Fate into Shadows

Chapter 2

Blood

Blood was so easily spilt. I did that as my sword sliced along the throat of the man. It had been two years since my teacher had been murdered by some second-rate wannabee. I was seventeen. I was still alive, fighting fit and only getting stronger.

I let the man slide off my sword to the floor without showing any care as I wouldn't. I had made it myself. It had a bone white handle, wrapped in crimson leather with a thin straight blade, made of sharpened bone, which made the 'blade' rather thin, but because it was made of an organic material, I could channel my power through, it, to strengthen it, but it was still much too fragile. It was a short bladed ninjato, and wasn't the only blade I had made from my past knowledge, just one of the easiest to conceal. It was sharper than even I thought should be possible, but when paired with my powers it was bound to traverse my strength.

It had been hard getting so close to the mayor. The police captain had 'disappeared' two years ago after his police car blew up. He had been presumed dead, but no trace of his body had ever been found. Some speculated that he had faked his own death because of the shame, as after he had left it became clear that his son was a potential murderer, as a teacher had gone missing, and all evidence pointed towards the weapons belonging to him, and he may have fell foul to a bigger monster. Others believed he went into hiding, biding his own time to get revenge on whoever killed his son, as they figured it may have been some kind of family feud.

I was inclined to believe the latter, minus the feud bit, and I couldn't wait to take his head. My sword stabbed through another man's chest as I pulled back and swished it around, sliding it under my right arm in a stabbing position before pulling it out of his chest as he fell to the ground. I turned to see a woman in the corner whimpering, shaking in fear.

Moving closer she could see me better. I was dressed in black leather with a crimson hood with a tight mask wrapped around my mouth and over my nose, tucked into my collar, wrapped around my neck snugly, elastic so it had no ends to tie with darker red patterns on it of death.

The hood and mask were separate from the rest of my outfit, and the hood was baggy and kept my face in shadows. My trousers were tight, hugging to my hips with crimson belt hugging over the skin of my hips with attached crimson material both sides like 2 halves of a skirt hanging to my ankles with pockets.

My top hugged my chest perfectly just ending beyond the bottom of my breasts leaving my toned abs only covered with the thin black tee I wore under, and it went up over my neck. I wore black half boots. I had long dark silver kunai in my forearm guards and on my thighs, and I wore tight black leather gloves with more weapons hidden out of sight. My dark hair was braided into a three-tier plait, long over my right shoulder.

I took the last man's head as I slid my sword back into the sheave on the back of my waist before sliding my left hand around to my left thigh with my blades and drew a silver handgun that was with them like the gun the other side, and pointed it at the young woman, which made her whimper more, crying. I might have thought she was pretty if she weren't on my kill list.

"Where are the captain, and the mayor?!" I asked whimsically as I pointed my handgun at her head and she shivered in terror.

"I-I d-don't n-no!" the woman squeaked out in terror. "P-please, you have to believe me, I-I only work for the mayor!" she cried out in tears.

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "You're not even human!" I replied to the woman's shock. "Now tell me where that filth is hiding, or I will kill you!"

"Please, I don't know!" she replied quickly. "Okay, I'm not human, but I didn't know that he was going to piss off the saviour. If I knew you were coming for him, I would have stayed at home!"

I felt the sneer leave me before it happened. "And why should I trust a Brood like you? You're a disgrace to your own species! You're just snivelling on the floor like a coward!" I said as I looked her over more closely. She was young, in her early twenties and I would have thought she was faking fear if I heard about it from someone else, as Brood weren't known for being afraid, quite the opposite, and they had fought alongside Saya many years ago.

She was pretty, but unusually small, almost child-like and delicate. She must have been no more than twenty-two if I were to guess. She had light blonde hair cut to her lower neck, held from her eyes with a hair band and a ponytail, and she wore silver framed glasses. She had sky blue eyes that showed fear every time something moved, mainly me. I realised that maybe she had picked up some phobias from being a runt of a dragon and having bigger and badder siblings.

"Why don't you... change?" I asked, curious while the girl whimpered and looked away in shame. "You can't, can you?" I asked and she shook her head in dismay.

"I'm sorry, please, please don't hurt me!" she said in a quiet whimper. "I-I'll do anything, just pleased don't hurt me!"

