The Story Of Sarelle: The Immortal Years »

Chapter 7

The week passed quietly after my outburst at Bella. The apology I had delivered seemed to fall on deaf ears but I couldn't find it in me to really worry about how she was coping with the information she'd learnt. To me her decision was based purely on the selfish wish to be a vampire, to be with Edward and the Cullens. There was no reason why she couldn't have involved Renee in her life just as she had allowed Charlie.

The other Cullens had visited a couple of days ago, but as I expected Bella, Renesmee, Jacob and Edward stayed away.

I ran my fingertips lightly over the piano keys as I experimented with the tempo of the song I was playing. It was nice to have this room separate from the rest of the house, it gave me somewhere to practice and escape for a little while.

I closed my eyes as I remembered the times I had played for Aslo. It was always at twilight, when he would lie across the sofa and close his eyes, just listening. He said it calmed him, just as much as it relaxed me.

I sighed as I soaked up the notes, feeling the vibrations of the instrument as it produced each tone, ignoring the footsteps and heartbeat walking around the lower level of the house, chatting away with Rosalie. The hybrid seemed to enjoy the Denali's company.

"What're you playing?" Renesmee asked abruptly as she burst through the closed door.

"Tschaikovsky," I replied as I looked up to greet her, continuing the flow of my fingers against the ivory. "And for future reference it's impolite to charge into a room without knocking." I smiled slightly although I couldn't help feeling a little annoyed that she had just interrupted so casually.

"Sorry, I didn't realise it was such a problem. I never usually knock at home," she mused as she picked up the few ancient ornaments that sat on the shelves on the wall opposite to the piano.

"Yes, I can imagine you wouldn't need to," I murmured to myself as I stopped playing and turned on the piano bench, watching as she walked over to the next wall to look at the pictures hanging there. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure." She asked in a knowing voice, she had clearly had a lot of people ask her a similar thing.

"Do you spend much time with people other than your family and family friends?" I listened to Rosalie and Kate talking upstairs.

"I know people at school," Renesmee said with a shrug as she briefly turned to look at me.

"Oh, you've never mentioned them, and since I hadn't seen them around..."

"No, well, I don't really see them outside of school, but I talk to them."

"So you've never been taught to interact with humans? Or fend for yourself?" I tilted my head as I watched the young hybrid lose her interest in the native American carving and look at me.

"Why would I need to, I've got my family. Plus I've already been told plenty about living with humans. My mother was one before, you know." She smiled as she spoke with a slight condescending tone and I couldn't help but laugh in faint disbelief.

"We were all human once."

She chuckled softly, her bronze curls bouncing as her head shook lightly. "I know that. What I meant was that Dad was with mom when she was human, so I think I've got a pretty good idea of what it's like."

"You do realise there are plenty of vampire's who date humans." I leant against the closed cover on the piano as I watched her reaction.

"Course, but Mom and Dad made it work. It's unique, special." She smiled brightly.

"Not as special as you might think."

"Mom always says it is, that I am. There's only four hybrids in the world, you know." Her head tilted upwards proudly as she recited her credentials.