Chapter Eight: Details

Gracie leaned against Edward, not really tired but slightly out of breath. "Well," she said. "That was... interesting."

"That was fun!" Niki exclaimed, bounding up to them and rocking back on her heels, a huge grin adorning her face.

"I agree," Emmett said, clapping her on the shoulder.

"Enough," Jasper told them. "We still have Maria to deal with."

"And Nathan," Niki piped up.

"And Bella," Gracie muttered apprehensively. Edward put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to him.

"Can you excuse us for a minute?" he asked the others, steering Gracie a few feet away, shrouded among the rocks. Then he pulled her to him, snaking one arm around her waist and using his other hand to tilt her chin up so that she would look at him. "Gracie. Are you afraid?"

She bit her lip. "I think so."

"Explain."

Struggling for words, trying to phrase her thoughts, Gracie began hesitantly. "Well... I'm nervous, of course. This will be my first real fight against something or someone more powerful than I am. And I know you'll all be fighting with me, but that scares me, too—what if I go crazy? I'm not like other newborns, but Jasper is still nervous about me. I know he is. And it scares me. Remember my first fight with a demon? I almost attacked you after that."

"You didn't," he reminded her. He was about to speak again, but she cut him off.

"I know. But that time there was only one enemy and not that much blood. You and Jasper were both very quiet and calm at the time, very still... I doubt it will be like that when we're in the middle of fighting for our lives. It'll be a frenzy—loud, bloody, chaotic, constant motion. I could lose my cool and hurt someone... someone I'm not supposed to."

He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You'll be fine. And even if you do start to panic, we can take care of ourselves. Jasper can probably handle you."

"His gift doesn't work on me," Gracie protested.

"He doesn't need his gift. He's a military officer and an expert on newborns, remember?"

"Yeah." She looked away. "But..."

"But...?"

"Can he handle me and Bella?"

Edward frowned. "Is that what's worrying you?"

"She's a newborn too, Edward, and fresher than I am, if I remember correctly."

"Maybe, but that won't make a difference... and anyway, you, unlike other newborns, can think beyond bloodlust."

She smiled softly. "I don't know. I have a hard time thinking beyond lusting after your blood."

"Very funny." He kissed her. "I know exactly how you feel, love. Now, what else is bothering you?"

Gracie leaned her head against his chest and sighed. "You want the truth?"

"Yes, please."

"Bella."

"What about her?"

Gracie chewed her lip, nestling further into his chest. "I don't want to say it. But I guess you should know... Edward, you were in love with Bella for a long time."

Edward sighed. "Yes."

"And I know that you love me. I know. But..." She stared off into the endless sky. "You can love more than one person."

"Yes, darling, you can," he said softly. "That was the original problem between me and Bella. She didn't only love me... she also loved Jacob."

"But she loved you more..."

"Not enough." Edward gently tilted her chin up again. "It turned out that Bella didn't love me as much as she loved herself. She loved her control. She loved having us both in the palm of her hand."

"But you loved her."

"Yes. I did."

"Why don't you love her anymore?"

"I don't know." His lips touched her temple and trailed down to her jaw. "Maybe it was me. Maybe it was her. I gave up on her when she chose to go after Jacob."

Gracie bit her lip again, trying to phrase her thoughts in a way that wouldn't hurt Edward. "Then you gave up on her when she made a bad, stupid mistake."

Edward was silent for a moment, stroking her hair. "I gave up on her when she chose to be intentionally selfish," he said at last.

"What if I choose the same?" she whispered.

"You won't."

"But what if I do?" Tears were beginning to fill her eyes. "Will you still love me?"

Edward let out a soft breath and closed his eyes. "Now I understand what you're getting at. Gracie, listen. I don't think there was ever anything holding Bella and I together beyond extreme attraction and mutual affection."

"Then you didn't love her?"

"I did, but not in the same way I love you. I loved her actions, her words, her personality.I loved her body and her blood." Edward gently trailed his finger down the side of her face, stroking her cheek. "But all of that can change. People can choose to be different—do and say different things. They can choose to change themselves, can choose to walk different paths. Her body could change—at least until she became a vampire—and even now, she could be torn to pieces and she would no longer have a body. Her blood could be drained."

