Isabella crouched behind the trunk of a skeletal tree. The din had risen within the city of Blackthorn, and she watched as torches were lit and passed around. The Forsaken men and women were shouting in their native language; she didn't know what they were saying, but the meaning was clear. From her vantage point, she could see through the open gate as they ran from dwelling to dwelling, pulling people from their homes. She spotted The Behemoth, The Butcher, The Sadistic, and The Fiend, but no sign of Khor or Alise.
The others moved up behind her. “We split up. Half go left, half right. Light the first flammable object you see.”
“Hand signals from here,” Jasper said. “On me.”
They moved as one unit until they made it inside the gates, then they forked down the middle to hit the city from each side. Stealth and surprise were all they had at that point, but Isabella wasn't even sure they had the element of surprise anymore. Jasper pointed, and they went left around a barn. He held his fist in the air, stopping their movement. They all heard an indistinct noise.
“Heads up,” Isabella heard. She ducked, and Edward threw one of his daggers over her head at an incoming fighter.
When the man fell, screaming, Isabella stepped over to him. “The Fiend.”
“Not anymore, he isn’t.”
Emmett and Rosalie were with them, as were Aro, Sulpicia and Jasper.
“From those I’ve seen here today, that leaves The Behemoth, The Butcher, and The Sadistic.”
Jasper nodded at Sulpicia’s comment. “Set him on fire.”
Nobody questioned the command, and Edward took the nearest torch from the wall. After pulling his dagger from the man’s chest, he held the torch down until the flames caught his clothing. They watched for a moment before moving on.
They went inside a building, searching the small space for any sign of Alise or Khor. Finding nothing, they set it on fire and headed to the next house.
“This may be futile,” Rosalie said. “Maybe we should go at them purposely.”
“And bring on more than we can handle?” Aro pulled Sulpicia closer to his side. “I don’t want a fight if we can avoid it.”
Emmett got in Gore-Helm’s face. “Then you should have stayed home.”
“Enough,” Isabella snapped. “We need to focus.”
“Should we be more strategic, picking a house we know holds importance?” Rosalie asked.
“I don’t know enough to make a guess about each building,” Sulpicia answered. “I was mostly in the dungeon.”
“I don’t know either,” Isabella said. “I know the hall, The Behemoth’s house, The Butcher’s house, and the dungeons.”
“Let’s try The Behemoth’s house,” Edward suggested. “If he’s in charge, maybe she’s there with the sorcerer.”
“It’s all we have to go on, so let’s do it.” Jasper moved ahead of them in the direction of the house Didyme showed them earlier.
Edward had a nagging feeling. He couldn't pinpoint it; it wasn’t like when he knew the fight wouldn't end well. It was almost a positive feeling, close to hope. Perhaps Alise was in the place where they were headed.
They gathered behind a building, listening to the sounds of fighting around them. The members of the clan were butchering their own people in the search for Isabella and the other two. It occurred to Edward how many guards they might have stationed on Alise if they thought she could escape.
At Jasper’s signal, they stopped behind the large manor home. He motioned for them to separate and go down each side of the house, convening at the front door. They moved with weapons raised and at the ready, eyes peeled for anyone coming at them.
At the front of the house, they encountered two men. They weren’t part of The Forsaken, but villagers who were tall and brawny. Sliding up behind them, Emmett took one and Edward took the other, simultaneously slitting their throats, holding the bodies and guiding them down silently. The seven of them gathered at the door and pushed it open. Jasper peered around the barrier, seeing the main room empty, and entered with his shield up.
He made more hand signals, telling them to separate once more and cover the interior. He went with Isabella and Edward to the largest bedroom, finding it empty. There was a fire blazing in the hearth and food on the table. Half empty plates sat beside a pitcher, telling them what had recently transpired.
They moved on, finding two more rooms on the ground floor. The others went through the kitchen and kept going while Jasper, Edward, and Isabella crept to the cellar door. There wasn't anybody posted nearby, but they were cautious as they pulled back the door and peeked into the darkness below. Jasper went down the ladder leading into the damp ground. It was a dangerous idea if there was anyone waiting with a weapon, but he had a strong feeling Alise was down there.
He couldn't see anything in the pitch black as he moved forward. There didn't appear to be anybody waiting to ambush him, so he looked up into the hole above his head and asked for a torch. Edward passed one to him, and Jasper held it aloft while they climbed down to join him.
When her feet touched the floor, Widow-Maker asked in a hushed voice, “Why is this room empty?”
“They don’t appear to have much in the way of crops to store,” Edward replied.
“No, but this house has more than the others. Where else would they be keeping their food stores?”
Jasper held the torch up to the walls as he walked, looking for any sign of another door. “Here, in the back corner.”
There was a trapdoor in the floor, haphazardly covered with a pelt. The three of them moved quickly, yanking the fur out of the way and opening the door. The sound of dripping water and hushed voices came up to them from below.
“This is more dangerous than coming down the first ladder,” Isabella whispered.
Jasper stood looking down into the dark shaft for a second before whistling. The sound carried, echoing back to them, followed by an answering bird call.
“She’s there!”
There was the sound of a scuffle, and then another whistle. Without hesitation, Jasper jumped into the pit, not even bothering with the ladder. Edward and Isabella didn't have much choice but to follow him.
One torch lit the long, narrow area carved from the hard-packed soil and rock below the house. Alise was there with an old man crumpled on the ground, who Isabella recognized as Khor.
“I’m fine,” she assured them. “Just assisting him with dropping dead.”
