They spent hours in that clearing, just the two of them. The day was filled with conversation, yes, but also with Lettie's fondness for exploration, climbing (with Edward's assistance) the walls of the old house, and watching as the many bugs crawled their way through the grass around their feet. They spent more than a few moments pausing their conversations to lay in the summer sun, soaking up the warmth from its rays.
Edward caught himself staring at her more than a few times, mesmerized by the carefree smile on her face. Despite the only one actually glittering under the sun, it was Lettie who seemed to glow as the rays caressed her being. She seemed more relaxed than she had all day, words flowing more freely as her body relaxed. He lsmiled when he caught her embarrassed look, trying to manage her tangled hair after flopping onto the grass.
For all her lack of being around people in recent years, Lettie was surprisingly patient, answering the countless questions Edward hurtled her way.
"Bound Spirits, such as myself, Poltergeists, Malevolents, and several others, though my understanding is that any spirit not bound are no longer spirits. Spirits are almost always bound to something in your plane, lest they be swallowed by their own desires." She paused only to straighten her balance, feet moving with surprising grace as she balanced on the crumbling wall of the old house. Edward held his hand out, just in case. "Malevolents and Poltergeists are most alike. Malevolents require much more energy and force than Poltergeists do, though that is only what I've heard."
"You are in danger only if a Malevolent or Poltergeist takes interest in you," she whispered, face not moving from where she watched a caterpillar making its way across a stick. Edward huffed, trying to keep the dirt from staining his shirt as he joined her stomach down on the ground. "Now that you know of me, other bound objects will be more apparent to you, however I cannot say how that will manifest with your…condition. Malevolents and Poltergeists will be easier for you to see, oftentimes without them wishing for you to be able to, which may cause them to attack. Either way, all those from my plane see that you have interacted with me, and some are…not always happy they cannot be seen."
"Though I greatly wish to have complete answers for you, much of my knowledge is limited," she explained, taking him on a walk of the perimeter of the clearing, hand running over the bark of passing trees. "Experiments of my own have led to discoveries as you've observed, though, as you said, it is much easier for me to pass through objects than to interact with them. I cannot tell you why I can only pass through man made objects. That is just the way things are."
"Oh yes, though not as many as I wished. Samuel is a poltergeist. He would visit occasionally, though he would never stay for long. He is the only poltergeist I have encountered who has told me his name." Edward leaned on his elbow, looking down at Lettie as she stared up at the passing clouds. "Sir Charles Gorham is another spirit, such as I, though he is bound to a jewel encrusted dagger. He, or rather, his dagger, was stolen from the town's museum during a special exhibition, and the thief stayed in my Father's home for several weeks. He is the reason I have the knowledge that I do, lest I be as clueless as a human about my world."
Lettie was so forthcoming with her answers that Edward felt he had to as well.
"No, no. Not like Varney. Fangs, yes, though our bites leave more than two puncture wounds." He growled at her playfully, bearing his teeth, from his space leaning against one of the old walls. Lettie laughed at him from her spot in the grass. "No hypnosis either, unless it's a special ability. Okay, fine, I will concede that he was correct about the sun…and crosses…and garlic, and food…Fine, I guess we are similar. I just don't like to be compared to that goofy vampire."
"Animal blood is not as…satisfying as human blood, however we don't hunt humans for several reasons. For most of us, the guilt is too much to justify our survival. We're a little weaker than others, and our senses are a little duller, but with this diet we can still be a part of the living world, learning and developing just as humans do, without the need of unnecessary death. Our diet also turns our eyes this gold," he gestured to his own eyes, Lettie leaning closer to get a better look, "which is easier to hide under contacts than the red human blood turns them. Oh, contacts? They are a type of clothing for my eyes, to change their color. Maybe clothing wasn't the right word…"
"Coven is typically what we're called, though family works just as well. We are the largest in North America as far as I'm aware, though I know of a coven near Michigan who currently houses a pair of young twins. Should they join that coven, then they would become the biggest at six. Italy houses the biggest currently, though I don't know if I would call them a coven. More like an empire." His skin glimmed, refracting freckles of light onto Lettie as she looked at him with rapt attention as they sat along the wall. "As for the oldest, that would be the Egyptians. It's just Amun and his wife as far as I know, though I believe there is a nomadic vampire Caesar whose brother was the first vampire. His brother no longer lives, and I don't know if he has taken any coven mates in many years, so, yes, the Egyptians would be the oldest coven to my knowledge."
