Crescent • A Twilight Story

Tea in a Time of Trouble

With Duke, I'd always unabashedly fallen into peaceful and dreamless sleep. As if he was a balm or this bond between us was recognized beyond the emotional feeling of it all.

But the dream began, the same as before. I was walking into the trailer, whimpering guttural noises coming from within. Around the recliner, my mom's body was missing. A trail of blood led toward the bedroom, as if she'd been dragged.

The door creaked as I pushed my way inside, but it wasn't my mother struggling to hang on.

It was me, covered in moon shaped scars oozing clear venom and blood. The door slammed behind me, and a monster pinned me in place, his mouth stained red.

My eyes snapped open, the cool night air mingling with the sweat along the back of my neck. I patted the space beside me, empty and chilled, as if he'd been gone awhile.

The night had settled in, a breeze whistling through the trees. Voices came from downstairs, the house seeming to bustle to life. Vampires never slept, I remembered, shivering at the after effects of my dream.

After a good while, a soft rasp sounded on the door. Rosalie entered with a tray, balancing a kettle, cup, and plate of macaroons.

"I hope you don't mind." She said, setting the tray on a stand nearby. "I made some tea."

I sat up as she dimmed the lights on, taking the cup in my hands. "Duke left about an hour ago, but promised he'd be back soon." I nodded, thanking her for the tea. It was already sweetened with cream and honey, the perfect blend. With small sips, an ache at the base of my throat seemed to subside.

"Have you always had trouble sleeping, or was it after your mother?"

I took another slow sip, brushing a loose tendril from my face. "The nightmares are from after. But I've never really slept deeply or easily, not at night when I needed to be more alert."

Her mouth formed a thin line. "As a mother, I would never have put my daughter in such a situation." There was something haunting in the gold of her eyes, as if the very mention of being a mother pained her.

"Do you know why Duke left?" I changed the subject, shifting against the pillows.

"Wolf business." She folded her hands in front of her. "I've heard you get used to it. The odd hours. Running off."

"Right."

I started to feel drowsy again, setting my cup on the end table.

"You know, there's a running theory on your blood. That it might be a cure to our condition." My throat bobbed as I swallowed, hugging my legs to my chest. "Of course, they want to run some tests first. With your permission."

"Would anyone want that though? To trade an immortal life for being human again?" Weak again. I could imagine it, being nearly indestructible. Living forever.

"I would." She said, stepping toward the window. "For the chance to grow old and gray with my husband. To have children of our own, grandchildren." I rested my head on my knees, her attention turning back on me.

"I didn't come to tell you all that. But hopefully to give you peace of mind. Nothing bad can happen to you in this house. Even if Ward tried something, in theory you would extinguish the part of him that's causing all this,"

"Obsession?" She nodded, frowning to herself.

"I'm not excusing him, but the fact that you never knew about this before, it shows considerable restraint." I knew I would have to bear that in mind eventually, considering how being abnormal now connected me to this world. And how being with Duke connected me to his, to the wolves.