Sorry chapter fifteen has been so slow in coming. I feel awful for leaving you hanging like that, but sometimes writer's block can be a brick wall... it takes a while to smash through.

Thanks for your follows and especially your patience.

Disclaimer: I don't own twilight or it's characters

(Chapter Fifteen)

Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God.

"No." I insisted, shaking my head. "He's not with them, you're wrong." Please, please be wrong. Jacob couldn't be in the hands of those red-eyed monsters!

Sam pushed himself up on one arm, and I watched as gash across his cheek sealed up before my eyes. "I don't know why, but they did take him."

"But how?!" I cried in an absolute panic as a thousand horrible thoughts drifted through my head. "He was in wolf form!"

Sam grimaced when Carlisle inspected his broken ribs. "No, they ganged up on him, beat him senseless until he was so confused he phased back. Then they took him. My leg was broken, I couldn't follow. I'm sorry, Ivy. I failed you both." He hung his head in shame.

I stood slowly, but I couldn't think. There wasn't enough oxygen in the air, my lungs were pumping furiously, but it wasn't enough. Sam's words whispered horrors in my ears and I saw the fight play out in my head, saw my magnificent Jacob beaten and bloodied by merciless vampires. I stumbled back several steps. My soulmate was out there, hurt and alone in their clutches and I didn't know where he was! I wanted to take off running through the woods, but where? I didn't know where to start. I just stood, frozen in terror. I couldn't lose him. The idea of never seeing him again was too agonizing to contemplate, but I couldn't think of anything else. Black spots danced before my vision.

"Ivy, I'm going to help you out," Jasper said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Just accept the calm." He said in a soothing voice. I latched onto his familiar accent and took a deep breath. In an instant, peace filled me from head to toe. The panic sunk into the background and I could think clearly.

"Okay." I said in a shaky voice. "Okay. This is what we're gonna do, I'm going to heal Sam and when Edward finally gets his ass over here, we're going to do everything we can to find out who did this. Then we're going to save Jacob and kill every last son of a bitch who took him and God help anyone who stands in my way."

Everyone seemed to agree with me, nodding in approval and dispersed in a flash to prepare for the upcoming battle. "Take him inside," I ordered. Emmett lifted Sam effortlessly and carried him into the house and up the stairs. I ran ahead and filled the bathtub with water. Sam cried out when his wounds were submerged, but I didn't have time for apologies. "I'm going to have to tap into your life energy to heal you, it will make you very tired." I warned, "But don't try to fight it, okay?"

Sam grit his teeth and nodded, steeling himself. I didn't wait another moment, there was no time to lose. I dove into the core of Sam's energy and syphoned off more than half. He gasped and his eyes started to close against his will. The entire tub glowed blue and I began the healing process, which went even faster than usual thanks to Sam's energy and natural restorative abilities.

I healed everything on the outside in three minutes and coaxed a few gulps of water down his throat so I could fix his bones. There were several broken ribs and, of course, his leg, but I was displeased to find several spots of internal bleeding. When I asked him about it, Sam said those were spots where he'd been punched by the vampires. My stomach rolled when I imagined the damage Jake must've sustained. "Done." I said after a solid ten minutes. Ten minutes of agony because Jacob was still not magically appearing. I closed my eyes and passed Sam a towel when he started to stand.

He took a step, testing his leg and twisted about to make sure everything was in order. "Thank you." He said quietly.

"Phew!" Emmett said, trying unsuccessfully to break the tension. "Maybe you should get back in the tub, it's harder to smell you, wolf-boy."

Sam didn't smile and neither did I. I slapped a hand to my forehead instead. How had I never thought of that? Water masks scent! "Are you saying you couldn't smell him in the tub?" I asked urgently.

Emmett shook his head. "It was still there, but it was muted considerably."

"I just had a thought. Tell me if you can catch my scent." I said, pulling water from the tub and pouring it into a big circle on the floor. I ignored Emmett's confused questions and stepped in the circle and carefully drew the water up across my entire body. One inch of water wrapped over my frame from head to toe like a liquid suit. It felt weird, like I was floating and grounded all at the same time.

