The Girl Who Was Taken (Renesme Cullens Twin Sister)

Thirteen

"I'm tired," I whined to Aro one late night, trying to get out of my training. That was another thing that was different now. I had training, on top of school. He liked to put it, "You have a gift, you should master it and use it," and there was no arguing with him. But I could complain, so I made a show of it and yawned very big.

"You'll never get any better if you don't try," he scolded.

"But--"

"Try again."

"No."

"Try again," he commanded.

"I don't want to."

"You did so well the first time. Why are you hiding it away?"

"I'm tired."

"Then look into my eyes and tell me."

"No."

"Ember."

"I'm not as great as you thought I was, okay? I'm going to bed." I began to walk away, but then his hand caught my shoulder. I try to shake it off, but his grip tightened.

"Ember. Look at me." I didn't. "Look at me."

I peeked over my shoulder at him. If he squeezed my shoulder any harder, the bone would break. "No."

"Look into my eyes and tell me."

"You're too guarded. Too strong."

"You're stronger than you think."

"But I'm not. You just want me to be."

"You were doing so well when we first began. You're burying your power." I looked away. "Why? You have such a great gift. Why would you deny it?"

"You don't get it."

"What?" He lost his patience, and tugged me to face him. "Look at me when I'm speaking!" For a moment, I was scared he might throw me against a wall, but then he took a deep calming breath, despite not having to breath, and he regained his composure. "What do I not get?"

"You don't care."

"Yes I do." He used his quiet soothing voice. Another facade.

"All that matters to you is power." The tears pricked at my eyes. "And I don't want to be alone among a world of zombies."

"I care about you."

"You care about my power."

"I care about you, Ember."

"If you did you wouldn't make me--"

"I'm trying to help you."

"You're trying to help me only because it will help you."

"I'm helping you be the best you, that you can be."

"Can't I just go to sleep?"

"Just try once more," he said. Then the door opened, and he directed his attention to it as Chelsea walked in. "Ah, my dear. How are you? And look, Ember, Chelsea's brought you a nice warm mug of blood."

She handed it to me, kissing the top of my head. "I'm very well, Aro. You called for me?"

"Ah, yes. Yes I did. Come with me. Have a little break, Ember. But don't go running off, I'll be back shortly." He guided Chelsea away into the hallway and off to a place where I wouldn't be able to over hear their conversation.

I used to wonder what they needed to keep secret from me. At the moment I just wanted to curl up under my heavy covers and suffocate in my warm breath till I passed out. I cradled the hot blood, savoring the warmth.

This castle needed more fires. I sat down in the corner of my practice room. Outside, it was storming. Not a simple rain storm. It was an erratic freezing rain, with hale as sharp as icicles, and roaring wind. One of the windows whipped open letting a shower of wetness into the room. Droplets crashed into the stone like a thousand pick axes clanging in a mine. It was the other side of the room though, so I was safe, but the old man that was also in the room was being pelted with rain.

He was mostly out of it. But the rain seemed to wake him from his trance. He was confused. Almost all of my dummies ended up confused. Their clairty would fade away when I controlled their thoughts; erased, created, or altered their brain. It felt like I was a god with half molded lumps of clay. All I had to do was look into their eyes and shape them. Command them.

It was as if a rush of power would wash over me. All the way from my toes to the split ends of my hair. Tingling, taking charge, raging to escape me.

It was amazing.

It was the scariest, loneliest, most awful thing ever.

The man spoke. "Should I close the..." his voice wandered off. He probably couldn't remember the word for window. If I continued to practice on him, he'd probably forget how to form a coherent sentence altogether.

He looked at me expectantly. His eyes were so shallow. So empty of personality. "Leave it open," I told him. "I'm remembering."

The cries from outside made my heart race and jump and hide in fear. Lightning turned the sky white as a sheet, a ghost, a piece of paper. The brightness gave a clear view of the whole world as it cowered from the storm. Thunder rumbled, on and on. When it was finished yelling at us, the world was almost silent. For one moment, and then the steady whooshing of rain come back and the creaking of the window, swinging wild.

I had been here for about a  year now, but I needed to remember who I used to be.

"I am Stormy," I reminded myself under my breath. "I am Stormy. I. Am. Stormy. The overlord of everything. Watching from the sky. My wrath will rain down from the sky. My voice will ring like thunder in your ears. My eyes will strike you down like lightning. And I will survive. I will... survive."

The old man shivered as he stood in the rain fall. His eyes latched onto mine. I could feel his eyes screaming, bulging out of his head. He was a shell. But he still had some small bit of scraggly soul left in him. Clinging to his humanity. He knew that he was in a place full of monsters. He knew that after he wasn't useful, he would be disposed. He knew. And he couldn't do anything about it.

It was too late to rescue him from insanity. He was too far gone. But I could still help him.

From across the room, not even close enough to see the color of his eyes, I told him, "Die." I let go of my mug, and got up from the floor and slowly walked towards him. "Fall from the window," I ordered, "drown in the rain. Freeze to death. Snap your neck. Sleep."

He nodded, and broke his gaze from mine, then he crawled into the window. Clinging to the edge, he looked back at me, wary, uncertain. He didn't want to. He was afraid. But I knew this was the best route for him. "Go on," I nodded. I had walked so close to him that I was standing in the rain coming through the window. It was cold and wet and I hated it. I was too engrossed in compelling him to mind though. He let go. The connection completely broken. I watched his body fall through the air and hit the ground hard. He was dead in a lump and I was wet and powerless.

I heard clapping from behind me. Aro was extremely proud. I was crying but the rain disguised my tears.

"Bravo," he cheered. "See? You can achieve greatness!"

I walked right past him, brazenly, hopped over the splattered blood and mug I had dropped, turned out the door, and went straight to my bedroom. He didn't follow me. It was the only thing he did right that day.