𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘍𝘐𝘍𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘕

(the cursed witch, act one)

"YOU ARE ODDLY CHEERFUL THIS MORNING," Natalie commented over breakfast after watching Nina practically skip through the house.

The teen shrugged. "It's Friday."

She hurried so she would be ready to go the second Natalie left. She had her bag ready, shoes on, teeth brushed, but even though she rushed to the door as soon as she was sure Natalie would be out of sight, Edward was faster. He was waiting in his shiny car, windows down, engine off.

She had texted Bella the night before and told her she didn't need a ride. She would have called but she didn't feel like letting Edward hear the endless teasing comments.

She didn't hesitate that time, climbing in the passenger side quickly, the sooner to see his face. He grinned his crooked smile at her, stopping her breath and her heart.

"How did you sleep?" He asked as if he didn't know. She wondered if he had any idea how appealing his voice was.

"Fine. How was your night?"

"Pleasant. Can I ask about the rock collection I found last night?" His smile was amused.

"I don't know. Can I ask how old you are?"

"No." He grinned. "Today is still mine."

He wanted to know about people today: more about Natalie, her hobbies, what they'd done in their free time together. The places she wished to go, forcing the fact that she had always wanted to visit Banff, more specifically Lake Louise. She had always admired the beauty of the mountainous range. And then her few school friends — embarrassing her when he asked about guys she's dated. She was relieved that she'd never really dated anyone, so that particular conversation couldn't last long. He seemed as surprised as Jessica and Angela by her lack of romantic history.

"So you never met anyone you wanted?" He asked in a serious tone that made me wonder what he was thinking about.

"Even if I met someone, I never stayed long enough."

His lips pressed together into a hard line.

They were in the cafeteria at this point. The day had sped by in the blur that was rapidly becoming routine. She took advantage of his brief pause to take a bite of her bagel.

"Bella will have to take you home tonight," He announced, apropos of nothing, while she chewed.

"Why? Got bored of me already?" She teased.

"Never." He grinned. "I'm leaving with Alice after lunch."

"So where are you going?"

"Hunting," He answered grimly. "If I'm going to be alone with you tomorrow, I'm going to take whatever precautions I can." His face grew morose... and pleading. "You can always cancel, you know."

"I thought you said my blood wasn't tempting?"

"It's just a precaution," He shook his head. "I would rather not hurt the only person whose company I enjoy."

She smiled slightly at his response. "But, no. I'm not cancelling. You're never going to scare me away, Eeyore."

"Perhaps you're right," He murmured bleakly. His eyes seemed to darken in color as she watched.

She changed the subject. "What time will I see you tomorrow?"

"That depends... it's a Saturday, don't you want to sleep in?" He offered.

"No," She answered too fast. He restrained a smile.

"The same time as usual, then," He decided. "Will Natalie be there?"

"No, she's got an all day shift tomorrow."

"And if you don't come home, what will she think?"

"Ah, she'll just do a locator spell and then set your ass on fire," She answered coolly. "Though she might just be happy that I left the house on a day I didn't need to."

"Not the social type?"

"If it was anyone else, I would have declined your offer and slept through the entire weekend. What are you hunting tonight?"

"Whatever we find in the park. We aren't going far." He seemed surprised by her casual reference to his secret realities.

"Why are you going with Alice? I thought you usually went with Emmett?"

He grinned mischievously. "The rest of them wanted to be able to talk to you without my interference. Alice insisted she would have tons of time in the future as you are already - and I quote - bffs." He paused. "What is a bff?"

"Best friend forever, Grandma."

"Easy," He glowered. Nina only laughed in response. "If you don't tell me how old you are, I'll keep calling you that... And you have to leave now?"

"Yes." He raised his face; it was serious for a moment, and then his mood shifted and he smiled. "It's probably for the best. We still have fifteen minutes of that wretched movie left to endure in Biology — I don't think I could take any more."

"And you'll leave me to suffer alone," She hummed. "What kind of boyfriend does that?"

Edward grinned, "The kind that sucks blood."

