Chapter 11

Long Knives

Leah

Emmett, Tanya, Seth and Felix had found an old wooden supply house stocked with blankets, food and other emergency supplies. A fire roared from within the fireplace, warming the small cottage. They gathered in the main room with the intention of forming some sort of plan to capture Joham. A light snow had begun to fall outside.

Leah felt antsy and helpless knowing she wouldn't be able to partake in any fighting. However, she did make one argument. She pointed out that, in the airport, she had held her own against a halfy, only to have her agrument met by such opposition that an outsider would have thought she proposed they cut her up and serve her to Joham on a gilded platter.

Seth had a strange, haunted look in his eyes at odds with his natural amiable disposition. Leah knew his inability to phase was the cause. What worried her more than Seth's fear was the fact that the others shared it. Vampires and wolves alike carefully avoided discussing the possible outcomes of the injection.

"We shouldn't make any sort of move until Carlisle arrives." Tanya stated fiercely daring the others to disagree.

"They only just arrived in Russia within the hour," said Demetri attempting to sound impassive, but Leah heard the urgency. He wanted to end this chase as soon as possible, she could tell.

"How many miles?" Tanya inquired.

"About 50," said Demetri.

Leah wondered if she had heard right. Hadn't Demetri told her 100 when she'd asked during their journey? Maybe Carlisle and Embry had landed in a closer airport? Perhaps they were traveling faster than her and Demetri? Or, more likely, Demetri had lied to her, but why? Leah decided not to dwell on it since there were more pressing matters, but she shot Demetri a look of suspicion. He skillfully avoided her eyes.

"Not too far away then," said Felix, "we could begin to hunt Joham down and Carlisle could catch up."

"I don't think we need to worry about hunting Joham down," said Demetri, "He's coming after us." His words were solemn now and his eyes darkened. "They're on the move. It will take them two hours tops to find us."

"Should we go somewhere else, then?" Asked Seth, alarmed.

"Won't do much good. We won't get very far. We just have to hope Carlisle and Embry move quicker than our enemies." Said Demetri.

"How many?" Asked Felix.

"Two vampires, Joham and the assistant and at least seven halfies, but there could be others I'm just not aware of."

Emmett snorted, "Only two vampires, we can take them. Correction, I can take them. You old ladies can just sit snug here."

Felix chuckled, but Tanya and Demetri continued to look worried. Leah tried to weigh their fighting chances in her mind. Emmett, she knew, was a good fighter and Felix was famous for his ability. She had seen Demetri fight in Egypt and knew he was good. She didn't know about Tanya, but was fairly confident the fierce vampire could hold her own.

The four vampires commenced to discuss battle strategy while Leah sat with Seth outside beside the cabin.

"So, how was your Volturi experience?" Asked Seth.

Leah laughed and reflected on her time with Demetri. She thought about the jokes, the arguments, the Russian tiger. She thought about her strange attraction to the sound of his laugh and how her heart had nearly stopped when that image of his face popped into her mind. As if she was going to share any of that with Seth.

She shrugged, "Interesting enough."

"That's all?" Asked Seth frowning, "because I was surprised. Felix is a pretty nice guy when he isn't about to massacre us and all the people we love. I didn't think I would like him, but, I don't know, we got along."

"I'm not surprised, you love vampires, Seth," Leah teased, elbowing him.

Seth's expression turned unexpectedly serious. "Don't make fun of me for caring about them, Leah, I know you do too."

"Sorry, Seth, didn't mean to offend. Of course I care about the Cullens."

Seth nodded, but he was still frowning.

Leah thought about her own statement. Yes, she cared about the Cullens, but was it more than the Cullens now? The thought of Tanya, Kate, Garret, Eleazar or Carmen in danger frightened her as well. Maybe it was not only Seth who had grown attached to the Denali Coven.

Leah thought process switched to the imminent battle ahead. Every single one of her companions would be in danger. They could be killed. Leah's mind forcefully contrived an image of a headless Demetri. The thought scared Leah more than she could have ever expected. Perhaps, then, a certain Volturi vampire had a found a way into a small piece of her heart. As a friend, of course. Just like the Cullens or the Denalis. And not even as prominent as any of them. He had lied to her, after all. She wondered why.

Meanwhile, Seth was doing his own pondering. Leah had never seen him frown for so long in her life. Well, after their dad died...Leah repressed the memory.

The four vampires materialized beside them.

"They'll be here very soon," Said Demetri. He sat down next to Leah. His eyes were soft and still brown when they met her own.

