Shed some Light

by Amber Naralim

  He felt Vincent's ribs crack and shatter shredding Vincent’s insides beneath the force of the blow. Blood dripped from his mouth onto Edward’s bare shoulder. Vincent's lips tensed into a sneer. His beast begged to be set free. Vincent brought his hands together slamming them down onto Edward's back. Edward’s spine fractured with the hit. Edward felt heat spring forth. It spread through him. It forged the break, healing it within seconds.

  Edward pulled back enough to throw four quick hooks to Vincent's mid-section. His fist tore through Vincent’s stomach on the last hit. He screamed. Vincent grabbed him by his shoulders and hurled him through the air. Edward slammed into the kitchen island. His head coming down on the corner of granite, a chunk of it broke loose.

  On her feet, Ellie pulled her Heckler. She flipped the safety off as she drew. Vincent's eye's slid to her and that was just enough to push his Beast back. It gave him the will to grab hold of those slipping chains. Shane grabbed hold of Charlie by the shoulders, dragging her toward the side door. The wound in Vincent's stomach healed over. His eyes bled black, but he did not shift forms. He pushed away from the wall with a growl.

  Edward was on his feet, rushing toward him in the blink of an eye. Vincent took the hit. His bare feet slid across the wooden floor a few inches. “Edward!” Vincent bellowed. His voice was deep and guttural. Vincent wrapped his arms around Edward's upper body. He lifted Edward, flipping him up over his shoulders. Vincent slammed him down onto the dining table. It cracked down its center, crumpling beneath him.

  Ellie had the gun up and pointed, but she couldn't bear to shoot her brother. Ellie used the excuse that she knew damn well it wouldn't make a bit of difference. She felt a hand on her shoulder and swiveled around. Reese pushed her back a few steps, moving past her. Darkness swimming beneath the flesh of his hands, his shoulders expanded. His beast took over.

  “No!” Ellie cried. Reese wasn't listening. Edward hurled a right hook that snapped Vincent’s head to one side. Vincent rolled it back around releasing a chambered punch that sent Edward staggering. Another two to Edward’s mid-section shattered every rib on that side. Reese slashed at Edward. Three quick lines bleeding across his back instantly healed. Reese clawed at Edward’s face. It snapped to one side, blood spraying onto the floor. Edward staggered a few steps.

  “Edward!” Ellie screamed, “Stop! Please.” Her heart slammed inside her chest. “Stop!”

  Edward lashed out with the power of a freight train. He slammed his fist into Reese's shoulder and Ellie saw the bone shatter. A splinter of bone tore through the flesh of Reese’s arm. His arm hung two inches lower and too far back. Reese reached over with his other hand, pulling it back into its socket, forcing the bone back inside. It was healing already.

  Vincent, his hands bloody, appeared behind Edward. He threw his arms around Edward’s shoulders pinning them to his sides. “Ellie, get out of here! RUN!” Vincent screamed at her. Edward squirmed within his grip. He broke the hold. Edward reached up, grabbing the back of Vincent’s head. He flung Vincent across the room. Vincent’s body collided with the fireplace like he was falling from orbit, taking a chunk out of it. Fieldstone and bricks fell down pummeling him. Vincent screamed in agony when the fire touched his leg. His shirt caught fire. Vincent ripped at it, beating himself frantically trying to put it out through his screams.

  Edward’s punch broke Reese's jaw. He lashed out again grabbing Reese by his shoulder. Edward hurled him into the wall. The plaster cracked. Reese fell halfway into the next room. Edward turned to Ellie, his eyes on fire, a blue flame. He took a step toward her. Thin claws tore through the tender flesh of his fingertips, long and razor sharp. His skin shimmered with an opalescent bluish tinge.

  “Edward! It's me!” Ellie cried, taking a step back. She raised the gun, her head shaking. “It's Ellie!” She did not want to do this. Ellie’s body set into rigid lines. He took another step toward her. Ellie slid down into that molten metal at her core. She pulled the trigger. The bullet took Edward just above his right eye. He spun back with the force of it. His body came back around, hands flexing. Ellie opened up on him. Bullets tearing into his chest made his body jerk.

