Chapter 7

I fell back to sleep after a few hours of trying. It didn't turn out to be a good idea, but I was really tired and the dreams are always there. Maybe it was the whole 'daughter of Apollo' thing or maybe just a basic demigod problem, but my dreams are always too vivid.

After falling back asleep my dreams were not as easy to understand as before, but I still saw images of blood, bodies and suffering. Sometimes the faces of the twins would appear,  among with the blood, and sometimes I would see the man from the watchtower.

I finally awoke in the morning, deciding to head for a run. What I did not anticipate was that Sam would decide to join me. Ugh, he just had to play the 'protective big brother' role, didn't he? Like I hadn't already proven I could take care of myself.

"Sooo... You and Paul," he started. Oh for the love of gods, somebody save me now!
I kept quiet and picked up my pace, hoping to avoid the conversation Sam was obviously trying to have.

"You can run but you can never escape me, little sis. Besides, I already know what you talked about. And I kicked his ass for kissing you." I smirked.

"Then, why in the name of Hades do you want to talk about it even more?"
"I want to explain some things for you. And maybe you could do the same for me?" 

I shrugged. It had always been easy for me to talk to Sam about everything and anything. Mom was rarely home and I didn't have many friends back in the day, so Sam was always there for me.

He took my silence as a 'yes'.
"Paul isn't going to make you stay here. He knows you have your own life and all he wants is for you to be happy. But he will follow you wherever you go, just remember that. Your lives are one now, and neither of you can change that fact."

"I already know this."

"I'm sure you do. But do you really understand it? For the rest of your life, he'll be there. Whenever you need him, he'll be there. He'll love you unconditionally, and I'm sure you'll learn to love him too."

I turned to face my brother.

"And that is exactly what I don't want. For him to love me unconditionally. It's not normal. He doesn't have a choice. The stupid imprint makes him feel that way and Aphrodite is just enhancing it. We're just puppets to the gods. I don't want my life to be like that. I want the choice. Like I wanted the choice of whether or not I was going to join the Hunt. I want to meet the love of my life like normal people do, I want to bump into him on a street, in a café, a library, heck, I would even rather meet him online than have a magical bond just suddenly appear and make 'the perfect guy for me' to fall in love with me instantly. My life is not a young adult novel! I know I'm not exactly normal, but couldn't I had had just this one thing? Just once?" My voice faded into a plead, as I buried my face to my hands.

I felt Sam's strong arms wrap around me.

"I know it's not easy, or fair, but you have to stay strong. Find the silver lining. You've know each other for years, you were best friends. Even if you weren't his imprintee, how do you know for sure you wouldn't have had ended up together anyway?"

I shrugged and swept away the tears that had, despite my strong resistance, still managed to escape my eyes.

"He is not like me, and I am not like him. How could it ever really work, huh? My people are always at war or some kind of danger. His tribe is here. I cannot abandon my family and friends, but neither can I ask him to do the same. Besides, if he's with me, he'll always be in danger and I could not live with myself if something happened to him because of me."

Sam looked thoughtful, rubbing his chin and gazing into nothingness.

"But that would be his choice, wouldn't it? If Paul decides to leave the tribe to be with you, I'll be sure to support him. You are my baby sister, and even though you have proven yourself to be a talented fighter, you would be safer with him. And let's face it, you like him, don't you? You act like you don't, but I know you. You act tough, but on the inside, you're still the same girl I said goodbye to four years ago."

I could have argued him, but what was the point? I knew he was right, I did like Paul. Not love, but like. At least for now. I started humming an old song from Hercules, the completely inaccurate children's version of one of the most famous demigods ever, but still one of my childhood favourites. Oh, the irony.

"You won't say you're in love, huh?" Sam smirked beside me. I elbowed him in the ribs. He let out a muffled sound and started laughing.

The weeks passed and I became more accustomed to my life back at La Push. I had met my mom, not a warm reunion I might add, when she finally showed up at Sam's three days after my arrival. She looked at me, a bit pityingly, and stayed for half an hour before leaving because of something 'really urgent business at work'. Yeah, right, and Hades' favourite colour is pink. Which I would be totally cool with if that were the case, by the way. Not judging the lord of the Underworld. Um, pink is cool.

