25AN: So, welcome to a story I've been working on for a little while now. I took a brief joke made about Angela being a Witch and somehow crafted a whole AU out of it, so here you go! This will be completely Angela 1st-person POV, and will follow her story concurrent to Twilight. Most of the background Twilight canon is compliant up until a certain point, but I can't say where it diverges without giving anything away just yet. In this story, Bella and Angela have the same birthdate and there's a reason for that beyond convenience, I promise :P I've written nearly 100k words on this so far so I decided to start publishing it, along with a few other of my works that I've had in-progress for a while so you all can see just what all I've been working on while waiting patiently for updates on Mated and Three's Company.
I am rather proud of this story, and everyone who has beta'd it has said it would make an amazing original novel if I ever thought to alter it enough to publish. I hope you all enjoy what I've written so far, and while I do have a lot of content written so far, you all know me by now that I can't promise a steady update schedule once I've caught up to pre-written content. That being said, this story has become something amazing in my mind, and will probably have a 2nd story as a follow-up. It all depends on how and when I decide to end this story on whether I'll write the 2nd, but as of now it's looking like a definite follow-up story will be needed to resolve the numerous conflicts that will arise as you read.
Angela will be pretty OOC pretty much from the start of the story, but that's kind of the point of it being centered around her. Angela/Bella was always the planned pairing, but again, as you'll read later on things get a bit more complicated (in a good way, I like to think). So, that being said, please leave comments and tell me what you all think and if you see any inconsistencies I would appreciate you pointing them out. I've studied as much as I can into every detail of the fandom, as I've been doing since I started writing for Twilight, but even I can overlook things (damn, ego much?).
My name is Angela Weber, and it turns out I am a Witch. Before my 17th birthday I had been a pretty normal teenage girl. I had been attending Forks High for the last two years and was due to start my Junior year in September. I was looking forward to this for a few reasons: I would get to see my friends more regularly, get to learn new things, and on the 13th of September I would be one year closer to adulthood.
It all began the night of my 17th birthday. My family celebrated with the usual presents and cake, as was tradition in our small family. My brothers had finally outgrown their annoying habit of begging to open my presents. Birthdays weren't extravagant affairs in our household, my presents consisting of a new fashionable purse and a fresh set of makeup. You know, the things any normal teenage girl would want.
All in all, it was a pretty normal day, save for the fact that my mother kept hovering over me as if she expected me to disappear into thin air suddenly. She fussed over my appearance, my posture, asking time and again how I felt. This was very much unlike the stalwart Preacher's Wife she projected on a daily basis and it kind of got annoying after the first half of the day. Oddly enough, the further into evening we got, the more anxious I felt. I became consumed by this growing sense that something was coming, something in the air was shifting, but I'd just shrugged it off as part of getting another year older.
It was the middle of the night after everyone had retired for the evening when I found myself awakened by a noise, yet when I sat upright in bed I saw nothing out of the ordinary. I quickly dismissed the disturbance as a figment of dreams before trying to return to sleep. But try as I might I could not bring myself to shut my mind off. Before I knew what I was doing, I had slid from beneath my blankets and into a pair of house slippers before I made my way to my bedroom window. As quiet as possible, I opened the window, falling still as I listened.
My instinctual curiosity eventually paid off. There, in the distance, a haunting sound pierced the silence. I could hardly describe it, some strange mixture of tones that echoed around in my head calling to something deep in my heart, something that had lain dormant until that night. It was beautiful, soulful, and I knew that I needed to find it. With nothing more than a glance back into my bedroom, I'd slipped out of my room through the open window, my slippered feet carrying me silently across the back yard and into the darkened woods surrounding my house.
I quickly found myself shivering in the fall night air, though any thought of turning back to grab a jacket or even shoes quickly faded from my mind. I had no idea where I was going, my body pulling me along as if in a daze. Whatever was calling to me, it was insistent, a siren's song that would not relent no matter how hard I tried to resist.
I stumbled my way over hidden underbrush and through what felt like miles worth of forest by the time I found what I was looking for. There, on the crest of a slight hill, came into focus a surprisingly modern wooden cabin. It was large, comparatively speaking, with a slanting slate roof and vines covering most of it's brown wooded exterior. The two front windows were lit up with warm light, a barely-visible cobbled path leading to the front door that stood slightly ajar. The eerie musical sound was coming from within and I couldn't help but jog the last several feet that separated me from the out-of-place structure.
