A World of Shadows

Chapter 13: Edward

Chapter song: Exit Song (for a film) by Radiohead

I swept my gaze across the room searching for the one figure I knew was here. The one figure I longed to see more than anything.

Suddenly one of the disorientating flashes of green light ignited a mane of brown hair in the centre of the room making my whole body still instantly. The crush of people around me faded away and the monotonous throb of music dulled out of focus. She turned her head so I could see the side of her face and it was as though everything moved in slow motion. Her face burned into my mind so familiar yet, at the same time, so different. The very sight of her sent a shockingly painful jolt jarring through my body then, as I followed her gaze to the blonde figure who's chest was pressed against her back, the painful nostalgia morphed into bitterly furious jealousy. With a rush the room around me came roaring back so the music crushed against my ears once again, almost imitating the pounding of blood that was a distant memory now. Fury tore through me, pounding through my mind in time with the beat. Then her head turned to look towards the bar and I noticed for the first time the fiery red pupils that could only mean one thing. A wave of icy cold dread swept the fury from my mind as I watched the flash of a blade pass between Jamie and her. What was she doing? Why did she need a blade? I started forwards unthinkingly, my mind swirling with questions, I had to stop her whatever she was doing.

However before I could make much headway a petite figure forced herself in front of me blocking my path.

"Stop." She said in a low deadly voice, gazing at me intently with her gold eyes.

"Get out my way." I growled ferociously.

"You know you can't do this, Edward." She said blocking my attempt to duck round her.

"I just need to talk to her she's going to go out of control." I looked over her head at Bella weaving through the crowd and continued before she could interrupt me. "I need to talk to her."

"You can't help her. She won't listen to you." My attempts to get round her were becoming more frantic.

"If I can just trap her for long enough."

"Edward! You left her." Every one of those three words were like a knife stabbing through my icy heart. "She got turned, losing everything she had, because of what happened before you abandoned her! She despises you and I know that what happened kills you inside but she has no reason to listen to anything you have to say for even a second; no reason whatsoever not to hate you. So we'll keep with our current plan...it's going to work; you know that. You'll get her back but for now you have to be patient!" Her words sunk in through my desperation and all the emotion drained out of me. I knew she was right but I was not going to admit it, to say the words out loud would be to admit defeat.

So I wordlessly spun on my heel and stalked out of the club - all too conscious of the crippling distance stretching further between me and Isabella with every step I took but holding onto the hope that one day, when the time was right, this distance would close forever.