43

Bella felt herself slam into the ground. Hard. So hard, the trees around her shook as her eyes snapped open and the crowd of vampires traveling with Nahuel scooted away from her. She stood up slowly, her hands coming up in front of her and her chest heaving as she turned and looked at everyone standing around her, their eyes wide and full of fear.

Though, she stopped when she found herself face to face with Edward. She tilted her head to the side as she found herself walking toward him. He smiled and took steps toward her, meeting her halfway. She brought her hands up to his chest, sliding them over his shoulders and around to the back of his head, tangling her fingers tightly in her fingers and pulling his forehead against hers.

"We have until nightfall." Though she spoke softly, she knew everyone could hear her.

"How do you know?" Carlisle asked, and when she turned and looked at him, he frowned. "She told you, didn't she? Eve told you. You spoke to her, didn't you?"

She nodded. "She confirmed what we thought was going to happen. I . . . I have to die in order to stop him."

"Bella . . ." Carlisle shook her head and the anguish in his eyes had heart wrenching. "I'm sorry. I'm just so, so sorry."

"I know."

And without giving anyone else the chance to say anything, she wrapped her hands around Edward's and led him back into the house, up to their bedroom, closing the door behind them. They stood in front of each other, just staring at each other, so much being said, yet unspoken at the same time.

"Tell me again where you'd take me."

Edward smiled. "I . . . I'd take you to Chicago first, show you were I grew up. I'd introduce you to my parents, and then I'd take you to Europe, China, and Brazil. We'd travel the world over and over and over, loving each other for the rest of our existence."

"I love you," she whispered, closing the gap between them. "I love you so much."

"As I love you, sweetheart."

And as his lips pressed down against hers, she felt her heart breaking all over again. There was no hope that somehow, at the last minute, she'd be saved, that she and Edward would get to carry on their lives as immortals while the others lived theirs as human. Eve's message had been clear: she was going to die.

She shielded them from everyone else, determined to spend whatever time they had left alone, wrapped in each other's arms. They removed each other's clothes until they were standing naked and vulnerable. Edward wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground and pressing her down against the chaise lounge and sliding his hand down to her thigh, hooking her leg over his hip as he sheathed himself inside of her, reinforcing his love for her with every thrust of his hips, every kiss against her lips, and every whisper of devotion. They spent their remaining hours wrapped in each other's love, wishing against all hope that they had more time.

—Stay—

By the time Edward and Bella emerged from their bedroom, the sun was starting to set over the Olympic Peninsula. They'd spent the last eleven hours wrapped in each other's arms, talking about their hopes and dreams, shutting out the outside world. For those few, brief hours, they could live blissful ignorance about what their future held.

But like had all good times came to an abrupt end, they soon found themselves standing in the middle of the brightly colored field of wildflowers with the rest of their friends and family standing around them. The air was full of tension, fear, and hope. As she turned and looked around at everyone, she found herself struggling to keep her emotions in check.

While Alistair, Zafrina, Liam, Maggie, Siobhan, Amun, Kebi, Benjamin, and Tia were rather relaxed, considering the events at hand, the rest were tense. Jacob and Tanya were wrapped in each other's arms, the other members of his pack were standing off the side. Leah and Seth were the only two that didn't seem to care that the wolf and the vampire were so close. She wondered, though, when all was said and done would they still find their way to one another, or would their love be lost.

A cleared throat drew her attention and when she looked to her left, she saw Eleazar a few feet away, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He'd kept his distance from her over the last few weeks. The others had filled her in on his role in Eve's demise. Judas they had called him, traitor, betrayer, and liar.

"Can I have a word?"

"I suppose you can."

Eleazar shifted uncomfortable from one foot to another. "I want to apologize."

"Apologize?"

He nodded.

"For what? For branding me the end of the world? For treating me like scum when I was new to this life, desperate to find a place where I might belong?"

"Yes," he whimpered, his lips trembling. "The longer I'm around you, the more emotional I get." He sniffed. "I'd almost forgotten my time as Sentinels. You . . . Eve loved our humans, said they were spectacular and beautiful. She was kind and generous and forgiving of our flaws, our shortcomings."

"You gave her to him, didn't you? Eve, I mean. They said you gave her to Adam. You betrayed her."

Eleazar nodded again. "He'd just infected me, and I felt obligated to obey him. I told you . . . her, I told her that I needed help. As always, she was willing to help, to offer guidance. It wasn't always easy to stand by and just watch over the humans, protect them from themselves. I was envious of their freedom, their ability to just live and thrive as they wanted, yet we were held to the strictest rules."

Bella wasn't sure what to say. Just a handful of months ago, she had been one of those humans. A fragile, delicate human girl just wanting the chance to live. To really live. Of course, she didn't have the freedom, the ability to live and thrive as he called it. No, her body was frail and weak, broken.

