Trigger warning: violence

I noticed the crystals that my aunts had chosen for the circle were less about protection this time and more about guiding the spirit and heightening my abilities. That was good. Right now, protection wasn't exactly what I was going for.

I ran through the invocation steps to make sure that I had everything I needed. Summoning a demon and then going up against a vampire would likely take a lot of magic, and I wasn't sure how much help I'd have… if any. Not only that, but I had used quite a bit today already—so much more than I usually did. When I first moved to Forks and began learning magic, I had been afraid to overexert myself; I actively shied away from my powers. It hardly mattered to me now. My magic was a part of me, and it had brought me closer to the people that I loved. I'd still have to be careful. I was already tired, and I still had a lot to do. It would be even more difficult without my aunts' help.

Emmett shifted uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye.

I ran a hand through my hair. I didn't know what would happen between us after this. If my vision came to pass, I hoped he'd forgive me.

"Don't worry," I reassured him. "This part is easy. Just make sure you don't go anywhere near the circle—especially not in it, okay?"

"Why not?"

"The closer you get, the closer your energy is to the spirits'. Entering the circle or breaking it and letting the spirit out is how possessions happen."

Emmett muttered something under his breath. I only caught something about The Exorcist before he was cut off by the buzzing of his cell phone. He answered it in a flash. Emmett didn't say anything as the person on the other line spoke. His dark eyes glanced at me. "I'll let her know." He hung up.

"What is it?"

"Carlisle and Esme are escorting Laurent from our territory. They're going to introduce him to the Denali coven to keep him out of the way. They should be back in a few hours. Rose is taking Alice to our place in Chicago to lay low for a bit. The potion wore off on Ali almost as soon as they left town."

My eyebrows knit together. It was odd for that potion to wear off so quickly, but I'd never known anyone that had used it on a vampire before. I made a mental note to look into it further if we made it through this. I looked back up to Emmett. "Edward and Jasper?"

"They're going after James and Victoria to see if they can get your aunt back." He must have seen the look on my face, because he followed that bit of news very quickly with, "They're just tracking them. They're going to wait for Carlisle and Esme to get back before they approach them. Edward just wanted eyes on your aunt."

It should have made me feel better, but it didn't. I didn't like the idea of everyone being split up, no matter how much it made sense. When I told Edward to go back to his family, I thought they would have stayed together. I had to trust that Carlisle, Edward, and Alice wouldn't lead the rest astray. I comforted myself with the fact that it was quite logical and no one would be by themselves.

I took a deep breath, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm going to go take an energy potion before I do this. I'll be right back."

Emmett nodded. "I'm gonna run the perimeter, just to be safe."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I smirked at Emmett's eagerness to get out of the house and do something. I could tell he was a little annoyed that he wasn't on the hunt after James and Victoria. He definitely didn't seem at ease in my house; his size made him seem like a bull in a china shop.

I went back into the kitchen with the intent of downing every last energy potion we had. The first thing I noticed was that Isolde was gone. Hopefully she was upstairs resting. I could feel her magic nearby, so I knew she was safe at least. I chugged down two bottles of potion. We weren't supposed to drink more than one a day—it had addictive properties. I felt I could make an exception just this once considering the circumstances.

I was about to return to the study when the phone rang. It was loud and shrill. Everything in me was screaming for me to ignore it, but I knew I had to answer it. I knew it was going to be important.

I brought the receiver up to my ear. I didn't have to say hello. The man on the other line knew exactly when the line was connected.

"That was a clever trick, Emme."

James' cold voice froze me in my tracks.

"I know you're still in Forks. I know your friends are all otherwise occupied. And I have your aunt." He spat the word 'friends' as if it were something disgusting. A relationship between a vampire like Edward and a mortal like me probably was disgusting in his eyes.

"Meet me at the clearing—alone—in thirty minutes or she's dead." The connection ended.

Emmett was suddenly by my side. He looked down at me, concerned. He had heard the last bit of the conversation. I met his eyes. He knew immediately what was running through my mind. "Woah, woah. You're not actually thinking about this, are you, Emme?" he asked incredulously. "If you just wait for—"

I cut him off, my voice frantic and rushed. "I'm not waiting, Emmett. I can't wait. There's not enough time." I didn't know how far away the other Cullens were, and even if I did, James said they were otherwise occupied. I didn't know what that meant, but it couldn't mean anything good.

