So it's been almost forever again, (but not as long as the last chapter took; let's hope this is the start of a good trend.) I want to apologize again but the fact is, I have a family and when I was churning out chapter after chapter, it was because I was neglecting other important things in my life. That's just not an option anymore, so as much as I love it, I have to put other things before writing. I hope all of you can understand and I so much appreciate all of you who have stuck with me.

So, there was a lot of foreshadowing leading up this chapter but because it's been so long, I'm going to provide a little reading guide in case anyone wants to brush up. Before reading this chapter I recommend re-reading Bella's POV in Dreaming (chapter six) and also Halfway to Normal (chapter 13).

This chapter is shorter than the others, because it's one scene, but it is a vital one. Also, had no time for beta so hopefully I have caught all major errors. Thanks as always to Navi and siDEADde for being great sounding boards, as well as smellyia and angstgoddess003 for the timed writes. Would be lost without y'all

Chapter 16:

Lessons

Bella:

The notion of escape had come far too late for either one of us. The three immortals appeared, surrounding us on all sides. As they walked forward, I grabbed Elisa, pulling her close to me. We walked awkwardly, herded backwards by the graceful strides of the ones before us.

Our clumsy exit strategy was upended abruptly by the brick garden walls at our backs. There was no where else to go. Now I could only try to suppress my terror, present a calm front for Elisa's sake.

The three vampires that surrounded us studied us in silence for a long moment. I stared back, memorizing details, looking for some sign or clue about what they wanted. There were two men, one woman, reminding me sickeningly of James and his murderous coven. One of the men was slight, with topaz eyes, a tangled shock of black hair in jarring contrast to his white skin. His face was angular, odd looking, like pieces of different puzzles had been put together to make something that didn't fit together, yet were somehow still striking.

The second man was huge. His muscled arms bulged through the thin black T shirt he wore and his legs were so thick I was amazed he'd found jeans to fit into. His stature would have been almost comfortingly reminiscent of Emmett, if it hadn't been for the blazing burgundy eyes. Not the ruby red of a newborn, but the crimson of a vampire that had drank human blood, and recently so. The way he stared at us wasn't comforting either. While the other two stood calm, complacent, I sensed his impatience was barely held in check. His hands flexed constantly, fingers twitching, as if looking for something to grasp.

"Which one is she?" The enormously muscled man spoke as I looked at him. His voice was scornful.

The woman stepped forward, her long black hair ruffling in the breeze, and as soon as I looked at her, I couldn't look away. Her golden eyes didn't even turn towards Elisa; no, her stare was for me alone. There was no question in her assessment.

"Bella." Her voice was casual, but there was the tiniest quaver of excitement behind it, the tone of one who was opening a birthday present she'd anticipated for months. "I've been waiting a long time to meet you."

I swallowed hard. My mouth was so dry my tongue threatened to stick to the roof of it and not allow me to speak but I managed to croak out a sentence. "Who are you?"

A small, cold smile shaped her lips. "I am Irina. We have some friends in common."

I gasped lightly. Irina? Of the Denali Coven? Had we overreacted, misunderstood? Were these friends after all?

As soon as the relief washed over me it was snatched away as more snippets of conversation and vivid memories came floating back to me. Another name came unbidden to my lips.

"Laurent," I whispered.

For a moment the smile left Irina's face and her features twisted into a dramatically different expression, nearly feral. It was gone before I could process it, and her tone was neutral again. "Laurent, I'm afraid, is not who I was referring to. He's ashes in the wind, if you recall, thanks to your four-legged friends."

She wasn't as calm as she pretended. I could see that in her hands, as they dug into the loose shirt that she wore, twisting and wrinkling the fabric over and over.

"Fascinating." The dark haired vampire, the one with golden eyes, was suddenly in front of me, diverting my attention. I took an automatic step back but his hand reached out and grabbed me at the same time, pulling me back to him. He kept a firm but not painful grip on my hair as he studied me, forcing me to hold still. "The stories are true. I can't see this one at all. It's quite remarkable." I couldn't understand what he meant by 'seeing' me. His eyes seemed to catch every detail; what about me was cloaked to him?