My vision was slightly distorted, but I watched as Emmett came close and shook his head. I let the water drop. "I could smell water." He said, "But nothing else. No blood. It was nice actually, every breath around you burns."

I nodded. Under normal circumstances I would have proclaimed myself the greatest water elemental to walk the face of the earth. (I mean, I could kill vampires and completely mask the scent of my blood from them? As previously stated, I was a complete and total badass.) but there was no time for cockiness. Jacob needed me. "Good." I said, running to my bedroom to change into an ensemble of all black clothing. I stroked the bracelet Jacob had given me for my birthday gift. The thrum of energy helped calm me just a little bit, reminding me of his vast love. Then I heard a car pull into the garage and the calm burst apart into a million pieces.

Edward and Bella burst through the front door a moment later. I flew down the stairs and met them at the door. Bella's eyes were swollen with tears and Edward's clothes were ripped in several places and there was a bite mark on his forearm. "Oh my God! Edward! Bella!" I yelled, running to them. I pulled Bella into a strong hug and she sobbed against my shoulder. The rest of the family ran to the sound of my voice and we were crammed in the hallway.

"We were walking to my front door when they attacked." Bella whimpered, "I could only watch. They almost killed him and I couldn't do anything!"

"Shh. It's okay now. You're both safe." I murmured, patting her back, "Edward, are you alright? What happened?"

"I heard them just in time to push Bella inside. Three rogue vampires. There were a few close calls, I got bit once, but their bodies are char now." Edward said, sounding exhausted for a tireless vampire as he rubbed his burning arm. "They were working for Victoria. Sent to take Bella back to her." His hands turned to fists and I suddenly didn't need Jasper's powers to keep me calm enough to think. The potent rage filled me from top to bottom, crystalizing one single thought:

Victoria was going to die tonight.

"They took Jacob too." I clenched my teeth with an audible snap. The whole house started shaking as the water pipes began to creak and groan. "We have to find Victoria. We have to find her now!" I took a deep breath and tried my best to keep the house from breaking apart. "Edward, please tell me you know where they're hiding."

He nodded. "I know."

"Thank God." Esme said. I nearly collapsed when the sledgehammer of relief smacked into me.

"Load up the cars, everyone." I said, somehow taking the lead and, even weirder, being followed by these powerful creatures, "We're going vampire hunting."

. . . . . . .

Ten minutes later, we were packed and ready to go. Gasoline, firewood, and some wicked looking blowtorches were piled in the back of Emmett's jeep and Jasper's huge truck. I was vibrating with impatience. We needed to get this show on the freaking road or I was going to lose my shit. "Come on, people!" I said, smacking my hand against the roof of Jazz's truck. "You're supposed to have super speed!"

The cars quickly filled up then and there was a huge debate on what to do with Bella. She was only human and would only get in the way. Eventually, Edward and Carlisle decided to leave Esme behind with her for protection. I was perfectly fine with this idea. No matter how powerful she was, Esme was no fighter. She was too gentle in her spirit. "You stay with your father, Ivy Adair." She ordered sternly, kissing my forehead.

I hugged her tightly. "I'll be back with Jacob and you can make us a ton of pancakes and we will tell you all about the fight." I promised her, turning away and jumping into the truck without another backward glance. I didn't want her to see how scared I was. Carlisle said his goodbyes to his wife and climbed in Emmet's jeep with Rose and Sam.

Edward kissed Bella passionately and hugged his mother before joining me in the backseat of the truck. Jasper pulled away immediately, and Edward placed his hand against the window, watching as Bella became a miniature doll in the background. "Go to the caves, Jasper." Edward said in a hard voice. "It's time we finished this once and for all."

I sat as still as I could and tried to focus my breathing. And by 'focus' I mean I tried to actually breathe. There was just so much fear, despite the clarity of rage. Jacob was being hurt. Badly. I knew it in my bones and every second we were apart was tearing my guts to shreds.

It wasn't fair! I just found him! I just told him I loved him. Things were so beautiful and new and exciting and now it was all terrifying and hideous.

