Chapter Three: The Arrivals

"BELLA! BELLA! WHAT'S WRONG? BELLA ANSWER ME!"

Reality was harsh in the morning. I was awoken by Charlie's shouting and vigorous shaking. Then I heard the screaming. I had heard it in my dreams, and now, it echoed in my brain. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that the screaming was coming from me. Once I realized it, I shut my mouth with my hands. Charlie leaned back on my bed and stared at me shocked and bewildered. I could feel the warm tears streaming from my cheeks, and my bed was shaking like there was an earthquake. It was me, trembling.

"Bella, are you all right?" Charlie asked, inspecting me to see if I had been hurt. I stared back at him, afraid to move my hands. What happened? I could barely remember the dream that had shocked and terrified me. I could only remember the screaming. The dream had been filled with terrible, loud and painful screams. Sensing Charlie's growing suspicion, I threw my hands up.

"Sorry, Dad." I was surprised at the decibel my voice reached. "I—I was having a really bad nightmare." I stared into the darkness of my room and attempted to steady my breathing. The memory of my dream pushed into my mind. I remembered the beauty of his skin, the color of his eyes, and the gloriousness of his voice. He had always seemed too surreal. That's when it hit, a painful blow direct from the hole where my heard had once been. I grabbed my chest, not thinking, and hunched over in pain, gasping for air. My cover was blown.

"Bella? Are you hurt?" Charlie grabbed at my shoulders. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" He seemed overly concerned. I guess I wasn't really surprised, especially since … everything.

"No, Dad. I think I'm okay," I said in between my heavy breaths. "I think I have a stomach ache or something." I was always a terrible liar, everyone and their mother knew it. I glanced up sheepishly and met Charlie's wary stare. I had to think of something to say, fast, or I was going to Forks Hospital. "Dad, you know if we go to the hospital, you'll have to talk to Dr. Gerandy." I knew that would work. Charlie had been avoiding Dr. Gerandy since he had come to examine me after they had found me. Renee told me they had gotten into a disagreement, and Charlie had been too reluctant to seek him out. He felt really bad about it, but was too prideful to change his mind. I could tell that fighting with an old friend was really bothering me.

"That's not the point," Charlie said, attempting to take control. "If you're not feeling well, then I really want to have you looked at. I don't want to wait and see if it gets worse." He was genuinely concerned, but I was not about to let him drag me to the hospital.

"Yeah right, Dad. You just want them to think I'm crazy so they'll lock me up!" I said in a sarcastic tone. My attempt at humor failed. Charlie looked like I had said the worst thing in the world to him. His lips pulled back to a grimace, his eyes widened, and he gasped slightly. Charlie Swan's face was horrified. He reacted like I had said I hated him. Seeing my error, I rolled my eyes and said, "Dad … kissing," but my tone proved otherwise.

Charlie glanced at the floor and then rose off the bed. "Well, you seem like you're okay now," he said, not looking at me. "You should try and get some more sleep."

I glanced at the clock; it was 6:15 am. "I think I'll just get up," I said, more to myself than him. "I don't think I could fall asleep again. Do you want breakfast?" I turned around and he was gone. I heaved a sigh. I wish I could make him understand. I immediately shook my head. Understanding would require talking about it, and I was not interested. I stood for a moment, wondering what to do next.

Well, homework always holds my attention. I picked up my backpack and unzipped it. I almost cursed aloud. I had forgotten my math book in my locker at school. The one subject that can take my mind off everything. I continued to kick myself until I had a strange inclination. I wasn't sure what compelled me to look for my scinence book, but I did. I picked up the book and opened the front cover. There, sitting between the binding and the first page, was what appeared to be a note. It was written on clean paper. I opened it, and my mouth dropped open.

Bella,
It was wonderful to meet you. I look forward to our next interlude with great expectations. I hope you have a chance to meet the arrivals. –A

She had left me a note. But how? I had been talking to her the majority of the class. When did she have the time to slip it inside my book? Could she be a vampire? No. She had been out in the sun. Her skin should have lit up like a million crystals in the sunlight. Or, was she something different? Maybe she had a special ability, like Ed—

The hole began to burn and sting just like before. I leaned back against my bed as the hurt crippled me. I pushed these thoughts to the back of my subconscious and headed towards the bathroom. I took an unusually long time in the shower, although it turned out to be only a few minutes. I was giving myself an internal pep talk. I reassured myself that I could do this. I could get through the day. I got out and stared at myself in the mirror.