"Jasper, Emmett, Esme, and Alice, as you know. Rosalie is Emmett's wife, and Carlisle is our Father, for all intents and purposes. He is Esme's husband." Edward laughed lightly as Lettie repeated each name in her head, connecting names to faces, and guessing what the others looked like. She wasn't terribly off. "He is also my sire, the one who turned me, the same way he turned Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett. Most are here, but Carlisle and Rosalie are on a trip right now, and we'll meet them once summer is over. We cannot live in one place for too long, but we will be in Forks, Washington, until we have to move here."
"So far?" Lettie stopped in her tracks, causing Edward to pause as well. This was the third loop around the small clearing this walk, though neither of them really seemed to care or grow bored of the movement.
"Yes, once summer ends, we're heading to Forks to establish ourselves before we start school again." Lettie's thoughts were filled with nothing but disappointment. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew."
"I had suspected, but I wasn't aware it was so soon for you to depart, nor how distant you would be." She took a few steps forward, bringing her to his side, though neither made another step to continue on their walk. She gave him a gentle smile. "I have enjoyed your company thus far."
"We won't be leaving for a few more weeks," he assured. "Any spare moment I have we can spend together, if you would like."
"I would not like to inconvenience you." Though her words denied, her thoughts were filled with hope. That, and the smile that pushed against her lips unwittingly.
Edward felt himself grow a little shy. It's been a while since someone was so excited to spend time with him, even if his family tried their hardest.
"Nonsense. I've enjoyed the day as well."
A shrill ring cut through the clearing. Lettie nearly jumped out of her skin, if that was even possible, eyes darting around the clearing for whatever caused such a noise. Edward, despite himself, stifled a laugh.
"It's alright. It's just my cell phone."
"Cell…phone?" She watched with rapt curiosity as he pulled the square device from his pocket, screen blinking on and off to indicate he had an incoming call.
"I have to take this, but I'll explain once I hang up." He bit his lip to hide his amusement as his words swam in her head, not connecting any of his words with actions she'd known. She looked even more baffled as he raised the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"Edward, dear!" Esme's voice sounded from the other side, choppy connection doing nothing to hide the Motherly worry in her voice. "I just wanted to check in. Alice informed us that you were going to stop by an old hiking trail on your way back from donating those items."
"Yeah, I'm there now." Lettie's eyes were wide with shock as she registered Esme's voice on the other side, leaning just a bit closer to hear her better. Edward pulled the phone away from his face, pressing the speaker button.
"Will you be there for much longer?" Lettie jumped as Esme's voice rang out louder.
"Did you need me back?"
"Is that Eddy?" Emmett's voice boomed before Esme could reply. "Yo, Eddy! Not fair you get to hang out longer than we took to feed. Get your sorry butt back here! We're gonna do a trip to the dump, so if you wanna get in on this Karate game Jasper and I came up with you gotta get here ASAP."
"Emmett!" Esme's tone was stern, but not unkind. In fact, he could hear a bit of humor underneath it all. "Don't worry, dear, we aren't leaving right away. Take your time coming back."
With a click the call disconnected. The phone in his hand flashed as it returned to its home screen, the only thing visible being the time. His eyes widened.
"I didn't realize how late it was, already."
"What a marvel!" they spoke at the same time. Lettie flinched slightly, features crinkling in embarrassment. "Apologies. I am simply amazed."
