(Edythe POV)
The battle was over, or as close to "over" as it ever got when you were dealing with bodies that refused to stay dead. The only way any of these vampires survive is if someone puts their body back together and adds venom to them. I would be damned if I let that happen.
"Stack the bodies," I said. "Put every piece in one pile here; we will get the ones by the house next. We end this now, and then we run to the others."
Thomas looked confused and rubbed the back of his neck. "But we tore their heads off, isn't that the end of them?"
"No." I shook my head. "They're immobile right now. If we placed Johnny's head back on his body and applied venom, he would survive even this. Only fire is guaranteed to kill a vampire for good."
Thomas nodded once. "As good as it would feel to actually be the one to kill Johnny a few times, let's just end it now."
He walked around the clearing, piling bodies and scattered pieces into a single mound.
I looked at Leah. "Show me where the one I threw to you is, and then let's grab the two you killed and get them here."
Thomas cut in, voice firm. "No. Leah needs to change back to human now, before her body starts healing that leg in wolf form. If she doesn't, and the healing begins, then she'll be stuck shifted until it's fully healed… or she risks it needing to be broken all over again if something goes wrong during the shift." His eyes flicked over the tree line. "I'll shift and find the ones she got earlier; the scent will be easy. You get Leah back to the house. I'll finish here."
He was right.
I paused, picked up two sticks, then rubbed them together with enough speed to start one on fire from friction. Tossing it into the pile of vampire parts caused it to light immediately. Venom mixed with air was violently flammable.
By the time I was done, Leah had shifted back into human form, and the pain on her face was plain as she sat on the ground keeping her right leg straight in front of her.
As quickly as I could while still being gentle, I picked her up and started moving toward the house at vampire speed, careful not to jar her leg.
Trying to distract her from the pain, I asked, "I'm a little surprised that no one from the pack showed up. Did they not hear you in the pack mind?"
Leah spoke between short breaths. "I think I've gotten better at keeping myself from letting the pack see everything in my mind lately."
Then, after a beat: "And I was so focused… I might've been too quiet."
Interesting. Useful, even when it wasn't terrifying.
"Has the battle started yet?" I asked. "How is everyone?"
Leah shook her head, breathing carefully. "It was about to start before I changed back. Sam could smell them. Jacob was running for the clearing after leaving Bella." Her mouth twisted. "And he was… smug about something."
I narrowed my eyes. "What?"
Leah hesitated, then said it anyway. "Bella kissed him. She thought he was going to run off and go out in a blaze of glory."
"She what?" The word left me sharper than I intended, anger flaring hot and instant.
Leah shrugged and immediately winced. "I'm pretty sure she was trying to give him a reason to live, in her head. But I'm very sure Jake was pushing her…trying to make her admit she has feelings for him."
We were nearly to the house, but for half a second all that ran through my mind was Edward. My brother. The way he would look when he found out.
Something must have shown on my face.
"Hey," Leah said, forcing my attention back. "It's not like we have the right to tell anyone else what to do in their relationship. Ours isn't exactly normal, in case you forgot."
She had me there.
I exhaled, forcing the heat down. "Fine. I'll leave that for them to sort out. Later." I adjusted my grip on her carefully. "How are you holding up?"
The house was in sight now.
"It's not too bad," she said through her teeth. "It's mostly numb. The worst of it is when it shifts, when I move wrong."
The door was locked, and I refused to waste time. The Key was in my pocket, but my hands were full of Leah. No patience. I kicked it open and carried her straight upstairs.
A random thought hit me, and I blurted it out before I could stop myself. "Ha. I was the first one to carry someone across the threshold of this house in our relationship."
Leah's cheeks went pink, despite everything. "Shut up."
I laid her on the bed as gently as I could manage and adjusted pillows until her leg was supported and still. "Don't move unless you have to," I said, softer now. "I'm going back out. Then I'm getting you help."
I went outside and started another vampire fire. I wanted to leave just as soon as I could, so I could bring Carlisle or Edward back to help Leah. Edward spent half his life following in Carlisle's footsteps and was almost as good a doctor as he was now.
This blaze started just as fast as the other one. I pulled myself from any morbid thoughts and started moving around the yard, collecting vampire parts and consigning them to the flames.
Just as I was finishing my task, Thomas came trotting into the yard in his Dire Tiger form. He sent me a look I understood and entered his mind.
