The tires of the stolen Mustang Cobra screamed as Edward raced through an "orange" traffic light, and I glanced out the back window at Carlisle's Mercedes, stuck at the crosswalk behind strolling pedestrians. Edward didn't even glance back in the rear-view mirror. Across the distance, I could feel Alice in the Mercedes, nearly immobilized by fear, guilt flaring up every now and again. Behind the wheel of his car, Carlisle was calm but sad. He'd seen too many unhappy endings in his long life to have much in the way of hope right now. Hope belonged to Edward and him alone, but it wasn't a bright, happy kind of hope. It was the black, fierce hope of the desperate – and it worried me. If we were too late, Bella wouldn't be the only one to meet her end, I was certain of that.
Emmett was the one I focused on. He was an invaluable ally in a fight, and we'd seen a few scraps in our day. There was the time we'd met a trio of vampires while we were hunting, and they had figured us easy prey with our dietary choice and nice clothes and fancy car. That was the day I decided Emmett was the Cullen I wanted at my side in a fight – not because of his strength, which was formidable, but because of his fury. When Emmett crossed the line from anger to violence, there was no second guessing, no sympathy, no guilt, no fear. His fury was a pure, unadulterated thing and I was swept away before it. Like cavalry against foot-soldiers, I rode that borrowed fury into battle, and it made me even more strong and powerful. With Emmett at my side, I felt invincible.
Despair rolled off Alice half a mile back and terror flashed through Edward. She must have had another vision. Edward pushed the Cobra even harder, driving through the suburban side streets at a speed that was actually reckless, even for him. His gaze flickered to mine in the rear-view mirror. "There will be a lot of blood," he said softly. "Hold your breath, if you can." If we got there in time to save her, and I faltered then... Edward would kill me, and I'd rather he did than face Alice's heartbreak for the rest of eternity.
Emmett growled low in the front seat. With him at my side, I could do this – at least until James was dead. Emmett loved Bella almost as much as Alice did. I didn't understand how that could be – he'd only spent the one day with her. Maybe it was his brotherhood with Edward, or maybe it was Bella's absolute fearlessness – right now, it didn't matter. All that mattered was staying focused. We squealed to a stop, skidding from half a block away. Holding my breath, I harnessed Emmett's fury and we charged through the studio's front door.
We made short work of him. Emmett got a good grip, and I decapitated James. The rest was easy, even holding our breath. I deliberately kept my back to Bella, focusing desperately on shredding every last piece of the demon who tried to kill my brother's mate. I was so focused, that I didn't hear their words until an icy pulse of borrowed panic struck me. "Edward, you must do it now, or it will be too late."
I felt Edward's determination like a sunrise behind me, and then Bella began to scream. Even so shrill, her voice was weak. Turning, I stared in open-mouthed shock. Emmett's hand rested heavily on my shoulder, and I barely remembered to keep holding my breath. Edward was kneeling in a pool of Bella's blood, her gory hand at his mouth. It was disorienting, seeing the blood and not smelling it, but my throat was raw with thirst at the sight.
I searched my memory, trying to understand why Carlisle and Alice would be calmly sitting next to Bella while Edward killed her. The venom. By all that's holy! He was trying to suck out the tainted blood – and then stop.
Emmett's silent encouragement, Alice's hope, and Carlisle's ever-present compassion all swirled around me, strengthening me. And then I let Edward feel it, too. You can do this!
We watched in silent suspense as Edward drank... and drank...
"Edward?" So piteously weak.
"He's right here," Carlisle reassured her, looking anxiously at Edward.
"Stay, Edward, stay with me..."
A bolt of agony speared him, and then he deliberately laid her hand across her belly. "I will."
Triumph swelled across the space between Edward and me, then relief washed clean the room. I looked up into Emmett's black eyes, and he jerked his head toward the door. We dashed from the studio.
Outside, we both took deep breaths of clean air, but it wasn't enough. The memory of Edward drinking from Bella tormented me. Staying in the shadow of the building, I walked to the Mercedes and popped the trunk open, retrieving a can of gasoline. Taking a deep whiff, I wrapped my mind in the chemical scent. Here was something strong enough to deaden the memory. I'd bought and filled the gas can shortly after we arrived in Phoenix, knowing we'd need it eventually.
Emmett watched me anxiously, but I handed the gasoline over to him and pulled a lighter out of my shirt pocket. "I'll wait here."
Reassured, he wordlessly took it and ducked back inside.
A moment later, Alice pushed open the studio door, followed closely by Carlisle and Edward. I barely caught my breath in time, moving away until my back brushed the brick wall. They were both covered in blood and Edward had Bella in his arms. He shot me a wary glance, but I would be fine. We would finish up here and then wait at a hotel for one of them to call.
He nodded curtly and slid into the Mercedes.
The hospital wasn't anywhere near as bad as I feared. There were so many chemical smells that, if I focused, I could almost forget I was surrounded by particularly vulnerable prey.
Alice had tried to talk me out of coming; not because she foresaw any danger, but because she knew how hard it would be for me. I didn't care. They were all practically living at the hospital with Bella, so I could at least come visit her once. I wasn't that weak.
Emmett walked with me through the corridors, not needing my help to be on his guard. None of us had gone hunting since before Bella went with Edward to the meadow. There was precious little worth feeding from in the desert, and none of us were so thirsty yet that we'd stoop to drinking rabbits and coyotes. I was glad he wasn't taking any chances, though.
Edward opened the door before we had a chance to knock. So low that even a conscious Bella wouldn't have overheard him, he whispered, "As well as can be expected."
Emmett must have asked about Bella's condition.
Wandering to her bedside, I was struck by how much more aware I was of her scent. A few drops on the asphalt were all that escaped the fire, but it was enough. The smell of her blood would be forever in my mind – I could only imagine how much worse it must be for Edward. Her scent had been devastating enough before he tasted her.
The image of her hand at his mouth flashed through my mind again, and I turned away with a wince. Edward stood there, smiling his signature crooked smile. He must have been eavesdropping. How did he do it? Just watching him drink her blood almost made me lose my mind.
His smile grew, and I felt gratitude radiating from him. "I had help."
Yeah. Me too. Sighing, I looked at Bella for a moment, then back to Edward. He knew better than anyone how much harder this would be for me now. Remembering her warmth under my hand in the Phoenix airport, I knew I would never be able to touch her again.
"You're stronger than you think."
Those were Tanya's parting words to Edward, back when Bella first moved to Forks. I smiled. Maybe. But I'm no Edward.
He snorted.
Do me a favor, Edward? Let her know I came when she wakes up. Aloud, I whispered to Alice, "I could feel your worry the second I set foot on the hospital grounds. Let's go shopping."
Shopping. The magic word for Alice. Warmth – her affection – washed over me and she was instantly on her feet. She danced over to Bella's bed and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Be better soon!"
I felt a sudden pang of envy at Alice's ease with Bella. I doubted even a thousand years of denial would be enough to make me so comfortable around humans. Then Alice smiled at me, and I remembered how extraordinary she was in every way. With her tiny arm around my waist, we walked from the room. Alice was strong enough for the both of us.