"Ah, yes." He held it out to her. It only took him a second to remember she probably wouldn't be able to hold it, face matching hers as he changed his grip to instead show her without having to touch it. "It allows me to communicate with anyone who has another phone at any time. That was Esme and my brother. They are waiting for me."
"Oh." Lettie's shoulders slumped, though, with how fast she righted them, he knew she did it without meaning to. "They must miss you terribly."
"They don't know I'm here with you." He shoved the phone deep into his pocket. He winced a little as the seam ripped slightly. "They think I'm here alone. They're worried."
Lettie's thoughts completely misinterpreted his wince, brows furrowing in worry. The passing thought of Edward being a danger to himself had him send a sharp look her way.
"They are wonderful people for caring so deeply," she settled on.
"Yes, they are."
With the late hour, the shadows of the trees had started to spread across the clearing, returning his skin back to the flat pale from the morning. It has been so long that he had spent all day lounging in the sun, and now his skin was warm to the touch in the way only natural light could provide. No matter how many showers he took, that heat was nowhere near the life he felt now. He ran a hand over his skin as he started to make his way to the edge of the trees, leaning down to grab his discarded shopping bag on the way. Lettie followed close behind. With how much he was focusing on the warmth he had, he hardly noticed the down thoughts running through his companions mind. It was only the shuffle of Lettie dragging her feet, did he finally stop, waiting for her to catch up. He gave her a small smile.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon enough. As soon as the sun rises." Lettie looked at him confused for a moment. They were only a few feet from the trail now, the place Edward was dreading a goodbye for now.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Aren't you staying here?" Both were at a standstill. Despite being a mindreader, there was little he could do to remedy a misunderstanding of words. Edward watched her sift through their conversations throughout the day, brow furrowing.
"You still hold my necklace."
"Your necklace?"
"Oh. Forgive me, I did not realize we never spoke of it." She pointed to his bag. "My necklace. It is the object that binds me to your plane."
Edward set the bag down gently, reaching his hand in to dig for the trinket box he had saved from being donated earlier in the day. The small marble box was exactly as he remembered it, though now it seemed to sparkle in the natural light. When he opened it, there the necklace was, the same intricate painting in perfect condition, despite being jostled around in a box and a bag all day. The same thrum of life he felt when he first touched it pulsed under his fingers as they hovered over it.
"That's why you wanted it earlier," he said, returning his eyes to Lettie's. "When we were donating things."
"Yes. Should the necklace have gone with Miss Everret, so too would I."
"You have to go where the necklace goes?" She nodded. He recalled the strange way she tailed behind him on their first walk to the Historical Society, never going more than a few feet away from him even though he was sure she would have rather stayed and watched another snail crawl over a rock. "And you can't go too far away from it."
"Yes," she said with a firm nod. "My limits are set, and I may go no further."
His fingers hesitated over the pendant again, an almost strange forbidden feeling running through him. He reached for the rusting chain instead. Raising the necklace from the box, he watched as the pendant swung to and fro in the space between them. It was miracle the old thing was still able to support the weight of the pendant. However, when the pendant swung a little too close to Lettie, it glowed for a single moment. Akin to sunlight bouncing off a car window, it nearly blinded him with it's golden glow. At the same time, Lettie physically recoiled, as if struck, a shout echoing in her mind so suddenly and loud it made Edward flinch. The necklace jostled in his hand, swinging around his arm like snake on a branch.
They stared at each other for a single beat before Edward managed a, "What was that?!"
"I-I cannot…" she stuttered. "I musn't touch my object. I'm sorry." Her thoughts were a spiral of fear, but none as heavy as the immediate thought of Edward forgetting her that caused an emotion deeper than dread to weigh on his mind. The sky above their heads was quickly turning ochre as the sun began its descent.
"You can't touch it. Why not?" he demanded.
