Hard Truths

Adrianne was awake before she opened her eyes, the sound of rain falling softly in the background. She sighed and stretched, immediately contracting her limbs as her body flared in pain. Her back was still sorely bruised, and even the slightest movements sent her senses reeling.

Rolling over slightly to her side to relieve some of the pressure off her back, Adrianne marveled at the soft, down-covered mattress beneath her. Even her bed at home, expensive though it was, couldn't remotely compare. Then again, anything would beat latching onto the hard, stony torso of…

"Oh!" she gasped, sitting up too quickly and groaning as her muscles spasmed.

She'd completely forgotten that she hadn't gone into her own room the night before, and briefly recalled a pair of glowing red eyes watching her in the dark.

She turned her head bashfully around the room, until she locked eyes with the very still figure sitting in the corner chair.

Marcus tipped his head downward a quarter of an inch, his acknowledgement to her wakefulness. The seconds spanned as Adrianne fought to think of something to say, anything, that wouldn't further deepen her embarrassment. Her mind stayed blank.

"I trust you slept well?" Marcus mussed.

Like you wouldn't know, was Adrianne's immediate response, but she swallowed her pride and said, "Yes, thank you," instead. Looking down, she noticed that his cloak was still draped around her like a blanket. She picked up a corner of it, running the fabric absentmindedly through her fingertips.

"I'm sorry," Adrianne said quietly.

Marcus' shoulder moved in what she took to be a shrug. After a pause, he whispered, "I am the devil you know."

She nodded, thinking that she understood his meaning. Though the Cullens had been nothing less than gracious hosts, they were foreign to her, and still a very possible threat. The only familiar thing, that felt even relatively safe to Adrianne, was the over-three-thousand-year-old vampire sitting unmoving in the corner. Perspective is a funny thing, she thought.

Adrianne adjusted herself into a more comfortable sitting position, moving slower this time to cross her legs, and leaned back against the plush pillows. For reasons she could not explain, that spanned more than just a need to feel protected, Adrianne was in no rush to leave the quiet company of Marcus.

"Carlisle mentioned that you wouldn't need the bed," she began. "Is that because, I mean, is there any truth to—"

"I cannot sleep," he said simply.

"Ever?"

Pause. "Ever."

She let that process for a moment, thinking how miserable she would be if she could never feel the joys of slowly slipping into the peaceful darkness that sleep held…if she could never dream again.

"What do you do with your time, then?" she asked.

Marcus steepled his long fingertips together in front of his chest, never taking his impassive eyes off her. He answered Adrianne slowly, as if having to recall the many years of his life took a great amount of effort.

"When I was…younger…than I am now," he said, "I read voraciously. Anything that I could get my hands on. I yearned for the knowledge of medicine, of law, as it slowly came into practice in the modern age. I traveled, and learned the languages of this world. So many have been lost throughout time, some beautiful and intricate, some barely more than a few simple gestures.

"I took a great interest in art—art in all forms. Music, dance, painting, sculpture, playwriting. I watched and I studied, learning everything that this world had to offer, until, one day, it could offer no more for me."

Adrianne's eyebrows shot up. She didn't believe, with new discoveries taking place every day, with new technologies and innovations, new forms of expression, that there could possibly be an end to knowledge.

Marcus made a harsh sound in the back of his throat—almost akin to a laugh.

"I know what you must be thinking," he sighed, his voice growing more papery. "But I have walked through wars and plagues, seen cities rise and fall. I've met every religion across every continent, and witnessed the corruption of man in every form. After many millennia of such occurrences, each different, yet each the same…I've grown weary of it all."

Adrianne looked up at him between her lashes. He was no longer watching her now, his eyes gazing out the window of his room, lost in ages that she could never imagine.

"Then why…" she breathed, and stopped herself, not daring to ask what had crossed her mind.

It didn't matter. Marcus knew what she was too afraid to ask. Something terrible, the smallest hint of a smile, crossed his pallid face, and a bitterness burned deeply in the red of his eyes.

"By the time such a thought wandered into my mind, I was already doomed. You may have noticed," and here he swept his hand toward her in a casual manner, "that my kind are not easily destroyed."

"Yes," said Adrianne, sensing that he was searching for an answer.

