I FORCED MYEYES — FROZEN WIDE OPEN WITH SHOCK — to move, so that I could not examine too closelythe oval object wrapped in tendrils of shivering, fiery1 hair.
Edward was in motion again. Swift and coolly businesslike, he dismembered the headless corpse2.
I could not go to him — I could not make my feet respond; they were bolted to the stone beneath them.
But I scrutinized3 his every action minutely, looking for any evidence that he had been harmed. My heartslowed to a healthier rhythm when I found nothing. He was lithe4 and graceful5 as ever. I couldn’t even see atear in his clothes.
He did not look at me — where I stood frozen to the cliff wall, horrified6 — while he piled the quivering,twitching limbs and then covered them with dry pine needles. He still did not meet my shocked gaze as hedarted into the forest after Seth.
I didn’t have time to recover before both he and Seth were back, Edward with his arms full of Riley. Sethwas carrying a large chunk7 — the torso — in his mouth. They added their burden to the pile, and Edwardpulled a silver rectangle from his pocket. He flipped8 open the butane lighter9 and held the flame to the drytinder. It caught at once; long tongues of orange fire licked rapidly across the pyre.
“Get every piece,” Edward said in a low aside to Seth.
Together, the vampire10 and the werewolf scoured11 the campsite, occasionally tossing small lumps of whitestone into the blaze. Seth handled the pieces with his teeth. My brain wasn’t working well enough for me tounderstand why he didn’t change back to a form with hands.
Edward kept his eyes on his work.
And then they were done, and the raging fire was sending a pillar of choking purple toward the sky. Thethick smoke curled up slowly, looking more solid than it should; it smelled like burning incense12, and the scentwas uncomfortable. It was heavy, too strong.
Seth made that snickering sound again, deep in his chest.
A smile flickered14 across Edward’s tense face.
Edward stretched out his arm, his hand curled into a fist. Seth grinned, revealing the long row of daggerteeth, and bumped his nose against Edward’s hand.
“Nice teamwork,” Edward murmured.
Seth coughed a laugh.
Then Edward took a deep breath, and turned slowly to face me.
I did not understand his expression. His eyes were as wary15 as if I were another enemy — more than wary,they were afraid. Yet he’d shown no fear at all when he’d faced Victoria and Riley. . . . My mind was stuck,stunned and useless as my body. I stared at him, bewildered.
“Bella, love,” he said in his softest tone, walking toward me with exaggerated slowness, his hands held up,palms forward. Dazed as I was, it reminded me oddly of a suspect approaching a policeman, showing that hewasn’t armed. . . .
“Bella, can you drop the rock, please? Carefully. Don’t hurt yourself.”
I’d forgotten all about my crude weapon, though I realized now that I was grasping it so hard that myknuckle was screaming in protest. Was it rebroken? Carlisle would put me in a cast for sure this time.
Edward hesitated a few feet from me, his hands still in the air, his eyes still fearful.
It took me a few long seconds to remember how to move my fingers. Then the rock clattered16 to theground, while my hand stayed frozen in the same position.
Edward relaxed slightly when my hands were empty, but came no closer.
“You don’t have to be afraid, Bella,” Edward murmured. “You’re safe. I won’t hurt you.”
The mystifying promise only confused me further. I stared at him like an imbecile, trying to understand.
“It’s going to be all right, Bella. I know you’re frightened now, but it’s over. No one is going to hurt you. Iwon’t touch you. I won’t hurt you,” he said again.
My eyes blinked furiously, and I found my voice. “Why do you keep saying that?”
I took an unsteady step toward him, and he leaned away from my advance.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered. “What do you mean?”
“Are you . . .” His golden eyes were suddenly as confused as I felt. “Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Afraid of you? Why?”
I staggered forward another step, and then tripped over something — my own feet probably. Edwardcaught me, and I buried my face in his chest and started to sob17.
“Bella, Bella, I’m so sorry. It’s over, it’s over.”
“I’m fine,” I gasped18. “I’m okay. I’m just. Freaking out. Give me. A minute.”
His arms tightened20 around me. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured again and again.
I clung to him until I could breathe, and then I was kissing him — his chest, his shoulder, his neck — everypart of him that I could reach. Slowly, my brain started to work again.
“Are you okay?” I demanded between kisses. “Did she hurt you at all?”