Another day being ordinary Bella Swan, nothing will happen.

I brushed my hair and pulled it up into a half-ponytail. I returned to my room and grabbed the first clothes I could get my hands on, which happened to be jeans, a white long sleeve shirt, and a heavy hooded sweater. I glanced outside, it was raining of course. It would probably be cold, too. I sighed and dressed myself slowly. This ritual seemed automatic for me. It seemed like I was looking down at myself, watching from the outside. I felt like I was taking a backseat to my own life. I returned to my backpack

and stuffed the remainder of my homework into one of my folders. I looked toward the computer, realizing that I hadn't checked my e-mail in a very long time. I moved to my desk and turned the ancient machine on. The antique buzzed to life and began connecting slowly to the internet. I took the time to hunt down my shoes and a pair of socks. Once online, I began to check my email. Of course, I had a new message from my Renee.

Bella,

Hi sweetheart, how are you feeling? How is school going? Let me know how you're doing in your classes! I love you! - Mom

Leave it to Renee to be so obvious about snooping, I thought sadly. I had been getting emails like this almost every day since she had come up from Florida. I shook my head, and I felt a hint of a smile on my cheeks. I sighed and decided to write her.

Mom,

School is school, what else can I say? My classes are the same as they have always been. There is a new student in school. I'm her lab partner in Anatomy. She seems nice, but a little strange. Other than that, there isn't anything to report. Sorry. Love, Bella

I hoped that would get her off my case for a little bit. I hated to feel that way about my mother, but I was just too out of it to care. I searched the web a while, merely out of boredom. It wasn't long before my endless searching began to revolve around a specific topic, vampires. I hesitantly clicked on the link for Vampires A-Z. What was wrong with me? Did I like inflicting pain on myself? Was I born a masochist or something? The hole in my chest burned uncontrollably. I was hunched over at my computer, and I could barely breathe. My memory of this website was perfect. I remembered sitting here and researching the story that Jacob Black had told me. Jacob Black. I hadn't seen or heard from him in awhile…not since prom. His father, Billy Black, had offered to buy Jacob's car parts if he would crash my prom and tell me to break up with … him. The memory was hilarious, but too painful to make me laugh.

I shook my head, pulling myself from the memory, and looked up at the page that I had clicked on:

Maerden: An ancient vampire lord, said to have controlled North Africa. He was considered one of the oldest vampires, killed in 755A.D. by an Anamorphous creature. The creature is said to have battled the fearsome vampire and won by carving out Maerden's heart and scattering his pieces around the earth. It is believe by some that the ancient vampire is still alive, but has no solid physical being. It is rumored that he has been tied to the

"Illuminati" and the immortal assassins conspiracies.

My curiosity was heightened. I decided to research these two conspiracies. The first one, the Bavarian Illuminati, was more historical and had references. It seemed like it was some kind of religious movement. How could it be related to vampires? However, the Immortal Assassins (or IA, as conspiracy theorists would call it) were more mystical and interesting.

Immortal Assassin: A member of the Immortal Assassins Guild. They are mercenaries who are contracted to hunt and kill both immortals and humans. They are lethal warriors and are considered to be the very best of their kinds. IA members can be of any species: vampire, werewolf, shape shifter, or any other creature of the supernatural. Humans are never chosen due to their mortality and fragile nature. Once an IA member is under a contract, they do not stop until their target has been destroyed or they themselves terminated. There is no census, however those lucky enough to survive an encounter have put the total number of assassins at close to 150. This was in 1800, they may have grown since then.

I was so engrossed in this new discovery that I didn't realize how late it was getting. I glanced at the clock and suddenly realized that I was going to be late if I didn't leave soon. I quickly shut off my computer and grabbed my backpack. I headed out into the rain and hopped in my truck. I put the key in the ignition and twisted, the engine roared to life. While waiting for my truck to warm up, my mind wandered. I remembered the meadow, prom, the first day of school, Port Angeles. I let myself remember everything, and I paid for it dearly.

Within a matter of seconds I was curled up on the front seat of my truck, writhing in agony. I cried out, knowing that no one would answer my call. No one would hear me. I was alone, completely alone. I took a deep breath and clung to the end of the seat. My plan was simple, ride out the pain. That's all I could do anymore. I straightened myself as best I could and pulled out of the driveway. The aching had retreated to a dull twinge, almost bearable.