"We're going to get him back." Alice said, craning her neck to look back at me from the front seat.

"Did you have a vision?" I asked, desperate for some lifeline to hang onto.

She shook her head sadly, but Jasper spoke up before she could say something else. "We don't need a vision. We're getting him back and that's that."

I sat back. I hoped he was right, because if Jacob died, I think I would too.

. . . . . .

"These are the caves?" I asked, creeping forward with everyone as we pushed dense foliage out of our way. The cave mouth stood before us, jutting out like a snaggletooth from the earth, leading deep down into what I assumed was the bowels of hell. Especially if Victoria picked it as her base of operations.

We had been driving for a hard hour when Edward announced we needed to pull over and run the rest of the way. Sam was in his wolf form and Emmett let me ride on his back as we made our way to the entrance. "I only caught glimpses from the vampires who attacked me and Bella," Edward said, "but just before I killed the last one, she thought of this place." I tugged the bottle of water at my hip, I needed to find a better way to carry water around if I was going to be fighting vampires so much.

Fortunately for me, I could sense an underwater river beneath the cave floor even from here. It was a big one, leeching a fine sheen of water over the entire cave system. "Get me close." I whispered to Emmett. He obeyed, sneaking around the entrance to a clear spot of rocky wall. I placed my hand against the stone and focused on the water. It was beautiful-a whole map unfurled in my head. I saw the twists and turns, dead ends, and, more importantly, I could sense the energies inside. There was a room smack in the center that felt very cold and empty. I assumed that was where the vamps were. And, there in the corner, was a burning hot signature. "Jacob." I breathed, relief making my eyes mist. He was still alive. I memorized the two routes we would need to take and allowed Emmett to take me back. "Alright everyone." I whispered as everyone gathered around. "The vampires are in the center or close to it, all bunched together like they're in a some sort of evil meeting which is great news for us. Go straight in, take the first right and third left and stay left at the fork."

"Wait," Rosalie hissed, "What about you?"

"I'm going to get Jacob." I said firmly. "There are no vampires near him, but he's injured." I gulped. "I'll heal him with this water," I patted my side, "and we will join you in the fight as soon as I can get him on his feet."

"Ivy, you can't go alone." Carlisle insisted.

"No, Carlisle, you can't spare anyone. Y'all have to watch each other's backs." I countered passionately, "I have a method to block my scent. It's new and I don't have time to explain right now. Just go. I'll find you. I promise."

"Let her go." Alice said in an eerie tone with a faraway look in her eyes. "If we do as she says I have a strong feeling we will all leave this cave alive." On cue. The sky opened up and rain began to pour down in icy cold buckets.

"Thanks Alice." I said, hugging her. "Stay safe everyone." I pulled the rain around me in my water suit, adding a glowing halo above my head and bracers on my arms of ice for protection and took off for the entrance. The group of super-speedsters raced past me, darting inside well before I reached the door. I descended into the cave alone with a feeling of dread and giddiness.

Giddy because I was about to find Jacob and dread because I was afraid we wouldn't leave this cave alive despite what Alice said. But I was definitely not going down without a fight. This southern girl was going to raise a little hell.

I took the turns I needed carefully. The blue glow casting an odd light as I stared out through the water covering my face. I thought I had taken a wrong turn at first when I came to a wall, but I realized a huge rock had been placed there on purpose in lieu of a door. I tapped it with my fist, leaving behind a wet spot, then, in one swift movement, I pulled the water surrounding my body into a giant ball and smashed the stone into smithereens in a single blow. I coughed and waved dust away from my face and stepped inside, replacing the halo, but losing the water-suit (Reminder for when I'm not risking my life: come up with a better name than 'water-suit'). I blinked, trying to make out the odd shapes in the dark room when I heard a groan.

"Ivy." Jacob's voice rattled from somewhere inside, "Run." He begged weakly, "You shouldn't… shouldn't be here." I flared the water halo brighter and the room suddenly made sense. It was a craggy circle that almost looked like it had been carved out by someone's hands with a type of stone table left in the center. And on that table was my boyfriend.

Covered in his own blood.