I found myself sighing as I placed my gun away and looked around the huge office. It had several dead mages and the pieces of a vampire trying to sneakily pull itself back together again. The man would have been beautiful if I hadn't sliced his head off. I drew my sword and picked up his head, holding him by his long brown hair, looking at him, amused.

"Maybe this one can tell me where the Mayor and Captain are?!" I suggested thoughtfully to the Brood as I looked to her. "What is your name, traitor?!" I demanded, startling her.

"E-Esmeralda!" she quickly replied with tears running from her eyes. "A-are you going to hurt me Lady Saviour...? I'm sorry I didn't know they were bad men!"

"I'm not going to hurt you!" I replied with a sigh as I looked from the head to the girl. I threw the head to the side as I knew it was no good trying to talk to a vampire without a body, as he still needed lungs to breathe, and breathe to talk, and they were in his body which was in tiny pieces. The head 'accidently' ended up in the lit fireplace, burning to purple ashes.

"I think!" I said, crouching down to the brood girl, smirking as her eyes were on my sword with horror mirrored in them. "You can be of some use, even if it is only knowledge. They do say knowledge is power after all, understand, and what's more, you're quite nerdy…?!"

"Y-yes M-My Lady Saviour!" she quickly agreed, nodding in gratitude. "B-but I don't know where they went. I-I had thought I was so l-lucky," she said with a hiccough wiping her face on the back of her right hand. She was dressed nicely with a white blouse and a blue dress skirt and black shoes, and I couldn't help but notice her bust was larger than mine. "I got a job from mystical people in the mortal world, and I wasn't to know that they were bad!"

"Did the vampire with red eyes not tip you off?" I asked sarcastically, my voice cool and nonchalant. "Now Esmeralda, why don't you explain this?" I demanded as I realised something now, I had calmed down, and grabbed her wrist, dragging her to her feet and pulling her blouse back on the back of her neck, looking under her hair.

She struggled, crying as I used my other hand to grip the back of her neck and under my thumb chocking her but I didn't care, markings appeared, like a spiralling wheel in a deep orange. It had sun like flames blurring out on the outside of the spiral like waves. I narrowed my eyes as I examined it and pulled the struggling girl closer to my body getting a better look.

"Now this shouldn't be here!" I spoke to myself as I ignored Esmeralda's crying. "And stop crying like a baby and stand still!" I demanded frostily as she was getting on my nerves.

She stopped struggling and stood shakily with some sniffles as she forced herself not to cry. I rolled my eyes as I looked closer to the orange swirl. "It's some kind of seal, and if I didn't know better, I would say it was messing with your mind, but it's much more than that. This seal was much too complicated. It would explain why I never realised what you were straight away."

"W-what is it?" she asked, whimpering while I released her and the seal faded away, and she nervously turned to me with tears in her eyes, trailing down her cheeks.

"I don't know!" I answered with a shrug. "I have never seen a seal like it before, not that I've seen any seals before, but I remember them, but she... I was never the best with them unless they blew stuff up," I commented before I heard the gaining sirens from outside.

I looked out of the mayor's office window to see lights flashing red and blue from police cars and emergency services. I turned to the cry-baby and glared at her. "Let's get out of here before the police come in, plus I kind of set the building on fire so it is no longer safe," I said grabbing her she squealed out in terror as I picked her up and threw her out of the open window.

She screamed all the way down as I followed her out, diving down I passed her and caught her in my arms as I landed swiftly before she became another one of my statistics. She grabbed hold of me, holding me tight around my neck shivering with fear. I didn't even give her a look; she was older than me, but much smaller, so I flew off across the road and into side allies, sweeping around and through buildings at speed before running up the side of a building as if it were the ground and onto the roof.

Esmeralda had been bawling her eyes out all the way holding me tighter with every step, but I felt sorry that she was so weak and powerless as I planted the whimpering mess onto her shaky feet. She looked like she would fall down at any moment and I was surprised she let me go at all.

"Okay I'm going now. I'm sure you can find your own way home," I said, and worried a little as I was still a human and wasn't completely cruel, or cruel at all.

"Please don't leave me up here!" she quickly said as I went to leave, latching onto my left arm in a panic. "I'm sorry Lady Saviour; I don't like heights and what if Mr. Mayor and Mr. Captain come to get me. I don't know how to fight or anything!"