“I am absolutely fine,” he promised, burying his face in my hair.
“Seth?”
Edward chuckled21. “More than fine. Very pleased with himself, in fact.”
“The others? Alice, Esme? The wolves?
“All fine. It’s over there, too. It went just as smoothly22 as I promised. We got the worst of it here.”
I let myself absorb that for a moment, let it sink in and settle in my head.
My family and my friends were safe. Victoria was never coming after me again. It was over.
We were all going to be fine.
But I couldn’t completely take in the good news while I was still so confused.
“Tell me why,” I insisted. “Why did you think I would be afraid of you?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, apologizing yet again — for what? I had no idea. “So sorry. I didn’t want you to seethat. See me like that. I know I must have terrified you.”
I had to think about that for another minute, about the hesitant way he’d approached me, his hands in theair. Like I was going to run if he moved too fast. . . .
“Seriously?” I finally asked. “You . . . what? Thought you’d scared me off?” I snorted. Snorting wasgood; a voice couldn’t tremble or break during a snort. It sounded impressively offhand23.
He put his hand under my chin and tilted24 my head back to read my face.
“Bella, I just” — he hesitated and then forced the words out — “I just beheaded and dismembered asentient creature not twenty yards from you. That doesn’t bother you?”
He frowned at me.
I shrugged25. Shrugging was good, too. Very blasé. “Not really. I was only afraid that you and Seth weregoing to get hurt. I wanted to help, but there’s only so much I can do. . . .”
His suddenly livid expression made my voice fade out.
“Yes,” he said, his tone clipped. “Your little stunt26 with the rock. You know that you nearly gave me aheart attack? Not the easiest thing to do, that.”
His furious glower27 made it hard to answer.
“I wanted to help . . . Seth was hurt. . . .”
“Seth was only feigning28 that he was hurt, Bella. It was a trick. And then you . . . !” He shook his head,unable to finish. “Seth couldn’t see what you were doing, so I had to step in. Seth’s a bit disgruntled that hecan’t claim a single-handed defeat now.”
“Seth was . . . faking?”
Edward nodded sternly.
“Oh.”
We both looked at Seth, who was studiously ignoring us, watching the flames. Smugness radiated fromevery hair in his fur.
“Well, I didn’t know that,” I said, on the offense29 now. “And it’s not easy being the only helpless personaround. Just you wait till I’m a vampire! I’m not going to be sitting on the sidelines next time.”
A dozen emotions flitted across his face before he settled on being amused. “Next time? Did youanticipate another war soon?”
“With my luck? Who knows?”
He rolled his eyes, but I could see that he was flying — the relief was making us both lightheaded. It wasover.
Or . . . was it?
“Hold on. Didn’t you say something before — ?” I flinched30, remembering what exactly it had been before— what was I going to say to Jacob? My splintered heart throbbed31 out a painful, aching beat. It was hard tobelieve, almost impossible, but the hardest part of this day was not behind me — and then I soldiered on.
“About a complication? And Alice, needing to nail down the schedule for Sam. You said it was going to beclose. What was going to be close?”
Edward’s eyes flickered back to Seth, and they exchanged a loaded glance.
“Well?” I asked.
“It’s nothing, really,” Edward said quickly. “But we do need to be on our way. . . .”
He started to pull me into place on his back, but I stiffened32 and drew away.
“Define nothing.”
Edward took my face between his palms. “We only have a minute, so don’t panic, all right? I told you thatyou had no reason to be afraid. Trust me on that, please?”
I nodded, trying to hide the sudden terror — how much more could I handle before I collapsed33? “Noreason to be afraid. Got it.”
He pursed his lips for a second, deciding what to say. And then he glanced abruptly34 at Seth, as if the wolfhad called him.
“What’s she doing?” Edward asked.
Seth whined35; it was an anxious, uneasy sound. It made the hair on the back of my neck rise.
Everything was dead silent for one endless second.
And then Edward gasped, “No!” and one of his hands flew out as if to grab something that I couldn’t see.
“Don’t —!”
A spasm36 rocked through Seth’s body, and a howl, blistering37 with agony, ripped from his lungs.
Edward fell to his knees at the exact same moment, gripping the sides of his head with two hands, his facefurrowed in pain.
I screamed once in bewildered terror, and dropped to my knees beside him. Stupidly, I tried to pull hishands from his face; my palms, clammy with sweat, slid off his marble skin.
