Chapter 34: Black Hole Sun
Instantly, the beautiful statue seized me in her clutches pulling the stands of my hair back and exposing my neck. I stared up at my ethereal captor. Her blood seemed to coarse through veins of stone that tangled through the surface of her face and neck. Her appearance was both mesmerizing and terrifying. The moonlight bounced off of her skin almost as if she herself were glowing. She peeled back her stunningly carved lips into a ferocious smile revealing her white fangs. "David," she whispered, "I think your lovely daughter would be grateful if you did the honors."
I didn't move. I held perfectly still, cradled roughly in her arms willing myself to not be afraid. I felt my own blood pulsing through my body fighting back the natural reaction to defend myself. I breathed heavily, my nostrils flaring. "David," she said, her tone shifting to that of a parental warning, "trust me, you don't want to watch me do it." Her eyes flicked to where he was standing.
It must have been enough. David's arms replaced hers, so much softer and more human than her alabaster skin. His touch came gently and he peered into my fear ridden eyes. His whispering lips traced over the veins of my neck, hot and alluring, "Fear not, my child, the pain is fleeting." His teeth bore in hard into my throat. I reared in pain, trying to escape his grasp. My body wriggled and my back arched. I fought with all of my strength, but his grip did not falter. He held me close, taking from me what he had given. His jaws held true as he escorted me to what felt like my death all over again. An intense heat and tingling sensation began to numb my limbs. I could no longer struggle or fight, there was only him. Suddenly the pain vanished. As he pulled the blood from my limp body he gave the most exquisite feeling of joy-- like the feeling you have when you finish an amazing novel and you open the cover to its sequel. It was like a beginning and an end rolled all into one-- a once upon a time delicately entangled with a happily ever after. The level of satisfaction and pleasure was unfathomable. I lost myself in the emotion finding myself incapable of despair or of ever knowing pain again. I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head in a fantastic swoon. The darkness seemed to encompass me. It was soothing and warm, comfort in its finest measure. I fell easily into the abyss like a deep slumber. I drifted for a moment, just growing accustom to the nothingness.
Hot liquid seared my lips, burning like tiny embers from a nearly extinguished fire. I rolled my tongue over the hot coals that burst with the most delicious flavor, succulent and raw with a rather rustic and ancient finish. I continued to extend my tongue, opening my mouth to receive the rest of the irresistible substance. Voices showered down from above me, "David," said a silvery raw voice, "open the wound." I was being lifted and pulled close to a hard object. My face was pressed readily into a crevice of the stone.
"Nessie, drink," a soft voice lulled in my ear. "Drink," he encouraged. A hand cupped the back of my head, fingers twisted into my hair and I pushed my sharp little teeth into the stony flesh before me, latching on for dear life. Her feminine moan broke my dreary haze as the reality of the situation flashed back into my memory. Maharet, this was her blood.
Hot pools of the luscious liquid flooded my mouth and cascaded down my throat. Realizing its precious value, I closed my mouth over the wound, willing my lips to catch every drop of the sacred gift. My eyes flashed open as I saw centuries of time passing as the blood flowed freely into me. "Yes, more" her thoughts called to me in between her ecstatic moans. I felt her spilling into me, like a river swirling into the ocean. Her blood replenished the supply that David had taken. It had a life of its own, taking its vicious hold in every direction. It filled into every inch of me, engaging my body in a battle of conquest. I sucked hard, pulling at her veins, dragging as much of her into me as possible. I wanted to be filled to the brink with her rich and ancient blood. The monster inside of me danced in joy as the hot liquid poured into me. He roared in triumph, in glory as he bathed in the newly acquired power.