Marcus nodded. "So you can imagine that I would have gladly walked into the flames of hell myself, if that were enough. However, I have been watched closely for many a year now. So many, in fact, that I'm beginning to lose count."

"But, why?"

"It is not a simple answer," he mused. "My brothers…we built Volterra, turned it into the capital of our kind, established a sense of order where before there was none. To have one of its leaders turn his back on all that he'd helped create—Aro would never allow it." His gaze held her, not letting Adrianne go. "Men are not the only creatures corrupted by power."

She nodded, slowly, beginning to understand his dilemma.

"That…makes sense," she offered. "But was there no one you could turn to, if not for help…of that nature…than just as a means of escape?"

Marcus looked at her for a long time before he answered. "There was one…once, but she is no more."

There was something hard in the way that he answered her, a slip in his normal passivity that hinted at a sorrow buried deep—but still roiling beneath the surface. She knew better than to ask for further clarification on who she was.

"But now you're free?" she ventured.

"Yes…" he answered, his gaze returning to the window. "Now I am free."

Though unspoken, Adrianne knew that their conversation was over. She'd dug deep for answers, and hit firmly on bedrock.

She moved to sit up, slowly swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Marcus' gaze didn't leave the window.

"Alice wanted to take me shopping today," she said, standing up. "I guess I can't really avoid it—I don't have much with me."

"Yes," Marcus breathed.

"You're going to need some things, too. Clothing, to start."

Marcus looked down at himself absently, as if only now being aware of his current circumstance. A frown formed at the corner of his lips. In a way, it was funny to Adrianne, this ancient killing machine in front of her worrying over the state of his appearance.

"Perhaps," he started, "If you wouldn't mind…assisting me in this matter?" In a move so quick Adrianne's eyes couldn't register it, Marcus had procured his wallet and was pulling out a huge stack of crisp, hundred-dollar bills. He handed her everything in his billfold.

"Umm…sure," she said, holding up the money. "But I think this is a little much."

His shoulder moved in that clipped way it had earlier—another shrug. "Keep whatever you don't use."

"I have my own money," Adrianne said, her tone flat.

Marcus looked at her, bemused. "I can see I have offended you," he replied. "It was not my intent. But, if you would please indulge me on this. I have very little use for money…and more than enough of it."

"Three-thousand-year-old 401(k) plan?" she ventured.

Pause. "Something like that."

"Fine." And then it was her turn to pause. "Thank you."

"I will move this," gesturing to the bed, "while you're out today."

Adrianne breathed in quickly, forgetting herself for a moment.

"Unless…" Marcus trailed off, unsure of how to finish his thoughts.

"The view in the other room is beautiful," she said quickly, fighting off the blush that was slowly creeping up her neck. She knew that Marcus would notice, and silently cursed both herself and him. "But," and here she rushed to get the words out, "maybe you could sit with me again tonight, just once more, while I settle in?"

Marcus' face was impassive, giving nothing away, though his eyes were, if possible, more guarded. "Very well," he said.

Adrianne nodded, turning to head out the door, but a sudden thought caught her on the way out. Turning around, she asked, "How tall are you?"

Marcus starred at her.

"If I'm going to get you clothing, I need to know your measurements," she explained, like she would to a child.

"I am six feet, eight inches tall."

Woah.

Eyes slightly wide, Adrianne nodded and turned to leave.

Alice was waiting for Adrianne in the kitchen, practically beside herself when she finally made her way downstairs that morning.

"I didn't think you'd ever come down," she chided. "If I weren't already dead, I'd have died waiting hours ago."

Adrianne laughed. "Sorry, Alice."

"I thought you'd sleep better, with Marcus standing guard," she said.

Adrianne almost dropped the carton of milk she was pulling out of the fridge. She shot a look at Alice, who was beaming back at her almost too innocently. Alice brought her hand up and tapped a finger to the side of her temple, as if to say, I saw the two of you.

"Hmm," was all Adrianne could manage in reply. She poured her milk very slowly and deliberately into the glass she'd set in front of her.

"You shouldn't worry, though," Alice said. "No one here will harm you, really."

