𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘕𝘐𝘕𝘌

(the cursed witch, act two)

"I'M SORRY FOR JUST SHOWING UP OUT OF NOWHERE," Nina apologized, sniffling as she took off her rain-covered coat.

Bella looked at the witch with concern as she took her coat and hung it on the railing before tugging her up to her room. She could see Charlie watching them with confusion from the living room.

"What's going on?" She asked when they reached her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Nina swallowed hard. "Kit tried to kiss me."

Bella gasped loudly, an angry look overtaking her doe eyes. "That bastard. I told him if he tried anything, I'd castrate him."

Nina felt tears burning her eyes as she looked up at the brunette. "Do you think there's something wrong with me?"

"Neens..." The human sighed, taking Nina's hands into her own. Her skin was burning, and it almost hurt to touch, but she didn't pull back. "There is nothing wrong with you. You are so perfect. If only you could see yourself the way this whole town sees you."

Bella's lips pursed as she paused, thinking over her next question. "What did Kit tell you?"

"Nothing that wasn't true. Nothing I didn't already know."

"What did he say?"

Nina took a deep breath. "Kit said he's not coming back. And that I need to get over it... And that he never even loved me."

Bella scoffed. "I swear to god, I'm gonna cut his balls off with a cheese grater–"

"He's not wrong, though. I should be over him. I shouldn't be... wallowing in self pity and–" seeing ghosts of him and hearing his voice, "–feeling numb and guilty all the time."

"You were mates, Nina. From what I understand, that's a little deeper than a highschool fling. And if Kit of all people feels that he can voice an opinion that you didn't ask for, he can go fuck himself for all I care. Kit's feelings," Bella used air quotes, "Don't mean shit to me. The only feelings I care about are yours."

Nina tilted her head down. "I just feel so angry all of the time, Bells. I've been bottling it in, but I feel like I'm gonna explode at everyone and ruin any relationships I still have."

She could feel Bella's finger graze her chin before her face was lifted to meet the human's eyes. "You could never ruin all of your relationships. I'll always be here for you—even if you scream at me..." She smirked, "not in the good way, I mean."

The witch blushed and was unable to hold back her slight grin. "Seriously?"

Bella chuckled. "Don't be mad. I had to see if I could make you blush. We gotta be even here with you and your sexual remarks."

Sniffling, Nina smirked. "Someone's gotta make your life interesting. From what I've seen, Jacob isn't very good at flirting."

"He's alright..." Bella attempted to defend him.

"Bells... I think a milk carton has flirted with me better than Jake has with you."

Bella's lips curved into an amused grin. "You're not wrong... He does have really nice abs though, and he lets me braid his hair."

"Where is he, actually? I thought you and him were going to see a movie tonight... with Mike, of all people."

"Mike needed advice because Jessica keeps saying she is too busy when he asks her out. And Jake... He went home early. He got like super angry at Mike because he was wimpy and got sick during the movie. I tried calling him, but Billy picked up and said he was too sick to call and that he's not feeling well right now."

Nina's brows furrowed. "That doesn't sound like Jacob. He would call you if the world was ending. Some cold wouldn't stop him."

"I know," She agreed. "Something is wrong with him. I know it."

"How about you call him again in a few days and if he still isn't answering, I can drive you down there?"

"You would do that?"

"Of course I would," Nina smiled. "You're my favourite human and I would do anything for my favourite human. Besides, if you two end up needing some alone time..." Nina winked at her, "I'll go and check on Paul. He's been calling me lately, but I've been ignoring him."

Bella nodded. "Thanks, Neens. Now we're going to sleep. And you are actually going to sleep tonight, okay? No waking up at 2am and staying up for the rest of the night."

"No promises."

Nina slept five hours before she was abruptly woken by the bed shaking.

"The fuck?" Nina grumbled, wiping the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up, seeing Bella run out of the room.

The bathroom door slammed shut before the sounds of Bella puking followed.

"Fucking Mike," Nina rolled her eyes before getting out of the bed. When she walked out of Bella's room, she was met by Charlie, who was about to go into the bathroom, most likely to check on Bella.

