Out of the Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Four

Disclaimer: None of this is mine, nor will it ever be (sigh). I like to play with the characters that Stephenie Meyers created and make them do pervy things or become angels with a bad attitude.

Chapter Thirty-Four

BPOV

Riley yelled and lunged, but was blocked by Edward's sword. They danced and fought for a long time, never tiring, never slowing. Twilight had begun to fall on the meadow, making it hard to see. I was in pain, my head pounding and my leg numb. In the shadows, I saw someone approach us. Edward was fighting near me, blocking me from Riley's parries. I noticed Rosalie, her hands holding a crossbow, aiming right at Edward's heart. I pushed myself up and hobbled, stopping in front of him. "NO!" I screamed as the arrow shot off. A searing pain went through my chest and I fell back against Edward. He gasped, catching me and cradling me as I fell. I heard a roar and a blaze of fire. Riley's head landed near my hand, his eyes now back to the muddy brown they were when he was human.

"Bella, no, Bella," Edward sobbed as he held me. He went to remove the arrow that was in my chest.

"Don't touch it," said Carlisle as he knelt next to me. "It'll kill you."

"Like it's killing her? Carlisle, it went through her left ventricle," Edward sobbed, clutching me to his body.

The man who stood at the head of the legion, crouched on the other side. "Her sacrifice will be noted," he said, his voice deep and resonant.

"Sacrifice?" Edward growled. "She saved me, Gabriel. She should not be a sacrifice!"

"Edward," I whispered, weakly reaching for him.

"My love, I'm here," he said, caressing my cheeks. "I love you. Don't leave me."

"I love you ..." I breathed, inhaling deeply and my eyes fluttering shut.

EPOV

"Bella?" I whispered, holding her. Her heart had stopped beating. "Bella? You can't leave me. Please, I just found you. I wanted forever with you, Bella."

"Her sacrifice will be noted," Gabriel repeated. "Does she have family?"

"Yes, me," Charlie said. He stepped forward, wearing his armor and it was covered in black, bloody smudges from the minions that he'd slaughtered. Around us, the remaining minions were being killed or they were running, without their leader. "She will not be sacrificed. Her whole life was a sacrifice. She was tormented, raped, beaten and lost her ability to bear children because of the incompetency of the angel you had assigned to her. Even with all of that, she never once gave into the darkness. Never. You took me away from her, recycling me because of one moment with Bella's mother. Another way of punishing my daughter. Now? She will not be fucking sacrificed. I can't believe you'd even ... She will not be lost, Gabriel."

"Agreed," Carlisle snarled, reaching for the arrow. He pulled it out, making her body jolt. He shuddered as the poison seeped into his hand. He tossed it to his side and with his other hand, began the transformation process. Charlie knelt down, doing the same. Esme held out her hands and another Dominion, Maria, helped as well. I held her as her broken bones knitted together, the damage to her mind was healed, and her body becoming refortified as an angel. Her heart began beating, slowly and steadily as the damage to her heart had been repaired. Once the transformation began, their hands fell away and Carlisle collapsed, the poison coursing through him.

"Carlisle," Esme sobbed. "No! I love you."

"This is my penance," he said, caressing her cheek. "Bella was an innocent. I was a fool and I needed to make it right. If I sacrifice myself to do that, so be it. I will always love you, my Esme. Watch over them and ... be strong, my love." He kissed her and his body faded away, leaving behind just a shadow of his form. Esme held a feather from his wings and she cried, clutching it to her chest.