"Jacob!" I cried out, rushing to his side. I stared down at him in shock, trying to make sense of what happened to his beautiful body. His arms and legs were strapped down with thick iron chains that cut deep into his skin, drawing blood. Positively every inch of him was bruised, broken, or bleeding and his boxers were in tatters from what looked like knife wounds that dotted his torso and legs. I looked him over in outrage, "Did they torture you?" I demanded furiously.

"Oh, just a little." Jacob said, a delirious smile ghosted across his face before he looked worried again. "Ivy, please leave." He gasped, in pain, his eyes swollen and lips and nose pouring blood. "It's not safe-." He cut off, coughing raggedly, spitting blood onto the floor.

"Yeah, right. I've taken all this time worrying and looking for you only to leave as soon as I get here? Dream on." I said, my voice shaking. "Now shut up and let me fix you." I said when he tried to speak again, patting a clear patch of unharmed skin on his arm.

"Please, baby, leave. I can't protect you like this!" He begged before eyes suddenly rolled back and he passed out.

"I am going to kill everyone that did this to you." I promised in a whisper, tears of rage pricking my eyes. I didn't have the time or energy to fix what was on the surface and Jake was too weak to give me any energy to borrow. I hated it with every fiber of my being, but I could only mend him enough to get him up and walking. The grand total of damage was just too much for the limited time we had here and I had to stay awake or we'd both die in the dark.

I cracked my knuckles and got to work fixing Jacob's insides. It was considerably worse than the injuries Sam collected. Aside from the dozen or so puncture wounds I healed partially, his head was bleeding internally and that took special finesse to fix. I focused with all my might, forcing the blood to clear away and the internal injuries to heal and for the swelling in his eyes to go down so he could see and for his nose to stop being a faucet. The room started turning a bit black around the edges, but steeled myself, refusing to pass out. With a wild gasp, Jacob woke. "What's going on?" He said at once, looking around in a panic. He pulled against his binds and moaned in pain and went still.

"I'm sorry." I said quickly, working on the chains at his wrist with an ice-saw. "I can't heal all of you yet, but the broken bones and internal damage is better. I promise I'll fix everything as soon as I can." The chains at his left arm snapped, but I was drained and so relieved, I swayed once and nearly fell.

"Ivy?" Jacob asked, sitting up gingerly as far as his one free arm could allow. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head and leaned in to kiss him with a desperation I didn't know I had. I could taste his blood on my lips and mine started to boil in my veins with fury. How dare these monsters hurt the man I loved! They would burn before the night was through. I swore it to sea and sky. "I thought I'd lost you." I admitted, pressing a careful kiss to his bruised cheek. Several tears escaped and I felt them slide down my face, salty and hot.

He searched my eyes like he was trying to memorize the soul stuck beneath. "I didn't think I was going to see you again." He said, kissing the tears from my cheeks. "Thank you for coming for me."

"I'll always come for you." I swore vehemently. "Damn anyone who gets in my way."

He smiled just a little at my tone and laid back down carefully, throwing his forearm over his eyes as I attacked the rest of the chains. I had worked up a good sweat by the time he was finally free. "Sit up slowly." I told him, supporting his back as he rose shakily to his feet. I felt his muscles bunch and ripple under my hands as he wobbled and tried to remain standing. "Alright?"

"I will be," He looked at the bloodstained table and shivered. "Eventually..." He added. The adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed several times and I watched his expression ripple with dark memories.

"What did they do you, Jacob?" I asked, my voice cracking with emotion.

His eyes were bleak. A look I had never seen on his face before and it scared me. "You don't want to know."

I begged to differ, but now really wasn't the time. I pulled him close, putting his arm over my shoulder to leverage some of his weight, and we shuffled slowly from the torture room, down the long, empty tunnel. Jacob grit his teeth with a loud snap. Blood was seeping from his various stab wounds. I hated to see him in pain, but there was nothing I could do about it right now, if I healed so much as a nick, I could go under. Jacob took a deep breath and kept walking. Then paused, a frown on his face as he took another deep draw of air. "What is that?" He craned his neck and stared at wall ahead of us. "I think," He took another breath, "I think there's someone in the wall."