"I've got it, Chief." Nina smiled at him.

The man smiled tiredly at her and nodded before retreating back to his room. She could hear the bed creak as he got back into it.

"Loca..." Nina had to stop herself from laughing at the nickname she had heard Jacob use countless times before. She opened the bathroom door and found Bella sprawled along the bathroom floor, her cheek pressed against the cold edge of the bathtub.

"Ooh... You look terrible," Nina murmured in honesty as she walked in and sat next to the brunette, handing her a towel to wipe her face. "Is it Mike that got you sick? Or are you pregnant?"

Bella glared at her.

Nina held up her hands in mock-defense. "We'll go with Mike then."

The witch reached up to grab a glass from the counter and let it fill with water before she handed it to Bella. "Drink some of that."

The two girls spent the majority of the day on the bathroom floor. Bella had blatantly refused to move and Nina was content with staying wherever the human was. Nina let her head rest on her lap as she attempted to sleep off the unsettled stomach while Nina watched movies on her laptop.

Eventually, they had both fallen asleep. Nina with her neck craned back, uncomfortably resting against the bathtub's edge, while Bella stayed, her head resting on Nina's thighs.

A few hours later, they were woken by Charlie's loud footsteps. He had just gotten home from work, Nina assumed. The assumption became solidified when she saw him walk up the stairs in his familiar uniform.

"Still alive?" He asked, his foot nudging against Bella's limp leg.

"Sort of," Bella said.

"Do you two want anything?"

"No, thanks."

He hesitated, clearly out of his element.

"Don't worry. I've got it covered," Nina reassured him. "She'll be fine in a few hours, I'm sure."

Charlie nodded at her before leaving, walking back down the stairs into the kitchen. He was grateful that Bella had a friend like her.

They heard the phone ring a few minutes later. Charlie spoke to someone in a low voice for a moment and then hung up.

"Mike feels better," He called up to them. Earlier, in Bella's semiconscious state, she had told Charlie that she had gotten it from Mike. He must have called the Newtons to tell them.

He'd only gotten sick eight hours or so before Bella. Eight more hours.

Bella must have been thinking the same as Nina. The thoughts had made her stomach turn, and she pulled herself up to lean over the toilet, while Nina gently rubbed her back.

They fell asleep again, but when they woke up, they were back in Bella's bed and it was light outside her window. Nina didn't remember moving; Charlie must have carried them to her room—he'd also put Bella's glass of water on her bedside table. Nina grabbed it and handed it to Bella, who was still half asleep.

"How're you feeling?" Nina glanced at the clock. "It's been over 24 hours now."

"Better," Bella replied, after chugging the water.

She got up slowly, trying not to trigger the nausea, Nina assumed.

Bella didn't push it. Nina fed her only saltine crackers and the occasional can of soup. Charlie looked relieved to see Bella recovered.

As soon as Bella was sure that she wasn't going to have to spend the day on the bathroom floor again, she called Jacob.

When he answered, Nina looked up with interest. Bella had put the phone on speaker for her.

"Hello?" His voice was broken, cracking. Nina could tell he was still sick with whatever was going around.

"Oh, Jake," Bella groaned sympathetically. "You sound horrible."

"I feel horrible," He whispered.

"I'm so sorry I made you go out with me. This sucks."

"I'm glad I went." His voice was still a whisper. "Don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault."

"You'll get better soon," She promised. "I woke up this morning, and I was fine."

"You were sick?" He asked dully.

"Yes, I got it, too. But I'm fine now."

"That's good." His voice was dead.

"So you'll probably be better in a few hours," Bella encouraged. She could barely hear his answer.

"I don't think I have the same thing you did."

"Don't you have the stomach flu?" Bella asked, confused.

"No. This is something else."

Nina's brows furrowed when she heard his reply.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Everything," Jacob whispered. "Every part of me hurts." The pain in his voice was nearly tangible.

"What can I do, Jake? What can I bring you?"

"Nothing. You can't come here." He was abrupt.

"I've already been exposed to whatever you have," Bella pointed out.

He ignored her. "I'll call you when I can. I'll let you know when you can come down again."

