella's gift." Edward answered.
"That was your doing?" Rosalie shrieked.
"Rosalie, please. Bella, would you explain?"
Everyone stared at me, which made it hard for me to be coherent. "Hum... well... Edward was running towards me, he was about to fly past the camera. I wanted him to stop so badly and then all of a sudden... he did."
Everyone was silent for the longest time. Finally Carlisle spoke.
"Emmett, please stand up."
Edward's burly brother jumped off the couch gracefully.
"Bella, try to make him sit."
"I don't exactly know how to control this." I protested.
"Just try, please."
I couldn't say no to Carlisle. Edward gave my hand a gentle squeeze and then let go of me. I tried to concentrate, thinking to myself sit Emmet. Sit down. Sit. Nothing happened.
"Maybe if you said it out loud." Carlisle suggested.
I nodded. "Emmett, sit."
"Great, what am I? A poodle?" Emmet folded his arms but remained standing.
"Why isn't it working?" I frowned.
"Well, maybe that's not how your gift works. Or maybe you're not trying the right way. Bella, do you really want Emmett to sit?" Carlisle asked.
"Well, if he wants to, then sure." I fidgeted.
"That's your problem right there. Bella, you have to want him to do what you say, regardless of what he wants. That's probably why we hadn't seen your gift before, you don't like forcing people's hand."
I sighed. "How do I make myself want to sit him down?"
Carlisle leaned against the window. "That, I don't know. Try once more."
I nodded and closed my eyes. I could tell everyone was waiting for something to happen.
Sit down Emmett. Sit on that couch. Sit! I repeated over and over.
"Visualize it." Edward's deep voice breathed in my ear.
I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on picturing him already sitting. Sit, Emmett. Damn it, SIT!
I opened my eyes in time to see him drop on the couch with such force it sent him and Rosalie flying backwards. They both jumped to their feet before the couch even hit the ground and immediately turned to stare at me.
Edward was beaming proudly, Alice's jaw was on the floor. Even Jasper looked excited. But when my eyes met Carlisle's, my face fell.
He was staring at me, just like everyone else, only his eyes were grave with worry. "My God, Bella. You can control people."
"Apparently so." I answered, still confused by his reaction. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No one, that I know of, has ever had that gift. There are some that can control your feelings like Jasper or some that can talk you into doing things, like Jonathan, but physical actions? Never."
"There's a first time for everything, I guess. Don't worry, I don't think I'll use it much."
"That's not what worries me."
Suddenly Edward's eyes shot wide open. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his body in a very protective manner, even though there was nothing that could hurt me.
"Bella, some vampires would kill to have that power. Others would kill the one who has it. The Volturi will most likely go with the second option."
I froze in Edward's arms. Even though the Volturi name meant nothing to me, I figured it wasn't something to be taken lightly. "Why would they want that?"
"Imagine being a very old, very powerful vampire and discovering that there is a girl out there who can make you do anything she wants. They might try to talk you into joining them, but I'm not sure. Your gift is too powerful, if you turned against them..."
Edward roared. "I'd rather die than watch them take her!"
"Well thanks to her, you probably will. Lets not forget, they're looking for you." Rosalie, who was perched on the couch again, froze me with her stare.
"Why are they looking for you? And who the hell are they?" I asked in a small voice.
"The Volturi are the most powerful family of our kind. They're the oldest, that we know of, and they all live together. You've seen them, the heads of the family. The three 'brothers'." Edward explained.
"The painting in Carlisle's study." I remembered. Edward just nodded.
"You see, Bella, we have rules -laws, if you will- that we're forced to follow." Carlisle went to sit by Esme.
"There are only three. The first one is that we're not to intrude in other vampire's territory. A lot of fights result from this law being broken. The second one is never to kill or put one of your kind in harm's way unless they've broken one of the rules. Now there's something you've got to understand here. The Volturi don't usually enforce these two laws. To be quite honest, they don't care. They only made them to protect their family."
"So what's the third law?" I asked.
"The third one is the only one they'll do anything to enforce. It's quite simple, really."
I understood then. Fear washed over me as I whispered. "Stay hidden."
