I stare directly into Craig's unblinking eyes with fury in mine. "You may be able to force me to go to this dragon and marry him, but I will never love him or stay with him. I will eventually escape and find my way back to Edward." Craig grabs me by the top of my arms and picks me up into the air, holds me tight and squeezes. I flinch from the pain.
"I told Medoff you would be happy to be his wife. I don't care what you have to do to accept this as your fate but you had better accept it quickly and pretend to be happy. When you meet him you will be on your best behavior or I will have Patty and Charlie killed immediately." His icy words send a chill down my spine. He then drops me to the ground.
"Once you cooperate and play nice I will have my friend put Patty in her bed and give her the antidote to wake up. She will not know anything happened. Edward, I'm afraid, has to die. Medoff will probably kill all of your vampire and original friends so they will not be able to rescue you. But as long as you do as you are told, Charlie and Patty will live. I promise you that."
I can't believe what I'm hearing. I have to think of a way out of this and save everyone. If I can find Edward maybe I can figure out a way to break his trance. I start to slowly walk backwards toward the cave entrance. I spin around and begin to run, willing my legs to push themselves harder than they have ever run before. I hear Craig's laughter echoing off the cave walls as I run through the cave opening into the woods outside. My eyes not adjusted to the sunlight, I place my hand above my eyes, shielding them from the bright rays of the sun. Through squinted eyes I see a path leading down a steep hill and I run in that direction.
I think about how I teleported us all when we were in danger and try to remember how I did it. I focus as best I can while running but I can't concentrate. My arms I keep in front of my face shielding it from the onslaught of branches, twigs and leaves as I race through the trees. I turn my head to look behind me and run straight into something that hits me hard and knocks me backward to the ground, knocking the wind out of me. As I catch my breath and lean up on my arms I look up at Craig standing in front of me. He bends down, grabs my left arm in his right hand and pulls me to my feet roughly.
"Stop this, Bella. It's ridiculous to think you can outrun me."
I try to yank my arm out of his grasp but he is holding on tight. My mind racing with thoughts set on escape, I bring my knee up fast and hit him square in the genitals. He releases my arm as he falls to the ground moaning. I run past him through the trees. I feel a strong breeze pass me and suddenly Craig stands directly in front of me. I stumble trying to slow down and land directly in front of him. With his jaw tight and his teeth clenched, he reaches out and backhands me across the face sending me sprawling to the forest floor. He takes another step toward me...
"That's enough!" I hear from a masculine voice behind Craig. As Craig turns around I look past him and see Charlie standing at the base of a large oak tree about 30 feet ahead of us. From his left hand dangles a compound bow. A quiver of arrows on his back.
"You don't want to make this more complicated than it has to be, Charlie," Craig yells.
"Step away from Bella, Craig. She's not going anywhere with you," Charlie says.
Craig lets out a deep, maniacal laugh. "So you say, Charlie? I guess you're going to stop me?" Craig turns back toward me, reaches down and grabs a handful of my hair and drags me along the ground toward Charlie. I dig my fingernails into his skin on his hand that is clenching my hair and kick my feet trying to break free as he drags me along effortlessly, his concentration upon Charlie.
"Let her go," Charlie orders.
"Charlie be careful," I warn. "Craig's dangerous." Craig releases me and I stand facing Charlie.
"I know, Bella. I know everything," Charlie says. I tilt my head and furrow my brows looking confused and Charlie explains. "I have the same abilities as you, Bella. I saw your discussion with Craig in my head. I know he's my son and he's trying to take you to Medoff." Charlie then turns toward Craig, who is watching us talk with amusement on his face. "You don't have to do this, Craig. We can all fight Medoff together and you can get to know me and Bella. Become part of our family."
Craig laughs. "You say that now and then will kill me as soon as you get a chance. My mother warned me that you will kill me."
"If I had known I had a son I would have loved you and cared for you as much as I do Bella. I loved your mother," Charlie says.