"Jacob—"

"I've got to go," He said with sudden urgency.

"Call me when you feel better."

"Right," He agreed, and his voice had a strange, bitter edge. He was silent for a moment. Bella was waiting for him to say goodbye, but he waited too.

"I'll see you soon," She finally said.

"Wait for me to call," He said again.

Bella glanced at Nina, both wearing strange, confused looks. "Okay... Bye, Jacob."

"Bella," He whispered her name, and then hung up the phone.

Nina sat up, straightening her posture. "Well, that was strange."

"Strange doesn't even begin to cover it," Bella sighed.

Jacob didn't call.

Two weeks passed. Bella had eventually given up on waiting and had gone to the Black's home to see him. However, Billy hadn't let her in. He insisted Jacob had mono.

Nina sighed when the phone line went dead. Jacob wouldn't even answer her calls, nor were Paul, Quil or Embry.

"Still radio silence?" Natalie asked from her spot on the couch.

"Yeah," Nina nodded.

"What are you going to do today, then?"

Nina shrugged. "I was going to go to go on a hike–"

"Your head is still healing from the last hike, Nia," Natalie reminded her.

"I know," Nina replied. "I just think some time outside might be nice... I, uh, know a place."

"How about I come with you? That way, if you trip, I'll patch you up."

"You don't have to do that, Mom."

Natalie smiled, "Nonsense. I've been meaning to spend some time with you. I've been so busy with work lately, we've hardly talked."

"Are you sure? I'm not too sure where I'm going."

The woman waved her hand. "I'll get some warmer clothes on. Give me twenty minutes."

An hour later of miscellaneous driving, Nina found herself on a familiar dirt road that led to nowhere in particular.

They had the windows rolled down and Nina drove fast down the winding roads, trying to enjoy the wind against her face. It was cloudy, but almost dry—a very nice day, for Forks.

Getting started took Nina longer than it would have taken if she had Jacob or Paul with her. After she parked in the usual spot, she had to spend a good fifteen minutes studying the little needle on the compass face and the markings on the now worn map.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Natalie asked, watching her daughter mark out lines on the map.

Nina hummed softly as she drew a circle around their destination, or at least where she thought the destination was. "We'll be fine." When she was reasonably certain that she was following the right line of the web, they set off into the woods.

The forest was full of life, all the little creatures enjoying the momentary dryness. Somehow, though, even with the birds chirping and cawing, the insects buzzing noisily around her head, and the occasional scurry of the field mice through the shrubs, the forest seemed creepier today; it reminded her of her most recent nightmare.

"Are you feeling alright?" Natalie questioned, seeing the strange look on her daughter's face.

Nina stared up at the clouds above them. They were separating slightly. "I'm fine," She replied, focusing on the sound of their feet squishing across the damp ground.

The uneasy feeling grew stronger the deeper she got into the trees.

"Alright..." Natalie trailed off. "How was your time with Kit? You never told me how your date went."

Nina shrugged. "If I'm being honest, not well."

"Should I be speaking to his mother and getting him grounded?"

"Definitely not," The younger witch smiled. "Bella dealt with him already, actually."

"Oh yeah? What'd she say?" Natalie asked, amused. She had always found the human girl quite entertaining, with how protective she was about Nina.

"Not sure. Kit hasn't even looked at me since, though."

Nina ignored how hard it got to breathe. She ignored the burning pain in her chest where the hole in her heart lay. Instead, she focused on the rhythm of their footsteps and Natalie's voice as she talked about what she had done at work the day before.

Her breathing evened out eventually. She didn't realize quite how much more efficiently she was moving. She thought they'd covered maybe four miles, and she wasn't even starting to look around for it yet. And then, with an abruptness that disoriented her, she stepped through a low arch made by two vine maples — pushing past the chest-high ferns — into the meadow.

It was the same place, of that she was instantly sure. She'd never seen another clearing so symmetrical. It was as perfectly round as if someone had intentionally created the flawless circle, tearing out the trees but leaving no evidence of that violence in the waving grass.

