DISCLAIMER: SM owns all Twilight characters and settings. No copyright infringement intended.
This chapter has several new characters and might be confusing. Please bear with me. It will make sense as time goes on. I might note that I'm not a huge fan of new characters in fanfic but it is necessary to move this story forward.
I heard her thoughts before I smelled her. She was thinking about doing a swan dive off of a white billowy cloud into a vast expanse of psychedelic colors; her arms held above her head, her toes pointed, a projectile falling from the sky and hitting the mysterious mass without creating a single ripple in it.
I shook my head trying clear it of the odd image. Had she seen me coming? Did she have a gift herself? Was this some unique way of blocking her thoughts? I was wary and approached her slowly.
It had been five days since I pushed my car into a ravine in New Mexico, leaving behind what remained of my other life. I brought with me none of the clothes or personal effects that Alice had packed for me. The only thing I kept was my cell phone and it remained off. I needed no corroboration of my latest act of idiocy from any of them. Running was faster than driving, but I'd taken my time not wanting to beat Nicholas back to his coven before he could announce me. The hunting was paltry at best; I lived off of coyotes mostly, disgusting scavengers with sour tasting blood and a single mule deer that had the misfortune of crossing my path.
I ran only at night, hiding during daylight hours in whatever bit of shelter either natural or manmade that I could find. I could not risk a human seeing me even from a distance with my luminous skin that sparkled under the unrelenting sun. I'd lived a nomadic life before, but never in such a desolate area preferring the bigger cities that offered more of the depraved human prey that I could justify feeding on during those rebellious years.
I was deep into Mexico now and relying on my innate sense of direction to guide me to the spot on the map that was buried in my subconscious. I was confident that Alice could not identify my ultimate destination. She relied more on generalizations and less on specifics which could be maddening if one were depending on her visions to locate something particular. I assumed this same vague mental picture of my location and destination was infuriating Carlisle, but it gave me some comfort to know that they would not be able to follow me on my latest misbegotten adventure.
I didn't try to scrutinize why I was here approaching an unknown group of vampires in a southern region known for its violence. There was no logical explanation for my behavior so trying to analyze it would be an effort in futility. My rebellion seemed a massive over reaction to a simple request to visit Denali. Perhaps I truly had lost my mind and could no longer make decisions based on reason and common sense. If that were the case, then it was better that I become another coven's burden than continue to strap my family with my tribulations.
As I approached the lone vampire, I thought it might be possible that I was no longer able to decipher thoughts in a rational manner which would explain the jumbled incoherent ramblings that were currently whirling around in my brain. I slid into her mind and watched my own approach. I had not concealed my arrival and emerged into a small clearing quite close to her yet she appeared not to notice me, her eyes were focused over my head as she stared from her perch in a gnarled tree branch. She was the girl I'd seen in Nicholas' thoughts, the one that danced under a waterfall. His memory had not done her justice. She was extraordinarily beautiful, her shimmering black hair falling well below her waist; her face was like a finely chiseled sculpture, the angles precise, her features, eyes…nose…mouth, symmetrical and complementary of each other. Her skin, though pale, had a sun touched hue to it and since we didn't tan, it led me to believe she was native to the territory.
"Hola," I said softly, not wanting to startle her from a very vivid image of colors and shapes twisting languidly in the breeze across the clearing as real as any solidified vision of Alice's, except when I viewed the same scene through my own eyes, the mirage of colors failed to materialize.
The girl's faraway gaze shifted down and she looked at me thoughtfully, neither startled nor alarmed. A smile slowly slid across her lips and she appeared amused, like she knew me, was expecting me and that we shared a secret joke.
"Ciao." Her voice was high and lilting, "Why are you walking?" She spoke in accented English. I was incorrect about her nationality. She was Italian.
"I didn't think it wise to drive my car, besides it's faster to travel on foot."
"No…no…I mean why aren't you flying?" She stood up on the tree branch not ten feet in the air and flapped her arms as if to demonstrate.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Her thoughts revealed nothing but the same random images that now included me being accosted by moving shapes in the grass, shapes that weren't visible to my eyes and certainly weren't swirling around my legs wrapping around my torso.
She sighed and still flapping her arms jumped from her perch landing gracefully on the ground. This did not please her and she pouted folding her arms across her chest. "I can't fly today either. Do you want to walk with me?"
I nodded not sure what else I should do. Was this a game, a test, a way to determine if I could truly read minds? She was my first contact with Nicholas' coven and I hoped she could lead me to the rest of them. If she was suffering from some mental abnormality, it was odd that they would let her wander off by herself. Then I remembered my own delicate frame of mind and hadn't I been allowed to go on a twenty-five hundred mile journey alone. I was hardly in a position to judge.
