I hope you all have forgiven me for the mean cliffhanger last week! Please enjoy!
Chapter Nineteen
Edward placed me on my feet and slowly pushed me around to stand in front of me. I latched onto his back and peeked from the side.
The figure was larger than Carlisle and much more intimidating. He looked like a very warped version of Carlisle. He had scars covering his entire body, and instead of the diamondlike blue skin Edward had, his skin was paper white. His eyes were a dark red that remained red even in the light and his hair was almost as white as his skin, not the honey-colored hair Carlisle had.
He lifted his lip, exposing very large and sharp canines.
"Carlisle's boy," He said in a very rough tone that sent shivers down my spine.
Edward growled menacingly. "I am not a boy."
He let out another hyena-like laugh that made Edward tense.
"You are a boy," He hissed as he started to slowly circle around Edward. "An unmated boy." His red eyes cut to me, and he glared.
Edward snarled and pushed me further behind his back, so I wasn't visible to the outcast.
"What do you want, outcast?" Edward spat hatefully.
The outcast lifted his lip and showed his canines. "Caught the scent of an unmated female. I was curious to see if the almighty - had brought more females."
"The females - brings to us are no concern of yours. You turned your back on her!"
The outcast let out a sinister growl. "You are more like your mother than your father."
"Do not speak about my mother," Edward hissed as he placed his arm backwards to direct me as he began to side step the outcast. I grabbed onto his arm, holding it as tightly as I could. I wanted to close my eyes, but I was too afraid. "You need to leave. Go back to the forbidden mountains where you belong."
Another hyena laugh. "Show me the new female boy."
"Leave." Edward snarled.
The outcast inhaled very deeply.
"Stay back," Edward snarled, pushing me further behind his back.
The outcast stopped and crouched into a low position. Edward tensed but didn't crouch, instead he let out a warning snarl. The outcast answered Edward's snarl with one of his own before disappearing from my view.
Everything seemed to move in a fast blur. Edward shoved me down into the bushes, which caused me to hit my head on a thick root. I gasped and felt the warm blood seeping out of the fresh wound.
As I held my head, I turned to the sounds of the terrifying snarls and roars but I was unable to see any clear movements. All I could see were quick moving blurs. I couldn't tell which one was Edward; a sobbed passed my lips as I remembered Rosalie's words.
Carlisle is the strongest and the fastest. No one can match his abilities. Well, aside from the outcast.
I jumped to my feet and looked around for a way to help Edward. How could I help him if I couldn't see him?
My last resort was to let out a screech. My throat burned but I pushed through the pain and continued to scream.
A blur burst through the trees, running straight into the blur that was Edward and the outcast.
Suddenly I was thrown backwards into a thick tree. It hurt, but luckily the soft wood had cushioned my back when it hit it. Some heavy was sprawled out across my lap. I looked down, hoping to see Edward but instead I saw the horrible scowl of the outcast.
I gasped and tried to move away, but he was too heavy, and I was pinned. I could hear Edward and Emmett screaming frantically and the sound of something tearing through the jungle in the distance.
My arm was suddenly jerked, and an unbelievably sharp pain entered my hand. I screamed as my arm began to burn as if it were on fire.
I almost didn't feel the weight of the outcast leaving my lap as the pain in my hand scorched my arm. I screamed, unable to clearly see the blurred figures in front of me. I realized that it wasn't because they were moving at a fast pace, but because my eyes were filled with tears.
"Bella!" I heard Edward scream in agony.
"My hand! It's burning help!" I screamed as I threw myself backward.
Arms caught me and lifted me from the ground, placing me in a lap that I knew was Edward's. I wasn't sure how I knew it was Edward holding me, but I could just feel it.
My already blurred vision started to turn black around the edges. I could feel myself hyperventilating as my lungs began to close.
"Bella please," I heard Edward cry. "Please, please I am sorry! Please!"
The last thing I felt was being lifted in the air before everything went dark.
Edward's POV
I watched helplessly as Bella went limp in my arms. It felt as thought the air had been taken from my chest. I would have worried but all I could focus on was Bella.
"N-no," I whispered weakly.
"We must get her home." I heard my mother say; it was strange, it sounded as if she were very far away but I knew she was kneeling in front of me.
I could not tear my eyes away from Bella. I stared down at her, praying to Auk'ell'ieks'Ognil that she would give Bella the strength to move. To give any sign that Bella would live.
"Edward," My mother said, "We must take her back home now."
I felt a hand grab my arm and pull me to my feet. My body was extremely weak. When I was pulled to my feet, my knees gave out and I fell back down.
"I will hold her," Emmett said as he gently pulled Bella out of my arms and into his.
"Carlisle," Mother called, "You must carry Edward! We need to hurry!"
I heard my father let out a deep snarl before he pulled me into his arms. His nose swiped over my forehead as he let out a soft rumble that I had not heard since I was a child. It had soothed me when I was a child, but now it did not soothe me.
"Jump onto my back," Father said to my mother, I assume.
I could feel him run a little faster than normal, but he was still retrained, as he had to be with my mother holding onto his back.
My eyes continued to lazily dart from side to side trying to find something to focus on. I gasped, my hand clutching my chest as a sharp pain pierced through me. I have never felt this pain before. I felt my mother's small hand stroke back my hair.
"Edward," She whimpered. "Carlisle hurry."
I heard my father growl before speeding up. I knew he was pushing it, but at the moment, I was to out of it to chastise him.
I knew we arrived home when I could hear my family echoing my name. I heard my mother yell at them to give us space so that she may take the two of us to the healing hut. It would take another several minutes to get there, since the hut was built near the sacred waters.