To the east, she could hear the stream bubbling quietly. The place wasn't nearly so stunning without the sunlight, but it was still very beautiful and serene. It was the wrong season for wildflowers; the ground was thick with tall grass that swayed in the light breeze like ripples across a lake.

It was the same place... but it didn't hold what she had been searching for. The disappointment was nearly as instantaneous as the recognition.

Natalie looked around in wonder. It was a beautiful sight, no doubt.

Nina couldn't stop her knees from caving in. She sank to the ground, kneeling at the edge of the clearing, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Sweetheart?" She heard Natalie's soft voice drift through her ears, a warm hand grazing her shoulder.

Nothing lingered. Nothing more than the memories that she could have called back whenever she wanted to, if she was ever willing to endure the corresponding pain—the pain that had her now had her cold. There was nothing special about the meadow without him. Nina wasn't exactly sure what she'd hoped to feel here, but the meadow was empty of atmosphere, empty of everything, just like everywhere else. Just like her nightmares. Her head swirled dizzily.

She felt herself being pulled into a familiar set of arms.

"I miss him," Nina cried softly into Natalie's shoulder. "I miss him so much."

"I know," Natalie sighed, her hand coming up to run through her hair. "It'll be alright, Nia."

Nina sniffed, trying to keep her tears at bay as she wiped her eyes with her sleeves. "Can we go home?"

Nina was grateful she hadn't taken Jacob or Paul with her on the hike. If anything, Natalie was the only person she wanted; and the only person she wouldn't have to explain why she was in such a hurry to leave.

She was already trying to find the strength to get to her feet again, forcing herself out of the ball so that she could escape. The pain that the meadow held was unbearable–she would crawl away if she had to.

She wrenched herself to her feet despite the pain, Natalie doing the same, though she kept a warm hold on the teen's shoulder. At precisely that moment, a figure stepped out from the trees to the north, some thirty paces away.

A dizzying array of emotions shot through Nina in a second. The first was surprise; they were far from any trail here, and she didn't expect company. Then, as her eyes focused on the motionless figure, seeing the utter stillness, the stone-like skin, a rush of piercing fright rocked through her.

Nina moved quicker than she thought possible, blocking Natalie's body with her own.

"Laurent!" Nina cried in surprise. It was an irrational response.

Laurent had been one of James's coven when they first met. He hadn't been involved with the hunt that followed — the hunt where Nina was the quarry — but that was only because he was afraid; she was protected by a coven bigger than his own. It would have been different if that wasn't the case—he'd had no compunctions, at the time, against making a meal of her. Of course, he must have changed, because he'd gone to Alaska to live with the other civilized coven there, the other family that refused to drink human blood for ethical reasons. The other family like... but she couldn't let herself think of the name.

If she were alone, she might have felt a sense of satisfaction at the vampire. But with Natalie behind her, all she felt was a plummeting fear.

Though the proof, however remote, that — somewhere in the same world she lived — he did exist. It was impossible how exactly the same Laurent looked. She supposed it was very silly and human to expect some kind of change in the last year. But there was something... she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Nina?" He asked, looking more astonished than she felt.

"You remember." She tried to smile. It was ridiculous that she would be so elated because a vampire knew her name.

He grinned. "I didn't expect to see you here." He strolled toward her, his expression bemused.

"Isn't it the other way around? I do live here. I thought you'd gone to Alaska."

He stopped about ten paces away, cocking his head to the side. He was looking at Natalie, Nina realized. She straightened her posture, hoping to cover more of her.

"Who is this?"

Natalie stared at him. "Her mother. Who the hell are you?"

Nina studied his face. His smile had yet to falter. "I'm Laurent. An old friend, perse, of the Cullens."

"The Cullens?" She questioned. "You knew them?"

"Only for a short period of time last spring," He admitted.

Natalie grew wary. She recalled the events that had taken place in the previous spring. She knew now why Nina was so persistent in covering her, acting as a human shield. She tried to move her, but the teen didn't budge. Nina was frozen like a boulder.

"You're right," He agreed, recalling Nina's last statement. "I did go to Alaska. Still, I didn't expect... When I found the Cullen place empty, I thought they'd moved on."

