Vengeance

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter 17

Hail Maria

 “Is everything all right, Bella?” Esme asked from across the room. 

After the excitement from the Amazons’ arrival had died down, we had retreated back upstairs for some quiet time.  Esme and I had both engulfed ourselves in the Denali’s massive book collection and quickly fell into a peaceful solitude.

I was halfway through Pride and Prejudice when I realized that, during all this time, I hadn’t looked at myself in the mirror.  Placing the book on the bed where I had been sitting, I headed towards the mirror in the corner of the room, and, after a deep breath, gazed into it. 

I cringed slightly at the sight of my blood red irises, searching for a little bit of myself in the bizarre visage before me.  My skin, extremely pale already, was almost white-washed, and my hair had darkened, revealing reddish highlights which I never knew I had.  As I appraised the supernatural beauty before me, I couldn’t help the small smile that etched its way across my face.“Yes,” I whispered softly and lifted my hand to trace the contours of my cheeks.  I still couldn’t believe how every part of my face was so defined, so flawless... every angle accentuated beautifully.  “I just look…so different.”

Esme appeared behind me, smiling, wrapping me tightly in her arms.  I reciprocated both her smile and her embrace, and we stood there for a moment, in silence.  As I stared at our faces in the mirror, I noted how similar we appeared now: Esme and I actually looked like we could be related. 

My heart sank a bit as I was reminded of my own mother—and my father.  I wondered what lie Edward and Carlisle had told Charlie to explain my absence.  I grew angry as I thought of my poor dad—something else that Edward had taken away from me.  I wouldn’t be able to see Charlie again for a very long time, until the newborn rage subsided.

“Bella?” I turned my eyes up and saw Esme giving me a worried look.  “You seem tense.”

“I was just thinking about Charlie,” I admitted and lowered my gaze again, feeling the longing to see something from my old life rise within me.  “I’m wondering what they told him to keep him from worrying.”

“I don’t think there’s anything they could tell him to assuage his worries,” Esme answered with a smile.  “He loves you so, Bella. He won’t be happy until he sees you again.”

“Too bad that won’t be for awhile,” I muttered and turned away from the mirror, suddenly upset by my own appearance.  After all this time, I had finally gotten what I wanted—I was a vampire—and I was starting to become repulsed by the thought. 

I found myself gazing out the window into the winter wonderland.  My advanced sight allowed me to see each snowflake fluttering in the wind, every movement of the tree branches… and two distinct forms heading away from the Denali’s house.

“Esme, look!” I pointed out the window as she moved to my sideHeading through the line of trees, with fluid, agile motions, were Eleazar and Carmen.  Even though they were moving very fast, I could make out the familiar body structure and facial outline of the two Denalis. With one final hop, the two sailed a good twenty feet in the air  and disappeared into the foliage.

“Where are they going?” I turned my questioning eyes to Esme and spied Kate standing in the doorway, wearing a disconcerting look.  “Kate?”

“I’m afraid Eleazar and Carmen have left us,” she answered in a disheartening voice that made my dead heart sink.  Kate sighed, and I could tell by the heavy frown that she was very upset.  “They wish to offer their apologies and their assurances that, should they run into Carlisle, they will not betray your plans.  However, this is not a fight that they wish to be a part of.”