Possessed by Twilight

The next day, Edward Cullen wasn't at school.

"Aw, did we scare the pretty boy away?" Maze's voice held a mix of amusement and disappointment as we sat in Biology, staring at his empty seat.

"We didn't do anything," I thought back, though I couldn't shake the memory of his black eyes and hostile expression.

"Speak for yourself. I might have threatened him a little."

The rest of the week fell into a routine. Each morning, I'd scan the parking lot for the silver Volvo, and each day, I'd notice his absence while his siblings attended classes as usual. The other Cullens watched me sometimes, their golden eyes calculating.

"The tiny one, Alice, she's different," Maze observed during lunch on Thursday. "The way she looks at us… like she knows something."

She was right. Alice Cullen would occasionally smile in my direction, while the others – especially the blonde, Rosalie – regarded me with barely concealed hostility.

Mike Newton had appointed himself my personal social coordinator, much to Maze's endless entertainment.

"Watch this," she snickered as Mike approached our lunch table. "He's going to ask about the dance. Again."

"So, Bella," Mike started, running his hand through his carefully gelled spikes. "About the spring dance…"

"Still not going, Mike," I cut him off gently. "Like I said yesterday, I'm busy that weekend."

"Visiting the sixth circle of Hell," Maze added. "Much more entertaining than watching teenagers attempt to mate through awkward dancing."

"Right," Mike deflated. "Maybe next time."

"Maybe not even next time," I said firmly but kindly. "You should ask Jessica instead. She's been hoping you would."

"Ooh, direct hit!" Maze cackled. "I've taught you well."

Mike's face flushed red as he glanced at Jessica across the cafeteria. "Oh… uh, right. Thanks, Bella."

The weekend brought welcome relief from the social politics of Forks High. Charlie worked most of Saturday, leaving me free to explore the town – not that there was much to explore.

"We could go into the woods," Maze suggested as I drove aimlessly in my truck. "I sense… things out there. Interesting things."

"The last time you sensed 'interesting things,' we ended up in that abandoned warehouse in Phoenix with three very surprised drug dealers."

"Hey, that was fun! And they learned valuable life lessons about not threatening young girls."

"You traumatized them for life."

"You're welcome."

Sunday, I focused on homework and cooking, trying not to think about Edward Cullen or why he'd disappeared. But Monday morning, as I pulled into the school parking lot, there it was – the silver Volvo.

"Look who decided to grace us with his presence," Maze purred. "Should we give him a proper welcome back?"

"We're going to be civil," I thought firmly.

"You're no fun. At least let me recite that demon poetry I've been practicing."

Snow had started to fall, and students were excited about the prospect of a snowball fight. I kept my head down, navigating through the increasingly treacherous parking lot.

"Your balance has improved," Maze noted approvingly as I successfully avoided a patch of ice. "Remember when you used to trip over air?"

"That was before you insisted on all those coordination exercises."

"Can't have my human falling on her face. Bad for both our reputations."

I was so focused on not slipping that I almost missed him. But there he was, standing by his car with his siblings, watching me with an unreadable expression. His eyes were different – lighter, almost honey-colored instead of the coal black from last week.

"Interesting," Maze mused. "He's changed too. More controlled. Wonder what he was doing during his little vacation?"

As I passed their car, Alice Cullen waved cheerfully at me. After a moment's hesitation, I waved back.

"Making friends with the mysterious beautiful people?" Maze asked. "Bold strategy. Though I still say we should figure out what they are first. Normal humans don't have souls that strange."

"You're the demon. Any theories?"

"Nothing from my time. But then again, a lot can change in the thousands of years since my last visit."

Biology would be later. Whatever Edward Cullen was, whatever had made him react so strongly last week, I'd face it with Maze's strength backing me up. And this time, we'd get some answers.

"That's my girl," Maze approved. "And if he tries anything…"

"No demon poetry."

"You really know how to ruin a demon's fun, you know that?"

English passed in a blur of Brontë discussion, though I noticed Mike had moved to sit closer to Jessica, shooting me occasional glances.

"Humans and their mating rituals," Maze commented. "Though I have to admit, your little push might actually work. She's practically glowing."

She was right. Jessica seemed to vibrate with happiness when Mike asked to walk her to class.