"Nicholas invited me to visit your coven. Do you know Nicholas?" I fell behind the girl who was skipping in front of me, her animated movements reminding me of Alice.
She giggled, looking back at me shyly before responding. "Of course I do, he's my mate."
Interesting. I specifically remembered Nicholas saying he didn't have a mate. Why would he lie about something like that? "And is your mate back from his travels yet?"
"Yes, he's back. Come let's go find him, Edward." She giggled again and then took off running, her peals of laughter echoing back to my astounded stationary form.
The familiar way my name rolled off her tongue unnerved me and I tried to quell my growing unease. He'd obviously wasted no time communicating my identity to his mate. Was he so sure that I would follow him? I started running after the girl who was still laughing softly from somewhere in the trees ahead of me looking back from time to time.
Again I tried to read her thoughts and again found myself in a swirling mix of animated colors and anonymous shapes. I was so entranced by this jumbled mass of images that I didn't see a darker shadow firm up and fly in from her peripheral vision towards me until it was too late. Down I went; the force of the impact throwing me forty feet in the air, the unseen assailant had rolled away before I could regain my footing.
"Who are you?" A voice hissed and I spun to face my attacker, crouched and ready to spring, a low growl rumbling from my lips.
The one before me had also assumed a crouch. He was tall, without being broad; his hair was long, shaggy, brownish color. The features on his face were severe, his skin pulled taut over the marble bones of his skull. I could see several white crescent shaped scars on his face and more on the flesh visible above his hands and not covered by his long sleeve rather filthy shirt. He was Jasper all over again.
His lips were curled baring his teeth, he looked like the vicious predator he was. It would be just my luck that Nicholas had failed to mention me to this one.
"My name is Edward." We were circling each other eyes locked. "I was invited by Nicholas."
The vampire in front of me did not seem surprised, but his posture did not change. "And why have you come? What do you want from us?"
What did I want from them? Shouldn't I be asking him that? Was he trying to distract me until the rest of his coven arrived? I tried reading his thoughts, but he appeared to be aware of my gift and was deliberately blocking me using the familiar technique of reciting text over and over, in this case Shakespearean sonnets. He did not give the impression that he was about to attack, so I tried to minimize my aggressive posturing not wanting to exacerbate the tension between us.
"I don't want anything from you. I just…..I'm not sure why I came to be honest. I was invited by Nicholas and perhaps a bit impulsively, I took him up on his offer."
It was then that I picked up the thoughts of others, several others. Most were unfocused, disjointed; they were tracking the scent of an unfamiliar vampire, me, and their senses were heightened, their excitement was unmistakable dominating all other thoughts except for their thirst which alerted me with the intensity of it.
Newborns. Several newborns. I could smell them charging through the trees towards us, their overpowering scent hot with the thrill of the chase. They were hunting and I was their prey. I wanted to run, but newborns could be fast and there was no guarantee I could beat them. Inviting them to pursue me was last thing I wanted to do.
The black haired girl had come back and was spinning around me. Was I about to be attacked? Was this some sort of ruse? And if so, why had I been invited here in the first place? I felt a slight sense of panic but fought it down, they would be able to smell it on me and this would only encourage them further.
"Be nice Daniel. Edward's my friend. We are going to fly together." She frowned catching the scents of the incoming vampires but a serene look was on her pretty face. It eased my trepidation only slightly.
I was unable to stop the reverberating growl that escaped my lips as I saw three than four vampires emerge from the trees. They were in an equal sorry state of dress, none of them had shoes, some were missing shirts, all were male and they all looked like they would like nothing better than to annihilate me.
The girl ran between them snatching at their bodies picking what appeared to be imaginary soap bubbles off of them and releasing them in the air. They were surprisingly tolerant of her odd behavior doing their best to ignore her, though I could see a couple get more agitated and defensive in her presence.
"Who do you have here, Daniel?" One of them said, eyeing me suspiciously. There was a menacing gleam in his eyes and a look of anticipation that didn't bode well for me.
"He claims to be a friend of Nicholas, the one with the gift, the one that can read minds." Daniel had relaxed his posture with the arrival of the others. He had nothing to fear from me now. "Is that true? Are you the mind reader that Nicholas alleges to have found?"
I wasn't sure how to answer that. Divulging too much information to the wrong person could be a mistake. I tried to focus on what Carlisle would do. His disposition, his unending patience and soothing influences never failed to defuse a volatile situation. If only I could emulate him.
"I'd prefer to wait and talk to Nicholas before going into too many details about myself if that would be alright." My voice remained low and reassuring, but despite my attempts to placate him I could tell he was not pleased. He was obviously the leader of this makeshift group of rogues and his perceived authority was key in his ability to lead them.