Adrianne managed a shy smile and muttered something about it being an adjustment, which seemed to appease Alice because she let the topic drop. But that didn't mean that Adrianne wasn't still in the hot seat. The tiny vampire lobbed a never-ending stream of questions at her while she ate breakfast, wanting to know every mundane detail of her life: where she grew up, what happened to her family, what it was like being raised by her tutor, the places she had traveled to, her general likes and dislikes. All the while Adrianne couldn't imagine what made her very boring life so interesting to Alice, but she answered her questions the best that she could.

When she was done eating, Adrianne moved to rinse her plate off in the sink, but Alice had already beat her to it. Before she could blink her plate was gone, already rinsed and tucked tidily into a sleek, metal dishwasher.

"Ready?" asked Alice, brimming with excitement.

Adrianne knew there was a zero percent chance of getting out of this today. She nodded her head and gave Alice a resigned smile, failing to match her level of enthusiasm.

Following Alice outside, they made their way toward one of the outbuildings off to the side of the house. As they got closer, Adrianne could see into one of the open bays and spotted a sleek Mercedes, realizing that the barn was actually a gorgeously converted garage.

"We're taking Carlisle's car," Alice said. "It has more room in the back than mine."

Adrianne turned her head left and right as she walked into the garage, gasping. On either side of her sat souped-up sports cars and expensive antiques—and one giant monster truck—the Mercedes being one of the least flashy vehicles of the entire collection.

"Which one is yours?" she whispered.

Alice grinned. "The yellow Porsche," she said, sliding smoothly into the driver's seat. Adrianne followed, shaking her head. She'd only just gotten the door closed when Alice stomped on the accelerator, forcing her body firmly into the seat behind her.

"Do you always drive this fast?" she asked.

Alice turned to wink at her. "We all do."

The trees turned into a blur as Adrianne looked out the window, and she was suddenly glad that she hadn't eaten too much for breakfast. In no time, they'd hit the highway heading south.

Alice hummed along to some poppy music that Adrianne had never heard before, seeming perfectly content to be in a car with a total stranger. Adrianne knew that now was the perfect time to ask the mounting list of questions she'd compiled over the last several days, especially now that they were both away from the sensitive ears of the others.

"So…" she began. "Marcus mentioned that your family had had run-ins with the Volturi before?"

Turning to look at Alice, Adrianne saw the tiny vampire's face darken, her mouth turning down into a frown, and wondered if she'd already shot herself in the foot.

After several seconds had passed, Alice sighed. "I guess it's better that you know the story, since you're going to be staying with us now."

She glanced at Adrianne, who tried to give her an encouraging smile. Alice turned back to the road, still frowning.

"You met Bella yesterday," she began, and here Adrianne nodded. "Well, when Bella met Edward, she was still a human. They fell in love, but there are…complications…that go along with loving a vampire, aside from the most obvious reasons."

"I see," she murmured.

"There's really only one rule that any vampire has to live by," Alice continued, "and it's enforced relentlessly by the Volturi. In essence, the rule is simple: humans are not allowed to know that we exist. For the average vampire, who doesn't have certain dietary restrictions, like we do, that means never hunting in the same area for too long, not being seen in direct daylight, and not doing anything extraordinary when mingling with humans.

"For us, it takes a great deal more effort. It means starting over every few years when our bodies don't show signs of age, coming up with new cover stories, finding areas where we might be able to pass…where we might still be able to do the things that we love."

Alice looked over at Adrianne. "Did Marcus tell you that Carlisle is a doctor?"

Adrianne shook her head in amazement. "How does he manage that?"

"Centuries of pain and hard work," said Alice. "But now it's become second-nature—he says that he hardly notices the blood anymore."

"Wow."

"So we try, you see. To fit in, to do our part. And most of the time, we're very good at it. But when Edward met Bella, everything started to unravel. He was set on Bella maintaining her mortality, and after a few mishaps on our part, thought it best to stay away from her. So, we left."

"That must have been very difficult," Adrianne offered.

"It was," Alice agreed. "Edward was severely depressed, more depressed than I'd ever seen anyone. And Bella…she became reckless. I tried to keep tabs on her from afar, but she was always very good at getting into trouble. She fell in with Jake—the werewolf that you met yesterday—and his pack. And what happened next…," she paused, "was all my fault."