"Suppose that does make much sense to you, does it?"

"No," she admitted. "I don't understand how you could look at her the way you're looking at me right now," she added, raising an eyebrow. "With reverence and respect, and then put her in the hands of the one person determined to destroy her."

"I was foolish, drunk on power, on the power he said I would get to have. I have lived with that regret for the last thousand years, Bella."

"You understand what's going to happen here today, don't you? You're not human, Eleazar."

"Yes, I know." He looked over his shoulder at Carmen, who was standing between Irina and Kate, both of whom were holding her as she watched her mate try to make amends. "I'm prepared to lose her in order to make things right."

"You really love her?"

Eleazar nodded and turned his head back to her. "She's the love of my existence, Bella. She gave me the strength, the courage to leave the Volturi when I realized that Aro . . ." He shook his head, putting his finger up. "Adam. I have to get used to referring to him as Adam again. When I realized that Eve hadn't died, not all of her, at least, I vowed to keep him away from her, and I tried, Bella. I thought keeping my secret was more important than just being honest with them, with you. I will never forgive myself for making things harder for you."

She nodded. "I wish I could tell you that I forgive you, but I don't. I just . . ." Bella shook her head, her eyes shifting to the ground. "I don't want to die, Eleazar. I'm not ready for this to be the end."

"None of us are." She felt him lean over and press his lips to the top of her head. "You're an amazing person, Bella. I hope you know you are important to all of us."

She tried to smile, wishing being important to them meant anything. In the end, though, it didn't. In the end, she was still going to die and they would live. Eleazar turned and walked over to Carmen, holding his hand out to her. She shifted her eyes to Bella before she laid her hand in his and allowed him to pull her into his arms. The way she looked up at him, the love and desire in her eyes, was the same look she knew was in her eyes when she looked at Edward.

Bella walked away from everyone, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her contacts until she found her father's cell number. More times than she'd like to admit over the last fourteen days, she had found herself wanting to call him, to call her mother, just to hear their voices, but she didn't because the pain was still too raw. Too fresh. But in that moment, she didn't care how much it hurt her; she found herself pressing the call button and lifting the phone to her ear.

His phone barely rang twice before she heard him answer with a timid, "Hello?"

She opened her mouth several times, so many things she wanted to say: I love you, I'm sorry, thank you for giving me the chance to live, forgive me for not being stronger.

But none of that came out of her mouth.

"Hello? Is there anyone there?"

"Yeah. I mean, yes," she whispered. "I . . . I'm sorry. I must have the wrong number."

"Who are you looking for?"

"I was calling me dad."

"Oh. Well, that's not me," he said with a laugh and she could picture him sitting in his chair, his head tilted backward as he laughed. "I don't have any children."

Bella brought her hand up to her mouth, trying to stop from outright sobbing. "I'm sorry if I bothered you."

"Are you okay, honey? You sound upset."

"I . . . No."

"Are you in trouble?"

"No," she cried, softly. "I just miss my mom and dad right now, and I thought maybe hearing their voice would help, but I guess I have the wrong number."

"You don't talk to them much?"

"We used to be really close," she admitted. "But then I changed, and I guess I've lost them forever. I'm sorry if I bothered you."

"I may not have children . . . I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Bella," she whispered. "My name is Bella."

"Bella," he murmured, and the sound of him saying her name had her struggling to keep off her knees. "I had a great aunt named Bella. Well, Isabella, but everyone called her Bella. I . . . I always thought I'd name my daughter after her, but my wife and I, we . . . we weren't blessed with children of our own. But if we had, if we'd been lucky enough to have a daughter, I would like to think that we would have gone to the ends of the earth for her. Don't give up on your parents, okay? I'm sure wherever they are, they miss you like crazy."

"You really think so?" she sobbed.

"Yeah, I think so, and hey, if you ever need to talk you have my number, okay? My wife tells me all the time I have a good shoulder to cry on. Of course, usually that's when she's watching one of those sappy, chick flicks on the Hallmark channel."

Bella laughed, remembering how much Renee loved those movies. "Thank you. I really appreciate it. Take care of her, okay? Take care of each other."

"I will," he laughed. "Are you going to be okay? We can talk for a little longer, if you want. I don't mind."

"Yeah, yeah, I think I'm going to be okay," she lied. "I should let you go, though, so . . . Just . . . Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Bella."

Bella ended the call and dropped the phone to her chest, her body shaking with silent tears that rocketed through her. Hearing her father's voice again had brought her both the closure she needed, yet tore open her wounded heart at the same time. She longed to feel them holding her, keeping her safe, letting him reassure her that everything was going to be okay, that somehow, she would survive, even if she knew there was no way she would live. Her fate had been sealed, and she knew there was nothing that was going to change that.

