I woke who knows how much later to feel myself lying on something cold—not vampire cold, but still cold—and flat. A strange, iron-like scent was all around me but I couldn't put a name to it. I felt light headed and sick. What had happened?
"Ah, you're up," a terrible voice said. "I thought you were going to miss dinner, Jasmine. It is very impolite to keep someone waiting. That isn't how you were raised."
A figure immersed from the darkness around me. As he stepped into the dim light, I caught sight of Thomas Henderson's face, his red eyes gleaming. It was only then that I understood where I was. I was lying on my back on a dining table. So I was dinner. I gulped. My forehead started to sweat and my heart's pace skyrocketed.
"We best get on with it," Thomas said, bending slowly to pick something up off the floor. A knife was in his hands. A high pitched whimper escaped my mouth and I instantly regretted it. A moment later, Thomas's evil face was close to mine and he held the knife at my neck.
"What was that?" he asked. "Did you say something?"
I swallowed hard and shook my head with as much force as I could manage.
"That's what I thought," he said, pulling the knife slowly away from my neck and standing upright. "It's too bad your vampires couldn't be here to watch their little pet get slaughtered."
Slaughtered? Couldn't he just make it quick?
"Sorry for going back on my word," he whispered in my ear.
"What are you talking about?!" I screamed.
"Don't you remember, Jasmine?" he asked. "When we first met? I told you I wouldn't kill you—said you were too pretty to waste. I'm usually a man of my word, but I couldn't help myself."
"Why?!" I screamed. "Why are you doing this to me?! What do you get out of my death?!"
"Why don't I start from the beginning?" I knew he wasn't waiting for an answer so I kept my mouth firmly shut and held back the tears of rage and fright that were threatening to spill over.
"You see, Jasmine," he said, "I utterly despise it when I don't get what I want. I helped you for a reason back in Volterra. When I said you were the prettiest of them all, I meant it. I wanted you, Jasmine, but not to kill—no, never to kill. That was never my intention. And, well, when you rejected me—me!—and said you had a boyfriend, it was hurtful." He touched his hand to his frozen heart as if in great sorrow. "So, I decided that, if I can't have you, no one can."
And before I could blink, he was beside me again, pushing the edge of the sharp knife into the palm of my hand. I screamed in agony as the blade broke the skin. He moved the blade sideways, making a deep, wide wound. I screamed.
The smell of blood didn't usually make me dizzy, but so much of it was pouring out of my hand and the smell was overwhelming. I felt like I might've upchucked at any moment. I peeked up at Thomas, his red eyes dancing with thirst. I had to give him some credit—he had a lot better self control than I'd imagine he would. I'd think that most vampires might've attacked by now.
"Beautiful," he said, inhaling my scent. He crouched down and put his lips to the wound on my hand. I felt my blood rushing out of my body and into his mouth, quenching his thirst. I continued to shriek as loud as my lungs allowed.
My only hope now was that someone—anyone—was close by and heard me before. Thomas stood back up and tightly tied a rope around my mouth. It cut into my skin and I moaned in pain. Tears welled up in my eyes and I bit my lip to keep them from overflowing.
Thomas's eyes were dancing as he lowered his head for another filling. The blood draining from my body, I felt even more lightheaded than before. I knew it wouldn't be long before I was knocked unconscious and drained of life.
This meant I would never see my family again. I would never go on another shopping trip with Alice and Rose. Never again have long talks with Bella or Renesmee. I would never get the chance to tell Jasper that he's the best dad in the world, I wouldn't get to see Carlisle or Esme, never be able to hug Uncle Emmett again, and I'd not get a chance to see Edward's smiling face again. And, of course, there are my wolf friends. Jake and Leah, I'd miss them too. I forced myself to think the last name. I couldn't believe I'd be leaving Seth. I loved him more than anyone else in the world, and now I have to leave him. My only hope is that my dying won't kill him, because then I would kill him, and I cannot leave this world knowing I did that. My human years, my future immortal years—they're all gone now. I wish I could at least say that Alice got what she wanted. But no, I haven't a chance at heaven. One who causes the sorrow of the best, kindest family in the world doesn't belong there.
