This Time Of Year
Written by: wizardtho
Story dedicated to: Bella MacLeod
Chapter 14:
Demetri stops us at a door where a slight female vampire is standing. She has a beige aura, but it gains a hint of a light pink undertone as she looks at my arm in Demetri’s. She smiles at us, then knocks on the door. I can hear someone inside say, “Enter.”
The female pokes her head into the room while saying in a soft voice, “Demetri and Isabella are wanting a few minutes of your time.”
I don’t hear an answer, but the female opens the door wide for us to enter with a smile.
When the door closes behind us, it wafts the scent of the space to me. I can’t help but stop, close my eyes, and take a deep breath in. The smell of leather, old parchment, ink, and a burning fire are so calming, that I eagerly take another deep breath.
Then I hear Aro say softly, “If you need to feed, Isabella…”
My eyes pop open in confusion, only to see that Aro is holding a tumbler full of blood. I smile and explain, “No, Sir. Thank you, but I just fed. It wasn’t the blood I was reacting to… it was the scent of the room.”
My eyes make a cursory sweep around the room, as I continue, “The scent of the fire -and all the books and tomes- is very calming. This room is incredible, Sir.”
Caius, who is currently standing in front of a very old-looking tome, chuckles, “I think you’ll fit in just fine with us, Isabella. Of the many rooms in the castle, the three of us are most at home in this study.”
Caius’ aura -a soft, buttery yellow- makes me think of early morning sunshine, so I smile and nod to him.
My head turns quickly to Marcus as he speaks. “We have been searching for information on your gift, young one. It would help us tremendously if you were able to give us just a bit more information.”
I focus on Marcus’ aura for a second. Though it reminds me of quite a bit of Aro’s pure sky blue, there’s an undertone of pale gray, giving me a sense of deep sadness. I file that away as Demetri offers, “Which is why we have come. Bella has noticed a few things. She’s also made a huge step in her newborn progress that she would like to share.”
Aro smiles as his hands come together in front of him, “Wonderful. Good news is rare around here. Please, have a seat.”
Demetri and I sit on an empty love seat, then I say after biting my lip, “I picked out my clothes.”
Demetri laughs, “Stop being modest. Bella actually picked up her undergarments from her drawers with her pinkies, then held her jumper in her fingers when I released it from the hanger for her.”
Caius, nods, “Impressive. For most newborns, it takes weeks, even months, to be able to handle fabric without ripping it.”
Aro asks as he stops in front of us, “Would you mind sharing with me, Dear? You are -of course- free to decline. I must admit, though, I find it very refreshing to witness the glimpses of your mind that you allow me to see.”
I nod and place my hand in his. He smiles as he focuses on my eyes, then chuckles, “Not just any fabric, Brother… what looks to be a delicate lace.” After another second, he adds, “Oh, interesting.”
He pats my hand, then continues, “Though I have just seen it, please explain your findings to us about your gift.”
I take a breath and let it out, then say, “I seem to see in color and feeling both, through my gift. Demetri quickly started calling them auras, and it felt right to think of them as such. Beige is neutral, from what I have gathered, but the colors can be layered. The man earlier, as I told Demetri, had a mucky black aura. The colors were so mixed that I couldn’t separate them, and the feeling it gave me left me feeling violated… like something had been ripped from me.”
I shivered slightly at the thought but leaned into Demetri as he rubbed my back gently. Thinking, I said, “Learning to gauge my thirst is… difficult. I think my shield is partly to blame, so I would like to work with someone on how it works and what it entails. Just not when Alice is around, please.”
Marcus scowls, then shakes his head to Aro, “Isabella, you will not be subjected to standing in the same wing as the Whitlocks, let alone the same room. I will take her on as my student, Aro.”
Aro nods, then Caius says, “Knowing that your gift allows you to see in color and emotion helps us quite a bit. We can eliminate several thousand tomes and records of gifts right away. Have you noticed anything from your shield during the episodes where you see an offensive color? I only ask to try and gauge whether your shield is active or trying to protect you physically.”
I scowl and gently bite my lip as I think, but I shake my head, “I’m sorry, Sir, but none were close enough to me to know if they were somehow blocked physically from reaching me. I just know that I get a very bad feeling about the last man. I don’t know how to explain it, other than to tell you I sensed a deep evil in him. I don’t know how or who he is violating, specifically, but it’s not just a kill-to-feed situation. I’m sure all of you have killed to feed, yet none of you have colors that concern me.”
Marcus leans enough in his chair that he can pat my fidgeting hands. “Slowly, Isabella. You are doing very well. Not now, but at some point within the next few days, Demetri, I would like you to guide Isabella near a vampire that has an offensive color. Walk past them in the halls, or take her down to the training yards if one is there. We need to know sooner rather than later if her shield will indeed come out to protect her. As for the man in question, we already have a team of 3 watching his every move. We will know something soon.”
My sire nods thoughtfully to his king, saying only, “Of course, Sir. I will keep you informed.”
Though the brothers talk with us for a few more minutes, Demetri soon takes my hand and stands, thanking them for taking the time to see us. Aro smiles as his eyes land on Demetri and then me, assuring us, “Hearing of this young one’s control so early in her new life was worth the time alone, Demetri. Isabella Dear, please take to heart what your sire has told you. Should you ever find yourself in trouble, or Demetri ends up engaged in a fight, don’t hesitate for even a second. Find me, Caius, or Marcus in your mind, then run as fast as you can to get to us.”
I see Marcus and Caius both nodding in agreement, so I offer a soft but heartfelt, “Thank you, Sirs. I will keep that in mind.”
