Chapter 28- Déjà vu
"I never thought I'd be here again," Bella sighed staring up the face of the cliff we hadn't seen in over fifteen years.
It was a little after five am, the morning of the full moon. The sun was starting to light the sky, giving us less than fourteen hours before they'd be here to destroy the Volturi and claim everything they thought was rightfully theirs, my best friend included.
"At least not for battle again," Alice agreed hugging Jasper close to her, staring up the face of the cliff like it was the reason we were going through this mess.
Carlisle refused to not be optimistic, "It has its advantages."
"We know the grounds better than they will," Jasper agreed.
Rosalie shook her head, pulling a hair tie out of her backpack and restraining her golden locks. The memory of wind whipped hair last time making her frown. "Let me guess, we're camping up top until nightfall?"
Benjamin nodded, "Seems like the best bet."
"At least we know the short way up this time," Emmett tried to console her, it worked—partially.
"Camps basically for Jacob and Seth right?" Merit asked, high up on the back of my husband. She didn't want to get down, not trusting the red eyes that surrounded us. Despite the fact that Ben and Maggie threatened mortal harm to anyone that even attempted to snap at her, and that I kept her shielded the entire journey.
"And for Renesmee and you," Edward explained gesturing to his daughter sleeping in his arms. She'd been asleep since nightfall, and based on the darkness of her dreams she was with Zach and had no intention of waking up.
Merit shook her head, "I'm not sleeping, I need to work with you all and make sure you're ready."
There was a scoff from someone within the twenty vampire on loan from Volterra. I was pretty sure Merit didn't hear it, but right before I started to respond she rolled her eyes, "Yes, you need me to work with you. So keep the smart comments to yourself or I'll leave you to your own devices."
Emmett and Jasper grinned, but no one from the crowd said anything.
"Let's get to the top everyone," Maggie ordered finding the side path to the easy way up.
—
"Are you ready for this?" I prepped looking into the tent of a very nervous Merit.
She started to shake her head, but stopped halfway and started nodding. "Sorry, Zach knows I'm here now."
"Are you okay?" I didn't know what else to say. Despite the fact that she knew this would happen and accepted it, the thought of finally having to face something you've been running from forever was still a scary thing. I knew better than anyone.
She nodded, this time more sure of herself, "Yeah, it's all the more reason to get you guys prepared, hopefully you can kill him before he kills me."
"We won't let anything happen to you," Seth reassured coming into the tent to see what was taking so long. "They're waiting…" He reminded taking my hand and giving Merit a smile of encouragement.
Merit let out one last breath of nerves before leaving the tent fearlessly following us down the path to where we'd fight to the death.
Ben and Maggie stood cloaked from the sunlight next to our family upfront the others linger back further, close enough to hear but far enough away to keep from attacking the only vulnerable heart in the lot of us.
Alice sat cross legged, folded in on herself. "Don't worry, they can still hear you, just start talking."
Merit tinkered with her charm bracelet nervously when we left her alone upfront. Don't worry, you're shielded. No one is going to let anything happen to you.She let out another understanding nod, and got right to the point. "Werewolves are the most dangerous creatures on this planet. They're fast, strong, barely have a weakness, and can kill you before you could even really process that you were danger."
"Sounds like us," Some guy said way in the back getting a laugh from a few others.
Merit's eyes narrowed in the direction it came from, "Yeah, you're right. In some ways they are like you. But you have a scent that they can smell miles off, they don't. Whatever strength you have is it, they get stronger everyday they get closer to the full moon. You break, they heal. They're so good at being undetected I could be one and you wouldn't even know it, you can't walk around in the day time without looking like fairy."
Jacob and Seth laughed and I rolled my eyes at her sudden boost of courage. "How many people here feel like they're excellent fighters?"
No one answered but judging the thoughts of the crowd were pretty much in unison. The Volturi only wanted the best, and we survived the fight with the last Volturi and won. Overall I'd say we were a pretty elite group.
Merit didn't need the answer vocalized to shoot it down anyway. "The obvious kill won't work, your internal gifts won't work, as a matter of fact, if you just throw away everything you know about fighting all together you might just survive."
The chill of her words made the fear and severity in the air palpable, despite the fact we were in a wide open space.
"I can understand internal gifts, but what about the external ones?" Ben brought forward, "My abilities to manipulation the elements, the three of us couldn't work with that? We've got access to water, wind, fire."
