Vengeance

Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11

Mercutio

 

“I’ve spoken with Kate,” Tanya’s voice said clearly.  “If you change Bella, you are free to remain here while she is a newborn.”

“Thank you.” Rosalie exhaled heavily beside me.

Triumph swelled within me, as I stared into the darkness and waited, knowing that the end would be coming quite shortly.  Rather than suffer at the hands of the Grim Reaper, I would join the rank of the immortal angels.  My skin would glitter in the sunlight and become the hardest substance on Earth. My blood, my own crimson reservoir, would dry up and be replaced by poison. 

All I ever wanted.

After about an hour of deliberations, Rosalie had finally won over the Denalis and gained permission to keep me in the grand home of the five vampires.  The discussion finally switched to where and when, which was concluded when Rosalie suggested as soon as possible.

“You’re all mad!” Eleazar had exclaimed when Esme finally sided with Rosalie and Tanya’s decision.  “This girl is not beyond help. Why do you refuse to contact Carlisle?”

“There’s a lot going on right now, Eleazar.” Rosalie’s voice spoke beside me, answering his question angrily.  “We’ve been forced to reevaluate friendships and bonds—including family.”

“I don’t understand,” Eleazar grumbled but did not seem reluctant to listen, so Rosalie continued.  Before she could speak, a long series of painful howls echoed through the room, and before I could understand what was going on, I recognized the voice as my own.

The pain in my stomach was getting worse.  Every time my heart beat, it seemed to expel waves of fresh torture, and my skin felt like any second it would melt away.  The beads of sweat were rolling off me now, temporarily cooling my sweltering epidermis before it heated right back up again.  My eyes rolled back into my head and I opened my mouth, letting an uncontrollable scream fill the room.

I crumbled in the bed, feeling the sickness overpowering me as I battled it for possession of my own body.  With pleading eyes, I stared at Rosalie, who was trying to cool me with her own hands, and then I looked at Esme.

“H-Help m-me,” I stuttered before I lurched upright and a waterfall of vomit spewed from my mouth.  The ache of my infection, plus the agony of throwing up, broke my will and I felt myself beginning to lose consciousness.  I stared off to the wooded walls of the guest bedroom and gasped as my vision began to darken and blur. I took a deep breath, wincing at the putrid smell of my vomit, and with a silent goodbye, I submitted to the sickness.

When I regained consciousness, I was vaguely aware of the cold hands that surrounded me, feeling as though they were lifting me high into the air.  I had to concentrate very hard to listen to the quiet murmurs around me, but after awhile, the struggle to listen and feel became too strenuous. So, I gave up, retreating slowly to the sanctuary of my own thoughts.

I monotonously began to count the feelings of my own breath entering and exiting my lungs.  The tedious rhythm calmed me but also made me anxiously curious.  I wondered how long they would wait before injecting me with venom; would they follow Rosalie’s suggestion of “as soon as possible,” or would they put it off?

“Bella.” The voice tugged at my wayward attention and, once again, I had to force my strength to allow me to listen.  “Can you hear me?”

I can!  I wanted to scream for the vampires to get it over with already, but my body was too weak to respond to simple commands.  So, after gathering as much energy as I could possibly muster, I lifted my hand upwards.