A/N: Hi, my dear readers. Just to let you know, that I have changed the rating of my story, as I may get a little carried away with some scenes, and there may be some swearing a little later on. If this is not to everyone's taste, then please do stop reading. I wouldn't like to offend anyone. This chapter is a little treat for you as I was so late with the last, so please enjoy. :)
Rosalie snorted and Emmett laughed.
"Come on, Maeryn. We all know that the Phoenix is a mythical bird," he said, laughing harder.
"Mythical, yes. A bird … well, also yes, when not in human form," I replied, frowning at him.
He stopped laughing, and gaped at me.
"You for real?" he asked.
"Yes, Emmett. I am. Where exactly did you think the stories originated from? It's like the stories about your kind. They had to come from somewhere, right?" I scowled.
"Yeah, but … I mean …" He couldn't continue, as his mind caught up.
"A Phoenix?" Edward asked. "That's why you have purple eyes, yes? Phoenix means purple in ancient Greek."
"That's right," I agreed with a small nod.
"So, can you, like, turn into a bird?" Emmett asked seriously, and Rosalie slapped his arm.
"Emmett," she hissed.
"It's fine, Rosalie," I laughed. "Yes, Emmett. I can. It happens when I am in battle, or when my time upon earth is up, and I need to be reborn. As I'm sure you know by now, it happens every hundred years."
"But the stories state that it is every five hundred years, that the Phoenix resurrects," said Jasper.
"Yes, but we can decide how long for ourselves. I find one hundred to be a more profitable number. I have to obtain and collect as much information as possible, and I find I can store that information more efficiently if I do it in one hundred year increments. I can also end my cycle quicker, if I feel the need to. I could resurrect myself now, if I were inclined to do so."
"Why would you need to do it sooner?" Edward asked, almost scowling at me. I scowled back.
"If I were to be attacked right now, when I haven't had my correct training, I can transport myself away and begin again. As my story stated, the Sky Riders are our mortal enemies. They shouldn't be able to sense my arrival for another few years, but sometimes they can catch on a lot quicker, and I have to run if I'm not fully prepared."
"Oh," he simply said.
"So are there many of you? Here, I mean?" Alice asked.
"Each realm has only six of us at a time. Two Guardians, two Librarians, one Keeper, and one Warrior. My parents are the Guardians of this realm, and Azriel is my Keeper. His parents are the Librarians."
"And what do the others do?" she asked.
"The Guardians watch over their realm. They will send me wherever I need to go, in aid of protection for this world. They can sense wherever, and whenever, there is danger. We do not, however, interfere with any species that is already governed, unless they become a danger to us. Like all of you, for instance. You have your Kings, the Volturi, to keep you in check. The Librarians keep stock of our histories and keep our books up to date with the new technologies around, and whatever information I can provide them. Azriel is my Keeper. I transfer all my knowledge to him before my rebirth, so he can pass it back to me. As you know, I awake with no memories. He is also my trainer. He will help me prepare for battle, and be my training partner."
"So, you will be a Warrior until you are what? Mated? Is that another job title for Azriel? Will he become your mate?" Edward asked, raising his voice slightly.
"Not that it's any of your business, Edward, but yes. That is usually how it works with us. As you know there are only two children in each realm. One male, one female. So, yes. I suppose Azriel and I are destined," I snapped back at him.
Oh my stars! Azriel and I are meant to be together, I suddenly realised. No wonder he was so upset when he saw what had happened with me when I first saw Edward. But, if Azriel and I are meant to be, then what I feel for Edward is surely no more than an infatuation. I could only be for Azriel, and no one else. That is why there are only so many in one realm. And what was with Edward anyway? Why did he seem so angry about Azriel and I. Just I thought about probing his mind again, he abruptly stood and left my home.
"What is wrong with him?" I snapped at Alice.
"Perhaps it's time for us to leave," Jasper said, motioning to Rosalie and Emmett. He gave Alice a loving kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you at home."
"I might be a while," she said to him.
"Take your time," he smiled.
"Hold on a minute. I want to know more," Emmett grumbled.
"Come on, Em. I'll take your mind off it for a while, and Alice will let us know more later," Rosalie whispered to him. I shuddered slightly at the thought, as a huge grin spread across Emmett's face.
"Bye, Maeryn," he said, as he practically dragged Rosalie through the door. I rolled my eyes. The others left, and I sat back down with Alice.
"What's going on, Alice. Why does he hate me so much, and why all the drama?"
She sighed deeply, and squared her shoulders.
"Edward doesn't hate you, Maeryn," she started, and I quickly interrupted her.
"How can you say that? Haven't you seen his eyes when he looks at me? They turn as black as a starless sky, filled with anger."
"Maeryn, he doesn't hate you," she repeated, and before I could open my mouth, she held up her hand. "Let me explain. You see, Edward is over a hundred years old, and we all thought he was destined to be alone. But, not now. He has finally found his mate." She smiled warmly at me.