Abruptly he released me. I hadn't been expecting it and I stumbled, nearly falling. I righted myself just in time to see the blur of motion and then he was in front of Elisa. I went cold as I saw him reach out a long white finger to stroke her cheek, his eyes bright with interest.

"You, however, are clear as glass to me," I heard his low murmur as he leaned forward to speak in her ear.

Irina laughed then, a tinkling, brittle sound. "You're too forward. Introduce yourself to the humans before you start pawing at them."

"Oh, yes." He smirked slightly as he stepped away from Elisa and turned to include me in his glance. "I am Sebastian, and this," he jerked his head towards the bulky blond vampire, "is Dax."

"Sebastian?"

Elisa and I had spoken at the same time and his smile widened. "Have my old friends mentioned me, then?"

I nodded, than bit my lip immediately, remembering what Alice and Edward had had to say about their fellow 'vegetarian' was less than flattering. A quick glance out of the corner of my eye told me that Elisa's expression matched mine.

"I thought you were on a ship," she blurted out abruptly.

Sebastian's face broke once again into that blindingly cocky smile. "I told you they'd check, Irina. Edward always thinks the worst of me."

He made a mock hurt face as he turned towards Elisa. "I was on a ship but when Irina called, I took a little swim back to shore. My curiosity got the best of me, I suppose. I was so eager to meet the human that Edward's been hiding. You, however, are quite the unexpected bonus." That same eager gleam returned to his eyes, and Elisa blanched as he turned back towards Irina. "I don't recall you mentioning that there were two of them."

Irina rolled dismissive eyes in Elisa's direction. "Bella is the one we came for. The little one is Carlisle's latest pet, I gather. She's of no use to us."

"That point could be argued," Sebastian murmured. He put a finger under Elisa's chin and tilted her face upwards. "What's your name, pretty pet?"

"E-Elisa," she stammered in response. Her small frame was tense, as if she wanted to pull away but was afraid of what would happen if she did.

"Elisa. Beautiful," Sebastian smiled and released her.

"I must say, this has worked out so much better than I'd ever anticipated," Irina's voice sounded again, drawing my attention back to her. "We hadn't planned on coming for you today. We were only in the area to scout it out, as one might put it, to see where you were and how difficult it might be to get to you. Imagine our surprise when we saw Carlisle and his clan depart, leaving you so very conveniently alone. Careless of them, really. When the hen house is left unguarded, the foxes will come out to play."

Any hope that this was just a casual visit drained away at her words. I could feel the blood leaving my face in a rush, and the chill settling on my skin had nothing to do with the cold.

"So this is all about Laurent?" I finally managed to croak out. My voice shook. "He died because of me, so you want to hurt me for revenge, just like Victoria?"

"Not like Victoria!" In a second Irina's calm façade was ripped away. "Don't you dare mix my name in the same sentence as hers!" The feral look was back, her mouth twisting into a grimace. "The wolves killed Laurent, but she was the one who set him in their path. He never would have gone looking for you if not for that bitch. He didn't want to, did you know that? Laurent never held anything against you or Edward, but she kept at him. He thought he owed her…"

"Why did you – " I broke off abruptly, realizing the folly of my question too late, but Irina clearly understood what I'd meant to say. "Why did I let him go? I didn't. I told her if she ever came around again I'd tear her into pieces myself. I thought she'd never come back after that." Irina's voice suddenly broke. She was pacing now, back and forth, not looking at me any longer. "I only left for a few days. When I came back, he - " She paused, shaking her head.

Her voice began to shake. "Do you know how long I waited for him? Nearly a thousand years I've lived this cursed existence. I bided my time for centuries. I was patient. I never complained, because I knew when I found the right one it would all be worth it. And it was…Laurent was everything I needed to complete my eternity. But how long did I get to have him, Bella? After all the centuries of waiting…how long?"