"Oh." Nina bit her lip as the name set the raw edges of her wound throbbing. It took her a second to compose herself. Laurent waited with curious eyes.

"They did move on," She finally managed to tell him.

"Hmm," He murmured. "I'm surprised they left you behind. Weren't you sort of a pet of theirs?" His eyes were innocent of any intended offense.

Nina attempted another smile. "Something like that."

"Hmm," He said, thoughtful again. At that precise moment, she realized why he looked the same—too much the same. After Carlisle told them that Laurent had stayed with Tanya's family, she'd begun to picture him, on the rare occasions that she thought of him at all, with the same golden eyes that the... Cullens — she forced the name out, wincing — had. That all good vampires had.

Nina took another step back, pushing Natalie back a few paces, and his curious, dark red eyes followed the movement.

"Do they visit often?" He asked, still casual, but his weight shifted toward them.

Something appeared beside her. Serenity flooded through her bones. "Lie," The beautiful velvet voice whispered anxiously. Even with his eyes full of worry and his anxious voice, she felt peace.

Was she not in the worst danger imaginable? The motorcycle was safe as kittens next to this.

Nina did what the ghost of him said to do.

"Now and again." She tried to make her voice light, relaxed. "The time seems longer to me, I imagine. You know how they get distracted...." She was beginning to babble.

"Hmm," He said again. "The house smelled like it had been vacant for a while...."

"You must lie better than that, Nina," He voice urged.

She tried, though it seemed like any skill she had picked up flew out the window. "I'll have to mention to Carlisle that you stopped by. He'll be sorry they missed your visit." She pretended to deliberate for a second. "But I probably shouldn't mention it to... Edward, I suppose—" She barely managed to say his name "—he has such a temper... well, I'm sure you remember. He's still touchy about the whole James thing."

Nina rolled her eyes and waved one hand dismissively, like it was all ancient history, but there was an edge of hysteria in her voice. She wondered if he would recognize what it was.

"Is he really?" Laurent asked pleasantly... skeptically.

She kept my reply short, so that her voice wouldn't betray her panic. "Mm hmm."

Laurent took a casual step to the side, gazing around at the little meadow. She didn't miss that the step brought him closer to them. Beside her, the voice responded with a low snarl.

"So, how are things working out in Denali? Carlisle said you were staying with Tanya?" Her voice was too high. The question made him pause.

"I like Tanya very much," He mused. "And her sister Irina even more... I've never stayed in one place for so long before, and I enjoy the advantages, the novelty of it. But, the restrictions are difficult... I'm surprised that any of them can keep it up for long." He smiled at her conspiratorially.

"Sometimes I cheat."

Nina's breath caught in her throat. Her foot started to ease back, but she froze when his red eyes flickered down to catch the movement.

"Oh," She said in a faint voice. "Jasper has problems with that, too."

"Don't move," She heard the voice whisper from beside her. She tried to do what he instructed. It was hard; the instinct to take flight was nearly uncontrollable.

"Really?" Laurent seemed interested. "Is that why they left?"

"No," She answered honestly. "Jasper is more careful at home."

"Yes," Laurent agreed. "I am, too." The step forward he took now was quite deliberate.

"Did Victoria ever find you?" Nina asked, breathless, desperate to distract him. She could feel Natalie take hold of her bicep. It was the first question that popped into her head, and she regretted it as soon as the words were spoken. Victoria—who had hunted her with James, and then disappeared—was not someone she wanted to think of at this particular moment. But the question did stop him.

"Yes," He said, hesitating on that step. "I actually came here as a favor to her." He made a face. "She won't be happy about this."

"About what?" Nina asked eagerly, inviting him to continue.

He was glaring into the trees, away from her. Nina took advantage of his diversion, taking a furtive step back. He looked back at her and smiled—the expression made him look like a black-haired angel.

"About me killing you," He answered in a seductive purr.

Nina staggered back another step. She could feel Natalie trying to barge past her, her motherly instincts making her try to add distance between the vampire and her daughter. The frantic growling in Nina's head made it hard to hear.

