It was painfully easy to slip away from Alice and Emmett unnoticed, as if this was how it was supposed to happen all along; nothing they did could have prevented them from losing their lives at the hands of James.

Evelyn and Bella had left only a moment after Bella had told James that they would meet him at the ballet studio. The girls left all of their belongings except for their phones and Bella's pepper spray in the room, and Evelyn led them down a back stairwell to hopefully give them more time before Emmett or Alice could figure out where they had gone. They had no clue if the pepper spray would be useful or not against a vampire, but Bella figured she should bring it, just in case.

They knew Alice would be in the lobby, so they exited the hotel from the maintenance entrance at the back and ran around the building to the valet and drop off area at the front. Evelyn was worried that they would have to wait for a cab, but just as they came to the front they saw a couple exiting a cab in front of the hotel. Knowing she was faster than her friend, Evelyn sprinted to the car and slid into the backseat before a family of four, who was waiting patiently at the hotel's front door, could enter first. All she could do was offer an apologetic look to them before Bella slid in next to her. She slammed the door immediately.

"Mimi's Ballet Studio, please. It's in Scottsdale, on Cactus," Bella told him.

"Scottsdale?" The cabbie complained, clearly annoyed at having to drive more than a few minutes away from the hotel. Evelyn rolled her eyes and held up a wad of twenties that Alice had given her.

"We need to get there as soon as possible." Her voice wasn't loud or demanding, but anyone could tell that she was deadly serious. She wished he would stop complaining and just go before Alice or Emmett saw them leave.

The cabbie nodded, conveniently swayed by the offer of money. "Sure, no problem." He quickly put the car in drive, and in seconds they were blending in with the busy street as the hotel disappeared in the rear view mirror.

Evelyn felt her fear bubbling up to the surface again, and she closed her eyes to try and prevent herself from throwing up. How many times had she been faced with death before this? She had never been this scared before, but maybe that was because she had somehow known that she would live. Today was the day that she was going to die, and this time, there would be no one there to save her.

She thought of Jasper, who would be arriving at the Phoenix airport ready to take her in his arms and whisk her away to safety in mere minutes. She wished she could have seen him one last time; their final moments at the Cullen house had truly been their last. She could just picture the agony on his face when he realized what she had done. Her chest throbbed at the thought of breaking his heart. Their love was far from perfect, but it was theirs, and Evelyn knew that even though her life would be cut short, she had been forever changed by Jasper Hale. She prayed that one day, when the pain subsided, he would find it in his heart to forgive her.

Evelyn knew Marie would be more than heartbroken when she found out, but if her death meant that Marie would get to live, she would do it over and over again without hesitation. Her aunt had become a mother, father, and friend to her all at once; she was her whole family, and she was going to do everything she could to protect her family.

They arrived at the studio much too soon, and with a deep breath Evelyn forced herself out of the car and into the artificial light of a nearby streetlamp. She gave the cab driver all of the money she had with her, which was way too much to have been the actual amount the they owed, but at this point it didn't matter. Nothing did. The sound of her heart drumming loudly in her ears was beginning to give her a headache as she and Bella stood outside of the studio.

"Evelyn, I'm so sorry about this. I wish you didn't have to be involved," Bella told her, her brown eyes sad and frightened as she looked into Evelyn's green ones.

Evelyn smiled softly, pulling her friend into a tight embrace. "You would've done the same for me. At least we have each other." Evelyn shut her eyes tightly. "We won't be alone."

Bella nodded quickly against her shoulder before breaking apart, but she still couldn't help but feel guilty. Evelyn took a deep breath as Bella clutched the can of pepper spray that her dad had given her, and together they went inside.

Evelyn instantly recognized the room as the one from Alice's vision. It was dark, and the high ceilings and arches cast eerie shadows along the walls. Mirrors covered the studio's walls, and the girls could see their reflections being cast back and forth across the room. Thick beams of light were filtered through the high windows, streaking across the polished wood floors. Other than the sound of their shaky breaths, the studio was completely silent.

"Bella? Bella? Bella, where are you?"

