Forget Me Not | ✓

23| Pure Agony [pt. 1]

    
   
23
Eclipse
P u r e   A g o n y   [Part 1]
   
   
   
 

 
THE BATTLE ARRIVED two days later and when the Cullens took their places on the battlefield to await the onslaught of newborns, the gravity of the situation settled in. The anxiety crashed against them like all-consuming waves and even amid her anger at Paul for the other night, Adele was struggling to keep her head above the surface.

"Alice," she licked her lips nervously as she struggled to keep her voice steady. She could feel Edward's guilt-ridden gaze upon her and refused to meet it. "How many are heading towards us?"

Jasper lingered next to Alice as the pixie experienced a vision of the onslaught of newborns. If they were all completely still, they could see her hands tremble with fear. Crimson eyes filled with thirst -- the clock is ticking -- they emerge from the water -- the sun rises on the horizon behind them -- they are coming...

"Fifty, maybe?"

Adele set her jaw and strained to read the minds of the rabid vampires advancing in their direction, but they were still too far. She promptly turned on her heels to look at her clan. "I can take down a dozen or so to lessen the load and give you all time to form a plan of attack."

Rosalie eyed her apprehensively. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and cracked her knuckles. "Take that time to come in at all angles. I can only manage a few seconds at most."

Emmett grinned. "Badass."

"I guess now we'll see what all the fuss was about." Jasper smirked in his subtle way to alleviate the tension.

She offered him a weak smile in return. The wolves filed onto the clearing.  "I guess we shall."

She winced as a hoard of frenzied thoughts belonging to the bloodthirsty newborns plagued her mind. The only thing on their minds was bloodshed and their yearning to quench their everlasting thirst for human blood. It was enough to push any vampire over the edge -- including Edward, whivh made her thankful he wasn't there. That's a first. Amid the tangled web of thoughts, among the screeching and screaming, she picked Victoria's thoughts out from the rest. She abandons her army to head north...that's where Bella and Edward were camped out.

"Seth," she turned to the tan wolf standing between Jacob and Paul. She avoided meeting Paul's eyes.  "Warn Edward and Bella. Victoria is going to head towards them. She will not be fooled by us."

Concern washed over Esme's face. She was never one for violence but since her family was in trouble, she was all for thr bloodshed.  "How do you know?"

"She knows we would never keep a human in the middle of the fight and she knows that wherever Bella goes, Edward goes, too." Because believe it or not, she had some kind of humanity left before we murdered her mate. She knows what the bond is like. At least, she knew until we ripped her heart out of her chest. Adele couldnt help but sympathize with her even as she stood on thr battlefield.  "She's out for blood and she'll get it even if it is the last thing she will ever do. I know because it's what I would do... She will not be fooled."

Paul whinnied to catch her attention. He wanted her to see that he was sorry, that he was scared and stupid and he was so damn sorry. But just as her gaze flickered to him, the snarls of the army pierced the morning air and their scents wafted on the cold breeze. Adele buried the heels of her feet in the thin sheet of snow to ready herself

At first, all they saw was crimson.

Cold, empty crimson eyes peered out of the shadows of the trees in the spots where the dawning sun had yet to shine upon. For a moment, all was still. No one dared to move or breathe for fear of setting the other side off. So naturally, Adele made the first move. It was unlike anything they'd ever witness before: right before their eyes, the composed woman turned into a fierce and volatile vampire and suddenly they got a taste of the feral beast which hid within her.