Chapter 1
5 Years Later – Leeds, England – Cullen Residence
Things had changed for the Cullen's after leaving Washington and things were changing in the world of mythical creatures as well. People were starting to believe again, with each new occurence they believed more and more. The rulers of the clans started to care less about being hidden but did not want to come fully into the light. Still, plans were being made with the hope of being the ruling clan at the end and yet the prophecy was once again forgotten – someone should have remembered.
A small portion of each of the clans waited and watched and hoped that they would be left alone, to live in peace with humans and just exist. The Cullen Coven had such hopes but, as is often the case, they were in vain. Leaving Bella was hard on each of them in different ways. In the first few years Alice was able to get snippets of visions about her, they knew she was searching for something and assumed it was Edward. Before long they would find out how wrong assuming anything could be. When the visions stopped they searched for traces of her, fearing she had died and what Edward would do with that knowledge. After six months when they could find no trace of her or an attack and realized that her family and friends were not at all worried about her they once again made the assumption that she had moved on and did not want to be found and they stopped looking. But as often happens when you stop looking for something, it eventually finds you. In truth she had moved on but in ways they never could have expected or foreseen. Edward was called back to the family, so they could help each other heal and hopefully continue to exist in peace. The letter awaiting Carlisle at home was about to change all of that.
Carlisle read the letter and was shocked. Someone was laying a very serious charge against his family and he was being called before the Overseer to answer it. He passed the letter to his family and waited for his escort. The letter read:
Carlisle Cullen-
A member of your coven has been accused of trafficking young human women to non-human men for purposes of sex slavery and blood farms. The taking of these women, especially the mass takings from female schools and universities, has also caused hysteria in the human world and put our world at an extreme risk of exposure. These charges must be answered. Two members of the Executioners will come to escort you to the Keeper and me so that you may answer these charges. You will come alone.
The Overseer
As the letter was passed around Carlisle heard the questions of his family: Who is the Overseer? Who is the Keeper? Who would make such allegations? What did they hope to gain? Should Carlisle really go alone? Would he return? If so, in what condition? He knew he had to put his family's fears to rest – as much as he could. So he carefully spoke his next words, I can tell you that not much is known about the Overseer or the Keeper and the ones who do know anything never speak of them. Personally, Carlisle started, all I know of them are rumors and hearsay but I will share what I have heard. They are immortal, they are ancient and they are mates. They come from the most ancient and purest of bloodlines. They are obviously hybrids, however, which bloodlines and what exactly the mix is no one knows. The rulers of the different clans use them to carry out the laws and judgments that would be too difficult for their own guards. They are also sought out for advice and to mediate problems between the clans. They are definitely very powerful and feared by even the most ancient in any world. Their influence can be felt and seen through out history in our world and to a lesser extent the human world also. It is said they go back to the beginning of time.
She, the female, is the Keeper and is also the leader of The Guardians. The Guardians are all female and the mediators of our world. They guard the truly innocent of our world and are seen more as mother figures. Do not let that fool you though; when the Immortal Children were destroyed it was by their hands that they died, without hesitation or mercy. He, the male, is the Overseer and is the leader of The Executioners. The Executioners are just what the name suggests. They carry out the judgments of the clans and The Guardians. They are truly the warriors of our world and while Guardians show no mercy, the Executioners are savage in seeing their orders carried out.
People have speculated that the two tribes are mated as their leaders are, but since no one knows the number of each tribe it is kept at speculation. What is known is that a lycan was once stupid enough to attack one of the Guardians and has never been heard or seen from again. From time to time a piece of him surfaces with a message sent that there are things worse than death. With that thought a shiver passed through each of the Cullen's, wondering what exactly the next few days held for the family.
A knock sounded at the door and everyone looked to Carlisle as he stood to answer it. He opened the door to two of the largest men he had ever seen, easily 6'8". One had moss green eyes, long dark hair pulled back in a leather thong and a scent that was faintly lycan. The other had ice blue eyes, long blonde hair pulled back in a leather thong except for two braids in the front and had a scent unlike anything he had ever smelled. The entire coven immediately went on alert and recognized the fact that of everyone there they were not the predators. Carlisle recognized the braids for what they were – war braids. Come, they said, and with that one word Carlisle looked at his family for what he hoped would not be the last time and left with the two warriors.