Red Moon ~ Chapter 22 ~ Betrayed

Chapter 22: Betrayed

“One move and she dies,” he warned not letting go of me.

I felt tears streaming down wetting my shirt. I wasn’t crying because I was scared to die. I was feeling so betrayed right now. It was different just having someone telling you that a friend was fooling you and actually living it! No matter what, I never believed that Victor would do something like this. I was sobbing uncontrollably and my vision was blurred from the tears.

The same thought lingered by everyone in the air. Will he really do it? The Volturi wanted us alive. How would they react if I was dead? I prayed he wouldn’t do it. I wasn’t afraid about it happening anymore but still, I didn’t want my life to end. I had so much that I could not leave behind!

‘We won’t let anything happen to you, Eshe. We’re going to fix that.’ Nessie tried to comfort me but I wasn’t listening. What could they do? The Volturi would be here in any second.

“D-d-do as he says…” I whimpered.

“Sooo it can be nice and easy… nobody gets hurt and you follow me, do you understand?” he said motioned at them to move forward and get out of the door.

“Mel, now!” Cole told her and she vanished before I could even blink.

“Noooo!” Victor growled and his hand dug so hard in my shoulder that I almost screamed. “Where did she go?” he snapped at Cole.

Cole smiled satisfied. “Who knows? Here? There?” He shrugged.

Please, Cole, stop playing with him! He’s not kidding! My eyes begged him but he was looking Victor straight in the eye instead.

“Stop fooling with me if you want her whole!” he barked at him.

“I really don’t know. Somewhere hiding. Do you want me to go find her for you?”

“No. I’ll come back for her. Now go on. Let’s get done with this,” he growled and his look forced them to walk out of the house. My feet felt as if they had rooted on the floor, I couldn’t move an inch. Until Victor pushed me forward.

We walked in silence for a while. So this is it. Everything is over. There is nothing for us to do. Why should it be so unfair? What did we do wrong? What?! I was sobbing so hard that I almost tripped on my feet. I had given up. What was the point after all?

I didn’t pay attention to where we were heading or who was doing what. I could feel my world shattering before me. I’d never see the Alps the same way again. Actually I might not see the Alps again at all…

Victor grabbed my wrist impatiently, making me walk faster and at the same time checked that the others did nothing but walk along. As we came closer to the forest I saw some dark, cloaked figures waiting. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Suddenly a loud thud broke the silence of the night and it started raining furiously, limiting my vision, but hopefully theirs too. With the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of Phillip’s eyes turning dark blue and I had a hunch that this was his doing.

‘Eshe, move!’ Nessie shouted inside my head and with that I yanked free from Victor’s grip and punched him hard on the face.

“This is for betraying us to the Volturi!” I told him and gave him another angry punch. “And this is for threatening to kill me!” Another punch.

He ran a white arm over his face, whipping the raindrops away and laughed. He had the nerve to laugh!

“There is so much you haven’t learned yet, little one…” He shook his head in disapproval. “So… so much…”

I could see them surrounding us and I attempted to run but a strong hand pushed me back, causing me to fly back on the spot where I was previously standing and crash on the ground roughly. I moaned from the pain but got on my feet quickly.

‘If they do it, you won’t have time to give them permission. You won’t realize a thing,’ Cole’s words ringed in my ears like warning bells.

I heard a ripping sound and as I turned around I saw Jacob phasing midair as being about to attack Felix. Nessie and Phillip were back to back trying to defend themselves from two other vampires, Heidi and one more that I didn’t know. Dawn was struggling to approach Aro but his never leaving shield, Renata, was blocking her way and it was as if Dawn was bumping on an invisible wall.

I felt a hand on my arm and before I could think about it I grabbed it and spun around, freezing for a single second with shock. It was Alec.

He’s nothing more than the rest of them, I thought to myself.

Up to now my survival mode was on, but my mind’s turn had come. I had to move fast or he’d get me. Either with his gift or for real. Or both. I wouldn’t be tricked like that twice though. I leaped forward but found myself in front of nothing, he dodged faster than I expected. A small half smile shaped on his lips but it faded as I attacked again, this time my fist finding his stomach. He half growled, surprised and in pain at the same time. He stared at me with his blood red eyes and his twin, Jane, took her place next to him. There was this much I could handle though. Together they were practically invincible.

She didn’t hurt me as bad as the other time but she wasn’t gentle either. I gritted my teeth to keep myself from screaming and turned to face her, smirking.

“Is this the best you can do?” I asked sarcastically. I wasn’t a masochist, it surely wasn’t a nice sensation, but since I had to play their game, I’d do it my way. And this was pissing her as much as possible.

A smile lit up on her face but it wasn’t radiating from happiness. It looked more like saying, ‘We just got started. You haven’t seen anything yet.’ And I was sure I should take the warning seriously. Soon I felt it too. The pain was more intense, making my knees buckle. I tried to focus on the raindrops that were slapping the ground instead of Jane’s torture. But to my surprise it stopped. I didn’t have the power to stop it. Something else must have happened. I lifted my head and saw Cole fighting with Jane. He was GOOD. When he said he’d been trained I didn’t know how good he meant he was. But now I saw. He was a REAL fighter.

Dawn, on the other hand, still had a problem with Renata.

“Dawn, let go!” I shouted at her.

