Burned

All was well at the Cullen home.

Carlisle was in his study, reading over some old manuscripts he’d acquired from overseas. He was really intrigued by the old writing styles the original writer had used. The papers he was reading were over a hundred years old, and he had to very, very careful. It was time-consuming and kept him extremely busy.

Esme was in the kitchen baking a chocolate cake for her children. She had had trouble deciding between chocolate or vanilla, as she had a personal liking for vanilla, but knew that the others would like chocolate. So, like any good parent, she put her own wants aside for their benefit.

Rosalie was out for a quick snack in the forest. She had to convince Emmett that she’d be fine alone for an hour or so, plus she knew he wanted to watch the big football game, so she made things so he would get what he wanted. Sure, she could be a big bitch sometimes, but deep down she truly wanted him to do whatever made him happy.

Emmett and Jasper were watching sports on the TV and hollering whenever their team didn’t get a touchdown. It was typical boy behaviour. Jasper didn’t really like sports much, but deep down, he wanted to have a stronger bond with Emmett, so he agreed to watch the game with him.

Edward wanted to watch the game as well, but Bella had convinced him to come sit on the back porch with her and cuddle. Yes, cuddle. Sure it was a bit degrading, but when it came to his beautiful wife, he would give up any form of dignity he had to be with her.

Alice was tanning. Well, not really, since vampires couldn’t tan, but she was laying in the sun in a bikini, her skin sparking like a jar of glitter in a room with a strobe light.

Renesmee, now a full-fledged adult, was out on a date with Jacob Black. Yes, a date. Edward didn’t particularly like that, and Bella found it extremely creepy that her best friend was now dating her daughter.

All was well.

And that’s when the front door of the house burst open, shattering into hundreds of pieces that fell onto the floor. In a flash, all the vampires in the house had dropped what they were doing and were now running towards the main hallway.

Jasper and Emmett were the first to enter. Standing there was a middle-aged woman, her hair blonde but faded with time. She was also human, her scent filled the house.

Jasper and Emmett reacted quickly, unable to control themselves. She smelled human, but her scent was one hundred times stronger than that, compelling. The kind of scent that would drive any vampire crazy from just a whiff.

The woman flicked her hands at Jasper and Emmett, and they were hit with an invisible wall of energy. The pair smashed into the wall and broke through it, landing in the living room on the other side.

Esme was next. The scent consumed her and without thinking, she charged. The woman held our her hands, which were now surrounded with a bright, pulsating white light, and shot them upwards. Esme’s feet lifted from the ground and she was shot through the ceiling onto the floor above.

Edward and Bella and Alice flashed into the room then. Alice and Edward stood there, trying to pull up all the will-power they could not to attack. Alice was the first to give in. She shot forward and without even blinking, the woman claps her hands and Alice screamed, her hands on her head. Alice fell to the ground, passed out.

Bella stood, watching this horror. She could smell the woman, could tell that it was alluring, but she was able to resist it. She pressed herself against the wall, moving only to scream when Edward shot forward towards the woman. Edward’s teeth were only an inch away from the woman’s neck when he was lifted off the ground. The woman had her hand around Edward’s neck. The white light was surrounding the pair of them. Edward’s eyes bulged, and he gasped.

“That’s enough, Jade-nala.” A voice said.

And just like that, the white light was gone, and Edward was on his knees, gasping and panting, weak. The woman placed her hands at her side and looked up at the staircase where Carlisle stood. The pair stared at each other for a long moment before finally, they smiled.

“Carl-lana!” The woman walked up the stairs and engulfed Carlisle in a big hug. Just then, all the other vampires were crawling back into the room, looking up at the woman with hungry eyes. They hissed and growled, ready to go for her once more.

The woman only then seemed to notice them. Her eyes flashed white, and stayed like that for a moment, before going back to normal. The vampires then took in a sharp intake of breath, they eyes going back to normal.

“W-what…” Jasper groaned, rubbing his head, looking around at the destroyed main hallway. He then noticed the still-passed-out Alice, and ran to her side. “What did you do to her?!”

Jade ignored him. Jasper stood up and took a few threatening steps towards the stairs. Jade’s hand shone bright white, and with a clap of her hands, Jasper also fell to the ground, unconscious.

Everyone looked ready to attack the woman who was, how it seemed to them, taking them out one-by-one. But Carlisle shook his head at them and mumbled for them to calm down.

At that moment Esme dropped down through the hole in the ceiling, landing on her feet. She was also rubbing her head and looking around in a small panic.

Everyone looked up at the woman standing next to Carlisle. She ignored them, her eyes locking with Bella’s. “She’s quite the miracle. She resisted my blood. Where ever did you find her, Carlisle?”

Carlisle looked to the woman. “We can discuss that later. What I’m wondering right now, Jade, is why you’ve burst into my home like this?”

Jade’s expression darkened, and her next words were said hesitantly, carefully. They meant nothing to the rest of the people in the room, but when they were said, Carlisle understood. “The spell is being undone.”

Carlisle’s stance became defensive. His expression was a mix of shock and disbelief. “But that’s impossible.”

Jade shook her head. “It was impossible, but not anymore. They finally have enough to break the spell.”

“Carlisle, what’s going on?” Esme asked, soothingly. She might be confused out her mind, but she could tell her husband knew exactly what was happening, and that it wasn’t good. He was stressed now, and knew to talk to her calmly.

“Yeah, who is that woman?” Emmett said, clueless and thick-headed as ever.

He didn’t answer. He and Jade just stared at each other darkly, a terrible secret being shared silently between the two.

“Everyone, to the living room, I’ll explain there.”