200 Years Without The Cullens

Chapter 22-A Last Obstacle

A/N

Alright you lot! This is going to be the last regular chapter. It feels really great to have almost finished this story, and to be honest, I'm not really sad at all. 200 Years Without the Cullens has come to its end, and I'm tying up all the loose ends. Please don't ask about a sequel - there won't be one.

Enjoy this last bit of drama!

Lucy xX

***

Recap:

Caught up in our few seconds of happiness, the scream that pierced through the air startled us both. I jumped and spun round in Edward's arms, to see Kate rushing away to one of the bodies just burning in the fire. Garrett was following her, and Eleazer was right behind him. Edward looked horrified, and I asked my question silently. Who?

"Irina," he whispered quietly.

***

"No!" Kate cried as she neared her just-burning sister.

"There's nothing we can do Kate," Eleazer said gently, laying a hand in her shoulder.

"Let her go," Garrett whispered.

The sight was heart-wrenching. Kate sobbed tearlessly as she watched her dead sister burn, and Garrett wrapped his arms around her gently. Eleazer and Carmen stood just behind them, their faces devastated. I couldn't even imagine the pain Kate was in. She'd lost one sister to the Cullens a few years previously, and now she'd lost the other, fighting in our name. I wouldn't have been surprised if Kate had begun accusing us.

The other vampires and wolves in the clearing, even the Romanians, stood silently with their mates and coven, watching respectfully from a distance. After a few minutes, Irina's body was barely recognisable, her face burned and mangle. With a last hiss, the fire enveloped her entirely, leaving behind a small pile of ashes.

I turned away from the sight, not wanting to hear Kate's quiet sobs again. I hoped that Irina was the only person we'd lost. Call me selfish if you like, but I immediately looked around the clearing, checking for my family. Rose and Emmett were standing with Carlisle and Esme, and Alice and Jasper weren't far behind Eleazer and Carmen. Edward still had his arms wrapped around me.

I looked up at Edward, and admired my fiancé's handsome feature for a moment. There was no way to describe Edward, except for perhaps perfect. His wavy bronze hair was more dishevelled than usual, and his topaz eyes were sad as he watched the scene in front of us.

I'd never forgive the Volturi for what they'd done.

"Let's leave them in peace!" Carlisle called, his voice slicing through the air.

Silently, the vampires in the clearing all turned round and followed Carlisle and Esme from the battle-field. I couldn't really decide how to feel. I suppose I should have felt relieved and happy that the threat from the Volturi had been dealt with, and that I could spend my eternity with Edward, at last.

But I didn't.

The loss of Irina had hit me far harder than I'd thought it would, and I was struggling to feel anything but loss and regret. If I hadn't joined the Cullen family, then perhaps Irina wouldn't have died. The Volturi wouldn't have attacked. Tanya wouldn't have died, even. But then my eternity would have been hellish, boring, and I've had slaughtered more humans per year than vampires were in the Volturi guard.

Edward seemed to sense my strange mood, as he looked down at me, a slight frown creasing his brow.

"Are you ok love?"

"I don't know what to feel," I said.

"Neither do I. But everyone else is ok. Katrina's fine, Jacob and his pack are fine... It's a miracle that it's only Irina," Edward said, squeezing my hand gently.