Carlisle nodded. "Never, ever expose what we are to the humans. Edward not only broke that one, but they have it on tape."
"Not to mention he'll also be blamed for the war with the werewolves." Rosalie snapped.
I felt my world crumbling. I'd done this. I'd forced Edward to put himself in mortal danger to save me.
"I think she's having a panic attack." Alice rushed over to my side. Edward was already there, holding me steady. "Bella? Calm down! It's going to be fine." He tried to soothe me. I was glad hyperventilation could no longer hurt me.
"Jasper." Edward asked for him. I saw Alice's husband approaching me with his hand outstretched. At first I considered fighting the wave of calmness that he was about to shoot through my body, but then I realized I had to stay calm so I could think things through and come up with a plan.
I welcomed his touch on my shoulder, but no one expected what happened next. A calmness so profound it was almost lethargy slammed into us, all of us. Alice and Edward staggered backwards, dropping to the floor looking dazzled and confused. I crumbled next to them, feeling like I'd just been twirled around in the air for an hour.
Jasper pulled his hand back instantly and everything went back to normal. Edward, Alice and I picked ourselves up from the floor. Carlisle and Esme, who had slumped down on the bed, jumped to their feet too.
Jasper stared at his hand and then at me. "What the hell was that?"
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"Jasper, what did you do?" Esme shook her head, probably trying to clear it.
"I didn't do anything different! I tried to calm Bella down and then... I don't know, I felt utterly out of control. It was as if my abilities had a life of their own!" Alice ran to him, placing her hand on his arm to comfort him.
"Maybe Bella can't be affected the way she used to." She offered as an explanation.
"Try to see something about me, Alice." My voice shook when I asked.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, then shook her head. "It's all normal. Exactly the same as before."
"Maybe it wasn't me, I think I felt the same way you all did." I must've sounded worried, because Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.
"I guess only time will tell." Carlisle commented. He was lost in thought, clearly trying to figure it all out.
Edward glanced down at me and bit his lip. He looked so adorable it mesmerized me. "You need to rest." He whispered to me.
"Of course I don't." I protested. It was a ridiculous thing for him to even suggest.
"I don't mean physically, I mean emotionally. You've had too many surprises for one day. You need time to digest the information before some other unexplainable event occurs."
Carlisle nodded in Edward's direction and tossed him a key. "The sun is about to rise. We'll meet back here after twilight."
Edward nodded and placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me to the door and down the hall to a separate room.
I staggered in, trying to make sense of everything I'd learned in one day. It was so much it didn't feel real. I was almost sure I'd end up waking up in my bed at Charlie's any second.
Edward closed the door behind us and placed the key on the coffee table. I could see a few pink rays of light leaking through the gap of the curtains. I stood by the window, pulling the shades back slightly to glance outside. A ray of sunlight reflected off my cold skin and bounced away in every direction. Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me away from the window gently.
"You can take a shower if you want. It might do you good to get cleaned up."
For the first time since the whole mess started I looked down at myself. I gasped, I was wearing the skirt and booths Alice had dressed me in the day before. My knees were caked with dirt, the skirt was so wrinkled it rode up to expose my thighs. The most shocking was my shirt, though. It had dry splotches of blood all over. My hands were black with mud and my nails looked as if I'd been dragged around the forest floor.
"Yeah, I think a shower would be good." I nodded. Edward laid down on the bed while I turned the water on.
I turned it as hot as it could go. The scalding hot water felt good against my perpetually cold skin. I allowed the steam to relax me a little before washing my dirty hair with hotel shampoo. When I felt clean again I turned the water off and wrapped myself in a fluffy white towel.
Edward was still on the bed when I left the bathroom. He was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. He caught me staring at him with worry and turned on the TV just so he could have something to look at. I dropped my messy clothes on a chair and glanced around for my bag. It wasn't there, so I settled for the next best thing.
I sat down on the bed next to him and started unbuttoning his shirt. His eyes were glued to the TV, the news were on. He sat up so I could take his shirt, kissing my wrist gently when I reached over him to tug the fabric away from his body, and then laid back down while I went into the bathroom to change.
When I finished buttoning up the shirt I joined him again. The woman on screen was talking about several people who'd gone missing in Washington after the mysterious death of a teenage boy. Apparently vampires were already looking for us, and they were getting some takeout while they were at it.