I took in a breath and closed my eyes, counting to five before letting my breath out. "Okay, but I'm not paying you. I'll take you in and feed you, but you must obey me! Because you don't want me to change my mind; I have enough problems without some impotent female Brood getting in my way, understand?!"

"Oh yes, My Lady Saviour!" she said with happy tears threatening to fall. "I'll be really good, and I'll umm... clean up after you and do... whatever stuff Lady Saviour's need doing that they don't have time to do themselves!"

I sighed as I cursed my good nature. "Okay, come along, but you'll have to stay in my room with me, and... I suppose I could get away with saying you're a school friend or something. But I think I have use of you, as… the library still exists, right?"

"Y-you mean the Eternal Library in Hekate?" she asked while I nodded. "Yes, My Lady… the Magical City of Hekate is probably the only magical place that's relatively safe these days. Its run by a few demi-celestials of your teaching, My Lady, and Lady Luc-."

I couldn't help but interrupt with a groan. "She doesn't run the city, does she?" I asked as I pictured a young woman with fire-red hair and a crafty grin as she loved one-upping her brother at every turn, and she was good at it.

"No, My Lady," Esmeralda replied quickly. "She just really enjoys going there on vacation, at least once a year from what I know, and she likes the quiet and peacefulness, so any dark mage or warriors or whatnot tend to just leave them alone, but they also have some pretty decent security and guards and police and whatnot too, so unless you want some weed or silver dust to smoke, most other things could risk you a long time in jail."

I sighed, as I figured before that all the cities would have tried to hold on to life after their fall, well, Saya thought that, but I never thought that they could thrive again, so maybe the younger generations were better for it, but it was the Old Ones that worried me most.

Elsewhere, in Forks, Washington.

It was weird to see a future that just didn't make a lick of sense, and Edward, my somewhat, most annoying brother would nod in agreement if he wasn't stuck having to read my mind and see the weird things too. I saw a girl. She was something special. I couldn't picture her face as she wore a mask and hood, and though I could normally pick up a scent in my visions, this girl didn't have one.

She was unusual even by the standards of a vampire. However, she was different. She wasn't dead, yet she could do amazing things. That was crazy as I felt that she was stronger than me, or any member of my family. Yet I knew without a doubt she was human. She was hunting someone in my vision, and found a girl who was a wimp, yet took her in anyway, and seemed to kind of give her a job, or something; doing what?

I had no idea.

I couldn't see much beyond that, but I had seen her in many visions. I couldn't stop longing to meet her ever since I first saw her a few years ago. She was beautiful, and I certainly wouldn't say no even if we were two different species.

Sighing and slumping back into my pillows on my bed seemed like the right thing to do as I ignored everyone else in the house, which was hard to do when you had super senses and couldn't tune them out, so could hear and smell everything even through closed doors, no matter how hard you chose not to.

It was with that that I startled as my bedroom door was opened. We didn't need to sleep but we liked a space all of our own. I never used to have a bed in my room, but after the first vision I felt compelled to get one, and honestly wondered why I never had before, as they were so comfortable just to lie on and read a good book or watch TV, or just snuggle with pillows and dream the body pillow you cuddled was a supernatural killing human girl you've never met before.

I looked up to see the stunning young woman, Rosalie. She was simply beautiful and flaunted it with sexy dresses like the silver one she wore. I loved fashions, but she lived them when she wasn't fixing up some machine as she had a thing for cars and bikes, anything with an engine really. She had long blonde hair in curled ringlets, and if younger and not so cold she would make a very good Goldilocks, but if Edward ever tells her I thought that I would flay him.

"Alice Cullen!" the blonde supermodel of a vampire reprimanded me with her voice like a perfect chime. "I've had enough of all of this. So, you see a girl you want to scissor fuck; go find her and screw her, or for the love of whatever, stop being such a sissy. You're being more melodramatic than Edward, and that's saying something."

"I heard that!" he chimed from another room, growling but they ignored him as Rosalie closed the door and sat on the bed next to me.

"Alice!" she said patting my head. "I love you, and I want you to be happy, but she is human!" she said as Edward had already told the whole family about her.

"With supernatural powers...!" I quickly added.

"Yes, I suppose," she reluctantly agreed. "But she's been killing people!"