Nina chuckled at his response. 

Alice — her short, inky hair in a halo of spiky disarray around her exquisite, elfin face — was suddenly standing behind his shoulder. Her slight frame was willowy, graceful even in absolute stillness.

He greeted her without looking away from Nina. "Alice."

"Edward," She replied happily. "Hello, Nina."

"Hey," The witch replied with a similar smile.

"Are you ready?" She asked him.

His voice was aloof. "Nearly. I'll meet you at the car." She left without another word.

"Should I say 'have fun,' or is that the wrong sentiment?" She asked jokingly, making him chuckle. 

"No, 'have fun' works as well as anything." He grinned.

"Have fun, then."

"I'll try." He still grinned. "And you try to be safe, please."

 "Safe in Forks–" Nina sighed dramatically, "–what a challenge."

"For you it is a challenge. Promise."

"I promise to try to be safe," She recited. "I'll even write that English paper I have."

"Oh, so you're not going to make me write it this time?" Edward smirked down at her. 

"Hey! You were probably alive when the book came out. You can't blame me for using your abilities."

"Just remember the three there's and you'll be fine," He mocked gently, in a teasing tone.

She rolled her eyes, "You can leave now, jerk."

"I'll be there in the morning," He promised, smiling his crooked smile. "Maybe even a little earlier." He reached across the table to touch her hand, lightly brushing along her soft, warm skin again. Then he turned and walked away. She stared after him until he was gone.

She was sorely tempted to ditch the rest of the day, at the very least Gym, but a warning instinct stopped her. She knew that if she disappeared now, Kit and others would assume she was with Edward and the rest of the Cullen family would no doubt go looking for her. She wouldn't be shocked if they all broke into her house.

Luckily, Biology passed without a hitch. She had been able to sit with Mike and Bella again with Edward's absence. Bella was happy for the addition and found it easily entertaining watching Mike get his ego constantly shot down by the beautiful witch.

In gym, she was instantly attached at the hip with Emmett. The vampire was seemingly excited just by her presence.

They were playing badminton again so they paired up together again.

"When are you coming over to our place again?"

Nina shrugged, hitting the birdie at him, grinning when it smacked against his shoulder.

"You have terrible aim," He teased, picking the birdie up from the ground.

"Shut it. And I don't know. Whenever Edward takes me, I guess."

"How's the ribs?"

"Not bad. I'm on enough Advil to kill a small child so..."

Hitting the birdie back at her, she hit it back. "You know we could always drive you home," He offered, knowing she would be going with Bella. None of the Cullen's trusted the old truck.

"I've got a ride," She insisted before a smirk fell on her lips. "Don't tell me you're worried about me."

"What? No way. I don't worry about people." He blew a raspberry. "Never. I just know Edward would be a pain in the ass if you ever drove off a cliff or something."

"That's a nice visual," She laughed.

The bell rang soon after and when she walked out of the locker room, expecting no one, she was met by three Cullen's.

"Oh, god. You aren't planning to drag me out into the forest and kill me because I called Edward 'grandma', are you? I would say I didn't mean it but I definitely did–"

Nina went to turn back into the locker room but was blocked by Jasper who had suddenly appeared in front of the door.

"If you're going to kill me, do it on a beach. I don't want to die in a locker room that smells like a thousand Mike's."

Rosalie's laughter suddenly cut through the air, making Nina open her eyes.

"We aren't going to kill you, Nini," Emmett told her, grinning in amusement.

"Edward would kill us," Jasper then said.

"So, you're not going to suck me dry on a beach?"

"Wasn't planning on it," Rosalie grinned. "But now that you mention it–"

Jasper moved around and smacked Rosalie's shoulder, "I thought you both agreed to be civil. It's the only reason why Edward agreed to this."

"We are being civil," Emmett disagreed. "Right, Nini?"

"Oh yeah, for sure," The witch agreed, inching closer to the door. "Bye!" She made a run for it. She could hear their laughter echo through the hall as she ran out the door before speed walking to Bella's truck.

