(Set after Jacob tells the Quileute legends to Bella.)
I turned on my computer. I typed in one single word vampire. It took an infuriatingly long time, eventually I found a promising site. Vampires A-Z. Only 3 entries really caught my attention: the Romanian Veracolaci, a powerful undead being who could appear as beautiful, pale-skinned human, the Slovak Nelapsi, a creature so strong it could massacre an entire village in a single hour after midnight, and the other, The Stregoni Benefici.
About this last there was only a brief sentence.
Stregoni Benefici: An Italian vampire, said to be on the side of goodness, and a mortal enemy to all evil vampires.
It was a relief, one small entry, one myth among hundreds that claimed the existence of good vampires. Overall though, there was little that coincided with Jacobs stories or my own observations. There were few myths that matched even one factor of the mental catalogue of Jacobs cold ones and mine.
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Here in the trees it was much easier to believe the absurdities that embarrassed me indoors. Nothing had changed in the forest for thousands of years, and all the myths and legends of many different lands that filled my head seemed much more likely in this green haze then they had in my clear-cut bedroom.
I forced myself to focus on the 2 most vital questions I had to answer, but I did so unwillingly, despite the past weeks of lonesomeness and determination.
First, I had to decide if it was possible that what Jacob said about the Cullens could be true. Immediately, my mind reacted with the reaction that something was missing. I listed again in my head the things I had observed myself; the impossible strength and speed, the eye colour shifting from black to gold and back, the inhuman beauty, the cold pale skin. And more – other things had registered, the disturbing grace in which they moved. And the way in which they spoke, especially Carlisle and Edward, with unfamiliar cadences and phrases that better fit the style of turn-of-the-century novel rather than that of a twenty-first century class room. Edward had skipped class during blood typing. They seemed to know what was going to happen before I did. Edward seemed to know what every one else was hadn't denied my guesses as crazy....
my guesses were that they were villain and dangerous ... maybe I was right.
Could the Cullens be vampires?
If Carlisle was a vampire – there was nothing I could do. I'm afraid of losing him... whatever he is. I don't know how Carlisle Cullen can do those things to me but his – his voice, his eyes, and magnetic personality, I want nothing more than to spend a whole life with him, my life. Even if he was a vampire ... I wouldn't tell anybody.