"How bad is it?" My voice trembled slightly.
"I'll manage." Was his answer, which didn't convince me at all.
"Who exactly is looking for us?" I sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I told you, the Volturi are looking for me." He answered.
I crawled over to him and framed his face with my hands, forcing his eyes away from the television. "Don't lie to me, Edward."
He sighed, then sat up. "I don't want you to worry, but I'm going to tell you so you can understand what I have to do next."
His tone scared me. I sat up a little straighter.
"The truth is, Bella, every vampire out there is looking for me. Well, maybe not every single one, but most of them."
I froze. Fear consumed me as I asked. "Why? Because you broke some law?"
Edward shook his head "Because of the reward."
"What reward?"
"My head has a price now. I broke the most important rule in the most obvious of ways. My guess is, anyone who takes me back to the Volturi, dead or alive, will earn a place in the family."
Panic, despair, dread and doubt all spread over me like a cancer. But something he said before terrified me even more than what I'd just learned.
"Why are you telling me this?" I whispered.
He closed his eyes. Pain masked his face for a brief second before he pulled himself together. When he looked at me again, his eyes were cold. "Because I have to leave you."
Five words and my world crumbled. And the fear meant nothing, and the guilt meant nothing and all I could think about was how easily I had given up the option of killing myself when I became a vampire. Before I could fully process, before I could even start to panic, determination took over.
"No." I wasn't begging, I was simply stating a fact.
"Bella, I have to. It's too dangerous..."
"No. If you leave us you'll get killed in no time. At least if we stick together we have a fighting chance."
"I won't put you at risk like that. If they kill me at least I'll know you're safe."
"No." I said again, a little louder this time. I backed off the bed, getting away from him so his smothering gaze couldn't waver my resolve.
"Bella..."
"No. No I will not let you get yourself killed."
His perfect brow wrinkled. "I am not asking for your permission, Bella. I am keeping you safe no matter what."
I crossed my arms over my chest stubbornly and then dropped the bomb. "If you leave me, I'll go to the Volturi and tell them it was my fault."
He was standing in front of me before I could even blink. "Isabella don't you dare. They will not care either way, it's me they have on tape. If you go to them, they'll think you're doing it to keep me safe and they'll let you go."
"I will make them believe me." I stared into his eyes, forcing him to remember my new found gift.
He took me roughly by the arm, shaking me slightly. "Isabella, why are you doing this?"
"Because I love you too much to exist without you."
He grabbed both of my arms, fury written all over his face, and then he kissed me.
His lips pressed roughly against mine. I pressed back, needing to feel him close to me. He let go of my arms and took my waist, pulling me to him. I tangled my fingers in his hair, holding him closer.
He was rough, desperate, more than he'd even been before. He lifted me into his arms and then threw me on the bed, covering my body with his own. I welcomed the feel of his hard muscles against mine. He captured my lower lip between his teeth and bit down gently. I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. He kissed the side of my mouth and then nipped his way down to my throat. My breathing accelerated, I clutched his bare back to me. A sigh escaped my lips and I murmured his name.
Everything stopped suddenly. I could still feel his body over mine, but his lips were no longer against my skin. I opened my eyes and found his face inches away from my own, crumpled in pain.
"Edward?" I whispered.
"I can't... I can't lose you, Bella." He was shaking. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down, hugging him close.
"You're not going to lose me. We'll find a way to get through this."
His panicked breathing slowed down gradually. He pressed his forehead against mine, intoxicating me with his sweet breath. "I swear to you, Bella, I will not let them touch you."
"I know." I whispered back. "I believe you. I trust you."
I felt a growl deep in his chest as he covered my mouth with his own once again. Our hands danced together, touching every inch of exposed skin they could find. I felt his smooth touch against my bare tights and shivered.
As we kissed I forgot all about our troubles. It was a perfect moment where only the two of us existed. I needed this. I craved the feeling of his body, the touch of his skin. His caresses helped me forget the past twenty four hours of our hectic lives.
His gentle fingers traced my collarbone, making me gasp from the sensation. I felt him reach for the top button of my shirt. I bit my lip, placing my hand over his to encourage his movements.