"You look like you saw a ghost," The human teased as she put the key in her truck, starting the loud motor.

Nina glanced back at the school and saw the three Cullen's walk out, all still laughing as they watched her.

"Oh. Are we back to thinking the Cullen's want to murder you?" Bella asked, following the witch's eyeline.

"Yes," Nina replied simply and saw Emmett laugh harder. "Please drive before they get here and kill me in the forest."

Bella laughed but complied nonetheless, driving out of the parking lot which was already almost empty.

"Where are you going tomorrow?" She asked curiously, turning the heat up. Even if it was May, it was still cold.

"I don't know," Nina shrugged. "I don't think we're going to Seattle now. He's a little cryptic."

"If he tries to murder you, give me a call," Bella said with a grin as she parked on the road in front of Nina's home.

"Promising," Nina chuckled. "Thanks for the ride. See you Monday?"

"Course."

"Have fun with Jake!"

Bella blushed. She had almost forgotten that she had asked him to the dance. "I will," She promised.

After dinner, she did as she promised and worked on her English essay. It was incredibly boring and she almost wished she had let the Cullen's kill her. And unfortunately, the book she had to be reading for it was so utterly boring, she kept letting herself get distracted.

She smiled happily though when she finished the six page essay, printing it off before signing her name at the bottom right. Her penmanship wasn't great, but it was neat enough you could read what it said if you paid attention and took your time – it was why she was allowed to type her essays and why it was so easy to cheat and let Edward do all the work.

She was relieved when it was late enough to be acceptable for bedtime. She had downed a few 5mg's of melatonin along with some sleeping herbs – she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise. She had gotten used to having a nighttime visitor that kept her racing mind at bay.

While Nina waited for the melatonin and herbs to kick in, she tucked herself under her sheets, pulling her favourite burnt orange blanket up to her chin. Her hand peaked out from the sheets though when she realized she had forgotten to turn off the lights. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waved her fingers around.

The witch grinned, however, when the light turned off and the pain never appeared.

Flipping around to be on her back, she stared up at the ceiling. She never did enjoy the complete darkness. She closed her eyes again, trying to remember a vague and distant memory from her childhood.

Pressing her hands together, she kept her eyes closed as she relaxed her muscles. "Papilio lux..."

Her palms glowed a warm orange before the light suddenly shot toward the ceiling. Opening her eyes, she smiled. Hundreds of glowing butterflies flew across the room, landing on her ceiling and casting a calm light through the room, flickering slightly as their wings fluttered.

Eventually after watching the butterflies wings flutter and the medicine began to take effect, she gladly sank into unconsciousness.

She slept soundly thanks to the sleep pills, not waking up till 8am rolled around.

She kept her mind calm, running over spells and occasionally reading a grimoire each time she passed it. She dressed in a rush, unsure of what time the vampire would show. Soothing out any bumps in her cream white sweater, fidgeting with it till it hung right over her jeans, she sneaked a swift look out the window to see that Natalie was already gone. A thin, cottony layer of clouds veiled the sky. They didn't look very lasting.

She ate the breakfast Natalie had left out for her, hurrying to clean the dishes when she was done before she peaked out the window again to see no change. She had just finished brushing her teeth and was fiddling with her keys when a quiet knock sent her heart thudding against her ribcage.

Lifting her hand, she twisted her wrist. "Dimiterre."

The door opened as soon as the words left her lips revealing the tall form standing on her porch. He was smiling. All of the agitation and nerves dissolved as soon as she saw his face.

His expression lightened as he looked her over, and he laughed. "Good morning," He chuckled.

"What's wrong?" She glanced down to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything important, like a shirt, or pants.

"We match." He laughed again. She realized he had a long, light cream sweater on, with a white collar showing underneath, and blue jeans. Nina smiled as she went to put on her black boots.

Glancing up at him as she zipped up her right boot before doing the same with the left, she smiled. "How did you know I was still going to sleep in?" The clock had by then reached 9:30am.