"You'll speak to me and confirm your abilities first before I take you to anyone. I don't answer to Nicholas and neither will you."
I didn't think it wise to ask him what he meant by that last comment, but before I could respond I heard others moving towards us, three more. Did that make seven then? These were not newborns, their thoughts were much more focused their emotions less erratic and displace. They remained in the trees watching us.
"Very well," I said. I did my best to keep my voice steady as I recited that last sonnet I'd heard in his thoughts.
"Being your slave what should I do but tend
Upon the hours, and times of your desire?
I have no precious time at all to spend;
Nor services to do, till you require.
Nor dare I chide the world without end hour,
Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you,
Nor think the bitterness of absence sour,
When you have bid your servant once adieu;
Nor dare I question with my jealous thought
Where you may be…".
"Yes…yes, fine, you have the gift. Come then and try not to antagonize my newborns."
He waved me forward ahead of him which made me uncomfortable, but I saw little choice and I would rather have him between me and the posse of newborns who were obviously disappointed. In their thoughts I could see that they'd anticipated tearing me limb from limb watching me burn as they merrily ran around the fire that contained my corpse.
We moved quickly, the girl leading the way, the newborns some distance back from us. The ones in the trees remained on either side of us, I suspected they were waiting for me to try and run. I was in a precarious position. There was little I could do but allow myself to be herded towards what I assumed was the coven leader and hopefully Nicholas who could sort this all out.
"The girl, is there something wrong with her?" I asked nodding my head toward the lithe figure that disappeared than reappeared as she skipped between the trees.
"Wrong? I'm not sure what you mean," Daniel said evasively, but in his thoughts I could see a memory of her screaming and lashing out at him and Nicholas as they tried to subdue her.
"Her thoughts are not lucid. She sees things, random images that make no sense."
Daniel chuckled but it wasn't out of humor. "It will be interesting having a mind reader in our midst. Still, it's not my story to tell. You will need to speak with Nicholas or Cameron about Gina."
"Who is Cameron?"
Daniel had moved in front of me picking up the pace. In his mind I saw the blond haired vampire that I'd also seen in Nicholas' thoughts. "You will find out soon enough. No more questions please." He said curtly.
There was a snarling behind us and we both spun around. "Stop you fools." Daniel left my side and stepped between two of the newborns. They were all agitated and circling but two of the four appeared to be squaring off.
I backed away from the violent confrontation. I'd never before been around so many unstable minds. Their thoughts were hammering at me from all directions.
Kill him he's trying to poison the master's mind against you.
I'm so thirsty.
He'll sneak up on you at night. Kill him now. Daniel won't punish me, he needs me.
Sediento…. sediento….sediento….I necesidad de alimentar.
Will we be hunting tonight? It's been three days. Daniel will let us hunt.
Who is that new vampire? Rico says he's a mind reader. He'll be able to tell master our thoughts. We should kill him now.
I watched the owner of the last comment closely. He was standing apart from the other two not watching the fight but instead staring boldly at me. Sizing him up I knew he would hold no advantage over me other than what was typical for any newborn, however being a loner in this coven was filled with hazards. Without knowing if I had any allies, I could not know how much danger I was in. Being a mind reader would only get me so far. Why had I come here? How could I have been so stupid?
The vampires in the trees moved closer. They still did not show themselves, but they were prepared to step in should the situation escalate. I would do nothing to agitate them myself. They weren't newborns but their control was shaky at best.
I will not patrol with Michael again. I must talk to Daniel about him. He can't be trusted.
Is Nicholas leaving? Who will keep us safe from Daniel if Nicholas leaves?
Why are that vampire's eyes yellow? Is he sick?
As I watched Daniel cajole and scheme to get the two newborns under control without getting ripped apart himself, I realized that so far, most of Nicholas' information had been a lie. This coven was building a newborn army to acquire or hold onto territory. Nothing else would explain the existence of four newborns. No coven would turn so many in such a short amount of time. I would need to extract myself from this mess quickly before the situation escalated into something I no longer had control over.
Denali and the sisters were suddenly sounding like a very appealing alternative. I could apologize to Carlisle for this lapse in judgment. He would forgive me. He always did. For the time being I would draw from Jasper's memories. He'd survived in this environment for decades. I would use his experience and thank him for it later. And right now he was telling me to stand still, make no sudden moves, avoid eye contact and remain as non threatening as possible. I forced myself from the crouched position I was in, to an upright more human position and waited for tensions to dissolve.
As Daniel sweet talked his charges, the animosity subsided. Gina was back in the mix running between the newborns and myself, her arms flapping at her sides, her impatience evident to all. Initially I thought she might agitate them again, but they appeared to be diverted by her behavior. It was obvious they viewed her as nothing more than a harmless child. In her own way she was defusing the situation herself.