The drive to school didn't take as long as I thought it would, mainly because I was too busy preventing the pain from resurfacing. When I got there, I noticed a group of my friends standing in the parking lot as always. Jessica, Mike, Eric, Angela, Ben, Angela, Tyler, and of course Lauren were loitering outside. I had noticed that Lauren was spending even more time around Jessica, but that didn't really bother me. Her presence meant that mine would go unnoticed.

I parked my truck on the opposite side of the parking lot and got out, determined not to stop. I didn't have the energy to make small talk. They saw me and attempted to flag me down, I waved, halfheartedly, but continued walking.

I reached my first class just a few minutes before the teacher stepped in. English was a subject that I dreaded, Mr. Marks was prone to assigning novels based on romance and love. My least favorite subjects these days. Why couldn't we read something about death and destruction? Maybe "War and Peace," or "King Richard III," or "Titus Andronicus." Shakespeare knew how to write love stories, but he also

knew a great deal about death and destruction. My eyes darted to the two

seats next to me, the ones that once belonged to my two beloved people.

The burning intensified. I swallowed and my gag reflex triggered. A deep

choking cough exited my lungs, filling the classroom. My cheeks flushed,

and I pushed my head to the desk, to avoid the stares.

I heard Mr. Marks enter the room and explain the next novel we would be starting next week. I groaned deeply when I heard the title: "The History of Love: A Novel".

You gotta be kidding me! I started contemplating quitting school when I suddenly heard the classroom door open. I didn't bother to look up. I was sure that it was one of the other students arriving late. Mr. Marks would berate them and then the lecture would begin. Suddenly there was some shifting in the room and some gasps. Moments later I heard the teacher speaking softly.

"Oh, I wasn't aware that there were so many of you," he said. He then spoke loudly, "Class, we have two new students. This is Erickson and Skye McRae." A split second later, a clear and seductive voice filled my ears.

"It's Eric, if you don't mind, sir." The sensual voice sounded humored.

I picked my head up and almost fell out of my chair. At the front of the class, stood two extremely breathtakingly beautiful individuals. The girl was of Asian descent, about 5'7'', black sleek hair, and extremely pale skin. She was thin but muscular. The boy was different. He had shoulder length black hair that was tied into a short ponytail behind him. He was muscular, but not bulky. He had a very lean muscle build. He was pale, just like the Asian girl next to him. But their beauty was not why I pale skin was not why I gawked. I stared at these new students

because of their eye color. Their irises were honey amber, liquid topazes because of their eye color. Their irises were honey amber, liquid topazes set into their features. Their eyes were the same golden color as the Cullens, the eyes of vampires.

"Well, welcome to Forks High School Skye and Eric," Mr. Marks said. "Just find an empty seat."

The two gracefully walked down the aisles and sat down next to me. I turned and glanced at Eric, the strange boy. He turned to me, smiled and winked, before retrieving a notebook and a pen. I was about to do the same when I noticed his companion, Skye, looking at me. She had a smile on her face that reminded me so much of Al-.

The internal pain returned with a vengeance. I curled up and grabbed my chest, wincing at the pain that riveted throughout my entire body. I attempted to breathe, but just ended up wheezing. I could feel the pain sending ripples through my entire body. As I composed myself as best I could, I glanced up and noticed that this Eric and Skye were looking at me curiously. I turned back, embarrassed, and attempted to concentrate on the notes again. My thoughts made that impossible. I almost had a mini breakdown. Just what is going on? Did the Cullens send them? I winced

as an excruciating sensation washed through me. Why are their eyes the same color as the Cullens? Do they know them? What is going on! Or are they really vampires at all? They could just have similar eye color; Yes, that must be it! Their eyes aren't really the same shade as the Cullens. They can't be vampires…can they?

The class dragged on as Mr. Marks described the next novel slowly. To my dismay, he assigned an essay: 'What is love and what does it mean to you?' I groaned, almost loud enough for him to hear, and put my head in my hands. Finally the bell sounded the end of my torture. I heard the two new students next to me giggling. I attempted to eavesdrop. Suddenly I heard Eric and Skye speaking to each other in another language. From the sound of it, they were speaking German. I silently cursed myself for not taking it as an elective.

"Ist dieses sie?" Eric asked her, almost laughing.

"Ja es ist," Skye replied, giggling still.

"Was denkt sie?" Eric said, shaking his head.

"Ich kann nicht sagen, dass I sie tadeln," Skye said, glancing at me, "Ich glaube es auch."