Well that couldn't have sounded creepier. Why did I have to watch that stupid horror movie with the boys? I was regretting that decision more and more with every passing second. "Inside the wall?" I asked, feeling chills run down my arms.

Could the fact that we were in a dark, vampire-filled cave system be freakier?

Of course it could! We'll put people in the walls! That should do the trick!

I mean, honestly!

"Just there," Jake gestured with his chin straight ahead.

I let him lean against the wall and walked forward alone, my hands covered in ice, just in case. I placed my hand against the rock and felt the definite presence of a human inside. Alive too if I wasn't mistaken. "Hang on!" I cried, patting the rock. "I'm coming! Step away from the door!" I pulled all the water I had and smashed the rocks to bits. A terrible moan of anguish sounded at once in the opening I created. I rushed inside the minuscule, pitch-black room and saw a disheveled woman huddled on the floor, crying quietly. "Hey," I said gently, hearing Jake enter the room after me, "I'm here to help. I'm Ivy and this is Jacob, what's your name?"

"She made me do it!" The woman screamed, turing to face me. Her black hair was flat and matted with blood and most of her carmel skin was dotted with bruises. I sank to my knees in front of her.

"Who made you do what?" I asked. I reached out to touch her arm to asses her injuries, but she flinched back and suddenly an orb of golden light appeared in her outstretched palm, reflecting in her strange, blue eyes. "Witch!" I tumbled back onto my ass and scrambled to Jake's feet. "We mean you no harm!" I cried. Jacob helped me up and we stood still as statues. This was bad. If she was loopy, she might try to kill us and I wasn't prepared to fight a witch. Why did the vampires even have a witch?! Could this birthday get anymore nightmarish/bizarre?

The woman crawled forward and I held my hands up non-threateningly, elbowing Jake to do the same. He did so reluctantly. Men. "They have her. Look, look!" She yelled tears sliding down her face, making lines through the blood, as she held out the orb. I peered at it closer and saw the image of a little girl inside. She was filthy, clutching a ragged stuffed rabbit to her chest as silent tears ran down her face. I couldn't tell where she was, but it was dark. My heart ached for her.

"Your daughter?" Jacob asked, leaning closer for a look, but careful not to make any sudden movements.

The woman nodded, her eyes cloudy with exhaustion and something else I couldn't put my finger on. Her energy felt… off. Like it was pulsing weak then strong. Whatever it was, I had never felt anything like it before. "The red haired one needed a spell. A spell that would kill the conjurer." The woman said, her voice nearly hysterical, "I refused, but she took my Haley. I had no choice! I gave her what she wanted."

Jake and I exchanged a look. That didn't sound good. Life magic was devastating and if the conjuror would die from casting the spell that was the baddest of bad news. "What did she make you conjure?" I asked warily.

The woman collapsed onto her back, laughing like a maniac. "I can feel it drain from me little by little. My humanity… Going, going, gone!" She chortled.

Okay, that really didn't sound good. My goosebumps tripled. "What did she make you conjure?" I asked in a harder tone. We didn't have time for riddles.

The witch looked at me and blinked, her glazed look cleared and she was suddenly coherent. She scrambled to her feet and snatched the front of my shirt and pulled me close. Jacob made a little warning growl under his breath, but she ignored him. "A transformation spell. That's what she wanted from me. A spell to turn something inhuman into a human. It's a spell no witch would dare cast because the price is death." She said urgently, "I will die of the spell is completed."

My face paled, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! The spell can turn something inhuman into a human?" I asked. "Like… like, a vampire?"

"You can do that?" Jacob asked, just as stunned.

She nodded and I felt sick. Ugh! Could tonight get anymore twisted? "I can." The witch said, "But, like I said, the spell has a terrible cost. Humanity has to come from somewhere. If the red-haired one breaks it at the feet of her intended target, he or she will transform, taking my humanity into themselves, and I will die." She blinked, shaking her head. I felt her energy start to ebb and her words became light and airy, like she was sleepwalking. "My humanity is in a black talisman of spun glass. All glittery. Hanging on a string of gold." Her eyes grew wide with panic and she shook me until my teeth rattled. "Please! You have to help us! You're our only hope. You can't let my humanity break!"