Once Daniel felt comfortable that he had the two troublemakers under control he encouraged them to leave us to hunt with specific instructions on the where's and how's, and the need for some discretion. Watching him convey his instructions on how to kill and hide human bodies, something he apparently had to reiterate before each hunt made my skin crawl.
It was so contrary to how Carlisle introduced his newborns to the act of hunting, how following a human scent, killing a human was to be avoided at all costs. He had to do the impossible, convince us to defy our instincts, ignore what was innate to our species. His patience during the first years of our vampire life could put Job to shame. His sympathy and understanding when we failed was as certain as the sun rising in the east and acted as the antidote for our guilty conscious. He did everything he could to make us see that we weren't evil, we could control our hunger, we could not only avoid killing humans but live peaceable among them. All of his wisdom, his passion for his beliefs was integrated into each one of us. It was his legacy. I was reminded again of the unending amount of respect that I had for him. So why was I here?
When Daniel felt comfortable that the newborns were under control, he turned his attention back to me. "I assume you don't need to hunt." He smirked.
"No, I'm still full from the pack of coyotes I killed earlier." My tone was acerbic. The newborns snickered. Apparently my taste in blood was fodder for their amusement.
With some additional snarling and subsequent shouts from Daniel, the newborn pack was off, their merriment and enthusiasm was detestable in view of the appalling deeds they would soon undertake.
We began trotting again, Gina in the lead; the missing pack of newborns defusing the situation considerably. The unidentified others remained hidden in the trees. I understood that they were Daniel's protection against me should my compliancy evaporate. I relaxed just a little. If I tried to escape now, I stood a reasonable chance of making it. I seriously doubted that Daniel or the others had my natural speed. I could outrun them. But I might be wrong and there was always the possibility of other vampires in the area, which I had yet to identify. Better to wait. Surely I would be given more than one chance to escape and it was very likely that I wouldn't need to. After all, what harm could I do to a coven of so many?
We were no longer running through trees, but had emerged onto what appeared to be an abandon dirt road, one that hadn't seen the use of a vehicle in a number of years. As we rounded a small bend, I could see a hacienda through the trees. It was a sprawling structure; quite elaborate for what I pictured a southern coven would dwell in, though hardly to Esme's standards. The building itself was in severe disrepair and no attempts had been made to keep the property in even a minimal amount of its former glory. Still, it was large and prominent and most likely a property of note especially with the locals. Hardly the inconspicuous abode that Jasper's memories suggested warring covens resided in. I touched the phone in my pocket wanting to call him, ask for his opinion, cringed at what would be his incredulous response and quickly abandoned that idea.
There were more vampires inside. Their thoughts were curious and guarded but not hostile. Nicholas was there too. I only got one thing from him. Relief. They had prepared themselves for my arrival, and now they waited. Anticipation, fear, excitement and Gina's bizarre images filled my mind. I tried not to think or analyze any one thought, but rather closed my mind like I did when I wanted to give my family some privacy. I wanted to see the owners of these thoughts before I drew any conclusions.
Gina had run through the front door, which was really just a doorway, the door was missing. The area in front of the house appeared to have been a garden at some point but now it was littered with broken furniture, crumbling pieces of exterior walls that still surrounded the property and other debris which didn't warrant further inspection. With a sharp intake of breath I realized a human skull had been carefully placed on a broken pillar. An involuntary shudder rippled through me. Beside me Daniel cackled.
I saw the blond women from Nicholas' memories first. As still as a sculpture she stood in the shadows as we entered the front doorway. Tall and regal she exuberated an ethereal aura and when my eyes locked with hers, I at once felt myself being pulled into her gaze. She was mesmerizing. Her eyes radiated with emotion even as her body did not so much as twitch. I felt myself drawn into the depths of those eyes, felt the hypnotic pull of her gaze and try as I might I could not break the spell of that penetrating stare.
"You are Edward, the mind reader that Nicholas has told us about?"Her voice had a familiar lilt. The same accent crept into Carlisle's words when he was emotionalor excited.
I nodded my head. It was a rhetorical question. Who else would I be?
"And you've come to join us in our fight to stop those that are trying to take what is ours."
I looked at her thoughtfully cocking my head. Is that why I was here? To help them defend their coven? I found it hard to focus.
"Mary….Mary. We must not put such a burden on our young friend. Edward is our guest. We must give him time to absorb everything before we articulate our wishes."
The blond man that I understood to be Cameron drifted in from another room and stood at Mary's side his arm slipping over her shoulder. His affection for the women next to him appeared obvious and I quickly assumed they were mates. He was a beast of a man, taller than myself and substantially bigger, his body frozen in the prime of his life. He looked to be about thirty in human years and though not as large as Emmett he displayed a rugged toughness that made me surmise he would be formidable in a fight.
