Chapter Thirty-Four
Peter and Charlotte had begun lighting large pyres across the battlefield, throwing in pieces of the fallen vampires... arms, legs, heads, torsos. The numbers had dwindled greatly since the battle had started, mostly for the Volturi.
But as Edward Cullen stood in the center of the field, staring around at the death and destruction around him, he could see the miserable, pained expressions of several of his own allies. Some even stood clumped to the side of the fighting, silently mourning their lost ones.
His heart began pounding when he caught sight of Rosalie's shimmering blonde hair, as her head fell into Esme's arms. Emmett's large, muscular arm was thrown into the pyre beside them, before it was set ablaze.
This was it. The only vision Alice had been able to see over the past six months. Rosalie's misery. Emmett's body going up in flames beside her.
A seething rage, unlike anything he had ever felt, suddenly overwhelmed Edward's entire body. First they took his sister. Now his brother.
Not a single thought went through Edward's mind as he slowly turned, his eyes scanning the entire battlefield. He found his target only yards away, locked into combat with Tanya. Edward began marching towards Caius, completely frozen except for the movement of his legs, as they carried him closer to the greatest kill of his life.
"I will kill you, just as I killed your sister!" Caius was shouting at Tanya, as he threw her down into the snow.
Before Tanya even had time to react, Edward stepped in, grabbing Caius's throat. Caius stared down at him, slightly amused.
"Edward," he said, his red eyes almost lighting up with excitement. "Always so noble. Coming to the rescue."
Edward did not speak as he began tightening his grip around Caius's throat. Caius laughed.
"You think you can kill me?" he asked, almost taunting.
Edward remained silent as his fingers began digging into Caius's throat. He could feel his nails beginning to break through the rock-solid skin.
Caius's smirk was gone.
He tried to pull away from Edward's grip, but it was in vain - Edward's nails were dug into Caius's throat now.
"Edward!" Tanya screamed from somewhere behind him. But Edward ignored her, his focus locked on nothing but the target in front of him.
"I did not kill your sister, Edward," Caius rasped, his eyes wide with horror as Edward's grasp continued to tighten.
"You have destroyed my family," Edward growled, his eyes filled with a hatred even Caius had never seen. "You will never come near my daughter, and you will never do to her what you have done to my siblings."
"Edward!"
It was Carlisle's voice that shouted now, and Edward could feel a pair of strong hands land on his shoulders. But he merely brushed them off, his eyes locked on the writhing vampire before him.
"Edward, stop this!"
Caius could no longer speak, as Edward's fingers dug through his neck. His head could be detached from his body at any second. But Edward could not let him die so easily.
"Edward, please."
Bella's voice caused Edward's fingers to slide from Caius's throat, though he did not release his prey.
"Bella," Edward uttered pitifully.
"You have to let go of him," Bella's voice continued. "Please, Edward. Don't let vengeance consume you. You'll never be able to stop."
"He killed them," Edward growled, his grip beginning to tighten again despite Bella's warnings. "Alice, and Emmett... they're gone because of him."
"Edward."
Edward dropped Caius to the snow, whirling around at the sound of his brother's voice.
Emmett stood beside Bella. Jasper was at Bella's other side, Alice laying limp, but conscious, in his arms. Edward stared at his siblings in shock for a moment, before stumbling towards them, falling into Emmett's grasp. He was shocked to feel only one arm hug back, before he noticed the stump hanging off of Emmett's right shoulder.
Emmett stared down at Edward, and offered a sad smile.
"I'm still here," he said. "And so is Alice."
Edward turned to Jasper and Alice. The large blade still ran through Alice's tiny body, and she looked more like a corpse than ever before. But her small hand stretched out weakly towards him, and Edward quickly ran to her side.
"Edward..." she croaked.
"Alice, just keep hanging on. We'll help you," Edward said.
"I can't see anything," Alice whispered. "Not the future... or the present. Everything is dark."