With that the two laughed and glided out of the classroom. I just sat there, staring after them with an incredulous stare. Were they exchange students or something? Were they vampires, or was my mind playing tricks on me? I glanced outside and noticed the sun was non-existent today. I suddenly realized the next class was coming in. I quickly packed my bag and retreated from the classroom.

The next few of my classes ran together in a blur. My economics class seemed to run together with my Spanish class. The teachers sounded the same, even in a different language. I couldn't really connect with any one of them. I took lots of notes but at the end of the class, I couldn't remember anything we had covered. Finally I reached lunch. I was expecting and dreading this time. I arrived at the lunchroom and sat down with my usual group. I wasn't really paying attention to anything anyone was saying. I glanced over at the table where I had first seen the new girl and was disappointed to see that it was empty. I really wanted to question her about the note she had left for me. There was also something about her, Aryana, which confused me. I wasn't one hundred percent on what that was just yet. I sighed and returned my attention to the table.

Mike had apparently made a bet with Tyler on who could ingest the most hot dogs from the lunch line. The girls were all disgusted with this display, but the rest of the male demographic were ecstatic. I pulled out my Trig book and started studying for the upcoming test. By upcoming, I meant it was in about two weeks. Studying never really hurt anyone. Suddenly a silence overtook the table. Moments later, there was hushed chatter.

"Where did they come from?" Jessica asked, suspiciously.

"I heard that they moved from the Upper Northwestern territories," Eric said, mysteriously. "They seem to be really smart and really good looking. Remind you of anyone?"

"I know," Mike said, ruefully, "they remind me of those uptight Cullens. Some of them even look like them! Did you see their eye color? And don't get me started on that weird skin color!"

It was as if I wasn't even sitting there anymore. I picked up my head and noticed that everyone was looking across the lunchroom. I idly turned and noticed who they were staring at.

In a corner of the lunchroom sat a table full of oddly beautiful students. There were five of them, and Skye and Eric were among them. They seemed to be sitting and chatting with the other three. I took an inventory of the others I had not seen before. There were two additional girls and one boy, all beautiful and angelic. One female had long blondish brown hair that fell past her shoulder. She had an exotic look. Latin maybe? The second female had long jet black hair and sharp defining features. She was thin but looked strong, like the others. The other male seemed young, maybe seventeen or sixteen. He sat next to the second female, their hands interwoven. He was pale with platinum blonde hair. He seemed tall by the way his legs jutted out, even while sitting down, and he was muscular. They seemed to be conversing normally with each other. I noticed they all had the amber gold eyes. The tell tale sign of a vegetarian vampire. Could this be true?

While I wondered if what I surmised was accurate, Aryana walked through the cafeteria door. I glanced at her. She seemed to have an abnormal sense of confidence. I remembered seeing her the day before when she was far from comfortable. When I first saw her, she had eyed everything and everyone that crossed her path. Today, she seemed almost careless.

She walked confidently towards the table of new students and, to my surprise, they all jumped up and greeted her. Skye embraced her, as did Eric. The two other girls kissed her on the cheek and so did the blonde boy. Aryana took a seat in between Skye and Eric and she became enraptured immediately in whatever conversation they were having. I was floored, she looked like them but she did not have their eyes. What was she? Why didn't she have the same eyes like the rest of them? Was it a different diet?

I was thinking and thinking, I didn't even notice that Aryana turned and stared right at me. I jumped when I realized she was watching me. She smiled and waved a little. I turned and started studying again. I would confront her during Anatomy. Lunch passed so slowly, the again. I would confront her during Anatomy. Lunch passed so slowly, the minutes seemed like hours. I figured it was my anxiety. I was nervous about what to say to Aryana. Finally I noticed that everyone was meandering out of the cafeteria. I quickly gathered my things and hurried across campus. I passed several friends who tried to stop me, but I didn't even acknowledge them. If they only knew, but it was not my secret to tell.

I wandered into the classroom and immediately noticed Aryana was already in her seat, smirking at me. I sighed and walked up to the desk. I pulled out the note, threw it on the desk, and looked her straight in the eyes.

She didn't stop smiling, "Oh, I see you got my note." She found that extremely humorous.

"When did you put this in my book?" I asked suspiciously. I felt a little odd about strangers going through my things, especially those that might be supernatural.

"Right before you left class," she said simply. "I wasn't about to give it to you straight, then you wouldn't have let me leave class."

"What did you mean by the arrivals?" I asked, more curious than upset.

