There mysterious girl

Chapter 27

Irina said they were in Serbia now, and Bella would just have to take her word for it. The scenery was breathtaking. The hills were a rolling emerald green and gold, dotted with quaint, picturesque houses sporting thatched roofs.

Bella made quick work of her hunt before they traversed up a mountainside, avoiding the major towns and cities. Irina curled her lip but forbore comment. She clearly disapproved, although her eyes were coal black when Bella returned, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Laurent looked away. He'd politely declined Bella's reluctant offer to hunt with her, although he couldn't quite hide that he desperately wanted to go. If he was hoping that Irina would invite him back into her bed by refusing to indulge in his natural food source, he was mistaken. It only seemed to increase her ire with him further.

"If you think your boot licking will soften my resolve, you're going to be disappointed," she hissed, tossing her hair.

Laurent sighed, trailing behind them. Their bickering had increased in intensity and frequency, but Bella wondered if it wasn't some sort of twisted foreplay. They both seemed to enjoy saying things that were clearly designed to aggravate the other, before exchanging heated glances. Irina usually flounced away after saying something particularly unkind, like now. The entire affair left Bella feeling both uncomfortable and like a third wheel.

They hadn't seen hide nor hair of the vampire who had been wreaking havoc in Hungary yet, which Bella hoped was a good sign. From what she'd heard, it wouldn't be Edward or any of his family creating such a spectacle. But Bella couldn't help but wonder if it was possible... She didn't know the animal drinkers as Irina did. Or, at least, she didn't remember them. If Edward was truly losing it, did it then stand to reason that he was capable of going on a killing spree?

She didn't know.

"I seriously doubt it," Irina said when Bella voiced this question. "Edward The Virtuous would never be caught with his hand in the cookie jar."

"I agree," Laurent said, catching up to them as they ghosted down a steep slope. "He prides himself on his control. I think it is why he courted you, my lady."

Bella frowned, not much liking this suggestion. Had Edward dated her to test his own resolve? The thought made her slightly nauseous. She looked at Irina, half expecting her to disagree, but she was nodding, looking thoughtful.

"We've all wondered what his aim was," she admitted. "I mean, my sister's and I have had several human partners, but Alice said your relationship was... chaste. And the Cullen's have always been more integrated with humans than we are. Testing his self-control is the only explanation that makes sense. Especially if you were his la tua cantante."

These words triggered a flashback, making Bella go completely still.

She was back in the grand throne room. The architecture of the room was stunning, but she wasn't able to fully appreciate it. She was wet and cold, having jumped through a fountain to push Edward out of the sunlight. He was gripping her too hard, bruising her upper arms, but she didn't complain.

They were surrounded by other vampires, and Bella was sure they were going to die.

A magnificently beautiful man was greeting them, his crimson eyes boring into her own. If Edward was a supernaturally attractive boy, this man proved that her former boyfriend was just that, a boy. He moved with grace that she didn't know was possible, his voice was a smooth, liquid velvet.

Even as he addressed Edward, he did not break eye contact with her. Bella, overwhelmed and terrified, wanted to look away but could not tear her eyes from his. His black hair was pulled away from his face, revealing high cheekbones and papery skin that she longed to reach out and touch. It was as though he'd cast some kind of spell on her, mesmerizing her. The rest of the room and its occupants seemed to fall away.