Chapter Thirty

Jasper

Darius was set to transport us all to Athens but I needed to hunt first. It had been too long and I knew my thirst would interfere with my ability to manipulate Bella's emotions if I didn't quench it soon. At the same time, I did not like the thought of leaving her alone with him. I didn't think Darius would hurt Bella, he might still need her. On the other hand, I didn't know him well enough to bet her life on it. So, as a compromise, I arranged to go hunting in the nearby forest.

"Don't take too long. I aim at taking the first flight to Athens I can get and if you aren't back by the time I need to leave then I'll be forced to cut my losses, kill the girl and go alone."

Bella glanced at him and the expression on her face told me that she didn't care about her continued existence. I think she had decided that if she was the last of Caius descendants and she died then his curse died with her and Darius would make him pay for everything he had done. It wasn't an outlook I found comforting and I determined to be gone as short a spell as possible even if it meant feeding off squirrels and rats.

Bella seemed to sense my reluctance and smiled at me.

"Don't worry Jasper. If you see smoke rising either I've killed Darius or he's set off this collar. Either way, your worries will be at an end. Of course, you'd do better to cut your losses and keep running. Darius here isn't going to stop you. Now he doesn't actually need me he doesn't need you to keep me playing nicely."

"I'll be back as quickly as I can, Bella. I didn't walk out on you in Phoenix and I sure as hell ain't going to do it now."

"How noble, Major. You know, I think we could have been friends under other circumstances."

I glanced at Darius sure he was right but knowing in this life we would never be more than acquaintances then went out to find myself some sustenance.

Bella

I don't know what made me say the things I had. I didn't want Jasper to go. Not because I didn't want to be alone with Darius, his threats didn't scare me, but because when he left I missed him. It was like a piece of me had left the cabin with him and I shivered involuntarily.

"Cold? Just grit your teeth, we'll be out of here soon."

"Do you really intend to drag me all the way to Greece?"

He shrugged, "I guess that depends on the next message I receive. I had someone watching the citadel, someone I trust who will follow Caius and see what he does. If he's really been cast adrift then I do not intend dragging you to Greece. The sooner the two of us part company the better, Bella. You're on a highway leading to nothing but trouble and pain. I've already walked that route, I'm taking the offramp to peace at last."

"Let's hope your information is correct then. I'm better off travelling alone. I should have realized that. Those hunters died because of me and I refuse to allow any more innocent blood to be spilt on my account."

"You plan on cutting a swathe through the Volturi alone? Good luck with that. Or is this a suicide mission?"

"Why do you care, Darius? You're about to get what you want."

He nodded, staring at me thoughtfully.

"You know I felt like you once. That nothing but the blood of my enemy would stop the rage building in my head. I used to fantasize about getting my hands on Caius. What I would do to him, how much I would make him suffer for murdering Sara. That rage was my only companion, the fuel that kept me moving."

"And now?"

"Now I have Caius in my sights inflicting pain on him, seeing him squirm and hearing him scream seems much less important. He's not worth it. I lost most of my soul to that bastard and if I revel in his agony then he wins. There will be nothing left of me and I'll be no better than him. I just want him dead, he's suffered for long enough, we both have."

I returned his stare, "And you think I should forgive those who destroyed my life? Just forget all the pain and horror and start over? I can't do that Darius. Maybe if I'd had to wait as long as you then my view of things would have changed but I'm as eaten up with hatred and rage as I was when I saw my dad, a bloody heap of slashed clothes and flesh, his blood soaking the ground all around him. You don't forget or forgive that kind of thing, or at least I can't."

"I believed that once upon a time."

I was about to speak when we heard a beep and he turned to his computer studying the screen that held the latest news about his quarry.

When he turned back to me I could see the relief on his face, "It would appear that the rumors are true. Caius was escorted under guard to Pisa airport and his flight just took off."

I smiled, "Good for you. Now if you've finished your amateur therapy session maybe you can take this collar off."

"I think I'll wait until the Major gets back. After all, I'd hate to get this close and get taken out by a freak with a hard-on for vampires and talking of that it would appear that your loverboy was one of those escorting Caius from the citadel."

"Edward is in Volterra? It's a shame he didn't accompany Caius to Greece. Then I might have asked to accompany you."

Darius raised an eyebrow, "Really? What about the Major? Wouldn't that hurt his feelings?"

"If I kill Edward? I doubt it. If he's in Volterra then I guess he's safe from me for now, but I don't intend to wait as long as you did to get even."

"May I suggest you deal with the wolf who did that to you first or you might as well wave goodbye to any chance of revenge there. And don't play naive with me. We both know what I meant about the Major. You could do a lot worse."

I ignored his words, not because they didn't make sense, they did. I would never get out of Volterra alive even with my gift and I would hate to think that Paul was still walking the earth ready to lash out again the next time he lost his temper.

As for his childish comment about hurting Jasper's feelings I didn't even want to go there. Most definitely not right now.

I was more concerned about Jasper as Darius began to pack up his equipment and take it out to the jeep. Would he leave me here to wait for Jasper alone or would he change his mind and insist I went with him. Of course, he couldn't guarantee I wouldn't kill him once Jasper's influence wore off but maybe he would abandon me at the nearest airport and leave Jasper to work out what happened.

I got up to look out the window squinting at the moonglow that made the snow look like yellow glass. There was no sign of him and the falling snow was covering his footsteps as I watched. I would never admit it, not even to myself but I missed him and longed for him to return, someone to take care of me.

I laughed at the idea, Get a grip girl. You are getting soft and addled brained in your old age!

The next second I found myself slammed to the floor with Darius on top of me.