The sound of the frantic voice piercing the silence made Evelyn jump, but Bella did not hesitate to run towards where the sound of her mother was coming from. Evelyn followed her towards a storage closet on the far side of the room where Renee was being held captive by James.

"Mom! Mom, I'm coming!" Bella shouted. Evelyn mentally cursed her for yelling in case James was near, but nevertheless she ran as fast as she could towards the doors.

"There you are," Renee cooed, the frantic fear that was in her voice a moment before gone. The girls immediately stopped and shared a confused look. "What are you doing in here?"

Bella threw the doors open as far as they could go, and they were met with an old television playing what looked like a decade-old family video. There was a little girl dressed in a blush pink leotard and ballet slippers curled up on the floor. Next to her, an older woman with frizzy hair and kind eyes had her arm wrapped around the child. By looking at the young girl's face, she knew right away that it was Bella, and the woman next to her must be Renee Dwyer.

"Everyone makes fun of me," little Bella complained.

Renee smiled. "But you're a wonderful dancer, Bella."

"Mom, I suck."

Evelyn and Bella looked at each other then, both of them realizing that they had been tricked. Somehow James had managed to outmaneuver all of them to lure them both here. They had unwittingly made his mission as easy as possible, and now they were going to die for nothing.

An ominous laugh from behind them made the girls turn immediately, the video now forgotten.
James stood in the middle of the room, his head tilted as if he was still calculating what move they would make next. He grinned, his reflection bouncing off of each mirror in the room. Though there was only one of him, the mirror reflections made it seem like they were surrounded. The thought made Evelyn's stomach drop, and she found it hard to keep her eyes on the real James. He seemed to notice, for his grin widened when he saw how uncomfortable and afraid she was.

"That's my favorite part," he told Bella, knowing that his teasing would make her more terrified. "You were a stubborn child, weren't you?" His gaze flickered to Evelyn, who was staring at him with wide eyes. "My apologies for not having a fun little video for you, too. Chicago was simply too far away."

Bella grabbed Evelyn's arm, her nails digging deep into her skin. "She's not even here... Ev, I'm so --"

Suddenly James was in front of them, his dark eyes menacing as he grabbed Evelyn's free arm and pinned it to the wall behind her. She squirmed under his touch, making him squeeze her arm even harder. "Your apologies are both unwanted and unnecessary," he interrupted, closing his free hand around Bella's throat. He leaned in close, his breath tickling Bella's ear. "Sorry, but you really made this too easy. So to make things more interesting, I'm going to make a little film of our time together."

He leaned away just enough so that they could see him pull a video camera from a pocket in his jacket. "I borrowed this from your house, I hope you don't mind." He let go of Evelyn and took a step back, focusing the camera on them. "And... action!"

Neither Evelyn or Bella spoke. Bella averted her eyes to the floor, while Evelyn could only look into the lens with what she knew to be terror in her eyes. She was going to die for nothing, and she knew James would not make it quick or painless.

"Aww," James taunted, a mocking pout on his lips. "That'll just break Edward and Jasper's hearts, won't it?"

Bella was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, the very mention of Edward making her blood boil. She took an angry step towards James. "You have -- they have nothing to do with this!"

James snarled, shoving Bella aggressively back into the wall. "Oh, but they do," he told her, a wicked grin on his face. "Their rage will make for far more interesting sport than their feeble attempt to protect you."

Evelyn stepped forward and shoved James as hard as she could, and though she knew she couldn't hurt him, she felt a deep satisfaction when he was caught off guard and fell back two steps.

"Don't touch her!" She snapped, her eyes blazing with an anger she didn't know she had. She hated James more than she had ever hated anyone in this moment.

James' eyes flashed, his lip curling up over his teeth as a growl escaped his throat. Before he could hurt her, though, Bella leapt in front of her friend and sprayed a thick stream of pepper spray directly into his eyes. She then grabbed Evelyn's arm, and the two of them took off running towards the doors.