"I'm sorry you can't fight, but there will be more battles in the future."

"For you," said Leah, "I, on the other hand, prefer a peaceful, quiet life." She smiled at the end to let him know she was joking. She didn't doubt there would be future battles, but she did worry whether she would be able to participate. "You'll try to find out about the injection stuff, right?" She asked quickly.

Demetri was still smiling from her joke when he responded, "Of course, we want to take Joham, alive, back to Aro."

Right, this was a Volturi mission. With so many wolves and Cullens, Leah had almost forgotten.

"Do you think you can win?" She asked him quietly. For once, she was grateful Seth had been distracted by Tanya so that he wouldn't hear her question.

"I don't know yet," He answered softly. Then, he pressed his lips together tightly. "If it seems like we can't then you and Seth run."

"We won't make it far."

"Don't say that!" Demetri exclaimed sounding agitated. "I bet you are still a fast runner as a human and you can fight the halfies to some extent so even if some of them come after you, you still have a shot." He sounded more like he was trying to convince himself of all this.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said somewhat dully. She still wished he, Tanya, Felix and Emmett would let her fight. They sat in silence. Demetri talked to her on and off, but she could tell he was trying to focus on the approaching opponent.

"They're here," He murmured for her ears alone. He made to stand up, but Leah grabbed hold of his hand. She didn't know why she did it. She hadn't planned to, but there she was sitting, in very close proximity, she realized, with this Volturi vampire holding his hand because...why? Why had she grabbed his hand? Fear was coursing through her bloodstream which didn't make sense either. She wasn't fighting, she had no reason to fear. She stared into Demetri's surprised eyes with alarm and confusion.

"Leah..."

That was all he said, just her name. Her alarm finally caught up with her. She dropped his hand and jumped to her feet. She could feel that she was blushing. Demetri stood beside her. Still so close, if he had been human or wolf, she would have been able to feel the heat from his arm. She stepped away.

"They're here," He announced to the group.

"And so are we," Carlisle and Embry appeared from the forest. Embry looked just as shell shocked as Seth did and as Leah felt.

"Carlisle, I have never ever been so happy to see your beautiful face," said Tanya with obvious relief. Carlisle smiled at her with some amusement.

"I could kiss you," Emmett added for emphasis.

"Save it for Rosalie," Carlisle teased.

Hearing his optimism made Leah feel instantly reassured. With Carlisle present and on their side, how could they not win?

"So this is how the Cullens prepare for battle," Felix remarked.

Everyone's laughter was cut off by distant growling heard across the small clearing. Leah looked up, her first thought being, Demetri was wrong about the numbers.

Seth grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards the cabin. The three wolves barricaded the door and ripped the curtains from the window. They watched a small battalion line up against Carlisle, Tanya, Emmett, Demetri and Felix. Three vampires in counting and eleven halfies of varying ages. Leah didn't like the odds, but she supposed the halfies may not have much fighting experience. It would be the vampires her side would have to worry about.

Demetri

Locate the target. He was front and center. Just as Demetri suspected he would be. They had decided Joham would be his. He was second best fighter, after Felix, of course, and he could chase Joham down if he tried to run.

Joham and his companions did not slow in their approach. Demetri growled deep in his throat and took one preparatory step forward. He would let Joham come to them.

In the back of his mind, he was aware of the house behind him where Leah waited completely helpless. He almost groaned in frustration. He could not fail her. He could still fell her warm grasp on his hand. He could see the fear in her eyes. Fear for him? He liked to think so. It could have been fear for Seth or herself or the Cullens, but he wanted to think it was for him. Either way, he would not allow himself to fail her.

Joham stopped some 15 feet away. Close enough that Demetri could reach him in one leap, but he resisted the temptation.

"The Volturi has come to destroy my children." Joham stated.

"We've come to end an outrageous and dangerous experiment," Demetri replied with a growl. "You have the option to surrender peacefully and come with us to stand trial."

Joham laughed. "Yeah, right, I heard about the last time the Volturi promised a trial. Almost wiped out a quarter of the vampire population. No, I won't participate in any phony trials of the Volturi's." With that stated, Joham sprang into attack.

Demetri calculated his momentum and stepped out of the way at the last moment. He spun on his heel and caught Joham by the back of his shirt. He kicked the vampire into the cold ground while the battle erupted around them.

