Heavenly Body | J. Hale

13| Head Over Heels

There was a feeling of hope lingering inside Orion's body. He and Bella stood outside the ballet studio, watching the cab leave. Unlike his dream, it wasn't sunny; instead, it was a chilly night. The only light source was the lamppost on the street and the moonlight. Maybe this won't turn out like the dream, and the Cullens will get here before anything can happen.

"Are you ready?" she asks the boy. Pulling out the pepper spray her dad gave her, holding onto it with a tight grip.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he mutters, brushing his fingertips over his neck unknowingly. Orion swore he could have felt the same coldness wrapping his neck as it did in the dream.

Orion reaches forward to open the door. They stepped inside the studio; the room was exactly as Orion had pictured it in his dream; it gave him chills.

They wearily explore the studio, looking for Bella's mother, who was supposed to be somewhere here.

It was eerily silent. Orion expected the sounds of Bella's mother yelling for help, but none of this felt right.

Right on cue, Orion and Bella hear a woman yelling her name. They share a look before running over to where they believe the sound is coming from. They approach a door, and Bella swings it open, expecting to reveal her mother.

What they saw instead shook the two to silence. It wasn't Bella's mother; it was a recording of her and Isabella when she was a child. They were tricked.

They hear sadistic laughter from behind them. They quickly turn around to face it. The noise was coming from James, who was staring at them with a grin. "It looks like you brought a friend."

Before Orion can do anything, the vampire speeds over and throws him across the room. Allowing himself to be alone with the swan girl. "I'll deal with you later," James growls.

Orion lets out a hiss, pain shooting through his right shoulder. He struggles to pick himself off the floor. "Shit," he grits his teeth. Orion had never felt pain like this before.

He looks at Bella and sees James holding a camera to her face. "Action," he utters, his grin never leaving his face.

Orion can see from the distance as Bella sneakily pulls her pepper spray out, spraying it all over the vampire's face. She makes a run toward Orion, trying to help him, but she is quickly yanked away from the boy.

It seemed that the pepper spray didn't affect him at all. Orion watches as James walks over to Bella, the tracker's back turned to the boy. Orion seizes the opportunity and slowly approaches him, cringing as he hears the snapping of bones. He had stepped on her foot, leaving her incapable of moving.

Orion forces himself to keep moving, regardless of the screams coming from Isabella. "Tell Edward how much it hurts; tell him!" James spat.

Bella refuses, making the man upset. Orion takes the chance and extends his hand, sending the man flying against the wall with a grunt.

He stumbles over to check on Bella; she is bleeding from her head, and her leg is broken. He places a hand over her wound. "It's okay; it'll be fine." His voice was hesitant; he wasn't even sure they were going to make it out of here, but he'd die trying if he had to.