Despite the mismanagement of the serial murder case thus far, Edward had to give kudos when they were due, even if he had to look as downtrodden as the rest of his classmates; All after-school activities were canceled, lunch had to take place in the cafeteria, students were to go home directly after the last bell rang, and public study spaces, such as the library or the nearby cafes, were to call the police should any students arrive. Overbearing, perhaps, but entirely necessary when a presumed serial killer moved from killing random town members to kidnapping the Chief of Police's daughter. And all of that doesn't even include the fact that the 'serial killer' was, in fact, a group of nomadic vampires that had overstayed their welcome.
"Yeah, I caught her as I was running some papers to the office," Mike Newton said, trying to keep his voice melancholy despite preening at the attention the camera was giving him. Celina Blanche was as stoic as ever, curly black hair pulled away from her face to add to her harsh features, even as she nodded along and thrust the microphone under his nose. "She was crying, getting into her car. She barely let me talk to her. Said she needed to see her friend down on the reservation for something."
"And…cut!" The cameraman said, instantly lowering the camera. Celina Blanche turned without another look.
"So, this'll be on tonight's news?" Mike Newton asked excitedly. Neither of the news team looked at him.
"Try to get footage of the school, preferably with an officer at the door. Oh, and get some good-looking teenagers in the shot too." Her eyes swept the grounds, almost instantly locking with Edward's. Her face brightened, though her lips didn't move. The cameraman barely had a moment to swing his camera up again before Celina Blanche was heading right towards him, nefarious, exploitative plans pooling in her mind. Edward spun on his heel and disappeared into the crowd of angry students.
Thanks to a local Samaritain, Edward was completely exonerated of all suspicion. By her testimony, Bella Swan's truck was seen heading towards her house at 1:30 pm, then reemerged to head down the highway around 4pm. In that time, the entire Cullen family was accounted for, with all the students being in class, and both Carlisle and Esme at the hospital. Though it did not completely halt all baseless rumors from his fellow classmates, it did stop them from gaining traction.
It also helped that the entire theater department vouched for them.
By the time they returned home, both Carlisle and Esme were already there, talking quietly to one another at the family table. The rest took their seats without a word, regarding each other with a flick of their eyes, and waited patiently for their parents to finish speaking. Lettie's face flashed with hurt as Rosalie pulled Emmett away from her.
"The police have reached their limits," Carlisle finally said to the table, sighing. His mind swam with the memory of the frantic police station, each human looking more tired than put together as they poured over the victim map. "The new coroner should arrive within a fortnight, as well as back up from Mason County."
"Mason?" Jasper said, surprised. Carlisle nodded solemnly.
"With 's death, Jefferson County is on full alert. They refused to send any help in case they're struck next." Jasper tisked under his breath but otherwise didn't make a comment. "I'll remain on call for the time being, however, Jasper and I have been talking, and I agree with his decision to make a move."
Only Esme, Jasper, and Edward were able to keep a cool face as the rest of the table looked at him with various levels of shock.
"We're making a move?" Emmett asked excitedly, miming cracking his knuckles. "Hell yeah!"
"Thank you for your enthusiasm, Emmett, but we'll need to be a bit more tactful than what you're thinking." Carlisle waved his hand over to Jasper, who adjusted his posture to address the table.
"Bella Swan will take approximately two to five days to turn into a vampire. Based on what Edward was able to learn from their thoughts, it's unlikely the nomads have any real practice turning humans. If they bit her as soon as they carried her away from the road, then Bella Swan is already on Day 2 of her transformation. The nomads will be unused to the pull turning a human will cause in their coven, which we can use to our advantage. We split up, scout the area. Do not engage if you find them. They'll be vulnerable, and their instinct to run will be overridden by their desire to protect their newest member."
"And Samuel?" Edward asked.
"Samuel is a separate issue. If you see them, run. We still don't know the extent of their cooperation with the nomads." When no one else spoke, he nodded, gesturing to Carlisle, who pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "We'll go out in teams of two, rotating every four hours. If you don't come back in that time, we'll assume you were taken by the nomads."
"Jasper and I drafted this schedule." Edward's eyes skimmed it quickly, noting Lettie's name was nowhere to be seen, instead, each family member, bar Alice, left in teams of two. "Lettie, if it's alright, you'll always accompany a pair in case Samuel is seen."