A female vampire was getting in the way. She was skilled but I managed to sneak my way around her and reached Dawn. Just then, in the center of this chaos I realized what was happening. There was no escape. We were totally outnumbered.  They were seventeen, we were only six. What I did seemed wrong, even to me, but I gave up. It would be best to stop before ended up badly hurt.

“Eshe, what are you doing?” Dawn exclaimed as I let my arms drop on my sides and didn’t even flinch when someone held them tightly behind my back.

But what was I really doing? This wasn’t me! I’d never give up that easily! Something was clouding my judgment. I couldn’t pinpoint it though…

“Told you not to try escaping, little one,” Victor said. “You don’t know what you’re messing with.”

“Oh, yeah? Care to enlighten me then?” I told him, shockingly calm compared to the disorganized chaos that was taking place in front of me. For a second I wanted to shiver when I thought that I ended up again in Victor’s grip again.

“Don’t you feel a bit out of character lately?”

“You can’t answer my question with another question. It’s not–” I stopped realizing what he was saying “You’re doing this! It’s been you all along!” I almost shouted, all my calmness disappearing into thin air.

“Clever, little fox,” he commented.

He had been affecting my mood! He had been for a long time! All my mood swings, the negative feelings that came from nowhere and disappeared again into thin air for no obvious reason, why I was so upset when I saw the painting, why I was unable to relax when Jacob jumped on me, why I couldn’t stop making a big deal of Cole’s past –I mean, I did want to know who I am talking with but I didn’t become hysterical at the point that I’d have a fight about it! But this wasn’t the point! He point was that I had been tricked. He was somehow fading in the background everything positive in my mood causing my so bad reactions. The lack of the usual humor that I used to face things with. I felt so betrayed! Victor was supposed to be my friend! But he had been messing with my mind all along! Was this why I wasn’t suspicious of him today? With all these thoughts I felt so overwhelmed that even the fight didn’t matter.

I tried shoving him away again.

“Not this time. Eshe, didn’t you realize yet? It’s game over.”

I could see it. Dawn was held by Renata and Nessie and Phillip were surrounded by five other vampires. Jacob, who was fighting with Demetri, now looked exhausted. Cole was still holding on but he had to deal with too many of them too.

“No. Not yet,” I growled and kicked Victor hard, making him stumble. If I was destined to fall, it would happen my way.

I used everything Cole had taught me, trying to reach for his head. I flipped him over crashing him on the ground, hoping that if he ended up on the ground he’d be an easy target but I was wrong. I had expected taking a little longer until he’d get up but I didn’t have the luxury of such an advantage. I was getting tired trying to avoid his attacks and at the same time make my own moves. I stopped, just for a second, to catch my breath, and his punch met my shoulder. It hurt. I saw black spots in my peripheral vision but I still tried to punch him back. My hurt shoulder was slowing me down though. He must have dislocated it but it wasn’t time to bother with a medical diagnosis at the moment. Victor found a chance to hold me again and pulled my fists behind my back just like before.

This can’t end like this! Not after all this effort! It was so unfair! I thought to myself. At least Mel is safe. Or I hope she is… A spark of hope lit up inside me. They are coming. They will come for us.

As I stayed still the adrenaline started leaving my body and the pain of my dislocated shoulder was getting stronger. It hurt much worse than I could imagine. I gave Victor a glare that promised I’d kill him as soon as I found the chance but his face remained emotionless as he forced me to walk forward. And then, before I could realize what was going on, I was knocked out.

* * * * *

For a second my thoughts felt so mixed up and hazy that I’d swear they weren’t even mine! All kinds of different things came to my mind, Volturi names, the names of Jacob’s wolves and the ones of the vampire witnesses and had come for Renesmee, my vacation in the Amazon, the last night… The last night! I remembered someone hitting my head and I felt my temples throbbing in agreement. I wouldn’t be shocked if my head was twice its size by now, it felt like that, swollen and bigger than it should anyway. I half opened my eyes expecting the strong morning light to blind me but instead I struggled to make out details in this darkness. There was a torch on a wall far from me, its flame weak. Maybe on purpose. The floor felt cold and hard under me and I tried getting up carefully, without putting any pressure on my shoulder that was swollen and numb.

I felt so alone, everything was so silent, eerily silent. But the others should be somewhere around here. Where else could they be? I knew everyone was alive, I had seen it. I was pissed with myself. For once again I came into consciousness too late. Where were we? Obviously in a dark, dirty dungeon but where? This could be anywhere from Count Dracula’s underground hideout in Romania to a secret tunnel under the Stonehenge! I would expect anything from these vampires! Or we could be back in Volterra. In a dark, unattended part of the castle that nobody bothered to decorate in a way that would make guests feel welcome. Judging from the chains on my wrists? No way. Surely they didn’t care for that in that side of the place. I wanted to look around, find a weak point, some stronger light maybe but the chains wouldn’t let me go too far. I was practically stuck with my back against the wall.

“Eshe, is that you?” I heard a tired voice on my right.

“Dawn!” I felt relief as the knowledge of not being alone hit me.

“Nessie’s here too but she hasn’t woken up yet. I’m a little worried but I can’t reach her.”

I stretched my neck and saw Dawn’s tangled hair and just behind her Nessie’s bronze curls, but that’s all my eyes could make out in the dark.

“Is she hurt?” I asked feeling my stomach nauseating even at the possibility of Dawn saying yes.

“No, she seems fine. Just asleep,” she assured me.

For some time I sank again in my thoughts and my anticipation and worry for Nessie. Where was Cole? Jake and Phillip?

