Chapter Thirty Six

Darius

With the Major out babysitting Bella shadowed by Peter, and Charlotte still keeping an eye on Ellie, not that any of us expected her to be in any danger now Bella was awake and seemed in control, I was at a loose end. I was just relieved that Bella had forgiven me for changing her, but I felt I still owed her. Especially as what she thought she understood about me she had kept to herself. There wasn't much I could do right now except maybe for tracking down Jedidiah Stone.

I started from the point I had last seen him, as he almost ran me over while leaving Bella's house after his attack. He had to have returned the rental truck at the ferry port and gone back to the mainland. There was no way he was going to hang around in Deer Harbor unless he had a death wish.

Now, where did you go from there, Jedidiah? You would have to know that you would be in serious danger once Bella's body was found. Even more so if you had recognized me as a fellow vampire when you were forced to swerve to avoid me. You would want to get under cover as quickly as possible, but still be close enough to a food source. So, in your situation where would I go?

I logged onto my computer for the first time in what seemed like ages and hacked into the ferry terminal website. I didn't think he would be traveling under his own name, that would be foolhardy, but he was on this list of passengers somewhere. I just needed to find him. A name caught my eye as I glanced down the list and I laughed.

"Well Jedidiah, you're nothing if not predictable. Fancy picking such a name. I guess you didn't think about anyone looking for you, anyone like the Major say, would recognize the name John Thurloe. Cromwell's spymaster general in the 1650's."

It gave me some indication of the kind of alias he would probably be using because unless he was extremely fucking stupid he wouldn't keep the Thurloe name for long.

He would be looking to rent another vehicle, but probably not at the ferry terminal, that would be too easily traced. So, I checked out the rental offices in a twenty-mile radius of Anacortes then having no luck I extended the range of my search. I eventually found a Hertz rental office with a vehicle agreement taken out the morning after Bella's attack. It was in the name of Thomas Fairfax, the General that Oliver Cromwell had served under before becoming the leader of the Commonwealth of England. Did he really see himself as such an important and clever man? If so he was sorely misguided.

The car was rented for two weeks and he filled it up at the closest gas station south of the office. That would make sense, he was hardly likely to box himself into a corner unless, of course, he planned on crossing the border which was possible.

Thinking for a moment I then started a search of all gas stations to the north and east. I never trusted a man who appeared to be a complete asshole. After all, he wouldn't have lasted this long if he had been as stupid as he appeared to be right now. I eventually traced him headed east, so he wasn't going to cross the border into Canada after all.

" OK, if you're headed east then where are you headed? I don't think you're running scared so…"

Then it struck me and I smiled. Oh boy, you're going home. You want to be on your own familiar territory if you find yourself being hunted. Clever boy, not that it will help you in the end. The Major would have torn the whole world apart if necessary, there would be nowhere safe for you to hide. I wonder how much Eddie boy paid you to do his dirty work, whatever it was, trust me, it wasn't enough.

I'd lost track of time like I often did when I became engrossed in my work, but then my phone rang breaking my concentration.

I picked it up absently answering as I always did.

"Darius here, this had better be important."

"Oh, I think you'll find it is. I understand you are busy at present but as agreed I am calling to inform you that Caius aims at taking a short trip in the next few days. He heard you were working with the Major in the United States and decided the coast was clear. He only aims to be away overnight so your window of opportunity will be small."

Now my caller, Aro Volturi, had my full attention.

"Where is he going?"

"He's taking Athenadora to see the Paris opera company in Florence on Tuesday evening. He has requested a contingent of the guard to accompany him and I have agreed, but they have special orders to make themselves scarce if you are spotted. Caius is yours, but I would appreciate it if you would refrain from attacking my men and, if possible, Athenadora too. After all, she is innocent of any crime. She made his life a living hell for centuries after Sara's death. Please do not assume she condoned anything he did."

"I appreciate the heads up."

"I am just upholding my side of the agreement as you did. I have not forgotten how much we owe you. That warning of the possible uprising by the Romanians was very useful."

I put the phone down not sure how I felt now the day was at hand for me to avenge Sara. Would I go to Italy? Of course, I had to, but I hated the thought of leaving my friends at such a time. I booked a ticket on the following day's flight to Milan using a phony name. I didn't want Caius alerted if he was looking for my name on any manifests. It would appear from Aro's words that my enemy kept an eye on my movements even now. A wise move, but I knew how to move unnoticed when necessary and after waiting so long for a chance I was determined not to mess it up now.

Going downstairs I found Charlotte and Ellie having lunch. Ellie looked up and when she saw me she left her food and came running over to hug me.

"Uncle D. I didn't know you were here. I missed you. Did you know my mommy was ill? Charlotte said I might be able to talk to her today but I can't go to see her. She's got something nasty that I might catch. You didn't come back and you said you would."

I smiled picking her up and carrying her back to the table to finish her meal.

"I know and I'm really sorry but I'm not a dolphin so I couldn't swim to the island in that storm, Ellie."

