Chapter Twenty Two
The last that ever she saw him
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
He passed on worried and warning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow.
Lost in a river last Saturday night
Far away on the other side.
He was caught in the middle of a desperate fight
And she couldn't find how to push through
~Moonlight Shadow by Mike Oldfield~
I didn't fight. I couldn't. What could I do against vampires? I was frozen with fear as Victoria dragged me behind her, running so quickly that nausea filled me and I closed my eyes, gasping as branches whipped at my arms and legs. I tried to see where we were going but we were going too fast and my eyes stung at the cold air.
Charlie… they have Charlie…
I let out a strangled cry as Victoria jumped and swung from a window ledge, not caring as I slammed painfully into the wall and ledge. I looked around desperately, trying to get my bearings but Victoria pushed me viciously and I fell twenty feet, landing with a slam on solid wooden floors, my bones rattling, my head too full of panic and confusion to even think about phasing through the floor and escaping. Sweat, floor wax and bleach odours invaded my nostrils and I instantly knew where I was – Forks High Gym.
"James, I brought you a present." Victoria simpered in a childish voice, landing lightly and elegantly beside me, walking over to the blonde man who hadn't turned at our entrance. Instead he was staring down at a prone figure that I recognised immediately in the dim, artificial light coming through the window as I pushed myself off the floor, my limbs protesting.
"Charlie!" I choked, clambering to my feet and James chuckled, bending down and lifting him by the collar. I heard Charlie's intake of breath and James sneered down at him, his red eyes scanning Charlie's face like a cat spying on mouse. His mouth twisted into a smirk.
"Lucky for you, human. You just earned a few extra breaths." He dropped my dad unceremoniously to the gym floor and turned, the shadows cast over his face, staring at me as Victoria twined herself around him, like creeping ivy over his granite limbs.
"What is she, James?" I heard her ask softly but I ignored her, my eyes fixed on the groaning man on the floor. He rolled onto his back, sucking in a pained breath as he tried to move away from the vampires.
I didn't see it coming, I was so focused on Charlie and the next thing I knew, I was slammed back into the wall, James' hand at my throat, fingernails digging into my skin. I felt his hair brushing against my face as his nose skimmed down from my ear to my jaw. He exhaled, warm and damp against my skin and I couldn't help the soft whimper that left me as I brought my hands up to the one at my throat, my fingers scrabbling uselessly at his steel digits.
"You smell so good." He breathed softly as he stared into my eyes, "But you're not alive… this isn't blood I can smell, so what are you?"
I closed my eyes and let my hands go to my sides as I phased through his hand, falling to my knees. I had never phased through a vampire before and I gasped, my throat catching. It was like ice, cutting through my atoms, every inch of my skin, bones and muscle, scraping and agonising and I held back a sob at the sheer torture of it, my muscles twitching beneath my crawling skin.
James stepped back instantly, staring down at me. He flexed his fingers curiously and then smirked, dropping to one knee in front of me, catching my chin in his hand, gazing into my eyes with the expression of a starving man.
"Are you a ghost? You haven't got a heartbeat but you're not a vampire." He mused and I jerked my head away from him, staggering to my feet and pushing myself past him, desperate to get to Charlie. Before I could even get close to him, I was flat on my back, Victoria straddling me and James laughed softly, walking past and lifting Charlie with one hand.
"And who is this, ghost? What is he to you?" He asked with faint curiosity, looking sideways at me. Victoria giggled girlishly, her eyes fixed on her mate as she almost bounced on the spot in excitement. I pushed myself up again, through Victoria with another moan of pain at the ice that cut through me and I heard her gasp as I began crawling towards James, who smiled at me, a smile of cruel indulgence.
"What the hell do you want with me?" Charlie wheezed but James didn't take his eyes off of me.
"Does he even know you're here?" James mocked, "Does he know that you go to his house, that you watch him? I know you were there, I followed your scent."
"Leave him alone!" I gasped and cried out as Victoria grabbed my hair, yanking me back before I had a chance to phase out of her reach. Charlie, who must have been totally confused by all of it, swung his fist towards James' face and I winced as James caught his knuckles easily and squeezed effortlessly. I heard the bones crack and splinter. Charlie's shout of pain echoed through the room and I went through Victoria, throwing myself at James who, in a split second, turned his head, dropped Charlie's fist in order to catch me by the neck once more, grinned and lowered his head to Charlie's throat.
