Sorry for the long wait everybody. I had this one with my beta, but she might be out of town or something because she's not responding. So, if there are little mistakes, please forgive me. I'm temporarily beta-less.

This chapter's pretty short. It's mostly a filler, but it's leading up to a big- and I mean BIG -turning point, so keep reading and you'll find out soon enough. I wrote the beginning of the next chapter (the first five paragraphs) and now my co-author is taking over that chapter. She was really excited to write it, so you should be too! :D

Keep Reading!

-TG

RXR- Maybe, if we get up to 30 reviews I'll get that chapter out faster... who knows? And trust me, you'll want to get out this next chapter quickly, because in five days I start school. After school starts updates will be slower- that is, unless I get some encouragement. Who knows? If I get a lot of reviews, I might feel the need to bring a notebook to class specifically for writing the next chapter for you guys...


Chapter 7

I soon realized – much to my relief, and Jasper's enjoyment – that vampires don't turn to stone. Well, not exactly. Instead, they sparkle like diamonds. I held my breath, somehow afraid that the slight movement of my lungs would make the wonder end. But it didn't, not even as I tentatively reached out to touch Jasper's arm, which was sparkling like thousands of minuscule glittering facets were embedded in his skin.

Jasper was smiling – it seemed I was always aware of what he was doing – even as my eyes stayed focused on his arm. Suddenly there was something else, his glimmering hand, that came into my field of vision. He grabbed my hand and brought it slowly to his lips. He kissed my knuckles, his lips still smiling. When I could take my eyes off his face, I finally focused on my hand. The air I that I didn't know that I had been holding rushed out in surprise. My hand was sparkling as well! Jasper laughed quietly at my expression.

"This is why we don't go out during the day. Not because the sun burns us or anything. This is just our reaction to the sun" He said, obviously still sensing my confusion.

"It is a little ostentatious, I admit." I said, with a note of sarcasm ringing in my now velvety voice. That was a severe understatement: If one of us were to step into the public eye like this we would have every pair of eyes within a mile radius staring at us. He chuckled at my comment.

"Just a little." He added, still smiling beautifully; his perfect white teeth shining next to his already flawless glittering skin. I held my breath, once again enjoying the view that enchanted me. I held my breath still, yet I didn't feel that familiar burning feeling in my lungs that signaled my need to breathe. After a while, my gaze drifted from Jasper's face to no where in particular. However amazing and beautiful he looked, my mind had moved on to something a little more urgent that was pressing against my thought. I held my breath still, and it had been about five minutes. It was only a bit uncomfortable since I couldn't smell anymore, but overall my lungs were not at all pleading with me to intake the needed oxygen. After a while of this, I looked over to Jasper again-- my already restrained breath being taken away by the pleasantly surprising beauty of his face. He had a questioning look on his face as he analyzed my silent reverie.

I thought silently about how I would explain my current musings. "I held my breath…" I explained. "for a decent amount of time. And it didn't bother me at all…" Understanding flashed across his face, and then seriousness set in.

"We don't need to breath, Alice." He watched me warily; for what, I wasn't quite sure.

"Oh." That was a little to digest. I filed that away in my head for further pondering. I forced my thoughts in another direction

"So if the sun doesn't hurt you… us," I quickly corrected; that would take time to get used to. "Then what about garlic?" Jasper shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "Crosses? Holy water? Stakes?" Jasper continued to shake his head, smile widely now at my ignorance.

"No, none of those things can hurt us." He replied. Then, he added with a hint of amusement betraying itself through the seriousness of his statement. "We can't even turn into bats."

"Darn." I muttered playfully. I pouted appropriately. But my curiosity was still tugging at me. "So what can hurt us?"

Instantly I regretted saying it. Jasper's face fell into a serious mask. He said nothing for a few minutes. "Well?"

He sighed. "Seeing what I've gotten you into, you should know." He brought his blazing red eyes up to meet mine. "The only way to truly kill a vampire is to rip them into pieces and burn them." I couldn't help it, I winced. The thought made me cringe.

"That's... um, harsh." I hesitated with my words, not knowing exactly how to word what I was feeling. He chuckled darkly under his breath, but it wasn't as humorous as it was grim.

"Don't worry. No matter what little spats we might get into, I vow that I'll never let that happen to you. I would put my own life- existence -on the line for you." His voice rang with the truth in his words. He drew his arm around me and hugged me to his side a little closer than we were previously. I frowned not exactly liking the idea of him putting his life on the line at all. I quickly noticed one word that he used and questioned it.

"Spats?" I asked quietly, folding my hand into his. He suddenly grew paler; though it seemed impossible considering his face was already a light shade of ivory. As he thought quietly about what to say, I traced the lines of muscle along his pale arm. Then I noticed them; many, many perfectly crescent scars lined up and down Jasper's beautiful skin, marring the perfection and not glittering like the rest of his skin. I looked at them in shock, "Jasper?! How did you get all these? What happened to you?"

"Well... uh. You might have been wondering why we have 17 male newborn vampires back at camp..." He trailed off, probably not wanting to continue. I threw him a look that told him that he needed to continue. My current thoughts were somewhere along the lines of 'Tell me who they are, and I'll rip them to pieces, whether they're a vampire or not.' Seeing my furious expression, he continued. "They're our army. Well, Maria's army since she created them, but she put me in charge of them. Sometimes they get... a bit rowdy." I disregarded the newborns and focused on his previous statement about Maria. He sounded like he was trying to defend himself, but it still sounded horrible. How could she turn a bunch of innocent people into her soldiers?

"Why would you need an army?" I muttered quietly, hoping that the suspicions crawling their way into my thoughts were not true.

"Um, first you should know that we- especially Maria and Nettie- can get very territorial. Actually, most vampires are that way. They don't like other vampires encroaching on their territory or reaping its... benefits. " He cringed on the last word, and I immediately knew what he meant. Benefits, I thought sickened. They fought over their hunting grounds. They were fighting for food.

Sensing my discomfort at the subject he tried to successfully change the subject—tried being the key word here. "Speaking of which, we probably should have taken you hunting last night, since you're a newbo- new to this." He quickly rephrased his words, not wanting to offend me with his casual use of the word that I now found repulsive.

"Um... I don't think I want to do that." He glanced at me quickly, testing the truth in my words. He looked surprised.

"You might want to start. One, by tonight your thirst we'll be killing you- figuratively of course. And two, Maria will be angry if you're not at your strongest." He finished, though it sounded as if he regretted saying the latter part of his little speech. I shook it off and scoffed.

"I don't believe I really care what Maria thinks or feels. I'm not afraid of her... I wasn't as a human, why should I be now?" He smiled as if I was missing some sort of inside joke.

"You should be. Maria can be... vicious. Be afraid, be very afraid." There was a sense of seriousness in his warning, but it ended in a mocking tone. He was probably just trying to not make me afraid with the light tone of his words, but I felt that there was actual foreboding hidden in his voice.

I looked up at the sky, noticing for the first time that the sun was directly above us, signaling noon. As Jasper noticed this he quickly sprang to his feet with vampiric grace.

"We should really be getting back now." He held out his hand to help me up. I took it gladly, though I didn't need it.

"Aw, do we have to?" I said tucking under his arm playfully.

"I'm afraid so. Duty calls!" He made a quick two-fingered salute, and I laughed. He did seem like a commander in the army. I thought mischievously as I glanced at his shimmering skin. Hmm, I always loved a man in uniform...