His eyes met mine. They were dark with passion and need, but he still managed to look doubtful.
"Bella... this is not how I imagined we'd..."
I silenced him by placing my cold finger against his lips. Trying hard to keep a steady voice, I whispered. "We might never get another chance."
He stared into my soul and discovered how much I needed him right then. Without another word, he met my waiting lips with his own once again.
As he removed the rest of our clothes I was pleased to discover I felt no embarrassment as I thought I would. Many months of being careful and dancing around each other exploded into perfection that night. While the day moved on all I could think of was how lucky I was to have found my soulmate, even if we were only meant to be together for a fleeting moment.
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His hard chest rose and fell with every breath he took. I had my ear over his unbeating heart, and his fingers played with the strands of my hair that covered his body.
"Bella?" He broke the silence with a determined tone.
"Hmh?" I murmured.
"I need you to promise me something."
"Anything." I whispered lazily against his skin, turning my head to gently kiss his side.
"I need you to swear to me that, no matter what happens, you will never use your gift in front of the Volturi."
I sat up, hugging the bed sheet to my chest. "What?"
"You have to promise me." He sat too, his eyes glowed with the strength of his words. "They can never ever find out."
"Edward..."
"Promise me!" He took my chin in his hand when I tried to look away. "No matter what, Bella. Swear to me they'll never find out."
"I promise." I whispered. My mind was clouded by fear as I thought of the reason behind his request.
"No matter what." His whisper shook me to the core.
"I swear." I repeated.
He sighed in relief, apparently convinced of the truth behind my promise. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. We laid back down, and I hugged him closer to me.
"I wish we could just stay here forever." I whispered.
He kissed the top of my head and, with great regret, said, "It's twilight. We should get dressed."
"I need to go get my bag."
Edward shook his head. "Open the door." I frowned and got up, taking the sheet with me. When I opened the door, the paper bag that had been leaning against it fell forward.
I took it back to the bed and looked inside. My fingers grazed the uneven texture of fishnet stockings. "Edward, what's this?" I asked as I raised an impossibly short black skirt to his face.
He made a face when he answered "Our evening wear."
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I tugged my skirt down and my shirt up with no success. I still had more uncovered skin than I'd ever dared to have before in public. Even my bathing suits must've had more fabric than that.
Edward looked down at me and smiled mockingly. I made a face, so he threw an arm around my shoulder to comfort me.
"Don't move her!" Alice, who was kneeling in front of me in the wide limousine, shrieked.
"Or what? You'll poke her eye out?" Rosalie rolled her eyes.
"I'll smudge." Alice growled and kept fussing over me with the black eyeliner. She leaned closer to me, nudging my knees apart. The black leather skirt I was wearing over my fishnets rode up almost to my waist. Edward shot a warning glare at Emmett's wandering eyes. He looked away instantly, concentrating instead on his equally scandalous wife.
"Could someone please explain to me why we're dressed like this?" I looked down at my tiny strapless top, held together by thin straps that crossed over my back.
"We're going to see the only vampire who's ever defied the secrecy rule and still lives to tell the tale." Carlisle explained. "He's... one of the most peculiar vampires I've ever met."
"Why?" I frowned.
"Well, for one he was "born" with a special gift... one that most of our kind would consider a defect."
I leaned forward, causing Alice to gasp and run a finger under my ruined mascara.
"His venom is innocuous"
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Alice gave up, throwing her hands in the air, and went to sit by Jasper.
"So he can bite people and not turn them? ... So what? The venom is not the dangerous part of this."
"Oh but it was for Edward and you when you were still human, wasn't it?" Carlisle smiled.
"Are you trying to tell me he has a human mate?" I smiled at the impossibility. I thought we'd been the only ones.
"No, not one. He is a very curious creature. He has the ability of getting anyone to tell him anything. He likes knowledge. He likes the little, mundane details. That's why he loves humans, they keep him entertained. He's trained himself to... not kill."
I twisted the fake blue strands of hair Alice had gotten me into around my fingers. He certainly sounded interesting.
