Chapter 104: Crossing Paths

Garrett flipped himself upright with an effortless motion but raised one finger before standing completely. "Fair warning. I don't eat the blood the Volturi provide for their guards. I'm a free wandering vampire."

Having once fought on battlefields for honor, Garrett refused to lower his head to the powerful for the sake of a few bags of blood.

Sophie found herself genuinely admiring his principles.

"Thank you for trusting me enough to ask for help anyway."

"That's because we're friends now." Garrett laughed openly, genuine joy shining in his striking eyes. His infectious smile lifted Sophie' mood almost immediately.

"I spotted the place while I was flying over here," Sophie finally revealed. "A human blood donation center."

Modern human infrastructure fell well outside Garrett's area of expertise.

"I can't promise they'll still have blood stored there," Sophie warned cautiously. "When the evacuation happened, they might have emptied everything. We'll have to rely on luck."

Garrett simply grinned.

"Finding Moonheart Grass proves our luck hasn't run out yet."

As it turned out...

He was right.

Just like the Moonheart Grass, the blood donation center still contained a reserve supply waiting inside.

"I can't believe you noticed such an obscure little facility." After finishing his meal, Garrett looked completely refreshed, his entire demeanor noticeably lighter. Sophie had already drunk plenty aboard the yacht before arriving, yet the overwhelming thirst of a newborn vampire proved difficult to resist. She found herself drinking alongside him anyway, as though she could never grow tired of the taste.

Nomadic vampires weren't picky about the flavor of blood.

To Garrett, it was an excellent meal.

"Ever since becoming... this," Sophie admitted while wiping a drop of blood from the corner of her lips, "I've started paying much closer attention to places like these. Though to be fair, I knew a little about them before." She smiled nostalgically. "Most blood is actually stored at centralized blood banks because the storage conditions are extremely strict and the shelf life is limited. Collection centers like this are scattered throughout different regions."

Garrett looked at her with growing curiosity.

"Were you a doctor or a nurse before becoming a vampire? Most people wouldn't know anything about blood collection or storage."

"I had a small side job while I was still in school." Sophie smiled ruefully. "I ran a blog online. Eventually I took a leave of absence." She glanced around the deserted village before adding with a hint of regret, "It's a shame there isn't an internet café here."

She continued walking beside the river where Caius had thrown her from the helicopter, Garrett matching her pace. "One day a reader donated what felt like an absolute fortune and asked me to investigate how blood was collected, bought, sold, and used."

Back then, her blog had only just begun attracting readers.

Its income had been laughably small.

That donation had practically fallen from the sky.

Not wanting to disappoint such a generous supporter, Sophie had skipped classes for five straight days, completed the entire investigation, and finished the first draft with remarkable efficiency.

"I still remember..." She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully as memories slowly surfaced. "After I published the article, that same reader asked for my mailing address. They said they wanted to send me a gift."

Garrett smiled.

"You adapted to twenty-first century friendships surprisingly well."

"What did they send?"

"A hairpin with a very unusual design." Sophie bent down, picked up a flat stone, and carefully began sketching the pattern into the damp riverbank one line at a time. "It wasn't until recently that I realized something."

As the design gradually took shape, Garrett's expression subtly changed.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I'd bet that reader came from Ireland."

After completing the final line, Sophie tossed the stone aside and dusted off her hands.

"I mentioned earlier that after becoming a vampire, I started unconsciously paying attention to anything involving blood."

Blood had become the center of vampire existence.

Everything in their immortal lives revolved around it.

"So if you think about it..." She stepped aside, revealing the completed drawing. "Who would be willing to spend the most money and effort investigating blood? Vampires." She looked toward Garrett with a knowing smile. "That Irish coven you mentioned earlier... I think this design is probably very close to their family crest. Garrett, does it look familiar?"

Far away, red light pierced through the dark clouds.

Garrett reached over and gently ruffled her hair.

"So... you'd already crossed paths with our world long before you ever became one of us."

Light traveled faster than sound.

Their enhanced vampire hearing had already begun picking up the distant thundering of helicopter rotors.

Both of them understood immediately.

Their time together was almost over.

"What a wonderful night," Garrett said softly.

It sounded like both a conclusion and a farewell.

Towering over her, he deliberately bent down until his lips were close to Sophie' ear and quietly shared one final piece of important information.

Sophie raised an eyebrow.

"Garrett... aren't you casually revealing your friend's coven's location? Isn't that a little reckless?"

The wandering vampire merely laughed.

"Siobhan will like you."

He sounded completely certain.

"If you ever meet her, it'll mean she wants to meet you."

"Why?" Sophie asked curiously. "Is that her supernatural gift?"

The helicopter was drawing closer with every passing second.

Through the cockpit glass, Sophie could already make out Heidi at the controls.

If Garrett wanted to avoid meeting the Volturi...

He had to leave now.

Before departing, Garrett crouched down and carefully erased the Irish coven's crest from the riverbank. Rising once more, he leaned forward and gave Sophie a brief, gentle hug.

"Everyone I know believes Siobhan possesses a gift that lets her wishes come true," he whispered. "She insists we're all teasing her and refuses to admit she has any ability at all."

They stepped apart.

Then Garrett smiled one last time.

"Don't tell Aro."

Without another word, the barefoot wanderer ran lightly along the riverbank before disappearing into the starlit darkness.

He never explained exactly what he wanted Sophie to keep secret.

Perhaps it was Siobhan's gift. Perhaps it was his own existence or perhaps it was everything.