Chapter 7: The Annamorphos

I relaxed back into the plush sofa as the tension in the room began to dissipate. The McRaes began murmuring and conversing amongst themselves. Some spoke about Avarice's story and some seemed to be speaking a strange language that sounded like random jargon. I placed my elbows on my knees and let myself catch up with the previous story.

Avarice and his yet-to-be-seen brother, Lazarus, were vampires from Ireland, with a strange disdain for the Cullens. Do they not like the Cullens or do they just dislike Carlisle? My curiosity was concentrated on one question, though: how did the McRae family know the Cullen family? I recounted what Avarice had said but it didn't get me anywhere.

'Doctor Carlisle Cullen…lapdog to the Italians and slave to his own convictions, yes we know him.'

I furrowed my brow as I attempted to make sense out of all this. Edward had never told me about any kind of feud or enemies they had. Maybe it was something else he was keeping from me. I slowly snaked my right arm around my midsection; despite the warming sensation I felt earlier, the pain was ever present.

"Bella?" Ary's voice of concern recalled my attention and the pain fizzled out a bit. "Are you all right?"

I wondered if she had seen me wrap my arm around myself, and I felt my face burning with a bright red flush.

Ary's face appeared alarmed as I grew more embarrassed. "Bella? Is everything okay? Do you have a fever?"

I lifted my head to explain my incessant redness and was mortified to find the entire McRae family was gawking at me. That does it. My face practically exploded, feeling like it was on fire, and I started to feel a little bit nauseous.

"Is she going to faint?" Melena asked, moving closer to me with a horrified expression, her sandy blond hair whisked out of her face so she could inspect me. I flinched at the coldness of her fingers and groaned internally while she fussed over me. "Argos? I know what will help—your specialty tea."

Without speaking, Argos glided out of the room through the same door he had come from. The light in the next room clicked on, and I was vaguely aware of rustling noises and the sound of pouring water. The others murmured anxiously to themselves, forcing my face to flush even more. I cringed as Ira narrowed her eyes skeptically; she was no doubt disturbed by my newly reddened pigment. Much to my delight, an elegant aroma wafted into my nostrils, the smell of peaches, strawberries, and passion fruit. I closed my eyes, letting the scent overpower my senses.

"Her skin looks much better." I recognized Avarice's voice as I focused on the aroma. If they paid too much attention, then it would happen all over again. Nobody is paying attention to you…nobody is paying attention to you. The mantra—however much of a lie it was—helped me a great deal.

I opened my eyes in time to catch Argos striding back into the room, a white mug in his hand. He very carefully kneeled at my feet and presented the cup to me, as if it were a ring. I smiled at the action before sipping the tea.

My breath caught in my throat as the flavor flooded my taste buds. It was glorious! The smell had been a citrus compound, but the taste was so much better. My mouth was alive with the symphony of all the fruits I loved: Oranges, apples, peaches, strawberries…it just goes on.

Despite the heat of the fresh tea, I finished the mixture quickly, much to the delight of my hosts, and smiled at Argos, who was still at my feet. "Oh gosh, Argos, did you make that?" He nodded and the light from the fireplace made his green eyes twinkle like emeralds. "That was so delicious!"

He bent his head forward. "Thank you, Bella."

"Are you all right now, Bella?" Avarice asked as Argos returned to his position next to Melena.

I nodded as a strange wave of confidence filled me. "Yes, thank you, Avarice."

"So, what was that?" Eric asked and narrowed his eyes humorously. "No offense, mi Bella, but you looked like a tomato."

A comment like this would normally send me spiraling back into a nervous fit; however, the tea had given me a strange boost. "I get embarrassed really easily."

Ary touched my shoulder, warming my entire body in the gesture. "Why were you embarrassed?"

I didn't know how long this sense of security would hold, and I wasn't willing to risk it, so I shrugged and chuckled a bit. "I'm not exactly sure."

The subject was dropped, and the family picked up their previous conversations. I breathed in heavily and let my eyes trail around the large room, taking in the decorations and paintings. In the adjacent hallway, I swore I could see a Picasso. It's probably a real one, too. I chucked softly and began evaluating each member of their family internally.