She whirled, staring at me. "Less than a human year before he was taken away from me. A moment for one as old as me, time I could measure in one long blink of the eyes and he was torn away from me! All that waiting…for what? So I could know pain? To spend the rest of forever grieving for him?" Her voice rose and cracked now. "I begged to go when Carlisle called and asked for help. I wanted Victoria dead so badly…" Her fingers curled into claws. "But my family wouldn't let me. They knew I'd turn on the wolves next and break the precious peace that was so important to our friends. They cared nothing for the dogs, of course, but allies among our kind are a rare thing. So they put what Carlisle and his clan wanted above everything. Above avenging Laurent's death. Above me!"

There was a whirlpool of emotion packed into that simple sentence. Irina whipped back around to face me then, and the ferocious expression on her face dimmed into cold contemplation. "If they thought I'd just let this go, that I wouldn't avenge him myself, then they've forgotten exactly what I'm capable of. Edward took care of Victoria and now I'll take care of the dogs. They wiped Laurent off the face of the earth. I am going to return the favor. When we're done, there won't be a Quileute left to pass on their precious legacy. That is my gift to him."

"No!" The cry came from both Elisa and me at the same time. Irina ignored us as we exchanged frantic glances. I had to do something, say something, but what? So much was at stake here and I felt helpless, powerless, confused…what was my part in all of this?

It seemed apprehension and fear for Jacob, for his tribe, had glued my lips together while she spoke. Irina paused now, looking at me, apparently expecting some kind of response. I pried my mouth open with difficulty, my mind racing. I had to find the right words. "You can't…you'll die trying. There's too many of them now. The pack is growing all the time – there might even be more now, and they're more powerful than you know."

Unexpectedly, Irina's face lit up. "Of course, Bella. You are exactly right. What chance do the three of us," she looked over her shoulder at Dax and Sebastian, who smirked, "have against a whole werewolf pack? But you see, it won't just be us. My clan, the Cullens, our friends, will all be forced to unite against them. It will be war, one that we will win. And when we do, the Quileute legacy will be dust and memories, just like my Laurent. Appropriate, don't you think?"

"But how – " Elisa stammered.

Irina smiled then, her cold façade snapping back into place, her agony over Laurent put away. "Did you think I came straight here? Oh no. This is too important to be rushed. We've been doing our research quite carefully, on the dogs' own turf, no less, deciding the best way to strike."

"You've been in La Push?" My voice was choked, horrified. A roster of names flickered to life in my head. Jacob. Billy. Sam. Emily. The rest of the pack. Irina had been there, with her murderous cohorts, alongside my friends, people who'd risked their lives for me, and it was all my fault. I thought if I'd left, the danger would leave…I'd been so naive.

"Oh yes." Irina's smile widened. "The wolves are fascinating creatures." There was a hard edge to her voice now, making the sarcasm into malice. "They knew we were there, of course…our scent drove them wild. I'm sure the fact that they couldn't catch up to us was very frustrating for them. We did, however, generously grant them a small bit of satisfaction."

The burly, red-eyed vampire called Dax grinned. "Yeah…there used to be four of us. Irina decided our companion was - dispensable." He burst into riotous laughter, as if he'd just told a very good joke, oblivious to the derisive looks both Irina and Sebastian threw him. From their attitude, I could easily guess Dax's place in all this. They didn't consider him their partner or their equal. He was quite literally the hired muscle.

"I wanted to watch them, you see." Irina turned her attention back to me. "I wanted to see how they attacked, exactly, how they worked together. It proved to be very interesting. The pack moves in tandem, seemingly with no need to communicate aloud. It proved to me something that I had theorized about." Her eyes locked on me. "One mind. The pack collective. That's how it works, isn't it?"