"Well," Carlisle said, and when Bella turned around, she found him, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper standing with Edward between them. "Never thought we would find ourselves in this position."

"I don't think any of us did," Esme added, her arm tightening around Edward, who looked as heartbroken as Bella. "You don't have to do this, Bella, not for us."

"You know I do," she said, seeing the panic rise in Rosalie's eyes at the thought of her suddenly changing her mind. "I don't have to like it. I don't have to want to do it, but I can't sit back and let Adam take my power, knowing it will end the world. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, eventually, the power will get to be too much for him, and he will end the world. I'm the only one who can stop him, and if by stopping him, I save all of you from a life that you never wanted, well, I guess that's win-win."

"It's not win-win," Rosalie said, her lips trembling. "It's not win-win if we lose you, too. I . . . I want to be human, Bella, I do, but not if that means you're not my sister anymore."

"Who knew that Rosalie Hale would give up being a human for someone else?" Alice cried, and Jasper tightened his arm around her, whispering, "It's okay, darlin'."

"It's not okay!" she cried. "We're supposed to be a family, all of us together forever!"

Edward pulled himself from between Alice and Esme and walked over to Bella, placed his hands on either side of her face, and leaned his forehead against hers. "She has to do this, Alice. She has to, and we have to be here to help her, because she can't do it alone. She just . . . we have to love and support her, even if it's breaking our hearts in the process."

"I'm sorry," Bella whimpered, covering his hands with hers. "I'm so sorry we can't have forever. I'm so, so, so, so sorry, love."

"I will never forget you, sweetheart. Never."

"I hope not," she cried, though no tears fell down her face. "I really hope not."

Bella felt her body tense and when she looked toward the tree line, she knew it was time. She shared a look with Edward, who blew out a heavy, unneeded breath of air as they turned and faced their impending enemy. Their friends and family gathered around them. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice were on Edward's left.

Jacob stood with Tanya, Eleazar, Carmen, Irina, Kate, and Garrett on Bella's right. Alistair and Zafrina stood behind them with Liam, Maggie, Siobhan, Amun, Kebi, Tia, and Benjamin, who was ready to enclose their enemy in a rock prison if needed. Bella, however, knew that wasn't going to happen.

Leah, Seth, Brady, Quil, and Embry stood on the behind Jacob, while Cain and Abel stood behind Carlisle with the rest of the Sentinels who had shown up just hours ago to help. She met Cain and Abel's eyes, earning her a simple bow of respect.

Nahuel and his village stood in the back of all of them, prepared to take care of anyone who tried to get past them and into town, but Bella knew, somehow she knew, it was all up to her.

She tilted her head to the side, looking up at Edward, who was staring at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

—Stay—

It only took a few minutes for Aro Volturi and his army to emerge from the trees. The minute she saw him, she saw the real him, Adam as they called him. He was tall and boisterous. He had long black hair and dark red eyes that clashed against his pale, translucent skin. The first of the blood drinkers, she thought, the one who started it all.

Next to him stood two men who she knew were Caius and Marcus, at least in this life. In another life they had been known as Job and Isaac. Caius was taller than Aro, thinner, and his hair was snow white and his eyes red. Marcus had long dark hair, though there was an expression of boredom on his face that made Bella wonder just how committed he was to the man leading them.

Behind them stood almost two dozen members of the guard, those who like Bella and Eleazar had been Sentinels, gifted with the job of protecting the humans from themselves. She knew them by name: Moses, Noah, David, Luke, Matthew, John, Paul, Simon. Even Mary, Miriam, Esther, and Sarah.

As Aro put his hand up in front of him, stopping them from moving forward another step, his eyes flickered between each and every one of those standing in support of Bella. His eyes lingered a moment on Cain and Abel, the rest of the Sentinel guard who had come out of hiding to free themselves. His eyes flickered back to her, and his lips curled into smile.

"Well, well, well," he said, his voice both creepy and eerie. "I've been searching for you, Bella."

The way he said her name sent a shiver up her spine. "Hello, Adam."

His smile grew wider and his eyes trickled to Cain and Abel once again. "So, you know the truth, do you?"

"I do. Too bad those around you don't know the real you, Adam."

"Why is she calling you Adam?" Caius asked, his red eyes flickering between them. "Who are you, child?"

"Oh, you know me, don't you, Job."

"Job?" he asked, his face crinkling as he looked from her to Aro and back. "Who are you? Who are you really?"

"Eve?" Marcus breathed, his arms stretching out in front of him as he took a few steps in front of them and fell to his knees. "We called you Eve. Our leader, our sovereign leader."

"Brother, what are you talking about?" Caius asked, shifting his attention from Marcus, who was hutched over and Aro, who smirked, and then to her. In that brief, split second, he seemed to realize who she was, and he, too, stumbled forward and dropped to his knees. "Oh, Eve, it's really you."