"Bella, when we get there we're going to rely heavily on your gift to get us in." Edward took my hand. I looked up at his heavenly face, the purple bruises around his eyes were darkened with eyeliner. Even the fake piercings on his eyebrow and lip looked incredible on him.
"What do you mean?"
"We're about to walk into a crowd. We can't be noticed." He stared pointedly at me and I nodded. "Jasper will help you as much as he can, but he can only do so much."
Edward caressed my bare shoulders gently. I looked down at my high heels and hoped being a vampire would help me walk in them. "Help me practice."
Alice, who was sitting in front of me, unhooked her sleeves from her fingers and held up her hands. I concentrated on forcing her fingers down, one by one.
"We're here." Carlisle, looking like a 20 year old with his hair up in spikes and his black, ripped pants, helped an equally young looking Esme out of the limo. It had surprised me, seeing Esme in tiny black shorts and a black, ripped up tank top that fell past her shoulders. The makeup, the braids in her hair and the nose-ring made her look like a rebellious teenager. I was so used to her motherly role I sometimes forgot she was physically in her early twenties.
Jasper and Alice went next. They looked beautiful and dangerous beyond belief. As soon as Jasper glanced at the crowd lined up in front of the trendy club, the roar went down a notch and everyone seemed to be suddenly tired and distracted.
The bouncer glanced our way curiously. We had, after all, arrived in a limousine and were planning on skipping the line. Every single member of our family was so unbelievably beautiful the guy would never dream of stopping us.
The chain was already off by the time Carlisle and Esme walked past him. I glanced nervously around, panic overcoming me quickly. There were too many people here, any one of them could recognize Edward.
"Are you ready?" He held his and out for me. I nodded. I had to be ready, there was no time for doubts.
He helped me out and guided me to the door while I concentrated with my eyes closed.
Do not look at us. Look down. I ordered the bouncer with my mind.
Edward helped me down a staircase. He sighed in relief, so I opened my eyes. We were inside, unharmed and unrecognized. So far so good.
I heard Emmett groaning behind me. Apparently he wasn't really into the whole goth scene. "What's the theme of this party? Syphilis?" He stared at the group of latex covered people grinding against each other in the dance floor.
My giggles were suddenly interrupted when the smell of the crowd hit me. The place was packed. Sweaty, moving bodies filled up every inch of available space. Edward dragged me along behind him, parting the crowd for me. That didn't keep my stomach from clenching or my mouth from watering. I stopped breathing, the smell was almost unbearable. Edward tightened his hold on me and pulled me closer. I tried to focus on something else, anything else. "You never told me what this guy did to break the law."
Carlisle had approached a human girl that seemed to be wearing even less than us. "We are here to see Lestat."
My eyes shot up to meet Edward's and he nodded. I frowned "But I thought the interview was given by..."
"Yes well, he's not completely suicidal." Edward mumbled under his breath but I could hear him perfectly over the loud thumping music.
"Why are we going to see him?" I questioned.
"He traffics information. That's how he stays alive. Well... that, and the fact that he was part of the Volturi guard at some point. Aro finds him fascinating. When the story first came out he defended himself by saying that he was merely reinforcing the false ideas that people have of us."
"Take the stairs up. First door on the right." The girl who'd been guiding us spoke in a normal voice, which confused me. No human would ever be able to hear her in that place.
Carlisle led the way. He opened the heavy wooden door and pushed aside the black drapes in front of him. The sight revealed made me gasp.
A young man in his early twenties sat on a chair. His long black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. His features, so beautiful it hurt to watch, were twisted in pleasure. In his lap sat a blond human girl in her underwear. But that wasn't what scandalized me, it was the fact that he was drinking from her wrist.
The animal in me recognized the smell instantly. I moved towards them against my will. Powerful arms held me back and Edward's hand, clamped over my mouth and lips, helped lessen the urge but not the hunger.
"Ah! Carlisle! It's been too long!" Lestat's velvety voice was not loud enough to deafen the roar in my ears that the hunger caused.
"Get her out of here." Edward stared at the blond, who seemed perfectly comfortable with having someone sucking blood out of her wrist.