I didn't want to answer that. I could tell that somehow, this information was vitally important to her, a key part of her plan, and if I could just bluff, make her uncertain, then maybe -

My attempt at subterfuge was worthless. My too easy to read face had already given it away and Irina's eyes gleamed. "Yes, precisely! They are linked when they are in their wolf form. What one knows, all know. What one feels, all feel." Her face became solemn, almost regretful. "And that, I'm afraid, is where you come in, Bella."

I shook my head, my heart swelling with panic for Jacob and the rest of them. "I won't help you - please, just - "

"Quiet." Irina waved an impatient hand. "I also spent some time in Forks." My gasp interrupted her again, new names flooding into my head this time. Charlie. Angela. Jessica. Ben. So many others…

The look she flashed at me was blazing this time. Instinctively I stepped back. Elisa huddled closer to me.

"No one was harmed. I'm not a wild animal. I don't take life casually, whether it's human or vampire." She seemed almost offended that I might think otherwise, as if we shouldn't judge her despite her sudden arrival and clearly murderous intentions. "But I did pay attention to the humans' gossip. You and the Cullens are still the big news around there. And there was one particularly delicious rumor…apparently your marriage and subsequent departure left a certain hot-headed young man, Jacob, quite devastated. Jacob Black, a Quileute." She smiled archly. "A werewolf. One that has the serious misfortune to be in love with a vampire's wife. Or perhaps you are the unfortunate one. You see, Bella, your death at my hands will give Laurent the vengeance that he was denied before. When poor lovelorn Jacob watches me, a vampire, kill you before his eyes, his own need for revenge will be unstoppable. And his fury will belong to his brothers as well. The dogs will rage, and they will attack. My clan will not sit idly by and let the wolves hunt us down. Neither will yours. They'll have no choice but to fight. Others of our kind will hear about the threat. They will come at them in force. We protect our own."

"No!" Elisa cried out. "You can't - " I felt her body trembling violently next to me. My own frame was shaking harder as I turned to her and put my hand across her mouth. "Elisa. Please." My voice was surprisingly calm.

Irina didn't spare a glance for Elisa. Her eyes never left mine. The other two vampires, however, didn't share her indifference. I saw one set of eyes, then the other, lock onto Elisa, who was still under my restraining hand. A protective instinct welled up in me. If I had to die, let me be the only one. I would do whatever I could to make them leave her be.

Sebastian came in a flurry of movement to stand next to Irina. His expression was one of strained patience. "Enough talking. Bella, you know our kind well enough to know there's no fighting us. We can force you to come with us easily, but it would be tiresome. So the question becomes, how much pain must we inflict upon you to gain your cooperation?"

I stared at the three vampires and in those seconds, as they waited for my reply, I saw so clearly the dreams of my future blowing away, ashes in the wind, just like Irina had said. Edward! My mind screamed, unwilling to accept that it was going to end like this. He must know by now that something was wrong. He'd come – they all would. Seven against three…surely we'd be saved.

But what if it wasn't that easy? Irina was outnumbered, but she was hundreds of years older, more powerful, more experienced. She wouldn't go easily. Dax was certainly a threat; she'd known what she was doing when she recruited him. Sebastian was an unknown element but a dangerous one. Alice and Edward has as much as said so themselves. In the inevitable battle, no one was guaranteed to survive. My family…which of them could I stand to lose? I'd put them in this position before and the terror for them, for Edward, had been unendurable. How could I risk them all again?

There was only one decision I could make. I stepped forward.

"Bella, don't!" Elisa grabbed my hand as I pulled away from her, but almost immediately Irina had my arm. She pulled me effortlessly across the pavement and to her side.

"A wise choice, Bella." A long, white finger reached out and touched my face contemplatively. "Your death is a means to an end. I get no pleasure out of it, nor would I by causing you pain. The more you cooperate, the less you'll feel. It's a necessity that your death will have to be bloody, for show, you see. But I'll try to make it quick."