“Melanie!” I said aloud and felt Dawn’s eyes on me.

“She’s not here.”

I exhaled in relief. “Good. She must be safe then. She will be already explaining to everyone what happened.”

Dawn looked down with a lost expression as if she was in deep thought.

“What? Is anything wrong?” I asked without wanting it I raised slightly my voice.

“Dunno… I mean we haven’t seen her but this doesn’t mean they didn’t find her.”

“Didn’t you see? I was out, somebody hit me in the head and I can’t remember much.” I admitted, feeling worse for my weakness with every passing minute.

“You hit your head?” she asked and I saw her body tense.

I nodded and automatically I reached for my temples where it was hurting worse. There was a deep cut on the one side and I knew it was still bleeding a little but I didn’t tell Dawn. She was already upset enough for Nessie. It would stop at some point after all. I let my hand fall on my side hiding the little bloodstains from her sight.

I pulled my hand with all my strength trying to break the chains. Or just loosen their hold on the wall. Nothing.

“Don’t bother. They’re not breaking, I tried that already.”

I gave up and despaired let my head touch the stone wall.

“Just great!” I mumbled.

“Humph…” Nessie groaned and Dawn’s and my head turned at her direction.

“Nessie?”

She looked at me sleepily as her eyes tried to adapt to the darkness of the dungeon. She looked around murmuring Jacob’s name softly over and over again.

“Where is he?” she asked with a shaky voice anxiously.

“I don’t know.” I said avoiding her look.

“He’s alright, I’m sure about that,” Dawn assured her.

She didn’t look convinced. She got on her feet and tried to free her hands from the chains. Just like me she failed.

“I need to find him!” she was shaking and her eyes were wide. “I need him!” She punched the wall and the stone broke; little shattered pieces falling on the ground but that was it. Somehow her chains were longer than mine, she could move freely up to an extent.

“Don’t waste your strength. Sit down,” Dawn advised.

Since I met her I was always amazed for her maturity. She was keeping her calm and acting way older than she looked. Or was. How was she doing that?

Nessie let her body lean against the wall and slip on it until she was sitting on the floor again and staring into nothingness. I closed my eyes thinking about Cole. His deep blue eyes, his messy hair, his amazing smile… I thought about how the last night was, so peaceful, we fell asleep without expecting what was to come. Would I ever touch him again? Would I see him? I wanted so bad to know what was going on with him! We might not have an imprint but our love was just as strong. Or I wished it was… Nessie was so lucky. She could be sure that Jacob was the one for her. Just like I wanted to convince myself that Cole was my soulmate. She and Jacob had imprinted…

“The imprint…” I murmured to myself. “The imprint, Nessie! The imprint!” I said more urgently.

“What?” she was looking at me confused.

“Your imprint! Remember when we were at that car with all the Volturi? You told me you’d know if something bad happened to him because he was your imprint. You are bound to each other. Can’t you try and sense him?”

She pushed her lips together thinking something, then nodded and closed her eyes tightly. I didn’t need to get into her head to know she was thinking of Jacob. She mumbled something so quickly and silently that I couldn’t understand it and then she sighed in relief. I didn’t know what she was doing and if she was somehow communicating with him but I wished I had the same connection with Cole.

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Red Moon ~ Chapter 21 ~ Who Said all Surprises Were Good?

Chapter 21: Who said all surprises were good?

Morning had arrived, the sun was shining brightly from the window we had forgotten open last night, but I refused to accept it. I wanted to stay like this forever, hugging Cole. He on the other hand had a different opinion. After a “Come on, let’s go get breakfast” and some kissing and hugging he convinced me to leave my warm, cosy bed. Melanie was watching a French TV Channel with cartoons but looked bored of them. Sally was on her laps moving her tail lazily, trickling her and causing her to giggle. Phillip was at the kitchen table with Nessie and Jacob talking about something but I was too preoccupied by my own bubble of happiness to pay attention to their words. I grabbed some coffee, emptied two little paper packages of sugar in it and sat next to them.

“Why don’t you drink a milkshake if you want something sweet?” Phillip asked staring at my cup.

“Milkshake doesn’t wake you up.”

Cole sat down taking two cupcakes and giving the one to me.

“Your parents called, Eshe. They want to talk to you.” Jacob told me.

“Oh, alright, ImgonnacallthemwhenIeat” I said quickly as I chewed a bite of my cupcake.

“What?”

“I’m gonna call them when I eat!” I repeated more clearly.

“TV’s boring.” Melanie announced taking her usual place on Cole’s lap.

“Some people find it entertaining. There are some good things in it too.” Renesmee said.

Melanie shook her head and blinked returning to the sofa again. I sipped some of my coffee and enjoyed the silence of the moment. Until I realised what it was about just at the same time Cole did. Jacob, Nessie and Phillip’s eyes were pinned on us as if they were accusing us of a big crime. Oh oh! They must have heard what Cole told me last night! I should have learned by now that secrets cannot be kept in a house full of people with superhuman hearing! I gave Cole a terrified look and then opened my mouth, hoping that I would find a convincing excuse but I felt my mouth dry and like I had a big knot in my throat.

“What’s that look for?” Cole asked.

“Last night maybe?!” Dawn exclaimed, making her appearance but apparently informed about whatever was going on.

“What about it?” he continued taking a bite from his muffin.

