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AS THE SNOW IS FALLING, THE VAMPIRE AND JACOB HAVE SET UP CAMP IN THE WOODS. Jacob brings some wood and drops it on the ground, then Benjamin uses his powers to produce fire from his fingertips and throws it on the wood to start a fire.
"That's what I'm talkin' about," Jacob said, grinning as he tossed another log onto the fire. "A little pre-battle bonfire. Telling war stories."
He plopped down next to Benjamin and glanced across the flickering flames at the other vampires standing nearby.
"Or just standing there like frickin' statues," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
Jasper and I suddenly sped in, landing gracefully on a cluster of logs. I curled up on his lap, letting him rub gentle circles across my back.
Garrett spun in next, settling next to Benjamin. "Name any American battle. I was there," he said, voice edged with pride.
"Little Bighorn," Jacob replied without hesitation.
"I was this close to biting Custer," Garrett said, holding his fingers inches apart, "but the Indians got him first."
Just then, Kate spun in, landing lightly beside Garrett. "Try Oleg's assault on Constantinople. He didn't win that one on his own," she added, smirking.
I leaned back into Jasper's chest, enjoying the warmth and steady rhythm of his presence.
"If you're talking battles, you're talking the Eleven Years' War," Liam said calmly. "No one does rebellion like the Irish."
"You lost the Eleven Years' War," Garrett said flatly.
"Aye," Liam admitted with a grin, "but it was one hell of a rebellion."
The fire crackled as more of the ancient vampires settled around us, sharing their history and memories.
"When we ruled, everything came to us," Vladimir said, voice deep and commanding. "Prey, diplomats, favor seekers. Such was our power. But we never put on white hats and called ourselves saints."
"We were honest about what we were," Stefan added, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
"We sat still for a very long time," Vladimir continued, eyes reflecting the firelight. "We didn't notice we were beginning to petrify."
"Perhaps the Volturi did us a favor when they burned our castles," Stefan remarked dryly.
"We've been waiting 1,500 years to return that favor," Vladimir said, his voice hardening. "We have been ready to battle for ages."
"You guys sure can hold grudges," I muttered, leaning closer into Jasper.
He chuckled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. I relaxed further into him, feeling the warmth of the fire and the quiet camaraderie of this strange, immortal family around us.