Lestat glanced at me once and nodded. The girl stood, but the black haired vampire caught her hand before she could leave. He took a crystal glass from the expensive looking table next to him and pulled the girl's wrist up to his lips again. With his teeth, he opened a small would on her arm. The cut bled into the cup.
My eyes went wild with thirst. It took both Edward and Emmett to hold me back. Somewhere in my mind I registered the fact that Jasper had left the room.
"Enough!" Carlisle raised his voice. Lestat looked up at him in surprise and waved the girl away. She left with a smile on her face, nursing her bleeding arm.
"Carlisle, my friend. I don't believe I had ever heard you raise your voice." He smiled and placed the cup on the table.
"I can not stand to see my family get hurt or ridiculed." Carlisle answered protectively.
"The girl is a new vampire. It's not ridiculous for her to have this urges. It's not something to be ashamed of."
Cold blood didn't have nearly the same effect on me as a beating heart, so I stopped struggling against the powerful arms. Emmett moved away, but Edward kept an arm around me just in case. His chest rumbled with slow growls.
"I admire you, Edward. To love a human that way... and to wait so long before turning her... I heard she smelled quite appetizing."
Edward growled again, even though the stranger could not harm me.
"I admire you too... Bella, I presume." My eyes widened when he mentioned my name. "To restrain yourself, so early in the game. It's not an easy task."
He walked back to the table, took the blood-filled glass in his hands, and placed it on the low coffee table right in front of me. "I don't hurt the humans, I only take what they give me willingly. Don't be repulsed by this blood, it's a gift."
I stared at the red liquid, my eyes still burned with the thirst. Edward let go of me, letting me move forward to take the glass. He knew the intensity of the thirst. He knew how much I needed that drink.
I walked up to the table and took a deep breath. The bloody scent nearly drove me into a frenzy. I clenched my jaw and stared at Lestat. Without taking my eyes off him, I kicked the glass. It shattered on the floor, scattering blood everywhere. Lestat sighed.
"What do you do to this kids, Carlisle? You make them so irrational."
I could see Edward's parents were trying hard not to look smug. Edward didn't even try to hide it. He pulled me back against him and kissed my forehead.
"Can we get down to business please?" Rosalie's impatient voice startled us all.
"Yes, certainly, I assume you're here because of the videotape." Lestat sat down again.
"Among other things." Carlisle nodded.
The long haired vampire smiled. "Take a seat, my old friends, we have much to talk about."
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I still didn't understand how talking to Lestat was going to help us, but I sat down on Edward's lap and kept my mouth shut while he talked.
"I'm afraid I don't have good news for you. The guard is moving out, the Volturi plan to take matters into their own hands."
"We knew that much." Alice commented.
"Ah, of course, Alice." Lestat nodded. "An old friend of yours stopped by a while ago. Laurent told me about Carlisle's exceptional family. I'd heard about you before, of course, a family as large as yours is rather difficult to hide, but he gave me some useful details."
Lestat nodded in my direction. "It was hard for me to believe that your boy could love a human girl so much. I can see now that Laurent was right."
Edward tightened his hold of me. Something wasn't quite right, I could feel it.
"So!" Lestat sat up straight and smiled. "I'm guessing you want to know where they're looking for you and how many happen to be out there. This is a tricky one, Carlisle."
Emmett leaned forward. "We need to know what we're up against."
Lestat nodded "I can tell you the gifts of everyone who is currently in the guard, but information comes with a price."
"What price?" Edward asked.
The black haired vampire turned his burgundy eyes on me "I want to know what her gift is."
Everyone fell quiet at that. Edward's arm around my waist tightened so much that, had I not been a vampire, he would've snapped me like a twig.
"You would trade the secrets of the whole guard for one of our own?" Carlisle asked.
"Yes, I'm simply curious."
"No." Edward stated. "Ask for something else, that is just out of the question."
Lestat's eyes brightened with delight "It's that good eh? I wish I could make her tell me, but I can only extract information concerning the person I'm forcing it out of and I'm guessing my gift works as little on her as yours do."
Edward tried not to register any surprise on his face with little success "How do you know about her immunity?"
Lestat rolled his eyes. "I traffic information for a living young man. There is little in this world I do not know about."