I pushed her away and she flopped onto the floor, curling into a ball of hysterics. I knew exactly who Victoria's intended target would be… "She's going to turn Edward back." I told Jacob.

"How do you know?" He asked.

"I just know!" I snapped. "I'm sorry. I have to go. I have to warn him!" I ducked under Jake's arm and moved through the door. He tried to follow, of course, but I did the unforgivable and used half of my water to freeze a wall of ice over the door. "I'll be back!" I called over my shoulder, "Stay here and protect the witch!"

"Ivy, don't go without me!" Jacob bellowed, beating against the ice wall in a fury. I had to leave him, he would only slow me down when he was this weak. Plus, I couldn't ask him to risk his life again tonight. Jake had already been through too much. I sprinted through the twists and turns of the tunnel, listening with half a broken heart as Jacob yelled behind me. Soon, the sounds of war greeted me, louder and louder with every step forward.

I rounded the last corner and arrived in time to see an epic battle taking place. Body parts of vampires and large fires littered the ground and screams echoed across the curved walls of the huge, arena-like space, smoke filled the air with a disturbingly sweet smell. There had to be at least fifteen hostile vampires left alive in all. Emmet and Rose were paired off, fighting like there was no tomorrow, a jovial smile on Emmet's face. Jasper was taking on three at once and the odds were definitely in his favor. Sam tackled a vampire that was going after Alice and tossed the wailing male into the air and Carlisle jumped up to catch him. Before his feet hit the ground again, its body was in five pieces. And there was Edward, in the middle, slithering through the crowed, looking to chop off the head the snake.

On the extreme far side of the room, poised on a stage-like structure, stood Victoria. Her greedy red eyes drank in the scene before her with a full dose of utter madness woven into her brittle smile. It looked like the vampires really had been gathered in here for an evil meeting. "Edward!" I cried, but he didn't hear me over the war cries and shrieks of breaking vampires. Ugh. Did I have to do everything myself? I jumped a few times, trying to hype myself up to walk into the mass of fighting vampires. I was low on water, but it was just enough to create the water-suit. I hugged the edge of the curved wall, staying in the shadows.

And no one noticed me. It was totally awesome! The vampires just kept on fighting - and dying - and no one so much as tilted their nose in my direction. It was so cool. For the first time ever, I was probably going to surprise attack a vampire.

But Edward beat me to Victoria, the little brat. I looked on as he and Vicky tangled together in a vicious fight. They were beating the crap out of each other, but each time Eddie got the upper hand, the tables would turn and he would be put on the defensive. Edward was trying to take the talisman from her, so at least he knew what it was, but he didn't see the duo of vampires coming up behind him, or if he did, he didn't react quickly enough.

I was only a few feet away, hidden in the dark, when they clamped into Edward's arms and held him tightly in place. I glanced around, watching as every member of my family and Sam was engaged in a battle to the death. I would have to attack alone then. Victoria tugged the talisman's gold chain from her neck and it snapped. She was speaking, gloating probably, swinging the black bottle back and forth in Edward's face, which gave me more precious time. I had to stop her before she broke the talisman, but I needed more water.

I slapped the ground in frustration and felt the underwater river again.

Oh... Riiiight!

I smiled and placed my hand on the rock, feeling the severe rush of water call me like a siren song, deep in the earth. I latched on with my mind and pulled with all my might. The water rose at my call, breaking through several layers of stone before it burst through the floor, shooting up fifteen feet high in a giant fountain. I quickly wrapped my hands, forearms, shins, and feet in diamond hard ice, replenishing my armory. Victoria spun at the loud sound of rushing water and I was pleased to see her eyes widen in surprise. "Now it's a party." I smiled. The two vampires holding Edward were annoying me. I gestured, almost lazily in their direction and two thick streams of water shot out, hitting them hard and sending them back several feet, leaving Edward unscathed. I froze them like little vampire popsicles. Jasper could deal with them when he got a chance. I had bigger fish to fry. "Remember me?" I asked, my eyes only for Victoria as I moved in closer. She frowned, and I felt her hatred drill into me. It was intense. Almost as intense as my abhorrence for her. "Shouldn't you be crying over your dead friend?" She asked, sneering, "I'm surprised. I thought his death would keep you occupied for a little longer. You must not have love him after all." She said in that whinny, hight-pitched voice with a superior expression I wanted to slap off her face.