Government and Trig followed their usual pattern, though I caught more students watching me than usual. Apparently, my rejection of Mike had already made its way through the gossip chain.

"Small towns," Maze sighed. "At least in Hell, we had better things to gossip about. Like who got promoted to head torturer."

"You're not helping."

"Not trying to."

By the time Spanish rolled around, Jessica couldn't contain herself anymore. "Oh my god, Bella," she whispered as Señora Goff wrote conjugations on the board. "Mike asked me to the spring dance!"

"That's great, Jess," I replied sincerely. "I told you he would."

"Look at you, playing matchmaker," Maze teased. "Next thing you know, you'll be spreading love and happiness everywhere. How disgusting."

As we walked to the cafeteria, Jessica chattered excitedly about dress plans and color coordination. I nodded at appropriate intervals, but my mind was elsewhere. In a few minutes, I'd see Edward Cullen again, and this time, I had questions.

"And I have threats," Maze added cheerfully. "Just in case the questions don't work."

"Behave," I thought, pushing open the cafeteria doors.

"I always behave," Maze replied innocently. "It's just that my definition of 'behave' includes creative use of intimidation."

The moment we entered the cafeteria, my eyes automatically went to the Cullen table. All five of them were there, laughing. Edward, Emmett, and Jasper's hair was gleaming with melting snow.

"Look at them, pretending to be so human," Maze observed. "Though I have to admit, they're good actors. A thousand years in Hell's theater troupe couldn't teach that level of performance."

I followed Jessica through the lunch line, only half-listening to her debate between pizza and a sandwich.

"The big one, Emmett, he's built like a hellhound," Maze continued her commentary. "And blondie – Rosalie – she's still glaring at us. Ooh, if she only knew what I could teach her about intimidation."

"Please don't give the impossibly beautiful people intimidation lessons," I thought back, grabbing an apple and lemonade.

As we sat at our usual table, I couldn't help but notice Edward was different. Not just his eyes, but his whole demeanor. He was laughing, tousling his wet hair with his hand.

"Someone's putting on a show," Maze noted. "And guess who it's for? He's looked our way exactly twelve times in the last minute. I'm counting."

"Why would he put on a show for us?"

"Because maybe we intrigue him, little human. We're a puzzle he can't solve. Also, his sister – Alice? She keeps elbowing him. There's definitely something going on there."

"Bella?" Angela's voice broke through my observations. "Are you okay? You've been staring…"

"I'm fine," I said quickly, taking a bite of my apple.

"Smooth recovery," Maze snickered. "Though pretty boy noticed. Thirteen glances now."

"Just tired," I added to Angela, who smiled sympathetically.

The conversation at our table revolved around plans for the spring dance. Lauren, who'd been notably cool toward me since the Mike incident, was talking about going with Tyler.

"Oh, this is rich," Maze suddenly laughed. "Pretty boy just reacted to something his sister said. His control isn't as perfect as he's pretending it is. Want me to do something really disturbing? I know some ancient Sumerian curses that would make his perfect hair curl."

"Maze, no."

"Maze, yes. Come on, it would be fun! Look, he's trying so hard not to look at us now. Fifteen glances, by the way. Sixteen. Seventeen…"

"You're worse than Jessica with the counting."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Oh, heads up – the bell's about to ring, and guess what class we have next?"

Biology. With Edward Cullen. And this time, he wasn't running away.

"This should be interesting," Maze purred. "Want to bet he tries to talk to us?"

As if on cue, the bell rang. I gathered my things, trying to ignore both the anticipation building in my stomach and Maze's running commentary about Edward's final lunch-time glance count (twenty-three).

"Ready or not, pretty boy," Maze sang as we headed toward Biology. "Time for round two."

When I walked into Biology, Edward was already there, sitting at our shared lab table. Mr. Banner was distributing microscopes and slides for today's lab. As I approached the table, Edward's chair shifted slightly toward me.

"Ooh, different strategy today," Maze observed. "No running away, no death glares. Let's see what pretty boy has planned."

"Hello," Edward said quietly as I sat down. His voice was smooth, careful. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself last week. I'm Edward Cullen."

"Such manners," Maze commented. "Very different from the 'I want to kill you' vibe from last time."

"Bella Swan," I replied, keeping my voice equally measured.

"You seem… different from what I expected," he said, watching me intently.

"He's fishing," Maze warned. "Careful what you tell him."

