I woke in the morning with a fright. I'd had such a nightmare that I couldn't believe I hadn't screamed. I had no clue what time it was or how long I'd slept but that didn't matter. All that mattered to me now was the nightmare.
In the dream, the Volturi came back for me. They gave me no options. I was hiding in the forest, curled up in a ball with my eyes closed. I had my back turned to them, but I knew they were there. Long, black cloaks surrounded me and the tallest one beckoned to me. I didn't move and he seemed frustrated. The next moment, I found myself cringing in pain on the forest floor. An unseen force was giving me an illusion of pain. I opened my eyes and saw a very short woman concentrating very hard on me and smirking. When the pain receded, I didn't move an inch. One of them kicked me and pushed me into something. I was on my back and the same one pushed me down with so much force that a stick stabbed into my back. I yelped in pain.
"Jasmine!" Seth screamed from somewhere in the darkness. This was the last voice I'd heard before the Volturi attacked. That was when I'd woken.
Now I simply shook my head and tried to make the memory of the nightmare vanish. It was only then that I'd noticed I wasn't on the window seat where I'd fallen asleep last night. I was on my bed in my clothes from the past day. Seth must've moved me. I was usually a really light sleeper, how did I not wake up? Wow, I must have been really knocked out.
I rolled over and felt something crackle under me. It was a folded piece of paper with my name written neatly on the front. I opened it and started reading.
Dear Jasmine,
Sorry, honey. Jasper and I tried to wake you up and say goodbye but, my goodness, you were asleep! You seemed a bit restless, though. I hope you didn't have a nightmare about that dreaded Volturi. Don't worry, I swear we will not let them near you. Jasper and I will do everything in our power to keep them from hurting you. Renesmee says to not fret over anything and Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Em, Edward, and Bella send their love. See you soon.
-Alice
I sighed. They were probably already in Volterra by this time. I wondered what it would feel like when the Volturi killed me. I had to face it, my death was inevitable. I hoped that they would at least leave the Cullens be. That was all I could hope for after I was dead: that my family would not have to pay their lives for me.
I jumped up from the bed and walked over to my closet. I threw on a clean pair of jeans and the first shirt my hands touched. I brushed my hair and saw the curls bounce down to the middle of my back. I brushed a few strands forward, slipped on a pair of sandals, and headed downstairs.
Downstairs, I heard a gentle snore. I looked to find Seth sprawled across the floor with a hilarious expression on his sleeping face. I let a small giggle escape my lips and held back the rest of my laughter in order to not wake him. Outside the window, I saw Leah in her wolf form pacing. She caught sight of my, nodded in my direction, and went to the far side of the house to phase back. A few minutes later, Leah opened the door and closed it with a loud bang making Seth shoot up from the floor. I laughed more.
"Morning, Jasmine," Leah said.
"Morning, Leah," I said back. "Morning, Seth."
Seth yawned. "Good morning," he said. "Anyone hungry? Carlisle said to help ourselves to the food."
"No thanks," Leah said. "I'm not exactly fond of O negative. I'll eat at home."
Seth rolled his eyes. "How about you, Jazzy?" he asked me. "You wanna eat here or eat back at our place?"
"I can wait," I said. I was looking down at the floor as I spoke. I knew it was pretty idiotic of me to never have made eye contact with Seth even once before, but that was me. I knew that if I caught a glimpse of his eyes, my heart would melt and I'd fall to my knees. My biggest personality trait had to be pathetic.
"Let's go, Seth," Leah whined. "I need to get away from the vamp stench now." She tossed some car keys at Seth and he chuckled.
"All right, Leah," he said. He gave me a warm hug and we all proceeded to the garage.
"Jasmine's bag is already in the trunk. The bloodsucker said we could take the Vanquish," Leah said. Seth rolled his eyes at the stupid nickname and got into the driver's seat. Leah got in the back and Seth motioned for me to sit next to him in the front. I buckled my seatbelt and avoided his eyes as we sped through the forest, down the highway, and past Forks. Eventually, we ended up in La Push.
"Quiet, Seth," Leah advised. "I think mom's still asleep."
It was only then that I noticed the very clear sky and the chill in the air. It looked a lot earlier than I thought. Dawn was barely breaking. We quietly got out of the car and opened the door to their house.
Inside, it was warm and cozy. The color scheme was made up of simple colors like greens and browns. I plopped my bag down next to the sofa. Leah sat down and motioned for me to do the same. She started flipping the channels on the television looking for something interesting to watch.
"Seth," she called quietly, "be a good little brother and make me something to eat."
"Yes, you're royal highness," Seth said sarcastically. He made his way to the kitchen and I stood up to go help him.
"So, what does the queen usually demand for breakfast?" I asked him.
"I heard that," Leah said from the living room. Seth chuckled.
"Eggs, potatoes, chicken, and toast," he said smirking. "Toss me the potatoes, please."
I took the three that I found on the kitchen counter to him and watched as he diced them.
"Here, let me do that," I offered taking the knife and cutting board from his hands.
"You sure?" he asked me.
"Completely," I said.
We worked in silence for a few minutes. Seth started with the eggs while I cut the potatoes. I opened my mouth a few times to start conversation but the only topic that came to my mind was the Volturi and I didn't want to relive my nightmare. Seth opened his mouth a few times but then clamped it shut as if thinking of the same thing I thought of.
"What's your mom like?" I asked him.
Seth shrugged. "She's sort of snobby, kinda mean, stuck up; she shows lots of solitude, that's for sure. So you could say she's like an older Leah." We laughed together at his statement.
"Think she'll like me?" I asked once our laughter died down.
"Oh, I'm sure she'll love you," he assured me. "It's impossible not to."
"Thanks."
We were quiet for a few more minutes. I broke the silence.
"Oh crud!" I exclaimed. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"
"What is it?" Seth asked dropping what he was doing. I took my right hand off of my left one to reveal a finger with a slit in the side and blood gushing out of the wound. I'd accidently cut myself. Great…
Seth took my hand and rinsed it under the cold water of the sink and pressed on it with a towel to stop the bleeding. Reaching into a drawer, he pulled out a band aid and wrapped it around the cut. The stinging receded along with the blood but Seth didn't let go of my hand for a while. Too soon, he released my hand.
"What's the verdict?" I asked.
"You'll live," he decided. He might've smiled at me but I still wasn't looking up so I wouldn't have been able to tell. I smiled a shy smile and started to clean up the small mess my blood had made. Luckily, the food wasn't harmed. I was just about to ask Seth where to put the soiled dishtowel when Leah walked in.
"Is breakfast ready yet?" she complained. "Jeez, you people are slow."
Seth rolled his eyes. "Order up." He passed a plate to Leah and put two more plates on the table. We all three sat down and ate.
"It's good," Leah said taking a bite. "Good work, Seth."
Seth rolled his eyes. "Yes, Leah, because I live to please you," he said sarcastically.
"As you should." Leah nodded.
Seth flicked a piece of egg into her hair. Leah dropped her fork and stared up at her brother.
"You. Did. Not."
And then a war was on. Leah aimed a piece of bread at her brother but it ended up smacking me in the face. I stood up to wash the plates as Seth and Leah continued their bickering. We laughed loudly and forgot about their mother, Sue, who was still sleeping.
"Who is throwing food in my kitchen?" a voice called. The moment Sue Clearwater came in through the doorway, I slipped on something—perhaps a spill of juice or something—and fell face up on Seth's lap.