Seated next to my still recuperating husband, I looked at the agenda for the council meeting. It revolved around Aro’s involvement in what happened to my husband and why he was injured so egregiously. We still couldn’t find proof, a link that Aro was behind this assassination attempt.
Aro was still confined to his quarters, but we’d interviewed his wife and child to see if they had any information. His wife, Sulpulcia, refused to answer any questions. She claimed spousal privilege. That might have worked in the old world, but those rights were no longer recognized. So, she was placed in the prison and her child, a ten-year-old boy named Demetri, was placed in Carlisle and Esme’s care.
Charlie wearily called the meeting to order. He was easily tired because he hadn’t allowed himself time to heal. “I know call this council meeting to order. The items on the agenda revolve around Vice Chancellor Aro Volturi. Do we have any new information regarding his involvement in what happened the day I was shot?” Charlie asked.
“Vice Chancellor Volturi worked closely with Warden Pike and the more conservative members of the Ark. We’re working with members in the command center to trace their steps prior to Warden Pike’s and Officer Halsted’s execution,” Marcus explained, arching a brow at Charlie.
“I know I reacted hastily, but he was going to float my wife,” Charlie snarled, pounding his hand on the council table. “Halsted was going to rape my daughter and my wife! They needed to pay.”
I bit back my spiteful retort. Charlie was ready to float our daughter. He only acted after he heard about what Halsted was going to do, thanks to the recording that Edward made.
There was a chirp on my communicator. I pulled it out, seeing a message from Esme. Charlie doesn’t look good. Too pale. Should he be handling all this stress?
“Charlie,” I interrupted, placing a hand on his arm. His skin was clammy. “I think that we need to investigate further before we can continue searching for proof that Aro had a hand in your attack. Your pulse is racing and you’re running a fever. You need to appoint a Vice Chancellor to take over in case something does happen to you.”
“Are you speaking as my wife or as a member of the council?” Charlie asked.
“I’m speaking to you as a physician,” I pressed. “You have a couple of options for Vice Chancellor that we’ve provided for you. You’re worthless to us if you’re dead and there’s no one to succeed you other than Aro Volturi, who will surely kill us all.”
“I second Dr. Swan’s concern,” Carlisle pressed. “Who is going to be Vice Chancellor?”
“Looking at the votes from when Chancellor Swan was elected, you came in third, Dr. Cullen,” said Eleazar Sartori, the representative from Farm Station.
“Fine, Carlisle, you’re Vice Chancellor,” Charlie said, waving his hand. He blinked up at me and I saw his exhaustion in his dark brown eyes. He huffed out a sigh. “Do we have a motion for …”
“I move to appoint Dr. Carlisle Edward Cullen to become Vice Chancellor,” Marcus said.
“Second,” Eleazar nodded.
“All those who approve?” Charlie asked. We all raised our hands. “Opposed? Abstention? Okay … congrats, Carlisle.” He leaned back against his chair, looking much older than his forty-five years.
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