Chapter Three
In no time at all, Bella had two duffle bags packed and hung on Edward's shoulders. I gently lifted the girl off the bed and carried her to Edward's car. Bella opened the door for me and reclined the passenger seat as far as it would go. I set her down and Bella situated her with a pillow and blanket as Edward placed the bags in the trunk.
"I wish I knew her name," I muttered.
Bella stood upright quickly, inspiration sparkling in her eyes. "You said she was at the river, right?" I nodded. "Maybe she had a purse laying around there somewhere."
Brilliant. In my haste to save her, I didn't look for any personal belongings. "That's very possible."
"Edward and I could check. If we don't find anything, we'll snoop around the diner where she worked. We'll go tonight and call you as soon as we find anything."
"Just follow my scent," I said, pointing in the direction I had come from earlier. "And…thank you, Bella."
"Anytime," Bella answered, hugging me tightly. "Please call if you need us."
"I will."
"Promise?" Edward said, throwing his arms around the two of us.
"Yes, I promise," I said with a chuckle.
Esme and Carlisle came in to say their goodbyes. After promising a few more times to call if things got out-of-hand, I finally got on the road.
I looked over at my passenger, worried once again about her lack of movement. Her heart rate had picked up, which was a good sign.
Still, I worried.
Earlier at the house, I was picking up on emotions from her. She felt fear, relief, confusion and even irritation, but no pain. It just didn't make any sense. But there in the car I wasn't getting anything.
I reached over and stroked her arm with the backs of my fingers. Her skin still felt soft and warm, but I could feel a definite temperature change.
As I looked her over for other subtle changes, I noticed movement on the side of the road ahead of me. A deer jumped out, causing me to swerve and hit my brakes.
It wasn't often that a vampire was caught off guard. If I'd had a heartbeat, mine would've been pounding in my chest.
"I should get out and hunt you down," I grumbled, glaring into the woods.
I looked over to the girl, to make sure she hadn't been disturbed by my sudden stop.
She hadn't.
Just as I began to drive again, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Bella.
"That was quick," I said as a greeting.
"What can I say, I'm efficient."
"So, did you find anything?"
"Yes, she had a backpack there hanging on a tree branch. Her name is Ember Thompson and she's nineteen…We left the backpack there so someone would find it and…well, you know. She'll be assumed dead after a massive search, I'm sure."
"Most likely. Thanks again, Bella. Tell Edward I said thanks."
"He says you're welcome." She giggled. "We broke into the diner. We're on our way to her apartment now, to see what else I can find out about her."
"Bored much?"
"You have no idea!…Okay, maybe you do. Oh, by the way…Emmett is ticked."
"He'll get over it. Tell him to stay home."
"I'll try…Take care Jasper." "You do the same. Bye, Bella."
"Bye."
******
The trip took a total of twelve hours even at break-neck speeds.
I carried Ember into the house and laid her on the couch, then returned to the car to retrieve the bags and my guitar which Edward had packed without my knowledge. I hadn't played in a very long time, but I silently thanked him for thinking of it. Now I had something to keep my attention while I waited for her to come around.
She never made a sound or had any emotional spikes the entire trip, but she had changed dramatically.
Her skin was the same pale white as mine and sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight when I carried her in from the car. Though her skin was smooth as silk, she wasn't pliable and warm anymore. Her features had become more refined and she developed a mesmerizing scent all of her own.
I made my way through the house, pulling sheets from furniture, dusting and sweeping down cob-webs. No one had been to this house since Bella was changed and it showed.
After tidying everything up, I brought Ember to the master bedroom and laid her in the center of the king-sized canopy bed. I had set my guitar down beside the bags in the corner of the room, so I grabbed it and settled down on the bed, sitting with my back against the headboard.
I had no idea what to play, so I checked and double-checked the strings, making sure the tuning was right. When I had wasted all the time I could tuning, I sighed and looked down at Ember.
"Any ideas?"
Of course she didn't answer.
