The Journey
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 10
Isabella was terrified as she tried to follow the struggle between her husband and the red-eyed vampire but it was nothing more than a blur to her human eyes, so quickly were they moving.
Even more terrifying were the sounds they made; deep, animalistic growls and hisses interspersed with exclamations that were all too human and easily recognized as wrought from pain and anger.
One such noise wrenched a scream from her and she moved without thinking, simply needing to get to Carlisle after hearing his cry of pain.
"No, Isabella! Stay back!" she heard him yell, but it was too late and she was thrown a distance from the fight, her body striking heavily against a boulder.
"Carlisle," she whispered before coughing, bright blood staining her lips.
"Isabella!" he screamed before tearing an arm from his opponent with a twist and a well-placed kick.
Jacques smiled manically as he recovered and circled, barely registering the loss of his limb. "So sad Carlisle…such a waste…all that blood…and she was beautiful too…"
Carlisle snarled and tossed the arm just as Jacques attacked again. He was off balance now though and Carlisle took advantage of this, his many years of training with a sword serving him well as he spun and grabbed his opponent's head in his hands. One quick bite to the neck and he'd decapitated the vampire with a twist and a growl, the body and head falling feet from each other.
It was over and he'd won.
'But at what cost?'
The thought raced through his mind and filled his veins with icy fear.
Racing over to where his wife had fallen, he knelt and choked on a sob as she blearily blinked at him. "Oh Isabella," he whispered while smoothing her hair back and kissing her forehead.
She did her best to smile through the pain. "I'm very broken…" she rasped and coughed and emotion choked him as more blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
His hands hovered over her body helplessly as she bravely stared into his face. "You'll watch over our boy? My—my father will raise him, but you'll watch over him, won't you?"
He swallowed the choking lump in his throat. "My heart, do not speak so…you will…you will be well!"
She smiled tremulously and raised a shaking hand to his cheek. "We know the truth of this Carlisle. I am bro…" she swallowed and coughed and her eyes closed in pain. "I am broken and only...only your venom could save me now."
He sucked in a breath while shaking his head. "I—I cannot…" he whispered in dread. "I cannot condemn you to such a fate. I love you too much!"
She focused on his face and smiled. "I forgive you…" she whispered and her eyes went glassy as her heart stopped.
"Isabella? Isabella!" he cried as his voice cracked. "No…" he sobbed as he gathered her broken form close. "No…" he repeated as he rocked her before staring up into the heavens, his anguished scream echoing through the trees.
She was gone.
His heart was gone…
…and the whole world turned grey.
Isabella was terrified as she tried to follow the struggle between her husband and the red-eyed vampire but it was nothing more than a blur to her human eyes, so quickly were they moving.
Even more terrifying were the sounds they made; deep, animalistic growls and hisses interspersed with exclamations that were all too human and easily recognized as wrought from pain and anger.
One such noise wrenched a scream from her and she moved without thinking, simply needing to get to Carlisle after hearing his cry of pain.
"No, Isabella! Stay back!" she heard him yell, but it was too late and she was thrown a distance from the fight, her body striking heavily against a boulder.
"Carlisle," she whispered before coughing, bright blood staining her lips.
"Isabella!" he screamed before tearing an arm from his opponent with a twist and a well-placed kick.
Jacques smiled manically as he recovered and circled, barely registering the loss of his limb. "So sad Carlisle…such a waste…all that blood…and she was beautiful too…"
Carlisle snarled and tossed the arm just as Jacques attacked again. He was off balance now though and Carlisle took advantage of this, his many years of training with a sword serving him well as he spun and grabbed his opponent's head in his hands. One quick bite to the neck and he'd decapitated the vampire with a twist and a growl, the body and head falling feet from each other.
It was over and he'd won.
'But at what cost?'
The thought raced through his mind and filled his veins with icy fear.
Racing over to where his wife had fallen, he knelt and choked on a sob as she blearily blinked at him. "Oh Isabella," he whispered while smoothing her hair back and kissing her forehead.
She did her best to smile through the pain. "I'm very broken…" she rasped and coughed and emotion choked him as more blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
His hands hovered over her body helplessly as she bravely stared into his face. "You'll watch over our boy? My—my father will raise him, but you'll watch over him, won't you?"
He swallowed the choking lump in his throat. "My heart, do not speak so…you will…you will be well!"
She smiled tremulously and raised a shaking hand to his cheek. "We know the truth of this Carlisle. I am bro…" she swallowed and coughed and her eyes closed in pain. "I am broken and only...only your venom could save me now."
He sucked in a breath while shaking his head. "I—I cannot…" he whispered in dread. "I cannot condemn you to such a fate. I love you too much!"
She focused on his face and smiled. "I forgive you…" she whispered and her eyes went glassy as her heart stopped.
"Isabella? Isabella!" he cried as his voice cracked. "No…" he sobbed as he gathered her broken form close. "No…" he repeated as he rocked her before staring up into the heavens, his anguished scream echoing through the trees.
She was gone.
His heart was gone…
…and the whole world turned grey.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.