"What do I have that she doesn't?" Gracie wondered.

"I love your heart. I love your soul." He closed his lips over hers, kissing her softly. "No matter what you do or say, or who you become, your soul will still be yours. It will still be Gracie." He cupped the back of her head and kissed her again. "Do you understand now?"

She laid her head against his chest, closing her eyes. One frosty tear slipped down her cheek. "I... think so."

"Hey, lovebirds!" Emmett's call echoed among the rocks. "Better hurry up or we'll leave without you!"

Edward brushed her tear away with his thumb. "Don't cry," he said in a low, rough voice. "I don't ever want to make you cry. If I do, I'll throw myself off a cliff. If someone else does, I'll break every bone in their body. Alright?"

"Okay." Gracie rubbed her eyes. "Come on. They're probably getting impatient."

"They can wait until you're alright."

"I'm fine. Come on."

Edward nodded and took her by the hand, pulling her back to the others. "Let's go get Maria," he told them.

"And Nathan," Niki grumbled. "Why does everyone keep forgetting about him?"

Jacob laughed and picked her up, settling her on his hip like a child. "We can handle your brother," he said confidently.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Then she muttered something under her breath that sounded like "stupid cocky bastard."

"I know," he said, nuzzling her neck. "But I'm yours."

"You most certainly are," Niki said sharply. "And I suggest you stay that way!"

"Don't worry. I will." He kissed her jaw.

"You guys are disgusting," Paul complained.

"Publicly displaying affection again, are you?" Gracie said with a grin. "Shame, shame."

"Oh, shut up, Gracie. Like you weren't just over there kissing on Edward."

Gracie rolled her eyes. "You're right, Niki. That's exactly what I was doing. I just slobbered all over him. Mm-hm."

"Ewww," Alice told Edward. "Now you have Gracie cooties."

Edward wiped his hand on her. "Now you do, too."

"Very funny," Rosalie snapped. "Can we go now?"

"Maria is just over that ridge," Demetri commented, pointing. "Nathan and Bella are a few dozen yards to either side of her. And she has..." his brow furrowed, "...something else with her."

"It feels like a demon," Jane said thoughtfully.

"High-level, probably," Carlisle observed.

Edward recalled what Carlisle had said about demons. The strongest can change form instantly, even constantly, if they so choose.

"Let's go get them," he said grimly.

As they topped the rise, Maria came into sight. She appeared impatient, tapping her foot with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Well, it is about time you showed up!" she snapped.

"Stow it, bloodsucker," Jacob growled. "Get ready to die." He started to move forward, but Maria stopped him by wagging her finger disapprovingly.

"Now, now," she said. "Don't make a move you'll regret, dog."

"She's not alone," Sam said quietly.

Maria clapped her hands gleefully. "Precisely!" Then, cupping her hands around her mouth, she called out, "Ixtherion, dear!"

There was a blast of sound, like the howling of a trumpet, and then Ixtherion the demon was before them. It took the form of a dragon, sinuous and garnet-red, twice as long as Jacob was tall. With six pairs of legs, four huge black eyes, and smoke pouring from his nostrils, the creature was quite a sight to see.

"You called, my lady?" it rumbled, in a voice that made the ground vibrate.

Maria flapped a hand dismissively. "Get rid of this garbage. I haven't time to deal with them myself."

In a moment, she was gone. Ixtherion turned toward the immortals.

"Oh, sh—" Fortunately, Niki didn't have time to finish, since her last word was probably not going to be "sheep." Ixtherion attacked.

It would have seemed that, with the entire pack and the entire coven, the demon would not have stood a chance. Nevertheless, Ixtherion held its own. With constant shape-shifting, it continually slipped through the immortals' fingers. Paul and Emmett, passionate fighters, quickly got frustrated.

"Kill that thing, damn it!" Paul roared.

"Shut up, Paul!" Niki snapped.