{Done?"}
"All done here," I said out loud.
{"Good. Leah set, and okay with us leaving? You can wait with her if you want."}
"She is in bed and as comfortable as I can make her. She knows we are going for help. Both to give it if needed and get it so she heals as quickly as she can."
{"Okay, let's go. You want to run or have me carry you?"}
"Let's run together, you set the pace."
He started off, and I followed him, adjusting my backpack before surprise hit me that it was still on through that whole fight. Thomas kept his pace higher than I thought was smart, considering we could be running into another fight, but my own worry kept me from bringing it up.
I reached forward with my mind, trying to connect to Alice. She was the one I was most attuned with in the group since Edward was supposed to be with Bella at the mountain camp.
Moments later, I connected just as she saw a vision of the Volturi arriving. I watched as Jane, Alic, Demetri, Felix, and two other vampires I hadn't seen before. I saw several branches of the vision as Alice sorted her actions and the others into a vision that was the safest. Unfortunately, there was only one where the interaction left the Cullens and Bella all alive. The survival of a nameless girl didn't matter to me nearly as much as my family.
I slowed my pace just before we put eyes on the plateau where the clearing was. "Thomas, hold up."
He stopped and looked back at me, so I connected to his mind, leaving Alice's.
{"Is everything okay?"}
"For the most part. The Volturi are coming, so the pack had to leave quickly or reveal their presence to them. Jacob was hurt saving Jared from being killed, but they are taking him home, and Carlisle will go there after the Volturi leave."
{"So why did we stop?"}
"Alice had several visions where Jane's group attacked because they had not seen you in Tiger form before. I think it's best you shift back and put some clothes on before we get there. It won't delay us long, and stop people from being hurt."
The real reason I couldn't tell him is that we need to arrive after the fate of the newborn was beyond his ability to interfere with.
Thomas's ear flicked in annoyance at the delay, but he fully turned towards me.
{"They'd really attack over…that?"} he sent, disbelief edged with anger.
"Jane doesn't need a reason," I answered. "She needs…wants… an excuse."
He huffed once, his breath flaring through his nostrils. But then he shifted and held his hand out for the backpack and the clothes I had brought.
As soon as he was dressed, we made our way down to the clearing.
The valley opened beneath us in gray light and drifting smoke. The clearing was torn up, scarred earth, churned mud, and trees toppled. The air tasted like burnt venom and wet ash.
In the center was the remains of a large fire; it was easy to see the ashes of several vampires being picked up and carried by the wind. It was hard to count the numbers, but Alice believed them to be between twenty-two and twenty-six in total, counting Victoria and another who attacked Edward and Bella, named Riley.
I quickly took in the sight of my family and their wounds. Jasper had a few new bite marks to add to his impressive collection. No doubt he got them trying to do too much and keep Alice from having to do any more than was necessary.
Alice was standing next to Jasper, looking calm, but I knew better; her eyes had that look of trying to see anything she could use in her visions. I was tempted to peek, but there was too much to do to get lost in her mind right now.
Emmett and Rosalie were embracing. Emmett had a scar that looked like a finger clawed down his cheek. It would heal quickly. Rosalie's hair was falling out of the ponytail it was in, and she had soot smudged on her chin, but otherwise looked unharmed.
Carlisle stood near the fire, his eyes soft. His other emotions were easy to see for those who knew him. He was filled with regret for what he had been forced to do, happy his family survived. Last of all, a little more confident that he had made the right decisions in this life, he never wanted.
Esme stood close to him, also unharmed. Her hand hovered near Carlisle's arm, not touching, but ready if he looked like he needed the comfort.
Finally, I looked at Edward. He was standing next to Bella, rigid, protective, his focus split between the girl next to him and me. His eyes were easy to read, accusatory, questioning. I reached out for his mind and let him into mine.
{"Where were you? The family was in danger. I trusted you to be here and went into the mountains with Bella. I would have stayed if I knew you weren't going to be here."}
His accusation stung, but as I showed him what had happened, I saw his face tighten, and shame appeared in his eyes.
{"I am sorry, Edythe. I didn't know. But I should have known you would have been here if at all possible. Once the Volturi leave, I will head right for your house to take care of Leah. Carlisle will need to go to Jacob, who had his whole right side crushed. And I don't think he would want my help if Carlisle went to look after Leah."}
{"We will figure it out later, Edward."} he could tell from the tone of my thoughts that his accusations still hurt me, and a fresh wave of sorrow came across our connection.