Joham spun onto his back and kicked Demetri back with such force that the tall pine he hit snapped in half. The next second, he was back on the offensive charging Demetri, but Demetri lept into the air and spun over Joham's head so he landed directly behind him. He grabbed the other vampire by the back of the head and kicked him in the back of the legs. Joham fell to his knees and, for a moment, Demetri tasted victory, but he got distracted by the sudden lighting of a torch nearby. Additional halfies had arrived bearing fire.

Leah

The fighting had been going pretty well for the first couple of seconds. Demetri took Joham while Emmett and Felix took the other two vampires. Joham and Demetri's fight was fairly equal. Emmett's vampire had a talent for dodging and diving so Emmett couldn't get a punch in, but Leah didn't doubt that, when he did, the vampire would be done. Meanwhile, Felix was successfully pulverizing his own vampire and fighting three halfies at once. Carlisle and Tanya skillfully kept the rest of the halfies from getting to the house where Leah, Seth and Embry hid watching through the one window.

"Shit!" Seth exclaimed as more halfies streamed from the trees with huge torches in their hands.

"This guy has been busy, huh?" Embry commented.

Leah could have slapped him for cracking a joke at a time like this, but, in reality, what else were they going to do?

There was obvious dismay among Carlisle, Tanya, Emmett, Felix and Demetri at the arrival of the fire. Their lives were really on the line now.

Leah searched the scene frantically to relocate Demetri and Joham. The pair moved so fast that her human eyes often lost sight of them. Her heart seized up when she found them. Demetri, now, was the one on his knees. Joham had an arm around his neck. Leah couldn't breath.

Demetri elbowed Joham in the gut and then grabbed the vampire by his shoulders and threw him over his head, releasing himself. Leah's heart commenced beating again.

But the fight was not in their favor. Leah found herself fearfully anticipating who would be the first dead. Seth expressed her fears.

"There's no way they can keep this up. One of them is going to mess up," Seth said, eyes wide and fearful. Leah could hear the truth in his words and, not two seconds after they were spoken, a scream hit the air.

Leah stared, horrified, as Tanya's arm parted from her body. Seth roared with rage. He bolted to the door and destroyed the barricade before Embry and Leah could even fully register what was going on.

"SETH!" Leah screamed and she ran to him just as he managed to kick down the door.

Instantaneously, two halfies who got past Tanya and Carlisle were upon them. Seth's eyes displayed a fierceness Leah had never seen. He slammed his fist into one's face knocking it clean to the ground. He landed a kick on another. Embry joined in the fight against them. Leah watched, impressed, as her pack members, in human form, held their own. But, they were not strong enough to kill the halfies and Leah suspected they would tire before their half vampire opponents.

She sprinted back into the house and desperately searched through the emergency supplies. Finally, she found what she needed. It was a long and sharp hunting knife. Bearing this, she ran back out into the frenzy.

Embry was trapped beneath a female halfy who was trying to get his head in her grasp. Leah rocketed herself at the girl and barreled into her, knocking her off of Embry. With speed she didn't know her human self was capable of, she stuck the knife into the girl's neck. The girl twisted and struggled underneath her, clawing helplessly against the knife hilt and Leah's hands. Eventually, she fell still.

Leah looked up and noticed that each vampire had stopped to watch. She then looked at her own hands. The blood, of course, but it was less than to be expected, much less. Halfies must not carry as much blood as humans. In fact, she was almost certain of it. She remembered how Jasper had been closer to attacking Quil when he got a paper-cut than when Renesmee stepped on Charlie's broken beer bottle.

Her allies recovered before Joham and his vampires. Felix floored the vampire nearest him, Emmett's punch grazed his vampire's shoulder for the first time and Demetri twisted Joham's arm around. Surprisingly, Joham hardly moved until the arm began to rip off his body. Leah caught a quick, thirsty look in his red eyes. He was very hungry. There were no humans to eat in the Russian wilderness and they had kept Joham on the move for the past three days.

Leah climbed quickly to her feet and looked to where Seth still struggled against a halfy.

"Seth!" She called out. He moved so he stood in front of the halfy and Leah threw him the knife. He caught it and turned on the halfy again. The fight was over in a minute. Seth, Embry and Leah retreated to the doorway of the house. Leah scanned the battle. Tanya, with one arm, could only fight a couple halifies at a time. Joham had made an amazing recovery and managed to retain both of his own arms. Emmett was growing frustrated and, consequently, sloppy. The other vampire seemed to be gaining the upper hand on him. Carlisle was disappearing under a mountain of half vampires which, not even Felix, could make a break in.

Joham's battalion amped up their attempts to inflame the enemy. The fire caught on Felix's cloak and he was forced to shed it. Next it caught on Carlisle's pants and he had to roll in the snow allowing halfies to nail him there.