Gracie ducked around Ixtherion and jammed her entire hand beneath one of the scales on its back, wrenching the scale off and hurling it away. The dragon screamed and shifted into a giant constrictor snake, missing a large chunk of its body, and wrapped itself around Gracie. She gritted her teeth, eyes glowing dark golden, and pushed against the tightly muscled sides of the demon snake. In an instant, Edward was swooping to her rescue, grabbing Ixtherion by the throat and forcing it to uncoil with great effort. Emmett jumped in, hooking his fingers into the top and bottom of the snake's mouth and slowly, gradually, pulling them apart. Ixtherion hissed, flicking its powerful tail to knock over Quil, who had been trying to sneak up on it. Then the snake was no longer a snake but a huge bear, towering well over even the seven-foot werewolves. With a ground-shaking roar, the demon attacked again.

This went on for too long. The immortals—even the strongest of the vampires—were beginning to tire, while Ixtherion seemed to be in nearly perfect shape, even despite the small piece that was missing from each of his forms where Gracie had torn off a scale.

Niki was getting impatient. While Leah distracted the demon with quick, catlike attacks, Niki crept in from behind. Of course Ixtherion sensed her coming and turned—at this point it was back in the shape of a dragon—but Niki had planned on this. As soon as Ixtherion opened its mouth to spout fire at her, she sprang forward and sent her katana all the way into the back of its throat.

Screaming horribly, the demon writhed on the ground, shifting form every couple of seconds. Within moments it had dissolved into dust and blown away in the wind.

Niki glanced around. "Well, that was anticlimactic."

"I know," Gracie remarked. "Nobody died or anything."

"It was almost too easy," Edward said cautiously.

"It's not over yet," Sam replied, looking grim. "We still have those bloodsuckers to deal with."

"Oh," said Niki. "Right. Good point."

"Forgot about that," Gracie said dryly.

"Mm-hm. Me too. Funny thing to forget."

"Yup. Not very forgettable."

"Nope, not at all."

"Enough of the not-so-witty banter," Alice informed them. "We have to go after Bella and the other two."

"Hey!" Niki complained. "Our banter is too witty!" Everyone ignored her.

Paul made a fist with his right hand and punched his left palm. "Nathan's ass is mine," he growled, eyes smoldering dangerously.

Jacob nodded. "Same here. Nathan has to die and that's all there is to it."

"I'll handle Maria," Jasper said quietly.

"I'm coming with you." Alice's tone left no room for arguments.

Niki scowled. "I'm going after Bella."

Gracie put a hand on the tiny werewolf's shoulder. "I'll go, too. She's a newborn. You'll need all the help you can get."

Niki's scowl abruptly turned to a grin. "I guess you would know."

Gracie chuckled. "Yeah, but you're a werewolf... killing vampires is what you do. I think we can handle her."

"Not by yourselves," Sam told them. "The rest of us will come with you. You can't take her alone."

"Sure we can," Niki said with a shrug. "Besides, this is a personal battle. You know, scores to settle, bones to pick, that kind of stuff." She glanced at Gracie. "I'm only letting Missy Prissy here come along as backup." Gracie lifted one eyebrow. "And because she'd kick my ass if I didn't."

Gracie grinned. "Right. So, let's go already."

"Now wait a second—" Sam began sternly.

"No. No more waiting." Gracie knelt in front of Niki. "Get on. I can run faster than you."

A moment later, they were gone.

Sam sighed. He wanted to go after them, but Niki had a point. This was a personal battle—for both of those girls. It was up to them to fight it. So, instead, he turned away and started splitting up the forces between Nathan and Maria.

Gracie glanced around. "She's here somewhere. I know she is. But her scent is all over—I can't smell out a clear trail."

"I can," Niki said, sounding strangely husky and grim. Gracie glanced at her to see the tiny girl's dark eyes flickering with strange colors, like melted gold and iridescent copper.

"Okay," Gracie said warily. "Go ahead."

Niki lifted her nose to the air and scented it like a dog (or a wolf, Gracie thought, performing a mental face-palm). Her eyes narrowed to mere slits and she sniffed again. Then she growled, a deep, guttural sound that made Gracie tense for a fight.

Niki's head jerked to one side. "This way," she growled, then took off in the indicated direction, leaving Gracie to follow like an obedient sheep.