"With supernatural powers!" I was quick to add in my dreams defence.

"Okay, but still, she's...!"

"The Saviour...!" Edward interrupted as he barged into my room with a grin. "I've been doing some research on that," he said smugly. He was tall with breezed bronze hair, well he liked to think it was bronze but it was just a light brown. He glared at me playfully with his golden eyes narrowed before he continued as if uninterrupted. "I can't find much, but the Saviour was mentioned in a few legends as a powerful warrior from the Far East who freed the mortal world from immortals, and there are fortunes and prophesies that warn us of her return.

"It was said she led an army that brought down Babylon and other great civilisations because they enslaved humans. There are some scholars who are ridiculed because they believe that she was the foundation for stories of Noah and Moses and many other religious figures of the past! You wouldn't believe how many smart men and women in the field of exploring the past believe in all sorts of weird stuff. I even came across mentions of vampires, and they got everything right."

"So, some vampires have been careless," Rosalie had complained as I suspected she would. "Anyway, why wouldn't this girl be considered a prophet or something like them instead then...?!"

"Because of later sexism, I would have figured," he replied thoughtfully. "Not many modern temples or churches have really recognised woman as more than things that men own until very recently. Then Christianity and other such sects of the world despised the thought of mystical things as blasphemy and the 'devils' creation, but if god parted the seas or flooded the world, then everything was 'cool' to them."

"So, we exist," Alice said thoughtfully. "So, the possibility of other mythical beings is highly likely."

"I've seen your visions, Alice!" Edward commented, shrugging. "I've seen this... new – Saviour walking up a wall as if it was the floor, and standing on the ceiling. I've seen her hit a man three times her size through solid concrete. And unless you're picking up TV channels now, the idea of other... beings like us is highly probable!"

"Then why would this Saviour come back anyway?" Rosalie asked them, confused.

"I don't think she's the same one, but... reborn!" Alice said timidly as she finally sat up next to Rosalie on her bed. "I think if there is magic and all that, then the only reason a powerful leader like the Saviour would be reborn would be to-."

"Save the world from the monsters that stalk the night," Edward interrupted. "We should speak to Carlisle about this when he, Jasper, Emmett, and Esme get back from feeding. I don't want to put a downer on everything, but if the Saviour really existed, and this girl is her now, then we have to choose what we do as a family, as we know our paths are going to cross eventually… and by the frequency of the dreams, probably here in Forks.

"Obviously if we stay here, we'll meet her, and likely join her cause. However, if we go, we can avoid it all as if nothing was going on. But then, protecting the humans, we could be in trouble with our own people!" he finished, unsure.

"I'm voting for staying, and bear in mind, Eddy that I'm staying anyway!" Alice said defiantly. "I want to meet her, see what she is like in person. She is something to me. Okay, so maybe I'm thinking too much into it, watching her so much in my visions, maybe I've gotten obsessed, but even still. If the world is threatened by a bunch of evil jerks set on ruling the humans again, isn't it for us to stand up against them too because we strive every day to keep our humanity."

"I agree!" Edward replied with a nod. "I have done some bad things but if the world descends, I will not be able to stand myself if I do nothing!"

"Well, I'm voting that we leave, and fast!" Rosalie said with a small growl as she stood up from the bed, glaring. "And I know what the rest of the family will say too when they get back after hearing this stupidity!"

Back with Bella.

I carried my burden in through my bedroom window and sighed as I closed it. My room wasn't small but it wasn't overly large either. I had a double bed, and everything a girl could need. I had a PlayStation and a TV on the wall. I had a large wardrobe with secret compartments to hide things, and many other secret compartments I had made, and chest of draws with undies and the likes, tee shirts and everything a girl could really need.

I pretended that I didn't think it was embarrassing as my burden saw the cute little bunnies on my bedding as I gave her a look as she was within my arms, clinging to me with her arms around my neck, and legs around my waist, and it took me a moment to pry her off, and dump her on the bed where she looked up at me looking extremely pathetic. I pulled down my hood and mask, glaring at her coolly, as I tried too not be too nice just yet.

"Betray me and I will snap your neck like a twig and dump your body in the ocean!" I said coolly while she gulped. "And more importantly, don't hog the covers while in bed with me, and try not to be as clingy as you just were!" I ordered as I didn't have any spare blankets or quilt or anything, and I didn't hate the woman.

