Chapter Eleven: Swan
(Edward's Point-Of-View)
"Do you think she'll even notice?" a sharp, cold voice cut the air. "Humans are so oblivious." If only my sister, Rosalie, could see herself now as she admired her reflection on the antique mirror placed on the mantel. Her beauty had such power over men, who became weak as schoolboys in her presence, but it faded fast for me once I heard her speak.
"Aw, Rose," said another chipper, bell-like voice. "Give her a chance! She's going to look gorgeous tonight!"
"Is that all you ever think about?" I cut in, but I could not help but smile at my other sister, Alice, whose small physicality often caused others to underestimate her power, even myself. Alice was often times the only one, besides my father Carlisle, who sided with me.
"If Emmett here's about this, he's going to punch you through a wall!" said Alice, who now hopped from her seat high up on the mantel with such easy grace. I groaned to myself thinking of the volcanic reaction my brother, Emmett, would have to my sudden change of plans.
"Pft! Wait until Jasper finds out!" Rosalie said as she pumped the sides of her honey-blonde hair with her talon-like, ring-clad fingers, "After your long talk last night you're going to go ahead and tell him 'never mind'? Good luck with that!"
Another jab at my already confounded conscience, however, she was right. I had grown accustomed to the tensions between my brothers and I regarding my 'situation.' Our hunting trip that had lasted over the past few days had helped somewhat to alleviate the mounting stress between us. They tried to convince me not to succumb to my pursuit and desires. I did not like fighting with my brothers, my family. They were all I really had in this empty world.
That is, until I met her. The fragile human I so closely avoided and so badly wanted to suck the blood from. The moment I saw her I wanted nothing but to seduce her, to get her alone, and then to lay my predator's teeth on her succulent, aromatic skin. But I knew then, that doing so would only put my family in jeopardy so I tamed the wild beast bounding inside me more for the sake of my loved ones than for the life of this petulant human.
It killed me, thinking of how easy it would have been to kill her. How she would have gladly conformed to my wishes and how perfectly she would have sated my thirst. Her blood was the first blood I had ever truly desired. Over the century that I have lived there has never been such a vile liquid as hers that tortured and slain the very core of my existence. Of course, there was nothing a weak human like herself could do to take the immortality I possessed eternally.
Alice came to Forks immediately once she had seen my reaction to the human. Her perceptibility, her power to portend the future and the present, was a gift that could easily turn awry, but at my weakest moment it had saved me. She, along with my adopted father, Carlisle took me away into the Alaskan wilderness; Away from the maddening smell into the frigid and clear air.
I thought I had everything under control, as I usually did, but this human had thrown me yet another curve ball which greatly unsettled me. For so long I had been able to read the minds of others. The hum of the bees, as I called it, never hushed. It was only with great concentration that I blocked out the inner voices of my family, for the sake of privacy and for my own sanity. I realized immediately that there was only silence when I was near her; Stillness even in the eruption of her pulsing blood.
How could this be? She was driving me into near insanity, this human! She had not only the power of her blood against me, but the power to keep her thoughts a secret from me. It drove me mad trying to decipher her every expression and mannerism. What did it all mean? I was not used to being withheld the privacy of a mind. My curiosity was so peaked that I even succumbed to watching her all the nights she had slept. Sometimes so peacefully then other times she wrung around like a turbulent storm.
And then she whispered my name; Just once, but loud enough for my hypersensitive ears to catch.
"Edward," her thin, pink lips had parted to say my name. The name I thought she reviled, but I knew then that I could not stay away from her. I needed to be with her, because I was in her thoughts as she was in mine.
There were other anomalies about the girl that drew me in. She was an enigma, but she grew more fascinating as I began to unearth the peculiarities of her person. For instance, I learned how fond she was of reading and especially of drawing. She never knew this, but I had admired her paintings and sketches that were tossed all around her room. This human possessed a gift and a talent all her own. There was sadness in this human, too. I observed how violently her mood would shift from day to day, and I wondered why her heart beat so heavily.
Was she abused at home? No, I had observed her father Charlie carefully, and found he was a genuinely good person. Were her friends the source of her grief? As far as I was concerned, her friend Jessica Stanley was only jealous of her popularity with the males in Forks High School, and her friend Angela possessed only kind thoughts. Did she feel insecure about herself like so many human girls did at this adolescent age? But no, I could not believe that this was the right question, because I read every mind of all the male's in Fork's High School the day she arrived. They all thought her attractive.
However, it was a particular day in art class that alerted my attention. It was a small moment, insignificant to any other being, but to me it was the brink of a monumental discovery. Along with her refined taste in books and art, her tragic flaw seemed to be clumsiness. I would always laugh to myself every time I saw her watch me walk, or rather glide from place to place. It was while she was painting that she pulled up her right sleeve. It was only for a moment, but I had already seen and memorized everything: the scars and bruises that massacred her exquisite skin.
She thought I had not seen at all, and recovered from the incident without due fail. I needed to know right then and there what happened to this girl. Why she was here, why she was so burdened, and how she was able to seamlessly cast her spell on me.
Isabella. Bella Swan.
The beautiful temptress that had captured my unbeating heart. I wanted nothing more to do then, but to protect her. To make sure that no maledictions could ever curse themselves on her sacred life. I was enlightened by the fact that she too seemed fascinated by me. Of course, if she knew my secret it could only lead to inevitable danger.
Bella and I made a pact to be friends that accepted each other's secrets. It seemed like a plausible bargain at the time, but it is in the night's my mind racked with worry for her, that I knew that the promise was impossible to keep.
It is now that I am stuck at a crossroads. After existing as an unnatural force of nature for a little more then a century I am in awe of which road to take. I held the note in my hands, the hands she shivered under the touch of, and I eyed it carefully again.
