Earthshine
Chapter XXV
"Texas"
…
"Texas is a blend of valor and swagger." - Carl Sandburg
…
[Edward]
With the surf raging beside me, I rushed down the coastline, the moon bright and full as I searched for the place where Victoria had stepped onto dry land.
As I ran, the charm on my bracelet caught the moonlight and I was reminded that this was the place where Vitalia lived. I knew she'd probably come back home by now and I had to admit that, even in the midst of my dark new life, a small curiosity lingered. If tracking Victoria happened to lead me up to San Antonio, would there be any harm in seeking out Vitalia'a home and glimpsing her life there?
Then a darker thought came. If the trail led there…did that mean Victoria somehow knew about Vitalia? That she'd made a similar assumption as so many others? That Vitalia somehow meant more to me than Bella and that she was the one the redhead needed to target?
It was possible Victoria had planted a spy or two in Forks. If she was planning revenge anyway.
If not…well, this could just be a strange coincidence.
I finally found the spot on the beach she'd landed and I followed the trail into Galveston City. Fortunately it didn't seem she'd lingered long and her scent continued west.
The Texas landscape was mostly flat, though there were some hills and rocky terrain. It was warm too, even in December.
As the sun started to streak across the sky, I saw that Victoria was leading me into San Antonio. I started to feel concerned as the cityscape came into view. Was She after Vitalia? If so, she was way ahead of me and it would most likely be too late to offer any help.
Even more frustrating was the fact that I needed to find somewhere to wait out the day, which would set me back even more. The unforgiving sunlight was already starting to glint off me, so it couldn't be helped. I found a pile of wood planks behind a shopping center and slid deep underneath, gritting my teeth as I waited for the hours to pass.
I glanced at the bracelet on my wrist again and fiddled with it impatiently. It was the first time I'd felt something powerful enough to almost distract me from my misery. It wasn't quite panic, but the anxiety was building.
I tried to prepare myself to face the possibility of finding Vitalia and her family slaughtered. I pictured her lifeless eyes, once so vibrant and energetic, forever drained of both. How dull they would be. How empty.
The thought pained me and I glared daggers at the rays of sunlight glinting through the wood pallets. The hours passed slowly, torturously. When twilight finally came, I emerged hastily and continued to run thorough the city. This too was excruciating. I wasn't able to run nearly as fast as I would've liked.
The city was full of commotion, its bright lights beckoning and filling many of the thoughts around me with eagerness. Victoria's scent led me down to the Riverwalk where, objectively, it was quite a spectacular sight. The colorful lights glistened off the surface of the water and there was a sizeable crowd, many of them tourists, who were observing the lingering Christmas decorations with delight.
Holiday lights were strung from the overhanging trees of the river, where boats sailed back and forth. There was laughter and merriment surrounding me.
Such a fitting place for that girl to live, I thought of Vitalia, imagining her here within the happy crowd.
I passed on through though as quickly as I could, eager to settle my worries, one way or another.
I followed the trail into the city suburbs and finally out into the rural area beyond that. I recalled the many mental images that Vitalia had called into her mind of what her home looked like and I cast my eyes around as I tried to match it with the open spaces of land I was passing.
Nothing fit though. I did pass a handful of ranches, but none of them matched what she'd pictured.
The trail continued to the city limits until it cleared the city altogether and I was left facing an open stretch of highway.
I stopped and stared at the flat horizion ahead. Did this mean Victoria had just been passing through? It was comforting, but the uncertainty of it nagged at me. I felt the need to turn back, just to make sure she hadn't tricked me in any way. I wanted to make certain that her scent wasn't anywhere near Vitalia's home.
After debating for half a second, I turned and headed back, the headlights of passing vehicles washing over me as I entered San Antonio again. I decided to veer down a network of back roads, which branched off from the main highway and into deeper rural territory. I thoroughly explored several different paths, eyes alert and analyzing.
Finally, around a blind curve in the road, things started to look familiar. I then saw the gated entry and the wrought iron Santi name embroidered on the wooden arch. I stopped and breathed in deep, looking for Victoria's presence here. With immense relief, I exhaled. The air was clean of her. There was no trace here.
I ran a perimeter around the property, but the result was the same. I paused and leaned over the fence, fresh breeze running through my hair as I looked out over the pasture in front of me. The house — a stone, single story design — was down an incline, beside a barn and several other log cabin structures. There was a pond and a fenced-in paddock. Some horses were grazing closer to the house, tails swishing contentedly.