Her eyes widened with tears as she nodded readily. "O-of course Lady Saviour!" she quickly agreed. "I-I promise I would never, betray you, and I'll share the covers; you're so nice to me... thank you Lady Saviour!"

"Bell-ah!" We were interrupted by a woman's voice as she tried to open the door from the other side. "Bella, why is your door locked again...?" She sighed. "Teenagers," she muttered, likey remembering she also liked her privacy, especially at my age. "Anyway, who is that with you? I heard someone with you? Is that a school friend? I heard a girl… maybe a girlfriend…? Come on Bella, open up, I want to meet her… wow, my Bella can actually get a date. I guess I owe Phil ten bucks!"

"Muuum...!" I quickly whined, annoyed. "Seriously, betting on something like that? And how do you know I weren't putting the moves on her?" I demanded, having grown up I had come to the conclusion that my mother didn't care about my sexuality, just having one seemed to please her, even though I suppose I couldn't say for certain what that was yet, but I knew she would be okay with 'experimenting', as long as the other party was a girl.

"I didn't know you had any moves sweetie!" she replied, giggling. "But be sure to introduce her in the morning, at least," she replied with a sigh. "Is she going to be spending the weekend?" she asked hopefully as she had been worried that I wouldn't ever make any connections after my favourite teacher had 'disappeared' after the incident with the 'nutter'. I loved that my mother worried, but most of the time I felt like the adult.

"Well, I was hoping a little longer," I said quickly engaging lie mode. "Her whole family is making a move to Seattle in a few weeks, and everything has been so hectic for her, I said she can stay here until the move since she'll actually be on the same plane with me," I said, lying as Hekate should still be in Grease, so she would be heading there since I had enough money, I may have taken from some of my enemies before killing them.

"Bella!" my mother interrupted me, reprimanding. "Of course, she can stay here, I'm just happy you've made a friend. Now if you're going to be doing 'things', make sure to pleasure her as much as she…"

"Mum!" I yelled while she laughed and Esmeralda and I were blushing up a storm, as we heard my mum still laughing as her noises faded away down the stairs.

"Your mums so cool, Lady Saviour!" Esmeralda declared with a dreamy look. "I wish my mum were nice like her."

I gave her a look and promised to look into her family because if they had betrayed everything the saviour had believed in all those years ago, I was going to kick their asses.

Sighing, I flopped back onto my bed before half glaring at my Esmeralda. "Just remember no hogging the covers and we'll be peachy, and I'll deal with getting you a flight to Grease, and a place to stay as close to Hekate as I can, and an allowance to last you the few months you'll be their checking out the library and taking pictures of ancient books and the likes, and maybe ask around, get a feel of whether we could get a magic user or two. Then you can join me at my dad's, in Forks."

"Yes Master," she quickly agreed.

I smiled and patted her head, as I had calmed and could easily sense the young woman's kind nature, honesty, and guilt for working for some bad people.

"Well, I'm tired after all of that killing," I said with a stretch and yawn. "Are you hungry, or are you okay with waiting for breakfast?"

"I've already eaten, My Lady," Esmeralda quickly said.

I smiled and stood up, pulling off the top half of my clothes, and throwing them with my bra into my laundry hamper, and looking at Esmeralda while she gulped and blushed.

"You're about my size," I told her thoughtfully, and though she was a little plumper in curves than me, I made up for that with toned, and taught muscle, so it would even itself out. "How do you normally sleep, do you want some pyjamas, or I have some baggy tees that I like to wear as they're better in the heat?" I suggested as I kicked off my boots and socks, and slid my trousers and panties off, and they followed my other clothes in the hamper, before pulling out two large white tee-shirts with video game prints from a couple of games I enjoyed playing, and throwing one to Esmeralda, and slipping the other on, and it came a few inches below my bum.

Esmeralda gulped as she had stared at me through the whole thing, red cheeked, and I wouldn't like to say it allowed, but the way she watched me change made me feel rather squirmish.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "Es!" I interrupted, startling her. "I can get you some PJ's if you want?"

"N-no, My Lady," she quickly said. "This shirt is fine, as it gets really hot at night some times," she quickly said, and I enjoyed watching her changing as she was rather cutely embarrassed with me teasing her, and being rather playful.