"She wanted to save that part for herself," He went on blithely. "She's sort of... put out with you, Nina."

"Me?" Nina squeaked, still not letting her mother pass her. He shook his head and chuckled.

"I know. It seems a little backward to me, too. But James was her mate, and your Edward killed him." Even here, on the point of death, his name tore against her unhealed wounds like a serrated edge. Laurent was oblivious to her reaction.

"She thought it more appropriate to kill you than Edward—fair turnabout, mate for mate. She asked me to get the lay of the land for her, so to speak. I didn't imagine you would be so easy to get to. So maybe her plan was flawed—apparently it wouldn't be the revenge she imagined, since you must not mean very much to him if he left you here unprotected."

Another blow, another tear, through her chest. Laurent's weight shifted slightly, and Nina stumbled another step back. He frowned.

"I suppose she'll be angry, all the same."

"Then why not wait for her?" Nina choked out.

A mischievous grin rearranged his features.

"Well, you've caught me at a bad time, Nina. I didn't come to this place on Victoria's mission—I was hunting. I'm quite thirsty, and you and your dear mother do smell... simply mouthwatering."

Laurent looked at Nina with approval, his eyes flickering between the two women, as if he meant it as a compliment.

"Threaten him," The beautiful delusion ordered, his voice distorted with dread.

"He'll know it was you," She whispered obediently. "You won't get away with this."

"And why not?" Laurent's smile widened. He gazed around the small opening in the trees. "The scent will wash away with the next rain. No one will find your body—you'll simply go missing, like so many, many other humans. There's no reason for Edward to think of me, if he cares enough to investigate. This is nothing personal. Let me assure you, Nina. Just thirst."

"Beg," The hallucination begged.

"Please," Nina gasped.

Laurent shook his head, his face kind, mocking.

"Look at it this way, Nina. You're very lucky I was the one to find you."

"Somehow I can't see why that is," Nina muttered, taking another step back. She was at the treeline now.

Laurent followed, lithe and graceful.

"Yes," He assured her. "I'll be very quick. You won't feel a thing, I promise. Oh, I'll lie to Victoria about that later, naturally, just to placate her. But if you knew what she had planned for you, dear Nina. . ." He shook his head with a slow movement, almost as if in disgust. "I swear you'd be thanking me for this."

Nina stared at him in horror. He sniffed at the breeze that blew threads of her hair in his direction. "Mouthwatering," He repeated, inhaling deeply.

"Please, just—Just let my mom go–"

"Nina!" Natalie choked from behind her.

"Just let her go," Nina ignored her. "She has no part in this."

"I suppose I could," The vampire agreed, glancing at the woman whose glare could kill. "Though that would take all the fun out of it."

As he lunged forward, Nina felt herself being pushed away, her body flying stiffly into a pile of thick grass.

The world was silent for a moment.

Nina watched him above her. His golden eyes glistened, though he wasn't watching her. He was blocking her, from what, she couldn't see.

A scream that tore through the air made her sit up quicker than she should have, though she ignored the rush of blood that flew to her head. The sight she saw, the sight he had been blocking her from, made her gasp in horror.

"No," She scrambled to her feet, tripping on various branches and large wounds of grass.

"Nina, no!" She heard the voice call.

Nina ran faster than her legs allowed her to. Her muscles burned as she darted across the field and heavy breaths escaped her lips.

Her hands clamped against Laurant's temples. She couldn't see over his shoulder, for that she was grateful.

"O se kwe pe se," She spoke, her voice rough and distraught. The pain that flooded through her body was unbearable but she stayed standing. She heard something thump to the ground.

"O se kwe pe se."

She said it again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

She repeated the phrase till her arms resembled the colour of charcoal, till her heart took breaks between beats, till her words became so shallow, they were nothing but puffs of air escaping her lips.

But she didn't stop. Not till he fell to the ground, his red eyes glaring up at the sky, though his body was immobile.

Nina collapsed moments after.

She couldn't move. It was as though her limbs were encased in cement. All she could do was turn her head.

She gasped, a choked and pained sound as the sight came into her eyes.