Her hand stroked my cheek, shockingly gentle in comparison to her words, almost motherly. "I'm sorry for you, but I'm sorrier for Edward. Your suffering will be over quickly. What he'll face is unendurable. Losing you will destroy him." For a moment, her face showed true regret and something like hope leapt in my heart. Maybe she was still in there, the Irina that my husband knew and loved. Maybe she could be reasoned with.

"Then don't do this to him, Irina. Please. Don't be responsible for what will happen to him. You know how it feels – " Before I could even finish my sentence I knew I'd said the wrong thing. Irina's face went hard and her hand dropped away.

"I do know how it feels!" The words were hissed between bared teeth. "And tell me, did Edward ever spare a thought for my pain? Did he ever regard Laurent's death as any more than righteous retribution for daring to touch his precious Bella? Was he there for me as I would have been there for him had our situations been reversed?"

I was helpless to defend Edward against Irina's sudden rage. Her voice quieted, but her words were no less harsh. "He didn't even think of me, did he? But soon he'll know. He'll know exactly what I went through!"

"And he'll kill you for it," I whispered through numb lips.

The near ferocious anger suddenly drained out of Irina's face nearly as fast as it had come. It was replaced by a nearly tranquil smile as she leaned towards me, her voice now just a whisper.

"I know."

With her words, all the hope that I had left packed its suitcase and fled like a thief in the night. This was more than vengeance. Irina knew she'd die. She wanted it. This was a suicide mission. She wanted her pain to end and she was mad enough with grief to want to take as many people with her as possible. I could not reason with her. All I could do was accept my fate and hope that Edward and the others would grant her wish quickly, before she could do more damage. This couldn't end in war…they wouldn't let it. Not even Jacob, as distraught as he'd be. He'd have to know it was the last thing I would have wanted. Irina wanted him to witness my death. Maybe I'd have a few minutes to tell him, to warn him…

Even as I hated Irina for what she was going to do to me, to Edward, to everyone that I loved, I understood her. The vampire that stood before me radiating menace was not the Irina she had once been. She was the creature that unrelenting grief had shaped her into. Edward had tried to explain it to me before, but now I saw for myself the unyielding, unchanging beings that vampires really were. Here, we humans for all our weaknesses had the advantage. We could suffer terrible pain and loss and continue on. For us, time could heal; perhaps not take away the pain, but ease it a bit. Vampires could not adjust like we did. Just as love would always seem the brand new, all encompassing emotion that it did when it was new, so would loss. I had known that incredible agony, and as bad as it had been for me I still could not comprehend what it must be like to know one was going to experience that feeling with no surcease from now until eternity. Time would never soften the blow. Immortality was her enemy now, her punishment, her price.

Over my shoulder, I saw Sebastian's darkened expression. He was looking at Irina as if he'd just realized something unpleasant, but it was Dax's face that chilled me. He was looking at Elisa again, the way a starving dog looks at a meaty bone just out of reach.

"Let's go." I whispered huskily. I would not cry now. I would not break down in front of Elisa. So far, Irina hadn't paid her the least bit of attention. I couldn't save myself, but I could try to get them away from her, to ensure that at least she'd survive this horrible day. And if she did, I wanted her to tell Edward I'd been brave. I didn't want him to suffer through these last few memories she'd share with him any more than he had to.

"Yes, let's." Irina turned towards the garden gate, accepting without question that I would follow. And despite the fear weighing me down, I would have, but Elisa's voice rang out. I cringed as she ran forward to block Irina's path. "NO! I won't let you take her, you crazy –"

Irina flicked a disdainful hand in Elisa's direction. I didn't even see her make contact, yet the force of her blow hurled Elisa back into the garden wall where she crumpled to the ground. I cried out in alarm, trying to go to her, but Irina's hand was instantly on my shoulder, her fingers digging into my skin. "Behave." She hissed.

To my relief, Elisa was already getting to her feet, although she looked dazed. She touched a shaky hand to her head. The relief curdled in my stomach when she pulled it away to examine the slight red stain on it. Sebastian and Dax stiffened immediately, both turning to her as if on cue. A low growl emanated from Dax's throat.