It was too dark to make out much of the outside of the building, but the moment I reached the door and pushed it open, none of that seemed to matter anymore.
"My little Angel," came an old, wizened voice that I hadn't heard since I was a little girl. I stood there in the doorway, my mouth agape as I stared at the seated form of my grandmother Leilani. She sat with her face partially obscured as she faced the roaring, crackling fire in the hearth in front of her, but her smile was exactly the same as I remembered it.
"Grandma 'Lani?" I whispered across the still room, taking several unconscious steps forward. "I don't understand. Mom said you died over a decade ago." I hadn't been allowed to attend the funeral, my mom's excuse being I was 'too young.'
Her smile widened as she turned fully to face me, and I jerked backwards in horror as her face was fully revealed to me. The right side of her face was just the same as it had been the last time I'd been allowed to visit her, her age showing itself in the wrinkles that creased her cheeks and especially around her eyes. But the left half was bloodied and desiccated, yellowed teeth showing through rotting holes where her cheek was sagging over jagged bone, her left eye milky-white from the sunken socket it resided in.
"I'm sorry, my little Angel," she whispered, and as terrified as I was I couldn't seem to make myself move away. "I wish I could have been there for you, but my end came upon me far earlier than I ever expected." Her voice, while strong, had an ephemeral quality to it that didn't quite seem to fill the air so much as it echoed in my mind. "Alas, I linger here now to meet you on this night, to pass on to you your legacy. Your heritage."
The familiar, soothing sound of her voice seemed to penetrate deep into my thoughts, causing my body and mind to relax despite the horror of her deathly visage. Without another word, she lifted her hand, thin fingers pointing to a stack of books sitting atop a small wooden table at the center of the room. "Your legacy awaits, my Angel. I only hope it is not too late."
Before I could utter a response, the ghostly apparition disappeared into a wisp of fog before it slowly dissipated, the only trace of the woman's presence lingering in the crackle of the still-burning fire.
My heart lurched painfully but some instinctual part of me knew that she was truly gone for good. It hurt, despite the fact that this was more than likely some sort of fever dream. I had always loved my grandma 'Lani, even though my family didn't allow her to visit too often for some reason. There was always tension in the air whenever my grandma came to visit, though I never knew why. She'd always been the most loving, doting woman I'd ever known and my young mind couldn't understand why my mother always seemed to hover when 'Lani visited.
It wasn't until I felt the cold tears rolling down my cheeks that I realized I was crying. Grandma 'Lani had been dead for ten years now but I still remembered her with vivid clarity. I missed her dearly, and seeing her in such a horrid state was leaving my heart feeling hollow.
With nothing else to do, I approached the table with the stack of books. The first thing I noticed was the top book seemed different than the others. When I picked it up, I realized why. It was a brown, leather-bound journal, and when I opened it to the first page, I felt my breath leave me in a quiet whoosh.
It was addressed to me.
My Dearest Angela,
If you are reading this then I am no longer amongst the living. I leave you with the hope that you will achieve all you are meant for, all you are destined for. I love you, my Angel, and I pray you forgive me for not having a more active role in your life.
You no doubt have many questions, and I will do my best to answer them with this journal and the books you'll find accompanying it. You see, our family is not what you would consider 'normal'.
We are Witches.
Or, more accurately, the women of our family are Witches. Every female in our family line are born with the ability to channel the energy of nature, manifesting that energy into a tangible force we call Magick.
I stopped reading for a moment, staring down at the page with wide eyes. Witches? Magick? What is this, a Hogwarts acceptance letter?! But, even as my mind rebelled at the thought of such supernatural forces, my heart yearned to know more.
Forget what you think you know about magick. Forget what fiction has taught you and listen to the beat of your heart. Feel the thrum of power already flowing through your veins and know that what I say is true.
As if my body were in sync with the written words, I felt my heartbeat jump before settling into a calm rhythm. Whatever doubt I felt seemed to slowly be ebbing away with every slow beat. It was there, had been there since I awoke with a siren song echoing in my head earlier that night. Something was waking inside of me, gaining steam the longer I remained in that cabin.
