Renesmee reached for Edward, and he took her in his arms. They hugged each other tightly.
His face twisted with pain. Had that been the expression on my face when I'd finally put together Alice's clues?
Jacob was growling quietly, a low rasp that was as even and unbroken as a purr.
His hackles were stiff and his teeth exposed.
Edward kissed Renesmee's forehead and both her cheeks, then he lifted her to Jacob's shoulder. She scrambled agilely onto his back, pulling herself into place with handfuls of his fur, and fit herself easily into the dip between his massive shoulder blades.
Jacob turned to me, his expressive eyes full of agony, the rumbling growl still grating through his chest.
"You're the only one we could ever trust her with," I murmured to him. "If you didn't love her so much, I could never bear this. I know you can protect her, Jacob."
He whined again, and dipped his head to butt it against my shoulder.
"I know," I whispered. "I love you, too, Jake. You'll always be my best man."
A tear the size of a baseball rolled into the russet fur beneath his eye.
Edward leaned his head against the same shoulder where he'd placed Renesmee.
"Goodbye, Jacob, my brother… my son."
The others were not oblivious to the farewell scene. Their eyes were locked on the silent black triangle, but I could tell they were listening.
"Is there no hope, then?" Carlisle whispered. There was no fear in his voice. Just determination and acceptance.
"There is absolutely hope," I murmured back.
It could be true, I told myself. "I only know my own fate."
Edward took my hand. He knew that he was included. When I said my fate, there was no question that I meant the two of us. We were just halves of the whole.
Esme's breath was ragged behind me. She moved past us, touching our faces as she passed, to stand beside Carlisle and hold his hand.
Suddenly, we were surrounded by murmured goodbyes and I love you's.
"If we live through this," Garrett whispered to Kate, "I'll follow you anywhere, woman."
"Now he tells me," she muttered.
Rosalie and Emmett kissed quickly but passionately.
Tia caressed Benjamin's face. He smiled back cheerfully, catching her hand and holding it against his cheek.
I didn't see all the expressions of love and pain. I was distracted by a sudden fluttering pressure against the outside of my shield.
I couldn't tell where it came from, but it felt like it was directed at the edges of our group, Siobhan and Liam particularly. The pressure did no damage, and then it was gone.
There was no change in the silent, still forms of the counseling ancients. But perhaps there was some signal I'd missed.
"Get ready," I whispered to the others. "It's starting."
*
I concentrated on keeping the shield intact, but I couldn't help but look towards Jacob and my daughter. Jacob's big, brown eyes looked into mine one last time. I inhaled deeply, letting the air gush into my lungs. I thought as a vampire you weren't supposed to feel pain. Despite that, I did. The pain I felt wasn't just located in my heart; it was in all of my body.
He wiped off a wolf tear with his paw and backed a few steps before he turned around and started to run away. Renesmee's bronze colored hair bounced in the wind. When the two of them almost were out of my sight, she turned around and looked at me. The pain grew more intense as her sad chocolate brown eyes met mine. I knew I wouldn't survive. I wouldn't survive, cause the Volturi would kill us all. I knew that even if I did survive, I would never find Renesmee again, and I wouldn't be able to live without her. I wanted to kill. I wanted to rip those Volturi's to pieces. I wanted to see their non-existing blood pour out from their veins. I wanted to see their agony because they had come and ruined this perfection of a life. Renesmee and Jacob was now gone. And I would never see them again.
The second attack hit my shield. I grabbed Edward's hand as he pulled me closer. This attack was directed towards Emmett. I looked at our enemies thoroughly and then I noticed who tried to hurt Emmett. Jane. Her little childish face with her red eyes made me so angry right now. I saw her get more frustrated every second as her attack didn't succeed. I started to relax as I realized that they couldn't get through. But I shouldn't have. I suddenly spotted a tiny hole in the fog that portrayed my shield. I don't know if Alec saw the hole or if it only was luck, but a fog darker than my shield slowly crept inside. I couldn't stop it. It was too hard. I was not strong enough. I tried to shut it out but it was impossible.
"Please. Aro. I just want to be with the ones I love.", I begged and looked at the old one. He gave me a sad little smile and tilted his head to his right.
"I'm sorry dear. You have broken the law.", he said as the darkness approached us. Siobhan and Liam suddenly dropped down on the wet grass. Then Carlisle. Esme. Rosalie in Emmett's arms and then Emmett himself. They were blinded. Soon it was only me and Edward left. He hugged me tight and we approached the darkness together.