Twilight Angel

Chapter 15

I never thought I would see the day that a vampire would sparkle. The idea in itself is ridiculous and if I hadn't seen it, I would have laughed it off. Edward and I had decided to go on a little hiking excursion of about five miles this Saturday hike led to a meadow that I have never seen before and it's a very lovely place. It's like out of a dream. There are wildflowers everywhere and butterflies floating every which way. It would have been even better if there had been a waterfall. I'm a sucker for not only natural beauty but waterfalls as well but I will take what I am given.

Edward took me by surprise when he stepped out into the bright sunlight, his shirt open, that shone down on the meadow and revealed that stunning beauty. It's no wonder that his family cannot go out in the sunlight. It would draw unwanted attention. However, in predatory terms, it would definitely draw their prey to them. Oh, bother. I can't help myself. I reach out to touch that absolute perfection. His skin is cold and hard to the touch-no surprise if you're a walking corpse-but I can feel that sizzling sensation of electricity running through my fingers. I run my fingers through his beautiful hair and it elicits a quiet purr from him.

"You don't mind, do you?" I ask.

"Not at all."

I continue exploring this extraordinary creature before he leans into me, like he's going to bite my neck. I'm not frightened at all, considering that he's inhaling my scent. In my world, as a Sailor Scout, weird is the norm. I have to admit, though, that this is pretty intimate. I'm okay with it, oddly enough. Again, this is a vegetarian vampire who just happens to resist his lust for my blood. It's all cool.

"So tell me, how do I smell to you? Besides as food, I should say."

"A very exquisite scent. It's like breathing...perfume? No...it's even better than that."

He's trying to choose his words carefully before speaking. When he does, he describes my scent as a fine wine. Well, I suppose that would fit in my case. I have been around for 900 years and wine grows better with age. I haven't told Edward my exact age but he is aware of the fact that I am immortal, like he is. One major difference, though: I can still die and he can't and he knows it. My soul is eternal so I will be reborn if I do die.

"I have lived and died many times." I say. "Death is not a new concept to me."

"If I were to..." Edward trails off.

"Kill me? Depending on the severity of the injury, I might survive it. The magic in my blood is potent that it'll allow me to heal."

"If not?"

"Then I die. Simple as that. I'll be reborn again as Adachi Sakura. My soul is eternal."

Edward's face darkens. I reach out to touch him before he bounds away at top speed. Of course, my instincts kick in and transform into Sailor Night. This time, I have my scythe drawn. He hasn't seen this yet. My scythe is more than capable of cutting through diamond and stone. In other words, I can eliminate a Cold One without a problem. I drop my weapon with a heavy thud, creating a small crater from the weight of it. I stare at him carefully.

"Remember that you're dealing with someone who is part of the supernatural herself." I warn him.

"Forgive me." He says. "It's just that we're discussing your death so casually."

"As I said, it's not a new concept. I've died many times defending this world."

We stare at each other from the opposite ends of the meadow. I really don't have to ask him if he had been tempted by me. His behavior that first day spoke volumes. However, I really couldn't help but asking if we had met in the proverbial dark alley, would he have taken me? His response, unsurprisingly, is yes. He confesses to the fact that it took all of his strength (with help from me, of course) to keep himself seated in his chair and to keep himself from draining me. If he hadn't been denying his thirst for a number of years, he says, then there wouldn't have been a chance he could have stopped himself.

"At first, I didn't understand your hostility towards me," I say. "However, when I discovered your lack of an aura, I decided to investigate and that's how I figured it out."

"I've done my best to resist it. I refuse to be a monster."

"You have proven that numerous times, Edward. Your capability to resist temptation is astounding! You should be proud to have that strength."

"I don't think I could bear hurting you and seeing you dead. You've become a big part of my life, now."

We spend the next couple of hours running through the woods together, enjoying each other's presence. I managed to pry his true age out of him, which is a nice, round, even number of 90. I haven't told him my age yet but I do tell him that I am a whole lot older than he is. Practically makes me a very old cougar, I tell him. Ten time his age as a matter of fact. Yep. I'm definitely an old lady.

"If I may ask, what is your age?"

"Oh, just a mere 900 years of age." I say with a wink. "Pretty old, huh?"

"Indeed."

I ask him about his past, which he says is pretty fuzzy but that he remembers Carlisle saving him from the spread of the Spanish Influenza. I remember studying about it. It had killed millions of people in the world, including Edward's parents. He was seventeen years old when he was changed. I smile. Despite being a vampire with a thirst for blood, his adoptive father had enough restraint to help the boy make the transition. I have to assume that it took him a very long time to practice such restraint and I have to admire Dr. Cullen even more for that.

Edward then launches into the history of his clan and it's very captivating to hear. Their stories all included some sort of tragedy before the compassionate doctor took them under his wing. Eventually, they formed a large family. It's not a coven, but a true family. I saw a very strong bond between the siblings at school so I'm very sure that their bond with the good doctor and his wife is very strong.

"Jasper and Alice are very special cases, as they have developed a conscience without help."

As it turns out, Jasper is an empath and Alice has visions of the future. Jasper had come from a group of human-drinkers and got very sick of having to deal with his victims' pain. He finally broke away and wandered around for a little while before meeting up with Alice in a diner, thus, making him the last one (and the most recent) to join the Cullen clan. Alice's story, though, is, literally, a complete mystery. She had no recollection of her life as a human at all, while the others did. I can only speculate that she may have suffered some kind of head trauma as a human. It's a plausible solution but I don't say anything.

"I suppose Jasper has adapted to your way of life?"

"Not very easily." Edward says. "He hasn't had enough time to get used to it but he's working on it."

We get back to my apartment rather late. Time had flown so fast but he stayed with me as I ate some dinner. It's only on his way out that he asks me one important question:

"Would you care to meet the family?"