“What was going on?! You were like... fighting! We are supposed to be united as long as we are in danger not feel like enemies! If you can’t be together... I don’t know... just break up!”

I burst into hysterical laugh. They got it sooooo wrong! So far from what happened! I couldn’t stop laughing even when they were all glaring at me and finally made myself breathe and explained. Hiding some little details now that I knew what they knew.

“Cole was showing me how to fight,” I announced.

They widened their eyes in surprise and demanded for more.

“You know, it’s not over yet. Until we get safely back home we are in danger. We’re just hoping that Demetri won’t track us soon enough.”

“So this means you weren’t trying to kill each other?”

“Nooo! We don’t hate each other! Obviously.” I looked at my hand that was holding Cole’s and smiled at him.

“Maybe you should practice too. I could help with that. Just in case,” Cole added.

“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Jacob nodded in agreement.

“Sure. Sounds fun.” Phillip and Dawn agreed.

Nessie just shrugged. She wasn’t this inexperienced, as far as I know she’s been practicing with Emmett since she was little.

We spend the whole day practicing on some moves Cole and Jake showed us and I realized that everyone but me knew how to fight. Except Mel but she doesn’t count. She was sitting on the grass watching us quietly. At least thanks to Cole’s ‘extra’ lesson yesterday I could sort-of catch up with them. Jake also showed me how to fight in my fox form, since I was a shape shifter. He said that he was much stronger in his wolf form so the same might also be the same way for me… I remember me running much faster as a fox, almost faster than vampires. He was actually right, after I learned the basics I found out that I was a much better fighter as a fox. My reflexes were much better as well as my senses, especially my hearing. It was as if I could hear every single movement. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that as a fox I had to use my mouth instead of arms to attack… Well I will have either speed or skill, pick only one… nobody can have everything in this life…

‘Eshe, are you ever going to focus?’ Jacob shouted inside my head.

‘Yeah, sorry.’ I’ve had this insane feeling of being watched and no matter what Cole said and I was sure that there was something watching… Or someone. It was so disorientating feeling this pair of eyes on me it gave me the feeling I had that morning in Sherrill again. ‘It’s just that I feel like there’s someone else here.’

‘What are you talking about? There are the others just some feet away.’

‘I mean somebody else.’

‘Think that you’re too tired and-’

‘Owww stop with that already! I’m sick and tired of hearing this! I am just fine! I am not imagining inexistent things!’

He didn’t go on, this last him made even his head quiet. I’ve been having such little outbursts of anger every so and then lately and everybody told me it was just natural, with such an adventure and under such pressure. But I knew something was wrong! I couldn’t have this crazy feeling with no reason.

‘Okay, sooo… going on?’ he broke the silence ready to get back to practice.

‘I’ll be back.’

‘Where are you going?’

I was already walking away into the forest. ‘Take some air. I won’t be late, promise.’

‘Eshe, we said we shouldn’t be separated as long as we’re here.’

‘I’m not separated from anyone. I’m gonna shout if I have any problems.’

I fought back his protests with arguments that I couldn’t remember five seconds after I said them and walked deeper and deeper into the woods. Didn’t really know what to look for, just something that would prove I’m not crazy. The day was really warm and sunny and even in the cold heart of the forest I could feel the sunrays warming me from toes to ears. I could hear the forest, the soft breeze, the birds singing… it was as if the forest was breathing. It made me calm and helped me think more clearly. After all who could be stalking us? Absolutely nobody. They had no reason to do so. And if they were the Volturi they would have made their presence known a long time ago… After all they couldn’t have found us this quickly.

Suddenly I heard a branch twitching behind me and turned around quickly. I could hear steps. Fast. Really fast. But no beat. I knew it was a vampire. I ducked, half-hiding behind a log. Closed my eyes for a second pretending to sleep and made sure my eyes turned this orange-brownish color normal foxes’ eyes are. I had to be convincing… though I had no idea what my scent was like.

He came closer and I had to make my mind work faster. I had to come up with an escape plan. I knew the scent… it had something familiar but not repulsive. It actually made me relax. No danger. I thought. It’s okay to reveal myself. Although I thought this I couldn’t go like ‘Hi, it’s Eshe! How are you? I know I’m a fox but don’t worry there’s nothing going on with me’ and smile. Instead I half-opened my eyes to face him. He was observing me from a safe distance and jumped up, doing an elegant, but hopefully fox-like, flip and running away as if I was scared. When I was sure I wasn’t followed, I stopped and phased back untying my clothes from my ankle and wishing that I’d change before we all had an awkward moment with me being half naked in the woods. I was lucky that he didn’t follow but I knew I should get back to face him sooner or later. It’s not like he was a thread to us but even if he was I knew one or two moves now. My feet felt a little sore and the feeling of standing in two legs –although I never believed I’d say this– was really odd to me now. I made a little circle around myself trying to get used to it and center my body so that I could balance. This hasn’t happened to me before but now that I think of it, I haven’t been in my animal form for this long either.

There shouldn’t be any problems when I found him, it’s not like he’s an enemy! I walked slowly and carefully, making the least possible sound. Before I knew it he was in front of me, of course two feet taller than me, with his brown untidy hair and his brown eyes. The eyes that have been watching me for the last two days. The eyes that almost drove me crazy. Victor’s eyes.

I forced a shocked look in my face and widened my eyes as I said: “Victor! What are you doing here?”

“Hey, little one!” he said as his goofy grin took as always its place on his face.