Lettie nodded in agreement without a fight.
"Edward and Esme, you'll head east. Please hunt on your journey. Emmett and Jasper will head North." Rosalie scowled, obviously noticing that Jasper and Emmett were being sent toward the direction the nomads would likely be, while he and Esme would head farther away. He could feel her glare boring into the back of his head as if he had a say in where they were sent. "Alice, as much as I know you wish to assist, for your own safety, we will need you to remain here. One of the family will remain to keep you protected."
Alice clenched her hand against the table, though she didn't say a word. Carlisle eyed her, then sighed.
"I know this is not what we had in mind, but until we have confirmation on the nomads' location, we cannot afford to spread ourselves too thin." With that, he rose. "I will remain here with Alice at night, but my presence is required at the station. Charlie is convinced that the key to finding his daughter is in the other victims."
Though he sounded exasperated, there was a hint of pity in his tone. There was no way to tell Charlie Swan that his daughter was likely dead, not without implicating himself and the family. No, instead, he had to play the faithful companion, working tirelessly until either the police give up, or the nomads make their move.
Despite knowing that the nomads were likely north, somewhere near the other trail Jasper picked up the day previous, both he and Esme were diligent in their search. No suspicious trail was left unfollowed, no cave unexplored, no rock unturned. They did hunt, as Carlisle suggested, but not even the quenching of his thirst was able to quell the anxiety he was feeling in his chest.
"Are you alright, dear?" Esme asked as they leaped over a ravine, feet barely kicking up dirt as they shot off once more. "I don't want to pry, but something has been bothering you."
"It's nothing."
"It's never 'nothing' with you." Edward gave a playful glare to his pseudo-mother.
"Are you sure you're not the mind reader?"
"I know you kids well enough to do so without any extra powers, thank you very much."
They ran in silence for a few minutes, Esme's endless patience oozing into the comfortable atmosphere around them. It was one of the many things he appreciated about Esme, her inability to pry, even as her mind was spinning with ways to comfort him. Finally, after a few more moments, he sighed, and Esme turned all her attention towards him.
"Lettie's friend," he said quietly, though he didn't know why. It wasn't as if he was wrong for doing so.
"Oh?"
"Charles Gorham. He was somewhat of a nobleman in the early 1800s but died in a duel sometime in the 1820s. His spirit was bound to a golden dagger." Edward sighed. "Lettie's mentioned him a few times, but she's not always…forthcoming with information on him."
"Well, have you tried asking about him?" Edward shook his head, embarrassed.
"The way she thinks about him…" Esme sent him a probing look, to which he ignored. "It felt too private to bring up."
"Edward, my dear, I love you, but prying is a specialty of yours." Esme laughed at his playful glare. "I'm just surprised. You really like her, don't you."
"She doesn't have a choice who has her necklace," he said, trying to shrug nonchalantly, but it felt much too stiff to be convincing. "I don't want to make her uncomfortable."
"She trusts you." Esme's assurance sent a shiver down his spine. "She'll open up about him, if you have questions."
They ran a few more minutes in silence, before Edward said, "I think I need to find him."
"Edward…"
"He has information about Samuel and other poltergeists," he justified, though it didn't do much to change Esme's sad smile. "We need help now, more than anything."
The desire to protect Lettie went unsaid, but Esme's thoughts more than confirmed she knew what he was not so subtly hiding.
They ran for the entirety of the four hours, finding an old trail that led them farther east than they intended to go. By the time they got back, both Jasper and Emmett had returned, the former pacing in front of the second-story windows. He sent them a small glare at their tardiness, even as they both sent him a sheepish grin back. Edward excused himself, ushering Esme upstairs to take care of Alice while he went to find Emmett, the two going on patrol next.
Instead, he found Lettie and Rosalie nearly toe to toe, their similar height giving neither the leverage, despite one being a vampire. He went to open his mouth, but a large hand pulled him aside before he could interrupt. Emmett's face was far more serious than he had seen in a long time.
"You don't know me. Don't act like you do." Rosalie's harsh tone had him raising a brow. Only a week ago, Rosalie was stroking Lettie's hair, nearly cooing at her the way one would an adorable puppy. Though tensions had been high, he hadn't heard any real hostility towards Lettie from Rosalie, only the underlying worries that always plagued her.