"You loved her but you would have killed her if you found out she was a dragon. You're one of the great dragon hunters."
"I killed dragons that they preyed upon our family and other families like ours for generations. It was to protect my family. I would have never harmed your mother or you. I'm sorry you grew up alone. I wish you didn't have to go through that, but kidnapping Bella and taking her away is not the answer."
"You know nothing about me, Charlie. Bella will do this or Patty and you will die!"
"I can't let you take Bella, Craig," Charlie tightens his grip on the compound bow, readying himself to raise it quickly when needed.
"Are you threatening me, Charlie? That means Patty will die. All I have to do is make one phone call and she dies," Craig says.
Charlie shakes his head. "Patty was awoken and was freed 30 minutes ago. In my vision, I saw Patty and the others in trances. In my workroom I created a specialized antidote and brought some with me. I found Jacob in a trance on my way here. After I freed him he left to track Patty down and rescue her. I got a text from him a few minutes ago letting me know she is safe. Your friend is probably dead. Now, walk away Craig. Don't make me hurt you."
Craig screams in a rage so loud the birds in the treetops fly away in such numbers it blocks out the sun for a minute. Charlie slowly raises the bow, aiming at Craig. In a flash, Craig runs into the woods to the right of me and disappears. In another second he races up behind Charlie, picks him up in the air and throws him. The bow and arrow fall to the ground while Charlie lands on his back with a thud about 10 feet from me. Craig walks toward Charlie and picks him up off the ground by his neck, holding him the air. I race toward them and begin beating my fists against Craig's back. I look back at the bow and arrow on the ground. It's too far away. Charlie would be strangled before I could get it, aim and shoot Craig. I climb onto Craig's back like a monkey and reach around and pull the amulet from around his neck, up over his head and back away with it. Craig puts Charlie down and turns around to face me as I continue to slowly back away. He slowly walks toward me with his hand out.
"Give it back, Bella."
I see Charlie run back to the bow and arrow and aim at Craig. I don't want Charlie to kill his only son because he has to rescue me. I wonder if there is a way to save Craig. Maybe he will see reason if we continue to talk to him. I bet there has to be some good in him. If we can just reach it.
"Please everyone just stop for a minute. Let's all just talk for one minute and not do anything rash," I say hoping Charlie understands I don't want him to shoot Craig unless he has to. Craig stops advancing toward me but Charlie still has his bow and arrow aimed and ready to fire.
"Charlie, please put the bow down." Craig quickly turns his head back toward Charlie and sees him lowering the bow.
"That won't work on me anyway, Charlie," Craig says.
"The arrow is White Oak, Craig. It will kill you," Charlie says.
Craig turns back toward me again and says quietly "Stop this ridiculousness and give me the amulet or I will kill Charlie right now." His teeth are clenched together and his face looks strained. I shake my head. Craig races over to Charlie so fast Charlie doesn't have time to raise the bow. Craig grabs it and throws it far into the woods. He puts Charlie in a headlock and begins to squeeze.
"Give me the amulet, Bella. Now!"
My vision begins to cloud over. As I focus, a quick vision pops into my head of me placing the amulet around my neck. I look down at the amulet hanging from my hand and hope my vision is guiding me toward a way to save us all. I raise the amulet up, grab it with both hands and place it over my head.
"Nooooo!" Craig screams as he releases Charlie and races toward me. The amulet falls around my neck settling between my breasts. As Craig comes to within three feet of me, the amulet projects a purple light from it's center shining outward. The light settles upon Craig as he reaches out to grab the amulet, a cold, hard, evil in his eyes. The purple light engulfs him. He is frozen for a second and I watch in horror as the purple light disintegrates Craig's body into little pieces which float up to the sky as if ash. I fall to my knees in a bitter-sweet agony. Charlie and I are saved, but I just lost my chance to get to know my only brother I didn't know I had until today.