  A growl echoed through the room. Edward rushed her. Ellie held her breath. Edward cocked back that razored hand. His knife-like claws gleamed in the overhead light. They arced down at her, inches from her face. Vincent’s Beast, large, and charcoal gray in the golden light of the chandelier slammed into Edward. It moved in a blur. Tracers of its powerful fists slamming into him shattered Edward’s bones. They caved his chest in, the side of Edward’s head. Claws ripped his skin. It moved so fast and so powerful, all Ellie could really see was a fine red mist. One second they were right in front of her. The next the window had shattered. They took out part of the wall as they went through it. She could hear growls and screams echoing into the cold night.

  A hand touched her. Ellie swung the Heckler around. Reese stood next to her, his chest heaving. Fire climbed the side of the chair. Smoke billowed up toward the ceiling. Ellie ran to the sink, slamming the empty Heckler down onto the counter top. Yanking the cupboard door nearly off its hinges, she pulled out the extinguisher. Ellie ran toward the fire. A cold mist exploded as she sprayed foam over the chair and what was left of the fireplace. She looked back at Reese. He was torn. Part of him wanted to join the fight. If Edward came back, he would have to protect Ellie.

  Outside, Edward rushed Vincent, trying to slam his shoulder into him again. Vincent anticipated the move. He spun. Edward went flying past him. He would have killed Ellie! Vincent and his Beast had one thought. Dead. Vincent closed the distance in the space of a heartbeat. He grabbed Edward by the shoulder, hurling him into the snow. It detonated beneath him, sending dirt, snow, and chunks of frozen rock flying. Vincent appeared above him so fast Edward didn’t know what hit him let alone have time to react.

  Blades tore across Edward’s chest, his belly. Powerful fists caved the side of his head in. They turned his bones to paste beneath them. Vincent’s fists hammered shards of bone into the frozen ground through Edward’s body. Vincent's rage fueled every hit.

  After an eternity, Edward finally stopped moving and still Vincent beat him. Vincent pulled back, screaming out into the night. He fought for air. His chest heaved. Vincent threw his head back, tried to breathe past the frenzy, past his blind rage. He worked to swallow his anger, his Beast. The thought of Ellie was enough to bring him back from the brink. His body shifted down. Vincent stood up. Grabbing Edward's unmoving shoulder, Vincent dragged Edward’s broken body back to the house.

  Shane stood in the open door of the shed. He had the shotgun pressed to his shoulder pointed at him. “It's me,” Vincent growled.

  “Edward?” Shane asked, without dropping the shotgun.

  “He's done,” Vincent said gravely and stalked up the steps dragging his corpse.

  The door opened. Reese stepped between it and Ellie ready to spring. He relaxed when he saw Vincent. Ellie cried out. She dropped the fire extinguisher. Its round canister rolled over the floor. Ellie rushed past Reese. She dropped to her knees where Vincent laid Edward's body. Tears spilled down her cheeks. All she could manage were small, strangled noises. Edward’s face and head were so much raw, red meat. His chest caved in, his arms and leg broken, his spine. Ellie looked up at Vincent, her eyes a mixture of hate, sorrow, and relief that he was okay.

  Vincent sank to his knees on the other side of what was left of Edward. He took her chin in his bloodstained hand. His touch so gentle Ellie barely felt it.

  “El, he'll heal,” he assured her. “He isn't gone.”

  She glared at him. Her chest and shoulders heaved, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Promise me!” Ellie demanded, closing her arms around her brother’s unmoving body.

  “I promise you. He will heal. It might take time.” Vincent nodded. “But he will heal.”

  A sob spilled from her throat. Ellie let Edward’s unmoving body slide back to the floor. She threw her arms around V
incent. He winced as her arm slid over the large burn that took up his entire shoulder and spilled down his arm. “Oh, Vincent.” Ellie sobbed against him.

  Shane came in through the front door. He had the shotgun in his hand. It was down by his side, but he refused to put it down. He hissed when he saw Edward. Charlie came in behind him. She looked down at them and shook her head with unbelieving eyes. She didn't know what to say. Charlie jogged past them. She came to a stop in front of Reese's wrathful glare. All she could do was shake her head. She took off toward the back hall. “Anna!” Charlie called out.