I wish I could say that your journey will be an easy one, but that would be a lie. Traditionally, our knowledge is passed from mother to daughter, from Adept Witch to neophyte, which is what you are now considered. Diane should be the one bestowing this knowledge on you. Unfortunately, your mother chose to break from tradition.
Your mother would have made a great Witch, I have no doubt about that. Alas, she fell in love at the tender age of 16 to a young man a few years her senior. His family were devoutly religious and shunned anything even hinting at witchcraft, and so she asked me the day before her 17th birthday to take away her magick. She did not want to live with the power, fearing it's 'evils' as your father had come to convince her.
You may wonder why I chose to allow this courtship to continue. And the answer is simple: she was happy. Your mother's smile was radiant when she spoke of this young man who had captured her heart. I admit, I had hoped during the early days of her relationship that she might return to the fold, embrace her heritage. By the time I realized her mind was being poisoned against me, it was too late. As soon as she had graduated she ran off and married your father. Luckily your father possessed just the right spark to bring forth your Witch ancestry, so I knew not all was lost.
I remained close, though your mother spurned my presence any time Gregory was around. He taught my daughter to hate, but she also loved and I held out hope that love would win out over hate. It wasn't until the announcement of her pregnancy with you that I began to believe her a lost cause.
She pulled me aside early in the pregnancy and ordered me to never reveal your magickal heritage to you. She could not deny my presence in your life, as our customs are as ingrained in us the same as the need to commune with nature. But she threatened, she harassed, she berated until I eventually grew bitter. So it was with a heavy heart I came to the conclusion that my daughter, my heir, was lost to me. But you were still within reach.
Your mother thought to stamp your magick out. She withheld our family's history, your birthright, from you for all of your life. She even went so far as to demand that I remove your magick as I had done for her.
But do not worry, your magickal core remains untouched. I did suppress your magick for many years to hide it away from your mother, though you should have full access to it by your 17th birthday.
It was strange, but as I read my grandmother's words, I could feel my body growing warmer in a way that had nothing to do with the fire still burning away in the nearby hearth. It was like my entire body was slowly beginning to heat up from the inside out. It wasn't a painful sort of heat, but it was quickly growing uncomfortable as I found my body becoming restless. Was this my 'core' that 'Lani was speaking of? Was there truth to her words after all?
I am sorry for what comes next, but there is nothing to be done for it. Just know that my spirit will remain with you, always. I will be watching over you from this moment forward. I only beg of you to not tell your mother about your Awakening. I fear what she will do if she learns that you have accepted your magickal heritage.
Now burn, my child, and arise anew from the ash.
As if her words were some sort of spell - and they just might have been- the heat that had been building up throughout my body intensified to the point of excruciating pain. It was all-consuming, a liquid fire that pulsed through me with the power of a thousands suns, tearing a scream of pain from my lips as I fell limply to the floor, the journal forgotten.
My skin felt like it was crackling with electricity, and for a brief moment I feared that my heart would give out as it thundered in my chest. I could hear indistinct voices, foreign yet familiar in ways I couldn't even begin to understand. Phantom touches glanced feather-light across my skin, simultaneously soothing and enraging the inferno broiling within. My body was drenched in sweat within minutes, my night clothes soaked through and clinging to my slender frame.
Slowly, far too slowly for my waning sanity, the fire began to ebb, pulling inward from my extremities until it swirled dangerously around my heart. I felt the organ struggling to keep up with the demands the energy was putting on my body, but before it could give out fully, the flames abated completely, leaving me barely conscious yet comfortably cold.
The last thing I was aware of was the dying embers of the fire left in the hearth, their light extinguishing along with my consciousness as my energy finally came to rest.
I awoke the next day in my bed, the remnants of the previous night seemingly but a dream as I had originally thought. So imagine my surprise when I found the large stack of books resting comfortably on my bedside table.
I lunged for them, gathering them into my lap just to confirm that they were, in fact, real and that last night truly happened. I was surprised to find many of the tomes brittle and aged, taking care with their withered pages and fragile spines as I took to briefly sorting through their titles.