“Don-” I trailed off. I wanted to ask him not to call me that but I’ve been doing this for the last five years without success. “Where did you come from?”

“I was doing Europe’s round… Need for some vacation, don’t you think so?”

“Seriously?” I was left gawking with his so natural, cool expression. He was so clueless about what happened since we last saw him!

“Yes. As far as I know at least I am absolutely and completely serious.”

“Oh, I can’t believe you’re really here!” I ran towards him and hugged him.

“I missed you too, little shape-shifter,” he said and chuckled.

“What?” I pulled away from him suspiciously.

“Changing your hair and eyes and all? That’s called shape-shifting.” He gave me an odd look and smiled. “Are you alright?”

“You can’t imagine what we’ve been through!”

“We?” His brows rose curiously.

“Remember Renesmee?”

“The redhead?”

“Yeah, that’s her. And well there’s a werewolf, Jacob, and the Volturi caught us and there were some others and we escaped and–” A hand covered my mouth.

“Whoa, whoa! Relax! I didn’t get a thing! Volturi? Others? Escaped? What are you talking about?”

“We’d better get to the others, I am sure Jacob’s gonna get crazy that he can’t get in my head right now.”

He looked really confused with all the things I had told him but I wouldn’t say anything else until we’d get back. He followed me until the vacation house came into view.

“This is your old house, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Victor, that’s it.”

The clearing near the house was now deserted, but I preferred not to jump to quick conclusions yet. I sprinted towards the door and got in. A wave of familiar voices overwhelmed me as everyone started asking where I have been and why I had disappeared like that without warning anyone.

“Do you know how dangerous that might be? You can’t imagine how risky it was running off alone and having no way to contact us!” Jacob scolded me. “I freaked out when I was shouting at you and you weren’t answering! You could get injured or run up to any vamp-” Victor walked inside the house too making him stop for some seconds “-ire.”

Everybody remained silent and kept on looking at Victor with wide eyes. Melanie smiled and I saw Nessie take a deep breath and wave.

“Victor. Right?” she asked.

“Yes. How are you, Renesmee?”

Jacob eyed both of them suspiciously and Nessie explained quickly.

“We met that day that Alice took us to town with Eshe to that Italian restaurant, he’s a friend of Eshe.”

“So we can trust you?” he asked.

“I am no thread to you.” Victor nodded and sat on an armchair without asking anyone. So Victor-like! He’d make himself like home even if the others didn’t want him to.

There was still some tension in the room but my runaway issue was totally forgotten. I sat next to Cole and he placed his arm on my shoulder protectively. I wanted to tell him that it was alright and that Victor was a friend but this meant that I’d reveal that Cole was suspicious.

“So we keep bumping on each other lately, don’t we?” Nessie laughed.

“Seems so. Faith keeps bringing us together,” he agreed. I couldn’t quite decipher his expression, he had such a mysterious smile on his face.

“Does it?” Cole asked and I could feel him stiffen next to me. I wasn’t sure if I should worry or not.

“Apparently…” He raised his eyebrow questioning but didn’t stop talking, “…Two meetings in the same month but in two completely different places? What does it sound like to you?”

“Probably two coincidences.” Cole sighed but he was just pretending to be leaving his suspicions aside. He still had his doubts.

“So… Victor, what brings you here?” I tried to make the atmosphere a bit lighter but wasn’t that successful at it.

“Didn’t I tell you already? Europe’s circle.”

“Aren’t you supposed to visit places that you actually haven’t before only?”

“I had missed the place. Hoped there was still some snow up here.”

“It’s spring. All you can get is chilly weather.” Dawn commented.

I thought I saw Victor glaring at her for a second but his expression calmed again and the nonchalant smile returned to his face.

“I think it’s your turn to tell me what happened.” He practically demanded. “What was this Volturi nonsense you were talking about before?” I felt so reckless for just talking about us being runaways like that. I could feel everyone giving me hard looks although nobody really was. It was just inside my head, my own consciousness making me feel guilty.

“During the last year Aro started sending search parties looking for gifted half breeds. And we are the ones he found so far. And we also run away three days ago.” Phillip explained giving to him the least possible information.

“Escaped? That’s impossible! The palace has been guarded in more ways than you could possibly imagine! How did you do it?” I could hear the impatience in his voice, he wanted that answer so badly.

“Thanks to a twist of luck actually. Trying to do it was as if we were signing our death sentence. We just were lucky.” Cole said cryptically. He was good in covering things up… But it’s not the right time to think about that.

“I think I’ve seen you somewhere before.” Melanie spoke for the first time. This just made me realize she was not acting like herself. She was too silent and distant.

“Me? Where?” He leaned forward bringing his face closer to hers.

“Can’t remember.” She shrugged and came to sit on my lap.

He just smiled and laid back in the armchair making himself more comfortable in his seat and I was sure I saw him hide a chuckle.

Nessie stood up and headed for the kitchen and got something from the fridge. Just then I realized that my stomach was growling. I hadn’t even had actual breakfast this morning except that muffin. I jumped on my feet and grabbed the bread, ham and cheese and started making toasts.

‘There’s something I don’t like on him,’ Nessie said in my head touching my shoulder. She wasn’t quite sure about keeping her thoughts inside only certain people’s heads yet and she used the traditional skin-to-skin contact way. ‘He acts as if he knows something that we don’t. And the way he wanted that answer, how we escaped, it’s really odd. I cannot believe that it was a coincidence that we run on him again! Two times in less than a month in two places of the planet completely different? Sooo not normal. And didn’t happen coincidentally. I’m sure about it.’

