~ Chapter Thirty-Three — Fallen ~

Jasper POV

I waited. Just as I had since the moment she left me. I waited for news, I waited for an attack, but most of all I waited to have her back in my arms.

As the hours passed, much happened, though little of it mattered to me. Carmen arrived, telling of Eleazar's journey with Marcus, then later Tanya, Kate and Irina came. I paid attention to them as they had news of Isabella. She had rescued them from their captors and had gone into the fray once again. This news brought me small comfort. She was at least alive.

I stayed in the throne room with the others at first, but soon the tension became too great for me to bear. I went to the balcony in Isabella's quarters and waited there. I was not alone long. Soon Alice and Edward joined me, and then Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Aro and Caius.

We spoke only when Alice would give us an update on their progress, such as when Demetri fell. Aro and Caius did not take the news well, but they contained themselves with dignity borne of millennias' practice.

All was silent among us when Alice gasped suddenly. Edward braced her shoulders and watched with her as whatever unknown future it was passed through her mind.

When she came back to herself she looked at me with wide, shock-filled eyes.

"What is it!" I demanded. "What's happened?"

"Maria. She's dead."

I breathed out in a gust of relief. "I feared it was Isabella," I admitted.

"It was in a way," Alice said. "I heard her voice just before Maria's future cut off."

I pondered over that for a moment. I expected to feel some regret to hear that my maker had met her end, but I felt nothing. Whatever had happened, Maria deserved it.

Aro took Alice's hand in his own and sifted through her memories to see Maria's demise. "Ahhh, Isabella," he said fondly. "She must be enjoying herself immensely."

"I have to admit this darkness that blocks Isabella from sight is an inconvenience," Edward said blithely. "It would be interesting to see her operate in the field of battle."

"What stories I could tell you." Caius smiled fondly. "There was once a nomad that irked her. She took him and…"

The atmosphere changed. Now it was akin to that of humans at a sporting event. The anticipation and excitement made me uncomfortable and I wished I had been left alone in my sanctuary. I did all I could to block out their voices and concentrated on Alice's emotions.

I had forewarning of her news when she told of Afton's demise as I felt her jolt of shock. Aro and Caius seemed supremely unconcerned by the news. They seemed more worried about Chelsea's reaction.

"All may not be lost," Aro said. "If he is not burned they will be able to heal him."

A conversation ensued about the healing abilities of a vampire. Carlisle was in his element discussing the effects of decapitation. They were wondering whether or not a vampire could still feel if its head had departed company with its body.

The topic made me uneasy. I didn't like to think of these things while my love was out there fighting. I pushed past them and out of the door leading to the halls. I met with Tanya and Kate on my way out but I ignored the questions they called after me. I was feeling claustrophobic and constricted; I wanted nothing more than to be alone.

I made my way out through the tunnels and to the courtyard in front of the castle. I drew in deep lungfuls of clean air and felt my discomfort ease out of me. Perhaps sensing my need, or because they did not like to be there without Isabella or my presence, the others left the balcony and retreated into the castle.

I allowed my mind to wander over my fondest memories of Isabella as I waited. Once she returned to me we would go away together for a while. As the family had fled Forks so suddenly our charade would not matter. Isabella and I could start our travels earlier that we had planned.

I thought back to our encounter with the wolf. Edward had known Alice was in danger as he had felt her fear. Carlisle had been intrigued by the phenomenon and had been researching it with Aro since his arrival in the city. I wondered if I could create the same link to Isabella. I concentrated on my gift and allowed it to flow out of me hoping to link to Isabella. It did not work. There was too great a distance between us, and too much emotion in the immediate vicinity for me to focus.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of desperate sadness, and heard a howl from the castle. I was instantly panicked, and I raced up the side of the castle and onto the balcony. I cared not if any human saw me. I was scared of the sound I had heard and what it could portend.

I raced through the halls and into the throne room. People were standing in a circle around the thrones. Carlisle and Esme were locked in an embrace. Carlisle looked stunned.

"Who?" I gasped.

"Marcus," Edward whispered. "He has been burned."

I rocked back on my heels. Marcus, who only hours ago had spoken with me and told me the story of his love for Isabella, was gone. Dead. The shock and horror of the moment settled over me like a cloak.

"Isabella will be distraught," someone murmured.

With that thought came a chill of terror. She would be distraught. Overcome with grief. Could she still protect herself if she was distracted by the pain of Marcus' passing? Would she risk herself to avenge him?

Strong hands clasped my shoulders and I looked up into Aro's face. "She'll be okay, Jasper. Trust in her."

"I'm trying," I choked.