Niki jogged bent halfway over, eyes on the ground, nose to the air. Her heart-rate increased with every step she took. Something deep and instinctual was taking over, and she was happy to let it. She was only faintly aware of Gracie somewhere behind her, too focused on her quarry—Isabella Swan.

As Niki and Gracie crested another rise, movement flickered on the edge of their vision. Gracie whipped her head around, trying to spot the source, but Niki was perfectly still. She had found her prey and was now tensed to spring.

Bella appeared, as though stepping out of air. Her face was tight with tension, her hands clenching and unclenching. Her eyes were like black stars in the dawning light.

Gracie glanced between the two half-rabid young women. Niki was snarling, lips pulled back from sharp teeth—if she had been a dog, her hackles would be up. As it was, she was in a half-crouch, ready for battle. Bella was like a wire of electricity, vibrating on the spot, wild and uncontained. She could be gone in a flicker if the wrong movement was made.

"Bella," Gracie said softly. "Don't do this."

"Back off," Bella snarled.

"You back off, you..." Niki let loose with a few choice words that Gracie was surprised didn't burn her mouth.

Bella's mouth curved in a feral smile that did nothing to lighten her appearance. "That's not ladylike."

"Bite me," Niki spat.

"That can be arranged." And Bella leapt.

Niki sprang. As she flew through the air, she made a quick transformation that even Gracie, with her excellent eyesight, could hardly follow. When Niki collided with Bella, she was a fully-grown, glossy-black werewolf, darker than night, who was spitting and snarling in rage. Her eyes, dark as always, were circled by a ring of liquid gold.

Gracie dove into the fight as the two girls ripped into one another. Someone kicked her in the eye—she wasn't sure who—but she gritted her teeth, grabbed Bella by the throat, and threw her into the nearest boulder. Niki, knocked onto her side, growled and scrambled back onto her feet, lunging at Bella. The vampire ducked in time to avoid the werewolf's teeth, but could not evade the brunt of her claws, slicing into her cold, hard body. Bella screamed as she rolled away, but by the time she stood up—smeared with blood and dust—the wounds had already sealed shut. However, the fact that Niki's claws had punctured her at all gave Bella a new level of respect for her main opponent.

Gracie, on the other hand, had crept around to Bella's other side while she was focused on Niki and leapt onto her back. Bella whipped around, trying to throw her off, but Gracie's arms were like iron bands around her.

Unfortunately for Gracie, Bella was a newborn as well, and was not as susceptible to crushing as an older vampire might have been. Bella bent her knees, leaned forward slightly, and then dove backwards onto the ground, slamming Gracie into the dirt and driving into her with her own weight. Before she could stop to check if Gracie was even fazed, Niki came flying out of nowhere, roaring to high heaven. She crashed directly into Bella and they went rolling on the ground, grappling for control. Gracie ducked back into the fight, wrenching Bella out where she could reach her and biting deeply into her shoulder. Bella screamed, shoving Gracie away, and turned to find herself face-to-face with Niki the werewolf. Niki would have taken a bite out of her if she had not ducked and rolled directly underneath Niki's body, in between her legs. Niki, brilliant tactician that she is, instantly sat down. Bella, her foot caught beneath one of Niki's thighs, howled in rage and slashed at the wolf's side with her claws. Niki whined in pain but refused to relent. Gracie reached over and grabbed Bella by the hair, pulling her head back, ready to either slit her throat or—quite literally—bite her head off.