Now he looked at my curiously and I saw his question before he asked.
"My eyes are this color because of my diet. I do not feed off humans, only animals."
"We've heard of your kind, rumors from other travelers, the vampires in the north that only live off the blood of animals, but until Nicholas told us of meeting your coven we would not have believed it could be true." Cameron said pleasantly. "You will tell us of your coven and how you manage such a diet. It will make for a very interesting conversation."
I nodded my head, my eyes drifting back to Mary.
"You find my mate desirable?" Cameron appeared amused. I could feel Daniel snicker next to me.
"No…..I….I mean yes but not to me….." I stammered. If I could blush, my face would have been bright red. As it was, I tried to ignore their laughter.
"If Mary has a gift it's her desirability to others, few can resist her charms." He sounded amicable enough, but I couldn't be sure. Had I just been flirting with his mate? I remained quiet keeping my eyes averted trying to curtail my fascination with Mary.
Cameron appeared to understand my stillness as he continued speaking. "We were very excited to hear about your gift especially after Nicholas assured us that you would leave your coven at his invitation. We are very pleased that you have joined us."
"I'm sorry, but I've never spoken to Nicholas." I said dumbfounded. Did they actually think I planned to stay with them? I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling on the ends.
"Isn't that really just semantics?" Cameron's eyes narrowed a bit. "He asked you through his thoughts, did he not?"
I nodded.
"And now you are here just as he said you would be."
I did not dispute what he said thinking it prudent to appear as cooperative as possible. The pull of Mary's spellbinding charisma was making it difficult to focus on little else so I was not really in a position to argue my point in any case.
Perhaps it was wishful thinking on his part, however here you are, and we are delighted to have you." Mary said dismissively. "Now is your chance to meet him, you've already met his lovely mate Gina."
He was as I remembered though his appearance was no longer one of a nomad. He had a fresh change of clothes and shoes on his feet and an overall more civilized exterior. His arm was firmly around Gina's shoulder holding her vibrating body in place next to him, a form of control that was perceptible. There was something else about him that I hadn't noticed during his visit in Forks; a nervous energy, mimicking Gina's but in a less neurotic way. In Forks, he'd been affable and open, his eyes easily meeting Carlisle's, his posture anything but mistrustful. But now amongst his own coven he appeared ill at ease and threatened, as if he expected to be attacked at any moment. His strange behavior validated my own apprehension that something wasn't quite right; I'd been misled in some way.
There were the obvious warning signs; Nicholas' lies about the newborns, his claims that he was from a peaceful nomadic coven, his comments about not having a mate. Initially I'd assumed his lies were insignificant little dalliances from the truth, but now I suspected there was something else simmering under the surface, something unspoken and not eluded to, something sinister that would present itself very soon. Again I had the urge to run. Instead I decided to confront my suspicions head on.
"Hello Nicholas, it's nice to finally meet you." My voice sounded steady in my own ears. I needed to find out the truth without displaying my alarm.
"Edward. I'm glad you choose to join us here." He spoke without looking at me, finding something fascinating to focus on in Gina's hair.
"I have to admit, I'm surprised at the discrepancies that I've seen relevant to your conversation with Carlisle."
There were chuckles in the room. I felt movement behind me. I'd forgotten about Daniel. He had moved away from me but I realized I was surrounded. I would not be given an opportunity to run now.
"Yes well, you must understand, I was the lone vampire in the midst of seven, and one of those was very suspicious of southern covens. I had no interest in arousing his wrath by confessing that we were a coven fighting for territory." Nicholas smirked meeting my eyes for the first time. "And as for not having a mate, well it's unusual that one would travel without their mate, so I couldn't confess to having one without revealing my true intentions."
"And what were those intentions? Now that I'm here, surely I can be told of the true motivations behind your vist."
"I would think that would be obvious," Mary spoke up, smiling suggestively at me. Do you truly not know what Nicholas sought?
She reminded me of one of the sisters, though there was nothing in her thoughts that I could deem as sexual. Still, she seemed to be implying something in her subtle comments in the same manner that Tanya's sexual innuendos which were never directed at me but always appeared to be said for my benefit.
"No I'm sorry." I mumbled.
"You, young Edward. Nicholas was looking for you." She smiled pleasantly at me and I heard Gina giggle, but a quick check of her thoughts saw her shrouded in thousands of butterflies of all colors and varieties, tickling her as they attached their little legs to her skin and tried to lift her up; it had nothing to do with me.
"I'm sure I don't understand." And that was true, but I could feel dread growing in my stomach like a malignant tumor; the truth was almost in front of me, almost.