My mind was taking turns as I placed the sandwiches in the toaster and pulled my fingers just in time before I’d get burned.

‘Plus he just came here without asking!’

That’s just Victor. I wanted to tell her but I couldn’t right now, Victor was a friend and I wanted him to feel welcome no matter Cole, Dawn and Nessie were acting up just because of his sudden appearance.

“Anybody want a toast?” I asked trying to act as naturally as I could.

I saw Melanie shaking her head and the rest of them didn’t even answer. Dawn and Cole were trying to start small talk with Victor and he was talking to them about Europe’s round that he had claimed to be doing. It didn’t seem nothing but ordinary talk to me until I started paying attention to his course. He started from Russia and headed south but didn’t set his foot on Sweden. Then he went to Austria but not Germany. Last place he said he was, was England, but yet, he hadn’t gone to Ireland. Where Cole, Phillip and Melanie used to live. But this couldn’t be connected with us in any way, these were the places where he did not go, it didn’t have to do with us. Or the Volturi.

                                     * * * * *    

“It’s been nice talking to you, little one.” Victor said ruffling my hair as if I was a five year old.

“Will you ever talk to me like I’m a grown girl?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. You’re always gonna be the ‘little one’ compared to me.”

I just pushed my lips together in frustration. That’s just Victor. I repeated to myself for one more time today.

“Don’t forget to call me when your parents arrive tomorrow. I didn’t have the chance to talk to them in Sherrill. Time was pushing me you see.” He winked and tapped on an imaginary watch on his wrist.

“What kind of deadline could a nomadic vampire like you have?” I joked.

“I find ways to spend eternity. Keep it exciting. But in that case I just had to catch up my flight.” He chuckled and left closing the door behind him.

Cole was behind me in an instant taking me into his warm embrace.

“Are you really going to call him?” He brought his lips to my ear.

“Yeah, why not?” I tried keeping myself focused on what he was saying but it wasn’t easy focusing on something but his warm breath the side of my neck.

“He was creeping me out a little,” he admitted.

“More than renaissance paintings?” I recalled all the little information I got from him last night.

“Hm… Maybe a bit more.” He buried his nose in my hair.

“Seriously-” I couldn’t concentrate to finish my sentence; his touch was just too distracting for me.

“Seriously what?” he pulled away and looked me in the eyes.

“What’s your problem with Victor?”

“He wasn’t as clueless as he pretended to be.”

“How do you know? Did you see something about him?” I asked concerned. If Victor was hiding a skeleton in his closet it would be hard to get away with it without Cole noticing.

“Not really. Only glimpses of his human life. He must be old. How old is he?”

“Four hundred and something? I am not sure. He might have mentioned sometime. I never wondered about it.”

“How come? You usually want to know everything. To the smallest, most useless detail. Or is it just me making you want to know more?” He smirked teasingly.

“No, it’s not only you… Just… Victor is Victor. I know him since I was really tiny!”

“You still are tiny,” he teased and his lips met mine.

“Am I?”

“Oh yes.”

“And is that a bad thing?”

“Sure not! How else could I carry you up the stairs?” he asked and before I knew it he was holding me in his arms and was running towards my room.

“You’d be able to do that even if I was a baby elephant!” I exclaimed as he placed me on the bed and I kissed him tenderly.

He returned the kiss more eagerly and we fell together on the pillows laughing.

                                     * * * * *    

“Are you going to show me this move again?” I asked.

“Which one?” he asked surprised by the sudden change of subject.

“The one where you make your opponent fall on his back and on the floor…? I suck at it.” I explained.

“Tomorrow.”

“Pleaseeeee?” I begged.

 “Why can’t it wait?” He was annoyed that I was ruining this quiet, perfect moment we had together for a fighting move but finally my puppy-like look won him.

“Alright, but promise that after this there’s not going to be more fighting lesson for tonight.”

“Promise.” I smiled and got on my feet and stood in front of him taking the right position.

“Heeere is your mistake,” he said pointing at my left hand. “You shouldn’t put your hands so high. It gives you a great disadvantage and makes you spend more of your energy. The trick is using your enemy’s strength instead of yours. Just you need to get a grip a bit lower and make it quick.”

“Like that?” I mimicked his movement in the air.

“Yeah. Exactly.”

“Okay. Got it.”

“Then lesson time’s over.” He announced and pulled me close to him.

I wore my best annoyed looking expression and then slowly kissed him. Without bothering with the bed we sat on the fluffy white carpet. We were talking and talking and talking until it was too dark to see outside and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I leaned on his shoulder and fell asleep as soon as my eyes were shut.

* * * * *

In my dreams I couldn’t find peace. I was stirring restlessly changing side every five minutes. My mind was clouding up, the memories of the Volturi palace were flooding right in, Jane’s laugh, Aro’s look, Heidi’s head on the floor… I wanted to shut my eyes and not see any of these but my eyes were already shut. This was why I was seeing all these. I tried everything to wake up, find the little runaway door on the side that would lead me out of this creepy wonderland. The thing was that there wasn’t any. I wished so hard for the ground to open and swallow me that for a second I thought it was happening. When I opened my eyes I realized two things.

