TwiSaga: Eclipse story line

~ Twilight ~ New Moon ~

***WARNING: Lots and Lots of Plot Spoilers Ahead***

Eclipse

Meyer's third novel in the TwiSaga begins with Edward anxious that Bella does not continue her friendship with Jacob, given his werewolf status, and Edward's jealousy over their friendship. Edward does all he can to prevent her spending time with Jacob, even to inviting her to spend a weekend away in Phoenix with Bella's mother Renee and her second husband, Phil; Renee is disconcerted by the intensity of their relationship, but not worried. While they are away, the vampires and werewolves realise Victoria is still searching for a way to attack Bella in revenge for James's death and on her return, Jacob meets Bella at school to let her know of the danger. Despite Edward's overprotective care, Bella is able to make a spur-of-the-moment trip to La Push while he is off hunting, and they renew their friendship, despite Jacob's antagonism towards Edward and the other vampires. In an attempt to keep Bella away from the werewolves, Edward organises for Bella to stay with Alice the next time he hunts, and Rosalie takes the opportunity to warn Bella of the losses she will suffer if she is changed to a vampire. The next day, Jacob turns up at Bella's school on his motorbike and is quick enough collecting Bella that Alice doesn't have time to stop her wagging school at La Push; when Edward returns he lets her know that he has decided to trust her own assessment of her safety around the Quileute werewolves rather than have them argue over it. Then when Edward smells the scent of a strange vampire in Bella's bedroom (they later realise some of her clothing was stolen for her scent), the danger that she might be in convinces him to share protection duties with Jacob and the relative safety of the La Push reservation. Jacob takes the opportunity to tell Bella he loves her, and even kiss her, but Bella is determined they will only be friends.

Escalating stories of unexplained deaths in Seattle convince the Cullen family that an army of extremely strong but unpredictable "newborn" vampires is being created by an unknown vampire; they worry that it might be the beginnings of an attempt to destroy the Cullen coven. On the day of her graduation, Bella realises that the newborn army is being created to hunt her, not the Cullens, and they think it is probably the work of Victoria. At Bella's graduation party, Jacob and his fellow werewolf friends Quil and Embry agree their pack will fight with the Cullens to protect Bella. The Cullens show the werewolves how to fight other vampires, and they plan to use Bella's scent to attract the vampire army to fight in the clearing, while Edward and a werewolf keep Bella safe elsewhere in the woods. Before they head out, Bella renegotiates with Edward over her future change to a vampire: Edward had said he would change her into a vampire himself (rather than having Carlisle do it) if she married him first, now Bella agrees to marry Edward if he will make love to her as a human before he changes her, so that she can experience that humanly, without the overwhelming newborn bloodlust. Hiding Bella's scent with Jacob's werewolf scent, Jacob and Bella head to a campsite Edward has set up the night before Alice's premonitions tell them the vampire army will attack; Jacob, Edward and Seth watch over her through the freezing cold night, and then at dawn Jacob leaves for the clearing to face the army with the others. Of course, plans do not always cover every eventuality, and Edward and Seth's remote observation of the fight is interrupted by the arrival at their campsite of Victoria and a newborn, Riley. Seth attacks Riley while Edward and Victoria spar, and when Victoria and Riley are defeated, their dismembered bodies are burnt (ensuring they will not regenerate); the other group was also successful in their fight against the larger group of newborns, although Jacob is hurt. Alice has also forseen that the Volturi will arrive, in their role policing the only vampire law: "Keep the secret". Disconcerted by the fact that the Cullens have apparently defeated 20 vampires on their own, the Volturi guard leader Jane does not insist that Bella be changed immediately, but threatens again that it will have to happen soon.

When Bella visits Jacob back at La Push, he is already healing well. She reiterates her decision to choose Edward over him, despite the knowledge that with Jacob she would have a chance at a more normal, human life. The book closes with Bella and Edward about to tell Charlie of their decision to marry before her 19th birthday, and Jacob running away from Forks in his wolf form, determined to run far enough to forget Bella.

~ Breaking Dawn ~ Midnight Sun ~