Vengeance

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter 13

Reborn

The light sparkled and twisted in a vast array of patterns and movements, filling the air with a colorful glaze throwing rainbows from the corners of the window.   I inhaled deeply, filling my nasal cavity with the strangest scents, and the lifelong habit of breathing had suddenly become alien.  There was absolutely no satisfaction associated with inhaling and exhaling, yet it served a definite purpose.

With every intake of breath, I could taste everything around me – from the musky wood, to the light, airy wisps of the stale air.  A gentle aroma made its way through my nose, and I smiled.  The elegant mixture of lilac and a gentle sweetness I couldn’t identify made me feel calm and content.

As I stared hypnotically at the ceiling, entranced by the new shades of color that the window threw forth, a slight shuffling sound caught my attention, and I responded in a very bizarre way.  As if on autopilot, my body rolled to the left, pushing itself off the bed with open palms, and before I could register what was happening, I was sailing through the air.   I landed in the far corner, growling angrily, looking for any sign of attack.   

A group of seven stared at me from the doorway, their eyes filled with a mixture of concern and wariness.  My gaze poured over the male, the four females, and finally rested on something familiar.  Her heart-shaped face and caramel colored hair I’d know anywhere.

Esme.

Her cautious eyes and tight lips heightened my attentiveness, and my eyes once again tore through the room, looking for the source of her unease.  There had to be something or someone that was causing her to pull away from me.  While I conducted my visual search, my attention fell on Rosalie and it suddenly became clear.

My blonde sister-in-law was leaning against the walls, picking at her nails, and casually looking at me through her eyelashes.  For some reason, I found this extremely peculiar; if her mother was on edge, why wasn’t Rosalie?  My head cocked to the side as I contemplated the conundrum.

“It’s okay, Bella,” Esme said and took a tentative step in my direction.  “I know it’s very disorienting, but you’re safe.”

My head jerked back and, narrowing my eyes suspiciously, I turned my head.  There was nothing behind my back, and as I let my gaze move around the room again, it dawned on me that the one making Esme uneasy was me.  My shoulders and posture relaxed immediately, knowing that there was no danger, and a smile broke across my face.

“Are you all right?” Rosalie moved beside Esme, and I nodded in response to her question. 

My breath hitched in my throat as I took my first full look at Rosalie.  With my human eyes, I could never have truly appreciated her beauty.  Now, with my vision redefined, I could see every part of her flawless skin, and her hair flowed like a golden tiara from her head.  Her brow creased as I continued to gawk at her openly, mesmerized by the way her hair sparkled in the dull light from outside.

“Bella?” Rosalie’s high pitched voice called my attention back, and I immediately lowered my eyes, embarrassed.

“Well.” The male in the doorway sighed, diverting my attention, and took a step forward.  His size intimidated me a great deal, sending an automatic shot of alertness through my spine as a warning growl leaked from me.  While I contemplated the strange sound I uttered, he threw his hands up defensively and smiled softly.  “You don’t remember me, do you Bella?”

My eyes narrowed with distrust as I inspected him from head to toe, searching my hazy human memories for his face.  His chalky exterior betrayed a hint of olive skin, his black hair rested just below his ears, and his height threatened me.  However, his eyes were a light shade of gold and filled with an unspoken kindness, which reminded me of someone else.  Carlisle.  A deep shudder and wave of revulsion swept through me, as I forced myself to take a step back.  If this vampire was anything like Carlisle, then I wanted nothing to do with him.