"I had a vision that Bella had jumped off a cliff, not realizing that she'd taken on new forms of thrill-seeking recreation with her new friends. I thought she'd tried to kill herself, and when I told Edward, he lost it. He went to Italy, seeking out the Volturi to ask if they would kill him, knowing that none of us would ever help.

"I came back to Forks to be sure of what I saw, and found Bella changed from how I'd known her before, but still very much alive. When I realized my mistake, we went to Italy to save Edward. And that's when the Volturi found out about Bella."

Alice shook her head, sighing. "I always knew that Bella would become one of us," she continued. "I'd had a vision of it, when she first moved to Forks, and knew that it would come to pass, just like I knew that I'd meet Jasper one day."

She smiled at Adrianne. "So you see, it would have been very convenient if Edward had just changed her then, but my brother is headstrong. He promised the Volturi that Bella would be turned, since she knew our secret, but didn't give a definitive timeline. Two years passed, more issues arose, and we got past them, as a family. But in the background there always loomed the promise that Edward had made, and Bella's own wanting to become one of us.

"Finally, it was settled that the change would occur after they'd gotten married—this was four years ago, now." Alice got a dreamy look on her face. "It was a beautiful wedding."

"But," she continued, "on their honeymoon, things got…complicated. Bella became pregnant."

Adrianne whipped her head around to Alice, mouth open, sure she'd misheard her. Alice held a dainty hand up, her way of warding off the questions she could see in Adrianne's eyes.

"We had no idea that such a thing was possible. The theory, as we pieced it together over time, is that, as a vampire, our bodies live in a form of suspended animation from the time that we're turned. For a female, it means that our bodies are incapable of changing to carry a child. But for a male, well…a male at any time in his life is capable of reproducing."

"That's…insane," was all that Adrianne could muster, still shocked.

"It is," Alice agreed. "And having never known this, helping Bella once they returned became a constant struggle, and always through trial and error. The child grew rapidly, and was draining the life from her body. It was terrible to watch."

Alice paused for a moment, reliving some horrible nightmare that Adrianne couldn't imagine.

"After only a few weeks, the child—Renesmee—was born. She would have killed Bella had Edward not acted so quickly to turn her."

"So Renesmee…" ventured Adrianne, "the girl I met yesterday—"

"She's their daughter," Alice confirmed.

Adrianne sank back into her seat, closing her eyes. "This is…a lot to take in," she said quietly.

"It is," said Alice. "Even for our family, it was a lot to process—to think that there were still some mysteries unknown to a house-full of vampires."

"But, I don't understand," Adrianne said slowly. "Renesmee seemed fine to me, and if Bella was changed, I guess I'm missing the problem."

"Yes, well, that was one of those complications I'd mentioned earlier. Bella, the first year that she met Edward, became the focus of a passing vampire, a tracker. He became obsessed with killing her, and even though we stopped him, his mate, Victoria, made it her mission to avenge his death. She'd already started to create her army when we returned from Voltera," Alice said darkly.

"Victoria's pets, a group of newly changed, bloodthirsty vampires, were beginning to draw attention to this area. You have to understand, in the first few years in this new life, the bloodlust consumes you. It dominates all of your other senses, and makes you very dangerous to both humans and other vampires alike. How Victoria was able to keep them in line at all is a mystery to me, but in the end, it didn't matter. The Volturi caught wind of her army, and they came to intervene. As I said, their only rule is that the supernatural remain a mystery."

Adrianne nodded. "So when they came here…" she started.

"We'd already taken care of the army," said Alice. "But they decided to come anyway, to see if Bella had been changed. At least that was the excuse they gave. If there's one thing you need to understand about Aro, it's that he's power-hungry. He hopes to one day convince our family to join their ranks, because he wants the use of our abilities. When they arrived, they saw Bella…but they also met Renesmee. Not knowing if she would be a threat to them, Aro called a vote to have her destroyed."

"And Marcus voted no," Adrianne interrupted. "That's what Renesmee meant in the clearing yesterday!"

"Yes," Alice smiled at her. "Marcus was the only one who tried to save her."

"And he did," said Adrianne.

"Not exactly," said Alice. "Marcus' vote was met with indifference. But Jasper and I came back as the battle was unfolding—we'd been away trying to find another hybrid like Renesmee, and after weeks and weeks of searching, were able to track one down. When the Volturi saw what she'd grow into, and that she wouldn't be a threat to them, they left in peace, if not very disappointed."