"I think that was obvious by this afternoon at lunch," she said, her tone becoming more serious, "when you saw my family." I stopped and thought about what I could say to her. I had so many questions, so little time. "My brother and sister told me that they have class with you in the morning."

"Brother and sister?" I asked. How could they be related? "Are you all adopted? No offense, you just don't look anything alike."

She laughed a little and flashed a brilliant smile at me. "Your power of observation has not failed you yet," she laughed and turned her attention back to her notebook. "We are almost all adopted, with one exception."

"What exception?" I asked, curious. She glanced at the clock and then back at me; it seemed that she was trying to assess if she had enough time to tell a story. I decided to ask a more common question, "How many are in your family?"

"Nine, but only eight are here in Forks," she said, sadly.

I was a little surprised at the number. The Cullens were only seven. I remember Ed—him telling me that large groups were odd. Vampires normally traveled alone or in pairs.

She noticed my stare and continued, "I really wish all nine of us were here; it would make the family feel more…complete." The last part seemed like she was sad, almost hurt by their missing member. Sadness

covered her face; she became aware of it and turned away from me.

"Are you and your family members all…alike?" I asked, awkwardly. How exactly do you ask if a person's entire family are vampires?

Aryana looked at me, almost with suspicious eyes. However, as she stared at me, her questioning eyes melted and she smiled again. "What is your definition of 'alike?'" she asked, curiously.

I glanced at the desk and tried to come up with a reasonable definition without using the words "immortal" or "vampire."

"Well, it seems like almost all of you share the same eye color," I said, using my skills as a terrible liar, "and, well, I've known some people with that color before."

She glanced at me quickly, before laughing. She seemed to relax a little. I decided to try and ask some more questions. "So, yesterday you said something about a family business. What kind of business?"

This seemed to stiffen her more, which was strange. She seemed to think over my question for almost a minute.

"You could call it human relations," she said and turned back to her notebook again. Suddenly the bell chimed, and Mr. Banner entered the class with a huge box. Behind him Mike was carrying even more boxes.

I turned back to Aryana to ask an additional question, but she cut me off. "By the way, call me Ary."

I shook my head, a little confused, but quickly complied. "Okay, Ary."

She smiled at me. "Alright, Bella."

The rest of the class was filled with labs that required only one person, so we were both busy the entire class. The task was simple. We had to identify muscle tissue inside a piece of cow's lung. Gross, if I have ever hated microscopes more, I thought bitterly as I continued to glance at Ary. Finally the bell rang, before I could have a chance to say anything to her, Ary was out the door. I sighed and picked

up my books. It was time to face gym. I was relieved to learn that the teacher was out sick, so we got to study for the class period. I kept catching Mike Newton staring at me throughout the class. He seemed to be debating with himself about something. I really hope he lost the debate.

Finally after the last bell had sounded, I retreated across the Forks High School parking lot to my truck. I was pulling out my keys when I glanced up and saw Ary and her family. They were walking down the sidewalk towards two very nice cars. The two girls and the boy from lunch climbed into a green BMW SUV, while Ary, Eric, and Skye climbed into a black sleek Audi. They both started their engines at the same time and sped quickly out of the parking lot. I could have been crazy, but I swore I saw

them all glance at me as they drove away. I turned around and opened the door to my truck. I started the engine and let it idle a little bit.

I drove to Mike's family's sports shop. I had a short shift today and, even though Mike had said he would cover for me, I was going to work. I got into work and slipped on my vest. The afternoon went by slowly due to the lack of business. I was not surprised that the shop was relatively dead. The campers didn't like to head out in the winter weather. After work I headed home, dreading the talk with Charlie. I wondered if he would be hung up on my screaming from the early morning. If that was the case, I would just have to explain that it wouldn't happen again. I really didn't want to have that conversation though. I decided to simply ignore him and hope he would just let it go. I reached home about 10 minutes later and trudged towards the house. Charlie was watching a game with food in front of him, and he was engrossed.

"Hi Dad," I said, almost whispering. "I'm home."

"How was work, kid?" he asked, as if nothing was wrong.

"Fine."

I retreated up to my room and pulled out my homework. I reached for my Biology book and flipped through it. I was hoping to find another note. There was no more luck for me today. I decided it would be better to get my English essay out of the way now. 'What is love and what does it mean to you?'

Bella Swan

Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection.