"So? What has that got to do with …. Oh! No! No, no, no. Please tell me it's not me, Alice," I begged. Her smile grew wider. "Alice, no! This simply cannot be! There is no way we can ever be together. For one, it's forbidden to have any relationships with others that are not of our kind. Two, there will be consequences! Great big, cataclysmic consequences!" I all but screamed.
"And, I now realise why you ran away from school that first day," she continued. "You have found your mate as well."
"No," I whispered, absently rubbing my chest.
"You see? It hurts when you are apart, doesn't it," she said, pointing at my hand on my chest. I quickly removed it.
"I'm just trying to calm my heart," I mumbled.
"Mm hmm. If you say so."
"Alice, seriously. This cannot happen. I won't allow it. There are too many things that could go wrong. Can't you see that?" I begged.
"But what will happen to the two of you, if you both deny it? You know that is not a wise choice. It can damage the pair of you denying yourselves, don't you know that?" she snapped in retaliation. "He thinks exactly like you, that the two of you shouldn't happen. He said there would be consequences on both sides, so he is trying to deny it, too. But he can't. It washes over his face each time he sees you. His desire for you. To be near you. He has been like a bear with a sore head all week, because you weren't at school, and he jumped at the chance to come over here tonight. He can deny it to himself all he wants, but his feelings are on show for the whole world to see, when he looks at you. And you! Your eyes blaze like they are on fire when you see him, too. Deny it all you want, but I know the truth."
"Alice," I moaned, with my head in my hands. "You don't understand. Even if it were allowed, there could be no children to carry on my bloodline. We won't be compatible that way. And even if, by some miracle, we did have a child, the world would be unsafe as that child could never become a Warrior. I won't be able to continue being a Warrior when I become mated, and I need to be able to have a child that can take over from me. My race are here for a reason, Alice. To protect everything in this world, and other worlds like it. That needs to be carried on through the generations."
"It's too late," she whispered. "Even a fool could see what has happened. You are both bonded. There is no turning back." She seemed to have taken in what little I said, and seemed to be understanding. Which, in turn, has made her sad.
"Alice, there has to be a way back. I can see you are starting to understand some of the consequences, but there will be more. I cannot allow this to happen. I will need to leave."
"No! Please don't leave, Maeryn. We will find a way. I would miss you too much. Bella is my best friend, but you are like a sister to me. You understand more things about this life, which I can talk to you about. It is too dangerous for Bella to know too much about us, so I can't talk to her the same as I can with you. I know I have Rosalie, but she is so self-obsessed, I can't really talk to her either. I get lonely," she mumbled.
I started pacing the room. My parents will kill me. Azriel is going to be so upset, I'll probably lose him as a friend. I need to leave here, but the thought of leaving pulled at my chest, and I started to rub it again. I didn't know what to do. I knew I should leave, but I didn't think I had the strength to. The more I thought about him, the stronger my pull toward him was becoming. Azriel. I needed him here. Perhaps if I tried with him more, and not just in a friend way, maybe I could bond with him as I should have done in the beginning. I needed to try my very hardest to get Edward out of my mind, and Azriel was a good place to start. He was handsome, after all. Tall and muscular, but not overly so. He was athletic. His hair was a dark brown color with red highlights running through it. He wore it fairly long, and kept it tied back in a plait. His face was angled and well defined, with soft stubble growing around it. His eyes, of course, were violet like mine, with long black lashes that framed them beautifully. He was a good man. So why couldn't I try a little more with him? I haven't ever thought about it, and thought that it would happen eventually. But, obviously not. So, maybe it did need to be worked on. As soon as he arrives, my full attention will be on him.
"Maeryn?" Alice interrupted my thought process.
"Hmm?" I mumbled.
"Are you okay? You look a little pale."
I laughed. Pale? That was surely an understatement.
"I'm fine, Alice. I just have a lot of pondering to do."
"Everything will work out, you'll see," she insisted. I smiled at her.
"Yeah," I said, knowing that it wouldn't work out between Edward and I, but she didn't need to know my plans yet.
Alice left, and I headed straight to bed. It had been a long and tiring evening, and my mind was still racing. I felt retched about forcing myself to fall for Azriel, but what else could I do? He was the one I was meant to be with. I at least needed to try. If I failed, I would need to leave and probably return to my parents, which was one thing I was hoping to avoid. My head buzzed as I thought over everything. There would be war, if Edward and I pursued our feelings. The Sky Riders would capture him in an instant, and extract his essence, killing him slowly. The Vampire Kings would no doubt want me captured as well, which they would have difficulty doing, but they would try just the same. So both of us would get hurt more than we would by just denying ourselves, so it was the far better option. All I needed to do was stay away from Edward, and concentrate solely on Azriel.
