A backstory of the Brazilian coven and how they relate to Joham, along with Joham's origin story, has been posted to the Outtakes for this story if you'd like to learn the history before reading this chapter. I also created a family tree on my Tumblr blog if you'd like to see it. Just search the tag #vampire genealogy.

Special thanks as always to my incomparable betas Palmofafreezinghand & Alice's White Rabbit. So much love to them.

The first part of this chapter is Jasper's POV and the second part is back to Alice.

Visions Interrupted: Chapter 15 - In (and Out of) My Element

Jasper POV

The staunch stoicism both the human and vampire military instilled in me had failed me for the first time. Faced with that wild woman's gift, my resolve was cracking.

The sudden change from the lush jungle to the barren and hopeless environment of the deep stone well was alarming and was made all the worse for the fact I was alone, and I had no idea where Alice had gone. Loath to give away even a hint of panic to my captors, I kept quiet, evaluating the structure and trying to strategize a way out. But there was none. The stone was smooth, with nowhere to grip, and I couldn't leap quite that high. I felt the amusement and determination coming from my captors, along with the panic Alice was feeling. She must be close if I could feel her, so I quietly called her name. She answered me immediately and I was stunned to hear her voice so very close by…as though she were standing beside me. And then I realized—the humor, the determination, the closeness of Alice's voice—it all added up. It had to be an illusory gift, a strong and formidable defense for the trio. I felt a bit of awe and deference for the savage woman's powerful talent, much to my chagrin.

The females feared me, and even though they worked to hide it, I could feel everything they felt, unbeknownst to them. I reveled in having that power over them, but I was more than a little put out when Alice said one of them was to be our guide. Me, the youngest major in the Confederate Army and a fierce warrior from the vampire underworld, being led around by a wild and uncivilized jungle woman? I was more than capable of tracking on my own, but Alice insisted, and she was never wrong, so I had to allow it. I would use Kachiri to lead us to the Brazilian coven and take over from there.

As we traveled, it was decided that she and Alice would stay a safe distance away while I infiltrated the small coven of three. My ability could control them and get the answers I needed—I had controlled groups of twenty newborns over and over throughout the decades with only the use of my gift. It didn't hurt that I looked terrifying to our kind. It would be a piece of cake.

That was how we found ourselves forty miles from Iguazu Falls, which was a giant waterfall that straddled the border of Brazil and Argentina. We had caught the scent of vampires about 100 miles ago, and Kachiri had confirmed that she recognized the scents to be her former coven mates, plus one vampire unknown to her. This didn't worry me; four was nothing against me.

We traveled by treetop so we could be undetectable, and eventually, we came across two female vampires.

"Do you know them?" I asked, my voice just a breath on the wind.

Kachiri looked at me and nodded. "The one with long black hair, I know her. She helped me escape them. The other one, I've never met."

Alice zoned out as I considered what to do next. I could make them feel fearful, or anxious, or tired—all of those were likely to root them to the spot, rendering them unable to run away before we could catch them. Then Alice and Kachiri could keep the black-haired one as a hostage, and I would make the curly-haired brunette take me to their coven.

Alice snapped out of her vision as I made my plans. "It will work."

I knew it would, but it was nice to have confirmation. "Great."

Quickly, we filled Kachiri in on the plan before taking off over the treetops after them. They weren't running but meandering, gathering up some plants as they went. We caught up to them in no time, and with a nod from me, as one, we dropped from the treetops directly in front of the two women. They startled, the brunette shrieking in shock, before they both crouched in a defensive position. If the coven heard her, they might come out to investigate, and I needed the upper hand.