No thoughts reached me, as it was the earliest hours of the morning. They were all sleeping.
I glanced to the charm on my wrist again as my arms dangled over the fence. I could leave it at this. I could be satisfied and continue my hunt. But now that was I here…
I jumped over the fence, blades of grass swaying against my legs as I slowly moved toward the house. I had all the time in the world to find Victoria, after all. She was far from Forks and no threat to either Bella or Vitalia. At least for the moment.
The nearby horses noticed me and galloped away, spooked by my presence.
The morning air had only the slightest chill, which made the Christmas wreath on the front door look slightly out of place. Through the window, I could see an unlit tree sitting near a large stone hearth. The decorations inside were a rustic, bohemian style, which immediately reminded me of Eden. I saw Diego's boots next to the fireplace and family pictures along the hearth, though I couldn't get a clear view of them from where I was standing.
What am I doing here? I thought. There wasn't much point to it, other than a curiosity to set eyes on the place Vitalia lived.
I turned and stared out from the wrap-around porch to the nearby buildings and the border of forest that surrounded the property. In the driveway was the blue Camaro and two large pickup trucks, and to my right, beside the porch, was a small herb garden which I assumed Eden used to make her tea blends.
I should leave, I told myself, knowing I was intruding on the privacy of this family. I found myself walking around the house though, listening to the sounds of the sleeping mortals inside. Eden's and Diego's scents were on one side of the house and, on the other, was Vitalia's. It was nice to know, with absolute certainty, that Victoria had not touched her.
Her curtain was drawn over the window, but I could see the glow of fairy lights on the fabric. I could hear her soft breaths and the sound of the music I assumed she'd left playing on her iPod. I stared up at the window for a long time, willing the vast chasm of brokenness inside of me to heal even slightly.
But now that I'd completed my task here, I was left to face the continued, mundane chase of Victoria. It blackened my mood again and, turning from the house, I rushed to the opposite side of the pasture, where I disappeared into the treeline.
I probably wouldn't be able to keep from returning someday, but for now, I would leave the Santi family alone. They had their very full lives to enjoy. They should be free to enjoy it without me lingering to try and feed off it.
I dashed through the sleeping city and crossed into the next, following the very fresh scent that lingered.
It led me further West, nearly to the state line. It seemed she had been trying to throw me off after all. She'd taken a circular route to get here. She had some reason for coming to Texas, I just wasn't sure what it was.
The border city of El Paso loomed in front of me, the terrain very desert-like and resembling the neighboring landscape of Mexico. It was surrounded by rocky, mountainous inclines, and cactus plants lined the streets.
As in New Orleans, Victoria's scent lingered here in many places. Her path wasn't straight. It flitted around the city for awhile. I was led into poor income areas, where the walls were covered in graffiti and run down apartments held people whose eyes were dull and worn down by the demands of life. Their thoughts were full of desperation, misery, and anger. Life had not been kind.
It was a fierce reminder that perhaps I romanticized mortality too much. There was a darker side to it. A cruel hand which some were given.
But surprisingly, there were many determined thoughts. A lot of them were focused on doing all it took to survive. I slowed my steps, sweeping my eyes across my surroundings, finding I almost admired these people.
There was a single mother and her children. She was thinking of all she had to do for the kids before her second shift started.
There was a group of teens, standing in an alleyway smoking Marijuana and wearing token gang member symbols. They eyed me with suspicion. I was a newcomer in their territory. As misled as they were, they would willingly confront me if it meant defending their families here. I could see I frightened them, but it didn't make a difference. They were familiar with fear.
I passed a run down church, where a priest stood in the doorway and eyed the people in the neighborhood sadly, wondering how he could best reach so many lost souls. He reminded me a little of Carlisle — his determination to believe that they could be saved.
There was a shabby apartment complex around the corner, with a few roughed up children playing beside it. Here too, despite the wear and tear of their lives, they were laughing and enjoying games together. I paused and watched them, listening to their delighted, unconcerned thoughts. So full of light and adventure.
One of them kicked a ball and it landed at my feet. A small boy with dark hair as wild as mine, looked at me nervously, his mind sounding an alarm. His eyes fell to the ball and his expression turned indecisive.
He looks like a dangerous person. But I really need that ball. It's the only one I have. What if he takes it?