He shrugged, offering her his arm when she walked outside, stopping briefly as she locked the door. "I hear you think about sleeping on average 12 times in just our biology class. I assumed you wouldn't be able to wake before six."

"Am I driving or are you?" He asked when they reached his Volvo, holding his keys with his left hand.

"You can drive there. I'll drive back." When he gave her a look, she rolled her eyes. "I'm not nervous. I just don't know the way."

They were soon out of the town limits. Thick underbrush and green-swathed trunks replaced the lawns and houses.

She glanced out the window, taking her eyes off of his hand that had weaved its way onto her knee somewhere along the way and saw the pavement slowly fading away.

Before she could think he had taken a wrong turn, he slowed down and pulled the car over to the far side of the road before putting it in park.

"What's... uh– what's here?" She asked, slightly nervous that he might be killing her.

He grinned. He must have heard her thoughts. "A trail."

"We're hiking?"

"Is that a problem?" He sounded as if he'd expected as much.

"No." She tried to make the lie sound confident. Hiking was better than dying, although he might be making her walk to her burial ground.

"Don't worry, it's only five miles or so, and we're in no hurry."

Five miles. She didn't answer, so that he wouldn't hear her voice crack in panic. Five miles of treacherous roots and loose stones, trying to twist her ankles or otherwise incapacitate her. This was going to be humiliating.

"You'll be fine," He reassured her. "I won't let you fall."

Nina hummed.

He got out of the car soon enough and walked over to open her door. "Ready?" He asked, holding his hand out to her. The witch sighed but nodded as she twisted her body and grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up.

"If I trip and fall down a mountain it is so your fault," She warned.

Edward chuckled as he closed the car door behind her, locking it momentarily before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leading her down the path. "I won't let you trip, fall, die, or embarrass yourself. I promise."

"You haven't seen me in gym class."

"No. But Emmett has and he says it is incredibly entertaining."

She rolled her eyes. "Where are we going?" She asked, changing the subject off of her, not even wanting to think about what Emmett might have told him.

"It's a place I like to go when the weather is nice."

She glanced up at the sky that was slightly obscured by the trees and saw the clouds had thinned. "The weather has the capability to be nice here?"

Edward grinned. "Did you tell Natalie what you were up to?" 

"Nope."

He chuckled, "So you gave me no incentive to take you home today? No one knows we're alone?"

"I told Bella... just not a location. Probably not my greatest idea," She admitted, holding his hand a little tighter as she walked over a fallen tree branch. "... And now we're going off the trail?"

Edward grinned, "I said there was a trail. Not that we're taking it."

"No trail?" She asked desperately. Nina turned suddenly, "You watched me put on these deathtrap shoes knowing we would be hiking?" 

He glanced down at her black, one-inch healed boots and chuckled. "I was a little distracted, if I'm being honest, to notice your choice in footwear, darling. Besides, I promised I wouldn't let you trip, even if I have to carry you on my back." He looked at her eyes then, with a mocking smile.

She stared at him for a moment before her eyes trailed down at the neckline of her top before they darted back at his. "You were distracted by my tits! You creepy fuck! So much for you being the Virgin Mary!" 

Edward rolled his eyes. "I'm a vampire, Nina. Not a priest."

"Could have fooled me," She sighed, her hands reaching up to pull up her top slightly, shaking her head at him though her eyes were filled with amusement. "You're gonna have a hard time keeping your virtue if you're struggling already." 

"If you don't stop talking I'll leave you here," He warned, earning a soft laugh from the witch. 

"Like you'd ever leave me," She tsked. "Not possible." Her hand reached to hold his once again, noticing his touch had disappeared for a moment before her eyes fell onto the mountain before them. 

"I'm not a good hiker, just forewarning you. You'l have to be very patient with me."

"I can be patient — if I make a great effort." He smiled, making her look up, holding her glance. She smiled back, unable to stop herself. 

Nina nodded before turning her head to glance up the slightly steep hill. "If you want me to hack five miles through the jungle before sundown, you'd better start leading the way otherwise we're going to be camping." 