  Reese stepped forward. He looked down at his little brother, at the burns on his shoulder and the smaller one on his leg. “Ya going to be alright?”

  Vincent gave him a shining, wide-eyed stare that Reese had seen at the end of every fight during the war. It was burning rage, shame, and just a hint of pleasure. Blood dripped from Vincent’s hands, his chest, his face. All of Vincent's wounds save the burns had already healed over. Reese was still working on one or two. Vincent nodded grimly. His arms wrapped around Ellie. Vincent had never seen Ellie like this. He never saw her so broken. That look of hate in her eyes stirred fear in his gut. He would do anything to make this right. He would do anything to keep from losing her. Shane shut the front door slowly, fighting to keep his face neutral as Edward's blood oozed over the floor.

  Charlie flipped the light on. She found Anna huddling in the corner. Birdie stood sentinel next to her. “What- what's happening?” Anna exclaimed.

  “Edward attacked Vincent. It's all right,” Charlie said, working hard to keep her voice calm. Tears spilled down her face. All Charlie could see was the look in Reese's eyes. He warned her. Reese warned her that something like this was going to happen. “It's over,” Charlie assured her.

  “Are they okay?”

  Charlie swallowed. An image of Edward's beaten, broken body flashed in her mind. “Yeah, they're- they are okay,” Charlie lied.

  Chapter 25

  They laid Edward across the examination table on the far wall of the basement infirmary. Reese stood over the body. He had cleaned the blood away, thrown on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. His arms folded over his chest. He kept looking angrily at Charlie across the room. Ellie sat in a folding chair next to Vincent. Her shirt stained with both Vincent's and Edward's blood. There were splotches drying on her face, her arms, her hands. Ellie’s eyes were wide. She held Vincent's left hand in hers, tears still rolling down her red cheeks. She held the grip of her Heckler in a white-knuckled fist.

  Charlie worked at cleaning and bandaging Vincent’s burns. Her shoulders itched with Reese's heavy glare. Reese was right. This was her fault. If only she’d refused to keep Edward’s secret. If only she told Ellie that she had no clue what she was doing when it came to Edward's infection.

  Vincent’s flesh was charred and melted, blackened at the edges. This burn started at the base of his neck, spreading out angry and red down his shoulder blade. It spilled onto his chest in the front by three inches. The rounded ball of the top of his arm was already blistering. It dripped down his arm in twisted lines almost down to his elbow in some places.

  The burn on his leg wasn't half as bad in comparison. It was as wide as a man’s fist, almost dead center of the outside of his calf. It reached down to the top of his ankle. Third degree burns all. If it was anyone else, Charlie would be worried about him going into shock, or worse.

  Charlie gave him wide, contrite eyes. Seeing Vincent in pain tore at her. She loved him so much. Giving him painkillers was useless. She’d learned that from experience. His body metabolized them too fast. Vincent would have to deal with the pain. Vincent stared at Ellie. He didn't feel even one hint of guilt for what he’d done until he saw that look in her eye. Then, it was as if every punch, every claw he tore over Edward, he’d really torn over her.

  Charlie touched the wet gauze to his shoulder and Vincent hissed. She rolled her eyes up to his face for a moment with a frown, then went back to what she was doing, tears rolling down her round cheeks. She just couldn't hold them back any longer. Ellie craned her neck, looking over her shoulder at Edward. She looked up at Vincent.

  “Did you really have to-” she couldn't finish the sentence for her sobs.

  Vincent looked down at her with contrition in his eyes. “I'm sorry, El. He wouldn’t stop,” he told her gently.

  “He was going to rip ya apart.” Reese's voice was grave. Angry.

  Reese exhaled through his nose. He crossed the floor, moving past Ellie and leaned against the cold, cinderblock wall. Reese slid his hands into his pockets. His eyes roved over his baby brother. It killed him to see those burns. It hurt him more to see that look on Vince’s face. Vince was shredding his own insides over what he’d done. Vince was right to put Edward down. The only thing Vince should have done different is waiting so long. Vince shouldn’t have given Edward the chance to turn on Ellie.

  Ellie hung her head, sniffing. She closed her eyes. The look on Edward’s face flashed in her mind’s eye. In all her time with Vincent, she’d never seen a look so full of want cross his face. No matter what awful thing he did. Ellie took in a shuddering breath, looking up at the ceiling. “What happened?” she asked the room in general.