I pulled a smile from my frozen expression before stooping to grab the ball. The boy, seeming to think his suspicions confirmed, forgot his fear and ran up to me.
"Hey, you! Can I get that back, please?" He was all concern.
I forced my dark mood aside to give him as gentle a look as I could before holding the ball out for him. "Of course."
He took it quickly then blinked up at me, eyes running over my expensive clothes before they lifted to my golden gaze. I watched him visibly relax, seeming to feel the threat of me disappear.
"Thank you," he told me.
I nodded. "It a nice ball. I enjoy playing ball games with my brothers."
"What games?"
I shrugged. "All sorts, but baseball mostly."
"I love baseball!" His eyes went wide.
I felt my stiff smile soften a little. "It's fun, right?" I hesitated a moment, before bringing my bag around. I unzipped the side compartment then grasped the baseball I'd impulsively thrown in out of a sense of sentimentality.
I grasped it tightly a second, sighing sadly as I again wondered when I'd next get the chance to play with my family, before I held it out to the child. "Here. You can keep this, if you like."
"Are you sure?"
"I have plenty." I nodded again.
"Wow! Thanks! This is amazing." He grasped it and grinned up at me hugely.
"You're welcome. Take care of it, alright?"
"I will!"
I watched him rush back to his friends, who were eyeing the baseball with similar expressions of awe.
For most of my time as a vampire, I'd viewed humanity with a bored outlook. They all seemed the same. Their concerns, their thoughts, their interests…all followed a pattern. I'd developed a muted appreciation for their lives. It took a real effort to view them as more than a food supply. Bella had changed that. Vitalia had changed that. And now…here I was with such a strong appreciation that it managed to touch me even in the depth of my darkness.
I stood another moment in the fading evening before I continued down the street. Eventually, the lower income areas gave way to larger homes and expensive establishments. The thoughts of the residents became a little more superficial. More materialistic. These were the sorts of people I usually found myself around. But even with them, I was able to see that there was much more than just their two-dimensional thoughts. There were subtler signs of depth I'd never noticed before.
I forced myself to focus on my task. I singularly paid attention to the scent that led me toward El Paso's rural land in the outskirts of the city. There were quite a number of cattle ranchers out here. I crossed over a bridge before finally my steps slowed as I came across a sprawling estate nestled deep in a thick of trees. There were so many trees, in fact, that I imagined they would provide adequate cover during daylight hours.
And that's when I realized where I was. Several thoughts reached me that were not, in fact, human. I watched through their eyes as they sped across the many acres of land, patrolling the area for threats. Others were deeper in, going through routine drills and practicing combat skill.
I became more guarded and started to map out a route that would not lead me to a run in with any of them.
This was a massive collection of newborns. An army of them. Their thoughts were ordered only toward blood and their individual commands. Commands given by someone I knew only from the memories Jasper carried in his mind.
It was Maria's army.
My brows drew together. Were Victoria and Maria working together? Was there some sort of connection here?
It was pitch black in the thicket, the sprawling driveway as hard to find as my own had been in Forks. A massive gate stood several yards ahead, keeping any curious passersby from entering.
I sped around it and looked for an opening. Victoria's trail seemed to do the same.
Did that mean she wasn't allied with Maria? That she had tried to sneak in here too?
What are you up to? I thought.
I waited for hours as the night deepened, looking for minscule breaks in the patrol units. I kept track of them through their minds, getting a strong visual of what was waiting inside.
Finally, after what felt like ages, I had found a small gap and took advantage of it, creeping silently over the stone wall and into the mess of trees. I kept my steps light and moved swiftly, keeping low and making my way to an old shed that seemed unused. I kept the door cracked and watched the driveway, waiting for my chance to advance further.
An armored truck rumbled down the drive and, with surprise, I noted that its passengers were human.
Place always gives me the creeps, the driver was thinking. But can't go against the boss or it's a bullet in the head.
What even are these freaks? The man in the passenger seat wondered. He was large and heavily tattooed, with a very large semi-automatic rifle in his hand. Both the men in front were armed, in fact, yet there were several others in the back who weren't. They were all terrified and huddled together.
It was disconcerting and I couldn't help but wonder what sort of operation Maria was leading here. I was also unsettled by the fact that Vitalia lived mere hours from such an immense and dangerous organization of vampires.