However, once she had the tee on, hiding away her rather nice body, as she was still Brood, and even the runt of the tribe was rather fit in body, even without training, I had an interesting sleep that night, and I was pretty sure I was going to miss how clingy she was, as I found out that Brood were not very kind to runts in the litter, but even more so to Esmeralda, as she didn't have any talent for draconic magic at all, which was important to them, but she was rather handy when it came to seals and runes, as despite her childish and fearful nature, likely because of her family, she was extremely intelligent, and I couldn't help but admire how adorably geeky she could get when she placed on her glasses, and talked about some amazing thing she discovered, and I was glad I found someone who would know how to scoop out a library for important knowledge.

That was why I let Esmeralda take liberties with me, and I had always wondered what it would have been like to have a sister, too. Then waking up with my Esmeralda cuddled within my arms was surprisingly nice, and even mum couldn't say anything against Esmeralda as she was amazing cook, and made some stunning meals out of much too mundane ingredient, so we loved it even more when we got some more upscale produce.

That eventually brought me to the present, where I had left with Esmeralda, with a kiss and a cuddle, as my mum was present, and I annoyingly didn't want to squash her hopes that I 'had someone special', so we were playing the part, and we parted at Seattle airport as Esmeralda would have a direct flight to Grease thankfully, as she had to head to Seattle to keep up the roose. I let my new friend hug and kiss me before I saw her to her plane, and made sure that she knew to call me at least once a day, or any other time, she needed too, but not to be ridiculous with calls as I had school, and she could just send texts, or use Signal to leave encrypted voice clips.

My mother recently got married again, as she has been divorced from my father for several years now. And I thought I would give her a break. You see, Renee's (my mother's) new husband Phil, a nice guy I suppose, if a little on the young side (compared with my mum) plays minor league baseball, and travels a lot. Now because of school, I couldn't go everywhere with them; not that I would want too. So, my mother had been staying in Phoenix with me, and refused to go and leave me alone, which I was fine with, and could have 'kept' Es, so I came up with an alternative. It was nice of my mum to think of me like that, but I could see she got lonely without her husband.

Therefore, being the brilliant and kind-hearted sap, I am, I let her go? So now, I'm going to be staying with my father, Charlie. It had been a long time since I had been to our house back in Forks, as dad normally liked to spend a few weeks in a sunnier place, so visited me a couple of times a year, and he liked to call once a week to see how I was doing, and whether we needed anything. He was really good like that, and though I told him he didn't have to, he did give me an allowance, which was sent to my account through standing order, and gave mum some money each month, to pay his share for me, even though Renée said he didn't have to go that far, as she made enough, but he insisted, as he is a really good father.

It wasn't so bad I suppose. I've never much liked the freakishly hot climate of Arizona anyway. It's just Washington State wasn't known for its average temperature either. Nope. I'm going from one extreme to the other. It's freezing here, rains a lot, and often snows. Ah well, it could be worse. Oh, wait it is, as my father, Charlie is the Police Sheriff of a quaint little backwater town, or maybe village is a better word? Forks. Population easily counted as the sign I passed a way back shows a population index and a warning in graffiti to turn around or you may never get out.

Too late, I thought, and at least Esmeralda would only be gone for a few months, so I could look forward to that, as it was nice having a friend, I could talk to about weird supernatural stuff without them thinking I was crazy. I did girly things that I hadn't really done before, like snuggling up on the bed (as if a sofa) with Esmeralda with hot chocolate and snacks, and watching a film.

Well at least Forks had an abundance of lush greenery and trees to hop through and training in the forests rather than desert would be a great change in pace for me. But also; it was probably the best place for monsters to hide out. Maybe they would be friendly, but more than likely, monsters wouldn't want to hang out in nowhere-land any more than I really wanted too, but maybe if I was lucky, I could make a friend or two, as I really did love Esmeralda's company, so another normal friend wouldn't hurt, and if not, Esmeralda would be home soon enough.

I smiled at Esmeralda's text, telling me the plane she was on was showing a Hercules film, before replying for a review afterwards, as it was the old one with Schwarzenegger, and I hadn't seen it before, and I must admit that I do like a fun action movie.