Edward,
I don't care what they say. You're invited to the masquerade.
Bella.
If only she knew what she would was asking for. I wanted nothing but to preserve her life and all she wanted was for the me, the predator, to enter her home. I knew if I went, there was no turning back. I had visited her house all those nights, and even under her knowledge, but never had she immortalized her will on paper. Also, she was defying the wishes of her friend, Jessica Stanley, who grew evermore irritating and deplorable with each session I heard of her mind.
I was torn, not because I necessarily wanted to go, but rather I had to. Something awakened in me the day I saw the scars, the night I heard her speak my name. To Bella, and only Bella, was I committed. She did not know the passion and fervor with which I wanted her. My want and curiosity for this human eventually came into knowledge with my family. Essentially, they were all against the idea, but they knew I was controlled enough not to suddenly spring an attack on her based solely on hunger.
No, I may be a vampire, but I am not an animal.
"I'm going," I said without falter or hesitance.
"What!" Rosalie turned her severe eyes on me, "You can't, Edward. Do you know what could happen if you attacked her? There'd be hundreds of humans there. Who knows what else you'd do!"
"What's going on here?" said Esme, my adopted mother, as she came into the living room.
"Edward was just saying that he's going to go to a human party," the wicked blonde said flashing her white teeth.
"Is this true, Edward?" Esme said so sweetly it was hard to believe she was at all concerned.
"It's true," I said, turning to face Rosalie, "I should leave now before Emmett and Jasper arrive."
Jerk. Save some of Bella for us, Rosalie thought.
I ignored her, and got up and to put my blazer on.
"Don't forget this!" Alice jumped in front of me, "It's a masquerade, you know!"
She handed me a black satin mask.
"Thank you, Alice," I smiled.
Good luck, Eddie. Try not to freak any of those humans out.
I kissed my mother, Esme, on the cheek before I departed.
"Please don't worry about me, Esme," I said in her ear, "I can control myself. Don't send Emmett or Jasper out for me."
But what about Carlisle? Esme asked.
"He trusts me, too," I said. With that I walked through the cedar doors of our house.
I was indecisive as to whether I should take the silver Volvo out tonight. The air was crisp, the perfect night to walk on foot. Plus, I'd be there a lot faster.
I started through the forest on a mild pace. The woods were one of my favorite places to be, because it was so quiet and still. I jogged on even faster as I blitzed through the foliage. Although I was nearly at 100 miles per hour nothing touched me as I glided past. Soon, I could hear the voices of the humans just up ahead.
I will be ashamed to admit, but I was hesitant to enter the household. A number of teenagers came in and out of the medium sized house. I put the satin mask over my face and smiled to myself. At least there wouldn't be the usual buzz about Edward Cullen as I came incognito.
Where is she? I thought.
And then, I heard the familiar rattle of Jessica Stanley's voice. It came from the light of a room upstairs. I glanced around me to make sure no bystanders were watching before I leapt up onto the trees and onto the roof near the illuminated window. I observed the view before me; the swelling of the sun inched lower into the horizon to give passage to twilight, the blue hour.
I peered into the window. There she was although her back was to me, along with her irritating friend, Jessica Stanley. I watched as Jessica checked her watch and screamed.
"Oh my gosh, only one hour left till we party! Get your butt dressed, missy," Jessica addressed Bella and then walked towards a white bag near a closet door.
"Now put this on, Bella," Jessica said.
I hope it doesn't fit! Jessica thought. What an unfortunate, malicious human.
I'm going to check if Jacob decided to come early," Jacob! I had forgotten about him. The mention of his name sent furious sparks around my being. With the close of the thick, wooden door, Jessica was gone. It was quiet again except for the light thump of music and voices from below. Otherwise, it was only this glass window that separated her from me.
Turn around, Bella I whispered so quietly.
And she did, slightly, as if she had heard me, although of course she could not. Bella's face was sad as she peered at the white bag in her hands. I wondered why she was so distraught. Was she not supposed to be elated about her impending occasion? Surely she could not be gloomy over what people thought of as a well-anticipated celebration.
Nevertheless, Bella's chagrined countenance worried me. Her skin was so pale under the light, so sallow beneath her eyes even through the opulent decorations festooned around her eyes. Then, she unzipped the garment bag to reveal a large piece of white material. It was nice from what I saw with a quick glance, but I could not stop staring at her face and I listened intently at her quickly beating heart.
All of a sudden, Bella lifted off of her plain shirt and jeans until she was only in a nude-colored bra and panties; her arm visible in the light. I felt dishonorable for seeing her without her knowledge or consent. It was a mere second, but the image of her smooth and firm body tacked onto my mind. I lowered my eyes quickly to let her dress.
When I looked up, sure that she was finished, she had vanished from my sight. I looked around quickly, hopeful that she had not yet left, and saw her.
She looked like some glorious creature, a swan, in her white dress. It was not so much the attire as it was her face, which was lit up like a thousand glass chandeliers. If ever I had seen beauty, it was a farce. If I could dream I would sleep forever to bask in the angel that danced before me.
She twirled around now, I had never seen her happier in all the time I had known her, and it sent warmth to my core. All I wanted to do was touch her then, her skin, her glowing face and eyes. To feel the curves of her waist and thighs. To have her delicate hands trace mine. To listen to her quivering heart next to mine's silence. To smell her supple throat and the chestnut locks whose aroma magnified ten fold as she twirled around in circles; every follicle breathing its scent into me. The smell was rapture to my senses and my throat hardened as I imagined the taste of her lips.
I could do nothing then, but be a silent observer. She trapped me in her maze, and I knew I could never get out.
A/N: So what did you readers think of this chapter in Edward's point-of-view? Reviews are appreciated!