"How so?" I asked, meeting his gaze steadily.

Before he could answer, Mr. Banner started class, explaining the lab – identifying the phases of mitosis in onion root tip cells. We were to work in pairs, without our books.

"Ladies first?" Edward pushed the microscope toward me with a slight smile.

"He's trying to be charming now?" Maze scoffed. "Please tell me you're not falling for this."

I took the first slide, adjusting the microscope with practiced efficiency. "Prophase," I stated confidently.

"Do you mind if I look?" he asked when I started to remove the slide. His hand caught mine to stop me, and I felt how ice-cold his skin was.

"Interesting," Maze mused. "No pulse, ice-cold, strange soul… the pieces are there, little human."

"Prophase," he agreed, writing it neatly on our worksheet. "You seem very confident in your answers."

"I had a good teacher," I replied carefully.

"You're welcome," Maze preened.

Edward's eyes narrowed slightly. "Someone from Phoenix?"

"More like someone from much further south," Maze snickered. "Want me to give him directions to Hell?"

"Something like that," I said, taking the next slide from him.

We continued through the lab, our conversation a careful dance of questions and vague answers. Edward seemed fascinated by every response, analyzing each word as if searching for hidden meaning.

"You're not what most people think, are you?" he asked suddenly.

"Neither are you," Maze responded, No one could hear her but me. His slight flinch was suspicious though.

"Most people don't really know me," I answered diplomatically.

"I'm finding that to be very true," he murmured. "You're quite… mysterious."

"Says the walking contradiction," Maze commented. "No pulse, good hearing, strange movements… you're quite the collection of party tricks, pretty boy."

Edward's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Do you believe in things beyond normal human understanding, Bella?"

"Oh, he's good," Maze laughed. "But we're better."

"Define normal," I countered, sliding the last specimen into place.

Our worksheet was complete long before anyone else finished. I could feel Edward's frustration growing with each deflected question, each careful answer.

"You're very guarded," he observed finally.

"So are you."

"Check and mate," Maze approved. "Keep him guessing, little human."

The bell rang, and Edward lingered, clearly wanting to say more. But what could he say? That he wasn't human? That we both had secrets we couldn't share?

"See you tomorrow," I said instead, gathering my books.

"Tomorrow," he agreed, his voice holding a mix of frustration and intrigue.

"Round two goes to us," Maze declared as we left the classroom. "Though I have to admit, pretty boy plays an interesting game."

"This isn't a game, Maze."

"Everything's a game, little human. And trust me – we're just getting to the good part."

The rest of the day passed without incident. In Gym, we played volleyball, and thanks to Maze's influence on my coordination, I managed to serve without hitting anyone in the head – a fact she found disappointingly boring.

At home, I focused on homework and dinner preparation, trying not to dwell on the strange interaction with Edward Cullen.

"You're overthinking it," Maze commented as I chopped vegetables for Charlie's dinner. "Though I have to admit, it's entertaining watching him try to figure us out without revealing what he is."

"And what exactly is he?" I asked, sliding the vegetables into the pan.

"I have theories. None of them match anything from my time, but… there are patterns. The cold skin, the lack of pulse, the changing eyes. It's like someone took all the traditional monster traits and wrapped them in a pretty package."

Charlie came home just as I was finishing up, and dinner passed with our usual comfortable silence. That night, I lay in bed listening to the rain, my mind full of golden eyes and careful questions.

The next morning dawned white. All the rain from yesterday had frozen solid, coating every surface in a layer of ice. Charlie had already left for work, leaving tire chains on my truck – a thoughtful gesture that made Maze surprisingly quiet.

"The chief's growing on me," she finally admitted as I carefully made my way to my truck. "Don't tell anyone I said that. I have a reputation to maintain."

The drive to school was slower than usual, but I managed well enough. Pulling into the parking lot, I noticed Edward Cullen standing by his Volvo, watching me again. This time, there was something different in his expression – concern?

That's when I heard it – the high-pitched screech of tires against ice.

When Maze took control, I felt the familiar surge of strength, but this time it was different. With Edward so close, I could sense something about him that seemed to resonate with Maze's presence – like two predators recognizing each other across a crowded room. Whatever he was, his very existence seemed to challenge everything I thought I knew about the world.