Aro tilted his head back and laughed. "Oh, you are spectacular, Eve. You always have been. I've waited a long time for you to be . . . reborn, to find a human shell strong enough for you to survive."

"So I've heard," she said, dryly as she folded her arms in front of her.

Aro matched her stance as he walked past Caius and Marcus, who were still bowled over on the ground. Those behind them were muttering to themselves, starting to realize they had been duped into believing the lies Aro had told them. He had fooled them into believing they had once been humans and then changed into vampires. When in reality, he'd stolen them from her, from Eve. They had been hers, and Bella would give them back.

He stopped halfway to her, inhaling a slow, sharp breath before he smiled. "I can sense her inside you, dear. Strong and powerful. So much power. Intoxicating power. Power that soon will be mine."

Bella tilted her head to the side, the corners of her lips twisting into a smile. "You think you can stop her? Oh, you precious, silly asshole. You can't stop her. She's angry, so very, very angry with you, Adam."

"I did once, and I will again," he cackled, sounding like a child who just snuck candy out of the store and didn't get caught. His eyes flickered behind her and he laughed. "Oh, I should have known he's with you. Eleazar, my old friend, it's been a long time."

"Not long enough," Eleazar said, pulling away from Carmen, who like Edward reached for him, but found her hands empty. He stopped next to Bella. "You should stop this nonsense now, Adam, save yourself from her wrath."

"Save myself from her wrath?" Aro tipped his head backward and laughed. "That's priceless, Eleazar."

"It's Judas," he said, reaching over and placing his hand on Bella's shoulder. "My name is Judas, Adam. I told you before, I will not let you take her from us again."

"Like you have a choice, Judas."

Aro raised his hands in front of him, turning his palm upward and clenching his fingers into a tight fist and a ball of energy encased his hand before shooting toward Eleazar. Bella acted without thinking and she extended her shield around him, causing the ball of energy to hit it and fly backward, hitting his guard instead. They screamed and fell to the ground. Though they didn't die, they writhed in pure and utter agony.

Aro looked from them to her, his eyes widening and sparkling in amusement. He clearly didn't give a rat's ass about those who had been loyal to him over the last thousand plus years. Said a lot about the man's character, if you asked her.

"Oh, that was spectacular. That will make a grand addition to my powers."

"You poor misguided man." Bella clicked her tongue against the top of her mouth. "You think you can beat her? That's precious."

And glancing back at the one she loved the most, she said, "I'll always love you. Always."

"Bella," Edward whimpered, taking a step toward her, but stopping when Carlisle and Emmett grabbed his arms, holding him back. He struggled against their hold, fighting to free himself and save her, stop her, love her.

"Bella! Don't! Stay with me, Bella. Please, stay with me!"

"Always, Edward," she said before she turned and ran straight toward Aro, who started toward her.

They met in the middle and her hands came right up to the side of his face. As the rage and anger she'd been holding onto since the moment she saw the writing on the literal wall, she felt her body tense and her feet lifted off the ground, suspending both of them into the air. Aro shrieked in pure and utter agony as the very same prickle of energy she felt the moment she changed her parents back into humans shot through her entire body, through her fingers tips, like white, hot bolts of electricity that filled him and then shot out at all of those around them, striking each and every one of them.

Below them, Adam's army had started toward her friends and family, who sprang into action to stop them stopping Bella from freeing all of them. Though, she couldn't find herself focusing on them as the pain inside her head exploded, feeling like her head was going to split into two, and she heard herself screaming. A bright, white light started to seep from the tips of her fingers, surrounding her and Aro, who was thrashing between her tight grasp like a withered, fragile old man, in a glorious orb.

"Release me!" he cried out, trying to claw her fingers from around his face as slowly, ever so slowly he transformed from the gruesome, horrid vampire with blood red eyes, to his true form as Adam, a young, handsome man with evil in his eyes.

Bella tightened her grip around him as the pain inside her intensified and she managed to look over her shoulder, finding herself watching as one by one by one the vampires and wolves crumbled to the ground. Rosalie was the first, then Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Esme, and then Carlisle.

Edward was the last, the final one to be turned back into a human. His eyes met hers and he stretched his hand out to her as his legs buckled beneath him and he, too, faltered against the earth, his eyes closing. And even through Adam's screams, the plea for mercy, the screaming as the pain somehow got worse, she could hear the delicate beating of his heart restarting. He was human once again.

Bella cried, her fingers peeling away from Adam's face as she fell backward through the air and hit the ground with a resounding thud. As her eyes closed, as the pain became too much for her to take, she heard her own heart start beating just long enough for her to inhale one final breath of air, and then, Bella Swan let the darkness pull her away from everyone she had ever loved, and letting death win.

Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews. Again, we are getting a HEA! I promise. We have two chapters left.