First of all the scenery had changed. Secondly I was still trapped in my dream. I was staring at the snowy mountaintops glowing in the distant, winter sun. The sunrays hit me but I couldn’t feel their warmth reaching me. It was a pretty morning. Someone sneaked behind me pulling me into a loving embrace.

“Morning, love.” Cole murmured.

I smiled and kissed him. I felt so content, so full with him next to me. Instinctively I felt my arms wrapping around the real Cole back in my room. Then returned to my dream.

“It’s a lovely day.” I said happily and stretched my hand reaching for a snowflake that was swirling before me.

“Yes, it is,” he agreed as we paced slowly towards an old oak tree.

The thick leafage prevented the snow of touching the ground under it. It was as if it was creating a small protective circle around it. Almost as if it did it on purpose. I smiled and sat on the dry ground. I felt tired all of a sudden after this Volturi flashback.

“Won’t you sit?” I asked Cole.

He nodded and joined me. I was starring far in the valley, observing every little detail, until my eye caught something white moving. But I knew it wasn’t the snow. Snow didn’t have brown hair. I gasped and the last thing I saw was Victor rushing back, approaching us really fast…

I jumped up, my eyes wide, my body shaking from shock and I realized that someone had been nudging me to wake up. I saw Melanie’s big green eyes looking at me and letting go of my hand that she was holding.

I tried to smile and stroked her hair. “What is it, honey?” I asked her.

“I had a nightmare.” She looked really scared and I moved away from sleeping Cole and took her in my arms.

“It’s okay… It was just a dream.” I comforted her although I knew that just-a-dream can be pretty darn scary!

I got up holding her and made my way to the kitchen. I helped her reach the sink and spill some cold water on her face, and then gave her a glass of milk and put in a plate some cookies.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah.” She smiled and drank her milk.

Just then I remembered what Nessie had told me this morning about her hunting. “Mel? Did you and Nessie go hunting today morning?”

“Yeah. Some deer,” she whispered.

“Why are you whispering?”

“I don’t want the others to know.”

“Really? Why, sweetie?”

She shrugged. “They might think it’s unnatural. I think it is,” she said in a sad voice.

“Unnatural? Mel, all of us are hunting. Except Jacob. But he’s not a vampire.” I smirked.

She eyed me as she brought a cookie to her mouth and then said, “Cole doesn’t either.” That’s what all of this was about. Melanie loves Cole. She’s seeking HIS approval.

“Only Cole. The rest of us do.”

“But if Cole can live without it shouldn’t all of us be able to do this?”

“Everyone is good in something different. That’s what Cole’s good at.” Among with fighting and a bunch of other stuff. I thought to myself. “I am good in drawing. You are good in something else.”

“And what is something else?”

“Making everybody’s day with your sweet smile.” I replied and hugged her. “You don’t need to worry about such things. You’re an amazing, little girl and all of us love you. We’d never get you wrong because you’re hunting. Not even Cole,” I assured her.

“Do you mean it?”

“Of course, silly!” I sighed and sat back on the sofa. “Wanna tell me what the dream was about? It might make you feel better.”

“Nah. I prefer it this way.” She insisted and took another cookie.

“Alright then.” I stroked her hair and got up. “Do you mind for a second? I need to make a call.”

She shrugged and I moved away reaching for the phone on the kitchen counter. I had forgotten to call my parents as I said I would. They would be awake… they always were… the benefits of having vampire parents… I smiled at myself and dialed my mom’s number.

“Eshe, honey, why didn’t you call us earlier?” my mom instantly said before I managed to say even hello.

“Hi, mom. I forgot it, sorry,” I apologized.

“It’s alright. Are you all alright?”

“Of course, mom, when are you coming?”

“Tomorrow morning we’re going to be there. You called just before we switched planes.”

“Oh, mom, I just remembered. We found Victor again! He said he’s been doing Europe’s round.”

“Victor?” I heard another voice from the background. It must have been Edward.

“Emma, tell her about the vision!” an impatient voice said behind her.

“Alright, Alice, just give me a second.”

“Mom, what is it?” I was getting worried. From the little time I knew Alice I had realized that when she had a vision it wasn’t for good.

“Alice saw Victor speaking with Aro. In the Volturi palace. The whole guard was there and they looked really satisfied. She doesn’t know what exactly this was about but she thinks it had to do with you. They’re going to use accuse you of being immortal children if they find you again. Sweetie, how much did you tell Victor?”

“Not much… Just that we were kidnapped and escaped. He wanted to know how we made it but we didn’t tell him. And he doesn’t also know about me or Jake being shape-shifters. He asked me to call him when you come. He said he wanted to talk to you.”

“I don’t think it’s safe to contact him. It might put everyone in great risk.” Carlisle said and I realized I was on speaker.

“Where is Renesmee?” I heard Bella ask anxiously, demanding to hear her daughter’s voice.

“Everyone else is asleep.” I answered. Melanie was also snoring lightly on the sofa by now.

“You need to be careful. Keep a low profile and don’t get outside again until we arrive.” Jasper warned.

“Is everyone coming?” I asked and tried to recognize familiar voices in the sea of noise and dialogues of the airport on the other side of the line.

“Yes. Absolutely everyone.” I didn’t know what that meant, who everybody was, but it sounded like it hid more than the Cullens and my parents. I had taken Cole’s theory for granted and I was sure there were others with them.

“Mommy, can you turn the speaker off for a sec? I want to ask you something.” I knew that they were going to cover it up and not give me an honest answer if everyone asked.

“Yes, Eshe, what is it?”