As my father gently laid me on the leafy bed, he made another chest rumble and stroked my hair off of my face. My eyes were still blurry, but I could still recognize my mother and father.
"It will be okay my son," My father was as he continued to stroke my hair.
"B-Bella," I whispered in a shaky voice.
I felt my hand being moved until it was placed upon a chest. I recognized it instantly as Bella's chest. I wanted to sigh in relief, but I could not before I felt her heartbeat.
I was very weak, but I still closed my eyes and focused on her body. It took several moments but finally, I could feel the unsteady beat that was her heart. It was weak, but it was there.
"She is alive," I heard my mother say. "She is very weak, but she is alive."
"Will she live?" My father asked.
"I am not sure," My mother said; I could hear her looking for the items she needed. "She should be dead. Even I can smell the venom in her body. But her heart is still beating. I have nothing to help her make it through this."
"Can you call to the goddess? She will help."
"She is not speaking to me now," My mother said in a worried voice. "I do not understand why she has turned her back on me. What have I done?"
"You have done nothing my Esme," My father said. "Perhaps even she is at a loss."
"Perhaps." My mother said. "I-I do not know what to do."
"Bella and Edward are alive. They may be weak right now, but they are still alive. We will praise the goddess now. The venom should have killed Bella instantly, but she is alive. We must praise the goddess. She is the one keeping Bella alive."
My mother was silent for a moment. I felt her hand reach out and stroke my cheek.
"Should you call our family and lead them in prayer?" My father asked.
She was silent for only a moment more. "Yes, we should call them. Would you call them Carlisle? I will lead them. I just need a moment."
"Of course my Esme." My father said. I heard the distinct soft smacking sound that I knew was my father placing his lips upon the top of my mother's head. If either Bella or I had been awake, he would have never done this. Kissing was a very intimate act and mates never shared this intimate moment with any other member of the family.
I could hear both of them shuffling, my father left the hut but my mother had moved closer to Bella and I.
"Please heal," My mother said to Bella; I knew she was not talking to me because I was not injured, Bella was. "Please. He is my only son. I cannot lose him. My heart would be lost without him. You are a healer Bella. I know this. The goddess has commanded me to teach you what I know. You can heal yourself. I need you to heal yourself. Our people needs you to heal yourself. We cannot lose both of you."
I wished desperately that I could console my mother. Her voice was full of pain. I swore to myself that I would radiate enough strength so that Bella would heal as well. I did not know if it would work, but I knew I could not leave my mother or my father yet.
Two Hours Later
My eyes flew open as I gasped roughly, trying to take in as much air as possible. I sat up quickly, but hands covered my chest and pushed me back down gently. I looked up to see my mother and father sitting beside me.
"Where is Bella?" I asked.
"She is resting beside you," My mother said in relief. She leaned down and pressed her head against mine. "My son."
"I am alive mother," I told her as I grabbed her hand.
"We are both so happy you are alive." My father said as he stroked my hair.
"Can I sit up now."
"Slowly. Go very slowly," My mother said.
My father placed his hand in between my shoulders to help sit me up. It felt nice to stretch my sore muscles. I looked over to see that Bella was laying peacefully on the soft pile of leaves. She was covered in flowers and surrounded by several offerings. I looked around myself and found the same offerings from our family.
"How are you feeling?" My mother asked as she blew out the flame from the thin long stick she was holding. She swirled the stick around my head so I could smell the overly sweet scent of the green smoke.
"I feel healthy," I said as I looked down at myself. "I do not understand. Why am I awake? Why is Bella still asleep? Is she resting?"
"She has not awakened yet." My mother said. "But she is still alive."
I made a move to crawl to Bella, but my mother put her hands on my shoulders and my father grabbed my tail to stop me. I let out a soft growl.
"Edward you must leave her be." My mother said. "She is very, very weak. We must not move her, or she may go to the goddess."
I sighed and looked down at my hands. "I could not protect her."
My father stroked my back. "It is alright my son. You tried your hardest. You and Bella are still alive, that is all that matters."
"Did you kill him?" I asked.
My father frowned and looked down. "I could not. He ran before I could catch him. Helping you and Bella was too important."
I growled. "He must die! I will rip his throat out!"
My father chuckled and patted my back. "I wish you could son. I really wish you could."
I looked back over at Bella. "I do not understand how I am awake, but she is not."
"I am just as confused as you are," My mother said quietly. "I am unsure of what to do. The goddess is no longer speaking to me."
"I am sorry mother," I said as I reached out to her. "Do not worry. The goddess must be preoccupied with Bella. She has taken an interest in Bella."
She looked up, her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"When I took Bella to the tree of healing, she saw the goddess."
Both she and my father gasped.
"She saw the goddess?" My mother asked in surprise.
"Yes she did. She said that the goddess was very large. Bella said that she could hold Bella in her hand." I chuckled.
"Of course she is very large!" My father grinned. "She is our mother. She must be very big to create all of us."
"What did she say to Bella?" My mother asked.
"I am not exactly sure, but Bella was very upset. She never told me." I sighed; I would give anything to hear her sweet voice again. Even though she was near, I missed her dearly.
"Keep your faith my son," My father said. "The goddess has a plan for Bella. She did not die from the venom. Her heart is weak, but it is still beating. You must keep your faith for her."
I let out another sigh before fixing my eyes on Bella. Dear sweet mother, let her live. Please let her live.
I hope you guys liked it! I kept going back and forth because I wasn't sure about adding Edward's POV! I hope you liked it anyways! Have a wonderful day!