Of course, James recovered quickly and was too fast for them to escape. He was in front of them in an instant, the mocking and teasing from a moment before replaced by anger and bloodlust. The girls had only just stopped running before James grabbed Bella by the throat and threw her towards the ground. Evelyn watched as her friend slid across the floor, flinching when she heard the sickening crack of her head against the column that she hit. James' cold hand was suddenly around her throat, and she felt herself fly through the air for a moment before crashing into a mirror. The sound of shattering glass filled her ears as she hit the floor, her head hitting the wood with a dull thud.

For a moment Evelyn couldn't breathe. The impact had forced the air from her lungs, and she felt tears sting her eyes as she fought to breathe. All she could feel was pain pulsing throughout her whole body. The needle-like sting of broken glass prickled her skin, and by the wet, warm liquid she felt pooling from her temple, she knew that she had been cut badly.

Across the room, she heard her friend's pitiful whimpers. Despite her aching head and blurring vision, she rolled onto her hands and knees and tried to crawl towards her. "Bella... I'm coming..." She wheezed, still fighting to breathe normally. Glass was cutting into her palms, and she could see the streaks of red she was leaving on the floor even through the spots in her vision.

"Beautiful," James exclaimed, sounding very pleased with himself. "Very visually dynamic. I chose my stage well." He zoomed in on Bella with the camera, before suddenly realizing that Evelyn was not there. He turned and saw her a few feet away. He stalked towards her, camera aimed at the wounds on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners? Let me help you with that."

He picked Evelyn up by her neck and threw her towards Bella. The girls collided, the impact throwing them into the column once again. Evelyn groaned when she felt her head begin to throb in pain; of course she had hit it again on the marble.

"Evelyn?" Bella breathed, her hand scrambling to find Evelyn's. Although she could barely see at this point, Evelyn was able to tangle her fingers with Bella's. James laughed menacingly as she saw him lean down towards them.

"It's too bad they didn't have the strength to turn you, " he mocked, kicking their intertwined hands with his boot. "Instead they kept you as these fragile little humans." He reached down, grabbing Evelyn by her hair and forcing her to look up into the camera. "It's cruel, really."

With what little strength she had left, she lifted her head and spit directly into his face. "Go to hell," she growled, her eyes defiant.

James' nostrils flared, his victorious smirk disappearing from his lips. "I'm going to make you wish you burned with your parents," he spit at her, eyes blazing. He threw Evelyn's head back onto the floor, grabbing her arm and snapping the bone. He stomped on Bella's nearby leg, and he laughed maliciously as the girls screamed and writhed in pain.

"Tell them how much it hurts! Tell them to avenge you!"

"Jasper, don't!" Evelyn screamed, the pain in her arm and head making her dizzy.

James leaned down towards Bella. "Tell them!" He growled through gritted teeth.

"No, Edward, don't!" Bella cried out, barely able to speak through her screams of pain.

Suddenly James was no longer looming over them, and the crash of breaking glass across the room made Evelyn lift her head. Her heart leapt when she saw Edward standing over James, who had crashed into a mirror and was on the floor. He glanced back at the girls when he smelled Bella's blood, and the momentary distraction gave James the time he needed to get up and attack. He lunged at Edward, grabbing his throat and pushing him up against a nearby mirror.

"You're alone," James said, mostly talking to himself, "because you're faster than the others." He scanned Edward up and down, a mocking smile on his face. "But you're not stronger.

Edward seethed. "I'm strong enough to kill you." He took the chance to kick James square in the chest, sending him flying across the room and into another mirror. He was back by the girls in a flash, kneeling down and looking between them with a conflicted look in his eyes.

Evelyn could sense his internal struggle and decided to make his decision for him. "Take her," she breathed, nodding towards Bella. He looked at her, incredulous. "Do it!" She yelled, annoyed that he was wasting precious time. Edward hesitated knowing that Evelyn was barely conscious, but his love for Bella won out. He scooped her into his arms and looked down at Evelyn with a pained expression.

"No, Edward, don't--" Bella started, but Edward cut her off.