Was it possible that there was any blood left in my body? My once light tan skin was a shade away from being vampire pale. My head ached insanely and the world around me was spinning.
"How much destruction can you cause for her in a day?" The male's voice was filled with anger and sorrow; it was also the voice of an angel. So I was dead. Oh crap. That would explain, not only the miracle of a voice, but the fact that I didn't feel my blood rushing out of my body anymore. At least there was a slight chance this might be heaven. There was an angel here, wasn't there?
"Jasmine!" This voice was different, it was female, still an angel, though. She sounded sorrowful and angry, but the voice was still magical and kind. Yes, this was definitely heaven.
Someone evil chuckled. "Ah, care to join her, Alice?" That voice proved something to me: this was hell.
I was afraid to open my eyes. What would I see? What would I feel? Do I have to open my eyes to start the burning? Would I see flames or darkness or the people I left behind? Which would be worse seeing? These questions entangled themselves inside my head, giving me more pain. The pain in my hand was even bigger than before and it repeated itself on my other hand, my arms, and legs. How much blood had I lost? One more question to add to the growing stack.
Or maybe I wasn't dead. Maybe the miracle voice was who I thought it was. Just the thought of Seth being here drove me insane with happiness. And the female voice… oh if Alice was here! But, if they were here, I didn't want them hurt on my account.
A moment later, strong, warm arms wrapped around me and hot lips pressed to my ear.
"Jasmine, Jasmine…" a silky sweet voice whispered. "Are you okay, my angel?"
"Seth?" My voice was barely coherent. I doubted anyone heard me.
"Ah, so you're the boyfriend." Thomas smirked. "Do you realize you're the reason why she is in this condition?"
Seth's arms tightened around me.
"Let's go, Alice," he said, turning away from Thomas. He started to run, Alice at his side.
"We need to get her home soon," Alice said. "Carlisle can—"
"You didn't think I'd get you go so soon." Thomas was in front of us, blocking our exit.
"Move, Henderson," Alice said. A growl ripped from her throat and it was easy to see that she wasn't playing around. Her eyes were blacker than midnight, her fingers looking like claws.
"Why should I?" he said, leaning against the wall and brushing his fingers on his shirt.
"You are testing my limited patience," Seth growled. "Now move out of the way."
"Hmm… No." Thomas leaped at Seth, teeth bared. I screamed and lifted my arms to try and prevent the attack, to no avail. Alice, however, was faster than him. She had us out of the way before he was off the ground. She held him up against the wall, teeth threatening to cut through his skin. Alice might've been a lot smaller, but she was also a lot stronger. Maybe it was the animal blood…
I wasn't sure what it was that happened next. It all happened so fast, it was a blur to my eyes. The next thing I knew, Thomas had his teeth in Alice's arm and Alice was screaming in pain. The venom… it was so strong, it could hurt her, too.
Another blur flew by and I saw Jasper, lifting his injured wife off the floor and Uncle Emmett pinning Thomas to the ground.
"Give her to me," Renesmee said, popping out of no where and holding her arms out to Seth.
"Can you hold her?" he asked, his voice full of panic. The pain was becoming unbearable, but I didn't want to scream, I didn't want to cause Seth pain by being in pain. But I couldn't help it. A painful yelp escaped my throat and my deeply cut arm twitched, making me scream. A bad move, I informed myself. Thomas's head turned to me and, somehow, he managed to push Emmett off of him. He had me in his arms in less than a quarter of a second.
"You weren't about to take the guest of honor away, were you?" he asked sinisterly. He leaned his head down quickly and his teeth, though they didn't exactly sink into my throat, pulled the skin and revealed yet another large wound. My shriek that followed was bloodcurdling, I couldn't even believe it came from me. The blood loss was immense and excruciatingly painful. I knew he was drinking from my throat, I felt it as a large wave of darkness pulled over me.