Out of the Coffin

Chapter Nineteen

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Chapter Nineteen

Black's

Jake placed Ethan's car seat in the back of his truck and turned to face an anxious Esme. She had taken her bottom lip between her teeth and was drawing blood. Her hands were twisted into the bottom of a t-shirt she'd majicked onto her body.

"Everything will be fine," he told. The truth was Jake didn't know if everything would be fine; Esme was effectively going to 'die' in order for Chelsea to be killed. They had waited in Black's until one of Chelsea's followers had found them and told them that Chelsea was ready for them. With her, the follower had brought a small piece of blue cloth – Ethan's cuddle blanket. Esme had let out a sob when she saw it and held it close to her chest. Apparently, it was Chelsea's way of 'reassuring' Esme that Ethan was alright.

Esme turned to face Jake, releasing her lip as tears welled up in her eyes. "I can't lose my son Jake – he's my world." Jake held her close, wrapping his arms around her and she put her face on his chest, a few tears coming out of her eyes.

"You won't," Jake said, trying to make his voice seem strong and sure. "We have a plan... and a two-thousand-year-old vampire on our side." He felt Esme smile into his chest even as more tears fell from her eyes.

"Are you ready?" Carlisle quietly asked as he approached both of them, his blue eyes full of nothing but concern. Esme spent a few seconds composing herself before she pulled away, smiled at Jake and then nodded at Carlisle.

"We'll be right behind you," the blonde vampire told them as Jake and Esme both got into the truck.

Jasper came up behind his maker, his cowboy hat firmly resting on his head. "You going to tell me who she is?"

Carlisle never took his eyes off the truck as it pulled away from Edward's home – they'd all come back here after the confrontation in the car park at Black's. "Later." He turned to face his progeny. "Do you have it?" Jasper nodded, opening up his jacket to reveal an arrow sticking out of the inside pocket.

"Let's go."

Jasper and Carlisle raced through the forest, following the truck as it drove towards where Chelsea was.

"Wait," Carlisle called out as he stopped, throwing an arm out in front of Jasper.

"We're here." Through the trees in front of him, Carlisle watched as people dressed in white danced and chanted around a fire. Behind it, there were four animal corpses hanging from some broken trees branches, and in between the corpses, there was a wooden X that had been staked into the ground. The woman – Chelsea – was dancing to the side in what appeared to be a wedding dress.

"Now that's what you call batshit crazy," Jasper murmured. Carlisle turned his attention to Jacob and Esme as they got out of the truck. Esme was nervous – her heart was pounding.

As they approached the group of people, they all turned to stare at them, their eyes pitch black as a result from falling under Chelsea's spell. Jake recognised a few of them as local residents.

"You made it!" Chelsea gushed, rushing forward. Esme stepped back.

"Where's my son?" She asked, a small tremor in her voice. All she wanted to do was hold Ethan in her arms.

Chelsea rolled her eyes and clicked her fingers. Esme turned her head as a young woman came forward carrying Ethan. She rushed forward and took Ethan from the woman's arms. His eyes were wet with tears and his little mouth had formed a pout. Esme pressed his face into her neck as she turned her back to the fire and the people dancing around it. Little Ethan clung to his mother, one fist wrapping itself in her hair whilst the other clutched at her shirt.