"We've been ravaged, annihilated, our coven is far from the grandeur it was just a year ago," Cameron spoke thoughtfully as he stroked Mary's hair. Our army is down to seven and some of those are no longer newborns, the rest won't be newborn for long. We need to do more than just create new vampires; we need to expand our coven to include some vampires with gifts. Emulating the Volturi seems a reasonable solution to our current quandary. Since gifted vampires are only achieved through luck, we sent Nicholas out to find them. He'd been unsuccessful in his quest until he found your coven. Imagine finding multiple vampires with gifts. Too bad Nicholas couldn't entice them all to join us."
I saw a quick exchange between the two of them but their thoughts were hazy to me. Mary's presence was affecting my ability to read others.
"Nicholas has a gift to find others with special talents." I reminded them. "Why can't you do as the Volturi and just create your own."
"An excellent question, young Edward. But Nicholas' gift has its limitations. Do you know of the one they call Eleazar and how his gift works? He was with the Volturi guard for many centuries."
"Yes I know of him," I said warily.
Eleazar can detect potential gifts in humans as well as vampires. Nicholas can only detect gifts in vampires. Useful, but you understand there is a significant difference."
I nodded, glancing at Nicholas who was mumbling in Gina's ear as she sang softly to herself. I politely did not listen.
"Nicholas, perhaps you should explain to Edward his purpose here." I could feel Mary's intense gaze. She was willing me to look at her, but I found I could resist if I focused hard enough.
"What I said about traveling through North American for almost a year was true, and it was also true that I was on my final leg of my trip. Meeting you and your family played no part in the timeline of my journey." Nicholas spoke deliberately and without emotion. "But I was not truthful when I said that we were not a fighting coven. We've dominated this region for years. No one would challenge us, we didn't even have to fight, our reputation did the job for us. The Volturi left us alone because we were discreet, our methods of controlling the newborns contributed to our discretion. But another coven tired of the endless battles in and around Mexico City encroached on our territory. Initially they hoped to co-exist with us, but as you may know, with that many vampires in such a small area a confrontation was inevitable.
I shrugged. My only experience with the tensions of war involved wolves not other vampires.
We underestimated their strength. Their newborns were well trained and easily controlled by their master." He threw a pointed look at Daniel. "We lost most of our young army of newborns and two of our coven mates."
"Nicholas was sent out to bring us back gifted vampires. Up until now, he'd failed miserably." Cameron continued. It was apparent that no love was lost between the two of them by the look that was exchanged. "But now you are here Edward just as he promised so his obligation to us is fulfilled."
"What obligation is that?" As I said it, I could see one word pop up in Nicholas's mind. Freedom.
"Nicholas has decided that he no longer wants to remain with us. But as you can understand Edward, we are in a very precarious situation already, we could not just let him go, so I advised him that if he could replace himself, I would let him take Gina and leave us as much as it pains me to do so.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not here to join your coven." I could see no way to broach the subject without being completely straightforward. Once I said my piece I would know better what next faced me. "I came here at Nicholas' invitation. As you surmised I needed a change, my family needed a break and traveling to visit another coven seemed like a reasonable option. I'm sorry if my presence here has been misunderstood."
The vampires around me remained very still. There was no noticeable reaction to my words so I continued.
"This is strictly a visit, and unfortunately, now that I understand the circumstances, I cannot stay. I will not fight for territory that is being secured to kill humans."
"Edward, we understand your special diet and would not think of asking you to change it. You will find enough wildlife in this area to keep you sustained or if not, you can eat the human's dogs, the beasts are quite a nuisance, but we must insist you stay. Your gift is exceptional, hardly commonplace. You will give us a significant advantage against our enemies." Mary's voice was still agreeable, she was pinning her mesmerizing eyes on mine and I struggled against their draw. She had the unique ability to dazzle me in much the same way that Bella claimed I dazzled her.
Nicholas looked at me then at Gina who was playing with his pony tail then back at me again. "There really is no other option. I'm leaving. Gina and I are leaving. This atmosphere isn't healthy for her. I'm not sure if you noticed but she's not well. I need to get her out of here." I'm sorry Edward.
I nodded. What did that have to do with anything? They should leave, the girl was clearly mentally ill.
Nicholas had an obligation to us," Cameron said austerely. "To abandon a coven in the midst of a battle is unforgivable, but he has atoned for it with his delivery of you."
"What is wrong with her?" I choose to ignore the implication that I was being traded for Nicholas' freedom.
"She's had some difficulties with this existence, she's never been strong. I believe she's reverted to memories of a human life, she seems disconnected from this one. She needs a life like the coven you came from." One that doesn't involve violence and the erratic nature of newborns. "I need to get her out of here." Nicholas met my gaze for the second time, his eyes were pleading with me to understand.