The vampire nodded, happy that she had agreed to his idea of fun before he began to lead the way through the forest. It wasn't nearly as bad as she thought, he had averted the hill and led her through the flatter areas. Being the gentleman he was, he held the damp ferns and webs of moss aside for her, lifting her over any fallen trees or boulders. His cold touch on her skin never failed to make her heart thud erratically. Twice, when that happened, she caught a look on his face that made her sure he could hear it.

She let him keep his hand on her arm and each time she slipped, he held her up, not letting her fall just as he had promised.

"You worked on your magic last night?" He asked after a few minutes, remembering how easily she had opened the door with only a word and hand gesture.

"Not much. I did a comfort spell to help me sleep but other than that all I did was that stupid essay," She grumbled at the memory of it.

"I'm sure it wasn't that terrible."

"If Shakespear was alive I'd kill him."

Edward chuckled. "You'll have to show me the spell sometime. I'm sure it must be nice if it can comfort you."

"Hey!" She slapped his arm but the smile that had broken past her lips told him she wanted to laugh.

He asked a few more random questions that he hadn't gotten to in the past two days of interrogation. He asked about her birthdays, her grade school teachers, her childhood pets — and she had to admit that after killing three fish in a row, she'd given up on the whole institution.

"But I have always wanted a dog," She told him. "Mom said we would get one when we found a place to stay so maybe soon."

"A dog? I would have assumed you would want a cat," He teased.

"Familiars don't have to be cats," She smiled. "Technically, you would be my familiar if anything."

"Should I put on some cat ears then?"

"Very funny."

"Mmm. I'm a comedical genius," He grinned, bumping his shoulder against hers.

The hike took them most of the morning, but he never showed any sign of impatience. The forest spread out around us in a boundless labyrinth of ancient trees, and she began to be nervous that they would never find their way out again. He was perfectly at ease, comfortable in the green maze, never seeming to feel any doubt about our direction.

After several hours, the light that filtered through the canopy transformed, the murky olive tone shifting to a brighter jade. The day had turned sunny, just as he'd foretold. For the first time since we'd entered the woods, she felt a thrill of excitement — which quickly turned to impatience.

"Are we there yet?" She teased, pretending to scowl.

"Nearly." He glanced up slightly, "Do you see the brightness ahead?"

She peered into the thick forest. "Um, should I?"

He smirked. "Maybe it's a bit soon for your eyes."

"Time to visit the optometrist," She muttered, giving up and relaxing her squinted eyes. His smirk grew more pronounced. But then, after another hundred yards, she could definitely see a lightening in the trees ahead, a glow that was yellow instead of green. She picked up the pace, her eagerness growing with every step. He let her lead now, following noiselessly.

She reached the edge of the pool of light and stepped through the last fringe of ferns into the loveliest place she had ever seen. The meadow was small, perfectly round, and filled with wildflowers – violet, yellow and soft white. Somewhere nearby, she could hear the bubbling music of a stream. The sun was directly overhead, filling the circle with a haze of buttery sunshine. She walked slowly, awestruck, through the soft grass, swaying flowers, and warm, gilded air. She halfway turned, wanting to see him, but he wasn't behind her where she had thought he'd be. She spun around, searching for him with sudden worry.

Finally she spotted him, still under the dense shade of the canopy at the edge of the hollow, watching her with cautious eyes. Only then did she remember what the beauty of the meadow had driven from her mind — the enigma of Edward and the sun.

She took a step back toward him, her eyes alight with curiosity – she had only seen what a slight bit of sun did to his skin. His eyes were wary, reluctant. She smiled encouragingly and beckoned to him with her hand, taking another step back to him.

She waited, letting him take his time. Edward seemed to take a deep breath, and then he stepped out into the bright glow of the midday sun.

Edward in the sunlight was shocking. The sun was even more powerful than the last she had seen and she couldn't get used to it, though she'd been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday's hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface.

Nina let him walk toward her, staying still as his hand glided up to her cheek. He was like a perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal.