Adrianne shook her head, looking at the roadway as it passed by in a blur. For the first time, she realized where they were going, seeing that Alice was in a turning lane headed for a city called Olympia.

"I had no idea the Cullens would turn out to be so interesting," she said at last.

Alice laughed, and it sounded like chimes blowing in the wind. "We try not to be," she said, "and up until yesterday, we were doing a pretty good job of it."

Adrianne shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "Now you're pitted against the Volturi again, and it's all my fault."

"Technically, it's Marcus' fault," Alice said with a wink.

"I don't understand why he saved me," Adrianne said. "I'm just a human. There's nothing interesting about me at all. I don't think he even likes me—he doesn't seem to like anyone!"

"I don't think that's true," Alice replied quietly. "I think that he's just been alone for a very long time."

Seeing that now was the perfect opportunity, she asked, "Do you know much about Marcus?"

Alice hesitated, and Adrianne could see that she was internally debating with herself again over what she should say.

"Marcus was gifted with a unique ability in his second life, like Edward, Jasper, and myself," she said. "That being that he can see the relationships between different people. At first it sounds almost silly—but his gift shouldn't be underestimated."

Adrianne nodded, though she didn't quite understand. Sensing her confusion, Alice explained further.

"Think about it," she said. "Marcus can see the ties that bind not just one or two people, but ten, twenty, a hundred or more. He automatically sees the connections not just between partners, but also family and friends.

"With his ability, Marcus can easily sense where someone's alliances lie; he can sense their loyalty to those around them—which also means he can spot an enemy. His gift has been crucial to the Volturi's diplomatic relations, and on a battlefield…it all but guarantees the Volturi's defeat against an opponent. In his absence they're much more vulnerable, and it's why Aro will go to great lengths to either bring him back into the fold or destroy him, so that his power can't be used against them."

As Adrianne digested this information, she watched Alice turn into the side parking lot of an outside mall that seemed to go on for miles.

It just doesn't make any sense, she thought. Marcus had the perfect setup with the Volturi, so why would he want to give up a guaranteed position of protection and power?

His words from earlier came rushing back into her mind: "There was one…once, but she is no more."

Changing course, she asked, "Did Marcus have a spouse?"

Alice pulled into an available space at the first department store entrance. Killing the engine, she sat quietly for a moment before answering. "His mate died a long time ago," she finally said. "He was never the same after her death, but that's all of the story that I know. Anything else…you'll have to ask him yourself."

"Now," she said, slapping her palms on the tops of her thighs, "let's have some fun."

Alice hopped out of the car before Adrianne could say anything else, making her suspect that she knew more than she was letting on. But as the little vampire pirouetted away into the crowd of shoppers, she knew that she'd run into another road block.

Sighing, Adrianne climbed out of the car and walked after her.

Shopping with Alice turned out to be fun, if not a little daunting. For four hours she dragged Adrianne to every high-end department store that she could find, demanding that she purchase something at every stop.

And after counting the cash that Marcus had given her, Adrianne quickly lost all worries about having the money to pay for everything. He had handed her almost twelve thousand dollars in cash that morning like it was chump change, but when she'd mentioned it to Alice, she didn't seem surprised.

"The Volturi have more money than any bank in the world," she'd said, by way of explanation.

Though Adrianne had little trouble finding clothes for herself, when it came to Marcus, she relied heavily on Alice for help. Luckily her companion could put any personal shopper to shame, and by the time they carried their mountain of bags back to the car—Alice juggling the majority—over half of the items they'd purchased were for him.

"Could you give me a minute? There's just one more thing that I want to get," she said, while Alice was opening the driver-side door. If she was curious what Adrianne was up to, Alice didn't show it; she just nodded and warned her not to get lost.

Adrianne hurried away, already knowing her destination. They'd passed a little book shop earlier that also carried a variety of cards and personal gift items, and she made a beeline for it now.

Once inside, she browsed the little store's isles until finally she found what she was looking for, picking up a plain, but handsome-looking set of stationary. All afternoon she'd been trying to figure out what she could give Marcus—a gift she might be able to give him that would say "thank you" for what he'd done for her.