Anyway, not even Sam bothered with mom after that. She made it pretty clear that while it was fine for me to come and stay at Sam's on a vacation, I was not welcome at her place. The house I once called home was now out of bounds for me. And honestly, I was fine with that. Who needed that old hag anyway?

Paul and I made some progress too. I was still reluctant to be a 'couple', but I did enjoy an occasional make out session with him. I had to be sure he would be okay with my... Lifestyle, I guess you could call it. One drakon and a couple of Hunters were just not enough to convince me. Or maybe I just needed excuses, but who cares. We had time... Like until August, when I went to war. And it was now only the last week of July. Oh, holy cows of Apollo I was in a deep pile of Pegasus' dung.

But I still didn't know how I felt about him, alright!? I was pretty sure the boy had some deep feelings for me, but I have never been in love. How in Hades was I supposed to know how it felt like?

Ah, yes, enough of my inner monologue with my whining and bitching.

I had not heard from anyone at camp. Not one. Annabeth had not called me, Thalia did not IM me, even Will kept quiet. I felt so isolated.

On top of the isolation problem, which I admit, I could have solved easily by IMing them myself, my dreams were worse than usual.

And I know, demigod dreams are always bad. But this was different. Dreams usually varied quite a lot. Mine were the same for the last two weeks. Always blood, and fire, because it would be so boring not to dream of them, wouldn't it. And then, I dreamt about the three people I had had dreams of ever since I arrived here. The twins, and the man who was supposed to guard the watchtower. I saw them in different clothing and in different places, but I knew it was them. The twins were always together, their blond hair easy recognise, and the man... The man had changed more than the twins. He was cold, and if I had to guess, I would say he was a bit insane. I saw him laughing and killing, usually at the same time. Pleasant dreams, yes?

But the one fact that worried me more about my dreams than the blood and the constant killing, was that their eyes were not normal. No, all three of them had crimson red eyes, and I had no idea what that meant.

As I earlier realised, it was already the last week of July. After the drakon incident, no monsters had bothered me. I guess they were all too busy preparing for a war to bother with a mere daughter of Apollo, but I wasn't complaining. I was really having the time of my life! I was almost dating a hot guy, the food was excellent, I had time to binge watch all of the shows I had been too busy to watch back at camp and... I really was bored out of my mind. Not that it all wasn't great, Paul especially, but I was used to fighting for my life or at least pretending to. Where was my capture-the-flag-victory? Where was the drama of dryads and naiads I so enjoyed watching?

Argh! I was going insane!

I tried to alleviate my frustration by shooting arrows and fighting trees and once even fighting against Sam, but it just wasn't enough. I tried to focus on painting and writing, two of my favourite things, but without the physical exhaustion and exercise the camp normally provided me during my school year, I just couldn't focus. It felt like my ADHD and dyslexia were getting worse every day.

So, when Jake rushed over to Sam's and told us to come to the Cullens', I was overjoyed. Sure, I found it a bit odd and all, but at least I had some action!

I rode on Sam's back, because even though I was a fast runner, the wolves were faster. We soon arrived to the glorious house these lucky people called home. I could almost feel the drool on my chin.

We went inside and we were greeted with an entire room full of... really disturbingly beautiful people. At the bonfire I had had my doubts, but I had ignored them. Now I was positive. The Cullens were not humans.

My hand went immediately to my bracelet.

"What are you?" I asked, subtle as always.
All of their eyes fell on me.

"Why is she here?" Asked Edweirdo, also known as Edward. He still kept staring at me way too intensely.

"I asked you a question! What are you? Sam, why did you bring us to a lair of monsters?"
Some of the Cullens flinched at that, but I didn't care. I drew my bracelet off of my wrist, transforming it immediately into my bow and quiver.

"Wow! Ellie, calm down!" Jake told me, but I didn't lay down my weapon. Only an idiot would, in a situation like this.

"What are you?" I gritted trough my teeth, staring at them. Jasper had assumed an offensive stand, standing before Alice and an another woman.

"Ellie, put that bow away. They are our allies," Sam tried to persuade me. Paul stood behind me, ready to bounce at anybody who dared to threaten me.

"Hello, Elizabeth. My name is Carlisle, the head of our family. We honestly mean you no harm, so would you please put your beautiful bow down, you are scaring my wife." He looked at the other woman standing behind Jasper.

