INNER DEMONS (edward cullen)

𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷

The door swung open; already unlocked. The building lobby was dark and empty, cool, the air conditioner thrumming and yet there was complete silence. Plastic chairs were
stacked along the walls, and the carpet smelled like shampoo. The west side floor was dark, and she could see through the open viewing window. The east dance floor, the bigger room, was lit. But the blinds were closed on the window. It was completely abandoned.
Doubt filled Charlotte and she considered leaving, going to Edward but then Bella's muffled groans alerted Charlotte; a heartbeat was beating erratically in this building. He had her...

"Bella? Bella?" That same tone of hysterical panic was evident in Charlotte's voice as she sprinted to the door, to the sound of her voice. The beating of her heart led her to the very room that Alice had been sketching for days now. So many memories swirled in her mind but her main focus was Bella's safety. And yet no one called out to her.

Charlotte turned slowly. He was standing very still by the back exit, so still she hadn't noticed him at first. In his hand was a remote control but to what she didn't know. They stared at each other for a long moment, and then he smiled. He walked toward her, quite close, and then passed her to put the remote down next to voice recorder the one Alice had seen. Charlotte's gaze was locked on him as she turned carefully to watch him.

"I didn't believe that you would show up. A real life demon! I had only heard the legends but when I met your gaze and your delicious scent, well, I knew that I had really hit the jackpot." His voice was surprised, amazed. And suddenly it hit her. The scent of Bella's blood. She was still in the back corner, behind James. Her head was bleeding and Charlotte sent a deathly glare at the male.

"I thought that no harm was to come to the human should I turn up, unaccompanied," Charlotte queried, her voice saturated with anger. James laughed, the sound echoing around the room, "She wouldn't stop talking, and I had to stop it somehow..."
Charlotte was seething. "I'm not surprised, after all you did kidnap her." Anger was clearly present in her tone, eyes now a pitch black as she turned her head to the side.

James scoffed, "How odd. You really mean the girl well." His red eyes assessed her with interest. The irises were nearly black, just a hint of ruby around the edges. Thirst was evident. "I will give your strange coven this much, you humans and demons can be quite interesting. I guess I can see the draw of observing you. It's amazing — some of you seem to have no sense of your own self-interest at all. I mean," He pointed at the unconscious Bella, "She had already worked out that the Cullens' were vampires, but your odd behaviour had seemed to really stump her, so I gave her a helping hand, a small push in the right direction, if you will."

He was standing a few feet away from Charlotte, arms folded, looking at her curiously. There was no menace in his face or stance. He was so very average-looking, nothing remarkable about his face or body at all. He wore a pale blue, long-sleeved shirt and faded blue jeans, a casual attire.

She lunged at him, feeling he body going into auto-pilot. Charlotte grasped his shirt, ripping it as he threw her against a near mirror; glass lay shattered everywhere and yet it din't pierce her skin. James continued to talk as she stood, dusting off any stray glass from her hair.

"And when Victoria couldn't get any information on your family, I had her find out more about you. There was no sense in running all over the planet chasing you down when I could comfortably wait for you in a place of my choosing. So, after I talked to Victoria, I decided to find a friend and that is where Isabella Swan comes into play..."

Charlotte yet again lunged at him, managing to get the upper hand as she pinned him to the ground. She straddled him, holding his hands beside his face. This was it, there was hope, until... "Charlotte?" A small mumble sounded from the corner of the room, drawing away Charlotte's focus to a dazed human. James used this to his advantage, again throwing the demon girl into the already injured Bella. A groan escaped Bella's lips as they came into contact. But Charlotte knew better, ignoring her pleas for help.