"That was not my intention, I apologize." Despite apologizing, Lettie's voice was firm, refusing to back down. He felt a small swell of pride. "I simply felt a conversation between us was long overdue, as I do not understand what has changed-"
"You've charmed my family, but your cutesy routine won't work on me. You're nothing but a danger to us, and now we're on the verge of a war that none of us want to be a part of." Lettie let out a shaky breath.
"Your anger is festering." Rosalie scoffed, though her loud thoughts betrayed the apathy she tried to invoke. "There is little I know of this world, but emotions have always remained the same. Your anger is controlling you, despite the lovely life you have been gifted."
Both Edward and Emmett winced. If it wasn't for the tight grip Emmett kept on his arm, he would have rushed in, ready to block Lettie from Rosalie's inevitable attack. Though, if he was being honest with himself, he was more than a little curious about how this conversation was going to end.
"Gifted? You think I wanted this?" They could hear Rosalie's aggressive gesture. "I was forced into this life, against my wishes, and the one thing, the only thing, I've ever wanted was taken from me too." Her voice lowered dangerously. "Gifted? You're crazy if you think I wanted this."
"Then you and I are much more alike than I originally believed," Lettie responded quietly. It was, however, the wrong thing to say.
"We are nothing alike," Rosalie hissed. "You have not faced the things I have."
"I would not know what things you have faced, with the way you keep your secrets so close to your heart." Edward gave Emmett a wide-eyed look. Had Lettie ever been so…petty before? The sneer in her words was unfamiliar to him.
"You want my sob story? Would that make you feel better about yourself, a reason to look down on me?"
"I would never-"
"'You would never', as if. You're just like everyone else, thinking you know me when you have no clue-"
"Your feelings of anger are manifested from the unfair nature of your second life-"
"You don't know me-!"
"And you wish, more than anything to be rid of it-,"
"Shut up-!"
"But you cannot find the will to end your own existence!" Lettie's voice echoed in the quiet house. Edward could tell it was more than he and Emmett listening, the upstairs completely quiet, not daring to make a sound. "Yes, I am more than aware of these emotions, and the fear that comes with the loss of control of your own being."
A slice of curiosity cut through Rosalie's denial, thoughts jumbling into a clear divide: put Lettie down for thinking she knew her, or ask what she was talking about. Lettie's thoughts, similarly, flickered between regret and determination. The swish of fabric, of Lettie bunching her skirt between her fingers, practically rang out like a gunshot in a house where no one breathes.
"So, what?" Rosalie finally said, softer. "You claim you know me, but you don't know anything about me?"
"Rosalie, forgive me for saying so, but your emotions are driving you away from the love of your life." Lettie let out a small sound as Rosalie took a menacing step forward, but continued on. "Your anger consumes your heart, and I fear, had it not been for Carlisle's intervention, you would have been cursed just as I have. A vehicle of your negative emotions, cursed to walk the world without inhibitions or desire to do anything but have others feel as miserable as you do."
"What?" The breathy question was pure surprise.
"You have made your desires clear to be as far removed from my world as possible, but forgive me, this information may be pertinent." When Rosalie didn't object, Lettie sighed. "There are many kinds of spirits in my plane, but the most feared amongst us is, what we have come to call, a Malevolent."
The memory of being chased in the asylum sprung to the forefront of Edward's mind. Though Rosalie's mind conjured the memory of Lettie explaining what a malevolent was, it didn't have the same fear that consumed those who had seen one before. Even Jasper was terrified of them.
"They are creatures born by their own misery, too consumed by their emotions to pass on to the great unknown," Lettie explained slowly. "I fear, for the little I do know you, your negative emotions would have consumed your very being, and trapped you in a cycle until you are undone by your own hatred."
One step, then two, and then Rosalie was collapsing onto the chair behind her. It was Edward this time to stop Emmett from rushing into the room.
"You're telling me that if I hadn't been turned, I would have been like…you?"
"It is very likely."
The house became quiet for a long moment, no one daring to make a sound. Even Lettie, who was unused to remaining still, kept her feet firmly on the ground, not even to shift from foot to foot like Edward has seen her do a million times.
"I hate him," Rosalie finally said, voice on the verge of breaking. "I hate Carlisle for turning me without my permission."
Lettie's dress swished as she moved, fabric rubbing against the couch cushion as she sat.