"Jabril may have absorbed your talent, but understanding a talent takes years to master. I don't think it's a good idea for him to play with it. He's barely over a decade old." My nephew went to defend himself but I hurriedly added, "—as part vampire that is."
Merit shook her head, "I'm not sure what you guys can do with wind and water but fire isn't going to hurt anyone but yourselves. Their fur, it's not shag for warmth, its thick and protective."
"Well what about shields?" Bella wondered, "They've got souls so I should be able to find their light, I can trap them that way."
Merit smiled at her and shot her idea down a bit kinder, "Good luck trying to focus on one fast enough to trap it. If you've got shielding abilities, use them on yourself."
"Just like last time." I winked at Bella.
Merit walked up to the closest set of golden eyes, and grabbed their forearm. It happened to be Jasper so he shifted uncomfortably but didn't pull away. "No, not like last time, there isn't going to be any down time to stand."
"You aren't fighting in waves, you won't have time to gather strength, there's no rules of combat here. Zach and the others are going to hit you all at once, and with everything they've got." She promised without hesitation.
One of the girls from the guard raised her hand, "If they're so tough, how did you kill one? You're just a human."
It was a legitimate question, and Merit never gave us the specifics of her last encounter with Grey. But she wasn't ready to answer it, Edward, Jabril and I looked at each other when we heard her shake it out of her mind. "We fought one werewolf, the first day of the change, and we fought together. You have so many more advantages, you can remove the head, and destroy the heart way simpler and with less lives lost."
"Then let's get to work," Jasper suggested feeling uneasy no doubt about having to throw out all his knowledge of fighting experience.
"I know that in most cases, you all fight every man for themselves but you have to work in groups of at least three." She declared loudly. "Emmett, Rose, Alice up front please. Edward too if you will."
Alice was already standing and the others followed her without question. They followed her instructions on positioning easily, grouping the three of them together and Edward separately. She turned back around. "Now let's say Edward's the werewolf."
His eyebrows furrowed in protest, "Why do I have to be the werewolf?"
Merit laughed lightly, "Because you can get in their head, just trust me."
"You three have to work together to take Edward down. Em, you're strong use it. Alice, you're tiny it's your advantage. Rosalie, you can spot a chink in the armor a mile away, so you go for it." Merit explained stepping back to watch.
Rose took center and lunged directly on, while Alice tried to take a roundabout way to sideswipe while Emmett did an attempt from behind. They danced around for a few seconds, but Edward's abilities helped him avoid capture pretty easily. In another few minutes everything came to a halt after Edward pinned Rose to the ground.
The three of them looked the Merit for confirmation of what they did wrong. She blinked several times, blinded by their flurry of movements and then admitted. "I'm sorry, I didn't see any of that, can you slow it down for me?"
The four of them politely obliged, but felt like idiots as they slowed down their reenactment for her eyes to catch since no one else needed to be shown twice.
"Stop," She instructed about half way through. "I see what you did wrong. You guys aren't working together." She cut them before they could protest. "Yes you tried to attack from three different sides but that isn't working together. Think of all three of yourselves as one form. Werewolves are huge, you have to work together and stay close."
"If they're as lethal as you say, shouldn't close quarters be the last thing we do?" Maggie asked watching them try a different approach. "Maybe tire them out?"
Merit shook her head, "No, werewolves are huge, they're slower on the turn. Not to mention the older a werewolf the stronger it is, they won't tire out easily after centuries of practice." She returned to her commentary. "That's better, but it can't be so sloppy. Your best bet isn't to go for the heart right away, you need to break their neck first."
"But I thought you said that won't kill them." Carlisle recalled confused.
Merit agreed, "No it won't, but it'll buy you at least twenty seconds before they heal back. No one needs to waste time on body shots or trying to draw blood. They're heal rate tonight makes them practically invincible. Everyone break off into groups and try."
—
"That was too easy," I snapped putting Phil on his ass for the third time in five minutes. "Again."
Phil reached his hand out for me to help him up but this time I didn't take it walking back to my starting point. Jabril helped him up instead. "She says let's go again."
Jabril, Phil, Seth and Jacob would make our group; but the wolves were told to sit out until Merit got a chance to work with them separately. The boys came at me, using almost the same technique that they'd used the last time. The only difference was Jabril giving Phil mental instructions.