She had ironic connections to both Maria's army and the Volturri in the city where her family had immigrated from.
I did a quick calculation based on the number here and realized it was a startling thirty-five strong. To keep such a large number of fresh, unpredictable vampire so well organized and off the Volturri's radar was astonishing. Jasper had always said that Maria's tactical skill was unmatched. She was a master at what she did. A true commander.
And she appeared to be working with humans on top of it all. I couldn't believe what she was managing to get away with.
I eventually found another opportunity to emerge and advanced toward the main house, which was large and imposing and framed by palm trees and exotic flowers. There was a large fountain in the center and two bronze stallion sculptures on either side of the entrance. It was a sprawling Spanish Villa in a desert oasis.
Victoria's scent did not lead into the house, but rather circled around it. I rose and made to follow, before suddenly freezing still as a swift, alerted voice came to me.
An intruder was sighted. Move to apprehend!
I made to run, but being newborns, my pursuers' speed far outmatched mine. How had they found me? I'd thought my openings and positions flawless.
The pair came up from behind me and, rather than making the situation worse, I held up both hands in a willing surrender.
I knew there was a tentative sort of truce between Maria and Jasper, but I had no way of knowing if it extended to the rest of us.
But did it really matter? My misery would end all the sooner if this ended badly.
The two of them grabbed me and pulled me forward, their hold strong and secure.
He some sort of spy? Trying to scout out Maria's stronghold?
He's kind of giving me the creeps, the other was thinking. Doesn't even look like he wants to resist. And what's wrong with his eyes? Never seen eyes like that.
The one on my right spoke into a microphone. "We found someone hiding out near the front entrance. Picked him up on a camera. Should we take him straight to Maria?"
"I'll ask. Bring him into the courtyard and wait there."
Cameras! Of course. She probably had them hidden in the trees. She didn't seem like the sort of person who took any chances with security.
As we walked, the armored van drove past us and pulled around to the back. Through the eyes of the two human men, I saw the exchange that took place with the pair of vampires waiting at the back. They weren't newborns, but seemed experienced in dealing with humans.
They moved together toward an armory, where hundreds of weapons were held. The vampires supplied a dozen or so semi-automatics and explosives to the men and then, when the van was opened, the frightened group of unarmed humans were ushered out in exchange.
"See you in a month, Cortez." One of the vampires said to the driver.
"Sí. Estaré aquí."
Based on the thoughts I continued to read from the pair of men, I managed to piece together that they were prominent members in the ranks of the Mexican Cartel.
So was Maria an arms dealer now? I supposed it suited her. It was a solid cover. And she received her supply of human victims as payment to feed her subordinates. Blood for blood. I fought down my repulsed response to what I was seeing. I tried to drown out the horrified thoughts of the human victims.
I was brought into the stone courtyard, with vines of ivy and primroses scaling the walls. It was very fragrant as the night breeze stirred the scent and swept it over to me.
"She's on her way," a voice came on the earpiece again, and the other vampire nodded, tightening his grip on my arm.
I closed my eyes and focused. From within the house, I searched the thoughts inside before I finally found Maria. She moved slowly down a long hall, expression intrigued. Her lips were pulled into a smirk and her hoop earrings glinted in the light of a massive chandelier overhead.
Been awhile since anyone has dared sneak onto my property. This should be fun.
She wore a black fringe coat and an expensive-looking stetson, with western boots that echoed with every step. Her movemente were unhurried and purposeful.
She opened the massive doors to the estate and sauntered out into the yard, where I was able to see her with my own eyes. She glanced around at her attendants, mentally analyzing their positions before she shifted her blood-red gaze to me.
I watched her eyes widen in surprise.
Golden eyes, she thought. One of Jasper's, maybe? Or one of the Denali?
She stopped in front of me and tilted her head. "Well, well," she started with her thick, spanish accent. "It's not every day we see eyes like yours. Which coven do you run with?"
"Carlisle Cullen's." My voice was hollow, my expression indifferent. It truly didn't matter to me what happened here.
"I had a feeling," she answered. "I had not heard of any new young men joining the Denali clan."
I wonder if his being here means Jasper is nearby as well…?
"What brings a Cullen to my home? Don't you usually stick together?" She was reading my face now, accurately reading the emptiness there. Look at him…so vacant. Like nothing matters. Wonder what the story is there?
"We do," I answered. "But I'm tracking someone. Seems she swept through here."