“What is going on? It can’t have lasted this long to get here. There’s something going on. How many is everyone?”

“The Cullens, your father and I and some boys from the wolf pack,” she answered silently.

“Mom, it’s not like that. I know something’s going on. Can you give me an honest answer? Is there going to be a war?”

She hesitated and I could imagine her running her hand through her hair like she always did when she was stressed and didn’t know what to do.

“Please, mom… I’m not going to tell anyone anyway. I just want to know if I’m stressing out for nothing.”

“There’s no need for stress, honey. You’re going to be in a safe place no matter what.”

“What? Mom, if there’s going to be a fight with the Volturi I got to be there! They will find us if we don’t fight and you know it! It’s the only choice!”

“Eshe… Please, this is something for your father and me to decide. You won’t jeopardize your life like that. You’re just a child!”

“I might be just a child but I’m just a child who escaped from the Volturi! And I can do this! I have to do this!”

“Eshe, this is not the right time, or place to talk about it. We need to go or we’re going to miss the flight. Take care and don’t forget what I told you about Victor! We’re going to be together soon.” 

“Bye, mom, tell dad that I love him!” I said and ended the call.

I had to tell everyone about Victor. If he was working with the Volturi we were already in danger! Cole was right, Nessie was right, Dawn was right… I should have never brought him here! Now he knows where we are and how defenseless we are without Jake’s pack or any other vampires with us! I- I had to- Breathe, Eshe, breathe! I commanded myself and after a couple of steadying, calming breaths I regained control. I got Melanie in my arms; she stirred in her sleep but didn’t wake up and leaned her head on my shoulder. Running up the stairs as fast as I could, I went in the bedroom where Dawn and Renesmee were sound asleep.

“Dawn! Dawn!” I half-hissed in a low voice trying to wake her up.

“Hmmm? What is it? Can’t it wait ’till morning?” then she mumbled something in a language I didn’t understand and rolled on her other side. When she fell on the empty space where Melanie should be she sat up in a rush, as if someone threw a bucket of cold water on her face.

“I got her.” I assured her and rocked Melanie gently.

“You gave me such a scare for a sec! What is it?”

“We need to wake up Nessie. It’s important.” I insisted and went to my room.

“Cole? Cole, babe, get up.”

He sat up slowly looking at me with a sleepy look.

“Get up, I think we’re in troubl-” Jacob flicked the lights on and almost scared me to death. “-e” I breathed.

“Eshe, are you serious? What is this all about?”

“Did I wake you up?” I felt really sorry for ruining his sleep but I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?

“Are you kidding me? Your hiss almost pierced my ear! Now, finally, what is this all about?!”

“Is Phillip awake?” I asked instead of giving him a direct answer.

“Of course! You woke everyone up! There’d better be a good reason for this!”

“Everyone let’s get downstairs. I need to talk to you.” I announced and run down the stairs the fastest possible.

A red-eyed, tired Phillip looked at me and soon I realized I had full attention by everyone in the room.

“Okay, so I called my parents. They are on their way, which is a good thing, they will be here in the morning. But there are some bad news. I feel so stupid right now for trusting Victor… He’s working with the Volturi.”

“What? How do you know that?” Cole asked and his face lit up with surprise and shock.

“Alice saw it.”

“Who’s Alice?” Dawn asked.

“My aunt. She sees visions of the future. A bit like the opposite of Cole’s power.” Nessie explained.

“Since she sees the future how does she know that what she saw will really happen? And future doesn’t mean that he will do it?” Phillip looked really confused. All this information was hard to process, especially after being woken up in the middle of the night.

“If Alice saw it, it means that he had his mind fixed on doing it.” Jacob added.

“And she said that he was smiling to Aro as if they succeeded something. I can’t come up with many things to consider success for the Volturi right now apart from getting us back.”

I knew the same thing was crossing everyone’s mind even before I said the last sentence and there was a long pause and silence was filling the gap.

“Wake Melanie up.” Cole told me and I shook her in my arms trying to make her open her eyes. “Melanie? You need to listen to me carefully.”

She looked at him with wide but serious eyes. I still could not believe how Cole was her role model. She looked up at him so much!

“Remember the Volturi? They might come to find us. Again. But we can’t get back, do you realize that? They are not friends. If anything happens to us you need to be strong and run. No, actually don’t run. Blink. Blink and get out of here. Hide somewhere until it’s safe to come out. I want to make sure you’re not going back there and that you’re safe. There’s Nessie’s family on their way here. If we’re not here talk to them.”

Nessie showed everyone her family, introducing everyone, and for a moment they looked so real. I missed them. I wanted to go home so bad! I didn’t seek trouble, just a peaceful life! I would never get in the Volturi’s way again! Ever! If I was given the chance…

“So I should talk to them? They’re not on the Volturi’s side?”

“No, they’re not! That’s for sure. But remember, Melanie, that’s the worst case scenario. We hope things won’t go this far.” Jacob said.

“So back to the Victor issue…” Phillip brought up the subject again.

“We’re not calling him. We’re not coming out of the house unless it’s really a necessity. And most important we’re not-” Nessie trailed off, her eyes grew so big out of fear, her mouth was left half open without having completed her phrase.

A chill of cold air touched the back of my neck and I felt a cold hand being placed possessively on my shoulder. I didn’t want to know whose it was. But I was sure about it already.

“Talking about me?” Victor questioned in a mysterious tone.

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