"Are you alright, Bells?" my father suddenly asked from the drivers' seat of his Police Cruiser as he was driving me home from the airport, and I looked to him from the passenger seat, placing my phone into my inside pocket, confused. "You're not cold, are you? If you are, just say, and I'll turn the heater up a notch or two… I'm used to it, but you came from ridiculously hot Arizona."

I looked down at the black jacket I wore and smiled as I stroked my fingers along the warm soft fluffy hood that I had up to keep me warm, even though I had since learnt to use my spiritual energy to keep my body temperature regulated, so even without it, I would be warm, but Esmeralda and mum insisted I wear it as they picked it out together behind my back. I also wore black hipster combat trousers that hid an assortment of plastic weapons that could have gotten me into some serious trouble at the airport in either Phoenix or Seattle if they had one of those full body scanners or stopped to search me. Plus, Charlie wouldn't be too pleased either as he is a cop. How embarrassing would that have been for him, his own daughter carrying weapons onto a plane, without checking them like a sensible person into the hold, as would be perfectly reasonable for blades of any kind? In hindsight, it was not the brightest idea I had ever had. I had destroyed by poor guns that I stole a while back, and should look into stealing some more, as they were rather handy weapons, and I wish I had them back in my past life.

Shaking that thought away, I glanced at my black boots before looking up at Charlie from where I sat securely in the passenger seat and smiling at him. I was secretly wishing he would drive faster as I could run faster than this, and childishly wanted him to put on the sirens.

"No thanks, Dad," I finally answered. "I'm fine thanks. Just thinking about my friend Esmeralda, but more, the horrors of starting a new school," I half-lied easily.

He chuckled as he returned his attention fully on the road. "Well, I'm sure it will be fine. They'll all love you."

Yeah right, I thought with a roll of my eyes as we finally pulled up into the driveway of a small house. It looked the same as ever, except the ugly old red pickup truck parked next to us. I have a really bad feeling about that truck. I sighed as I followed Charlie's lead and climbed out of the cruiser, slamming the door behind me before I ventured to the trunk. I only pulled out one of my three suitcases as Charlie grabbed the other two. I could have carried them all with ease myself, but that would have looked suspicious. My mother already thought I had gone nuts with the amount of time I spent at the gym. Here I doubt I'll get to use a gym, as I'm not sure such a tiny place even had one, especially equipped for someone with my needs, but the trees and forest would suffice for my training, similar to how I used the desert for a playground sometimes, back home.

"What's with the truck?" I asked quickly.

My dad looked sheepishly embarrassed, "well, an old friend of mind, Billy Black, you remember him from the reservation? You used to play with his son Jacob?" he said rather rushed and I did remember hanging out on the Native American reservation and playing with some kids there. "Well, I know you said you've got the money for a new car, but I was talking to Billy, asked whether they had anything decent you might want to look at, as they have a nice little lot down there, and Jacob is into mechanics, works at a res-garage part time, and they had a few motors, but I didn't think you wanted something as… beefy as a muscle car, or something supped up to race dirt tracks…?"

"Well, of course not," I quickly agreed. I wanted something with some kick, but specialist cars weren't up my ally, so as long as it looked nice, could go off road, and I could move fast in it, I would be happy.

"That's what I said you would say," he continued, laughing. "Jacob gave me a few suggestions of places in the city that would have something more all-over, and gave me the keys to this, said to give it back once you got a new car. He was rebuilding the engine with the help of that Clearwater boy, Seth. He said it will work well enough as it is, and will get you around until you get something new."

"I was thinking of getting something used, actually," I quickly say. "I dread to think of what I would have to pay, insurance wise on an actual new car these days at my age."

My dad laughed and nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, I put you down on my plan, so as long as you don't get a Ferrari or something, we should be okay to put that on my plan too, as it will be cheaper for now."

I smiled and shook my head, as sure, driving a super or hyper car around a race track would no doubt be fun, driving one around rural Washington State would be a nightmare. Though, I had gotten my motorcycle license, I wasn't sure whether dad would approve of me bringing a bike home too, as that would be fun in rural Washington State.

"I'll have to thank Jacob when I see him next," I said. "If you see him first, please offer my gratitude."

Dad grinned and nodded, as I effortlessly carried my case to the front door as Charlie heaved my other two before he opened the door and let us in, giving me my own set of keys. I rolled my eyes as he led me upstairs with my cases, and when we got to my room, he smiled as he dropped the cases by the door. I put mine on the bed.