What do you get someone who's saved your life, she'd thought?

And then it dawned on her: nothing. Any gift that she tried to give him would feel cheap compared to his sacrifice, so she decided to give him the only thing that might convey her true feelings—her words.

When she exited the book shop it had started to rain, so Adrianne tucked the tiny parcel under her coat and ran back to find Alice's car. A pair of headlights flashed its high-beams at her twice in the parking lot, and she hurried toward it, jumping in and slamming the door just as it started to pour.

"I feel like I'm back in England," she grumbled.

"Here," Alice said, as she set the bag on the floor between her feet. Looking over, she saw that she was handing her a pen.

"I think that's a really nice idea," Alice said softly, a small smile on her face.

"Thanks," said Adrianne, flushing scarlet. There were no secrets with Alice.

She wrote out two letters on the car ride back to the Cullen's house. The first one was to her tutor, letting him know that she'd decided to extend her vacation state-side but that she was safe and well, and would write him again soon. Carlson was used to her flights of fancy, and Adrianne doubted that he would think very much of her relocation, so long as he heard from her regularly and had a way to reach her if he needed to.

The second letter was much more difficult, and for a long time, Adrianne could do nothing but stare out into the rainy evening, as if somewhere out in the gloom were the right words to say.

Finally, she penned a small paragraph:

Marcus,

There are no words that I can think of, in any language, that can accurately describe my gratitude toward you.

Though they seem small and insignificant, I wanted to say thank you for what you've done for me.

I will always be grateful to you, and hope that one day I can begin to return what you had no need to give.

Always yours,

Adrianne

When they got back that evening, Alice whisked the entirety of their bags back to the main house herself, not even giving Adrianne a chance to offer to help. Once inside, she followed the delicious scent of pasta sauce to the kitchen and found that Bella had made lasagna for her.

Apparently, Bella had liked to cook when she was still human, saying, "It was nice to make food for someone again," when Adrianne tried to thank her.

For a second she was so overwhelmed by the Cullen's hospitality that her eyes started to well up, and she had to quickly wipe them away before anyone noticed.

"Have you seen Marcus?" she asked the dark-haired vampire, looking for a distraction.

"He's up in Carlisle's study," Bella said. "They were looking over some old books, the last I checked."

Adrianne nodded, shoveling food into her mouth in a completely undignified way. She didn't realize how hungry she was until melted cheese was put in front of her.

The minute she was done eating, Adrianne excused herself from the kitchen, saying that the day had taken a lot out of her.

"After a day of shopping with Alice, I can only imagine," Bella laughed.

Adrianne nodded and headed toward the stairs. When she got to the second-floor landing she paused, looking down the hallway where she remembered Carlisle's office was. The door was closed so she kept going, not wanting to interrupt whatever the two of them were discussing.

Reaching the third floor, Adrianne hesitated again. She took the note she'd written Marcus out of her pocket and weighed it in the palm of her hand. It felt very heavy to her. Steeling herself before she changed her mind, she walked into his room and placed the note on the side table that now sat next to the sofa, not the guest bed that she'd slept in the night before.

Adrianne stood and looked at the letter a moment longer, then forced herself to leave it and go to her own room. There was a massive pile of shopping bags sitting on her bed, and with a resigned sigh she started to sort through them all, removing price tags and hanging up the clothes she'd bought in Edward's old walk-in closet.

When she finished her task an hour later, Adrianne was exhausted. She had to drag herself to the bathroom to wash her face and get ready for bed, barely finding the energy to brush even a comb through her hair.

She suddenly heard a soft knock on the door, and in the two seconds it took her body to register who it might be, a jolt of adrenaline shot through her like a lightning bolt.

"One second," she called, now frantically pulling the brush through her hair. Checking her reflection in the mirror, Adrianne smoothed down the wrinkles in her nightshirt and tried to calm the now rapid beating of her heart.

Stop acting like an idiot, she scolded herself.

A few seconds later her suspicions were confirmed when she opened the door to find Marcus towering over her. Adrianne tried to read the expression on his face, but he was giving nothing away.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, standing aside to let him pass. His figure ghosted past her into the room, where he finally hesitated. There was no other place for him to sit except for on the bed, which he was clearly having second-thoughts about.

