Emptiness // Emmett Cullen

Chapter 54

As Riley got closer, Bella and I hid behind Edward. I peered over his left shoulder watching, waiting for something to happen. Edward was outnumbered. "Riley...listen to me. Victoria's just using you to distract me. She knows I'll kill you" Edward said and out of nowhere I saw a flash of red appear to my left. I gasped slightly as my eyes fell on Victoria.

I felt her glare burning right through me as I watched her. "In fact, she'll be glad she doesn't have to deal with you anymore" said Edward and Riley stopped approaching us. "Don't listen Riley. I told you about their mind tricks" Victoria said calmly as she looked to him. "I can read her mind, so I know what she thinks of you" Edward said and Riley didn't do anything.

"He's lying" Victoria said softly. "She only created you and this army to avenge her true mate, James. That's the only thing she cares about, not you" Edward said and an image of James flashed through my mind. Riley looked at Victoria with a confused expression on his face. "There's only you. You know that" Victoria said trying to reassure him.

"Think about it, you're from Forks. You know the area. That's the only reason she chose you. She doesn't love you" Edward said and Riley's eyebrows scrunched together as if his mind was processing everything. "Riley...don't let him do this to us. You know I love you" Victoria begged. Riley looked away from Victoria shaking his head before he looked at us.

I began to hyperventilate slightly as he took a step towards us, his face unreadable. "You're dead" He said gently before rushing forward only to be tackled to the ground by Seth. They wrestled for a few moments before Seth ripped Riley's forearm off and I gasped in shock as Riley let out a scream of pain.

Victoria leapt off the rock and began running away. "You won't get another chance like this again!" Edward called and Victoria stopped. "You want them! You want Emmett and I to feel the pain you felt when we killed James" Edward said and Victoria glared at him as he slowly walked forward.

"When I tore him to pieces. When I turned him into ash. When I turned him...into nothing" Edward taunted and Vitoria shook with anger before she ran forward charging at Edward. Victoria tackled Edward to the ground causing them to slide through the snow towards Bella and I. She stood up, about to grab me when Edward threw her into a tree.

She grabbed onto the branch and glared at us as she began to climb. Edward grabbed Bella and I pulling us away before running over pushing down the tree. The tree fell, throwing Victoria to the ground. As she stood up about to run at us again Edward leapt through the air tackling her to the ground. I watched as he grabbed her by her collar and rammed her head into the ground.

Behind Victoria and Edward, I saw Riley kick Seth into the rock causing me to gasp. "No! Seth!" I cried as he fell, unconscious, to the floor. Riley leapt over the fallen tree knocking Edward off of Victoria. Edward grabbed Riley's head slamming it into the ground causing small cracks to appear on Riley's forehead.

As Edward was about to behead Riley, Victoria wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. "We need to do something!" Bella said desperately as she looked around. "I have an idea!" I said before falling to the ground feeling around for some sort of rock or something sharp. Once I found one sharp enough I rolled up my sleeve as I stood up.

"Malory! What are you doing?!" Bella exclaimed as I held the rock against my skin "Saving your boyfriend!" I said before cutting my arm with the rock. I winced as a stinging sensation came and dropped the rock to the ground as my blood dripped on to the pure white snow. I looked up and saw Victoria and Riley sniff the air as the stared at me giving Edward a few free seconds.

He head butted Riley before punching Victoria knocking her to the ground. Edward through Riley against a rock and Seth came up from behind him sinking his teeth into Riley's shoulder. "Victoria! Victoria! Victoria!" Riley cried in desperation before he was pulled out of sight by Seth. Victoria turned back as she glared at me.

Edward suddenly appeared in front of her as they wrestled. Victoria grabbed Edward by the throat only for him to flip her around and grab her head from behind. He flipped Victoria through the air and rushed over slamming her into the ground ripping her head off. Her body and head fell lifeless to the ground, separated.

Edward walked over and grabbed my arm examining it. "You're going to need a few stitches" Edward said and I nodded as I pulled my sleeve down. Seth appeared and let out a low growl causing Edward to turn and look at him. "What's wrong?" Bella asked. "Alice needs us to go. Now" Edward said.