I fought the swoon, wishing to savor the exuberance, the high. I saw a flash of light, the faces of thousands of human beings that I knew to be Maharet's mortal descendants came into my mind. I was surrounded with flowing red hair and vibrant green eyed beauties that spilled over, generation after generation. Oh how she loved them, cherished every birth, celebrated every life and respected each death. She was the Watcher, the Seer of so many things. She guarded her blood line fiercely, protecting the progeny that followed her century after century. The mother of a vast family extending across continents in too many branches for a family tree to hold. They seemed to defy the laws of evolution, of nature itself, with their domineering gene pool. Her blood revealed very little of her vampiric nature, so few fledglings were generated at her hands even over the span of millenniums. Her true conquest and focus lay with the weaker species. She held human life above all else. She sought reverence in her mortal family. They were her lifeline, her reason for continuing.
"Ah yes, child," her voiced called to me through her blood, "They are the secret to life. We will forever be ourselves, never changing, never becoming more than we are, never dying-- only watching, outsiders. We do not belong to the earth as they do. The humans are the ones to be seen and heard. Our voices should only sound to guide, to protect the beings upon which we are forced to feed. Above all else, hold them sacred. They are the true gift."
Her strong arms easily pried me from my attached state. Tears filled my eyes upon leaving the beautiful faces of her family. I fought the lonely, emptiness of the surrounding night with all of my strength, but the tears flowed freely and sorrow gripped at my soul. The beauty was overwhelming, her love, her capacity for giving shook me to the core. I curled into a ball weeping against David's chest. His hand patted my head lovingly. He stroked my hair and let me cry. No words of comfort or concern left his lips, he simply allowed me to feel-- to exist in this bittersweet form-- horrible and wonderful all at the same time. The combination of the two most vibrant emotions could reduce even the most stoic to tears. I could not contain so much feeling, my cup had been filled to the brink and now spilling over the edge. I sobbed bloody tears, refusing to entertain the idea of stopping.
Maharet pulled me from David, cupping my chin in her long fingers. I quivered under her touch. "I have given you something more powerful than you know, you have received it well, my child. Thank you for accepting my gift. May you continue your compassion for humans and remember what you have seen within me. My blood will make you powerful, but only your soul will make you strong. Be wise, young one, there are many lessons that lie ahead of you." She smiled kindly and moved strangely fast embracing David, "I love you," she told him and then she was gone.
The night fell utterly still around us. I could not move, my limbs seemed to harden me into my stance as if I were turning to stone. David draped his arms around me, I could feel his jubilant smile without seeing it. I still could not access his mind, but the blood had begun to overwhelm me with sensation and awareness. "Come, my angel of darkness, let us get back to your house and family. Your blood will be much stronger before the next falling of the sun, but you will need to rest." I fell into his embrace and buried my face in his chest as we took to the sky, rising far above the clouds. This time, the cold did not touch me, fear did not grip me and we moved astonishingly fast as I willed us to be safely back in Forks with the ones that I loved.
We descended upon the forest backing the house within minutes. My head spun for a moment as my feet felt the ground beneath them. "Have you drank from her?" I spoke freely to David. I no longer felt a need to be cordial or to hide any of my feelings from him. He was safe, equal.
He did not flinch at my question, "Yes, and others who have a copious amount of old blood flowing through their veins. I would say that our raw potential in the blood is about equal. Maharet rarely gives her blood so freely or to one so young in the blood, it is dangerous to bestow a fledgling with such gifts. She must have sensed something different about you."
"Or you," I said, standing a little too close to him, the trees staring down upon us.
He smiled at my retort and gazed down at me. Our eyes met. I watched in amazement as his features twisted and arched in delicate patterns. "Nessie," his hands fell through my hair. I couldn't move. "Our kind does not pair up as yours does. We do not have mates, some of us go through our entire existence without spending more than a decade or two with another of our kind. You will come to understand that the company of others like us is just not desirable as time goes by. Please understand, as I know you will, that I do love you, as my Maker loves me and as we grow to love one another in our own ways, but the love that you have known with your family, with the other species is much more developed than ours. Your coven is formed with a delicate balance of caring and love and patronage that is unknown in my species. You will maintain this experience and you must realize it to be preferable. I love you my beautifully dark daughter, but you must be with your family. I do not wish for you to part ways with them, or for you to think that you are obligated to stay with me. I want your company very much, but I will not put my selfish wants ahead of what you have. I will not take anymore from you than I already have."