"I'm not staying." My hand slid into my pocket and I fingered my phone. "I'm sorry about Gina, but you brought me here under false pretenses. I would never have agreed to come if I had known what you were."
Cameron's eyes shifted to Daniel, I heard him move closer to me." I struggled to remain nonthreatening, but every instinct screamed at me to fight or run.
"I was afraid you might feel this way, "Cameron said slowly. "Let me explain the situation thoroughly for you. We are keeping you. How difficult you make it is entirely up to you but in the end it won't matter. We are all quite amiable if you would just give us a chance…..well except for the newborns." He mocked. "Nicholas has provided us with important details. We understand that you are very close to your other coven, the Cullen coven isn't it?" They shouldn't be too hard to track down if you remain uncooperative.
Panic shot through my veins making me ultra sensitive to the sentiments in the room. I forced myself to remain rooted in one spot. My family! He was suggesting he would hurt my family. Could he? Of course he could. Yes it was true, they would be moving to Duluth in a month, but how hard would it be to locate them? Carlisle had gone by his given name since he first started practicing medicine. He was never theoretically suppose to be the same Dr. Carlisle Cullen but rather a descendent from a long line of Cullen progeny who dedicated their life to helping others. He would be easy to find and finding him would mean finding the rest. I thought of Esme, how she was often alone at night with Carlisle at the hospital and my siblings out hunting. She would be defenseless. My fingers slipped out of my pocket.
"I can see by your expression that you understand, Edward." Mary said cordially, like her mate had just suggested paying a social call to the coven I left behind. "Believe me, we don't want to harm your former coven but we did promise Nicholas his freedom and we can't go back on our word so you must stay with us." At least for a while.
My former coven. Is that what they were now? Had I finally, however inadvertently made a permanent break from my family? "I'm not sure….what would you need me for? How could I make a difference to you? How can I help you?"
I didn't recognize my voice. It sounded lackluster and distant. I felt an ache in my chest, a pain not unlike the pain I felt when I thought of Bella. But I wasn't thinking of Bella now, she was with me wherever I went; the rest of my family was not.
"I think you underestimate your value. It was rather a waste of your talent to live as you did. I'm surprised the Volturi haven't tracked you down. They seldom let the truly gifted slip by unnoticed." Cameron had nodded in the direction of Daniel but I didn't have the cognizance to monitor their thoughts too stunned was I at my own apparent fate.
"They know of me. I turned down their invitation to join them." I knew I was speaking, I felt my lips moving, but I could not generate the interest to respond further. This was how it was going to be then. With everything that Jasper had done to escape his nightmarish southern coven, I had walked right into the same situation, knowing full well what to anticipate. The stupidity of it was beyond even my comprehension.
Mary giggled, a sound that did not fit with my vision of her noble appeal. "Well how fortunate for us. We are truly blessed to have you."
She cocked her head. "I hear the others coming, Daniel. Did you instruct them to bring enough for all of us?"
"I thought Nicholas and Gina would be gone by now," Daniel said defensively. "They will have to wait." And the animal feeder won't need to eat.
"We aren't staying," Nicholas had his arm firmly around Gina who was thinking about how the cracks in the walls were growing. Soon she would be able to crawl through them and she wouldn't need to use the door anymore. She pondered how Nicholas would fit since he didn't have the ability to shrink down to the size of a bug.
Edward, I'm so sorry about this, but I had no choice. My mate is ill, she won't survive in this coven. They would have killed her long ago except for her gift. The only way they would let me take her is if I brought someone back to replace us.
I looked dubiously at Nicholas. I didn't try to be discreet. His need for penance was obvious in his expression. Gina had a gift. I didn't wonder what it was. I didn't care.
Your mate is dead. You have nothing else, no reason to stay with them. It's why I knew you would come. You need something to occupy your time. You could add value to this coven, they could use you and they won't mind your idiosyncrasies as your other coven did.
He wanted me to acknowledge his comments in some way and sighed when I continued to just stare at him. I could hear the chaotic thoughts of approaching vampires, could smell them and was that humans with them? This got my full attention.
"Perhaps you should go Nicholas. Edward understands don't you Edward?" Cameron seemed unconcerned with the content of our private exchange.
"Of course." The hollowness of my voice echoed in my head.
You would have done the same Edward, for your mate. You would have done anything.
Yes perhaps I would have, if I had been given a chance.
I could tell your family where you are; surely they would come for you.
I saw the horror in my face through his eyes and his thoughts abruptly shifted gears.
Perhaps not a wise idea, but somehow I could find a way to warn them to be on guard just in case your time here doesn't go well.
I closed my eyes and nodded inconspicuously. This seemed to appease his guilt ever so slightly. The rest of his thoughts were fragmented.