I couldn't sleep, so decided on going for a run. That could usually clear my head when it was buzzing the way it was now. I ran for what seemed like hours, and it had to be, as the sun was almost dipping down behind the horizon. Night would soon be here. I slumped down on a pile of old fallen leaves, exhausted. My sense surrounded the immediate forest automatically, probing for any danger, as I sat and recovered from my extremely long run. After a minute or two, my sense picked up some movement. I zeroed in on it, and found it moving very quickly, and pouncing on an animal. Must be one of the Cullen's I thought, as it had no heartbeat. Perhaps Alice needed some time out, too. I waited another five minutes, feeling her moving toward me, and I thought about leaving. I should have, but I really needed to apologise to her for my behaviour earlier. A twig snapped to my right, and I glanced round and found Edward instead. My eyes widened as his did. I needed to leave, but found myself rooted to the spot.
"Hi," he whispered, as he slowly stepped toward me.
"Hi," I smiled back. I really needed to move, but I found my eyes watching his every movement, like I was mesmerised.
"May I?" he asked, pointing to the ground next to me. I couldn't find my voice, so I just nodded. He slowly lowered himself into a seated position beside me. I had to drag my eyes away from him, as my heart rate picked up it's pace.
"I'm sorry about earlier," he said, looking up at the canopy of trees above us. "I didn't mean to be so rude."
"That's okay," I said, glancing at him, only to find his eyes already on me. My heart jerked in my chest as his black gaze bored into me. I could feel it now. The bond. I didn't want to, but it was there. It sizzled in the cool, night air, and I'm sure he felt it too. His eyes widened slightly, and his lips parted. I could feel my own lips parting with his, as my heart doubled it's speed. He leaned slowly toward me, never taking his eyes off mine, and I fought with my own traitor body as it did the same. I could feel his cold, sweet breath, coming in short, sharp intakes, as he leaned further in. My own breath became ragged, and I felt my eyes close, just as his lips found mine.
Our lips moved gently in sync. It was the most tender thing I had ever felt. Our bodies twisted so we were facing each other, as the kiss quickly grew deeper, and more needful. A warm explosion in the pit of my stomach erupted, and I found myself clinging to him desperately. His arms embraced me in an unbreakable hold, as his kiss became harder. He pulled ever so slightly at my hair, and growled into my mouth, which I immediately reciprocated with my own moan. My head was swimming, and my body was full of desire for this creature. This beautiful man. But he wasn't a man. He was a vampire. And all of a sudden, my mind cleared. I needed to stop this now. Right now. I pulled quickly away from him, and pushed him away, probably harder than I should have, as he rocked backward.
"I need to go," I hissed, and spun on my heels, and ran.
"Maeryn!" he called after me, but I was gone.
I ran with all my might back home, and stormed through the door, locking it behind me. Not that it would stop a determined vampire, but I felt better doing it. I bent over double, trying to catch my breath.
What the hell have you done? I thought to myself. That was entirely uncalled for, and extremely stupid! I berated myself.
I rose to standing, and went to the kitchen for some water. My body felt as if it was on fire, especially where Edward had touched me. The remnants of his touch lingered, and burned hotter than any other part. My mouth was parched, and my lips felt swollen. I gulped a full glass of water, and almost dropped the glass as there was a knock at the door.
"Maeryn?" Edward called from outside. "Can I please come in? I need to speak with you. I'm sorry for what happened. It was completely un-gentlemanly of me. Please may I come in?" he pleaded.
I was already behind the door, resting my forehead against it. My heart stuttered hearing his voice, but I had to put a stop to this.
"No, Edward. I'm sorry. I am as much to blame, and I should never have allowed it to happen. Please go away," I whispered.
"I can't leave without speaking to you, Maeryn. And I won't do it through a door. I will break it in if I have too, so please just let me in."
I believed him. I sighed and unlocked the door, and sat down. He let himself in, and slowly followed me over and sat next to me. I couldn't look at him, for fear of my desire heating up again. I could feel his gaze upon me, and I swear I could feel my body reacting to him. Where he had touched me before, burned with a new intensity, as if it cried out to be touched again. As if in answer, he reached for my hand, but I pulled it away.
"What do you want, Edward?" I asked, still without looking at him. He sighed.
"I don't know. I only know that I didn't want you to leave. I followed you back because I need to be beside you. I always want to be near you, and I can't fight it."
I groaned. He just said exactly how I was feeling.
"We can't do this, Edward. There is too much at stake for us to become involved. Didn't you speak to Alice when she got home?"
"I haven't seen her. I didn't go home when I left here. I went running in the forest," he said, trying to claim my hand again. I folded my arms, and carefully looked up at him. Big mistake! As soon as our eyes met, we melted into one and other in another all consuming kiss. This time, I didn't fight it. I wanted this as much as he did, and our bodies reacted accordingly. The kiss grew deeper, and more passionate, as our desires took over. I scrambled on top of him and straddled his hips, whilst we both pulled at each others hair, and growled at each other as our tongues collided and danced. His hands worked their way from my shoulders down my back, as I pulled slightly harder on his hair. His growls deepened with pleasure, and I couldn't help but mimic him. He grabbed a hold of my hips, and pulled me closer.
Maeryn? Azriel's voice echoed in my mind. I'm on my way.
I gasped and pulled myself away from Edward.
"Shit!"