~Emmanya's Theory of Magick and Ritual for the Unbound Witch
~Arania's Guide to Basic Witchcraft
~Spells and Enchantments for the Secular Witch by Dia Armana
~Energy and You by Terra Symphona
~Psionics for the New Age by Loriette Ananaia
~Chronology of the Supernatural by Athenadora
~Dalgarth's Summoning Basics
There was an eighth book but there didn't seem to be any sort of title, and when I opened it I found the pages blank. Brow furrowing, I flipped through several pages just to be sure, but true to title it was completely blank. Frowning, I sat the old book aside, finding it much more delicate in its aged and worn condition.
I pulled the journal back to me, returning to the last page I was on only to find more words had been added at the end of her last statement that had initiated my burning.
It is a pleasure to greet you, my young neophyte. You have undergone your Awakening and have come out the other side changed, as your kindred have done before you. I only regret that you had to make this transition on your own, though the fae who summoned you to the cabin will have returned you safely to your bed, as I imagine you would not have had the wherewithal to do so under your own power (don't worry, you'll learn about them later).
As you can probably tell by now, this journal and the books I've provided you are no ordinary pieces of literature. I have placed several enchantments upon all of the tomes that I have left you with, as well as the vast library I leave for you within the cabin. All you need do is follow the music in your heart and it will lead you back to the location. For now, allow me to explain these enchantments in greater detail.
These tomes are enchanted to keep you from venturing too far into them without first proving your knowledge of the previous material. Magick work is a strict discipline and only through stringent practice and dedication can you master the skills of our ancestors. An example of how these enchantments work would be the journal you're currently reading. My words of advice will appear as you require it, but the pages of the other books will only allow you to progress when you can properly demonstrate your aptitude.
As you are no doubt aware by now, the final book I have provided you with is completely blank. This is your goal, my child, your true Initiation. You have until the Full Moon after your next birthday to master the materials I have provided you. Only then will the final tome be revealed to you. This is your destiny, this is your heritage. Practice with love and confidence. You are my grandchild, my blood, and I know you will go forth and do great things.
The writing cut off there and I was surprised to find tears wetting my cheeks. My grandmother, long gone from this world, had left her legacy for me. Despite my mother's wishes to the contrary, I was destined to embrace the fact that I...was a Witch.
And so I delved into my studies of the material I'd been granted with a powerful hunger. The first book I started studying was Theory of Magick and Ritual for the Unbound Witch, which gave both theoretical knowledge of magick and basic practical spellwork. My mind became like a sponge and every word I read only caused my thirst for knowledge to become more ravenous. It wasn't long before I began to actively channel the natural magickal energies that had been awakened within my core.
'Magick' is the concentrated energy of nature manifested into a specific task by the practitioner. Most Witches will begin this process by drawing in the energies from nature, but since you are reading this tome then that means your core is untapped. Your magick begins and ends in your core.
It is important to remember that while we resemble humans, we are far removed from them. Our physiologies are as similar as they are different, and this is due in part to the differences in our spiritual cores. While humans have the potential to wield magick, our kind are born of it. Some say we are cousins in a way, though many would just as quickly argue the opposite. The point remains that Witches are born with magick in our very bones.
I started at the pages for several minutes before the words seemed to penetrate my thoughts. I'm not...human?! That couldn't be right! Until the previous night, I had grown up the same as the other kids in town. My body changed and grew just like my friends. I mean, at 6'1" I was considered tall for my gender but that didn't indicate 'non-human'!
I decided to skip that section for now because what the hell did you do with that kind of knowledge?
Unfortunately, between school and my mother dragging me to a church I no longer believe in, I had to plan out my visits to the cabin. I placated my mother by saying I was starting a new exercise routine that involved a lot of running and other cardio. I mean, I did actually begin running and exercising more stringently, as I learned from the Guide to Basic Witchcraft that one's magickal capability was directly related to one's physical health. Thanks Arania! I'd found quite a lot of easily applicable knowledge in the books I'd begun reading and I could actively feel my energy and control growing by the day.