The van was still coming, and now Edward was in the way. With my demon-enhanced reflexes, Maze shifted our body, allowing Edward to push us down while simultaneously protecting my head from impact. His hands left dents in the side of Tyler's van as he stopped it from crushing us.

In the sudden silence that followed, Edward stared at us with wide eyes, probably expecting fear or shock. Instead, Maze smiled with my lips, her expression holding centuries of dangerous knowledge.

"Well, well," she said, using my voice but with her distinctive inflection. "Aren't you full of surprises, pretty boy?"

Edward's eyes widened further at the change in demeanor. "You're not Bella," he whispered, too low for anyone else to hear.

"And you aren't exactly human, are you?," Maze replied just as quietly. "Looks like we all have our secrets."

"Are you okay?" Edward asked urgently, his eyes searching for any sign of the Bella he knew.

"Fine," Maze assured him. "I protected the head. Though your little superhero stunt was… impressive. If unnecessary."

People were screaming around us now, multiple voices calling both our names.

"You should be in shock," Edward said through gritted teeth.

Maze laughed, a sound darker than anything that had ever come from my lips before. "Honey, I've seen things that would turn your perfect hair white. This? This is just a Tuesday."

"Don't move!" someone shouted. "Get Tyler out of the van!"

"Trust me, pretty boy," Maze continued, ignoring the chaos around us, "you're not the only one who needs to keep certain things quiet. So how about we make a deal?"

Edward's expression was a fascinating mix of confusion, frustration, and intrigue. "What kind of deal?"

"You don't ask about me, I don't ask about how you dented that van with your bare hands. For now."

Before Edward could respond, we were surrounded by people. Mr. Varner and Coach Clapp had arrived, and EMTs were on their way. Maze gave Edward one last knowing smile before retreating, letting me take control again just as the first emergency responders reached us.

They insisted on neck braces for both Edward and me, despite my protests that I was fine. As they loaded me onto a stretcher, I caught Edward's gaze. He was watching me intently, probably trying to reconcile the two very different personalities he'd just encountered.

"That was fun," Maze commented in my head. "Though next time, let me handle the superhero stunts. I've had a years of practice."

"You weren't supposed to reveal yourself," I thought back as they lifted me into the ambulance.

"He wasn't supposed to reveal himself either," she replied smugly. "Besides, now things are really getting interesting."

They put me in the emergency room, a long line of beds separated by pastel-patterned curtains. A nurse came in to take my blood pressure and temperature, then left me alone. A few minutes later, they wheeled Tyler in next to me. His forehead and cheek were covered in bloodstained bandages, but he was looking anxiously in my direction.

"Bella, I'm so sorry!"

"Here we go," Maze sighed. "Time for the guilt parade."

"I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong, and-"

"Tyler, I'm fine," I interrupted, but he kept going.

"I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and-"

"But you didn't. I'm fine. Really."

"I could have killed you! I was going too fast, and the ice-"

"Oh for Hell's sake," Maze groaned. "Even the souls in eternal torment complained less."

"Tyler," I said, my voice taking on an edge that made both him and Edward, who'd just walked in, stop short. "I understand you feel guilty. But I'm going to say this once, and only once: I. Am. Fine. You didn't kill me. You didn't hurt me. But if you apologize one more time, I might hurt you."

Tyler's mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"That's my girl!" Maze crowed. "Though you could have added a threat about removing his spleen."

"But-" Tyler started again.

"No," I cut him off, my voice sharp but controlled. "We're done with the apologies. You were driving too fast on ice. It was stupid. Learn from it. Move on. Because if you spend the rest of the semester apologizing to me, I will not be responsible for my actions."

From the doorway, Edward made a sound that might have been a quickly suppressed laugh.

"Pretty boy's impressed," Maze noted with satisfaction. "He didn't expect that from sweet little Bella Swan."

Tyler stared at me for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Okay… yeah, you're right. I'm sor- I mean, I'll do better."

"Good choice," I said, letting my voice soften slightly.

They came to take me for X-rays then, though I insisted they were unnecessary. Edward followed, somehow managing to get permission to wait while they checked me over.

"He's hovering," Maze observed. "Like a very attractive, very suspicious guardian angel."

"We need to talk," he said quietly when we were alone again.

"Do we?" I asked, matching his tone. "Because I think we made our position pretty clear."

His eyes widened slightly.

