Jacobs Imprint (Twilight)

Chapter 20

Finally, Edward was allowed to be alone. And not just in his cell. He was granted freedom from the dungeon when Aro and Caius got the better of him. He let them think that they had won, so they did not fear any further reprisals from him. Satisfied that he would bow to them, they had given Edward the dark grey robe that signified his elevated rank in the Guard, and set him on his way to explore the grounds of his new home. Aro was confident that he would do nothing to sabotage them, he would see everything the next time he touched him anyway.

For his whole existence, Edward has always been alone. He was used to loneliness, though he didn't enjoy it. He was an only child as a human, and had no mate for over a century as a vampire. Even with Bella, he couldn't really be himself, he always had to play the role of the knight in shining armor (quite literally). Finally, with Jacob, he was able to share who he really was with someone who accepted him fully. And now, that was gone. How cruel fate was, to give him a taste of the freedom and companionship he longed for, only to take it from him and throw him head first into this. So now, he was alone again, without even his family for support. Everyone there was against him because he was Aro's new "pet" and thus, rose through the ranks of the Guard before others who had worked hard to gain the triad's respect. Little did they know, he was by no means respected.

The only escape he could find from the cruel thoughts and scornful eyes was in the library. It was immense, filled with more books than he could have dreamed of. It was also mainly abandoned, as any Volturi that enjoyed reading had already combed over the shelves multiple times. It was the perfect sanctuary for Edward. He wouldn't be disturbed, and he had plenty to distract him. Also, the room was devoid of mirrors, so he could pretend that his eyes were still amber, not the crimson shade that reminded him of his failure. The library ensured that he was hidden from Caius too, he was not very interested in literature. He wasn't ready to face him yet, but he couldn't hide from him forever. They expected him to aid them in judgments now. One victim would arrive at the Hall shortly and he would be forced to condemn the vampire. All it would take was Aro's hand upon his arm. He shuddered to think that he would be reduced to being a grim reaper of sorts.

Edward tried to lose himself in some classic novels. Unfortunately, the books weren't doing much good in the distraction department. His mind kept turning back to Jacob, remembering with perfect recall their one and only mating. It wasn't his first sexual experience, he had been with Bella before him. While she was human, he couldn't really lose himself in the act for fear of crushing her, and when she was changed, it was wonderful, but she was just as cold and dead as he was. With Jacob it was different. He felt more alive than he ever had before. It was as though his heat penetrated his icy skin, making every long-dead nerve sizzle. The rush of blood pumping through him, his rapid heartbeat against his chest, made him feel like his own dead heart was beating too. It was just more. Nothing else could be comparable. He missed him terribly. He longed to feel that way again.

It disgusted Edward that Aro was privy to his intimate experience. He felt violated that he knew everything. He saw the whole scene, and knew how Edward felt about it. It was so invasive, and he resented him for it. Edward found some solace in the fact that he knew his dark secrets though. He had murdered his own sister, he had seen it clear as day in his mind when his recollections slipped through in his presence. Aro had killed her for his own gain, to keep Marcus from leaving Volterra and weakening his plans for domination of their kind. Aro would stop at nothing in the name of ultimate power, and he planned to use Marcus to do the same to Edward. Edward vowed to reveal Aro at some point in the future, when it would benefit him the most.

Edwards musings were interrupted as he sensed Marcus mind approaching the library. He had been sent to convince Edward to mercifully murder his mate, should he ever decide to try rescuing him, so that Caius would not have a chance to torture him. Of course, Edward already knew what Marcus was sent for, Aro was good at masking his thoughts from him, but the others were not. They simply didn't know the extent of Edwards ability, and only tended to block him when he was in the same room. They had no idea that he could hear their thoughts from across the castle and beyond. As Marcus thought of his dark purpose for visiting him, Edward struggled to control his anger. He had to pretend to acquiesce, he repeated this to himself over and over, making it his mantra.