He smiled understandingly. "Forgive me, but I have known Isabella a very long time, much longer than you. Believe me when I say she will be even more dangerous than before in light of Marcus' death. I pity anyone that crosses her path."

I tried to take comfort in his words, but was not wholly successful. The room was thick with sadness and tension. It felt like I was being physically swamped with the emotion. Feeling like a coward I slipped from the room and went back to Isabella's room. I stood at the balustrade and searched the horizon for any sign of my returning love.

Some time later—I did not take care to follow the hours—I heard a feminine scream of unimaginable pain. I knew not who made the sound. I made my trudging way back to the throne room to hear the latest catastrophe. I had no fear for Isabella, no woman here cared for her enough to make that sound.

It was immediately clear who had fallen as I walked through the ornate doors. Carmen was knelt on the floor with her head pressed against the stone slabs. She was crying, great keening sobs that were heartbreaking to hear.

Eleazar was gone.

xXx

The fight was long over. Alice had seen the last of the newborns being dealt with and the army returning to Volterra. Though the battle was won, there was no celebration within the castle walls. Eleazar's loss seemed to take the last of the mirth from the day. The throne room had become a wake for the fallen as we waited for the survivors to return to us.

Alice had good news for us as she saw what remained of the army making their way onto the dock of Piombino: Eleazar had lived. Carmen was elated at the news and wanted to run to him immediately, but Aro forbade it. The sun was coming up and exposure was a risk. I felt and shared Carmen's frustration. I wanted to run to them now, too.

She did not see nor hear anything of Isabella, but that did not overly worry me. She was always blocked to Alice's sight and I doubted she was feeling very vocal in light of Marcus' death. I wondered what form of Isabella would return to me. Would grief have stolen the lightness from her or would her desire for revenge have been sated in the fight.

They came as the dawn began to light the sky. A fast procession of figures passing over the countryside surrounding the castle. I could see no faces at they all wore their hoods over their heads to cover their faces which the sun illuminated.

I wanted to race to Isabella's side, but by the time I reached her bedroom and retrieved one of her spare cloaks to hide me from the sun they had already reached the tunnel entrance. Allowing myself a little dignity for a change, I made my way to the throne room to wait.

The first to pass through the heavy doors was Eleazar. Carmen threw herself into his arms. They embraced, each talking over the other in their native Spanish. The relief of the moment was overwhelming. Carmen tore away his ashy cloak and threw it to the floor. I saw the evidence of his survival. Around his throat and disappearing into his hairline was a thin scar.

As pleased as I was by his survival I paid him only a passing glance as I was searching the room for a sign of my Isabella. There were still many people streaming into the room and falling into the arms of loved ones, so I had difficulty finding her small frame among them. Not once did it cross my mind that she wouldn't be there.

I grew impatient for our reunion and shouted over the chaos of the room. "Isabella!"

Eleazar turn to look at me with horrorstruck eyes. He extricated himself from Carmen's grip with difficulty and made his way over to me slowly.

Fear began to creep into my heart. "Where is Isabella?"

"Jasper, I am so sorry," he said in a voice heavy with sadness. "I tried. I swear I tried."

Alice gasped and I heard a choked sob from the direction of the thrones. I cared not who was making the sounds. All that mattered was that Eleazar told me where Isabella was.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

He shook his head slowly. "I am so sorry, Jasper."

"Stop saying that!" I snapped. "Tell me where Isabella is!"

"She's gone."

My knees buckled beneath me and I found my face pressed to the stone floor. Somewhere I could hear a keening howl. It took me a moment to recognize the sound as my own. I made no effort to halt the noise. My Isabella was gone. Nothing mattered now.

I felt hands gripping my shoulders and someone's breath at my ear speaking incomprehensible words. I snarled at them to leave me alone, but they did not. I couldn't bear to be touched. I leapt to my feet and threw the figures away from me. I saw, with a small pang of guilt, Alice fly away from me to collide with the wall. Edward shouted something, but I ignored him. I dropped into a crouch ready to attack the next person that attempted to touch me.

Fixing my attention on Eleazar I spoke in a low growl. "Tell me exactly what happened."

He eyed me warily. "I did not see it all. I fell at the same moment she was attacked. It was the shield. She caught Isabella from behind. When I was made whole again she was gone. There were fires everywhere, and we found this." He held out a scrap of cloth with charred edges.

I took it from him and examined it. It was a piece of the inky, black cloak Isabella had worn when I saw her last. I cradled it in my hands as if it was living thing. Here was proof. Proof that my Isabella was gone.

I ran from the room and through the halls to Isabella's chambers. Flinging myself down on the bed I curled into a ball, clutching the scrap of Isabella's robes in my hands.

A howl built in my chest and passed up through my throat against my will.

"Isabella!"