We were only a stone's throw from each other by now. Edward hovered uncertainly in the background. He was torn between attacking Victoria and helping Carlisle who had his hands full with a creepy set of twin vampires. I nodded for him to go and after an other uncertain pause, he left. "First off," I said to her. "Who says minions anymore? And second off, Jacob is alive, no thanks to you."

Vicky's severe brow furrowed. "Impossible. They tortured him for hours."

"You don't know anything about me, do you?" I said, swirling some glowing blue water over my head. "Elementals are more powerful than you could ever possibly dream." I said. "In fact, I think it's time for a demonstration. I'll really give you something to be surprised about." I didn't wait. I just struck like a cobra, sending a blade of dense ice to the hand that held the talisman. Victoria shrieked in agony when her arm was severed from her body and fell to the floor with a thump. "That's for hurting my boyfriend, you crazy bitch!" I screamed. And our very own macabre dance began in the must of the vampiric war.

Old Vicks charged me at one point, roaring like a frustrated banshee, her one arm stretched out to claw my face off. I jumped at the last second, using the water on my shins to boost my jump until I was standing on her other side. Then I sliced across her back with three blades. She screamed again, more from insult than injury. She spun incredibly fast and backhanded me. I only got my ice-covered forearm up in time to block the blow. It still sent me flying into the wall, knocking my skull against a rock, but it was better than my jaw being broken off or my neck spinning around the wrong way.

I sunk to my hands and knees, shaking my head when birds started flitting across my vision. Victoria flashed to my side, and tried to kick me, which could have collapsed a lung if I didn't see it coming, but I froze her foot to the floor. She stopped short and I threw water in her face and froze it over her eyes and sent a spike into her leg that sank deep. She flailed around, screaming and scratching at the ice and cursing me with language a sailor would blush at. I lassoed water around her ankles and sent her to the floor. Then I skipped away, trying not to laugh at her struggles, and went to her severed arm.

Absolutely disgusting! My throat filled with bile when I touched the disturbingly cold skin and tried to pry her frozen fingers from the talisman. But the damn thing wouldn't budge. "Oh, come on!" I muttered, tugging so hard my fingers were hurting. I wrestled with her stupid arm for far too long, forgetting to keep an eye on my opponent. A shadow fell over me and I looked up in time to see Victoria's fist flying toward my throat.

I know! Not even my face. My throat! There wasn't much I could do unless I wanted to experience what it was like to have a broken esophagus. I leaned to the side and had to let the blow land on my shoulder instead spinning me half-way around. Her fist felt like ten sledgehammers hitting me all at one. I hollered in pain as my shoulder bone dislocated from its socket with a sickening crack. I curled onto my side and tried not to move, breathing evenly when my stomach rolled with a vengeance. Man. That really freaking hurt.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should've been more careful. Since when did Ivy, the great and powerful, make sloppy mistakes like this? I couldn't exactly blame my distracted mind over the witch and her daughter without sounding like a cold-hearted bitch, but we all knew they were part of the problem. "Ugh…" I groaned when she nudged me onto my back a triumphant smile on her ugly face. "Hey, family!" I yelled when she started leaning in with those glistening teeth, eyes zeroed in on my jugular. "Anytime you feel like stepping in would be great!"

Emmet dropped from somewhere up above, cracking the floor with his feet, and grabbed Victoria by the throat, slamming her against the wall with a satisfying crunch. Victoria spun, breaking his hold and kicked him away. I watched her go for the talisman, prying open the fingers easily. "Don't let her take that!" I yelled, rolling to my feet, fighting the dizzying pain. I could have healed myself, but to be honest I didn't know how. I could never quite figure out dislocated shoulders. They had to be popped back into place the old fashioned way before I could soothe the stressed tendons and muscles.