Seconds later, we make our exit, the door to the study closing softly behind us.
Demetri stops us at a door where a slight female vampire is standing. She has a beige aura, but it gains a hint of a light pink undertone as she looks at my arm in Demetri’s. She smiles at us, then knocks on the door. I can hear someone inside say, “Enter.”
The female pokes her head into the room while saying in a soft voice, “Demetri and Isabella are wanting a few minutes of your time.”
I don’t hear an answer, but the female opens the door wide for us to enter with a smile.
When the door closes behind us, it wafts the scent of the space to me. I can’t help but stop, close my eyes, and take a deep breath in. The smell of leather, old parchment, ink, and a burning fire are so calming, that I eagerly take another deep breath.
Then I hear Aro say softly, “If you need to feed, Isabella…”
My eyes pop open in confusion, only to see that Aro is holding a tumbler full of blood. I smile and explain, “No, Sir. Thank you, but I just fed. It wasn’t the blood I was reacting to… it was the scent of the room.”
My eyes make a cursory sweep around the room, as I continue, “The scent of the fire -and all the books and tomes- is very calming. This room is incredible, Sir.”
Caius, who is currently standing in front of a very old-looking tome, chuckles, “I think you’ll fit in just fine with us, Isabella. Of the many rooms in the castle, the three of us are most at home in this study.”
Caius’ aura -a soft, buttery yellow- makes me think of early morning sunshine, so I smile and nod to him.
My head turns quickly to Marcus as he speaks. “We have been searching for information on your gift, young one. It would help us tremendously if you were able to give us just a bit more information.”
I focus on Marcus’ aura for a second. Though it reminds me of quite a bit of Aro’s pure sky blue, there’s an undertone of pale gray, giving me a sense of deep sadness. I file that away as Demetri offers, “Which is why we have come. Bella has noticed a few things. She’s also made a huge step in her newborn progress that she would like to share.”
Aro smiles as his hands come together in front of him, “Wonderful. Good news is rare around here. Please, have a seat.”
Demetri and I sit on an empty love seat, then I say after biting my lip, “I picked out my clothes.”
Demetri laughs, “Stop being modest. Bella actually picked up her undergarments from her drawers with her pinkies, then held her jumper in her fingers when I released it from the hanger for her.”
Caius, nods, “Impressive. For most newborns, it takes weeks, even months, to be able to handle fabric without ripping it.”
Aro asks as he stops in front of us, “Would you mind sharing with me, Dear? You are -of course- free to decline. I must admit, though, I find it very refreshing to witness the glimpses of your mind that you allow me to see.”
I nod and place my hand in his. He smiles as he focuses on my eyes, then chuckles, “Not just any fabric, Brother… what looks to be a delicate lace.” After another second, he adds, “Oh, interesting.”
He pats my hand, then continues, “Though I have just seen it, please explain your findings to us about your gift.”
I take a breath and let it out, then say, “I seem to see in color and feeling both, through my gift. Demetri quickly started calling them auras, and it felt right to think of them as such. Beige is neutral, from what I have gathered, but the colors can be layered. The man earlier, as I told Demetri, had a mucky black aura. The colors were so mixed that I couldn’t separate them, and the feeling it gave me left me feeling violated… like something had been ripped from me.”
I shivered slightly at the thought but leaned into Demetri as he rubbed my back gently. Thinking, I said, “Learning to gauge my thirst is… difficult. I think my shield is partly to blame, so I would like to work with someone on how it works and what it entails. Just not when Alice is around, please.”
Marcus scowls, then shakes his head to Aro, “Isabella, you will not be subjected to standing in the same wing as the Whitlocks, let alone the same room. I will take her on as my student, Aro.”
Aro nods, then Caius says, “Knowing that your gift allows you to see in color and emotion helps us quite a bit. We can eliminate several thousand tomes and records of gifts right away. Have you noticed anything from your shield during the episodes where you see an offensive color? I only ask to try and gauge whether your shield is active or trying to protect you physically.”
I scowl and gently bite my lip as I think, but I shake my head, “I’m sorry, Sir, but none were close enough to me to know if they were somehow blocked physically from reaching me. I just know that I get a very bad feeling about the last man. I don’t know how to explain it, other than to tell you I sensed a deep evil in him. I don’t know how or who he is violating, specifically, but it’s not just a kill-to-feed situation. I’m sure all of you have killed to feed, yet none of you have colors that concern me.”
Marcus leans enough in his chair that he can pat my fidgeting hands. “Slowly, Isabella. You are doing very well. Not now, but at some point within the next few days, Demetri, I would like you to guide Isabella near a vampire that has an offensive color. Walk past them in the halls, or take her down to the training yards if one is there. We need to know sooner rather than later if her shield will indeed come out to protect her. As for the man in question, we already have a team of 3 watching his every move. We will know something soon.”
My sire nods thoughtfully to his king, saying only, “Of course, Sir. I will keep you informed.”
Though the brothers talk with us for a few more minutes, Demetri soon takes my hand and stands, thanking them for taking the time to see us. Aro smiles as his eyes land on Demetri and then me, assuring us, “Hearing of this young one’s control so early in her new life was worth the time alone, Demetri. Isabella Dear, please take to heart what your sire has told you. Should you ever find yourself in trouble, or Demetri ends up engaged in a fight, don’t hesitate for even a second. Find me, Caius, or Marcus in your mind, then run as fast as you can to get to us.”
I see Marcus and Caius both nodding in agreement, so I offer a soft but heartfelt, “Thank you, Sirs. I will keep that in mind.”
Seconds later, we make our exit, the door to the study closing softly behind us.