Emmett shook his head, grabbing me harshly by the shoulders. "I'm not going to let you walk into this alone. Its suicide for a—well, for someone that can die. Plus, I would just end up going with you cause Edward would kill me if I didn't."

I winced, though, from his grip or the thought of Edward, I wasn't sure. I had seen myself going to the clearing to meet James before we made our plan to split up, but I was hoping that there would be more to the vision than I could see. When I told Edward I didn't want to sacrifice myself, I meant it. I didn't want to, but if it was the only way to get my aunt back, I would do it. I hoped I would be powerful enough to stop him, but I wasn't so sure now. He had evaded the Cullens and taken my aunt—a full Septe—and was still holding her somehow. Regardless, I had no intention of missing the deadline. "You don't have a choice." I grabbed his hands and shoved him off of me with telekinesis so I could push past him.

Emmett wasn't expecting that sort of strength coming from me. He blinked in surprise, but recovered quickly and moved to block my path once again. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was resolute.

So was I. "I don't have time for this!" I hissed at him. "Please don't make me do something I'll regret." I already knew I would have to stun him. That didn't mean that I wanted to, though.

Emmett's expression didn't change, though I could see the doubt in his eyes. "Edward'll be here soon," he assured me.

I closed my eyes, remembering what it felt like when my power exploded from my body the day we were blood typing in biology. This time though, I focused all my efforts on Emmett. He fought surprisingly hard against the magic.

I pushed harder until he fell to the floor, unmoving. Emmett wasn't unconscious—that was impossible for vampires. But he would be indisposed long enough for me to summon Kumboh and at least get a head start back towards the clearing. His phone began buzzing in his pocket once again. I ignored it.

I didn't give myself any time to think about the fact that I had just used my powers against a friend. Instead, I ran to the study, falling to my knees next to the circle. I had to make this quick.

"Altera regna mea processit spiritus invoco."

The lights in the room went out. Silence fell in the room and throughout the house. The cell phone had stopped vibrating.

"Altera regna mea processit spiritus invoco," I repeated, hurriedly.

The energy in the room crackled. It hummed through my body and in the circle. The candle wick lit and burned with a flame was much larger than it should have been if it were lit normally.

"Altera regna mea processit spiritus invoco!" My voice was strong. I couldn't let myself feel anything other than strength, despite wanting to. I pulled Alice's heirloom earrings out of my pocket. I hadn't given them back to her after I had used them to scry. I had forgotten all about them. But since I was summoning someone specific, I needed a memento. Kumboh had stolen these earrings; they were now connected to him as much as her. I recalled everything that I had learned about, clutching the earrings tightly in my fist.

The smoke billowed and began to take shape with Kumboh's now-familiar form. I still had to finish the incantation before he would fully appear, however.

"Peto te apparere."

The smoke became almost opaque as Kumboh looked at me, face filled with concern.

"Did you find her?" he asked immediately.

"I don't have time to explain. Mary Brandon is safe—she goes by Alice now. James isn't after him anymore. Now he's after me. I wanted you to tell us how to defeat him—his weaknesses. Now I'm on my own."

Kumboh's expression grew alarmed as he took in my words until finally, he settled on understanding. "You want me to join you," he murmured deep in thought. "Are you quite certain there is no other way?"

"If there is, I don't have time to figure it out. He has my aunt. I have 15 minutes to meet him before he kills her."

Despite the fact that his eyes were glowing white, I could still see the apprehension in them. He would help me. "Come here, pitit mwen."

With a deep breath, I did exactly what I had told Emmett not to do: I stepped into the circle.

The effect was immediate. I had never been possessed before nor did I know anyone who had; I didn't know what it would feel like. It was unsettling. My entire body was boiling as if I was burning from the inside. It was uncomfortable, but not unbearable. My mind was filled with my own thoughts, but also unfamiliar ones. I could feel Kumboh in my consciousness. I was being shared with another entity.

More than that though, Kumboh was sharing me.