The first one to come to mind was Avarice, the Irish vampire, who had longed to go to war when he was human. It was something he had in common with Edward, whose goal was destroyed by the Spanish Influenza. I often wondered what Edward's life would have been like had he not gotten sick. My internal pain began to rise, and I forced myself to focus on the next McRae.

Ira and Dante were sitting together, discussing something in low voices, holding hands and staring at one another. They were very friendly towards me in the lunchroom, but they appeared shy now—sneaking side glances at me every now and then. Since Avarice confirmed that he was a vampire, I was about 75 percent sure that they were vampires, as well. Before I could dissect their body language, Eric waved to me.

"Hey Bella, watch this," he said to me slyly before calling over to Argos. "Hey Argos, tell us again what happened in Romania."

A hush fell over the family as Argos narrowed his eyes and pulled his lips over his teeth. His former docile expression contorted into a menacing glare, and when he spoke it sent shivers through me. "Erickson…don't."

The fear in me escalated as I noticed a ripple run across his skin, a tremor of some kind. I jerked my head back in shock and leaned back against Ary. "Ary, did his skin just move?"

Ary's exhaled heavily and leaned forward, a look of agitation on her face. "Argos, that's enough; you're scaring the human."

His demeanor changed instantaneously. His glare retreated to his soft stare, he relaxed his posture, and his skin stopped quivering. "I'm sorry, Bella, please forgive me."

I was struck by the sincerity of his tone, he was almost begging. I shook my head incredulously before smiling at him. "It's all right." But I turned quickly to Ary with a bewildered expression. "What just happened?"

"That," Ary muttered in an exasperated tone, "was Argos coming dangerously close to phasing." She threw a quick threatening gaze at Eric before focusing her eyes on me. "Don't worry, he wouldn't have hurt you—the house, maybe."

Dangerously close to phasing? What's phasing? "Ary, what do you mean by 'phasing'?"

The muttering around me stopped. Glancing around, I noticed the entire family's eyes were on me. Some of them gawked with curiosity while others stared with skepticism. However, Ary simply smiled at me, like I'd asked the million dollar question.

"Well." She pursed her lips as she appeared to concentrate on something. Her indented brow faltered and a warm smile spread across her tight lips. "Bella, phasing is when Argos changes from a man to…an animal."

I couldn't restrain my reaction, jerking my neck back and widening my eyes anxiously, as I mulled over what Ary said. Change from a man to an animal? "I don't follow."

Ary looked down and chuckled a bit, before motioning to Argos. "Bella, I'm sure you've noticed that we don't have golden irises." As Ary spoke, Argos moved around the sofa and rested at her feet. "I'm sure you've seen that we—well, I—don't drink blood." He leaned forward and suddenly seized my hands in his—the heat coming off them was shocking. "Do you wonder why our skin burns, while the others' is frozen?"

I nodded and quickly shrugged as Argos released my hands. "I-I-I've been trying to figure it out, but I haven't been successful." I shook my hands, now a little moist from Argos' grasp. "Ary, what are you?"

"I," she said slowly and motioned towards her brother, "and Argos, are what we call Annamorphos."

I rolled the word over in my mind but could not find its meaning. "A-AAnnamorphos?"

She nodded. "Um, should I know what that is?"

She laughed at my question, as did Argos, and rested her hand on my shoulder. "Bella, Argos and I are hybrids."

Hybrid, that's a name that I know. A hybrid was a cross between two species; I knew that much from Biology. "A hybrid of what?"

"A shapeshifter and a vampire," she said, turning away from me. Hanging her head she started to massage her temples, while Argos rested his hand on her shoulder.

I narrowed my eyes curiously. "Ary, what's a shapeshifter?"

She looked at me again, this time with raised eyebrows. "You don't know? Bella, I'm very surprised. You spent so long around the supernatural and yet you don't know about shifters?" She looked at me, seeing the blank expression, and sighing deeply. I swore I heard her mutter something about "just what did those Cullens teach you?"

I swallowed, forcing the pain in my stomach further down. Their continued malignance towards my

favorite people wasn't exactly sitting well with me. I still didn't know why they disliked them so much. I opened my mouth, but she started talking before I could ask. "A shapeshifter is someone who can transform into an animal."

