Jasper's POV
"Jasper!" Maria called.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Here's today's list if year-olds, you know the drill."
"I sure do..." I glanced down at the list. If my heart could still beat, it would have stopped cold. "Um...Maria?"
"Is there a problem?"
"It's actually kind of funny...I-I was just wonderin..."
"Out with it Whitlock, I don't have all day!"
"Bella's name is on the list and I was just gonna say-"
"I'll stop you right there. Her name is on the list because she's been here a year."
"I thought you needed her, with her gift, she could be useful."
"'Could be,' is what I've been saying for the past year. She's made little progress on expanding her shield except to help you. If I need a shield, I want one that can protect more than one person."
"Makes sense..." I sadly agreed.
"Good, now you have till sundown tomorrow to complete the list. Get going, Major!"
"Yes, ma'am." She disappeared, leaving me alone with my thoughts, and my heartache.
I found Bella in our room, curled up on the couch reading a book, fire going (not that it did much of anything). She looked so beautiful as the orange light reflected off her sparkling skin. Sadness and the want to cry built up in my chest. 'I can't do it! Even if its an order, I can not, and will not kill Bella!'
"Jasper?" Her golden eyes locked with my red ones, "Is something wrong?"
"I-" I couldn't tell her, she didn't need to know about the cruel and dark things I had done during my time here. If I wasn't going to kill her, she didn't need to know. Her worry increased, "No... Everything's fine," she was still worried. "I've just been thinking...maybe we should leave the army..."
"Why is that?" She asked suspiciously.
"I've just been thinking and you were right. We should leave as soon as we can. How 'bout tonight?" I could feel her worry, suspicion, and confusion. 'Please stop worrying, just be glad we get to leave like you wanted to this whole time.' A smile instantly spread across we face, 'Weird...'
"I'll just pack a few things and we can be in our way."
"Be quick," Maria could be back any moment and would no doubt notice us leaving and my not returning. She would no doubt notice at some point, but we needed time to escape.
"All set," she said, more than happy to be leaving.
I took her hand "Lets go."
Just like that, we vanished, hopefully never to see Maria or her blasted army ever again.