*** This story contains some mild language, suspense, romance, and some frightening images and situations—13 and older, please.

In the Grip of Twilight

By:

Olivia Tannis Moore

Chapter Seventy One:

The God's Eye

I stepped down off the porch. My feet longed to carry me away from Muriel and her mysterious double talk. If there was no right decision, then why did I bother feeling so responsible for both men?

Ahead, the forest was serene and inviting, a perfect place to walk and clear my head as Muriel's warning of far-reaching consequences was frightening me. But I shrugged off those thoughts of running away and turned to face her.

My voice was tinged with fear as I asked, "What consequences?" If I wasn't paranoid before, I was now. In my mind, choosing Edward would be the least disrupting of the two choices. I knew Demetri would obviously be hurt by my decision—but I couldn't imagine anyone else being affected by it. I suddenly had images of Demetri turning bitter and raging against the world as he had before. Would he go back to his old ways of bloodlust—was that what Muriel was trying to tell me?

Muriel sighed. "There are consequences to every action, child. Because of who you are, or more importantly, what you are now, yours will have greater impact. That's just how it is." She leaned in and held out her hand to pull me back up onto the porch. "Those runes give us just enough to counter the evil…after that, you can cast them every hour of the day and they still won't show you anything more. That's why we need the God's Eye. I suppose I'd better go ahead and tell you that Demetri wants to try and help us get it back."

I let go of Muriel's bony hand as I found myself back on the wooden porch.

"God's Eye?" It was the first I'd heard of it.

"The most sacred of runes," Muriel said proudly. "A Topaz stone with such clarity…Aro stole it after the first war. The Volturi are much too tainted to use it, yet they guard it so that we are unable to use it to spy against them. It was an important weapon against the Volturi—one that gave us an upper hand, at least for a while."

My mouth dropped open. "That's the real reason he's going back at sundown, isn't it? To get this God's Eye," I gushed. "He's going to present Aro with Edward's venom and then attempt to steal the God's Eye…" My stomach sank. It made perfect sense: one last mission to end the war so that he could go home. That was what our previous talk was all about—Demetri was going to embark on the most dangerous mission yet.

"He's most likely the only one who could get it for us," she told me gravely. "If Aro goes underground again, he'll take the stone with him…or destroy it." She shuddered. "This may be the only opportunity to get it back."

"It's too dangerous," I whispered. "Besides, how do you know Aro hasn't already destroyed the stone?" I looked pleadingly at her. "We barely escaped with Thaddeus' book…"

Muriel's gaze was sympathetic as she shook her head. "I didn't ask him for the stone, Halfling. He overheard my conversation with Ezekiel, who was going to search for it when he storms the castle tonight. Demetri suggested that by using his tracking skills, he has the best chance of recovering the stone—and he's right, because the stone is probably hidden in Aro's quarters."

"Don't expect this of him; it's suicidal," I said, staring at Muriel. I wasn't ready to let her off so easily, although I knew that it was just like Demetri to take on such a dangerous mission with no thought of his own safety.

"So watch his back, Halfling," she replied. Her nostrils flared with annoyance as she stared back at me. "You're so careful not to mention it…but I know you plan on going back for Edward's sister. Is that not dangerous as well?"

I could give no argument there. Muriel had effectively silenced me once again.

I turned away from her. The forest was calling to me again. I wanted nothing more than to get away from the tiny, over-filled house, and find a peaceful place to think about everything,

"If you're going for a walk," Muriel said, "there's a footpath at the rear of the house you might want to use. It leads to Ezekiel's house."

I turned my head in surprise. "Why would I want to go there?" I was confused. Was this Muriel's way of giving me more information in her own mystical way? I had not met Ezekiel, but both Demetri and Muriel had described the young leader as rebellious and stubborn. I wasn't sure I wanted to go there alone.

Muriel's voice was soft. "I thought you might talk to Adeloni."

"Adeloni?" The name rang a bell. Then, I gasped. "Elena?"

"Yes, but her name is Adeloni here. That's the name we gave her when she was small."

I groaned. I wasn't about to tell Muriel all the problems Elena had given me, as it was now apparent that there was some affection between the two. So I stated my position as plainly as possible, "Muriel…Elena hates me. She'd rather spit on me than talk to me."

"I think you're mistaken. But if you would try, I'd consider it a personal favor." She looked out into the trees and her voice had a burden of sadness to it. "She's my god-daughter, Halfling…I raised her."

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(Thanks for reading. See you next week. OTM)