"We're gonna lose," Seth whispered, his eyes wide.

Leah looked back to Demetri's desperate fight against Joham.

"No," she said, "we're not."

Demetri

They were going to lose. Demetri could hardly believe it, but he could recognize that the battle bordered on futile. The halfies were better trained than they had imagined and Joham was a better fighter than he had anticipated.

To make matters worse, Leah and her pack had left the safety of the house and fought against the halfies, specifically, against his advise, no, his orders. But, of course, she hadn't listened to him. When did she ever? But now he was worried about her and it was distracting him from Joham.

The crazy vampire scientist floored him and growled viciously in his face while attempting to get a hold of his arms so he could rip them off. Keeping his arms pressed safely against his sides, Demetri rolled forward, back and onto his feet. He angled his elbow to drill into Joham's neck. It was successful, but Joham recovered with shocking speed and escaped from underneath him.

The two stood facing each other again. Snarling. Sizing each other up.

Suddenly, something changed in Joham. He stopped snarling. He stood stock still. His eyes gained a kind of insanity that Demetri recognized well. Fearfully, he tasted the air.

The smell of human blood nearly overpowered his senses. Furthermore, he recognized the smell. He knew whose blood had been shed. He froze, much like Joham, but because he feared, if he moved, he would attack her. He would kill her. The distraction was enough that he wasn't prepared for Joham's vicious attack. He felt his arm tear off and his body flew backwards through the air.

Leah

"No," she said, "We're not." She took the knife from Seth's hand and ran into the fray. Seth, realizing what she was about to do, tried to run after her, but he was intercepted by halfies, just as she had planned.

She stood in the center of it all. Little more than human. But, humans could be brave too. They could make a difference. She closed her eyes and slashed through her wrist with all of her arm's force.

The pain was terrible and red spots grew to encompass her entire vision, but, slowly, she regained some of her sight. And there he was. Standing in front of her. Joham smiled down at her with fraudulent reassurance.

He took her wrist in his hand. She was too dizzy to even consider fighting him. He pulled her close to his cold body. She was surprised. She thought he would go for her wrist. One of his arms wrapped around her waist and the other locked into her hair.

"Don't fight, sweet one," He murmured.

Carlisle...where are you.

She wasn't entirely suicidal. She knew she might die in the effort, but that hadn't been her plan. Of course, it was supposed to be Carlisle to come to her rescue. The only vampire unaffected by the scent of blood. The only one who would retain his sanity when she sliced open her skin. She knew it would be Joham who wouldn't be able to resist, but where, where was Carlisle?

His cold lips pressed up against her neck. Panic set in, but she was so incredibly dizzy. Only Joham's arm kept her upright. She hardly even felt the fangs. They didn't hurt at all, only a small pinch where his lips were let her know they were even there.

More and more of her strength faded away. She could no longer keep her eyes open. The sounds of the battle grew distant. Memories and faces swam in her head. She saw Seth, Sue, Charlie, the Cullens, her pack and Demetri, but her mind chose Sue to focus on. She would never see Sue married now. She wouldn't be there to hold her mother's hand and share in her joy.

Carefully, she forced what she hoped was a smile across her face. She wanted her dead body to look peaceful for when Sue viewed it. She hoped Seth wouldn't tell Sue how it happened. She hoped he would make something better up. Maybe, they would make her sound heroic. That would be nice.

You are a hero, Honey, they don't need to make that up.

Leah knew that voice. She knew it well. It had sung her to sleep after she had nightmares, gave her advice during the darkest times in her life and told her "I love you" time and time again.

Dad? Henry? Am I dead? She had to be dead if she could hear Henry Clearwater's voice. But, if she was dead, how come there was an annoying itch starting in her neck?

Leah, Leah, Leah, my daughter is even more beautiful than I remembered. I am so proud of you, Leah. So proud of you.

I'm sorry, Dad, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to phase I didn't want it I'm so sorry.

You have nothing to be sorry for, my love.

I do! I do! I killed you! I got angry and I phased and I killed you! It's my fault! Because I'm a freak!

No, Leah baby, I wasn't healthy. It wasn't your fault.

Now that were both dead and we can be together, I'll make it up to you. Even as Leah promised this the itch in her neck became painful. It was burning. Her heart began to beat like crazy. Her heart? But she was dead.

No daughter of mine is going to die today. No, no you still have a long life to fulfill and people who need you.

