Chapter 2

SA: I finally updated! Yay! This chapter isn’t as long as I had originally planned, but to be completely honest, I have no clue where the story’s going after this. I have to read Breaking Dawn first before I can feel safe about writing a plot, so I’m going to have to put this story (for the most part) on hiatus until August when Breaking Dawn comes out. So, sorry about that. But there’s no other way I can do it. I hope you enjoy what I have!

Chapter 2

A Griffin’s Rage

“Julian? Are you ready to go hunting?” Ester knocked on her younger brother’s door.

They had each been assigned a room—Ester’s being across the hallway from Julian’s and Ashton’s rooms.

“Not really, Ester,” Julian’s embarrassed voice squeaked from the other side of the door.

Ester sighed, rolled her eyes, and pulled the door open.

Sure enough, Julian was lying on his bed playing his Nintendo DS.

“You brought that with us?” Ester exclaimed in amazement and exasperation.

“Of course,” Julian made a face. “I haven’t beaten the Elite Four or the Champion yet.”

Ester smiled and leaned up against the doorframe. Julian had loved Pokemon ever since it had first come out in Japan. It was by far his favorite video game, and that was saying something, considering that Julian was a huge video game fan and had been playing them since they came out. Ester remembered him begging their adopted mother and Arlen’s mate, Anne, to import the original Red and Green games from Japan.

And Julian could read them too. For that was Julian’s vampiric power, the universal understanding of languages.

“We need to go and hunt. If you’re not coming tonight and want to stay here, then I can go with you tomorrow. If anyone here gives you trouble, run as far away and as fast as you can, understand?” Ester said.

“Yes, Ester,” the ‘thirteen-year-old’s’ bright voice echoed from behind her.

Ashton was waiting for Ester outside of Julian’s door.

“What is it?” Ester questioned gently. “Something’s bothering you.”

“I need to hunt as well,” Ashton declared. “But there’s something else.” His eyes shifted around, making sure no one was in earshot. “I don’t trust these vampires.”

“I trust them only to a certain extent,” Ester responded. “I know we don’t know them, but it’s better off than being slaughtered by the Volturi. Remember that. And I need to hunt too. Then when morning comes, we can explore the compound and find out more about this Underground Coven.”

Ashton gave in and nodded. “Your plan makes sense.”

With that, the two vampires left the safety of the compound to hunt for the only substance that could sustain them—blood.

Dawn was breaking over the horizon when Ester and Ashton returned. To their surprise, there was someone waiting for them at the cave’s hidden entrance.

“Your fighting and hunting skills are impressive for such young vampires,” Luna’s chilled voice rang out.

The seemingly teenaged vampire was sitting on top of the rocky cliff, staring down at them. Her long black hair blew gently in the breeze from the lake as the rising sun illuminated her perfect frame. Ashton had to admit that she was like the essence of beauty—a black flower incased in ice.

Ester was caught off guard, but was nonetheless able to remark, “And your stealth leaves nothing to be desired.”

“I went looking for you because Roanoke wanted to see you. He’s over on the lakeshore, waiting for you,” Luna said.

“All right,” Ester agreed, turning away from the entrance to the compound and heaving back off towards the lakeshore.

Ashton turned to follow, but Luna leapt down from the cliff with surprising speeds to stop him. “No. She must go alone.”

Ashton watched his sister leave longingly, concerned that she might be walking straight into a trap. Then he remembered what Ester had said last night: “If anything happens to me, take Julian and run.”

Deciding to go make sure Julian wasn’t hungry yet, Ashton walked through the entrance of the Underground Coven’s hideout, followed by Luna.

Ester, meanwhile, walked out into the bright morning sun, feeling her skin begin to shine. There Roanoke stood on a rock that overlooked the lake, watching the sunrise.

“You wanted to see me?” Ester questioned the leader of the Coven as she walked up to stand beside him.

“Yes, Ester,” he said, sounding a bit absentminded. “Did my subordinates, by any chance, share with you why this lake is so special and therefore why I decided to build our base of operations here?”

Ester cautiously responded, “No. No they did not.”

Roanoke sighed and turned to stare at Ester. “I first stumbled across this lake after a fairly brutal encounter with the Volturi’s agents, right before Arlen found me and saved my life. I was dying and I knew it. My wounds just weren’t closing up like they normally did. In desperation to ease the pain just slightly, I walked into the lake’s water and basked in the light of the rising moon. And by some miracle, my wounds, once touched by the moon’s light and the lake’s water, closed up, and I felt a hundred years younger. And here’s the strangest part. After that, I have gained the ability to heal minor injuries on others, and gaping wounds on myself. This lake can grant power, Ester. Power that can help us vanquish the Volturi once and for all. That is the sole motivation behind everything I have done.”

Ester remained silent, soaking in this information.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I went off a little too much. I must return to my study and start my work for the day.” With that, he began to walk back towards the compound, Ester following in silence.

“I guess I understand his motivations a little bit better,” Ester thought to herself. “But his story doesn’t make any sense. A lake with the ability to give vampires powers? I’ve never heard of anything like that. But then again, thirty years ago or so, I would never have believed that vampires existed, so who knows?”

They entered the compound, both still remaining silent as they walked down the entrance hallway, heading for the courtyard.

Ashton and Julian were there, waiting for Ester. But something strange was going on. Another vampire had approached the two teenage males, appearing as if he was looking for trouble.

“And just who do you think you are?” Ashton growled boldly as Julian got behind him, obviously concerned.

“Dude, you’re the new guys, aren’t you?” the spiky-black haired teenage vampire said, regarding Ashton with a cool expression.

“And what’s it to you?” Ashton said, matching the newcomer’s tone.

“Ken, cut it out! There is to be no fighting within our organization,” Roanoke snarled beside Ester.

The teen jumped slightly and then whirled to face his boss. “Roanoke!” he exclaimed in shock. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.” ‘Ken’ then turned to Ashton, an approving look in his eyes. “Sorry about that, man. We’re all just really jumpy around here ever since the Volturi showed up and killed Arlen. My name’s Ken Griffin.”

“The Griffin Coven?” Ester asked in surprise as she walked up to her younger brothers. “They were once a noble clan of vampires.”

“Yeah. Until my sister made out with a human and refused to change him,” Ken snarled violently. “As you can imagine, the Volturi didn’t like that very much. I’m the last surviving Griffin. And I swear that I’ll get revenge for my parents and family. The Underground Coven is a pretty damn good way to assure that.”

Ester inwardly cringed, but said nothing. “It was nice meeting you, Ken. But I must talk with my brothers in privacy about what we’re going to do next. Now if you’ll excuse us…”

With that, Ester led Julian and Ashton away towards their rooms, leaving a curious teenage vampire behind.