Edward could feel Carlisle's hand on his shoulder again, as his father's stunning features came into view.
"I don't know how much time we have left," he said softly.
"Can't we remove the sword?" Edward asked.
"I don't want to risk it," Carlisle insisted, "but she can only live like this for so long."
"How do we save her, then?" Emmett demanded.
Carlisle merely turned away, and the others all knew the answer immediately. Bella quickly grabbed Edward's hand, as Rosalie fell back into Emmett's grasp.
Jasper collapsed to his knees, the tiny, fragile Alice still in his arms as he hit the snow. She did not wince as he carefully laid her back down on the ground, the huge, blood-less blade glimmering in the sunlight above.
"Do you see the insanity you have caused, Carlisle?"
All of the Cullens turned at the sound of Caius's rasping, deep voice. He stood several feet away, staring at all of them desperately.
"You chose to disrupt the fabric of all of our lives when you decided to live differently than the rest of us," Caius growled. "Because of that, your son had a child with a human, leading us to the prophecy that caused the deaths of my brothers, and your daughter. Are you pleased now, Carlisle? These are the fruits of your years of 'humanity' - death, loss, monstrosities beyond imagination. Is this was you wanted?"
Carlisle stepped carefully towards Caius, his calm expression contrasting beautifully with his disheveled appearance.
"My family and I have no regrets about our decision to preserve humanity," he stated. "This war is not being fought over my granddaughter. Our allies united over us because we were the only ones with the courage to stand up against your tyranny. The Volturi were once the most respected coven of vampires in the entire world, in history. You destroyed yourselves. You used your power to stifle your people, and murder those who did not agree. We did not cause this uprising - you did. You are the sole heir to the most hated monarchy on the entire planet right now, Caius. If you wish to die with any sense of honor in your memory, then you know what you must do."
Caius stared back at Carlisle for a moment, an almost dumbfounded expression on his face. Carlisle stared back, as calm as ever.
"And what of your granddaughter, Carlisle?" Caius asked. "You saw the prophecy. You know what is doomed to occur. Are you prepared to take on the power that you insist corrupted my family?"
"Renesmee is a strong girl, and my family has morals that you and your brothers have always lacked," Carlisle replied. "We will deal with the prophecy how we see fit."
"Then I am glad that I will not be alive to witness it," Caius spat.
He stood carefully, stretching out his wide arms, as if about to take off into the sky.
"My brothers and I worked for centuries to build this world, only to watch it crumble and burn around us, like the final moments of Pompeii," Caius said, his eyes closed as he turned his face upwards towards the sun. "Once we are all gone, you will realize the gravity of such a position, Carlisle. I pray that you will not meet the same demise as my family - but I have little faith in your values of humanity."
"Then may you land somewhere that will change your heart," Carlisle replied solemnly.
Caius nodded once, and Carlisle turned to Edward and Bella, motioning silently towards the burning pyre behind them. Edward, Bella and Rosalie moved silently towards the pyre, each grabbing a burning piece of wood.
Caius remained in his outstretch position as the flames hit his robes, sending him up into a burst of light. He did not shout once as his body crumbled and burned before the Cullens' eyes, until nothing was left but a pile of ashes.
A jeweled, golden cross sat atop the pile.
The Cullens remained silent as they stared at the small mass before them. What had only moments before been a threat to their lives was now nothing more than a small gathering of dirt.
The fighting had gradually decreased, as all of the members of the Volturi were either killed or forced to surrender. The raging battlefield of only hours earlier was now a barren valley of mourning, as vampires threw pieces of their loved ones into the many scattered flames that littered the scene.
Esme placed a hand on Carlisle's shoulder as he turned, staring out at the hundreds of aching covens around them.
"We did it," she whispered gently.
"It's not over yet," Carlisle said, turning back to his family, who knelt gathered around Alice's deteriorating body.
"What can we do?" Emmett asked, eagerly.