"I'm sorry," he told them both before leaping into the air towards the balcony that overlooked the studio. He almost made it, but James was suddenly there to stop him. He grabbed Edward's ankle, yanking him down and slamming him into the ground. Edward dropped Bella, sending her rolling across the field of broken glass strewn across the floor. Evelyn watched her pull a large shard of glass from her thigh, crimson blood immediately spilling out.

"Bella!" Evelyn shrieked, finding the strength to sit up on her knees. She realized she should not have said anything a moment too late, because James was immediately in front of her. He pulled her up to her feet by her broken arm, and she let out a piercing scream.

"You should have just stayed quiet," he growled, using his other hand to grab her hair close to her scalp. He yanked her head to the side, making her yell in pain, and sank his teeth into the exposed skin of her shoulder, just above her collarbone.

Suddenly he was gone, and Evelyn saw that Edward had tackled him to the ground yet again. James was not easily deterred though, and he was up again. As she collapsed to the floor, her hand squeezing the wound, she watched as James quickly bit Bella's hand before Edward was upon him again. Distantly, she heard more voices, but the pain in her neck was too overpowering.

It was as if someone was branding her skin with white hot iron metal over and over again. She was sure she was on fire, and she was vaguely aware of her body as she started convulsing wildly on the floor. The only thought in her head was of her parents; had this been what they felt as they burned inside their house? She thrashed around, the pain's intensity increasing exponentially as each second ticked by. She screamed so loud that her voice cracked, her nerves on fire as the burning started to spread from her neck to her chest. There was commotion around her, but she couldn't focus on anything.

"Evelyn? Evelyn, it's Alice. It's okay, we're here now." She could barely register her friend's voice, but as she felt two cold hands lift her head into their lap, she did her best to calm her body amidst the burning within her.

"Jasper... I want Jasper," Evelyn cried, unaware that she was actually crying as tears streamed from her eyes and onto Alice's jeans.

"He's here, Ev, I promise."

Evelyn cried harder when she realized that he wouldn't come to her. She knew the smell of her blood must be too strong for him to handle; selfishly, she wished he would come anyway. She wanted to be in his arms if she was going to die. She wailed, not from the physical pain, but from the feeling of her heart breaking.

"I'm sorry, Jasper," She moaned, shaking her head frantically. She knew she had to be a mess of snot, tears, and blood by now; James had meant it when he told her she would wish to have died with her family.

"Shh, Evelyn, everything will be alright. Carlisle!" Alice shrieked, and even Evelyn could detect the panic in her voice as she struggled against the burning blackness that threatened to pull her under.

Another wave of fiery pain shot from her collarbone through her entire body, and Evelyn started shaking again. Alice moved her to the floor, frantically examining her body for what was causing the convulsions. Alice's cold fingers suddenly brushed the blood oozing from the wounds on her neck, and her expression changed to one of horror.

"Carlisle, she's been bitten! Carlisle!"

Suddenly, a new female voice made Evelyn try to stop thrashing enough to focus. "Carlisle's busy with Bella. Let me see her."

Evelyn's eyes opened enough to see a flash of pale blonde hair hovering over her as a new pair of hands examined her. She could not make out a face, but she knew it had to be Rosalie.

Rosalie's face was serious as she leaned in close so Evelyn could hear her. "Evelyn, you've been bitten. I'm going to try and suck the venom out, okay? You'll be okay --"

"But Rose, you've never tasted--"

"I'll be fine! Now hold her still!" Rosalie snapped at Alice, who quieted immediately. She immediately returned her attention to the dying girl on the floor. "Please try to stay awake," she said, her voice soft.

"Make it stop," Evelyn begged, her voice hoarse from all the screaming.

She felt a cool pair of lips latch onto the tender skin on her shoulder. Dark spots flickered at the edges of her vision, and she tried her best to stay awake, but the pain was too much to bear. The last thing she remembered seeing was what looked like flames dancing behind Rosalie. She imagined the pale orange light and its warmth swallowing her up as her eyes fluttered shut, the darkness finally wrapping her in its arms and pulling her under.