He had been a vampire when he was alive. His memories, his heightened senses, his speed and strength… I had access to all of it now. And I knew exactly how I was going to use it.

'Let's go, little one.' His voice was strong in my mind.

We took off running. I had thought that running with Edward was invigorating, but this was entirely on another level. I wasn't tired or pained; I was flying. We grinned. Kumboh had forgotten what it was like to have a solid form in our realm, and he took advantage of the fact that he had temporary access to both.

We arrived at the clearing faster than I ever could have by myself. Every time I moved, the edges of my body blurred with what looked like smoke. I had somehow managed to rip a hole in the side of my loaned sweater and at the knee of my jeans. My hair was a tangled mess that fell limply to my waist. I was positive there were twigs in it from the run here. I knew my eyes would be a solid white, just like in my vision. I hoped the effect would be intimidating, but knowing what I did of James, I doubted it.

A snap of a twig turned our attention to the forest behind us.

James appeared out of the trees. "Hello, Emme." He slowly began towards me, a smirk plastered on his smug, pale face. He was a predator in the truest sense of the word. I was undeniably his prey. "How good of you to meet me—and so quickly too! Perhaps I'll make your death easier for you." His eyes flew over me, taking in my appearance. He frowned. James knew something was off.

When I spoke, my voice was my own, but it was laced with another, deeper voice. There was a familiar accent to it. I couldn't quite place it before, but from Kumboh's thoughts I learned it was a mixture of his original Kush accent mixed with his newfound Creole one. "It seems we meet again."

James' facial expression changed instantaneously. He was confused and disbelieving. James didn't seem like the type of person to confuse easily. I could feel his infuriation from across the clearing. He recognized the voice and looked at me intently. "What are you?" he murmured.

I'd never have been able to hear his words without my current heightened senses. A slow smile spread across my face. He didn't know what I was. He hadn't figured it out. We had that going for us at least.

He seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts. "No matter. This was much easier than I thought it'd be. It'll be over quickly."

"I highly doubt that," we scoffed. "Where is your mate? I've looked forward to ripping her head from her body for the last 80 some years now. I never thought I'd get the chance."

James scowled, growling at the mention of Victoria's decapitation. "I killed you once, old man. I'll do it again."

"You can try."

The hunter looked at us again, hoping to gather more information before he made his move. We let him, unbothered. He obviously didn't know how Kumboh and I inhabited the same body, but he was smart enough to realize we were. "I must admit, you are full of surprises, Emme. Victoria knew something was off with you the moment you changed in front of us. It took until you manipulated Laurent for me to realize the same. It was just like he tried to do so long ago. How did you do it?"

We shrugged. "I'm a witch."

Surprise flickered across his features, hardly noticeable in the night. I never would have seen without Kumboh's eyes. "Fascinating. I can see now why that coven was so protective of you. They were easy enough to get rid of though. I barely had to lift a finger. Victoria and I easily found your home. We waited, hoping you would return. In the end, we decided that it would be easier if you came to me instead. Your aunt was easy enough to take. They were both asleep. They didn't even have time to notice that we were there."

"Where is she?" we snarled, crouching as if to pounce. It was a fluid motion; it felt natural. Kumboh was a protector.

James smirked. He spoke as if he were recounting the weather instead of what he did with Aunt Blair. "We had her with us for a while. It was easy enough to tell that two of the coven got rid of Laurent and one of them was taking you to a safe house. Victoria and I planned to follow and use your aunt as bait. But then it wasn't really you, Emme, was it? I must admit I was surprised when you turned into my prey from all those years ago… the only one that ever escaped. Thanks to you I suppose."

This time, he was speaking to Kumboh, who answered in kind. "Perhaps you are not as good as you think you are."

That seemed to amuse James. He began to pace freely and carefree. "I won't pretend to understand your obsession with her, old man, but wherever you hid her, she was safe. I couldn't even hear the screams—she probably didn't even notice the pain. She was so miserable as a human already. Just think: a couple of hundred years earlier and she would have been burned at the stake! She got off lucky at the asylum. I'd always wanted to find her again and finish the job. I knew it would happen one day, though I was still surprised to see her here. I guess her coven out to be able to derive some comfort from this experience. I get you, but they get her. The one victim that escaped me… quite an honor, actually. I do regret that I never got to taste her. She smelled much better than you do. You barely smell at all, though I know you will taste much better than I could even imagine…" He trailed off wistfully.

