In the Grip of Twilight

By:

Olivia Tannis Moore

Chapter Twenty:

Love and Aloneness: Part Two

Of course, Elena didn't want to leave the parlor with the Cullens. She stared at me from her perch between Marcus and Caius, as they stood like sentinels at the double doors. This reformer business must've shocked her, as well. Funny, just yesterday I was the bug she longed to squash; today, I was still the bug she wanted to squash, but my rare blood got in the way.

"May I stay, Father?" she asked with a confidence that suggested Aro seldom denied her anything.

"It would hardly be fair, Adeloni," Aro replied. "When I would not allow Edward or the others to stay. However, if you can persuade Marcus or Caius to part with their position for you…"

Elena grinned and looked up slyly at her two relatives, as if trying to decide which she should coax.

I was astonished when Caius immediately bowed to Elena and left the parlor.

Aro's attention instantly returned to me, as he gathered his dark robe up in his hand and indicated that we should sit. But I was tired of sitting and waved him off, politely. Carlisle did the same and leaned his elbow against the fireplace mantle as he waited for our discussion to begin.

"Now, you asked if you must become like us" Aro said to me as he sat in one of Esme's embroidered chairs. "The answer is both yes and no. A Reformer is changed so painstakingly slow that the host becomes both vampire and human simultaneously."

"Painstakingly slow?" I didn't like the sound of that.

Aro nodded. "Think of it as a micro blood transfusion over many days, until your blood is equal parts human and vampire. I won't mislead you, it is a difficult process. And full transformation takes a while…years, actually, as your abilities strengthen. You will not be an eternal being as we are, but your lifetime will expand. Our last Reformer lived to see five hundred years."

He paused and seemed to consider what was in my best interest to know—or his best interest. I wasn't sure. "The vampire blood will give you incredible strength, speed, and durability. You will heal remarkably fast, as we do. It would be hard to destroy you, but not impossible—take care that your heart never leaves your body and you will be fine."

He talked as if I'd already agreed to do it. But I wasn't delusional; I knew I had no choice if I wanted to live—and if those I loved were to continue to live. I knew too much. I carried too much inside my veins to simply be allowed to walk away.

"I assume Edward will be your partner, if he is willing?" Aro said.

"If he is willing," I agreed. I glanced at Carlisle and he winked at me.

Aro nodded. "The two of you will come to Volterra. You will be my guests for no less than six weeks."

I could've sworn I heard Elena groan as she crossed her arms against her chest.

"But school—I can't just—"

"We have our own academy in Volterra that we sponsor. I'll have the paperwork sent to your school; it will all look very legitimate and exclusive. You'll come to Volterra on a short exchange scholarship. No one will question it."

Six weeks in Italy…with Edward. And painstakingly slow blood transfusions every day. I shook my head, the irony of it all.

"If it is all the same to you, we will leave Monday morning."

"So soon?" I shook my head, unsure. "I'll have to talk things over with Edward first. I can't promise you anything."

He smiled smugly. "Of course. Do you have any questions?"

Actually, I did… a rather important one.

"Will I have to feed"… (Oh god, the thought of drinking another human's blood)… "on animals?"

"No, not if you don't wish to," he said, then smiled blandly, as if the idea were childish and required patience. "But why deny yourself the ecstasy of living blood? It is our nature, our essence. Surely you realize that you must drink a small bit to do your work."

Yes, the thought had crossed my mind a few dozen times. It would become an enormous weight on my conscience…knowing that if I didn't control the blood-lust, someone that I was trying to help would die. Before, when I tried to persuade Edward to change me, I tried to push those images from my mind, thinking I would deal with the hunting when I needed to. But taking in the blood of humans… that was entirely different…that had the potential to drive me mad.

And then I thought about what Carlisle had said about working around blood day after day, and how it had taken him many years of discipline to get to that point, and how it was never truly easy.

"Bella?" Carlisle gently said, pulling me back to the present. His handsome face was blurry and I had to quickly blink the tears away. "Why don't you take some time to rest?" His voice was soft, concerned. "You look exhausted."

Rest… I almost laughed. Could he tell me how to turn my mind off from the future I would shortly have to face? No. No one could. But Carlisle was long-suffering and he continued to wait on my answer. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'll probably have more questions later," I told Aro. "But first I have to talk things over with Edward." Then I didn't wait on Aro to dismiss me, but turned away and brushed past Elena and Marcus, and didn't stop until I'd reached Edward's room at the top of the stairs.

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(Note: Thanks to those of you that are leaving comments—I appreciate it. And thanks for reading.—OTM)