Maria's brows furrowed. "That's unlikely. As you can see, we're heavily guarded."
I shrugged. "Her scent says differently. Doesn't trace to the house. She maneuvered around it."
"Who is she?"
I don't like this at all, she thought, a dangerous glint entering her eyes as she narrowed them.
"A redhead named Victoria. Ran with Laurent and her mate, James, who we tracked down and killed last year. I'm just…tying up loose ends."
Smart, she thought as her expression turned impressed. Nothing like losing a mate to inspire vengeance. I could see that she'd lost one too, and the bleakness she felt in his absence was hauntingly similar to what I was experiencing.
She was surprisingly well-adjusted though for having lost a mate. I knew she had a more volatile history, but still…to not be drowning in that grief was astonishing. Not even the long passage of time eased the pain for our kind.
But maybe not all vampires had to end up like Marcus? Was he simply the most extreme case? It gave me the slightest hope that I'd learn to adjust to life without Bella. Maybe ending my life wasn't the only option for me when her mortal life inevitably ended, as impossible as that seemed to me now.
"I see," Maria said out loud. "And are the others here with you or are you on your own?" She was still curious about Jasper, both hoping and dreading that he might be here with me.
"I'm alone," I told her.
She quirked a brow. "Interesting." Then she looked to the vampires on either side of me and lifted her chin. They released me at once and she took a step closer. "And which Cullen are you? What's your name? I'm not overly familiar, but Peter and Charlotte have mentioned some of you."
"I'm Edward Cullen."
"Edward." She nodded, searching her thoughts for anything notable attached to the name. I wasn't sure how much Peter and Charlotte had revealed and I hoped they'd kept my ability to themselves. I didn't want Maria taking a sudden interest.
Her thoughts turned up nothing though and she looked up at me again. "Well, I can see that there's something more to all of this. Eyes like yours don't lie. What sort of tragedy has torn you from your family?"
I couldn't help the slight flinch in answer to her question. She watched me like a hawk, eyes cuttingly observant.
"…it's personal." I answered. I didn't think it wise to reveal Bella's existence to her.
"Hm…" she narrowed her eyes in a speculative way. "While I don't appreciate you trespassing, Edward, I'm far more disturbed that someone managed to slip past my ranks. Care to show me the trail you've been following?"
It was worded as a question, but I recognized it as more of a command. I nodded at her though, figuring the more help I had in tracking Victoria down, the better.
She urged me forward, before motioning to her two vampire bodyguards. The three of them followed as I returned to where I'd left Victoria's scent. I pointed it out to Maria and, after she detected it herself, she nodded at me and the four of us followed it around the massive estate toward the large fields behind. It lingered where Maria's newborn army was running through some practice drills. I crouched in the grass and creased my brows. What had interested Victoria so much about this?
"So she came to watch my army?" Maria asked as she knelt beside me.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure. She didn't seem overly interested in working with others. I have no idea what she might be up to."
I rose and followed her scent around the field. It flitted in and out of the treeline, looping around back on itself several times. It seemed she'd stayed on the move to avoid detection, and Maria confirmed that Victoria had been strategically stepping in areas which were blind spots for the cameras.
And the entire time, Victoria had kept the field of newborns in view.
Maria seemed convinced that Victoria was after her territory and I heard her internal decision to increase her numbers. Let her try, she thought smugly.
It didn't make sense to me though. What could be the reason for that? I didn't know much about Victoria, but this seemed to come out of nowhere.
As we continued to follow the twisting trail, I wondered to myself how long it would take for Maria to bring up Jasper. I could hear her debating with herself many times.
When we moved into the trees again, she finally voiced it. "So how is Jasper?"
I smirked to myself then glanced her way. Her features hid her interest, but her thoughts told me otherwise.
"Doing well. Studying Philosophy these days."
"Is that so?" Suits him, she thought. "Well, be sure to send him my love when you see him again."
In her mind was a myriad of memories with my brother and I only nodded in response. The pair had a complicated history. Maria had sought us out once, when we had been living in Calgary, but we had moved on before her arrival. Jasper seemed to feel it best to keep her at arms length. I could read from her though that she genuinely cared for my brother, despite his defection from her army. She had forgiven the betrayal. It was an impressive feat for a vampire, to let go of something like that.