"Shut your mouth," I warned, hitting them with a healthy dose of lethargy. All the fight went out of them like air from a balloon as they sank to their knees. "You two," I said gruffly to Alice and Kachiri, not wanting to give away the nature of my relationship to Alice. "You watch over this one"—I pointed to the woman Kachiri said she knew—"and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." The black-haired woman looked beyond me then, and recognition bloomed inside her, then protectiveness and endearment. She felt affection for Kachiri, and I knew this would be the safest place for Alice. I took her arm and helped her to her feet, then pushed her toward my crew. Kachiri and Alice each grabbed an arm and held her between them, showing the brunette that what I say goes. The black-haired woman was smart enough not to let on that she knew Kachiri, and by all accounts, she behaved like a trapped animal, but I felt her underlying trust. This was all a show for the brunette.

I grasped that one's arm and hauled her up, amplifying her fear and submission. "And you, you're going to take me to your leader." I cringed internally. I was too out of practice with intimidation if a corny catchphrase was the best I could come up with. Luckily, these people weren't privy to the modern world and didn't recognize the phrase, though I felt Alice's amusement.

The brunette gasped in fear but she didn't fight, glancing desperately at her friend, who was making a show of struggling against her captors. "Stay strong, Liana," the brunette whispered before she turned toward me and indicated we should walk due west. I met my wife's eyes and she smiled, mouthing, "Good luck. I'll be watching," and blew me a covert kiss behind the brunette's back.

As we walked through the woods, my hand locked tight around her upper arm, I attempted to make nice and see what information she might provide for me. Kachiri had told me the name of the leader—Christian, the one who had wanted her to be his mate—and I hoped this girl would reveal something I could use against him.

"What's your name, sugar?" I asked, playing up the flirtation tactic with both my words and my gift.

She giggled under the onslaught of the new emotions. "Carla," she replied bashfully. "And you?"

"Jesse." It was a name I'd often used on Maria's covert missions, a good cowboy name. "Can you tell me about your home?" I asked conversationally, pumping her with trust.

"Sure, it's a cabin the park rangers used to use. It's not too big, but it suits two pairs, so we ate them and burned the cabin. The humans thought they had died in the fire. But the structure was sound enough for us to occupy."

"Two pairs, hmm? You and…" I implied conspiratorially, jerking my thumb back the way we'd come.

Carla giggled again. "Liana? Oh goodness, no. She's mated to Thiago. Christian is my mate."

I couldn't believe my good luck. I had the leader's mate in my grip. "How serious is your bond?" I teased. "I might just steal you away from him."

"Oh, Jesse, you could try," she said before erupting in flirtatious giggles again.

The scent of the two males was growing stronger, and I knew we must be close. I wanted them to fear me from minute one, and making the girl laugh and smile wasn't going to accomplish that. "I'm sorry to do this, sweetheart, but you're collateral."

I swiftly put her in a headlock and amplified her natural fear, making her claw at my arm and cry out for her mate. The two vampires appeared instantly, venom dripping from their mouths, growling ferociously. They crouched to attack—incredibly stupid because I could pop her head off before they could make it to me—but on the upspring, I hit them with a strong dose of lethargy making them drop to the ground mid-pounce.

Now that they were sprawled on the ground, too tired to move, I amplified their fear. They both cringed against the dusty grass, eyes wide with terror, some of my making and some a natural reaction to my scarred appearance.

"One wrong move and the girl gets it," I growled, tightening my arm and making her squeal.

"I'll do what you want," Christian pleaded frantically. "Just please, let her go."

Carla whimpered in my grip, and I loosened my arm around her throat, not enough for her to get free, but enough to show them I could be reasonable.

Christian was heartened by my action, and he found the confidence to question me. "What do you want from us? Who sent you here?"

Who sent me? These vampires had a few enemies, it seemed. I decided to toy with him, giving him a partial truth. "Kachiri sent me."

Confusion and surprise flushed through him. "Kachiri?" He gasped out. "She's alive?"

"She was. Until I got the information I needed from her."

The small amount of hope that this might end well was utterly dashed in both of them. Christian was trying to rally, but Thiago was defeated.

"Where's Liana? What have you done with her?" Thiago asked, panic rising within him.

"My associate has her. Cooperate and she'll be released unharmed. Decide not to talk to me, and you can say your goodbyes to her plume of purple smoke."