Love means pain; or at least that is what it means to me. Love is giving someone else the ability to mutilate and destroy you with just a couple words. However in the same respect, they can also build you up higher than the atmosphere. Love is a demanding force that makes you work and struggle through life; however it makes things easy as well…

I crumpled up the piece of paper before me. I can write much better than this, I thought to myself angrily. I sighed and turned to my computer, therelic. I turned it on and proceeded to connect to the internet. While theancient piece of technology buzzed and hissed at me, I looked through the rest of my homeworkassignments. Trig would be hard and time consuming—the way I liked it,English would be painfully annoying, Spanish was not nearly as hard, andthe rest of my classes would be a breeze. I sat back in my chair andthought about today. Though I couldn't remember much of anything, Iremembered the new family. I thought of how they walked and how theymoved; I wondered if they would be just like the…others. My computerfinally connected and I checked my email immediately. Of course, I hadanother email from Renee.

Bella,

I am so happy that you are enjoying your classes. Or, well it seems that you are enjoying them. Tell me more about this new girl. Are you two friends? I actually had an interesting conversation with Phil today. You will not believe what he asked me! He asked me how I would feel about having another child. Hello? Does he even realize how old I am? But enough about me, tell me about you.

Love you, Mom

I blinked in surprise. My mother…having another child? My mother was always so erratic and nutty about these things. I calmed my nerves as I read her response: Does he even realize how old I am? I scoffed softly. My mother has never been 'too old.' I was always the one taking care of her.

I felt suddenly jealous of my mother, of the fact that she had someone who committed one hundred percent to her and would never leave her. Tears welled up in my eyes; I quickly pulled my sleeve across my eyes to dry them. I shut off the computer and headed downstairs to get something to eat. I wasn't hungry, but I had to eat or else Charlie would start to worry. I opened the fridge and grabbed some leftover chicken that Sue Clearwater had brought over. I warmed it up in the microwave and sat at

the table while I consumed it. I was a lot hungrier that I had thought. After I finished the chicken I pulled out some soup and warmed it on the stove. I heard the game Charlie was watching go to a break.

Moments later, Charlie appeared in the kitchen. I was trapped.

"So kid," he said, hesitantly. "What did you do today?"

I glanced up at him from the soup bowl and shrugged my shoulders.

"I went to school, went to work, and came home." I spoke with a dead tone, like I was reading from a really bad book. "That's pretty much it."

"Oh, well okay," he said, a little disappointed. "Well, what about that Jessica Stanley? You two are friends aren't you? Why don't you go hang out with her?" He seemed to be a little too anxious to get rid of me. I didn't feel like going out. I didn't really feel like living either; that was another story. I turned to him and shrugged the same as before.

"No, thanks." I didn't smile, just stared at my food. "I have tons of homework; I think I'll just be up in my room doing that." I could have sworn in that instant, I heard him sigh with disappointment.

Suddenly the announcer on T.V. reported that the game was resuming. Charlie hesitantly retreated in the next room. I quickly swallowed the rest of the soup, threw the bowl in the sink, and retreated upstairs. I had already finished all of my homework, but Charlie didn't know that. I decided, since there was nothing else to do, to get back online. The computer connected a lot faster this time. The thoughts of Ary and her family seemed to push me to the website I was searching earlier. I pulled up the vampire A-Z website and immediately started researching the IA again. They seemed like warriors, in love with the chase, with battle, with fighting. I went to my search engine and typed in "Immortal Assassin" and "McRae." I didn't expect to find anything of great importance. Maybe I was just looking for reassurance.

A link popped up that said: Immortal Assassin rumors. I clicked on it anxiously. The page that came up was a list of names of those assumed to be assassins. One link caught my eye: Lazarus and

Avarice McRae. I clicked and began reading.

Lazarus and Avarice McRae were vampires in old Irish tales. They were said to be members of a powerful, diverse coven. Though fierce and powerful, they exuded so many levels of compassion and understanding that they were often looked down upon by many nomads. They can be traced for many centuries and across many continents. Their strange ways caused many feuds. They were hunted and persecuted for their alternate beliefs. They were said to have denied their appetite for human blood and relied strictly on the fruit of nature; animals.

"Lazarus and Avarice McRae," I said to myself, curiously. "I wonder…" I yawned and felt the full impact of my exhaustion. I collapsed onto my bed and stared off into the darkness, wondering about so many things. I wondered if I was right in my speculations about the new family, if what I had just read had any bearing on them and most importantly, I wondered if Aryana…if Ary was something different. Once again, my wonderings forced me into sleep.

Author's Note: REPOST