Mimic | Jacob Black

38. Twilight

it's my happy birthday so have a not-so-happy chapter 🙂👍

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"River, please talk to me!" Bella begged, fear overtaking her voice. "Are you hurting? What happened?"

"This is the least of my problems," River whispered weakly. "It was always them..."

"Who? What are you talking about?"

River just shook his head defeatedly. He felt so powerless. What was he supposed to do when he was slowly withering away?

"How can you not know?" Edward said suddenly. He was looking at Seth, who grumbled in response. "The body?"

"What are you guys talking about?" Bella asked.

"Seth said River reacted strangely to Riley's body, then passed out," Edward answered.

River lazily pushed off the ground, standing up on unsteady feet. His body felt numb, but there was a faint sting from the cuts littered all over–especially the deep ones on his exposed arm–or maybe that was just the cold.

"It doesn't matter," he said quietly. "Can't do anything about it."

Bella looked between Seth and Edward, hoping they would be able to help, but they seemed just as confused. Bella quickly followed after River when he stumbled away, gently grabbing his covered arm so as not to cause him more pain.

"Wait, seriously, what happened? Tell me."

"I don't..."

Bella moved her grip to his hand, eyes lighting up. "Can you show me? I don't know, like how you showed me inside your soul?"

"Show you... that's what he did," River mused. Raphael showed the man a memory through physical touch. That probably meant River could do the same thing, but he didn't even know how.

"That's what who did?" Bella pressed.

River frowned, looking at her and Edward properly for the first time. "Wait, what happened with Victoria? Is she still–"

"She's dead," Edward said in a flat tone. "You don't have to worry about her ever again."

River cast his gaze across the forest spanning out below the mountain. For so long now Victoria had been looming over them, a constant threat. Now that she was finally gone, River should be happy, but he couldn't feel happy at all.

"We're okay now," Bella said softly, squeezing his hand. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Whatever happened, I'm here for you."

"I just want this whole thing to be over," River pleaded, not necessarily talking about the battle.

"Not too much longer now," Edward said softly. Then he turned to Seth again. "Get every piece."

Together, he and Seth collected every piece of Riley into a pile. Edward covered them with pine needles before pulling out a lighter and holding the flame to the pile. It caught at once, sending a wave of heat outwards. Edward must have already dealt with Victoria's body, then.

River had to look away from the fire. He couldn't help but feel bad for Riley. Having the guy's memories infiltrate his head, it was hard not to empathise with him on a personal level, even if River could no longer remember most of it.

"What happened?" Bella asked. "What about the 'complication?'"

"What complication?" River said.

Edward's eyes flickered back to Seth, and they exchanged a glance.

"Well?" Bella asked. They must have started a conversation before rejoining River and Seth.

'It's nothing, really," Edward said quickly. "But we do need to be on our way–" His face hardened, and he seemed to subconsciously turn towards Seth. "What's she doing?" Seth whined in response. It was an anxious, uneasy sound.