"Well, um," he began looking and sounding nervous. "It hasn't exactly changed in here since you were little," he gave a sheepish chuckle as I looked over the Powerpuff Girls bedspread in amusement. I can't actually remember ever watching them as a kid, but then most teenagers forget little details like that, and they just about fit the small double bed, and I made a mental note to change them. "Well, if you need anything Bells, I'll be in the lounge watching the game."

"K, thanks dad…" I replied with a sheepish laugh as he left my room, closing the door behind him, as he loved to have a beer or two while watching some kind of sport, but I wished he went out and found himself a lady friend to keep him company. I suppose it wasn't too late for him to get me a little brother or sister.

Shaking my head clear I begun unpacking my clothes because if I didn't do it now, knowing me I'll end up living out of my suitcases until I've worn and washed everything.

It didn't take too long to fill my wardrobe, and draws with all of my clothes, and hide away all of my plastic blades.

Shaking myself out of that thought, I looked at the ancient computer at my old desk. That would never work, and it probably ran on Windows 95 or something worse, so I dug into my last case and pulled out a leather carry case before opening that to pull out a sleek black laptop computer with the much-needed Linux OS, and a virtual machine configuration for Windows 11, for the very few times I might need it. It took only a few moments to hook it up to the modem, dial up, I noticed in annoyance that some places were still scammed the older gentleman into it. However, I just made a mental note to rectify that soon, even if I had to use a satellite dish to get broadband or 5g or something, and if I needed additional speed now, I could tether it to my phone, as I surprisingly had pretty good reception. I plugged my laptop in, and set it beside the antique where it could mock the no doubt excruciatingly slow machine.

Yep, with my baby finally in place, I pulled off my jacket and flung it into the corner of the room where it landed haphazardly on an old rocking chair. I stretched a few kinks from my muscles before grabbing a towel from a draw and an oversized blue tee and some panties (since I wasn't living with mum anymore, I would have to be better), and heading into the bathroom at a leisurely pace, as it was getting late, and would soon be time for bed, as I did have school in the morning as it was now Sunday. I just wished that stupid flight didn't have space today, so I would have come in tomorrow and gotten a whole week off to explore.

Ah well, whatever.

Sighing, I entered the bathroom, remembering to lock the door after me before looking into the mirror. For someone who lived most of their life under the sun of Phoenix, I sure was pale. I smiled as I thought that I was almost as pale as vampires. Not that I've actually seen one before in this lifetime. My brown eyes smiled at me in amusement as they looked over my features, from my pouty lips to my small nose and over my chestnut brown hair that cascaded down my shoulders. I figured I looked pretty good, and Es admired me enough to know it was true, and add in my physical features and I'm super good.

I giggled at that, as no boy had ever asked me out before. Heck, it would have been nice if a girl asked me out, though, Es was extremely clingy, and seemed to like playing the role of my girlfriend too much, but her 'being' in 'Seattle' was another 'reason' for me to go and stay with dad, so my mum didn't have to feel too guilty, as we could 'visit' each other lots as the city wasn't too far to drive, and it had a direct train from and too the city.

Though, who knew, maybe I would get lucky in this hick little town, as I'll be the new talking point. Nobody knows me here, so it's a whole new start. Though, I'll have to try and stay away from those superficial gossip types. I don't doubt that even in Backwater-Ville they exist. Though, I was annoyed that I was certainly going to miss waking up with Esmeralda cuddled up in my arms.

Shaking my head, I slowly undressed before turning on the shower and climbing in.

to be continued...

"What!" Rosalie screeched at the top of her lungs as she sat around the family room with her vampire family. "Everyone is voting to stay when you know that this could be the end of everything as we know it!" she demanded heatedly glaring at her large jock of a husband as he wouldn't look at her as he had voted against her too.

"I'm sorry Rosalie!" Carlisle said with a sigh as the beautiful man with combed back blonde hair sat at the head of the table. "If the end of this… peace, is to come to pass then I feel that, as who we are, we should not run, and if this Saviour does stand for freedom, then we should stand by her.

"Wahoo!" Alice cheered with a large grin. The tiny vampire skipped up and down in joy, unable to wait until she meets this Saviour and hoped she could be saved.