Twilight

Chapter Thirteen

"And you think by knocking him out with umbrakinesis will leave less evidence?!" I exploded.

"Rachel always said I was rather handy with human minds," Rigan answered innocently, blinking rapidly at me with puppy-dog eyes. She knew I hated them because they made her look unnaturally adorable.

She stopped when she saw that my whole eye socket was glowing gold. "Temper, temper, Bella Stella," she warned in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up," I snarled as I picked up my rucksack full of Mordain-styled clothing.

We were soon under way again; Edward's unnatural speed at driving made sure of that.

"Well, look on the bright side," Rigan said on the way. "He's safe. James is not going to bother him anymore."

"And that still makes you using your power on him okay?!" I snarled.

Rigan laughed. "He's not the first one I've knocked out to ensure they'll be safe from vamps. I once knocked out my own amigos."

"I bet they didn't forgive you easily," I muttered.

"Actually, they did. Isaac even laughed!"

Suddenly, there was a heavy thud on the back of the truck, which made Rigan and me jump.

Edward chuckled quietly. "Chill. It's only Emmett," he said. "Alice is in the car behind us."

As we passed the grill, I looked just in time to see Eric and Angela coming out, laughing away with Mike, Jessica, Tyler and Lauren. They seemed happy; not worried about anything at all. They didn't know; ignorance really was bliss. It made me envy them slightly.

"Their lives are boring, Bella Stella," Rigan said, seeing my glance. "The only things they look forward to are proms, university and then getting a full time job or starting families. But we have a lot more; we put our lives on the line so they can still live in their so-called perfect little worlds, unaffected by the Darkness and anything it throws out. Believe me, sister, once you get into this life, there is no way you can get out of it again; it would drive you insane."

When we got to the Cullen residence, Edward led Rigan and me inside. There in the hallway meeting us were Carlisle, Esme and . . . . Katherine Castille-Howard? As soon as we saw her, Edward jumped closer to my side and mine and Rigan's eyes flashed to our signature power colors.

"Wait!" Carlisle said. "She came to warn us about James."

Katherine turned her sinister burgundy irises onto Rigan. "I owe you a lot of favours, Morrigan," she said. "Countless occasions, you saved my life. Now, this is one way I can think of repaying you. When I was taken, I was mainly used as a food source by my captors; Fire and Light vampires. I broke free, was found by Laurent, who sensed I had power and turned me. When I completed transitioning, I ran away, refusing to conform to their ideals.

"This fight is not mine; it's theirs. I have grown tired already of the games James and Victoria play, as Laurent had. It was only a matter of time before he would leave them, even without you two destroying him. But in the time that I have been with James and Victoria, I have seen that he has unparalleled senses; absolutely lethal, in other words. Laurent once told me, but I didn't believe him until not long ago; my creator had not seen any Ice vampire like James in all his four hundred years of being a vampire. Also, don't underestimate Victoria; I know she may not seem like much but that is why many have fallen prey to her."

Rigan nodded. "Thank you, Katherine. You've always been loyal."

Katherine nodded back curtly before leaving the house fluidly and then disappearing off into the night's darkness.