"Answer my question." Was all I said to him. I did not lower my bow.

"We are vampires, dear. And I know, it may be hard to believe, but..." Carlisle stopped when I burst into laughter.

"Vampires? You?" I laughed so hard my ribs almost cracked.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I don't understand. Why is it so funny?"

"Vampires are one of the scariest monsters portrayed in books and movies, well, at least before everyone wanted to date one. And you tell me, after all the monsters I have fought, that this is it? No scary fangs, do dark castles or coffins? Oh, this is hilarious! I can't wait to tell my friends."

The Cullens seemed dumbstruck. The wolves were grinning beside me.

"After all the monsters you have fought?" Asked Alice. I nodded. Then I turned to Sam and Jake.

"You didn't tell them?" They shook their heads.

"My day just keeps getting better and better!" I was almost giddy. I wanted to giggle and make cartwheels in the living room we were in.

"Tell us what?" Asked Carlisle and Edward simultaneously.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly, then."

I stepped forward, finally putting my bow away, but taking my daggers out just in case.

"I am Elizabeth, sister to Will and Michael, co-head counsellor of cabin seven, an amazing healer and the best archer in many decades, the slayer of numerous monsters I won't bother to name now, and a daughter of Apollo, the god of archery, medicine, the Sun and prophecies. He makes terrible poetry too. Oh, and call me Ellie or Liz." Then I smiled my best innocent smile at them.

"You're a demigod?" This question surprised me. I turned to Emmet.
"I am."

"Haven't met one of you in decades, not since I was turned. After a while, I began to think I had made it all up in my dreams. But now, it's coming back as clear as ever."

He stuck out his hand for me to shake. I grabbed it, not surprised by the force he used.

"Emmett Cullen, son of Ares. Or, at least I used to be. Only saw him once, and that was before I died." I was taken aback by Emmett's declaration, and I wasn't the only one.

"Emmett?" Asked the blonde one, shock clear on her face.

"Sorry I never told you anything about it, darling. I only knew of it for a couple of days myself, before that hellhound attacked me." He swore loudly, clenching his fists.

"You were mauled by a black bear, darling. Not some hound. I saw it."

"You just saw what you expected, Rose. It was no black bear, but a full-grown hellhound. The mist can mess up your senses, even if you are a monster yourself. And no, I'm not calling you a monster, hon. Just stating a fact."

He hugged the woman called Rose tightly near his side, and turned his attention back to me.

"I had just found out, from other wandering demigods, what I was. My father spoke to me, claimed me. I was on my way to meet Chiron, when that hellhound attacked me. I didn't have proper weapons, only a celestial bronze dagger the others were able to lend me. I did not last long with that, and the next thing I knew, I woke up with this angel beside me, as a vampire and being a demigod just faded onto the background." I nodded. It sort of made sense.

"Hold on! Explain to the rest of us what the hell is going on in here!" Edweirdo was losing his mind, it seemed, and messing up his hairdo in the process.

"We are demigods, half human and half Greek gods. My dad is Apollo, his is Ares, the god of war." I explained like I was talking to a small child.

I could hear a couple of 'ooh's and 'aah's in the room.

"Why can't I hear you?" Edweirdo asked me. I look at him a bit pityingly.
"I thought you could hear me just fine, Edweirdo."

"That's not what I meant... What did you just call me?" He seemed outraged, while the wolves along with Jasper and Emmett were howling with laughter.

"I called you Edweirdo. 'Cause your name is Edward and you are weird. You keep staring at me. Have been since the bonfire."

All the eyes in the room fell on Edweirdo, poor thing.

"I stare because I don't understand. I read minds, that is my gift. But your mind, I can't read it. I can read Emmett's, but not yours and not understanding is driving me crazy."

"Yes, we can all see that," I heard Em whisper.

"Oh, I don't know the reason. Maybe it's because of me being a demigod? And did you try to read Emmett's thoughts before he was turned?"

"No, he was unconscious."
"Well, there's your answer. Something in me, probably the godly part, is protecting my mind. As simple as that."

There were murmurs and nodding in the room.

"Now that we have cleared this demigod business, I think it's my turn to tell you why we asked you to come," said Alice. We all faced her.

"I had a vision," she continued.

She took a dramatic break before continuing.

"The Volturi are coming."

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