Chapter Eleven

Carlisle

I waited hiding my impatience as Jasper drained another two bags of human blood, his eyes becoming an unfamiliar ruby color then helped him up and he sat heavily on the bed.

"Where's Alice?"

"She had a few errands to run and I sent Rose to keep her company."

"Errands? You mean she left me?"

"I think she was just too distressed to stay son. Now listen, I have no idea how long we have or if you'll ever have another of these episodes but I need to know what's happening to you. WE have to find a way to stop this and once you feel up to it we'll talk more."

Esme arrived at this point and came to sit beside him wrapping an arm around his shoulders and kissing him on the cheek,

"I just rang Alice to tell her that you are back."

He turned to her eager for more news,

"Is she coming back?"

"Of course she is but they're in Seattle so it will be a while. She sent her love and told me to tell you that you'd better hang around for her this time."

He nodded but I could tell he felt her absence, he was vulnerable and wanted his mate at his side. We had no idea how long he would be with us and Alice was in Seattle, so far from him and he could be gone by the time she got back.

"If I...if it happens before she gets back tell her I love her Esme. Ask her to stay with me if she can. Knowing she's there helps."

"I will but it may be impossible for her to remain at your side Jasper. You're projecting and its very difficult for any of us to stay close although we do try."

He fought to understand although he understood that each attack weakened him meaning his emotions broke free to wash over all of us if we were close enough. Did he fear that we might be forced to abandon him, leave him in his own private hell for ever possibly?

His cell phone started ringing insistently and he grabbed it eagerly,

"One minute Carlisle, this must be Alice."

From the expression on his face he was wrong although he listened, his face going hard and then he uttered a single word,

"NO!"

He cursed throwing the cell phone across the room to hit the far wall hard enough to crack the plastic casing and make a dent in the plaster.

Jasper

I really thought it was Alice ringing to check up on me, eager to hear my voice if I was back in the land of the sane but it wasn't. I recognized the voice as the man in the clearing, Jude.

"My masters are becoming impatient Major so they decided to shorten your time for musing on my words. Have you come to a decision? I'm sure you don't want to spend eternity in hell now do you? Be a sensible man and agree to help us, we'll make it worth your while."

Much as I hated and feared the alternative I would not be tortured into agreeing to work for anyone who could do this to another and I was terrified it might be Maria.

"No. I refuse to be blackmailed. Tell your masters that."

I threw the phone across the room as I heard his final words

"Such a pity, I hope you find somewhere to hide in hell although I doubt it Major...I think you will spend the rest of your existence suffering in purgatory."

Turning to Carlisle I grabbed his hand desperate to tell him what I knew but as I opened my mouth his face disappeared, everything did and I knew it was too late. All I could do was hope that he could find out what was happening and bring me back.

Carlisle

Jasper must have known something because he was trying to tell me something before I lost him again. Esme struggled to help me hold him.

"Oh Carlisle, how long can he suffer before he breaks?"

"I have no idea Esme, he's strong but every attack weakens him further.

"You have to cure him, find out what's doing this and stop it."

"If I had any idea what was doing this I would Esme but I'm as helpless as the rest of you at the moment."

"Do you think it might be another vampire doing this?"

I jumped, I'd forgotten Emmett was standing there he was so quiet but he asked the very question I should be asking.

"I have no idea Emmett but I don't think its drugs they would find it difficult to administer especially here in the house."

"What about a gift? Could it be a gift?"

"I don't think so Emmett, we've checked the area and there are no strange vampire tracks close by."

"Could he be hiding behind the wolves? We wouldn't smell him over their stench would we?"

"Its possible but highly unlikely, the wolves would have killed any strange vampire they came across and I've heard nothing about such a thing."

"That means if its a gifted vampire doing this then he's operating at a distance, do you know of any gifts that work over such a distance Carlisle?"

I shook my head in answer to Esme's question beginning to feel the dread spread out from Jasper almost like static electricity settling my hair on end and my skin crawl.

"No I don't, it would be incredibly rare and Aro would be eager to hunt such a gift down that's for sure. I can't see it and Alice isn't seeing anything."

"Maybe she will now though, if someone had made a decision to torture Jasper again surely Carlisle"

I thought Esme was right but if so Alice hadn't seen it yet and I knew Jasper was running out of time rapidly.

"If not drugs or a vampire with a gift then what Carlisle?"

"Well I've heard of certain stones, rare minerals that have devastating effects on vampires so maybe its one of those close to the house or close to Jasper."

Esme put a hand to her mouth,

"Alice bought a new necklace about a week ago or just over, around the time Jasper's problems started. Do you think it might have been sent deliberately?"

"Do you know where it came from Esme?"

"No Carlisle I don't but I can ring her and find out."

"Well Jazz came round after she left, he was conscious when Alice came to find us because he called out but then when we got close he went again."

"I''ll ring her"

Emmett grabbed his phone dialing her number urgently,

"I'll take it outside, I can't hear anything over Jazz."

Emmett

"Emmett? At last, I thought you were going to give me some good news. We'll be headed back soon so tell Jazz to hold on"

"Too late Alice, he's gone again."

"Oh, then there's no reason to rush back is there? He won't know I'm there."

"He asked Carlisle to tell you that he wanted to know you'd be close as much as you can."

"Why didn't he tell me in person? Don't I matter enough for a personal call?"

"Hey, he wasn't with us long Alice. Anyway I need to ask you about your necklace, the new one."

"Yes what about it? I bought it for me, for our anniversary."

"You did what?"

"Look its easy enough to understand. I saw the necklace and I loved it so I bought it and I was going to tell Jazz what I'd done but then he started acting all weird so I never got a chance. Is that so wrong?"

She sounded like a hurt child and I sighed knowing there was no point in arguing with her,

"Where did you get it?"

"Why?"

"It could be important Alice please"

"It was advertised in a flier in a magazine, one I bought in Forks. I don't understand why you are so interested in it, its just a pretty necklace."

"It could be what's causing Jasper's problems, Carlisle says certain rare minerals can affect vampires."

"And he thinks I just happened to buy a rare mineral? It sounds like a cheap horror movie Emmett, really!"

"Listen I want to get Jazz back so I need that necklace."

"Are you insinuating that I don't? You can have the damn thing when I get back but don't you damage it."

She cut me off and I stared at the dead phone in my hand, she hadn't even asked how Jazz was and that really pissed me off.