Natalie stared back at her, blood trailing down her neck, a weak and deathly look in her green eyes.

"No," Nina muttered. She tried to move, but the cement stayed present, stopping her intentions. "Mom!"

The woman was silent as more blood gushed from the gory wound that covered the right side of her neck. Blood fell from the corner of her lips, dripping down onto the grass.

"Mom..." Nina cried. "Please, no–Mom! Someone! Help! Please!" Nina screamed into the wind.

Across the meadow, a crack sounded. Footsteps. Nina didn't hear them over her cries and hysterical musings.

Something walked across the field. Nina could only tilt up her head to see it.

A huge black shape eased out of the trees, quiet as a shadow, and stalked deliberately toward her. It was enormous—as tall as a horse, but thicker, much more muscular. The long muzzle grimaced, revealing a line of dagger-like incisors. A grisly snarl rolled out from between the teeth, rumbling across the clearing like a prolonged crack of thunder.

Nina should have felt fear at the sight of the being.

It padded silently through the grass a mere ten feet from where she lay.

"Don't move an inch," Edward's voice whispered. She tore her eyes away from the beast to look up at him.

Even the sight of him didn't take the pain away this time. The hole that had formed in her chest was now a ghastly explosion, her heart no longer intact. Instead, there was nothing there. The heart that had once taken occupancy had left.

She didn't look away from him, even as the snarling came closer.

Please, she begged into space.

She heard something loud, like a crack of thunder. Then she heard something being dragged off. Then a voice calling her name.

"Nina!" The voice shouted from the distance.

She didn't take her eyes off of Edward. His figure, although nothing but a ghost, fragile enough to disappear in a gust of wind, stayed above her, blocking her from any sights.

She felt something dripping down her face. She could smell the metalic scent. Blood. It was falling from her eyes and nose.

"Please don't go," She begged him, her voice nothing but a whisper, distorted as blood came up her throat.

The ghost didn't speak.

The pain had disappeared. Much like everything else in her life.

The sky grew closer; she thought. But after a moment, she felt hands wrapping around her body, pulling her limp limbs off the ground.

Her arms dropped, unable to hold the weight of them, and as she looked down, she was unable to stop the scream of pain that tore through her.

"Take her to Sam's place!" A voice called out across the field.

"On it!" Another one spoke, this one above her.

As the voices drifted, Nina fell unconscious.

Nina woke up screaming.

Her eyes tore open quickly as she sat up, ignoring the fiery pains that shot through every inch of her body. She looked around the unfamiliar room feverishly.

"... Mom?" She called softly. Please. Please be a dream.

The door opened, and she breathed out a sigh of relief.

That sigh, however, was caught in her breath when the door opened wider.

"Hey, kid." It was Sam.

"No–" Nina cried. "Please, no."

"I'm sorry," He sighed, moving to sit on the bed beside her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders.

"No, no, no, no." Her words were jumbled. She felt like she was going to be sick. If only she had moved faster. If she had magic of her own, that actually worked. If she hadn't gone on that stupid hike...

No matter how many times she replayed the terrifying sight, there was always something that could have been done differently.

Her tears burned her skin, seeping into Sam's shirt, most likely staining the grey fabric. Her lungs didn't seem to work. Her chest was so heavy it was holding her to the ground. Her lips parted, an act of desperation, but all that escaped was a choked sob.

Sam's hand moved up, holding the base of her neck. He was talking into her ear, but she couldn't hear him. His voice was clouded, like he was miles away.

Nina cried in his arms for hours. The sky had turned dark by the time she had passed out once more from exhaustion and, most likely, dehydration. Sam gently guided her to lie down, but he stayed sitting, refusing to let the girl wake up alone.

"She's asleep?" A soft voice asked, the door cracking open slightly.

Sam looked up. It was Emily. "Yeah."

"How... How is she?"

Sam glanced down at the girl whose face was red and had dried tears marking her skin. "Not good. She's blaming herself for it."

"It's gonna get worse, isn't it?"

"It's not going to be easy," He glanced outside. There was a crescent moon lighting the sky. "She won't have much time."

"How long exactly?"

"14 days, give or take."