"Edward informed me of your reluctance to join their family."
"Reluctance? Ha!" The sharp laugh was louder than any of them expected. "One minute, I'm experiencing the worst moment of my life, and the next, I'm waking up as an undead creature with an endless thirst for blood. Yeah, you could say I was 'reluctant'."
"I find myself recalling a similar experience when I was reawakened. Though, I apologize, my thirst is not for blood."
"And, now what?" Rosalie continued as if Lettie hadn't said a word. "I got my revenge on those who hurt me, but what other choice did I have? Carlisle was all I knew."
"The complicated tangle of love and loss you share with Carlisle? I know it all too well."
"How could you possibly-?"
"Do you know how a curse like myself comes to be?"
"Yeah, you had someone cry over your necklace."
"In a sense." Lettie sighed. "It is a burdened devotion. Loss, anger, hatred. The emotions that change the very nature of your being, rewriting them until you are no longer what you once were. I had dreams, Rosalie, similar to your own; to marry my betrothed, to have children to love, to assist my Father become a different man." Edward felt a pang in his chest. "None of these dreams, however, would be powerful enough to attach my spirit to the human world. While a Malevolent is a manifestation of one's own desires, it is only the desires of another that force beings such as myself into existence."
Both Edward and Emmet leaned forward, enthralled. The creaking of the chair was enough to know Rosalie was doing the same.
"My Father was always a dramatic man," Lettie said quietly, "but this, I fear, was too much, even for him."
"Your Father…?"
"I love my Father," Lettie continued. "My love for him was one of the few things I held onto in the years I was trapped in our home, but, I also came to resent him. Had he not wished for something so impossible, I would get to be with my Mother on the other side or nothing but stardust. Instead, I'm trapped here, now, without him."
Rosalie made a small sound of protest, the image of Lettie placing a comforting hand atop her own flashing in her mind, but simultaneously, a fleeting thought of comradery came along with it.
"What Carlisle has done to you is…horrible, on that, we can agree, but I know he is trying to be something better than he once was. My Father was a great man, but he was more selfish than good." The unspoken similarities weighed heavy, and despite Lettie outwardly calling Carlisle selfish, Edward didn't hear a hint of hostility from anyone in the house towards her.
"Fathers, huh," Rosalie said after a heavy moment. "They always seem to let us daughters down."
Lettie's small laugh popped the bubble of dread that filled the room. Edward felt his shoulders ease unconsciously.
"If you would allow my impertinence once more, might I suggest you confess your anger to Carlisle? Though he may know why you act the way you do, he may never be able to make amends should you keep these emotions hidden."
Softer, she added, "Trust me when I say they can eat you alive."
"Fine," Rosalie grumbled. Edward couldn't help the shot of surprise that went through him at Rosalie agreeing so readily on something they'd been trying to get her to do for years. "But don't expect anything to change overnight."
"Men are strange creatures," Lettie agreed. "They believe they know best, but rarely are they correct." Rosalie huffed in agreement.
"You have that right, at the very least." Then, louder, she said, "Like spying on private conversations."
Edward and Emmett exchanged a brief look of panic, before stepping into the room from their hiding spot, each with a sheepish look on their face. Rosalie looked entirely unimpressed, while Lettie looked completely shocked, unable to hear their sneaking thanks to her normal hearing abilities.
"You're up for patrol," Edward said, awkwardly running a hand through his hair.
"And you could have told me that five minutes ago. I thought we were on a time crunch." Despite the truth in her words, the air seemed lighter, as if their conversation had lifted a heavy burden from her shoulders. Rosalie strutted towards them, sending a glare towards Emmett, who should have known better than to spy on his wife.
But, just as she passed the threshold, she paused, a poor imitation of causal as she looked over her shoulder at Lettie.
"Just call me Rose. It's easier for everyone that way."
"Thank you, Rose!"
With a curt nod, she and Emmett rushed up the stairs, ready to report to Jasper for the next patrol. In their wake, they left a smiling Lettie, and a jaw-dropped Edward, too stunned at the display of kindness, of permission for a nickname she let only Emmett and Alice call her, to realize that his ghostly companion approached. It was only at the feeling of her hand slipping into his that had him looking towards her.
"Come," she said with a smile, tugging him towards the stairs, "the family is awaiting our arrival."