He guided her to sit down, following her actions, they lied down against the grass.

She enjoyed the sun, she hadn't seen it so bright in the entirety of her time in Forks. She would have stared at the perfectly blue sky for hours if she could have pulled her eyes away from him. The wind was gentle; it tangled her hair and ruffled the grass that swayed around his motionless form.

The meadow, so spectacular to her at first, paled next to him. Hesitantly, always afraid, even now, that he would disappear like a mirage, too beautiful to be real... hesitantly, she reached out one finger and stroked the back of his shimmering hand, where it lay within her reach. She marveled again at the perfect texture, satin smooth, cool as stone. When she looked up again, his eyes were open, watching her.

Butterscotch today, lighter, warmer after hunting. His quick smile turned up the corners of his flawless lips.

"I don't scare you?" He asked playfully, but she could hear the real curiosity in his soft voice.

"No more than usual."

He smiled wider; his teeth flashed in the sun.

She inched closer, stretched out her whole hand now to trace the contours of his forearm with her fingertips. She saw that her fingers trembled, and knew it wouldn't escape his notice.

"Do you mind?" She asked, though she already knew the answer.

"No," He said without opening his eyes. She lightly trailed her hand over the perfect muscles of his arm, followed by the faint pattern of his bluish veins inside the crease of his elbow. With her other hand, she reached to turn his hand over. Knowing what she wanted, he flipped his palm up in one of those blindingly fast, disconcerting movements of his. It startled her; her fingers freezing on his arm for a brief second.

"Sorry," he murmured. She looked up in time to see his golden eyes open again. "It's too easy to be myself with you."

She lifted his hand, turning it this way and that as she watched the sun glitter on his palm. She held it closer to her face, trying to see the hidden facets in his skin.

"Can you tell me what happened the other day?"

The witch sighed at his question. "It's just my dad. Nothing new," She shook her downcast head.

His hand left hers but only to reach up to her chin, using his pointer finger to gently lift it, making their eyes meet. "You don't have to feel ashamed when you're with me, Nina. You can tell me what's going on."

Nina leaned into his hand, kissing his skin but she kept her eyes on the flowers surrounding them.

"I'm afraid you'll hate me if you know," She admitted quietly, closing off her mind to him. Vampires and werewolves were natural enemies. How would that come into place when she abruptly turned into one?

She couldn't tell him that.

Edward's thumb stoked her cheek, "Nothing you say or do will ever make me hate you... If it's easier, just open your mind and let me see. You won't have to say it."

Nina knew she had to tell him something, give him some sort of answer but she also couldn't lie. If she lied, he would hear her heartbeat fasten.

Nodding, she closed her eyes and unblocked her mind.

He was silent as he listened to her thoughts.

He sat up slowly when she closed her thoughts again after he had heard what she intended for him to. Or at least, she had hoped he only heard the small portion of it.

"You father..." He trailed off, his hand that had been on her face trailing down, fingertips tracing her neck down to her collarbone and shoulder, down her arm before reaching her palm where they stayed. "Your father is a member of the Volturi?"

Nina nodded, focusing on the feeling of his fingers drawing slow circles against her palm. Her mother used to do that when she was a baby. He must have seen it in one of her past memories and knew it would calm her.

"He's a vampire? Like me?"

She nodded again.

"Why are you so worried about how I'll react to what he has done? His actions don't define you. No matter what he has done there, it will not change my feelings for you."

She stayed silent.

"Was there something else?"

She looked up and shook her head, "No." Forcing a small smile to form on her lips, "I was just stressed about it. I thought he was just a deadbeat, but now he's a deadbeat who also murders people for fun." She shrugged. "He just became pretty unredeemable for me."

"You still had hope for him? Even after seventeen years?"

"I wanted a family... But all he wanted was power and I couldn't give that to him." She glanced down at the watch he wore, "We should be getting back soon. It'll be dark by the time we get down."

He nodded silently, following her as she stood and nodding when she pointed in the direction they came in.