Bella snarled and stabbed her claws deep into Gracie's thigh. Gracie cried out in pain but wouldn't let go; instead, Bella jerked away, shrieking as a handful of hair was ripped from her head. Niki growled again and, impatient to finish the brunette off, lifted herself off the ground and whirled to face her enemy. Bella snatched her chance and, by the time Niki had turned fully around, was racing off over another ridge, weaving between boulders, Gracie in hot pursuit. Niki growled deep in her throat and took off after them, passing up Gracie and leaping toward Bella. Hurtling through the air, she smashed into Bella in mid-step and the vampire went down easily. Gracie caught up just as Niki was about to snap Bella's head off, but Bella turned her face and bit down on Niki's foot, hard. Niki threw her head back and howled in pain, while Bella scrambled out from under her. Bella reached for Niki's throat with her claws, but Gracie dove into her, knocking them both into another boulder. The two girls each hit their heads and were forced to sit for a moment, trying to gather their bearings. Niki, moving unevenly on three paws, came bounding out of the breaking darkness and swept her injured paw sideways into Bella, who went flying across the rocky terrain and slammed her head into the ground, leaving a dent in the dusty earth. Bloody slashes, made by Niki's claws, crossed her chest, but soon vanished. Gracie, having shaken off her stupor, was up and running toward the newborn vampire, but Niki got there first. Bella was already on her feet when Niki reached her. The sneering brunette made a wild leap and landed on Niki's face, scratching and clawing wildly at her eyes. Niki whined and shook her head, trying to throw Bella off, but it was Gracie who pulled the wild vampire away. Bella, dissatisfied with the minor cuts and furrows she had caused on Niki's face, turned her fury on Gracie. The redhead was a more difficult nut to crack, however, since her body, unlike Niki's, wasn't composed of soft, warm flesh anymore. It was easier to wound her with fangs than with claws, so Bella closed her teeth over Gracie's arm. Gracie yelped with pain and tried to pull Bella off, but that was impossible. Niki bent her head closer, took hold of Bella with her teeth, and ripped her off of Gracie. The Irish girl shrieked again as a lot of her skin was torn off as well. Niki tried not to look as she held her mangled arm, but to the sixteen-year-old's relief, Gracie's skin sealed up quickly.

Meanwhile, Bella twisted and slashed her claws across Niki's sensitive nose. Niki yelped like a true wolf and dropped her instantly. Bella tried to scramble away but Gracie caught her with one blood-slicked hand. Bella snarled and grabbed Gracie's hand, digging her claws into it. Gracie gritted her teeth and swung one foot hard into Bella's knees. Unfortunately the kick didn't have quite as much power as it probably should have, and it merely knocked Bella to the ground, pulling Gracie along since Bella's claws were still buried deep into Gracie's hand. Niki, still stumbling on three paws and now disoriented by agony in her face—caused by the slashing of her nose—and watering eyes, pranced over in a slightly unsteady way and leaned toward Bella. Taking advantage of her adversary's temporary confusion, Bella rolled quickly out of the way—forced to release Gracie's hand in the process—and stood facing the two, prepared for another strike.

Neither party was giving any ground, and they were in mostly the same position as they had been at the beginning of the fight—that is, not counting the wounds on both sides. Niki was now limping on only three paws, her fourth used only for support, and sported bloody furrows across her face and delicate nose. Gracie had been bitten on the thigh and scratched on the face and chest, and her arm would probably never be the same. Bella had been scratched, slashed, bitten, tossed, slammed, and thrown, and still looked ready to fight.

We need to end this! Niki thought desperately. She glanced at Gracie and saw the same thought crossing her friend's face. They had to get this over and done. Now.

In unspoken agreement, the two girls moved cautiously to either side, circling around Bella in opposite directions. The hostile vampire eyed them contemptuously, tensed for an attack from any direction.

Gracie took a step toward Bella. Bella took a step back, nearer to Niki, then half a step forward again, to distance herself from the werewolf. Niki and Gracie were still circling. Circling, circling. This time Niki closed in a little. Bella's eyes narrowed, darting around, searching for an escape route. She was tensed to jump. When the moment came, she would leap through the gap between her two enemies. It was a feeble plan, but all she could do.

Suddenly, while Bella's eyes were locked onto Niki's blood-streaked snout, Gracie leapt at her from behind. She clamped herself onto the older girl's back and hung on as Bella whipped around. "Niki!" she cried.

Niki, understanding, lunged forward. She whined and hesitated, however, afraid of hurting Gracie.

"Now, dammit!" Gracie cried. Niki knew how scared and frustrated she must be, since as far as she had heard, Gracie never cursed.