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know, just don't hurt her!"

I let up on the fear and lethargy a little. Not enough for them to stand but enough for their brains to not be too sluggish. "I want you to tell me what you know about dhampirs."

"Dhampirs? What the hell is that?" Christian exclaimed in frustration.

"Don't play with me," I snarled, tightening my hold on Carla. "Dhampirs! Creatures that are half-human and half-vampire."

Recognition sparked in both of them but they looked at me vacantly. I amplified the fear again, warning, "My associate can read my thoughts. All I have to do is think it and Liana is as good as dead." Carla struggled against me; unfortunately, the fear had to affect her as well, the sweet girl. I wasn't going to hurt anyone unless they tried something first, and even if I was planning on hurting them, I wouldn't hurt her. She seemed pretty clueless and innocent.

"Okay, okay!" Thiago cried. "I'll tell you. We…we do know of a vampire who wanted to create such creatures."

"Yes, we have the same sire as he does," Christian added.

"His name is Joham. He doesn't travel with us; he's more of a lone wolf. He was middle-aged when he was turned. He doesn't really fit in with the forever young and strapping crowd, you know?"

I leaned in a little, making them feel like they wanted to gossip. I felt an eagerness to tattle begin to bubble up, especially inside Christian. "I was told I should seek out the Ticuna for answers. Is Joham related to that tribe?"

Christian scoffed and said under his breath, "The Ticuna aren't what you're looking for."

"What did you mean by 'the Ticuna aren't what you're looking for'?" I prodded, letting him know I'd heard.

"You caught that, huh?" he snarked. He scrambled to fix his mistake when I growled at the remark. "What I mean is that Joham started out with his experiment using the Ticuna tribe, but he failed over and over, killing the women instead of impregnating them, and the tribe got wise to him. Made finding someone to seduce difficult. The women started to stay in their homes at night, protected by the men. Eventually, he gave up and moved back to Europe. Years later, we did cross paths with him again. He sought us out so he could boast about his success in the old country."

"So he did successfully father children?"

"Yes, a few females. He claimed he was closer to his goal of creating a master race, but he would need a male first."

"And inbreed them?" I asked, unable to mask my revulsion.

Christian shrugged. "I guess."

"An inbred master race doesn't make a lot of sense."

"I agree, but he's crazy, obviously. Anyway, his success has been sporadic. He still gets carried away in the moment. In any case, he can't achieve his goals without creating a male. Two females won't be making a baby anytime soon."

I chuckled at Christian's joke, making them feel more at ease. I was ready to let the Brazilians off the hook. "He's the one I'm really looking for." I released Carla and she flew over to her mate, kneeling so they could wrap their arms around each other. Relief flooded them all. "Where can I find him? Tell me."

Christian was more than ready to give his kinsman up to ensure his own safety. "Joham needed another large tribe where he could steal women away and it wouldn't be as noticed. We directed him over the border to Argentina and Chile where the Mapuche tribe are found. He was excited to try for a son. He said something about planting his seed in as many wombs as possible."

This Joham was one despicable vampire. He had to know what his spawn did to their mothers, tearing them apart from the inside. No doubt Bella was the only surviving mother of a dhampir.

"He never came back through here after setting off for the Mapuche," Thiago explained. "That's all we know. Please, release my mate. We've told you everything."

I pointedly decided to release Liana, knowing Alice was intently watching my future. I made a show of it, closing my eyes and tilting my face to the sky, "sending my thoughts" to her like I told them I could. Moments later, Liana burst through the trees and ran into Thiago's waiting arms.

"All right, you got what you wanted," Christian told me. "Now please leave us. The Mapuche are over the border past Iguazu Falls, somewhere in northern Argentina. The falls are about forty kilometers from here."

"Thank you for the information," I replied. "Now, if you follow me, that journey will be your last."

I ramped up the fear as high as I could, and the four vampires cowered before me. It would take them a few minutes to recover from this level of emotion, more than enough time to make it far enough away from here. But I was pretty confident that they wanted nothing more to do with me. I launched myself into the trees and made my way swiftly back to Alice.