Phil attacked high and Jabril attacked low, the only thing I had to do was leap and spin hooking and pinning Phil midair and catching Jabril by the throat on his descend slamming to the right next to my best friend who I was straddling once again.
"Again," I instructed firmer letting go of Jabril's neck looking rather disappointed at my best friend.
Phil laid there still pinned, his red eyes staring up at the sun high in the sky and let out a tired breath. It had to have been mental fatigue because vampires didn't get tired. "I'm new at this, cut me some slack. I swear you used to be so gentle."
Narrowing my eyes, I got off of him, waiting for him to stand up too. "You were human before. You weren't in a life or death situation before. You're a newborn, I shouldn't be able to pin you so easily. You're stronger, faster, and your instincts should be on high alert."
"But you're Asima…" He breathed standing up. "I can't hurt you again."
In a normal situation I would have smiled and hugged him for his sweetness, but we were heading into battle in less than eight hours. I didn't need sweet. So instead I rib checked him. "I'm not Asima, I'm a werewolf that will rip your head off if you don't tighten up. Now let's go again."
Jabril watched our exchange and tried his best not to mentally judge our exchange. Might as well say it if you're gonna think it, I can feel it anyway…
He smiled at me sweetly, his henna colored eyes reflecting embarrassment, You are being rather rough with him.
He's new, and there for the most vulnerable, if he dies out here…then what was the point of all of this?
I can understand that, he empathized, but you at least need to explain why you're being so detached.
He was right, "Phil, you know how in the cave you told me that if you're capable of better I should hold you too it?" He nodded but didn't say anything. "Well this is one of those times. You have some of the greatest advantages as a newborn, so you shouldn't be the most vulnerable."
"We'll go as many times as it takes to get it right," Jabril assured clapping a hand on his back.
Merit passed by us, making Ben and Maggie's group slow things down for her. "No, you're too open." She ran a frustrated hand through her hair before holding a hand in the air to get everyone attention. "Everyone listen carefully because I'm only going to say this once. You are fighting an enemy that knows your weaknesses, and the only way to win is to not have them."
"What sense does that make?" Some vampire named Tyler asked being helped up off the ground by Carlie.
"It makes, perfect sense. Right now, you guys aren't working as one because self-preservation is your highest priority while fighting." She explained.
Maggie's nose wrinkled, "Anyone who doesn't have self-preservation is insane. Who wouldn't focus on keeping themselves alive?"
"Zach and his family don't. When they fight, they don't worry about living or dying, their only concern is taking down said target." Merit grabbed my arm, trying to direct me forward. It took me a second to get what she was doing but I complied. Phil didn't take as long and Jabril was already standing next to her. "Let say this is your group, each person is protecting a different side of you. If you lose her, your back isn't covered, if you lose him you're sideswiped. One of you go down, all of you go down. So keep trying and get in sync people." And with a clap of her hands she released us and walked to Jacob and Seth, both awaiting her instructions.
"She's awfully bossy to be just a human…" Some blonde haired vampire working the Ben and Maggie muttered.
Emmett smirked, looking over at her talking in whispers to Jacob and Seth. "What she is, is the person that's helping save us."
Alice stopped to turn and look at him. "Emmett okay with being bossed around—" Jasper took that as the perfect time to attack. She slithered underneath him in a flash and scaled the length of him, locking her legs and arms firmly around his waist and neck. I laughed because she looked like she was trying to get a piggy back ride, but she ignored us finishing her sentence, "Where's my brother and what did you do with him?"
"Like he isn't being bossed around by me all the time," Rose winked conspiratorially trying to make a go for Edward's legs.
Emmett laughed when she ended up on her butt and empty handed. "That's what you get, besides being bossed around by a little Egyptian chick going into the fight of our lives isn't exactly new to us."
"I wasn't bossy!" I frowned ducking low, to grab Phil, swinging him back into the ground. "How rude."
"Yeah you were," Maggie disagreed, remembering our first encounter with amusement. "You showed up all, 'You're in danger…don't ask questions…go to Hanover and find the Cullens…'"
Her impersonation of my voice wasn't funny nor accurate, but it didn't stop Ben from joining in, " '…And whatever you do…don't leave'"
"I'm done with the lot of you," I sneered at their teasing.
Carlisle quickly recovered from his tumble with Jasper. "Asima was a great help to our family when she didn't have to be. Merit is doing us the same service."