And then I was flying.
I was caught easily in Esme's arms as Charlie slumped to the floor, James wrestled away by Jasper, who was snarling, his eyes wild. For the first time, I saw him as the predator that he was.
"Bella, come with me." Esme's voice was in my ear but I pushed her away, running past Edward and Jasper who were fighting James, past Emmett and Rosalie who were lunging at Victoria and past Alice and Carlisle who stood opposite Laurent, who had clearly led them here.
I fell to my knees beside Charlie, who had squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers pressed to his neck, where I could see blood dribbling into his hands, dark red and thick.
"Charlie, hold on." I whispered, "Please, please be OK."
His eyes opened and our eyes met, the same brown eyes. He fell still and drew a gurgling breath, his free hand twitching towards my face, his expression shocked and desperate.
"Bells… my Bella… you need to get out of here…" His face was pale and I clamped my hand down over his, desperately trying to stop the blood flow, trying to ignore what was happening.
He could see me.
All around me were shouts and snarls, cracks and thuds as the vampires fought around me, bringing the building down for all I knew, but I ignored it all, bent over my dying father.
"Bella, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" He gasped and I stroked the hair back from his forehead, my hand shaking. His skin was hot and clammy and he was trembling uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Bella…"
"It'll be OK, Charlie, it will, just hold on, OK? Oh god, Charlie…" I closed my eyes, feeling the hot blood trickling over my fingers and my breath came shakily as I pressed down, trying to stop the blood.
I heard my name being shouted and a hand clamped down on my shoulder. I didn't even look up, expecting it to be one of the Cullens until my wrist was wrenched back painfully. Charlie grunted a warning and I inhaled sharply as Victoria hissed at me, her eyes fixed on something across the room. I turned my head, wide-eyed and confused to see James' body fall the ground, his head rolling across the floor, face fixed in a snarling final cry.
Victoria's teeth clamped down on my wrist and I screamed as the skin, muscle, bone shattered beneath her bite, as easily as a human biting into an apple. Charlie shuddered beside me, too weak to speak, and Victoria laughed harshly, throwing me down and leaping. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her scramble through a window.
There was a howl and then a scream.
I cradled my wrist to my chest, gasping as searing hot fire lanced through the flesh but I let my wrist fall into my lap, leaning over Charlie. God, he was pale, he was so pale.
"Bella, sweetheart…"
I looked up, shocked at how blurred my vision was. I could see the Cullens out of the corner of my eye, lingering back and I wondered why but Carlisle was crouched in front of me, looking me in the eye.
"Bella, you're injured." He murmured but I shook my head.
"Charlie. You have to help Charlie." I said desperately, my uninjured hand on his forehead, brushing his hair back as he moaned, twisting in agony beneath my touch.
"There isn't time, Bella. The others have to go, they can't be around your essence and the blood is too much. I only have time to help one of you and Charlie is-"
"Save him." I whispered, tiny black dots swirling into my vision. I felt sick, my wrist pounding in agony. I hadn't felt anything like this since I'd been human.
"Bella-" Carlisle tried to reason with me.
"Save him, Carlisle. Please. Save him…" I couldn't even support the weight of my own body anymore and slumped sideways next to my Dad, gasping as my wrist exploded in flames, licking through my veins. Scorching pain hit me and I couldn't help the loud moan of pain.
My vision swirled but I forced myself to focus. I saw Carlisle's blonde head bend over Charlie's face, blocking him from view and I heard shouts.
And then I heard and saw nothing at all.
A/N: You spoiled little monkeys, you. Two chapters so close together! I posted this one fairly quickly because it's only a short one. I've had a bit of time as my poor doggie had a last minute operation yesterday and has been pretty much stoned off his face for the last 24 hours.
Next chapter is EPOV. I'm not so good at writing action scenes, so this was a challenge. And lots of you were wondering what would happen if Bella phased through a vampire – here we have it!
Moonlight Shadow – GORGEOUS song. Seriously, go find it on youtube, the woman who sings it has a beautiful voice. I chose this song to emphasise Bella's reaction to Charlie's injury here and what she feels when he's been taken away from her like this.
Reviewers will receive their chosen Cullen/Werewolf and a big basket of Easter Eggs. Oh, and before I forget, come tweet with me at /Kat097.
Lots of Love
Katie