"Get off me. What the hell are you doing?"

His cold hand curled around my face and clamped over my mouth as he hissed in my ear, "Shut the fuck up. There's something coming. Stay in that corner and keep quiet."

He knelt then took a quick look out of the window, "Fuck it!"

I lifted my head and whispered, "What is it?"

"Guardians, four of them. Just what I need right now. Where the hell did they come from?"

"Guardians? Which ones? Do I know them?"

"I told you to shut up, I'm trying to think."

I suddenly felt a little sorry for him. Here he was, so close to finishing it all and now he was trapped by some of the guardians although I thought he could probably outrun them. After all, Victoria had managed it. Thinking quickly I sat up.

"You go. You can get away if you don't have to worry about me."

He frowned, "Leave you here? What about the wolves?"

I touched my scarred face, "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself this time around."

He hesitated as if tempted then shook his head, "I got you into this so I have to get you out."

"No, you don't. I'm responsible for where I am right now, not you. Now go or you may never catch up with Caius. Go. I'll be fine."

When he still resisted me I mustered all my resolve and threw him across the room to crash into the wall splintering the wood and making the beginnings of an escape route.

"Go. Next time I won't be so gentle and when you meet up with Sara say Hi from me."

I didn't give him time to argue, just used the last of my strength, fighting against Jasper's weakening influence, to propel him out the back of the cabin into the trees behind. All I could do then was to pray that he was fast enough to outrun them. Would all the wolves pursue him or would someone stay behind to see to me?

Chances were these were not the Quileutes, this was way off their territory but they would be some of Johnny H's men and what were they doing here? Had they happened across Jasper's trail when he went hunting? If so I prayed he was OK. Darius had said there were four he could see. Was that enough to take down a single vampire? Probably not if he was as skillful and intelligent as Jasper, the Major.

Or more worrying had they traced me here? If so were they blaming me for the deaths of the other hunters? Did they think I had been captured by vampires and had come to rescue me? Either way, things were going to get interesting very soon.

Getting up I glanced out of the window to see a solitary wolf pacing up and down in front of the cabin while tracks showed where the other three had taken off after Darius. I could feel the rage beginning to build up in me, either Jasper's control over my emotions was wearing off or…

I felt sick to my stomach as it dawned on me that the wolf they had left behind to watch the cabin and therefore me was a familiar one. The last time I saw the creature it had been launching an attack on me. "Paul!"

He must have heard me because his head whipped around and he stared at me through the window. I felt my hands shake and balled them into fists as visions of the terrible pain inflicted by his slashing claws, the sight of blood flying through the air and his rank wolf body pressed against mine flashed through my mind fuelling the rage until I could contain it no longer.

I ran through the door screaming at Paul as he phased to human form, his face a mask of disbelief and horror. Seeing I was going to attack he returned to wolf form just as I launched my gift at him slamming him to the ground and beginning to crush him through the layer of snow into the solid rock below.

He screamed as I heard bones snap and gathered my strength for one final assault when something hit me from the side knocking me to the ground. I caught a familiar scent, it was Jasper.

"Stop Bella. Stop it. You're killing him."

I tried to continue the attack but I felt the rage and power leach from my body and screamed my frustration.

"Leave me alone, dammit. He deserves to die."

"Maybe he does but I am not going to let you play the executioner, Bella. Now calm down."

It didn't occur to me how vulnerable Jasper had made himself by taking me down. If there had been another wolf nearby or if Paul had been less severely injured I could have found myself responsible for two deaths.

I stopped struggling at that point and lay panting on the snow-covered ground while Jasper helped Paul out of the smashed rock my gift had plunged him into. I heard him cry out in pain and lifted my head to see him sink to the ground, both legs sticking out at odd angles.

He cursed then looked over at me, "I never expected to see you again, Bella. I wasn't going to hurt you, I just wanted to talk to you. To apologize."

His words were cut off short by a pained scream as Jasper lifted him none too gently and carried him into the cabin out of the bitter cold.

As I followed I could hear Jasper talking although his voice was soft and menacing.

"You're the one who attacked Bella so I should have let her kill you but you aren't worth it. She's too pure to sully with your blood. Which doesn't mean that I won't kill you. Just sit there and keep your mouth shut."

I walked slowly over to Jasper and slapped him hard around the face which only served to give me a sore hand. He didn't even flinch.

"You had no right to stop me. It's his fault that Charlie's dead and I look like the Bride of Frankenstein. He deserves to die."

Jasper just looked at me then took my aching hand in his and cooled the stinging.

"I guess that didn't make you feel any better although I don't blame you. What's done is done, killing him won't bring your father back or make those scars fade and trust me when I tell you that it will blight your life and inhabit your dreams for the rest of your life."

I pulled free still able to feel anger despite Jasper's tampering, "You had no right. It's my life and I'll choose what to do. It's got nothing to do with you."

"You're wrong. They say when you save someone's life you take on the task for life. I will always save you from yourself, Bella, because we are the reason you got involved in all this in the first place. Now, you can take another swing at me, cuss until you're hoarse but at the end of the day we need to get out of here before the rest of the pack gets back."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Go to hell."

He shook his head, "Nope. already done that, didn't like it much. Come on."

I struggled when he tried to pull me out of the door so he just sighed and lifted me up, slinging me over his shoulder like a sack full of feed.

"I guess it's going to be the hard way then."

Snow blinded me as he took off running kicking it up in huge clouds and I was aware of the collar still around my neck. It was rubbing and I knew soon it was going to become painful. I cursed Darius. If he really had headed off to Greece then how the hell was I going to get it off?