I quickly ran to the tent and grabbed my stuff before climbing onto Seth's back. He sprinted into the woods and I held on tightly as he leapt over logs and dipped through the trees. Within 20 minutes we made it to the clearing and I climbed off of Seth's back. Emmett began walking over and I sprinted right to him. "Oh God I missed you!" I cried as I leapt into his arms.

The tears fell from my eyes as he held me to him. "Shhh. Everything's ok" Emmett said as we pulled away and I nodded as he wiped the tears from my eyes with his thumbs. He leaned down pressing his lips to mine before wrapping his arms around me again as we stood with his family. I laid my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I noticed a girl standing with Jasper off to the side. She was maybe around 14 and looked extremely frightened.

"How long?" said Edward as he and Bella walked over. "A few minutes. Maybe ten?" Alice said as she looked at him. "The pack needs to leave. The Volturi won't honour a truce with the werewolves" Carlisle said. I heard one of the wolves growl and turned to see Leah wrestling with a newborn. "Leah don't!" Edward yelled.

Jacob ran over and tackled the newborn off Leah and they rolled along the ground fighting each other when the newborn wrapped its arms around Jacob and a sickening crunch broke the silence. I let out a gasp as Jacob fell to the ground morphing back into his human form. The rest of the pack ran over killing the newborn.

Within milliseconds Edward and Carlisle were by his side as he writhed in pain. "Jacob!" Bella cried before running over to him. "Mal, you're bleeding" Rosalie said and I looked down to see my arm was indeed still bleeding. "Babe, what happened?" Emmett said as he rolled up my sleeve revealing the cut.

"I cut my arm to distract Victoria and Riley from killing Edward" I explained and Emmett grabbed the first aid kit from my bag. He grabbed out the gauze and gently wrapped the cut. "Carlisle will need to stitch that after he finishes attending to Jacob" Esme said and I nodded as I rolled my sleeve back down.

"They're coming!" Alice said and I turned to see Jane, Alec, Felix and Dimitri walking from the trees. Emmett pulled me closer to him protectively as they got closer. Once stopping a few feet in front of us, they removed their hoods. "Impressive. I've never seen a coven escape an assault of this magnitude intact" Jane spoke.

"We were lucky" Carlisle replied. "I doubt that" Jane replied bluntly. "It appears we missed an entertaining fight" Alec said. "Yes. It's not often we're rendered unnessacary" Jane said in agreement. "If you'd arrived a half hour ago you would've fulfilled your purpose" Edward said. "Pity" Jane said sarcastically.

"You missed one" said Jane as her eyes fell on the girl beside Jasper. "We offered her asylum in exchange for her surrender" Carlisle said. "That wasn't yours to offer. Why did you come?" Jane said as she turned to the frightened girl. The girl suddenly let out a blood curdling scream of pain as she fell to the ground bent over in pain.

"Who created you?" Jane questioned as the girl continued to scream in pain. "You don't need to do that. She'll tell you anything you want to know" Esme said. "I know" Jane replied with a smirk as the girls screams died down. "I-I don't know. Riley wouldn't tell us. He said our thoughts weren't safe" The girls replied.

"Her name was Victoria. Perhaps you knew her" Edward said. "Edward, if the Volturi had knowledge of Victoria, they would've stopped her. Isn't that right Jane?" Carlisle said as he turned to her. "Of course" Jane replied. "Felix" Jane said and he began to walk forward. "She didn't know what she was doing!" Esme exclaimed and Jane put her hand in front of Felix.

"We'll take responsibility for her" Esme pleaded. "Give her a chance" Carlisle said. "The Volturi don't give second chances. Keep that in mind. Caius will be interested to know they're still human" Jane said as she looked at Bella and I. "The date is set" Bella spoke up and I nodded. "Take care of that Felix. I'd like to go home" Jane said carelessly.

Felix walked through the Cullen's over to the girl. "Don't look" Emmett said as he shielded me from seeing anything and I hid my face in his chest as I heard the girl let out a scream before she was silenced.