Jasper had already crossed the empty space between them and framed her face with his hands. “You’re not hurt?”
“Nay, not at all.”
He kissed her so tenderly that Isabella turned away to look at her own husband. He smiled down at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.” Jasper took Alise’s hand after the sisters stopped on the way out to hug.
“It’s chaos above ground,” Isabella stated. “We’ll undoubtedly have to fight our way out.”
“Our weapons are in the main room in an unlocked chest,” Alise told her.
“Well, thank the gods.”
They climbed the ladder one by one, crept their way through the cellar as a precaution, then stood below the hole in the kitchen floor.
“I don’t hear anything from up there,” Edward said.
“I don't either, but I’ll go first.” Jasper put one foot on the lowest rung and lifted enough to see into the space above them. “It’s clear.”
They moved swiftly, never knowing when someone might come back but finding the rest of the manor empty.
Alise retrieved the weapons from the chest, handing Isabella her longsword; she tucked it under her belt on the opposite side of the one her husband had given her.
Edward looked around. “Where the hell are the others?”
Isabella smiled grimly. “Let’s go outside and find out.”
They moved to the front door, and Jasper put his ear to the wood. “There’s a skirmish.”
The three of them readied their weapons and shields, nodding at Jasper to open the door. He propelled himself outside with a war cry, the others following at his back. Four True-Sworn and the remaining Forsaken were locked in a battle. A few of the wives and three men fought against Emmett, Rosalie, Aro, and Sulpicia. It was clear their brethren were not winning, and the others jumped in to defend them. Jasper had no choice during such close combat but to use a sword, though he was much better with his longbow. He had already sliced through the back of one of them with his initial attack; the female who was trying to take down Sulpicia. Rosalie and Emmett were back to back, kicking ass, and the other couples moved to do the same.
The noise had reached deafening proportions as steel clashed with steel and thumped off shields. The Forsaken screamed and grunted, shouting at their opponents as they fought. Edward knew he would do all he could to prevent these crazed men from taking any of their women, especially his warrior.
Behind him and Isabella, someone screamed in agony, but Edward didn't stop to see who it was. He heard the sound of feet pounding the earth, and soon his comrades from the other side of the walled city joined them. With the assistance of the wolves and the extra fighters, The Sadistic and the remaining three female Forsaken warriors were the first to fall. Soon, only The Behemoth and The Butcher were left.
Isabella gave a determined shout and sliced her sword into the side of The Butcher’s neck as she’d practiced so many times at home. Jakob didn't fall immediately. He continued to fight back, the blood pouring from his mortal wound weakening him, and still she slashed at this chest. Edward watched his wife execute the man who’d taken her prisoner.
“That’s enough, Isabella,” Edward said once the man crashed to the ground. Lyra, Venom-Tongue’s wolf, growled at the body as though prepared for it to rise once more.
Sweaty and bloody, Isabella stood over the prone form of her captor, sword raised and ready to strike.
“He’s dead, love. Look, we have wounded of our own.”
She turned to see Sulpicia kneeling by Aro, who bled from a massive wound above his ear.
“Grave-Keeper,” Isabella said softly. “There’s nothing left to be done for him.”
“I have to try!” She ripped off the bottom of her tunic, using the bunched cloth to attempt to stem the flow of blood.
“I’m sorry, friend, but you can see he no longer breathes.”
Sulpicia responded with an anguished cry, and Isabella did her best to console her. Edward looked through the smoky dark to find The Behemoth still fighting against Katrina. Garrett was at her side, but the leader of The Forsaken was larger than any of them and also more brutal. He swung his battle ax and hit Storm-Heart in the shoulder, causing her to lose her weapon. His next swing connected with Doom-Hallow’s chest, and Edward let out an enraged yell.
The rest of the True-Sworn attacked Samuel as one, using all their weapons, wolves, and strength combined. Edward rushed to his brother’s side, kneeling next to him in the blood-soaked dirt. “Garrett!”
“Edward.” His voice was weak, blood flowing from beneath the gash in his leather armor.
“No!” Edward pushed on Garrett’s chest, fluttering his hands uselessly before pushing again. “I can’t make it stop.”
“Oh, fuck, Edward.” Isabella joined him, sinking to her knees and watching him cradle Garrett’s head.
“I love you, brother.”
It was a mere whisper by then, drowned out by the sound of the others killing the last man. Harsh reality sank into Isabella’s bones, along with the realization that immortality couldn't erase the pain of death.
“Garrett, hold on. Hold on!”
Edward shifted, tugging his wrist cuff from his arm. Heedless of the tears blocking his vision, he groped for Garrett’s hand and slipped it on.
Isabella gasped. “Edward, you can't do that!”
“I just did.”
Blood smeared her husband’s face and body, and she didn't know if it was his or his brother’s. “What if you sustain an injury in the meantime? He can’t be cured with your cuff; The Purifier made the blessing for you alone.”
“I have to try.” With one hand, he held Garrett’s arm tightly to his bloody chest, stroking his pale cheek with the other. Nearby, Rosalie tended to the wound in Katrina’s arm while the woman screamed.
“Please, Edward. Please, put it back on.” Sobbing, she clawed at Garrett’s hand as Edward refused to let him go. “I can’t lose you!”
“Destiny is all.” His voice was monotone, his glassy eyes fixed on his brother’s face.
"Don't you give me that bullshit right now!"
"You can't ask me to choose between you and my brother!" he screamed, finally looking her in the eyes.
“I have no choice!” she shouted back. “I need you!”
Without responding, Edward leaned over until his forehead rested on Garrett’s chest. And he wept.
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