Title: Eclipse of Fate
Category: Books » Twilight
Author: Coriandra
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T
Genre: Drama/Friendship

The young vampire trembled as the violet smoke swirled around her and the heavy, sweet scent intensified every time she breathed, trying desperately to stay calm. There was even the scent of a human which would normally have set Bree's throat burning, but she hardly noticed that now. All she could think about was getting out of the forest alive and that didn't seem likely at this point.

Her panic seemed to magnify every sound at least ten times its normal volume. Her coven screamed and, the metallic sound of thier cracking and tearing could be clearly heard, The bodies crackled and snapped as they burned. Not that she cared about most of them. After all, she was only fifteen human years old and had been frightened and extremely vulnerable. They could all see that, but they weren't kind to her, to say the least. Indeed, most of them would have to see her torn and burning. Diego was an obvious exception, but Riley and their creator had no doubt killed him horribly. Fred was another exception. Bree never expected to see him again but at least he was safe as far as she knew.

Then there were footsteps, no doubt one of the "yellow-eyes" they were brought there to fight. Bree looked around frantically, but saw no escape route. The other vampire glanced over in her direction. Realizing she'd been spotted, or would be in just a second, Bree ran blindly and hit a large boulder which shattered from the impact but left her stunned for a second. Dropping to ground and shaking her head to clear her senses, she found herself face to face with a young woman who had wavy hair and a heart shaped face.

The vampire instantly dropped into a defensive crouch, her gold eyes locked into Bree's impossibly wide red ones, but her expression softened when she saw Bree cringing with fear.

"Are you all right?" she asked, obliviously concerned.

Bree, still gasping for breath, force of habit from her so recent human days, tentatively looked up. "Please..." she begged, "Kill me quickly, that's all I ask."

"Oh sweetheart, don't be afraid," the woman said to her, "there's no reason to be, not of us." She smiled gently at Bree and knelt down beside her, hands and forearms lifted as if to reassure the girl that she meant her no harm. "My name's Esme. What's yours?"

"B-bree," the girl stammered. "I should have run away when I had the chance, but I was looking my friend."

"Maybe we can help," Esme offered, "What's your friend's name?"

"It was Diego. They killed him, our two leaders did. I realize that now, they murdered him because he knew too much. I can't believe I didn't have the good sense to figured that out before I came here."

"What's done is done, Bree," Esme said kindly. "No one could blame you for wanting to help your friend. But tell me, how did you end up like this?'

"Well, I don't remember much," Bree began. "just that I ran away from home because my father abused me constantly. He probably abused my mother too, but she left us when I was young so I don't know."

Esme nodded understandingly. Bree didn't look up, but if she had she would have the woman's expressive face cloud over with sadness.

"Riley, our coven leader, found me three months ago while I was digging through a garbage bin looking for food. He asked to come with him. I should have been more cautious of course, but I was starving and freezing. I didn't think things could possible get any worse for me." Bree shivered with horror as she remembered how wrong she was about that. "Anyway, he bought me a burger like he promised, but then he took me to her ."

"To her? You mean to Victoria?"

"I don't know her name; none of us do. Riley wanted it that way. All I remember after that was the pain, horrible searing pain. When it finally stopped I found out what Riley was and what I was now. I also found out I expected to be part of something I didn't understand, but that I had no control over."

"So young, but you've been through so much," Esme said thoughtfully as she helped Bree to her feet. "You need and deserve a place where you'll be safe and loved."

"That's what I always wanted, Esme," Bree admitted as strolled toward the clearing together. "But at the same time..."

A tall blond vampire stepped across their path at that moment and looked at the two women. His expression wasn't threatening, just curious. Esme smiled when she saw him, but Bree froze in her tracks, her breath quickening and she tried to back away.

"It's all right, Bree," Esme assured her, gently taking hold of girl's wrist so she wouldn't run. "This is Carlisle, my mate. Carlisle, this is Bree. We just met."

"That's what I figured," Carlisle replied with a warm smile.

"I..I'm so sorry," Bree stammered. "I don't want to fight anymore. I never wanted this to happen."

"Neither did we," Carlisle said gently. "We were just defending ourselves."

"You were defending yourselves?" Bree gasped before she thought. "Then you weren't planning to attack us in Seattle?" Bree kicked in anger at a small stone and bitterly answered her own question. "No, of course you weren't. That was another one of Riley lies to us!"

"Bree needs a family to love her, one she can trust," Esme told Carlisle, who nodded understandingly.

"We'll talk about it this evening with rest of the family," he said. "I just hope there won't be major problems with... "

"There shouldn't be, should there?" Esme asked anxiously. "We haven't broken any laws and Bree was never taught so she can't be blamed."

"I hope you're right, Esme," Carlisle replied. "Bree," he continued, "this may sound strange but I have to say it for the record. We'll do our best to keep you safe if you surrender to us. Do you?"

"I can't think of anyone I'd rather surrender to, so yes of course," Bree told them with an innocent smile. She didn't know the implications of this, but she didn't want to yet. All she wanted to do was enjoy feeling safe and loved for as long as possible. Unfortunately, the love and security she felt as she walked with Carlisle and Esme was shattered the next moment.