Lips of an Angel

Chapter 19-Revelations

"You consumed human blood only for two years, Bella," Esme said softly, squeezing my shoulder. "You probably saved more lives than you took."

"So-" Edward's voice shook, and he cut himself off, took a deep, controlling breath, and started again. "So none of you drink human blood?"

"No," Carlisle said firmly. "We all respect human life."

"What about your eyes? Is that a vampire thing?"

"Yes. Our eyes change colour when we hunt. Vampires that drink human blood have red eyes, but our eyes, as you've seen, are golden. When we haven't fed for a while, our eyes turn black."

"Or when you're struggling with... bloodlust?" Edward asked, seeming to struggle for the appropriate word.

"Exactly. Our senses are heightened, hence speaking too fast and too quietly for you to hear us."

"And you don't age?"

"No," Emmett said, grinning widely. "I'll be this perfect forever. Nearly a century old, and looking awesome."

Esme shot Emmett a mild look, and Emmett quieted for the moment. As Carlisle continued to give Edward a vampire 101, I watched Jasper, wanting clues as to Edward's emotions about the whole thing. Jasper shot me a small smile, indicating that Edward wasn't about to run away screaming, and I finished listening.

"How did you all become vampires? If you don't mind me asking, that is," Edward added hastily, clearly seeing Rosalie's furious expression. She was always touchy about her transformation, as she'd had a traumatising experience right beforehand. I knew that she didn't like reliving it.

"Not at all," Carlisle said as Esme very quietly berated Rosalie for her sour and disgusted looks towards Edward.

Carlisle began to tell Edward all about our transformations into the soulless creatures of the night that we were. He explained about being attacked by an ancient vampire in the streets of London while hunting with his father, and trying various methods to kill himself when he realised what he'd become. I caught Edward's slight smile when Carlisle said that he eventually found a group of deer and drank from them due to sheer starvation.

Carlisle then spoke of how he'd met Esme when she was a girl of sixteen, and had fallen in love with her. The next time he saw her was after she'd fallen from a cliff. The only way to save her, he'd decided, was to change her. Esme was the first one of us Carlisle had saved, and it was a beautiful story.

Esme picked up at that point, and briefly said that she'd been abused by her husband, and had run away after becoming pregnant. Edward looked sorrowful when he heard that her son had died as a baby, and that Esme had consequently jumped off that cliff to kill herself.

"Rosalie?" Carlisle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Please," Rosalie snorted. "I am not telling him that."

"Rosalie was attacked by a group of men, including one she was courting, and left to die on the streets." Carlisle sighed. "I decided I couldn't allow such a young girl to die."

It was Emmett that interjected eagerly at that moment, telling Edward how he'd been mauled by a bear, and how Rosalie, realising him to be her mate, had carried him back to Carlisle to have him changed. Edward grinned as Emmett called Rosalie an angel - clearly, he was thinking similar thoughts to myself; that Rosalie could never be an angel.

"I'd already sworn not to change another human after Rosalie's dislike of this life," Carlisle said quietly. "But Rosalie was Emmett's mate."

"And I love this life!" Emmett exclaimed. "I get to take my revenge on antsy bears if I can be bothered to run up to Scotland."