"Horrible things may come to pass should I." The thought of Edward once again forgetting her passed through her thoughts. Ah, so the two are connected. His mind was still reeling at the volume and desperation of her shout. Too tired to argue or push, he simply sighed.
"Then, let's make sure that doesn't happen." Lettie's smile was blinding.
"I very much appreciate your kindness." She looked between her necklace and Edward, tactfully taking a half step away and towards the trail leading back to town. Though she seemed in better spirits, he could still hear the nerves in her thoughts of returning to her home. To her attic.
"You don't want to go back." Lettie stopped. A myriad of conflicting thoughts raced through her mind, the foremost one being the image of that dark attic and deafening silence. She facing away from him, but he didn't need to see her face to see the expression in her tightened shoulders.
"You must return to your family lest they worry."
"Yes, but you don't have to." Lettie turned, looking towards him. Edward searched the clearing in a quick pass, before running towards the old house. Placing the necklace back into the marble box, he tucked it carefully beneath a pile of fallen rubble, arranging rocks in a makeshift cave, before returning to Lettie's side. "It should be safe from hikers and the wilderness there, but we can move it to a better spot tomorrow."
Lettie looked at him in amazement, stars flickering behind her eyes.
"You won't require me to return." He shook his head.
"Not if you don't want to. Not if you're not ready."
"But the journey-"
"Is nothing for a vampire. It'll take me no time at all if I run." He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I can tell you don't want to go back."
It was hard to say if he had ever felt someone be so thankful towards him. Yes, time and again he'll be helping Carlisle at the hospital and a patient or their family will have only kind thought towards him, thankful both externally and internally in a way that makes his entire being lighten. But in his day to day life? Teenagers are extremely expressive, feelings large and rowdy, but rarely are they inherently good in nature. Lust, envy, anger, fear. Those are things he knows well. Yes, occasionally his classmates may feel thankful for speaking up in class when it's near paralyzing from the teachers stare, or doing his part on group projects without prompting.
But this? Lettie's mind was free of obligations, of other thoughts, of others expectations. Instead, she simply thought only of his kindness, of ways she could repay him for the, in her mind, endless kindness he's shown her. Her mind, thinking too fast for her mouth to form words in gratitude, settled on a delicate expression of awe. His nonexistent heart clenched tightly.
"Will you be alright here?" he said to fill the silence. Lettie nodded enthusiastically, hair bouncing around her shoulders.
"Will you return soon?"
"Like I promised," he reassured, "I'll be here every day you would like me to be here." His feet were taking minute steps towards the start of the path, but he was having tough time moving beyond that.
Why was he hesitating so much? She said herself that she wasn't able to feel any pain. There was nothing out here that could hurt her. She didn't need food or water, didn't need shelter should it rain. She has made it more than a little clear that she can entertain herself for hours, and he did promise he'd be back as soon as he could tomorrow. 12 hours, at most, he reasoned, and they would be back to lounging under the sun and speaking unabashedly.
"I would like that very much." She took a step towards him, almost reflexively, before rocking back onto her heels. The distance between them grew.
"Good, because I still have many questions for you." he joked lamely.
She laughed lightly, returning in jest, "You are of an inquisiting mind. I have expected as such."
The sun was fully beginning to set now, sky changing to a burning orange. The light cast the clearing in deep shadows, the trees stretching to meet their friends on the other side. For a moment, just a moment, Edward worried about the similarities between the sky and Lettie's attic. But, as he watched her face the setting sun, the wonder on her face as she watched what was probably her first sunset in too many years, immediately reassured him that he was making the right decision.
"I'll see you as soon as I can tomorrow, okay?" he promised one last time.
"Thank you, Mister Edward Cullen." A zing went through him as she said his name. Had she really gone all day without saying it? "You have made me the happiest I have been in a long time."
"Thank you, Miss Leta Carnall," he parroted. "You have made this a day I shall never forget."