"Nahuel, Seth and Leah arrived in the middle of the battle," Carlisle said.
"What?" Esme asked, staring at Carlisle in shock. "When? How? Where are they?"
"I haven't seen Seth or Leah, but I spoke to Nahuel," Carlisle explained. "He said Renesmee and Jacob were here, in Austria. Only about four-hundred miles east. I sent him after them."
"How long ago did he leave?" Jasper asked.
"It doesn't matter," Carlisle insisted. "We need to find Seth and Leah, and Zafrina. We need to check on who's here."
"So we should just forget those who aren't?" Edward demanded suddenly.
"We will have time to locate Renesmee," Carlisle said calmly. "There are too many of our allies here awaiting commands."
"Then we send them all out after Nessa. We'll find her in minutes," Edward said.
"And what about Alice?" Carlisle asked in return.
Alice could hardly speak, and merely moaned where she lay in Jasper's arms, feebly trying to stretch her arm out to Edward. Edward stood frozen, torn between his missing daughter and his dying sister, both of whom needed him.
At that moment a large, brown wolf came hobbling over towards them. It was hardly able to carry itself, its front two paws were so mangled. It's back leg hug completely limp, most likely broken.
In an instant the wolf melted away, revealing a small, shivering Seth Clearwater.
"Seth!"
Bella was at his side in a heartbeat, wrapping her jacket around him, and sliding her arm under his shoulder so as to support him. His leg was badly torn up and bruised, his arms similarly destroyed.
"Seth, what the hell do you think you're doing, running into the middle of all of this?" Bella demanded.
"I told Nessie that I would fight for her," Seth said firmly, staring around at all of the Cullens as he said so. "I wanted you to know that she's okay."
"That's not what Nahuel said," Carlisle interjected.
"You saw Nahuel?" Seth asked, beginning to search around.
"Carlisle sent him back after Nessie and Jacob," Bella informed him.
"I couldn't go."
The Cullens were shocked to see Nahuel and Leah standing slightly behind Seth, hand in hand as they stared back at the Cullen family.
"Nahuel, what happened?" Carlisle demanded.
"One of the Volturi was going to kill Leah. I had to help her. And I won't leave her," Nahuel stated.
"Where is Renesmee?" Edward asked, staring around at Seth, Leah and Nahuel frantically.
"We left her with Jacob," Seth answered. "They're somewhere outside of the village."
"Charlie, Billy and Sue are still in the village," Bella recalled.
"You brought our mother?" Leah demanded.
"They insisted upon coming," Esme assured her.
"We need to get Renesmee and Jacob back here," Edward said.
"No, we need to find a way to save Alice," Rosalie interjected.
"Our main priority is getting all of the covens out of here safely," Carlisle insisted.
"How can you say that, when Alice is dying right before us?" Rosalie spat.
"I don't know what to do for Alice," Carlisle confessed, his stunning golden eyes filled to the brim with more agony than any of the Cullens had ever seen their father bear.
"So we should just let her die?" Rosalie demanded frantically.
"Nessie," Alice croaked out pitifully from the ground.
"Shh. Don't try to speak," Jasper hushed her gently, stroking her face.
"Nessie," Alice repeated, more firmly, as she reached up, touching Jasper's hand.
"Is she trying to tell us to go after Nessie?" Seth asked.
"Alice, what's wrong?" Jasper asked, frowning.
"Get... Nessie…" Alice managed to utter, wincing in pain as she tried to finish the last word.
"She wants Nessie," Emmett stated.
"We should find Charlie and Billy - ask if they've seen her in the village," Bella said.
"Why does she need Nessie?" Leah asked.
"Everyone stop," Carlisle commanded. "We have no idea where Nessie and Jacob might be, and they have no idea that the battle is over, so they'll still be in hiding. I think we should deal with whoever is left here before sending anyone out to find-"
"Where's Edward?" Esme asked suddenly.
All of the Cullens turned quickly. But Edward was already long gone.