"Control yourselves." Irina snapped at them coldly, her voice impatient. "We have more important things to do."

"Irina…" Dax looked at her, his face wheedling. "Let me have the little one. You don't need her; you said it yourself."

"We have no time," Irina let go of my shoulder and turned to him. "You've fed already. Now let's go."

"But what if she raises the alarm?" Dax's tone was calculating. "You've told her where we're going. What if she sends the others after us?"

"No!" I cried as I saw Irina's face become contemplative. Elisa paled now, coming out of her daze. She clearly realized the danger she was in. "She won't - you can tie her up or something. Please - " I was ready to beg on my knees if I had to.

Irina spoke over me as if I wasn't there. "I don't know. Tanya likes her…she'd be upset." But her tone betrayed how little that meant to her anymore. She'd stopped caring about Tanya's feelings the moment she'd set foot on the path that brought her here. My heart began to pound.

Dax heard her complacency too and his grin became animalistic as he turned towards Elisa.

"Please, Irina!" I tried again. "You've got what you came here for. She has nothing to do with this! You said yourself that you don't allow life to be taken without reason. There's no reason to kill her!"

Irina's lip curled. "Oh, there's reason. She'll be a reminder…a cautionary tale for my dear friends, just as you'll be. If Edward hadn't been so determined to have you, if the Cullens had made the choice to change you long ago instead of believing they could bend the rules without consequences, none of this would have happened. Lessons will be learned! Both of you will serve as a reminder of what happens when our kind is careless. Humans don't belong in our world." She nodded now to the one that had been waiting for permission. "Make it quick."

"STOP!" Sebastian's voice rang out, freezing all of us in our tracks. Dax and Irina gave him astonished looks.

Sebastian moved forward in a flash to stand next to Elisa, blocking Dax. "This one is mine."

"What?" Dax's face betrayed anger and shock. "You don't even eat humans!"

Sebastian smiled then, a cold, amused smile that sent warning signals screaming through my brain. "Correction. I don't feed on humans often. A glutton with so little self-control like yourself couldn't possibly understand, Dax, but I'll try to explain it anyway. I abstain from human blood because I will not allow myself to be ruled by desire and instinct like the common vampire. However, every few years, I happen upon an exceptionally luscious mortal; one with a taste that I know will be beyond compare. My long stints of abstinence in between make the feast beyond any pleasure you could ever imagine. This one intoxicates me…her scent…the things she makes me see… Who knows? I might even keep her."

His fingers idly played with a lock of Elisa's hair as he spoke. She didn't move away…she didn't move at all. She barely seemed to be breathing. Her only reaction to his words had been in the widening of her eyes. Silently, uselessly, I encouraged her inaction, trying to think of a way to divert his attention from her.

"We don't have time for that!" Irina's face was furious. "Alice must have seen us here by now. We have to take Bella and go or our plans will be ruined!"

Sebastian's lip curled as he looked back at Irina. "Oh, yes. The plan. Well, Irina, if I may be honest, I never really cared about your plan. I was simply bored, and a werewolf fight sounded like fun. You neglected to mention the not fun part where Edward kills us."

"I can take care of him." Dax's self satisfied expression was grating. He clearly did not comprehend that Irina had set him on a path that would almost certainly lead to his demise, so assured he was of his own abilities.

"Well, be that as it may, I'm fairly certain that somehow at the end of this scenario my head parts ways with my body. I came here out of curiosity, not a death wish. Now I've found something better to do so I'm afraid you two will have to play dogcatcher without me."

"I should have known better than to trust you," Irina hissed at him.

Sebastian shrugged. "Probably," he admitted with a smile.

Endless seconds passed as the two of them stared each other down. My heart felt like it might explode. What could I do? Sebastian was still dangerously close to Elisa. I had no hope of getting her out of his reach. I could only pray that Irina would be so panicked by the Cullens inevitable return that she would force them to leave with me before they could carry out their plans for Elisa.