We narrowed our eyes. How would he know that?

"I'm not sure what made us do it. It was just a hunch. I usually get a sixth sense, if you will, about the prey that I'm hunting. I always listen. Your aunt fought admirably with whatever magic I'm assuming you possess. She held us off until she couldn't anymore. When she fell unconscious we drained her."

The storm came out of nowhere. The wind was howling. Lightning and thunder flashed so often that the light made it easy to see, bathing us both in white.

We screamed. Kumboh was both trying to comfort me and urge me to act, but I couldn't bring myself to move. The pain was unimaginable. I knew James was telling the truth.

Aunt Blair was dead.

James smiled, putting his white teeth on full display. His eyes flashed bright, crimson red. "It was the best thing I have ever tasted. And even better—I'm stronger than I have ever been, even as a newborn. And so is Victoria. Your mate and his friend had begun tracking us. Victoria volunteered to take care of them while I came back for you. I thought it might be hard to convince you to part from your bodyguard. I could have taken you by force if I had to what with all this extra strength, but you saved me the hassle. I don't know how long it will last… but then again, I'll have you to consume as well when all is said and done." He slowly began to move towards me, a smirk still plastered on his arrogant, pale face. He was a predator in the truest sense of the word. I was undeniably his prey.

"Pull yourself together, girl. We must defeat him." I felt sick. My aunt was killed. It was my fault. Edward and Jasper were fighting for their lives. It was my fault. I stunned Emmett. It was my fault. Everything was my fault.

We looked at James, and I knew I was staring death in the face. With my aunt's blood, he was stronger than the average vampire; we could sense it. I didn't know if he was stronger than us, but with the amount of magic I had used recently, I had a feeling it might kill me if I tried to defeat him.

I hated him. He ruined everything. Worse, he put everyone I cared about in danger.

I'd never had confidence in my powers before. With how I was raised, I'd never been able to. But now, despite my imminent demise, I couldn't help but feel a bit proud of myself. I'd been proud of my family name and its legacy, but not of me. I'd never been able to take James on before moving to Forks. I wasn't a Septe, but I was still powerful.

He would kill me, but I would destroy him. I only hoped Edward would forgive me.

He moved in a flash. If Kumboh hadn't been with me, I never would have been able to follow his movements. We didn't try to run. We narrowed our eyes, as Kumboh took over my movements. James reached out with his fist, aiming for my chest. Our hand flew out and caught it before it could connect. We took his arm with both of our hands and flung him as hard as we could across the clearing.

James soared, landing in a perfect crouch. He didn't stop. He was up in a flash, coming at us again. We didn't wait either and took off running to meet him. We jumped, meeting James in the air. Our bodies hit with an incredible crash that the storm still raging around us easily covered.

We flew backward, twisting instinctively and landing crouched on the balls of my feet. James charged at us again. He swung his fist, which we blocked with our forearm. We held him and ducked under his outstretched arm to step behind him. We lifted our leg and landed a kick in the center of his back. It sent him flying across the clearing. We followed immediately. We didn't want to give him any time to think, and I could feel myself tiring.

James whirled around, catching us by surprise. He was fast. We didn't have time to duck. His fist connected with our jaw, sending us to the ground hard. He was over us in an instant. We rolled out of the way as he brought his foot down where our head had just been. Then, James was over us again. We brought our leg up, catching him in the back. He was sent off balance. We took advantage of it to kick his feet out from under him and jump to our feet. We crouched above him, holding him tight by the throat.

"Not so easy when there is only one of you, is it, Kalmason?" we spit. Kumboh was a skilled fighter. He had been good enough to hold off both James and Victoria for three days. He was still skilled now.

But with witch blood, James was stronger. He grabbed our wrist and yanked us down. He caught us in the side with his knee as we fell. We tumbled across the clearing. James towered above us, his foot on our throat. "No," he mused. "It's easier." He pushed.