He's got a sharp gaze, Maria noted as I continued to read her. Makes me feel there's something more to him than the average vampire. I wonder if he has a special ability like Jasper's? He has a presence that I quite like.
I schooled my expression, giving nothing away, before I suddenly stopped as a faint speck of white caught my notice. I knelt quickly and picked up a piece of paper, buried in the dirt.
It was a handwritten note.
"What is it?" Maria asked, standing beside me expectantly with a hand on her hip.
I held it out for her to see. "An address. To a place in Rio. Victoria's scent is all over it."
"You think she's gone further south?"
"Possibly." I sighed then lowered the note, gazing around the field again. I don't get it…why come here?
"I have contacts in Rio," Maria told me. "I'll tell them to be on the lookout. I assume you'll be heading there?"
I glanced at her then nodded. It seemed she fully intended to let me go without a fight. I figured her respect for Jasper ran a lot deeper than even he knew.
"Perfect." She held out her hand. "If you have a phone, hand it over." We'll have to stay in contact until This Victoria is found.
I blinked, deliberating a moment, before relenting and handing it to her. I watched as she swiftly keyed in a number before handing it back. "Stay in touch. If you find her, let me know. I took the liberty of memorizing your number, so I'll do the same."
"…alright." What had I gotten myself into here? I didn't exactly like the idea of entangling myself with a master of manipulation, but her thoughts confirmed her transparency. There was no ulterior motive she had here with me. She was too focused on the threat of Victoria.
We headed back to the house as dawn started to stain the sky. There was no birdsong in the trees though. No waking life. The area was too full of predators.
We walked into the courtyard again and Maria dismissed her guards. She looked at me with a spreading smirk. "Care to stay for dinner?"
Her implication was clear. All of the human victims which had been delivered…they intended to feast on them very shortly.
"No, thank you." I answered with poorly veiled disapproval.
"Tsk." She clicked her tounge, pointedly looking at my eyes. "Such a strange, unnatural way to live."
But underneath her jibe, there was a certain admiration there. The level of control it took us to maintain our lifestyle…it was something she had not mastered. But she didn't want to. She enjoyed her thrills too much.
I turned to go before she called out to me.
"Edward?"
I glanced back, brow lifting.
"Use the front door next time. I don't like to find people sneaking around."
I gave her a humorless smirk in response. "I'll try to remember that."
He's an interesting boy, she was thinking as I ran off. I do hope our paths cross again soon.
Then she went inside to begin the massacre of her human prisoners. I put the unpleasant thought from my mind and focused. I followed Victoria's trail again until I found the place where it branched off into the trees. It continued until it finally moved onto the street and toward the city again. I sighed before finding a place to wait out the sun, glancing at the piece of paper in my hand.
It bothered me that Victoria had been here, but I couldn't put my finger on why. I considered a moment before picking up my phone and dialing Jasper.
It rang a couple of times before he answered in his faint drawl. "What's going on, Edward?"
"Hey, Jazz. I wanted to discuss an…interesting development with you."
"Alright. What sort of development? Good to hear from you, by the way."
My eyes fell, that echo of sadness ringing in my chest at being separate from my family. "I tracked Victoria down to Texas."
"…is that so?" I could hear the trace of eagerness in his voice. He was probably thinking about his homeland right now.
"Yes. As it turns out, she's taken an interest in Maria's army of newborns."
He was silent a long moment before answering. "That's not good."
"No…" I sighed. "Doesn't seem that way. I just don't know why. I was hoping you might have some ideas."
"An alliance maybe?"
"No, Maria had no idea she had been there. She isn't too happy about it either."
"Ah, so you had a run in with her? Maria?"
"Yes. She caught me tracking on her property. She sends her love, by the way."
He sighed. "I bet she does."
There was a pause, before he continued. "I'll give this some thought and get back to you. Where she heading now?"
"Rio. Maria has contacts there, so it might be connected."
"Maybe. Be careful, Edward, if you're in contact with Maria. She can't be trusted."
"I know. The mind reading helps though. She doesn't seem to know about it."
"Good point. That is helpful."
It would be difficult for her to double cross me or use me in any way. Of course, being away from her hindered that.
"I'll talk to you later, Jazz. I'll let you know what turns up."
"Alright, later."
I hung up the phone then sighed as I leaned my head back, preparing to wait out the hours of sunshine. It was a pale light too, the sun barely peaking through the clouds, but it was enough to keep me where I was.