I stared up at him, understanding his words, maybe not fully, not near as much as the pain in his eyes divulged, but enough. "David, you are my Maker, my father in this new blood. I love you as I have never known love, but Jacob is where I belong. We are made for each other, we have children to raise and a life to live. If I learned anything from Maharet's blood, it is that mortal life is fleeting and you and I will literally have forever. I wont ever ask you for more than companionship. I know my place." Resolution fell easily into my words. Although I adored David and was fascinated by him more than I could possibly express, my heart belonged to Jacob. The kinship and love that David and I shared was something completely different-- inexplicable in terms of the heart or human relations. It was permanent-- forever.
I grabbed his hand and started toward the house. We walked hand in hand as the stars faded above us and the dawn scowled at us, willing the children of the night to remain in the eternal service of darkness. She coaxed us back into a deep, dark holes, keeping us at bay.
I flew up the stairs, startling Jacob who sat in the softly lit room by the twins, peering through the plastic encasing our tiny children. "Geez, Ness, a little warning would be nice." He jumped to his feet and wrapped me in a classic Jake bear-hug, only now it didn't feel quite so tight. I smiled up at him. "Ness, you know I love you. I'm sorry I left, it... it..."
"I know, it was just too much," I punched his arm playfully.
"Ouch, what the hell? Have you been doing steroids or something?" he rubbed his arm.
I gnashed my teeth at him, faining viciousness, "Wait till you get a taste of these."
He wrinkled up his nose at my fangs, "Yeah, yeah, real scary," he taunted. "Wolves aren't scared of vampires," he said brushing me off. I laughed and fell back into his arms.
"Love ya," I said, taking in his delicious scent.
"Right back at-cha, kid," he said with a wink.
"You know I hate it when you call me kid, right?" I said with a sneer.
"Yep," he folded his arms in front of his chest, puffing it out a bit, "that's why I say it."
I giggled and rolled my eyes. "How are our babies doing?" I said ignoring his usual bullshit and turning down to look at the twins.
"Great, Edward... Er... your dad says they are doing pretty good, all things considered. Me and your mom just fed 'em about half an hour ago," he said proudly.
"Ooohhh, you got to hold them!" I said with an enormous amount of envy.
"Well, not exactly, but kinda. We have to keep them in the incubator still, for at least another two or three days. Their growth process has slowed down quite a bit since they were born. Which according to your dad, strengthens the theory that they are human!" he said with excitement. I don't think Jake was too stoked about the idea of having vampire kids and having to explain and justify them being allowed to live to the pack. Even though he was the Alpha, I think he was very much relieved to avoid that battle.
I grabbed his hand and interlocked our fingers, staring down at the entanglement. "How was your night?" he said. I tried not to read his thoughts, I tried to avoid noticing his hesitation at asking the question.
"Jake," I said in a low voice, "I'm not going to sugar coat things for you. I want you to fully understand what I have become and what I must do to survive." He nodded, but didn't look at me. I sighed, hating that I had to tell him what I had done. "I killed one human." His eyes bulged and his mouth opened to protest, but he quickly changed his mind and his jaw clamped shut. "I know, I know," I said, desperate to explain myself before he phased and ran out on me again, "but we went all the way to Vancouver and the man I killed was a rapist. He had just drugged and raped a chick in a shit hole of a bar and he had done it before. He'd raped lots of girls, some of them really young. I was really scared of killing anyone at first, but after knowing the pain and suffering he was inflicting on those poor girls... it just, well, it just wasn't such a bad thing that he died, ya know?" I looked at him, pleading with my eyes for him to understand, that he wouldn't think of me as a disgusting creature that he and the pack must exterminate.