My eyes closed and I focused my attention on the rapid beat of Ember's heart accompanied by her shallow breaths. All the stress and tension of the last five years melted away as I allowed my fingers to dance on the strings. I kept time with her heart, fully absorbed in the joyful world my music created for me.
I must've played for hours. By the time I quit, the sun had dipped below the mountains.
As I returned my guitar back to it's case, my lips curled into a genuine smile.
That had felt really good.
Just as I stood, a wave of shock hit me.
Ember's consciousness had finally come back.
******
Ember POV
I know everyone has heard the expression "My life flashed before my eyes" --but what I was experiencing was insane!
With a jolt, my memories came back…All of them, all at the same time.
I felt as though I were standing in a room surrounded by my life. My childhood, my parents, their deaths, the murderer, living with my aunt and uncle, moving…the river, my fall…the reason for my fall, all in crystal clear detail.
"Ember?…Can you hear me?"
I knew that voice.
Jasper.
My mind quickly put the puzzle pieces together.
He was the vampire I had tried to escape when I fell. He pulled me from the river. He….
No. No no no no no NO!
I can smell the venom working through her system.
Carlisle's voice rang loud and clear in my head.
"Whoa…okay don't panic, I'm going to explain everything."
I had just realized what I was becoming --because of him --panicking was an understatement.
I was furious, but still not able to move or open my eyes or scream which made it so much worse.
"Easy," he said, taking my hand. I could feel myself calming, but not because I wanted to.
Get away from me! I screamed in my head.
I felt my hand drop and heard his steps as he backed away.
"Telepathic?" he whispered. Can you hear me like this?
Yes! I growled. He came back to stand beside me. Get. Away. From. Me…NOW!
"Ember, I…I'm sorry."
Then it happened. The pain Carlisle had mentioned took hold of me and there was nothing else. It felt as though my blood had crystallized into shards of ice that ripped and tore their way through my veins.
In all that pain I finally found my voice, but could do nothing but scream.
******
Emmett POV
"Stay home," I muttered as I pulled into the drive of our Rocky Mountain home. "Pshh, can't tell me what to do."
I stepped out of the car, expecting to see Jasper standing on the porch with his arms crossed over his chest. Instead, his cry of agony rang out from the second floor of the house.
It took less than three seconds to get up there. I threw open the door to find Jasper curled in a ball on the floor next to the bed. Ember lay on the bed twitching and whimpering.
I snatched Jasper up and ran from the house into the woods.
"You can…put me down…now." His voice trembled, the effects of his ordeal just beginning to ebb.
I set him down. He sank all the way to the ground, sprawling out on his back.
"What are you doing here, Emmett?"
Was he serious?
"What?! You know what, forget that. What was that all about?" I asked, pointing toward the house.
He sighed and sat upright.
"I was trying to help her…to ease the pain…It overtook me." He shuddered. "That was worse than my own change."
"Wow." Jasper just nodded. "You alright?"
"She was so angry at me."
Ember's screams penetrated the air around us and he jumped to his feet. I grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't try to help. I'll snatch you out again if I even think you're in trouble."
He gave me a sharp nod and we took off for the house.
******
Jasper POV
After a few hours, Ember's screaming quieted to sobs and whimpers.
I felt horrible.
She hated me.
"Hey, could you lighten up the depression a bit? You're killin' me over here," Emmett said, not bothering to look away from his combat game.
"You don't have to be here," I answered, annoyed.
"Whatever." He finally turned to look at me. "Listen, she'll be fine. Once she wakes up--"
"Shhh! Listen." Ember's heart was sputtering wildly. "I think it's almost over."
"Already?" Emmett replied in disbelief.
I didn't answer, just ran up to Ember's room.
Her heart took it's last violent beat just as I reached her side. She laid deathly still for longer than I would've liked, but to my great relief she finally drew in a breath.
I gasped in wonder when her eyes met mine.
The bluest sky held no comparison to the blue of the eyes staring into mine.