The pain of Bella's absence flared and I winced as it burned me fiercely. The ache to return to her was unbearable. It seemed to be getting more difficult the longer I was away from her and I again worried about what would happen once I took care of Victoria. Would I be able to keep myself away?
When the torturous day ended, I rose to continue the journey. Victoria's scent led me to El Paso's International Airport and I followed it to the ticket counter, where I was able to book a very expensive red-eye flight to Rio.
I was on the right track, it seemed. I waited several long hours at the gate as I waited for my 10:00 flight to board. I crossed my arms and pretended to sleep so as not to attract strange glances. No one seemed particularly bothered by me though.
When the plane boarded, I settled in for another gruelling stretch of time. It would take eleven hours to land and it was going to be tricky because it would be morning when we did. It would no doubt be bright and sunny. It seemed I was going to have to kill even more time in Rio's airport as I waited for evening.
I preferred tracking Victoria on foot, so the fact that she'd resorted to this method of travel was frustrating. I figured she must have some reason for wanting to reach her destination faster.
Pulling down the window shade, I settled in my seat, then glanced up at the nervous-looking couple who had the unfortunate pleasure of sitting beside me.
I turned my face away, knowing my eyes tended to be the most intimidating part of me to humans.
Their thoughts were briefly uncomfortable before they turned to the excitement they felt at this romantic getaway of theirs.
Perfect, I thought miserably. Of everyone I had to sit next to, it had to be a happy, young couple.
He's a good looking guy, the young woman thought with another glance at me. But something about him doesn't seem right…
He'd better not making any moves on Amy, her boyfriend thought. I'm not above landing a punch or two.
I smirked behind my hand. That would be unfortunate for him.
The trip was long and I put a pair of earbuds in and turned on an indie Playlist. In my empty state of mind, I didn't feel the usual enjoyment from the music. It was white noise. An assist in drowning out the thoughts around me.
When we finally landed, I waited as long as I could on the plane before walking out and sighing as I gazed around the airport. The languages had changed, but I was fluent so I spoke easily with the passport agents and the shopkeepers as I ducked into a few stores to update my wardrobe. The clothes I had were starting to wear down from all the travel. Alice would kill me if she knew what sort of state my belongings were in.
I changed, then wandered around, avoiding large windows as I waited for time to pass. All of this waiting around was agonizing! It was getting more difficult to fend off my desperation. Walking toward the flight information kiosk and seeing one for Seattle didn't help.
It would be as easy as that though. As easy as hopping on a plane. The thought of being mere hours from Bella was nearly enough to send me purchasing one of those tickets.
I resisted though and gripped Vitalia's bracelet tightly. I thought of her then…about her ranch and the comforting image of it. I also thought of Maria's army and how uncomfortably close it was to Vitalia. I didn't think there was much chance she'd ever cross paths with one of those vampires — Maria thankfully kept them in line — but I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
But what could I do? Keep watch just to make sure Vitalia didn't get caught up with them?
I suppose it would be something productive to do after I find Victoria. I decided to put the thought away for later.
When dusk finally came, I sprang up from my seat and walked outside. I circled the airport, but Victoria's scent didn't continue past the main doors. I circled a few more times then eyed the many cars and busses passing through, waiting to pick up passengers. It was possible Victoria had hitched a ride, leaving no trail for me to follow here.
Gritting my teeth, I decided to head into the heart of the city. She seemed to favor populated areas, so I figured it was a good start.
When I reached the city, the air was rich with savory spices and filled with the sounds of Latino beats. Street dancers swayed in the streets and, as I paused to watch, I found that I was unaffected by the scene. It almost perfectly brought to life the scene in my painting, yet for the first time, it stirred nothing inside of me. I was so removed now from joy. From life.
I continued on, the multi-colored strings of lights giving the streets a certain artistry. I gazed up at the massive Christ the Redeemer statue, His arms open as if to embrace everyone below. But, to me, it was only a vivid reminder of how irredeemable I was.
I searched all night, yet Victoria's scent alluded me. I found shelter in a condemned building when dawn came, and closed my eyes as the onslaught of pain took hold of me again.
I started to count my breaths, as it was the only way to ground myself enough to keep from springing back up and running to Bella.
I have to stay strong, I told myself. I can't go back. I can't go back…I can't go back…
Yet even as I said those words, my mind traiterously considered that very thing.
