Opal and Brass • Jasper Whitlock Hale

Chapter 10.

Siobhan and her family were almost as quick as the Romanians in standing with us against the Volturi, and they made their departure almost immediately after agreeing.

Rosalie and I hunted before catching a flight home. Our eyes had grown dark with thirst.  I was about to board the plane when I froze, a thought occurring to me.

I was shocked when the wolves informed me that there was an entire coven of vampires who had chosen another way of life.  A whole family of people like myself.

But they were not the first vegetarians I had come across.

"Rose." I whispered, "I may know someone else who could help."

She turned to face me, her brow furrowed as she took in my expression.

"Who?"

"Someone I met during my first twenty years.  He's like us, though not entirely by choice..." I trailed off, deep in thought.

"What do you mean? How could he not have a choice?" She questioned.

"He.. he lives in a place where there are very few people.  He was living in the Arctic last I saw him.  He has a very dangerous gift and the cold helps to control it." I explained.

"What does he do?"

"He can-"

"Last call for flight 304: Washington state." A voice rang out through the intercom.

I smiled at the blonde, "You're going to miss your flight."

She scoffed, pulling out her cellphone and dialing Emmet, "So will you."

We headed back out of the airport, walking slightly faster than normal since we didn't have any time to waste... and it wasn't exactly easy to catch a flight to The North Pole.

"Emmet," Rosalie spoke, "we have a change of plans.  Sarah thinks she knows someone who can help us.  He lives in the Arctic."

I heard rapid speaking from the other line, and she rolled her eyes, "Of course we'll be careful."

A different voice came through the receiver and she handed the phone to me just as we began running, "Jasper wants to talk to you."

I took it, "Jazz."

"Sarah.  What's going on? Are you okay?"

I grinned, "We're fine.  Just going to look for one more ally.  I met him when I was still relatively new."

"Who is he?" Jasper asked.

"His name is Keahi.  He lives in the Arctic, and if he decides to help us, he will give us a huge advantage."

"What does he do?"

"He controls fire to the extent that he becomes it.  His fire burns so hot it could kill one of us. No decapitation necessary.  It's like an extension of himself.  Hell, he almost set me ablaze during our first meeting." I reminisced.

A growl came from the receiver, and I was quick to clarify, "He didn't mean to.  He was only a few months old, and didn't know how to control his gift.  He lives up north so that there's nothing much to destroy."

"I don't like this, Sarah.  What if he isn't on our side?" Jasper worried.

"The Volturi don't even know he exists.  He stayed well away.  Jasper, he's a good person."  I defended my acquaintance.  It had been a few decades since I had seen the man, and I hoped he was more in control.

He sighed, "Promise no more detours?"

I laughed in amusement, "Promise," I observed the steep cliffs drawing rapidly closer, "Gotta go. We're about to be underwater. We'll be home soon."

"I love you." He said quickly.

"I love you too."

And we leapt into the sea.

Hours later, we were on the icy shores of a remote island in the Northernmost part of the world.  I supposed we were nearest to Finland.  I scanned the area quickly, though there wasn't much to scan.  We were entirely surrounded by ice and snow. 

I inhaled, and Rosalie did the same, taking in the sharp, metallic scent of the snow.

That's when I knew we were in the right place.

Beneath the harsh scent, was the vague scent of something charred... the best way to describe it is the smell of burning cedar.  It was a scent as unique as the vampire it belonged to.

I turned quickly and sped inland with Rose on my heels, and we began scaling the side of a small mountain, where a tiny cave had been hollowed out.

His scent grew stronger. 

We entered, and sat with our feet dangling from the side, waiting.  He wasn't home...yet.

"How do you know him?" Rosalie asked me quietly.

I found myself fidgeting with the hem of my blouse and glanced at her, "I was traveling at the time.  I could see the past of anything I wanted to, so I traveled to the oldest places in the world to learn the history from history itself.  That's how I met the Romanians.  I was in Peru, on my way to Machu Picchu when I saw a sudden burst of light from a small pocket of forest a couple miles away.  It didn't take me long to realize it was fire, and I went to see what had happened." My gaze flicked back to Rosalie, who was listening intently, and I grinned.

"As I approached, I knew something was off.  I could actually feel the heat of the flames.  Standing in the center of the ruined forest was an immortal.  Fire was running up and down his arms, but not burning him.  I startled him when he noticed me.  And he shot the hottest fire I had ever beheld right at my head." I chuckled lightly.

"After introducing myself he told me what had happened. How a vampire living deep within the forests of Kauai had sensed his gift and changed him, and how he was trying to go someplace where he wouldn't hurt people.  I suggested somewhere in the Arctic.  There were plenty of polar bears here."  My eyes flicked to the ground, where a familiar form was approaching the mountain.

"I've come to visit a few times since then, but he prefers isolation."

Rose and I stepped back to let the tall man enter the narrow cave.  He was dressed in tattered jeans and a torn flannel, his long hair in a braid down his back reaching past his waist.

He surveyed us warily, but gave me a small smile in recognition.

"I didn't expect you for another few years." He said with a hint of humor.

"Something's come up.  Keahi, this is Rosalie. We need your help."

His eyes focused on the blond, and back on me, "What has happened, Sarah."

Instead though, it was Rosalie who answered his question.

"We, and our entire family, have been sentenced to death."