The first spell I attempted was done so while at the cabin...my cabin, as my grandmother's journal revealed to me on my first night back there. She had bequeathed the entire property and it's contents to me the moment she triggered my Awakening. The journal also informed me that the cabin and it's property held similar enchantments as the books, making the building practically invisible to the human eye. I would always have a place all my own, she had promised.
The first spells available to me were nothing I would call 'spectacular', but I was nonetheless excited to try them. There were some spells that required precise, drawn out rituals to perform. Those often incorporated dead languages and moon phases, but for most day-to-day magick I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were no preordained words of invocation. It was called Spellcrafting, 'a practice wherein a witch simply needs to build up a correlation between the magick being performed with a trigger word and/or gesture through meditation and practice.'
For my first spell, I was attempting to light a candle. I had been studying the starter fire spell in its entirety for the better part of a month and I finally felt I was ready to make my first attempt at spellcasting. I was seated in the center of the living room, my legs crossed comfortably as I began to center myself using the techniques I'd learned so far. As soon as I felt grounded, I reached for my energy and began the arduous process of binding it to my will.
This step was important and I found it took a very disciplined mind to achieve. Magick seemed to be a very chaotic energy on its own, but combine that with the nature of an undisciplined mind and you get an explosive mix. I'd already shorted out several lightbulbs in my room, though I was quick to hide those from my mother in case she understood their significance.
The moment I felt myself connect to my energy core, my whole body seemed to shift. I've come to liken it to the jolt of a rollercoaster that makes a sudden and sharp turn. One moment it was me, alone in the cabin, and the next I was the cabin, and the books, and the furniture, and the very air I drew into my lungs. It took a tremendous effort not to lose one's self in the majesty of it all, but I'd had enough practice by now to tune out the otherworldliness of it all and center my mind to the task at hand.
With my mind focused on the wick of the candle, I took a deep breath and snapped my fingers, whispering under my breath, "Fotiá." For a simple spell like this, the word of invocation was not as important as the relation you build with it. Which is why most modern witches apparently refuse to use English as their words of invocation, since the possibility of setting your room on fire while talking about a campfire you had last week was a very real risk. So I'd chosen Greek, because there was no way I was going to be randomly spouting a dying language in normal conversation.
I watched as the candle's wick sparked, a brief flame bursting to life before quickly petering out, leaving the wick only slightly scorched. Sighing, I repeated the process of tapping my energy before centering myself. "Fotiá!" I repeated, snapping my fingers in time. This time I released more energy with the gesture, resulting in a larger flame burst but the wick remained inert.
What am I doing wrong?! I was channeling the energy correctly. I had the correlation built up perfectly between my actions and invocation otherwise I wouldn't even be producing a flame. Then I realized what I was doing wrong and nearly smacked my forehead.
When you light a candle, you don't simply throw a flame at it and expect it to light. You hold a flame to it and wait for it to ignite. I wasn't holding the spell, I was throwing small bursts of energy.
Smiling, I once again repeated the process, only this time I extended my palm after snapping my fingers, releasing a steady stream of energy into the spell. As I expected, the flame burst into being before slowing to a solid burn until the wick caught and held the flame on its own. Pulling back, I cut off the spell and watched as the lit candle continued to burn.
I did it! I'd cast my first spell! And sure enough, as soon as I opened the book to its next section, a new bit of text was revealed! I was so excited to begin studying more, but for the moment I would have to put my magickal education on hold and return home to finish up my human studies.
Those first months passed without much fanfare. My studies progressed organically, natural in a way that had me wondering if these skills came this easily to other Witches. Winter break came and went, and while I celebrated Christmas with my family and their church, in private I sought out my cabin and celebrated the passing of the Solstice with a warm fire and hot cider. I had learned that many modern Witches and Pagans celebrated the Wheel of the Year rather than the more bastardized holidays that religion had stolen from. I didn't really have much to go on with that subject, as it wasn't part of my main study criteria given by my grandmother, but I did locate a book in her library on different rituals that one could perform to honor the changing of the seasons.
Alas, I was ill prepared for such rituals and so I'd chosen to simply tap into my magickal core and allow it to resonate with the world around me for the night. It was cold now, but with my growing control of my basic spellwork, I was easily able to keep a fire roaring in the hearth. I had also learned through experimentation that I could modulate my energy output when casting fire spells, allowing me to heat up objects, or in the current case, liquids. My drink never cooled, and I couldn't help but feel my grandma was smiling down on me for that little bit of ingenuity.