"An animal?" I asked with a bewildered expression. Attempting to visualize something like that was almost impossible. "What kind of animal?"

"Well," Ary started to speak but didn't finish. Her face had resumed its contemplative stare. Sensing the pause, Avarice picked up.

"To say that they change into animals is a loose translation," he said with a smile. "Normal shapeshifters can change into larger versions of animals."

Ary sighed heavily before turning to Avarice. "Yes, perfect description. Argos and I are far from normal, aren't we?"

"You know that's not what I meant, Aryana." He rolled his eyes as he addressed her. "Besides, which one of us is normal?" She was silent and Avarice continued. "You see Bella, Argos and Aryana do not change into animals fully. They take on certain characteristics, like humanoids." I stared at him blankly, and he tried again. "Have you heard of anthropomorphosis?" I shook my head at the big word. "It's the attribution of human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings, much similar to the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland."

With that small detail, I was able to get somewhat of a mental image. So, Ary and Argos turned into strange animals that walked on two legs? Although, this seemed a little too incredible to be real, I had to look where I was. I was technically having tea with vampires. "All right, so you can

change into animals."

Ary laughed and shook her head. "You're handling all this information well. It's unsettling."

I grinned and shrugged. "I've had practice." Looking at Ary and Argos, I noticed how different they appeared. Argos was almost seven feet tall with sandy blond hair and piercing emerald eyes. Ary was about five foot five, with long black hair and striking blue eyes. The only thing they shared was their pallid complexion. "So, what kind of animals do you turn into?"

Ary hesitated before answering my question. "Well…I can change into a cat-like creature, and Argos changes into something similar to a bear."

I cocked my head curiously. "A cat-like creature—do you mean like a house cat?"

Her eyes widened incredulously as she shook her head rapidly. "No, Bella, much bigger."

"Bigger?"

She laughed softly. "When I change, I grow in size and mass. Take what you see now, add about two feet, and a few hundred pounds of muscle mass and fur." The others chuckled at her description while I simply gawked. "Argos gets bigger as well—but not by much."

Still attempting to get a good visual, I shook my head. "H-How did this happen?"

"That," Avarice said as he took a seat next to Skye, throwing his arm around her, "is an interesting story. Ary?"

Before she could begin Avarice stood straight up once again. "Oh my goodness, please excuse me. I have to make a phone call."

As Avarice glided towards the hallway, Ary shifted and muttered something over her shoulder. It sounded like 'tell him I say hello', but I couldn't be sure. She abruptly shifted and was facing me again.

Once again, I found myself trying to catch up with everything that I had just learned. All right, so Ary and Argos can change into animal-like creatures. A rush of excitement overtook me as I thought about it.

What would something like that look like? To see a human change into an… animal. "Ary?"

"Yes?" She raised her eyebrows.

"So, can I see you and Argos change into—?"

Ary's demeanor changed instantaneously, her nostrils flaring and her eyes widening in horror. "No."

I pulled away from her as her blue irises flourished with a yellow tint, something I had seen prior. "Um, okay Ary." I cast a worried look to the others, a tight queasiness forming in my stomach. I felt a cold sensation wash across me. Looking up, I realized Eric's arms had formed a protective cage around me. I hadn't even seen him move from his perch.

Another memory popped into my mind as Ary glared at me. I could perfectly recall sitting in the cafeteria and asking Edward if I could see him hunt. He had reacted in almost the same manner.

Eric craned his neck around my head and hissed at her. "Would you control yourself, Aryana?"

Butterflies formed in my stomach as he wrapped his arms tighter around me, shielding me from danger, and forcing my heart to take off. My head began to spin wildly, doubling my vision and giving me a small headache. I leaned into Eric, holding my breath so his scent wouldn't overwhelm me, and gave Ary a bewildered stare. A familiar tremor ran through her entire skin, a quiver; I had seen this previously with Argos. For a split second I felt weightless, traveling backwards through the air. When I met the ground, my back was to the wall and Eric's back was pressed against me protectively. I peeked around and spied Argos and Ary standing in front of one another. My body began to shake as I remembered the previous

episode in my home. I tried to slow my breathing as my heart continued to pound, further emphasizing the fear.