Good luck then...I'm very sorry…watch out for Daniel.
"Bye Cameron, bye Mary, bye Daniel, bye Edward." Gina said with enthusiasm, grinning at each of us as she said our names. I don't think she was expecting any of us to reply. Without another word, Nicholas floated out the door with Gina at his heels. Several seconds later, I could no longer hear their thoughts. They were gone.
The difference in farewells between this coven and my own did not go unnoticed by me. Nicholas had been telling the truth about one thing. This coven was together out of necessity only. That would take some getting used to, but perhaps it was where I belonged. A dismal existence lacking the love of others, serving malevolent vampires by helping them maintain a lifestyle that was abhorrent to me. Perhaps this was how I could atone for Bella. This was my penance. Not exactly in the spirit of Bella's unselfish gentle soul, but as my punishment it would do nicely.
The posturing in the room changed. I watched the pair before me as their eyes turned from crimson to the blackest of black. I could hear the humans now, whimpering, crying moans, their thoughts a jumbled petrified clutter unable to absorb or process the terror around them. There were screams of pain, prayers to God, cries for mercy and they were getting closer. A new sort of horror was about to take hold of me, as I saw the memories of those around me feeding on humans, the blood, that delicious sweet blood, spurting from the gaping wounds, flowing across their tongue, down their throats…..down my throat…..They fed as did the Volturi. Their meals were delivered.
"I need to leave," I groaned.
One look at me must have confirmed it for an astute Mary. "Leave than, but don't go far. We'll call you when we're done" She was absorbed in the sounds of the approaching petrified humans, the anticipation of feeding overwhelmingly powerful; venom filled my mouth.
I'll have to remember to tell the others to bring back a cow the next time they go hunting" Daniel snickered. He too was envisioning the pulsing blood running over his lips.
I groaned in real pain, and staggered out the door following Nicholas' scent for lack of a better alternative. Escaping the sounds, the smells and the thoughts of the humans dying at the hands of the vampires was not overly difficult, but the memories would be there waiting for me when I returned.
When I was no longer in range of their thoughts, I curled up against a tree in the tropical paradise of Nicholas' visions and hugged my knees to my chest. I was alone now. Carlisle wouldn't be coming to rescue me from this latest little adventure. I would do nothing to jeopardize my family; they were all that mattered to me. I would do as was asked of me. I would be the best I could be at whatever they had planned for me. This perhaps was what I was destined for anyway. Cameron was right; my freakish gift hadn't really been utilized to its full capacity under Carlisle's charge. I hadn't been doing it justice. My mind reading abilities seldom involved life or death situations. That would all change.
Burying my head in my knees, I stroked my hair trying to emulate Esme's fingers but my anxiety remained. I could do this. I'd been a poor excuse for a son…a brother…even a mate, but I could succeed at being this…this nonsensical puppet. I would offer the gift of my mind to be exploited at their whim. I wouldn't make the decisions; perhaps this would ease some of my guilt. My only consolation was knowing that this wouldn't be my life for all of eternity. A time would come when there was nothing left in me to give, when I'd be drained of every last drop of the essence that made good people like Bella or Carlisle or Esme or my brothers and sisters feel that I was worthy of their reflection. And when that time came I would find a way to do what I should have done after Bella's death or if I wanted to be truly morose, decades earlier when I'd proven the monster I was despite Carlisle's vehement denials. It shouldn't be hard; the violence of this new lifestyle would surely leave me some options. An enraged newborn or two should be able to handle the job. I just had to have patience and provide some value to this coven so Cameron and Mary wouldn't feel slighted and seek retribution against my family.
Sometime later a voice spilled into my consciousness. Edward? It is safe to come back now.
Safe? What was safe? In the context of living with this coven, safe was missing out on the mass killing of humans.
But I would do as I was told, my new responsibility to my family, would be my obedience to this coven. I had one last thing to do. My fingers slipped into my pocket and I pulled out my cell phone. It was my last link to Carlisle. I could still call him, he would come, I knew he would try and help me because he was a good person and after all of these years, he still felt responsible for me, his biggest disappointment. Despite the overwhelming risk to his life, the flawed creature that I was just might make that phone call when the horror of this little escapade finally sunk in, so I had to take steps now, while I was still strong enough to fight against my defective self-serving genetic makeup. I felt like I was holding my heart in my hand, my last link to the family. But like my heart, I wouldn't need a phone anymore, so after briefly touching the phone to my lips, I crushed it into an unrecognizable lump of metal and plastic and tossed it in the woods.
Good bye.
Author Notes:
This chapter was extremely difficult to write. It came across as very disconnected. I'm not sure why but I blame it on the new characters. ;o)