"We know Carlisle, we're just playing," Bella defended, though she said nothing wrong but felt guilty for laughing.
"Asima knows we love her," Edward agreed, but I still pretended to sneer.
—
We worked well into the day, growing more focused and serious as time went by. It was almost like we could feel them coming, the weight and the fear pushing us harder.
Once the sky burnt orange up ahead our group headed back up the mountain, wanting our last few hours to be as a family and not practicing. If we didn't grasp it by now, we wouldn't. Jacob made a fire, and we all sat around it in silence, everyone wanting to say something, but no one really able to form words.
"She's still sleeping," Merit announced coming back out of the tent. "She most likely will stay with Zach until the fight starts."
Merit sat down, opening her bag pulling out a bow set that was most likely older than her. The arrows were made of carved stone and were slightly reflective at the ends. "I'll stay up here with her while the fighting happens. Once she wakes up, Zach will have ordered her to stay out of danger so there isn't any threat to her leaving."
She held an arrow tip over the fire for a few seconds before using a cloth to wipe the end polishing it to a shiny luster.
"Are you any good with that thing?" Jacob asked trying to get his mind off of Ness being with Zach in her dreams.
Merit smiled at him, "Good enough. My grandfather made these after his first fiancé disappeared. He gave them to my father, and when my dad died it went to me. I've been shooting for sport since I was a child, this won't be any different."
"Are those, silver tipped?" Carlisle noticed, after she shined another one. "I thought silver didn't work on werewolves."
"They don't," She agreed. "But werewolves are easily distracted, it'll reflect nicely off the moonlight."
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Alice wondered, her mind already trying to incorporate the new knowledge.
Merit shut it down, "Because it'll only work a few times before they realize what you're up to. Don't worry, if I see any of you in trouble, I'll help as much as I can."
"Remember, Zach is our first priority. The sooner we break the connection with Nessie the better." Jacob reminded.
We all knew that.
"Hate to be a downer here, but we need a backup plan." Seth brought up carefully. He hadn't said anything since we started the fire, he'd just let me cuddle me into him and rubbed my hair.
Merit winced, like she knew that was going to be said, despite the fact she didn't want it to. "We can't just focus on killing Zach?"
"You know something don't you?" Alice accused, not liking being completely blind to these werewolves, and neither did I.
I didn't pull away from Seth but I did stress the importance. "You have to tell us if it's relevant to saving Ness."
She stared at me pleadingly for a few moments, begging me not to force her to share the last pieces of her past, but with a sigh she surrendered, "Okay. A werewolf as one more weakness other than the removal of the head or the damage to the heart…."
Everyone sort of exploded at once. "What?!"
"How?"
Rose's eyes widened, "You decided to keep this from us?"
"Tell us!" Jacob demanded.
She shifted the bracelet of trinkets on her arm, "His complement."
"Elaborate," I insisted. Seth clutched me closer trying to calm me.
Merit's eyes were misting tears as she relived the memory. "When you choose a complement you give her all of you, trust included. You tell her everything and share so much that the thought of a betrayal is impossible. You're complement is the only person you let your guard completely down with."
"You didn't get Grey killed…your family didn't get lucky and kill him," I realized, "You killed Grey yourself…"
She nodded, crying full on silent tears. "He killed my dad—in front of me…and the pain and shock snapped me out of everything. I remember it hurt, and the hurt I'd caused started to hurt, and for a little moment there was anger. I put a blade right through his heart and I thought I felt pain—but it was nothing compared to killing him."
"You loved him…" I realized for the first time, that maybe this was all realer than I thought.
She nodded, "I wanted to take my own life—almost did, and my grandfather didn't let me out of his sight after that. Then as the weeks went on, I got better. The pain faded. I mean, I could feel that it was real but too long ago to cause the same pain as when it was fresh."
"So if we can't kill Zach, we have to do something traumatic to snap her out enough for her to want to kill him." Emmett summed up.
Bella shook her head, "She's not going thru that— we'll kill Zach."
"It'll still hurt," Merit reminded.
Bella winced but nodded, "I know, but I'd like to save her as much pain as possible if I can."
There was another silence, the chill of the oncoming night effecting us in a completely different way. For the first time since probably all of us changed into something more than just human—we felt cold.
They were closer now—we could all feel it. No longer hours away, but minutes. The sun had set behind the cliff, but the moon was nowhere to be seen yet. I grabbed Jabril's hand, but shivered closer into Seth for as long as I can.
