Attacked from the shadows

The night went well. Carlisle didn't buy anything and instead followed after me as I did. 

 I didn't buy anything big, but instead, I bought cool little knick-knacks that caught my eye.

 Like some marbles and a yo-yo.

 Ignoring the playful jabs Carlisle gave me for that, I continued buying stuff.

 The thing about Manhattan, especially at this point and time, was that the shopping district was thriving. 

 Of course, even back then, I'm sure it still did, but if I remembered correctly, a lot of shopping had moved to the internet. 

 Walking into the lobby of the large building we called home, I played with my new toys as we stepped into our private elevator.

 "Do you know how much money I could have made if I came up with the idea to make these?" I said, dropping the yo-yo then snapping it back and into my grip.

 Carlisle looked at me with a raised brow. 

 "Adam, you have trillions…do you really need more money?" he asked.

 I shrugged.

 "No, but could you imagine." I said with a chuckle as the elevator let out a soft 'Ting' as the doors to the elevator opened. 

 Walking down the long hallway, I put the yo-yo back in my pocket and pulled out a slinky.

 Reaching the door, Carlisle opened it, stepping in first. 

 "They just stepped in. I will put him on now." Esme's voice said from the living room. 

 Walking down the hallway of the apartment, I saw Esme setting down the handset, turning to look at us, her face panicked.

 "What is it, Love?" Carlisle asked, stopping just inside the living room. 

 "It's Jane. Julius has been attacked." She said, clenching her hands together. 

 Hearing those words, my playful mood vanished.

 Stepping past Carlisle, I walked straight to the phone, picking up the handset and putting it to my ear.

 "Is Julius okay?" I asked, my voice as hard as granite.

 "Yes, he's okay. But it was a close call, Adam." 

 "What happened?" I asked, turning to see Edward stepping out and into the living room.

 Probably alerted by the sounds of Esme's worried voice.

 "We were out for a walk, then out of nowhere, five vampires appeared. They dropped down from the rooftops,"

 Jane's voice was slightly rushed. "They surprised us, catching us off guard. They went for Julius first, focusing their attack at him. He was only grazed a few times before reacting. Killing them all quickly."

 "How did they get so close without either of you noticing?" I asked, my brows coming together in concern. 

 "We don't know for sure, but we think they were waiting for us. We would have heard them walking on roofing from a good distance away." 

 I agreed with that.

 Though it might have been some time since they had been in a conflict with other vampires, they knew what they were doing.

 Letting out a small sigh, I transferred the handset to my other hand before continuing.

 "Has Julius healed up?" I asked, jotting down some words on a notepad that was placed by the phone. 

 "Yes. After the attack and taking care of the bodies, we went for a hunt." 

"Good," I said, handing Carlisle the note. "I'm going to be heading to England as soon as possible. Expect me in a week's time." 

 "Do you think that is necessary?" Jane asked. 

 "Yes," I said simply. "The fact that five vampires attacked you should be enough to concern you as well. Especially since I presume you had never seen these vampires before." I asked as I saw Carlisle reading the note.

 "That is true and the reason I am calling. Julius thinks it might just be some coven that moved close to us and didn't want us close by. But the issue with that is that we don't hunt humans and hardly ever leave the castle anymore other than to hunt.  so how could any coven that moved close by know we even existed before we learned of them first." 

 "That's what has me worried. Who else knows you are there in England other than me and." 

"The Volturi!" Jane interrupted.

 "Exactly," I said, "But that's not to say it's them. There are other possibilities that could have led to this that we just don't know at the moment. Which is the reason I'm heading there. If it is the Volturi, I will want to be there." 

 "And if it is not?" Jane asked.

"Then I still want to be there." I said, picking up Carlisle's voice as he talked through the phone in his office. 

 "If it's not the Volturi and as Julius thinks, it isn't the slightest inconvenience for me to be there. It's better to be safe than sorry."

 "Thank you, Adam." Jane said, letting out a sigh, audible through the phone. 

 "The both of you are family, Jane. It's what we do for each other." I said. 

"Also, where's Julius now?" I asked.

 "He's currently in his office talking to some of his contacts, looking into who these vampires might have been." 

 "Right. Well, I won't be leaving for a few more hours, so if you get any news, call back and let me know." I said before we hung up the calls. 

 Turning, Edward was the first to speak. 

 "Who was that?" He asked. 

 I looked over at him.

 "That…was Jane. Did Carlisle ever tell you about her and Julius?" I asked. 

 Edward shook his head in the negative. 

"Julius and Jane are very old friends of mine. Julius is like a brother to me, like Jane is a sister. I've known them for a bit over two thousand years now." 

 Edwards' eyes grew slightly wider as he imagined living for so long.

 "And as I'm sure you heard, they were attacked. I'm heading to London tomorrow to check things out. Make sure it wasn't anything other than a new coven moving close by." 

 "Do you think it's that simple?" Esme asked as Carlisle walked back into the living room, done with the task I had given him.

 I shook my head.

"I highly doubt it. Things are never that simple." 

"I have you booked on a ship to London. It departs first thing in the morning." Carlisle said, handing me a small piece of paper with the details written on it. 

 Taking the paper, I looked it over and saw the ship would be departing at nine in the morning tomorrow. 

 "Thank you, Carlisle." I said, folding the paper.

 As I did so, Edward's eyes narrowed slightly, his brow furrowing in that familiar expression of determination mixed with curiosity.

  "I want to come with you," he said, voice firm and leaving little room for negotiation.

 I sighed, expecting this would happen, but still hoping he might be sensible enough to stay behind. 

 "Edward, it's not a good idea. We don't know what we're walking into. It could be dangerous, potentially more than you can handle."

 His arms folded across his chest, and he took a step closer, his resolve unwavering. "That's exactly why I need to go. If there's danger, I can help."

 Esme, who had been listening quietly, placed a gentle hand on Edward's arm. "Edward, Adam's right. We don't know what this is about. It might be safer for you to stay here."

 Edward shook his head, his determination only growing stronger. "I understand the risks, but I'm not a child. I can handle myself, and I want to help. If this involves the Volturi or something worse, it's even more reason for me to be there."

 Carlisle looked between us, his gaze thoughtful. "Adam, Edward has a point. His abilities might be useful. And if it does come down to iti, having more allies at your back could be beneficial."

 I ran a hand through my hair, weighing the pros and cons. Edward was stubborn, and once he set his mind on something, there was little one could do to dissuade him. Besides, he was right – his talents could be an asset. Finally, I nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Fine, you can come. But you follow my lead, and if I say it's too dangerous, you will be leaving. Understood?"

 A flicker of relief crossed Edward's face, quickly replaced by a serious nod. "Understood."

 "Good," I said, watching as Edward left to start his packing. 

 As Edward left the room to prepare, Carlisle approached me, his expression one of concern and support. "Thank you for letting him come. He needs to get out more, especially with everything he's been going through lately."

 I nodded, understanding his words. 

 Edward had been dealing with his own struggles, particularly that of his thirst for human blood and still coming to terms with what he now is and what he has done.