"So be it then," Irina nodded to Dax, and before I could register what was happening, he turned towards Elisa, his face twisting into a near salivating snarl. At the same time, Irina blocked Sebastian's path, distracting him.

"You're either with me or against me, Sebastian. Are you really foolish enough to challenge me? Let the pet go or die with her."

Livid rage darkened Sebastian's features. If he were human, his face would have been a mottled red. He dropped into the attacking crouch I'd seen too many times before. Irina answered him with a vicious growl. As they circled each other my attention was diverted again by Dax's movement. He was moving at a wary, catlike pace, edging past Sebastian towards Elisa. My heart jumped into my throat. I wanted to cry out, warning her, but Elisa was already well aware of the danger. She stumbled backwards, cornered like a hunted animal with no where to go.

Dax glanced back at Sebastian, cornered by Irina, and then he moved so fast he blurred, racing towards his prey. As soon as I saw him speed up, I moved as well, instinct sending me running towards Elisa. What I was thinking, how I could protect her, I didn't know. I just had to get to her.

Dax was much, much faster, of course, but I was closer. Just as he reached Elisa, I did as well. Without thinking, I reached out and shoved her out of the way. At almost the same time, I collided with Dax. It felt like I'd been smacked full on with a metal sheet. Something sharp raced across my skin so fast that I didn't have time to understand, to register pain, to comprehend that I was falling until my body hit the ground.

The air was immediately full of screams. Above me, Elisa was crying my name, her voice full of panic and hysteria. I wanted to reassure her, trying to sit up, but my limbs wouldn't cooperate. I still felt nothing, but my head was spinning. I felt weightless, limp, and then the smell crept up around me and my stomach jolted. Blood…was Elisa hurt?

"Elisa – " I tried to say her name but all that came out was a desperate, choking, gurgling noise. And then I felt it…the most horrific sensation of air rushing out of my own skin. I brought my hand up to my throat only to recoil away. My hand had touched something wet, hot…and the jagged edges of ruined flesh.

Now I felt it, the blood pouring from my throat down my chest, soaking my clothes, saturating the air. It was bubbling up in my mouth too, choking me, drowning me. I gagged as it spilled out over my lips.

Through the shock I felt a dull terror building inside of me. It battled with the odd sensation of near languor, peace…my body felt so suddenly weary, so tired…I wanted to tell Elisa it was OK, to stop screaming. It would be alright. Didn't she understand? I'd been bitten. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be, but the venom would heal me.

As the disconnection between my mind and body ebbed, I was brought back by the desperate need for air, by the tearing pain that was beginning to overtake me. My body thrashed, out of my control. Above me, Elisa was kneeling down, supporting my head, her face a mask of horror. I felt her hand at my throat, desperately trying to stop the tide of blood. She was talking…other voices were screaming behind her, but I couldn't comprehend what they said.

Even as I struggled to keep from going under, to give into the shock, I was waiting, for the burning that I knew was coming, that would make the pain I felt now seem like a pleasant dream. Even as I feared it, I welcomed it.

It didn't come. My vision was blurring, the pain dissipating instead of increasing…even the horrible sensation of suffocating on my own blood was easing. Everything was pulling away, like the world was shrinking around me, fading away. No, I was fading away.

Now I understood why.

I wasn't changing. I was just…dying.

To Be Continued

A/N

*cringes* I know, I know! Don't hate me…I could have tried to write the next part but I'm traveling almost all of July so it would have taken me another 3432434 days and I really wanted to get this out before I left. Don't hate me. I've written part of the next chapter already and will try to write more while on vacation.

Despite the wretched cliffhanger, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I've been building up to this one for a LONG time.

Oh, and I'm aware that Breaking Dawn describes Irina as a blonde but I've had this planned out since before BD and in my head, Irina was always dark haired so I hope you'll excuse my creative license.

As always, reviews are shamelessly courted.