The weeks after Christmas break and into the New Year were uneventful save for the rumors of a new girl moving to Forks. It was January 18th when I finally got the chance to meet her. Isabella Swan was a shy, reserved girl, but from the moment I laid eyes on her I felt myself drawn to the social recluse. She was beautiful in an understated way, with expressive brown eyes and a pretty smile. I immediately struck up a friendship with her, doing my best to intervene when the male populous began taking notice of the shiny new toy.
She and I got along well, our grades matching and her intellect nearly as keen as my own. She had a dry humor that never failed to make me laugh, and she seemed to enjoy my own ever-darkening sense of humor. She was the first real friend I'd made outside of the superficial relationships I had formed with my usual table of friends. Where I tolerated Jessica and Lauren, and to a certain extent the boys that often tagged along, I found I truly enjoyed spending time with Bella Swan.
Of course, it wasn't long before she noticed the Cullen kids. I hadn't actually started reading Chronology of the Supernatural until a few months prior to Bella's arrival, but once I had the knowledge in my head, I couldn't help but notice certain similarities between that family and the Vampires described in the book. Combined with the innate sense I now had of the energy of the world around me, I knew something was off about them. I didn't get any real confirmation until I learned to enhance my senses.
A Witch's body is extremely versatile, it turns out. The extra genes we possessed that allows us to access the energies of magick also carried with it vast room for physiological expansion. This allows us to temporarily enhance our natural senses as well as physical strength, far beyond the norms of humans. So far I only had access to the spellwork and theory behind enhancing my hearing, as well as partially increasing my eyesight. My glasses were basically just for show at this point.
So imagine my surprise when I decided to listen in on the Cullen table during Bella's first day.
"Is it just me, or does the new girl smell really good?" I recognized the voice of the biggest Cullen, Emmett.
I allowed my gaze to drift over to their table as the rest of my friends regaled Bella with tales of their various failures with the Cullens. The smallest Cullen, Alice, had a faraway look in her eyes, while the single Cullen, Edward's, gaze seemed to be burning a hole through Bella's head.
"Her future is really hazy," the pixie girl eventually said once she'd come out of whatever daze she was in. 'Many supernatural beings will present with various psionic abilities, dependent upon their species and prior capability if changed from a human. See also: Vampires and Werewolves.'
My hypothesis based on those passages from my book on supernatural creatures was confirmed by Edward's next muttered words. "I can't read her thoughts."
I immediately shielded my thoughts using the meditative practices I'd been learning. I began to sweat as I realized just how hard I had been projecting my thoughts, but it would seem Edward was far too focused on the new girl to have heard me. Or maybe my magick was preventing him from picking up on my thoughts, because this wasn't the first time I'd been lost in thought about witchcraft-related things. Or maybe they just didn't care enough or think me a threat?
Regardless, I would need to be more careful around the Cullens. I knew enough to understand that their gold eyes were significant, though to what extent that was would remain a mystery to me for now since the book I was studying only covered red-eyed vampires. Perhaps the color was related to their abilities? Did that mean the others also had gifts? I would need to observe them more when the opportunity presented itself.
Unfortunately for my new friend, I quickly discovered that she was drawn to the Cullens. That wouldn't have been too terribly bad, most of the student body - and some of the teachers - were fascinated by them. It was part of their allure, a means of luring in willing prey, or so I'd read. No, the problem was that she'd drawn the attention of the broody sex-hair Cullen, Edward.
I spent those first weeks getting to know Bella, and doing my best to be as truthful with her as I could about myself in return. My books and my grandma's journal were riddled with warnings about allowing humans to know about our magickal selves. A reiteration of the events of the Salem Witch Trials was enough to instill a healthy dose of paranoia in me.
It turns out Bella Swan was a veritable genius, as she quickly picked up on the coursework we were currently on. She'd apparently taken all AP classes back at her old high school so she had already reviewed a lot of our classwork. I found this to be fascinating since I had always been considered the 'nerd' of the school, my straight-A scores an almost given by now. And with my Awakening, I found my human studies to be much easier than before. I just seemed to absorb whatever I read.