We spluttered for breath. Kumboh didn't need air, but I did. I might have his strength, but we were still in my body. We grabbed for his ankle and pulled.

That only made him push harder. James chuckled, wiping the water off of his pallid face. "I must admit, Emme. I didn't expect you to put up such a good fight. I'll be sure to let your boyfriend know. Edward, isn't it?"

We let out a strangled cry, desperately clawing at his leg.

James' red eyes shone with glee. "I want him to avenge you. I'll hunt him next. I'll hunt the whole coven if I have to. I won't be defeated again."

I was so tired. Our hand fell into the chilled mud that we were being pushed into. It would be so easy to just stop fighting. If I was gone, everyone else could just go back to their normal lives. Edward would be safe. The edges of our vision began to blacken.

'This is not your fate, pitit mwen.'

Kumboh was right. I could feel it in my bones. Now was not the time to die. I didn't want to leave Isolde alone. I didn't want to leave Edward. I couldn't leave Edward.

James and Kumboh were too evenly matched. They were both vampires with incredible abilities. But I had spent too much time already depending entirely on Kumboh. I needed his strength, but I had power of my own.

We let the pure anger and hatred that we held towards James consume us. We screeched, letting out such a raw burst of furious magic that it sent James flying. We gasped, taking in as much air as we could. It only took a moment to recover. Then, we went after our prey.

James made to run out toward us again, but we threw out our arm, stopping him in his tracks. He let out a snarl. White began to cloud our vision. "Stop."

James stopped. He seemed dazed, but we could still see the ferocity in his eyes. He was trying to fight off our command. He might have been able to do it too, but not soon enough. We sauntered up to him, staring directly into his scarlet eyes. "I am a prince of Nobatia. You gave me the gift of death. It is time I returned the gesture… ày ìkkà ìn sàllìr tèèr." Kumboh reached out and ripped his arm from his body.

The hunter turned prey snarled, completely feral. He might have resembled a human, but all sense of humanity and false decorum that he had displayed until this point was gone. He sprang at us.

We held him with magic again. I fought through the exhaustion and drew on Kumboh's strength. We raised our free hand and jerked it, effectively ripping off James' other arm. He screamed with an unadulterated rage that sent a shiver down my spine.

We staggered. Spots began to dance in my vision. The storm that had been raging around us was slowly dying down as my magic slipped from my grasp. I couldn't hold it anymore. I didn't have anything left. With one last burst of energy, we pushed James to his knees. We glared down at him, still holding him with the last of my powers. He met our eyes. "You should have left her alone. You should have left all of us alone. Et verba mea: Your spirit will never rest. It will be haunted by your failure for all eternity. That shall be your curse."

Then, we reached out and entwined my fingers into his muddy blond hair. With a snarl, we ripped his head from his shoulders.

James' body fell to the ground. We tossed his head onto the pile next to his other limbs. It took everything I had in me to ignite what was left of the vampire. I collapsed next to the flames, staring at them without really seeing.

It was eerily quiet. I didn't know if it was real or if it was just my senses slipping away.

Kumboh's voice echoed in my mind. It was the last thing I heard before my world went black.

'Thank you.'

A/N:

Ahhhhhhhhhh! I literally CANNOT believe I finally made it to this! I have had this scene planned in my head since the prologue, and though the way we got here changed half a dozen times, this particular confrontation always stayed the same. I am garbage at writing fight scenes, so I hope you'll forgive me for that lol.

A quick note on the languages I use in this story... a lot of Emme's magic is done in Latin. The translations are self-explanatory and unimportant enough that I haven't really added them in. The two languages in this chapter aren't as common, though, so I figured you guys might want to know what they were. Kumboh speaks in Haitian Creole (calling Emme "my child") and ancient Kush (telling James he offers him a prayer basically). I speak neither of these languages (nor do I speak Latin for that matter) so I apologize if they're wrong, but I wanted to use them to flesh out Kumboh's character.

Anyway, please please please let me know what you guys think! This was the big climactic fight, and now we really just have some resolution left before this fic is complete! I am super insecure about this chapter in particular for some reason, but as long as someone enjoys it, then I'll be happy :)

Until next time!