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Alice POV

As Kachiri caught up with her old friend Liana, the vampire who had helped her escape from the Brazilian coven centuries ago, I watched the interrogation. Jasper's decisions were solid and strategic—he relied on his military brain and the precise, clear choices he made were so vivid in my mind's eye. I saw everything picture-perfectly, probably about thirty seconds before it actually happened. At first, I was really worried about Jasper's odds—three to one wasn't great, even if the girl was under his flirtatious spell. (I would have to tease him about that later.) But of course, it was silly to worry; Jasper using his gift as a weapon quickly assured me he'd leave that clearing alive. I felt a little bit bad for the way Jasper toyed with their emotions. He was really scaring them, amplifying their fear to the point where, had they been human, they would have wet themselves. But I guess he had to get his fun in somewhere, and at least we were getting information out of it. Kinda like he did with Jenks. Huh.

Eventually, he gleaned all their knowledge from them, and he decided to release Liana. I turned to the two of them. "I'm sorry to put an end to your reunion, but you have been released, Liana. Our friend is on his way back." Liana and Kachiri hugged and whispered some farewells into each other's ears, and then Liana was gone. Kachiri watched as she ran away, a wistful look on her face. She would probably be remembering times past with Liana while we waited, if her long reflective period after her sisters left was any indication. That suited me just fine. I had other things to think about.

I could hardly believe that there were actually other hybrids out there. If we could find one and bring it back to Forks before the Volturi got there, we would be able to show that Renesmee would grow and change—she wouldn't remain a child forever. And then Edward and Bella, my two dearest friends, could be saved. By me. I reveled in the idea of being the hero and saving the day, but I was also scared. It was possible I wouldn't make it back in time, and they would all be annihilated. I hated looking ahead to the battle. There were always only two distinct outcomes, and the happy ending always came hand-in-hand with the bad ending. Still, I would have to push past the dread of seeing my family ripped apart. It was important to check and make sure the happy ending was still there as a possibility. That peace of mind was worth the horror. I closed my eyes and concentrated, but no matter whose future I tried to see the battle through, the scene was utterly blank, like it should have been there, but I couldn't see it. Hanging. Waiting. Empty. Like how it felt when I saw Jacob. I expected to see one blank spot in the clearing, but I saw nothing at all.

I must have completely blacked out because I came around to Jasper shaking my shoulders, trying to snap me out of my vision. He must have felt how distraught I was, panic rising in my chest and making my throat feel tight. What were we doing here? Was it even going to be possible to save my family or was this all for nothing?

"What's wrong, Alice? What did you see?" Jasper asked, his eyes wild with worry. Kachiri's ruby eyes were just as spooked as I glanced over at her.

"N-nothing. I don't see anything. The battlefield is empty."

Kachiri blew out a breath. "Perhaps they decide not to come after all."

"No, I still see Aro and the rest boarding a private jet in Italy. They're definitely coming." I paused, searching for the words to describe what I saw—or rather, didn't see. "It wasn't an empty field like there weren't vampires there. It was more like a curtain was pulled down in front of the action, and the curtain looks the same as the empty clearing did. The blankness is hiding something."

Jasper gasped. "My God, Alice. It must be the wolves. Jacob must have persuaded them to our side somehow."

That sounded preposterous to me when, only a few months ago, Sam had wanted Bella dead. "A loophole in the treaty?" I asked incredulously.

"However it happened, the whole pack will fight. That has to be why you suddenly can't see."

Of course. Jasper had to be right. Before, there was one blank spot on the field, accompanied by a blurry one—Jacob and Nessie. But now, that same blankness covered everything, and I couldn't see a thing—not how it would go down, not who would be there, not when it would happen. Everything was closed to me.

"God-damned wolves!" I pouted, angry now. "If I can't see, how will I know if we can make it back there in time with the crucial evidence? We still have to find a hybrid, for God's sake!"