"He didn't try to rape you, did he?" Jake said with a twinge of fire bursting in the deep blackness of his eyes. Typical Jake, I'm the killer and he's worried about me.
I rolled my eyes, "Jake," I said with half of a smile, "I don't think that is ever going to be an issue."
"Yeah, well," he said, not willing to admit that I didn't need him to protect me, "Well I guess not, but just be careful, okay?"
"Okay, I promise," I said crossing my forefinger over my heart with a smile.
He pulled me in for a hug, "So just one nasty rapist then?"
I hesitated, "Yeah, well and then David taught me how to do what he calls the little drink. You don't kill any one, you just take a little sip. They don't even notice when you do it if you do it right." I decided to leave the details of the gyrating drunk guy at the club out of the scene, better for everyone. It wasn't sugar coating, but I thought I could at least spare Jake the visual and myself the guilt.
"I think I like that better," Jake said with a knowing smile, "Hell, I don't mind when you do it to me."
I smiled back, "Yeah, I guess not huh?" We both giggled like kids for a minute before composing ourselves. "Well, baby, and babies," I said turning to the twins. "It's almost dawn, and you know what that means..." I tried to keep the mood light and easy to avoid another Jacob freak out.
His head hung, "Yeah, we know." He grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a kiss. Our noses touched and he held me close, "I'll miss ya."
I squeezed his hand, "I'll be dreaming of you..."
He perked up a little bet, "Alright get out of here, you," he said pushing me to the door, "Good night, I'll see you in a bit." he smiled and I turned to walk out of the room and I felt his hand smack my ass. It felt more like a flutter of insect wings, but it sure made a loud-ass noise.
"Ouch! Damn, talk about buns of steel," Jake said wringing his hand in pain.
"That'll teach ya, won't it?" I said with a lofty smile and a giggle. "Good night," I called over my shoulder and began my decent into the darkness of the cellar.
The musty air swirled around my nose and lips. Earthy and damp, it wasn't unpleasant, especially when David's scent mixed in with it forming what would have made the best selling cologne on the planet if you could bottle it. My feet swept down the stairs. I found David arranging the bedding in both of our caskets as if it were completely normal that we were going to bed down in the boxes that mortals used to house their dead.
"Making the bed?" I said with a snicker.
David's gentle laugh thickened in the musty air, "I suppose so. Are you ready?"
"Ready? To sleep in a coffin? Who isn't?" His laugh sounded again. I smiled and walked toward mine. "So, I just climb in and shut the lid?" I said trying to sound confident. He nodded, "Then what?" my voice definitely cracked.
He turned to me, "And then you will fall into the sweetest sleep you have ever known. The moment the sun pierces the sky, something in our bodies just shuts off, like a light switch. Its much easier for me to sleep now that I'm a vampire," he said with a comforting smile. "When I was mortal, it would take me ages to calm my mind enough to actually sleep."
"Do we dream?" I asked.
"Yes, its pretty much the same, sometimes you remember them, sometimes you don't," he said with a shrug. "We don't have much time, are you ready?" I nodded feeling a little scared. "Why don't you get in, I'll shut the lid for you."
I climbed into the silk lined casket, arranging the sheets so that they fell lightly over my still clothed body. I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to burst from the box and run up to my room and fall onto my soft bed surrounded by lavender walls. That seemed much more appealing than the painfully close quarters of a death box. "David," I said as he peered down at me.
"Yes, Nessie?"
"Do you think, just this once," I stammered, embarrassed by my fear. "I could..."
He smiled kindly, "Of coarse, come on." We climbed into his coffin which was much bigger than mine and curled up together like spoons. He pulled the lid down with a soft thud, enclosing us in total darkness. I pressed my body against his as his arm fell loosely around my shoulders and his breath fell on my neck. "Good night, my child," he said softly giving me a light squeeze.
"Good night," I whispered back. I closed my eyes and within seconds fell into the black hole of vampire slumber.