No, Dad, no I want to be with you! I miss you so much. I miss you everyday. I don't want to do this anymore. The pain was becoming unbearable. She could hardly focus on her conversation with Henry. It had spread from her neck to her shoulder. She could feel it burning, ever so slowly, down her arm.

I lived my life and it is time for my daughter to forgive herself and live hers to its fullest potential.

No, no, no, no, no! Dad, no it hurts!

You're right, life does hurt, but the joy outweighs the pain every time.

Leah wanted to explain to him that she wasn't talking about life, she was talking about her neck and her shoulder and her arm.

Leah, I have to leave you now, but remember this, I love you always.

Don't go! Don't leave me again! But he was gone and the burning escalated. It escalated until it consumed Leah's every thought and, just when she was certain her heart would stop, it began to recede.

Demetri

He pulled himself off the ground. Joham had hurled him fifty feet from the scene of the battle. Demetri grabbed his severed arm and winced as he allowed it to mend with his arm socket. Meanwhile, he made his way, much too slowly for his liking, to rejoin the battle. His eyes desperately scanned the chaos. The smell of Leah's blood threatened to overwhelm him. He could see Joham's mind in his head as it made its way toward Leah's.

Demetri desperately fought his way through the crowd. Their minds had overlapped. Panic set into his chest. He ripped the head off a halfy who tried to stop him. But it was a waste of precious seconds.

Finally, he saw them with his own eyes. Joham had one arm wrapped around her waist and, with the other hand, he had her neck tilted to the side. His fangs sank deep into her neck. Demetri experienced a powerful overload of rage. With bared teeth, he flew at Joham knocking halfies out of his way as he went. He leapt up and over some 6 or 7 of them and slammed into Joham. He ripped the vampire off of Leah and her unconscious body collapsed into the snow.

Joham first, Joham first.

Joham, disoriented by his feeding frenzy, stood no chance. Demetri kicked his front into the ground and grabbed the back of his head. He pressed his foot into Joham's back and, with brutality, ripped his head off. The next second, Carlisle was by his side with a lit torch. Demetri leapt to the side and watched Joham's body go up in flames.

The effect was immediate. Halfies stared in petrified horror. Emmett and Felix took advantage of the distraction to decapitate the other two vampires. Felix set his on fire and passed the torch to Emmett.

"No!" Demetri exclaimed, "Aro wanted Joham alive, but seeing as that is not going to happen..."

Emmett nodded and passed the head to Carlisle while he held onto the body. The halfies scattered. None of them bothered to chase any. Aro would send lowlier guards to do that.

"Leah!" Seth's alarmed cry woke Demetri from his moment of savage victory.

He knelt beside Leah and stared at her in dismay. So much blood. So much blood had pooled around her. Even more would be inside of Joham. Would she survive? Would she change or would her heart stop too soon?

"Get out of the way," Carlisle ordered. Demetri backed away, but only a couple of feet.

"What are you doing?" Asked Demetri with trepidation.

Carlisle kneeled over Leah and lifted her body onto its side so the neck with the vampire bite was exposed.

"What's he doing?" Demetri redirected the question at everyone, anyone, else.

"He has to get the poison out of her," muttered Tanya whose arm had reattached.

"Why? That's impossible." Said Demetri, frustrated. He felt like he was missing something extremely important.

"Vampire poison is deadly to shape shifters," Tanya continued, "It will kill her, if he doesn't."

Demetri watched in horror as Carlisle sank his teeth into Leah to remove more blood. He had wrapped her arm in his jacket to stop blood from escaping there, but Demetri doubted it would help much.

He wanted to look away. He didn't want to watch her die. Not like this. Mortality. He hadn't really thought about it in awhile. It had never posed any threat to him. He was immortal as were everyone he cared, even remotely, for. Not to mention, they were virtually indestructible. But there was Leah. So fragile, so human, despite her incredible ability to shape shift. And the thought of her dead scared him. He could only remember one time he had come face to face with mortality in this way.

Carlisle pulled back. "The poison is out, but we have to get her to a hospital. Immediately. She's lost too much blood. Way too much blood. Demetri, carry Leah and come with me," Carlisle ordered.

Demetri didn't argue. He was fastest here. It made sense that he would be the one to bring Leah to a hospital. He lifted her as gently as he could. She was still much warmer than himself, but not nearly as warm as she should have been.

"Please, run fast," Seth whispered beside him.

Thank you so so much for the reviews! you guys are awesome! I'm sorry this update took FOREVER I'll try to be faster

As always, Disclaimer: this is allllllllllllll Stephanie Meyer's