"Oops," Maze chuckled. "Cat's out of the bag now. This should be fun."

Before Edward could respond, Dr. Cullen walked in, and I understood immediately where Edward got his looks from. The doctor was young, blond… and just as inhumanly beautiful as his adopted children.

"Another one," Maze mused. "Beautiful family with strange souls and cold skin. It's like a supernatural Brady Bunch."

"Well, Miss Swan," Dr. Cullen said, approaching with a grace that matched his son's. "How are you feeling?"

"Notice how he doesn't need to check your chart?" Maze observed. "Probably perfect recall."

"I'm fine," I replied, watching as he examined the X-rays on the lightboard.

"Your X-rays look good," he said. His cool fingers probed lightly along my skull. He noticed my lack of reaction to his cold touch, and I saw him exchange a quick glance with Edward.

"Oh, this is precious," Maze laughed. "They think they're being subtle."

"No tenderness?" he asked.

"None. I told everyone I was fine." I caught Edward's slight smirk at my irritated tone.

"Well, your father is in the waiting room – you can go home with him now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have any trouble with your eyesight at all."

"Can't I go back to school?" I asked, not wanting to deal with Charlie's hovering.

"Maybe you should take it easy today," Dr. Cullen suggested.

I glanced at Edward. "Does he get to go to school?"

"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived," Edward said smugly.

"Actually," Dr. Cullen corrected, "most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."

"Small towns," Maze sighed. "Though I suppose it beats the crowds that gathered for public torture in Hell."

"Oh no," I groaned.

"Would you like to stay?" Dr. Cullen asked, his lips twitching.

"No, no!" I insisted, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and hopping down quickly. Dr. Cullen steadied me, looking surprised when I didn't sway at all.

"Show-offs aren't the only ones with perfect balance," Maze commented proudly.

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," Dr. Cullen suggested.

"It doesn't hurt," I insisted.

"It sounds like you were extremely lucky," he said, smiling as he signed my chart.

"Lucky Edward happened to be standing next to me," I said significantly.

"Oh, well, yes," Dr. Cullen agreed, suddenly busy with the papers in front of him.

I waited until he moved to check on Tyler before turning to Edward. "Can we talk? Privately?"

"Ooh, confrontation time!" Maze practically bounced with excitement.

Edward's jaw tensed. "Your father is waiting for you."

"I'd like to speak with you alone," I pressed, my voice firm. Charlie could wait a few more minutes.

Edward glared, then turned and strode down the long room. I followed, ignoring Maze's running commentary about his dramatic exits. As soon as we turned the corner into a short hallway, he spun around to face me.

"Ready for round three?" Maze asked gleefully.

"What do you want?" Edward asked, his voice low and cold.

"Oh, someone's grumpy," Maze observed. "And here I thought we were becoming friends."

"You owe me an explanation," I said calmly.

"I don't owe you anything. I saved your life."

I raised an eyebrow. "You think so? Because from where I stand – I had it handled."

His expression darkened. "What are you?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing," I replied. "But since you're not sharing…"

"You can't just expect me to-"

"What? Trust you? Share secrets?" I cut him off. "Exactly. So here's how this works: you keep my secret, I keep yours. Whatever you are, whatever you can do – it stays between us."

"Look at his face!" Maze cackled. "He's not used to not getting his way, is he?"

Edward ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "It's not that simple."

"Actually, it is. You have questions, I have questions. Neither of us is willing to provide answers. So we maintain the status quo."

"The status quo," he repeated incredulously. "There's nothing normal about this situation."

"Welcome to my world," I said dryly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Charlie's waiting."

I turned to leave, but Edward caught my arm. His hand was ice-cold, as always.

"Three seconds before I take over and show him why that's a bad idea," Maze warned.

"This isn't over," Edward said.

I looked pointedly at his hand until he released me. "No, it's not. But unless you're willing to share your secrets, don't expect me to share mine."

"Mic drop!" Maze cheered. "Now that's how you handle creepy pretty boys."

I left him standing there, heading back to where Charlie waited. Whatever Edward Cullen was, whatever game he was playing, he'd just learned an important lesson: He wasn't the only one who could keep secrets.

"Think he'll crack first?" Maze asked as we walked away.

"Does it matter?"

"No," she agreed. "But it'll be fun finding out."