"Guys…" Alice's small voice started. The frames flickering in her black eyes—Emmett's idea, since we couldn't eat humans for strength like the others. We'd fight hungry. We'd be more irritable, more lethal, more dangerous that way.
Jasper looked down at her, feeling her emotions but wondering where they were coming from.
"I just want to say that no matter what happens down there, I love you. And knowing all of you has been the greatest ex—"
Emmett interrupted her, "—No we aren't saying goodbyes."
"But—" She protested.
Edward was on the same page with Em, "Do you see a reason that we all need to say goodbyes?"
She shook her head, "Edward, you know I haven't been able to see anything, but something about this just feels different."
"Then let's not say goodbyes." I agreed shaking off the chill and leaning forward with a compromise. "Let's say our thank you's instead. Go ahead Alice."
She thought about all of the things she wanted to say thank you for, before settling on one. Carlisle, thank you for taking Jasper and I into your family when you could have so easily turned us away."
And we continued in a circle around the fire, Jasper next, "Alice, thank you for being my reason to stay on the path we'd chosen."
"Thank you for giving me more than everything I ever wanted, Bella." Edward crooned to his wife.
Bella just smiled up at him, and they exchanged a very tame but passionate kiss. I thought her thank you was going to be to him, but she surprised me, "Asima, thank you for being the best friend a mother could ask for her daughter to have. You've kept her company, you've kept her secrets, and you've never asked for anything in return—and I have no doubt you'll continue to do so."
I was speechless, but somehow managed to mouth 'thank you'. She shot me a wink and mouthed 'you're welcome'.
It was Emmett's turn, "Thank you Rose, for all the amazing—"
"Emmett…." Rose cautioned, ready for him to ruin the moment so she could smack him.
"—memories." He finished rolling his eyes, "Now who's the dirty one."
She smacked him anyway making Jabril chuckle. "Well thank you for making vampire life a little easier for me, every day."
Carlisle's thank you was to Merit, "Thank you for helping to save my family Merit. We're forever in your debt."
Merit eyes were shocked that she included, and she almost dropped the arrowhead she was polishing. "Thank you all, for being work saving."
Jabril looked back at the tent where Nessie was sleeping, then turned to Jacob. "Well my thank you would be to your wife, so hopefully you can accept it on her behalf for the time being. I want to thank her for bringing my aunt to me. It gave me more than she realizes."
"Thanks man," Jacob clapped his back and cleared his throat. "My thanks is to all of you… I know I haven't been the easiest to deal with these two weeks, but I'm glad I have you all, because I couldn't have survived without you."
Carlisle clapped him on the back, and Emmett assured him, "We love you too Jake."
Jake rolled his eyes and Seth squeezed my hand, "Asima, thank you for being my wife."
I smiled up at him and softly whispered, "I love being your wife."
I thought about all of the things I was thankful for, and I had already made an effort to thank them. There was so much I was thankful for, but if I had to sum everything into one I'd have to say, "I want to thank you all for being my family…"
The hairs on the back of Merit's neck stood up and flickers of a large group approaching from the east flashed into her head. "They're here…" She grabbed her arrows and put them all into the quiver as quickly as she could. "Remember, no one escapes."
We all nodded and stood. I kissed Seth again, the last kiss I would get before this fight. "I love you." I stressed. "Don't forget it."
He took my head in his hands and pulled me in for another kiss. "I love you." He stressed with the same ardor before releasing me. He hugged Alice and Bella and I went over to check on Jabril.
"Are you ready?"
He nodded nervous, "I just wish they were here… it feels weird fighting without them."
I knew he was referring Sami and Rami, so I grabbed his hand and gave him flashes of them before the last fight, trying my best to put him at ease. "They're with us… you know that."
He nodded, and I took his hand starting a tradition that was never going to be missed, even though Sami and Rami weren't here. "Today we go off to fight…"
I expected Jabril to continue, but was surprised with Alice came over with Jasper and continued it, "…For there is no other alternative within our sights…"
Edward pulled another section from his recollection and brought Bella and everyone else over. She wrapped an arm around my waist but didn't let go of Edward as he chanted, "And whether we fall… or victorious our plight…"
Jabril looked around at all of us, realizing that as much as we had said we were family, it clicked that we really had is back as much as Sami and Rami would have. "…We know we fought for what was right…"
And we are fighting! SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW