Chapter 10
The Guardian
God's angels often protect his servants from potential enemies. – Billy Graham
I stirred sometime around seven in the morning and laid around in bed for an additional hour before deciding to rise. The sun wasn’t visible—it was still too early—but there was a faint light that gave the surrounding forest an eerie glow. It was moments like this where I actually felt like I was starring in a supernatural movie. The world looked so different during the wee hours of the morning and during twilight, otherworldly.
I was grateful to find fresh clothes, neatly folded, on Edward’s sofa, and quickly dressed for the day. It was strange to be surrounded by such a thick calmness, seeing as I had awoken to more trying circumstances the two days prior, but didn’t fight it. As I brushed my teeth and my hair, I smiled and sighed, appreciating the restful quiet that surrounded me.
Downstairs, it was an entirely different story.
When I climbed down the staircase, I walked into what appeared to be a meeting between Avarice, Lazarus, Carlisle and Edward. I stopped at the top of the stairs momentarily, hoping to catch what this was all about. I knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but by the time I realized I should know better, I was already heavily involved.
“I’m sorry, it’s just impossible.” Carlisle shook his head and turned away from Avarice, who looked surprisingly bored by the conviction behind the Cullen Patriarch’s words.
“Carlisle,” Edward said and pinched the bridge of his nose, his trademark move. “What exactly are we dealing with?”
“Avarice?” Carlisle gestured to the younger McRae brother, requesting that he inform Edward about…whatever they were talking about. “You have more experience that I.”
“The Pure Bloods are the ultimate lawmakers in the Vampire World,” Avarice explained, his word taking on a darker tone. “The Volturi are like Senators…lobbyists, if you will, but they, themselves’, are created beings. Their strength compares nothing to their creators.”
“But they’re destructible, yes?” Edward leaned forward, his intense gaze fixated on his clasped hands. “They can be killed?”
“Indeed,” Lazarus interjected, nodding.
“Then pardon my brazenness, but what’s the issue?” Edward’s brow furrowed and he seemed momentarily distracted, but eventually growled. “Is there any way you can pull it down, just for a minute?”
“I pull down this shield,” Avarice said, offhandedly, “and they find her…and us.”
I figured Edward was asking Avarice to take down his shield, which was currently protecting the entirety of Forks—according to Lazarus. What I didn’t understand was why Edward would want it taken down at all. Regardless, I continued listening, hoping to learn more about the Pure Bloods—and maybe something about Ary.
“But, to answer your question,” Avarice continued. “The Pure Bloods are more than just an ancient vampire hierarchy—they’re scientists, inventors.”
“In what way?” Edward prodded, looking intrigued and disturbed.
“There was a time when they started experimenting with alchemy,” Avarice explained, detailing how the Pure Bloods venom—different from the venom of the Volturi and every other vampire—was capable of changing the physical properties of several metals. However, it wasn’t until the Renaissance that they made the most dangerous discovery. “They successfully blended venom and metal, making the most violent weapon imaginable.”