"The wolves are going to help. That's a good thing. The family can use every edge they can get."

"Yes, but now I can't see! We have to get back ASAP. I don't know if we'll make it back in time to save them. They told you Argentina? Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get a move on!"

With that, the three of us wasted no time and started running in the direction that Christian had indicated. As we ran past the falls, the constantly crashing water kept time with our footsteps. I tried to see us finding the Mapuche, but the image was so blurry! Was there something wrong with me? What if the blankness wasn't the wolves joining forces with the vampires. What if I was losing my touch? What if I was no longer important?

"Alice, tell me." Jasper was keeping pace with me, close to my side. He tried to soothe the sharp edges of my pain.

"I can't see us finding them, Jasper," I whispered, even though Kachiri could still hear. I wasn't whispering to keep her out anyway; it was all I could manage. "Everything is blurry. I…I think I'm losing my gift." I ended on a sob and stopped running. Jasper had me wrapped in his arms in an instant, Kachiri doubling back to see what was wrong.

"You're not losing your gift. You saw me with the Brazilians the whole time, right?"

"Yeah, Jesse," I teased while I cried, punching his arm playfully.

He gave me a sheepish smile before getting serious again. "Hummingbird, you can't see the clearing because the wolves will be there. There must be something standing in your way in this case too."

"You said you could not see the dhampir, yes?" Kachiri asked, continuing once she saw our affirmative nods. "And we are on a hunt for hybrids, no?"

I stared at her, not getting it for a few more seconds before it dawned on me. "You mean I can't see because we must find one!"

"Oh course," Jasper muttered to himself, and I could feel the disappointment and chagrin rolling off of him at not coming up with the answer himself.

But now, he was determined and committed, so intensely that I could feel it a little myself, and those emotions utterly replaced the bad ones he'd felt a moment ago. "We need to move fast and think clearly, at the highest capacity we can, if we want to find this hybrid and make it home to save our families." He glanced between me and Kachiri, and we were rapt, hanging on to his every emphatic word, soaking in his charisma. "There is only one way to be as powerful as we need to be. We must drink our natural blood source."

What did he just say? Was he thinking we should drink…humans?

Jasper noticed my hesitation and turned to me, grasping my biceps gently but hard enough that I couldn't look anywhere but at him. When he spoke again, his tone was calm and friendly, almost apologetic. "I know it's distasteful to you, darlin'. But think about it. Human blood makes us stronger, faster, and more clear-headed. We need to be at peak performance if we want to find this hybrid quickly. Argentina is a large country."

I felt my resolve begin to weaken. After all, what he said wasn't wrong. We did need to be at our best to succeed in our mission and save my family. If they died because I was too late, I hated the thought that their last impression was of me abandoning them in their darkest hour. I imagined the resigned sorrow on Edward and Bella's faces as they faced their fate without their best friend, thinking I could be so callous. Didn't they know me at all? One human or two was worth me proving them wrong, that everything I'd done was for their benefit. It wasn't like my record was spotless.

Jasper's eyes lit up, and I could feel his excitement begin to bubble up before he tamped it down with all of his persuasiveness. "You know, perhaps human blood will sharpen your gift as well. Maybe you'll be able to see more."

The resounding crack when my small palm hit his face rattled the trees and sent birds flying. We both stared at each other in shock—I'd never raised a hand to him before. I was as non-violent as they come. But to pit my broken gift against my moral code was not acceptable, and Jasper had to know I wouldn't stand for him trying that again. He got the message my emotions told him and capitulated, trying to backpedal. "It was just an idea, Al."

"Just an idea," I huffed, narrowing my eyes at him as I started running toward Argentina again.

A/N: Sorry for the long delay, guys. A lot going on in the personal life, a bit of writer's block, and arthritis pain held me back. There are three chapters left, although they're not finished yet, of course! I have them mapped out though. Hopefully, the next update won't take as long. If you like this story, would you let me know? I could use the encouragement to keep going and get through the tough writing patches. Thanks, dear readers!