Argos began speaking a language that I could not identify, sounding much like the words Eric and Dante exchanged earlier. Whatever it was, Ary seemed to be calming rapidly. Her body language—once tense and rigid—was softening and relaxing before my eyes

With a deep sigh, she peered around Argos and locked eyes with me, a look of grief on her face. "Bella…I'm so sorry." Before I could answer, she turned and sped up the winding staircase, disappearing to the upper levels of the house.

"Ary?" I called after her, but she did not reappear. I turned to Eric who was staring at me with an apologetic grimace. "What happened?"

He sighed as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, the frigidness of his skin reviving old memories, causing me to cringe uncomfortably. "Ary is quite possibly the oldest in the family and the strongest." We both took a seat on the couch. "Unfortunately, that strength is difficult to control and sometimes overtakes her."

I gazed sadly at the staircase and wondered if she would come back. I realized that even if she could, I couldn't sympathize with her. She was obviously over 300 years old, since she was older than Avarice. My curiosity was sparked. "Eric, how old is Ary?"

Eric hesitated, almost as if I had asked the one question he'd hoped I wouldn't. After a few seconds of silent deliberation he grinned. "We don't know."

I was perplexed by this. No one, not even Ary herself, seemed to know her age. What, did she mysteriously sprout out of the ground? "I don't understand. How can she not know how old she is?"

"Well," Eric said bleakly as he turned away from me. "When she was bitten, a lot of her memories faded—what memories she had remaining, I mean."

"Wait," I held up my hands and moved closer to him. "What do you mean, when she was bitten?"

"Ary was bitten by a vampire, Bella."

He looked at me like I was missing something. "That's how she became a hybrid." I narrowed my eyes as he continued speaking. "It's strange. Normally, our venom is deadly to shapeshifters and werewolves, but something in her DNA bonded with it."

I nodded as I listened. So Ary was not always…like she is. She was bitten by a vampire just like the rest of them. "But that doesn't explainwhy she doesn't know how old she is."

"Sure it does," Eric nodded and wrapped his arm around me again, his golden eyes smoldering. "You see, Ary's memories had faded by the time Avarice and Lazarus found her. So, when she was bitten, those already fading memories became nonexistent. You start to forget things after a

few hundred years, Bella."

I shrugged. What was I supposed to say to that? I was only eighteen years old, not 100 and definitely not over 300. I leaned forward towards the fire. Eric's skin was chilling me to the bone. At least Edward had always provided me with a blanket. I cringed softly and gripped my midsection.

A gust of wind caught my attention. Avarice had rushed into the room, a concerned look on his face. "I'm afraid we'll have to cut this short, Bella."

He looked anxiously to the others and they were quickly on their feet. Did I miss something? Why did Avarice seem in such a hurry already? Did it have something to do with his phone call? I sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. Oh gosh, it's 3:45 already? I would definitely suffer for this in the morning. As I stood up, I panned over the six vampires before me with fascination. My eyes rested on Avarice who, after viewing his command over the family, appeared to be the leader. Wow, he's over 400 years old. He's older than all of the Cullens! Carlisle, Edward, Jasper...

Curiosity flushed through me as I thought of the struggling Cullen who had tried to attack me. "Avarice," he turned curious eyes to

me, "do you mind if I ask you one last question?"

"Not at all," he smiled warmly. "What would you like to know?"

"Well," I stammered a bit, trying to get the words out. "Do you find it difficult to be around me?" His indented brow told me that I wasn't being specific enough. "I mean, since I'm a human, does the smell of my blood bother you?"

The family chuckled softly.

"Bella." I turned as Dante called my name. He and Ira had remained silent for almost the entire evening. He now stared at me with a look that could only be described as amused. "We're not newborns."

I felt my face flush a little bit. "I know, Dante, I was just curious. You see, some of the Cullens had a difficult time being around me." The memory of Jasper's attack sent a shiver through me. "One of them in particular."