Emmet ran up behind Victoria and grabbed her around the torso, locking her arms against her side. He pulled her off the ground, ignoring her piercing screams. She had a full-blown tempter tantrum. No joke. She was screaming and thrashing in his arms, kicking her legs, even crying. It was pretty weird. I was beginning to wonder if this James guy might've let himself get killed just to escape from her. She was psycho.

Emmet nearly lost his grip on her and she tried to run, but he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back against his chest. But he couldn't secure her safely before her foot kicked out, sending the talisman flying through the air like a torpedo. It smashed into my stomach with a force strong enough to steal the air from my lungs in a big whoosh! "No!" I wheezed. I tried to catch the pieces, but only one of my arms was working properly and it was too late anyway. There was no glue on earth that could put the talisman back together. The pieces fell to my feet, shattering into even smaller bits. I could feel human energy leak out and pool around me in a perfect circle. I failed. Little Haley would never be reunited with her mother. Another orphan girl had just been forged from this harsh world, her mother stolen by tragedy. Victoria had created another me.

I was shaking from head to toe. So angry, it blocked out everything, even the pain in my shoulder. I reached over and snapped the joint shoulder back into place like it was nothing. Normally, I would have screamed and possibly blacked-out from such a sudden move, but the clarity of hatred was a gift in this instance. "You're going to pay for that. Dearly." I snarled, stepping forward, all the water in the room rushing towards me as if I was a magnet. It was glowing and swirling around me like a tornado. I felt the wrath rise up in me, my vision tunneling until it was just Victoria's face at the other end. A bright red target sign for me to aim at.

And suddenly I couldn't see a damn thing.

Tendrils of black smoke shot up like they were alive and wrapped me in their hold, omitting a high-pitch squeal that drowned out all the noise around me. Trapped in a cocoon of black, I wrestled and beat against the sides of the smoke that steadily drew closer to me until my claustrophobia kicked into high gear. I fought harder, but it was like a forcefield was keeping me in. "Ivy!" A voice bellowed from outside the unearthly prison.

"Get me the hell out of here!" I called back. But there was no need to get out now. As if my skin was suddenly turned into a vacuum, all the black smoke was sucked inside of me. And, my God, it was torture.

Every nerve ending in my body was being electrocuted and sliced in half and sent through a blender all at the same time. My eyes rolled back into my head and I collapsed. I could see inside myself - at all the cells and strands of DNA that orbited around my body in harmony. Then I watched helpless as the strands of black smoke attacked like carnivorous worms and destroyed the structures and rewired me until my body felt completely different and discordant with the world. I could hear Victoria screeching somewhere nearby. It echoed like a nightmare in the empty corners of my head. And then I realized it was me screaming, not her. The agony was too much to bear, but I fought to find the surface of consciousness, but the unbearable dissection wouldn't allow it. I couldn't feel anything but pain. Total and absolute.

I tried to open my eyes, to stand up, but it was light trying to move a mountain. I managed to pry my lids apart the tinniest crack and what I saw would be seared into my memory forever.

Victoria wasn't fighting my brother. She wasn't angry or screaming out her rage. She was laughing! She threw back her head and her laugh rang out and hovered near the ceiling. Her eyes were on me and I knew that smile-full of such mirth and joy-was for me. She thought what was happening to me was funny. And that was the first time in a very long time that I was truly afraid for my life. Down to the marrow I-know-I can't-do-anything-to-stop-this afraid.

Emmet's face contorted with a rage so pure and intense that I almost didn't recognize him. He spun her around and dipped his head toward her throat. If anyone saw it from my angle, they would have assumed he was kissing her neck, but suddenly, her body fell away and her tangle of red hair was still clutched in his hands. He threw her head and started systematically ripping apart her body. The crimson curls bounced and rolled over to me. The last thing I saw was her wide, empty eyes and that little smirk forever etched into her face.

And the last thought that went through my mind before the darkness swallowed me was, I can't believe I died on my birthday…