Gathering all her wits and bearings, Niki crouched low, growling softly, and locked onto Bella's head. She straightened her legs slowly, as though moving through molasses, the golden ring in her eyes expanding.

Gracie tightened her arms around Bella's throat, hanging on with everything she had. Do it, she thought. Come on, Niki, finish this!

Niki lifted her head, staring deep into Bella's black-red eyes. As if in slow motion, Bella's eyes widened in realization. She knew what was coming. She knew it was the end for her.

Niki's maw opened.

Do it, Niki! Do it now!

Snap.

Gracie dropped her feet to the ground and allowed Bella's headless body to fall away from her. Blood dripped from her clothes, hands, and face, mixing with the tears of exhaustion leaking from her eyes. Niki's fur was blood-matted and the cuts on her face still trickled lightly. But they were alive. And Bella was not.

Glancing at Niki, Gracie chuckled wearily. "Do you know how to get back to human?"

Niki's eyes flickered her way and she shook her head. Then a ripple passed through her body and she began to shrink, her ebony fur sinking back into her skin. In a moment she was fully human, although the golden ring in her eyes remained.

The tiny girl glanced down at herself. "Huh. I'm still wearing clothes. When the other werewolves phase back, they're naked."

"They aren't Cherokee," Gracie commented, striding across to her friend. "Come on. We should find the others. Jacob's going to freak out when he sees those cuts on your face..."

Niki chuckled throatily. "I'm in better shape then you are. You had half the skin ripped off of your left arm."

Gracie glanced at her left arm, a jagged network of scars showing where her skin had sealed up. "I'll be fine. It doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Yeah, but not to tell from all the blood all over you." Niki cursed suddenly. "The blood! Damn it all! We can't go back smelling like this!" She swore violently.

"The coven will be all over us," Gracie agreed. "We can't do that to them or to ourselves. We'll have to find somewhere to clean up."

"There aren't any streams around here. God damn it! What are we supposed to do?"

Gracie frowned thoughtfully. "Here's an idea. Why don't we skip meeting up with the others and head back to La Push now? They'll come looking for us when they finish off Nathan and Maria. When they find Bella, they'll know we won. They'll probably even track us back to La Push. We can meet them there."

Niki sighed. "You're right. We should do that. I just wish..." She gazed back toward the place where they had left the others and sighed, looking utterly forlorn. "I know I'm being impatient, but I want to see Jacob now."

"I know how you feel," Gracie said softly. "I wish Edward was here..." She looked weary and frustrated. "We should start heading back now."

"Yeah." Niki began trudging in the direction of La Push. She giggled as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Edward's going to murder me for letting you get so beat up."

"Not before Jacob kills me for letting you get those scratches all over your pretty face. And Paul—Paul will go ballistic when he sees your hand..."

"Jasper will chew me up and spit me out if he figures out what happened to your shoulder."

Gracie grinned tiredly at her friend. "Isn't it great to have people who care enough about you that they'd want to kill someone who got you hurt?"

"It's certainly a nice change of pace," Niki remarked. "But here's a thought—if Jake kills you and Edward kills me, won't they just have to kill each other?"

"Probably. But forget 'have to.' Jacob and Edward are always looking for excuses to have at each other..."

"I know." Niki shook her head with an exaggerated sigh. "We're really going to have to teach those two to get along."

"Definitely," Gracie agreed. "But with any luck, we have all the time in the world for that. Especially since you know how to phase now."

"Yup." Niki drew herself up proudly to her full five feet. "Now I can kick EVERYBODY'S ass in a fight!" She caught Gracie's look. "Except maybe yours."

"But I don't think I could beat you, either," the vampire commented. "We'd probably just fight and fight until we both collapsed of exhaustion."

"But I don't think we'll ever need to." Niki slung her arm around the other girl. "We fight too well together. We can just team up and kick everyone else's asses."

"Exactly!" Gracie exclaimed. "World domination!"

"Finally... THE DARK SIDE WILL CONQUER!"

"But we'll leave Emily alone," Gracie reminded her. "So she can make us cookies."

"Right," said Niki, and laughed. Gracie joined her.

Supporting each other, they started the rocky journey back to La Push.