I quickly found several of the boys from our year attempting to flirt with Bella. It was irritating, to say the least, but Bella seemed to be completely oblivious to their attempts. Either she didn't realize their purpose with their random compliments and horrible flirting, or she just didn't care enough to give them recognition. This had the unfortunate side-effect of making the boys try even harder, sometimes going to ridiculous lengths to humiliate each other in front of the girl to boost their own egos. It was laughable, really. Bella was far too good for those children.
So imagine everyone's surprise when after weeks of giving Bella the cold shoulder, Edward and Bella started spending time together, going so far as to eat lunch with him at a table by themselves. The entire school was alight with gossip by this point, but I was heavily focused on my friend and her safety. There was no telling what that Cullen wanted from Bella, and I was determined to keep an ear open for any threats.
I was heading for my car one day after school when I overheard an argument between two of the Cullens. Rosalie Hale, blonde bombshell of the Cullen clan, was whispering furiously at Edward. It had been several weeks since Bella's arrival by then and he'd been spending a lot of time with the klutzy brunette. Many speculated that they were dating, which wasn't helped by the fact that Bella could often be found close by his side.
I'd learned to enhance my senses to a point where I could keep the spell going almost indefinitely, at least while at school or when I spent time around Bella. It was taxing, but I could feel my energy channels slowly growing stronger, allowing me to channel more and more energy as the days passed. The key, I found again, was modulating the energy being channeled into the spell. If I kept myself tapped into my core, I could continuously fuel the spell while nearly never tiring. It was strenuous work, for sure, but I was rewarded by vastly increasing proficiency.
"This is going to end horribly!" the blonde was whisper-shouting, far beneath the level of human hearing. "What is this, some kind of experiment for you? See how long you can keep the blood pet around before you give in and kill her?!"
Edward's hiss was deep and feral and had me taken aback for a moment. I hadn't gotten a true glimpse of their inhuman natures until that moment and it was kind of terrifying. "I would never hurt Bella! Yes, her blood calls to me like no other, but I love her. I could never hurt her!"
I felt my jaw clenching as I took in his fervently whispered words. Love? He loved Bella?! How could he possibly think he loved Bella?! Did he even know what her favorite color was? Brown! Did he know what her favorite book is? Wuthering Heights! Did he know what she wanted to be when she graduated? A teacher, like her mother! Did he know that she bit her lip and a small crease appeared between her brows when she was stuck on a problem? Did he see the way her eyes would go dreamy as she stared off into space, her headphones her only companion as she withdrew into her head?
I blinked, and my jaw unclenched as I began to come to a realization. A realization I didn't want to have, not here and not now. Not ever! No, it was out of the question. I was a Witch with a destiny and nothing would divert me from my Path. Not these Vampires, not Bella...not...that.
With a fist clenched to my chest, I quickly jumped into my car, dropping my enhanced hearing because I simply didn't want to hear any more from them. I was still reeling from all that I'd learned that day, so when I got home I quickly told my mom that I was going for a run. She'd luckily found a regular sitter for my brothers because if I had to continue watching them for most of the week I think I would lose my mind.
I took the clearest path to my cabin, finding sanctuary within it's pine-scented walls. I had yet to find the enchantment that my grandmother had placed that kept the building perpetually smelling of pine, but I considered it a gift as it reminded me of the woman I so missed.
Making my way into the bedroom, I threw myself onto the full-size mattress with a frustrated huff. I curled myself up around the cool down pillow that had belonged to my grandmother. I couldn't avoid my thoughts for long, though, and soon enough my dawning realization was back at the forefront of my mind.
I had never really appreciated boys the way other girls seemed to. I did have a crush on Ben at one point, but I think that was just because I felt I could relate to him at the time. No, I'd never thought of any guy and said, "Yeah, I wanna kiss that." No, I didn't see hard plains and tight muscles in my thoughts when my mind drifted.
I saw chestnut brown hair. I saw chocolate brown eyes. I saw soft, pale skin and round curves. I saw a shy smile on pink lips that never failed to set my heart to galloping.
And in my heart of hearts I couldn't deny it. I was in love with Isabella Swan.
"...shit."