  “I don't know,” Vincent said, thinking back. “You were laughing at the drawing I did of you with your tongue sticking out. I leaned down to kiss you and the next second he slammed into me.”

  Reese glared down at Charlie. Shane came down the steps. He glanced at Edward's still unmoving corpse then over at Charlie. Shane slipped his hands into his pockets. “She's out,” Vetler said.

  Charlie gave Anna a sedative after she went into hysterics when she heard them say Edward was dead. Even after they explained that it wouldn't be permanent. She just lost it. Ellie cried. She sobbed. But she kept it together. Charlie kept stealing glances at Ellie. She was calm, but Charlie could see the look in her eyes. Shane told her he was worried about Ellie. This would be enough to send anyone over the edge. “You should really think about letting me give you a shot too,” Charlie told Ellie.

  “No,” Ellie said, shaking her head. “I'm not leaving his side.” She swallowed and took in a heaving breath.

  Charlie wasn't sure who she meant, Vincent, or Edward? Charlie sighed, not prepared to argue. There had been enough fighting for one night. Charlie eyed the body cooling in the corner. There had been enough fighting for one lifetime. She spread silver sulfide cream over Vincent's shoulder and began bandaging it up.

  “I thought you guys healed everything instantly?” Shane asked, looking at Vincent.

  “Not fire,” Reese told him gravely. Ellie could hear it in his voice. He was still pissed. She didn't understand why.

  “And not if our heart stops beating,” Vincent said. He dropped his eyes to the floor when Ellie looked at him.

  “You promised!” Ellie cried, her voice high and shrill.

  “It takes longer!” Vincent said defensively. “He will heal.” Vincent grabbed her hand. “The first time they did enough damage to stop my heart it took me about three weeks to come back,” he said. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. “The more they killed me the faster I came back.”

  Ellie's eyes immediately filled with compassion for his pain. Charlie finished with the bandage and Vincent reached out to Ellie. He laid his hand against her hair. “I wouldn't have done it, if I wasn't sure he could take it,” Vincent lied. His dark eyes swirled.

  Ellie nodded her head and leaned forward touching her forehead to his. “I know you didn't have a choice,” she admitted.

  Charlie looked at Edward. “Should I remove the bullets?” she asked, her eyes moving back to Vincent. Ellie winced like Charlie had struck her. She bit her lip. Reese sighed, annoyed with all of them.

  “Ya had to shoot him,” Reese told Ellie. “Ya had to!”

  Still, Ellie felt the guilt of it ripping through her. Vincent looked at Charlie. “It's not a bad idea,” he told her. She nodded, m
aking herself busy putting things on a metal tray. Charlie walked over to Edward’s body. She stopped, turning to look at Vincent.

  “You should take her upstairs,” Charlie said.

  “No, I'm not leaving. Not until he wakes up!” Ellie cried, shooting to her feet.

  Vincent looked at her. “He doesn't feel pain. He's not going to freak out. It's like sleeping. It will take him a couple weeks at least. You can't stay down here with him that whole time.” Vincent took her hand. He stood up. “Please, come with me,” he begged.

  Reese glared at his baby brother. Vince lied to her straight-faced. Reese knew first hand that Edward would feel every tiny ache. Every agonizing twinge, trapped in darkness all alone, until he was healed. Reese got why Vince lied to her. Hell, Reese in the same position, much as it would have pained him would probably have lied to her too.

  Ellie looked at Edward’s corpse. “He can't feel it?”

  Vincent forced his face neutral. His eyes gentle. “He won't feel a thing,” he lied.

  Ellie let him pull her into his arms. Reese followed them up the stairs. Vetler had nailed a piece of plywood over the large broken out window while they were downstairs. They headed through the mess of the living room and dining room. Ellie stopped long enough to fish Vincent's sketchbook out of the debris. There was blood splashed across her face. It had soaked into the drawing Vincent last showed her. She sniffed, handing it to him. They went upstairs.

  Shane walked up behind Charlie. “I think we should leave.”

  “What?” she asked pulling one of the bullets free.

  “You saw what happened tonight. What's to stop it from happening again?”