It hit me then, that off feeling I'd been having. Lestat knew things about us that no one else did, not even Laurent. I bit my lip trying to figure out who else knew about us.
"Well I'm sorry, but that's one piece of information that we refuse to bargain with."
"Then I'm sorry too." Lestat looked truly sorry when he pointed at the door. "Please let yourselves out. If you refuse to pay the price then I can not help you."
Edward got up, pulling me with him. The rest of the family followed him.
"I should tell you, though, your friends in Alaska were killed last night."
"What?" Carlisle whispered.
Lestat shrugged "The guard went there looking for you. They refused to tell them anything. Eventually someone cracked and told them where you were staying and that you were planning on going up to meet them. The Volturi killed them all after that. So, I'd stay away from Alaska if I were you."
Carlisle was shaking, and Esme ran to his side. I thought Edward was shaking too, but soon realized the tremors were coming from me. I didn't believe it at first, but then I finally remembered, the VanBeaullens were the only ones who knew about my immunity to Edward's gift.
A whole family was dead, not to mention all the missing people in Washington, and it was all because of me and my stupidity.
Edward pressed me against his chest and guided me out the door without another glance in Lestat's direction, but the vampire's voice stopped us once again.
"Carlisle! I think very highly of you and for that I'm going to give you a small piece of free advice."
"What's that?" Carlisle's jaw was clenched. I had never seen him look so upset.
"Stay away from the little guy. You'll know what I mean when the time comes."
Edward pulled me out and guided me through the crowd. Tearless sobs were still shaking me like a leaf.
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As soon as we were outside Carlisle lead the way to the parking lot. He turned around quickly to toss small silver cell phones to Edward, Emmett and Jasper. Everyone took off in a different direction. Before I knew what was going on Edward had dragged me towards a black BMW.
"Edward, what's going on?" I could see Jasper behind the wheel of some other fancy looking car and Rosalie close behind, shifting an Audi to first gear, with Emmett next to her. Carlisle and Esme were already on their way out of the parking lot.
"Get in." Edward had gotten the door open. He picked me up, sat me down on the passenger's seat and bent down to hot-wire the car.
"Okay I don't know much about running away, but won't someone notice if four cars are stolen from Lestat's club? That's like leaving a sign that says "The Cullens were here."
"Bella, at this point there's not much we can do to stay hidden. They already know where we are. We need to get away from here as fast as possible."
He was driving so fast even the BMW''s engine complained loudly. I stared down at my hands and tried to order my thoughts. So many things had happened in the last 48 hours, each one worse than the next. Except for those precious moments I'd had with Edward back at the hotel.
I looked up at my safe harbor. Edward felt my gaze and turned to face me. His hand reached out to cup my face and I leaned against him for support.
"Bella," he pulled me against his side. I sighed and buried my face against his granite neck, "none of this is your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself."
"But how can I not? Seriously, how can I? The VanBeaullens are dead, Edward." I sighed knowing that if I could've cried real tears his shirt would've been soaked by then.
Edward gritted his teeth, even he didn't have anything comforting to say to me after that. After a long pause he pushed me gently away from him only to lift my chin with his index finger. I stared into his golden eyes and closed my violet ones when his lips descended upon my own. He captured me in a deep kiss, my mourning body giving him full access to my mouth.
I let out a shaky breath against him and he stiffened.
"Wha..."
Edward threw himself at me, forgetting all about the steering wheel. As I flew backwards, confused as hell, I saw the immense animal jumping in front of our car.
The beast landed on the hood with such force it sent the car flying in the air. I cringed against Edward's chest, so scared that I couldn't even conjure up a descent scream.
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It took me forever! I know! I'm so sorry! Life kinda took over for a few months…
Anyway, if you're confused about the VanBeaullens go back to chapter two. When I started writing this I knew nothing of the Denali clan or the sisters, so I made up my own family from Alaska. They are relevant to the story, so I suggest you brush up a little ;)
Anyway, I am VERY sorry for the delay, I'll try to write a lot faster. I know not much happened here… this was one of those chapters that sort of set the table if you know what I mean.
Well I hope you enjoyed it. I'll post the next chapter ASAP. Thanks for sticking with me kids, I'll try not to disappoint ;)