Chapter 11:

Sh*tty female pockets

For Dana and Radko, no doubt, the scene explained itself. Beth lay deathly still, awkward as a discarded doll except for the dry, choked whimpers tumbling out of her mouth. Hazel moved fast, dragging Marek by the arm before wordlessly throwing him to the ground. Dana jumped back, almost colliding with Radko who cursed in surprise.

"M-Marek? You're alive!"

"We believed…" Dana's eyes slid to Hazel, who sneered.

"Yes, yes, we're all shocked I didn't murder my lover's husband." She raised her arms impatiently. "So, Nurse. Is there anything you can do for crushed balls?"

Hazel's voice trembled with laughter, and Michael had a wild notion of jumping up and screaming in his sister's face. He would relish the strain in his throat. You should have let Beth kill Marek and finish the job when you couldn't! Who are you?

Watching Radko tend to Marek, Hazel flinched. Her thoughts were grim. I didn't want to harm her. She shouldn't be here, Mikey. She's exceptionally out of her depth.

Yes, but… Michael's eyes pricked with tears. I can't protect you from what's coming.

Hazel's gaze pierced his. The Volturi? They're on their way, finally?

Michael nodded, and she hissed. "So Marek has been doing his job properly. Hiding us all in plain sight. So many stolen glamours, eh?" she said bitterly.

"You thought it was a clever idea once. Unfortunately, you're complicit as we are." Dana picked up a phone lying on the ground, kicking debris out of her path toward Beth. "Hello? Miss? It's Dana from the hotel. Can you hear me?" She squatted down.

At Dana's touch, Beth opened her eyes. They were unfocused, flat as wet pennies, and her voice was thick. "Yeah…yeah, I can hear you…"

"She lies strangely," Radko observed. He was helping a moaning Marek to his feet. "We…heard a snap."

"Yes." Michael croaked. He would hear it, too, until flames reunited them with Julia. "That was…Beth."

Dana hissed an oath. "What monster would do this?"

"Can you fix it, sweetie?"

Dana looked at Michael sharply. "In my old life, I treated men at war. I know stab wounds, gunshots, cannon fire. Nothing like this, boy. A soldier would have died before I could get to him."

"So, that's a no to fixing it."

Hazel's sarcasm drew Dana upright in her crouch. "Radko, take Marek inside."

"Y-Yes…" Radko did as instructed, glancing between Hazel and Beth with mounting fear.

The girl was speaking again, soft as an icy wind. "He took my glamour. He won't give it back. Make him give it back…"

"I need to examine you, miss," Dana said gently.

Beth's mouth was pickled, sweet and sour, swollen with the remains of a bitten tongue. The air was cool on her face, smelling of blood, vomit, and smoke. Screams and police sirens rang out far away.

Prague was getting slaughtered. The Volturi was failing, and no one knew where Demetri was.

"I'm sorry. Does that hurt?" Dana asked near Beth's bent leg. "Try not to move your head."

Beth unscrewed her eyes, peering down. Her body looked weird. Wonky. She was struck by a bizarre thought: Where was her head? Also, Dana was pinching the skin of her ankle, but it might as well have belonged to someone else.

Oh. Beth wanted to laugh. "I…don't feel it."

Michael made a noise like a falling tree. "She can't feel it."

"Sorry." Christ, why was she apologising?!

Frowning, Dana shuffled further up Beth's crooked body. "Can you feel this?" She flicked Beth's hand. It didn't move.

"No." Beth cleared her throat. She waited to panic, but it hadn't reached her yet. "Is my…head still attached to the rest of me?"

"What? – ah, yes." Dana stood up. For the first time, she looked worried. "I…don't know what to do. Your spine –"

Oh, there was the panic, blistering and unkind. Beth jerked her chin desperately. "My phone is in my pocket. I have Carlisle Cullen's number. He's a – a qualified doctor. Call him now. Call him now."

Had Alice seen this coming? If she had, would she have told anyone? Of course, it was likely Alice didn't care. No one did, not even Nessie. Beth hadn't heard from any of them.

It was clear now. The Cullens had only tolerated her. Demetri was almost undoubtedly dead because he'd fucked off without her, and now her glamour was gone too. That bastard had gone to the hotel with Radko, and HAZEL had disappeared with them. Dana and Michael were only here because Beth was pitiful, and now her nose itched.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm here." Michael crashed beside her, his long limbs tucked up like grasshopper legs. "I'm here, sweetie. I'll get your phone. Which pocket?"

"It's…" Beth went to show him, remembered, and moaned in despair. "M-m-my left back pocket! It m-might be broken, oh God –" Her voice was no longer her own. It moved, rose, and ran away like a wild animal she couldn't catch.

"Stop that," Dana's tone was sharp and stern, and Beth tried, snuffling pathetically. She wanted to apologise, but Dana lifted a hand. "I found this on the ground. Is it yours?"

From her shirt, Dana pulled out a rectangle. While scuffed, it looked remarkably unharmed. If Beth opened the case, she knew there would be a spiderweb crack in the screen, courtesy of a bad-tempered deer and a rock.

"Yes." Beth's eyes filled with tears. "Thank God for s-shitty female pockets."

Without Demetri, Felix manned the plane. Despite the impending fight, Jane and Demetri played cards across the aisle, and their laughter broke the silence. It felt inappropriate. Though still children, the twins were seasoned fighters compared to her. Anna had to keep reminding herself that this was normal for them. She had never seen Caius so animated, prowling eagerly around, yet Marcus hadn't moved in over two hours.

Meanwhile, Aro sat, quite relaxed, in his reclining seat. He swirled a whiskey glass of O+ between those long, dexterous fingers. Unlike the rest of the Guard, her pitch-black cape draped his lap because Anna refused to wear it.

For further purposes of practicality, Anna was wearing trousers again. While she looked dazzling in anything she wore, Aro couldn't deny the jolt of disappointment at this more complicated barrier between them. Too many buttons. He settled for resting a hand on her thigh, squeezing it until she told him to stop.

"Aro, please –" Anna flew out of her seat when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She could feel her Guard's stares as she read the screen.

It was a message from an unknown number. Do not reply to this message. If you go to Beth now, all will be lost. Save Demetri.

Somewhat contradictorily, it was signed: A friend of Beth's x

To be continued...