My eyes fell on a small figure at the edge of the group. For a heartbeat, she looked like a small human child, scared, like a kid caught in a nightmare. But I saw her eyes; she was one of the newborns, come here to kill my family. She was on her knees, dirty and shaking, her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold herself together. Her eyes locked on Bella in hunger. She screamed, "I want her. Give me some."
Then my eyes lifted to a group of new arrivals.
The Volturi formed a dark, elegant line, untouched by the mess around them. Cloaks draped perfectly. Faces blank. Eyes red and hungry in a way that didn't look so much like hunger, but entitlement.
Jane stood near the front, small, pretty, and poisonous, her expression bored in the way only something cruel could afford to be. Alec was beside her, calm as a closed door. Demetri watched the clearing like a hound waiting for permission to run. Felix…large, relaxed, smiling faintly, had stepped just slightly forward. Ready to meet any perceived challenge.
Carlisle's voice carried across the clearing, measured but urgent. "She surrendered. She's no longer a threat."
Jane's lips curved. "She was created illegally."
Carlisle didn't flinch. "Then we will take responsibility for her. We will teach her. We will…"
Felix moved.
It wasn't dramatic. It was efficient.
One step, a blur, and his hand clamped the top of Bree's head like she weighed nothing.
Her eyes widened, one sharp flash of panic, and then Felix twisted.
The sound was… wrong, even though I had heard it so often today. Stone grinding. A final snap that ended everything.
Bree's body collapsed forward into the mud, limp, head separated so cleanly it looked unreal. Felix let her head drop from his hand like an afterthought. Then he produced a small wand, and it spat fire at the small body.
The clearing went cold. Jane looked at the group in challenge as if hoping her casual cruelty would create an opportunity for more.
Thomas stiffened beside me. I could feel his outrage coming off him in waves. But he didn't say anything. If I had more time to think, I would have been worried about that.
Carlisle's face didn't change, but something in his eyes did, grief, and fury, and resignation braided together so tightly it looked like calm.
Felix wiped his hand on his cloak as if he'd touched something unpleasant.
Jane focused her eyes on Thomas as we joined the group.
"Ahh, there you are. I was afraid I would have to tell dear Aro you didn't survive the attack against your coven. He would have been so disappointed in the loss of his newest obsession."
Thomas just looked at the small vampire for a moment. "That's good, little Jane. You will have some good news to tell him before reporting your complete failure here to stop the disturbance."
Felix shifted forward, anger evident on his face at Thomas's words.
Jane shouted, "Stop, Felix."
When he obeyed, she returned her gaze to Thomas. I could feel her desire to inflict pain on him and her frustration that she couldn't with her power.
"I don't believe that is correct," she said. "He left me discretion on how I handled the issues in this area, and I would say it has been handled perfectly."
Thomas laughed scornfully, "He may have something to say about you letting us deal with the majority of this illegal army. Why, it almost looks like the Volturi needed outside help to handle it. Don't you worry, though, when asked, we will let everyone know that your team of six managed to kill one of the twenty-six vampires in this battle. I am not sure it will have the effect Aro was trying for when he sent you out to show the might of the Volturi, though."
Carlisle broke in as Jane looked positively murderous at his words. "That's enough, Thomas. I am sure that they had important duties that prevented them from performing to their usual standards. Our coven would never doubt the Volturi's commitment to keeping our society safe and undiscovered."
Jane took a steadying breath, "Yes, we were perhaps a bit slow in our appreciation of the larger issue." Her eyes then flickered to Bella, and a small smile returned to her face.
"Caius will be interested in knowing that you remain unturned. Is that also something we should see to while we are here? I am almost positive I could stop before killing you completely… Almost."
Carlisle quickly spoke up, "The date is soon to be set. The delay was so we didn't bring undue attention to her disappearance from human society."
Jane sniffed, "See that it is soon, we don't offer many second chances." She then turned away from us, "Come, let's return and report."
The rest of the Volturi turned to follow Jane, but Felix hesitated a moment, staring daggers at Thomas, who just smiled and waved his hand and motioned as if to shoo him away.
Once they were gone from sight, I turned to give Thomas a few choice comments about his words and actions with the Volturi, but before I could say anything, he collapsed on the ground. His face was covered in sweat, his body shaking in pain.