"Sit; I don't mind," she said, trying to keep her voice level. "Just keep your teeth to yourself."

Marcus perched himself on the corner of the bed, tucking one leg neatly under him in a fluid motion as he sat. Adrianne noticed that he had changed into some of the new clothes that Alice had picked out: a pair of black slacks and a gray, long-sleeved sweater that somehow managed to cling to every curvature of muscle in his upper body.

At a glance, Marcus looked healthier than Adrianne had ever seen him, somehow more animated than usual even though he was sitting there, unmoving. Having to fight very, very hard to keep her breathing even, Adrianne went over and sat on the other corner of the bed, facing him.

He pulled the letter she'd written out of his pocket and sat it in the space between them.

"This was very kind of you," Marcus said quietly. "I thank you."

"I meant it," she replied, turning scarlet with embarrassment. "I still don't understand why you rescued me, and I don't think I'll ever be able to return the favor in kind, but if there's anything that I can ever do for you, I will."

"Is that really what you think?" he murmured.

Adrianne's eyebrows shot up, confused.

"That you cannot help me…" he continued. In a show of unnatural frustration, Marcus raked one hand absentmindedly through his long hair. It was the most human gesture Adrianne had ever seen him make.

"You cannot understand how…awake…I feel," he tried to explain, his voice becoming more animated than its usual whisper, as if it was vital that she understood what he was saying. "It's as if I am coming out of some deep sleep. I can feel my strength returning to me, and my mind…it feels clearer than it has in centuries."

Marcus' eyes blazed into hers, mesmerizing—she felt him lean in closer. "It started when I met you, when I saw the thread that binds us."

Adrianne shook her head uncomprehendingly. "I don't…understand," she said finally. "The thread?" She was struggling to put two words together sitting this close to him.

"Yes," Marcus said. "I can see that I haven't explained thoroughly." He pulled away from her then, sitting up straight. She watched him lace his fingers together in his lap, like he was about to tell her a bedtime story.

"You've seen some of the abilities of our hosts by now," he said. It wasn't a question.

Adrianne nodded, already knowing where he was going with this.

"I possess a unique gift as well. My own ability allows me to see the connections of others…the ties that bind them together," he sighed. "The gift is there when I have need of it, but sometimes…it surfaces unbidden. Like the day that I first met you."

Adrianne's brows knitted together. "But," she said slowly, "I've never met you before."

Pause. "No. You haven't."

Marcus' face looked troubled to Adrianne. She was starting to pick up on the subtle nuances of his expression, like now, when just the very corner of his mouth turned downward. It was a small gesture that she would have missed even a few days ago, but that now showed a whole new level of meaning.

"My abilities have never been precognitive." he mused. "Yet, when I met you, I saw the faintest strand that connected you to myself. It…disturbed me greatly. I volunteered to be your escort for the Voluturi out of curiosity, believing that even my own mind had started to deceive me. But every time I found myself in contact with you, the thread would grow a little less faint. I dawned on me that last day that I had a choice, and I chose to follow this path…wherever it may lead."

"Are you saying that my meeting you was fate?"

"Fate…" he said, testing it on his lips. "I have never believed in such a word. But perhaps, for lack of a better explanation…it would suit just this once."

Adrianne let out the breath she didn't know that she was holding. What Marcus told her made sense, and lined up with what Alice had mentioned to her earlier, but it led to an entirely new set of questions that neither of them seemed able to answer. All at once, Adrianne felt very, very tired.

Sensing her change in mood, Marcus gestured to the bed. "You should sleep," he said. "We can discuss this at another time."

"You don't have to stay," she told him. "I…didn't mean to make you uncomfortable earlier when I asked."

Marcus looked to be deciding something again. She watched as his troubled look disappeared, replaced with a new clam. "I would stay," he said quietly.

Feeling shy, Adrianne slowly went to stretch out on the bed. She lay down facing Marcus, who, at a measured pace, moved to rest in a sitting position against the headboard. In that moment, looking up at him, Adrianne had never felt so safe.

Before sleep overtook her, the last thing Adrianne remembered doing was reaching out to rest her palm against the back of Marcus' hand. It stayed there long after the cool marble of his skin turned warm.