Their expressions became shocked quickly. Ira and Dante threw wide eyed glances to one another. Argos and Melena's eyes were open wide with obvious horror, and the remainder of them mirrored their expressions. I became unsettled as none of them spoke.

"Just how young were these Cullens?" Dante hissed as he rose from his seat.

I grimaced at his response. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you."

"No Bella." Dante's expression softened as me moved toward me. "You have by no means offended us. We are simply appalled by those who cannot control themselves." He shook his head before wrapping his arms around me. The gesture surprised me completely. "You are safe with us, my dear."

I sighed as he pulled away and smiled at him. "Thank you, Dante." As he turned away, a feeling of dread washed over me. I didn't have a ride home. "Uh, I hate to be a bother but, how do I get home?"

"I'll take you home."

We all turned to the staircase. Ary had returned.

"Are you sure, Aryana?" Eric asked, moving to the base of the stairs. She nodded. "All right."

Unfortunately, Ary thought driving would cause too much noise—Charlie might wake up. So she decided to use her alternate, and favorite, means of travel. A wave of memories washed over me as Ary thrust me over her shoulder like a backpack. After asking if I was all right, she launched herself into the woods at high speed. I had always thought that Edward was fast—remembering when he carried me from the meadow to the truck and the nausea that followed—but this was so much different. Maybe it was the darkness that amplified my senses, but it felt like Ary was faster. The trees were a blur as I mistakenly opened my eyes attempting to see where we were. A surge of queasiness overtook me, forcing me to close them quickly. A few minutes passed and her speed abated, almost stopping completely. I opened my eyes and found us moving at a brisk pace, up my street. My house came into view, and I was relieved to see that all the lights were

off.

Despite my relief, I still did not know how I planned on climbing through my own window. However, as if reading my mind, Ary took a running leap and planted herself in the tree next to my window. She maneuvered through the branches and leapt towards the house, forcing me to close my eyes and hold my breath.

Ary sighed impatiently, and I opened my eyes. She was gripping the side of the window, waiting for me to climb in. I shifted and, without looking down, clambered inside my room, relishing the feeling of solid ground. I thrust myself on my bed and looked back to the window; Ary had joined me in my room.

"Thank you, Ary," I smiled.

"For what?" she asked and, with a curious grin, joined me on the bed. I sighed. "For including me."

She sniggered lightly. "Well, thank you for not freaking out." She lifted herself off the bed and headed for the window.

"Wait," I called to her. "Will you stay for a little bit?"

I couldn't really make out her expression in the dark. "All right."

She crossed the room and took a seat in my rocking chair, the one Edward used to sit in. I gripped my stomach as the internal wound began to ache. I shifted painfully so I could stare at Ary. We sat in silence for a minute before I sighed. "So, you were bitten by a vampire, huh?"

She exhaled slowly. "Yes."

"What was it like?" I asked as I kicked off my shoes.

"Painful." I nodded, understanding fully what she meant. "Are you afraid of me now?"

"No," I said, a little too quickly. "I mean, you freaked me out, but I'm not terrified of you—Eric explained everything to me."

"Oh, he did?" Her voice became amused. "Please tell me what my brother said."

"Well," I wavered a little, curious if I should tell her. Maybe she didn't want me to know. No, she was the one who insisted the family air their secrets. "He said that you are very strong, and sometimes that strength is hard to control."

"Hmm," she hummed silently before snorting. "Something he would know nothing about."

We fell back into an awkward silence. I leaned back into my pillow and felt the full weight of my exhaustion. I yawned loudly.

"Bella, you should get some sleep." Ary stood up from the chair and maneuvered beside me. "We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Wait, can I ask you one more thing?" I was mumbling as my consciousness began to fail me.

"If you can," Ary sighed.

I forced my eyes open and focused hard. "Why do you cringe when you hear Lazarus' name?"

In the dark I could see her head jerk back. "What?"

My eyes felt like they were made of lead, they blinked slowly, aching to close. "Every time Avarice mentioned him, you reacted strange."

Ary chuckled before exhaling. "Bella, get some sleep; you're talking nonsense." She glided across my room and, as I blinked, she was gone.

I sighed softly and succumbed to my fatigue.

Author's Note: Repost