She giggled then sat down to finish her lunch and I joined them, refusing the offer of chicken casserole using the excuse that I had already eaten. I was getting used to eating human food again for Ellie's sake, but that didn't mean it didn't still taste like crap.

The little girl looked up suddenly.

"Are you staying?"

"Ah, no. I have to leave again soon but I won't be away long and when I get back I promise I'll take you for another trip in Doris."

"Yeah! Charlotte, did you hear that? Darius is going to take me up in Doris again. Can I fly her this time? You promised me I could."

I nodded.

"You can sit on my lap and fly Doris, sure."

Charlotte frowned and when Ellie went to brush her teeth after eating she pulled me into the kitchen.

"You shouldn't promise Ellie something if you can't keep it."

"I will."

She glared at me.

"I heard you on the phone. You're flying to Italy which means only one thing. You're going after Caius. What if he kills you? What am I supposed to tell Ellie then?"

"I'll be back, Charlotte."

"You'd better. Bella isn't the only one who knows. Remember my gift? Why don't you let it go now? It's destroyed so much of your life. Forget him."

I shook my head.

"You know I can't. I gave my word and that's all I have left, my word."

She sighed heavily then nodded reluctantly.

"When do you have to leave?"

"Tonight, but not until Ellie goes to bed. What are the others going to do?"

"Peter will be back soon. He says Bella seems fine and the Major has it all under control. He's going to take her to the cottage tonight. They can't come back here, it's not safe."

"You think she'll be willing to go back there after what happened?"

"She might if you have news for them. I take it you haven't spent the last few hours twiddling your thumbs up in the attic or looking at old copies of the Hustler?"

I laughed.

"Nope. I found Stone. He's going back to England, will probably be there by now. I'll give them his general location and keep working on it until my own business gets in the way."

"Show me."

Ellie came skipping back into the room and joined us poring over a map of the United Kingdom.

"What's that?"

"A map of another country. This.." I pointed to a portion of the map on the computer screen, "Is England, this is Wales and this, is Scotland."

"Are we going to fly there in Doris?"

"No, England is a very long way from here. You have to go on an airplane, a big one. Maybe someday we'll go and I'll show you all the great places. Palaces, castles and the place where King Arthur lived."

Her eyes were wide with excitement.

"Is he the king of England?"

"Not now, they have a queen these days. Queen Elizabeth II, but he was king once. He had a huge round table where he sat down with all his knights and a beautiful wife called Guinevere."

"Please take me to see that Darius and the palace where the Queen lives."

I smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Maybe one day but for now I have to show Charlotte something."

She hung around for a few more minutes as I started to explain to Charlotte where I imagined Stone was going, but then she became bored and wandered off, turning the TV to a cartoon station and snuggling up on the couch with Mr Snuffles.

Charlotte glanced up from the screen.

"You think he'll go to London?"

"Sure, it's his home territory. He knows it like the back of his hand. It's heavily populated and there are plenty of small lanes and passages leading to underground tunnels. The same tunnels he and Carlisle's father used to go into hunting down vampires centuries ago. I'll look up some decent maps of London, 1680's when he was hunting and one of the old sewer systems and underground rivers and brooks. It's my guess he'll go there. He can hunt easily and keep out of sight and keep his scent off the streets."

Peter appeared a little while after and I explained my line if thinking to him.

"Makes sense I guess. Are you gonna be OK Darius? Or do you want some company in Italy?"

I was touched, Peter hated the Volturi and was highly suspicious of their actions yet here he was offering to accompany me right to their door.

"I'm OK Peter, but thanks for the offer. I think you'll be more help here. The Major may think he has Bella under control, but you can never be sure with a newborn and the more people to watch over Ellie the better."

Peter glanced over at Ellie who had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Yeah, there's something about that little girl. I hope Bella is controlled, that little one is gonna miss her before long."

I nodded my agreement, and I was going to miss Ellie but it was easier to leave knowing she had Peter and Charlotte here to protect her if necessary.

I stayed until the last possible moment. Ellie was in bed and had asked me to tell her the story about the beautiful, princess Sara. As I said goodnight at the end she clung to me.

"You will come back won't you, Darius? Promise me."

"I promise you I'll be back. You be good while I'm gone."

She nodded but I could see she was upset so I took off the leather strap with the small silver charm dangling from it that I always wore around my wrist, a present from Sara on our wedding day, and wrapped it around her thin arm.

"You look after this for me."

She studied it and pointed to the pattern etched on the charm, worn thin now but still discernible.

"What's that?"

"It's an Ouroboros, a symbol of eternity."

"Eternity?"

"Yeah, it means forever."

"I'll keep it on until you get back. That means you and me will always be friends."

"Yes, we will. Now, you go to sleep. Here's Mr Snuffles."

She lay down and closed her eyes but I noticed her hand crept up to the strap and closed around it as if fearing it might disappear while she slept. Leaning in to kiss her on the forehead I heard her whisper, "Be careful Darius."

"I always am kiddo. See you again soon."

Then I left aware that I would have to run all the way from Anacortes to the airport or risk missing my flight. Still, it was worth it in order to have had the extra time with Ellie.