“Edward! Edward!”
His eyes focused on me; with obvious effort, he pulled his clenched38 teeth apart.
“It’s okay. We’re going to be fine. It’s —” He broke off, and winced39 again.
“What’s happening?” I cried out while Seth howled in anguish40.
“We’re fine. We’re going to be okay,” Edward gasped. “Sam — help him —”
And I realized in that instant, when he said Sam’s name, that he was not speaking of himself and Seth. Nounseen force was attacking them. This time, the crisis was not here.
He was using the pack plural41.
I’d burned through all my adrenaline. My body had nothing left. I sagged42, and Edward caught me before Icould hit the rocks. He sprang to his feet, me in his arms.
“Seth!” Edward shouted.
Seth was crouched44, still tensed in agony, looking as if he meant to launch himself into the forest.
“No!” Edward ordered. “You go straight home. Now. As fast as you can!”
Seth whimpered, shaking his great head from side to side.
“Seth. Trust me.”
The huge wolf stared into Edward’s agonized45 eyes for one long second, and then he straightened up andflew into the trees, disappearing like a ghost.
Edward cradled me tightly against his chest, and then we were also hurtling through the shadowy forest,taking a different path than the wolf.
“Edward.” I fought to force the words through my constricted46 throat. “What happened, Edward? Whathappened to Sam? Where are we going? What’s happening?”
“We have to go back to the clearing,” he told me in a low voice. “We knew there was a good probabilityof this happening. Earlier this morning, Alice saw it and passed it through Sam to Seth. The Volturi decided47 it was time to intercede48.”
The Volturi.
Too much. My mind refused to make sense of the words, pretended it couldn’t understand.
The trees jolted49 past us. He was running downhill so fast that it felt as if we were plummeting50, falling out ofcontrol.
“Don’t panic. They aren’t coming for us. It’s just the normal contingent51 of the guard that usually cleans upthis kind of mess. Nothing momentous52, they’re merely doing their job. Of course, they seem to have timedtheir arrival very carefully. Which leads me to believe that no one in Italy would mourn if these newborns hadreduced the size of the Cullen family.” The words came through his teeth, hard and bleak53. “I’ll know for surewhat they were thinking when they get to the clearing.”
“Is that why we’re going back?” I whispered. Could I handle this? Images of flowing black robes creptinto my unwilling54 mind, and I flinched away from them. I was close to a breaking point.
“It’s part of the reason. Mostly, it will be safer for us to present a united front at this point. They have noreason to harass55 us, but . . . Jane’s with them. If she thought we were alone somewhere away from the others,it might tempt56 her. Like Victoria, Jane will probably guess that I’m with you. Demetri, of course, is with her.
He could find me, if Jane asked him to.”
I didn’t want to think that name. I didn’t want to see that blindingly exquisite57, childlike face in my head. Astrange sound came out of my throat.
“Shh, Bella, shh. It’s all going to be fine. Alice can see that.”
Alice could see? But . . . then where were the wolves? Where was the pack?
“The pack?”
“They had to leave quickly. The Volturi do not honor truces58 with werewolves.”
I could hear my breathing get faster, but I couldn’t control it. I started to gasp19.
“I swear they will be fine,” Edward promised me. “The Volturi won’t recognize the scent13 — they won’trealize the wolves are here; this isn’t a species they are familiar with. The pack will be fine.”
I couldn’t process his explanation. My concentration was ripped to shreds59 by my fears. We’re going tobe fine, he had said before . . . and Seth, howling in agony . . . Edward had avoided my first question,distracted me with the Volturi. . . .
I was very close to the edge — just clinging by my fingertips.
The trees were a racing60 blur61 that flowed around him like jade62 waters.
“What happened?” I whispered again. “Before. When Seth was howling? When you were hurt?”
Edward hesitated.
“Edward! Tell me!”
“It was all over,” he whispered. I could barely hear him over the wind his speed created. “The wolvesdidn’t count their half . . . they thought they had them all. Of course, Alice couldn’t see. . . .”
“What happened?!”
“One of the newborns was hiding. . . . Leah found him — she was being stupid, cocky, trying to provesomething. She engaged him alone. . . .”
“Leah,” I repeated, and I was too weak to feel shame for the relief that flooded through me. “Is she goingto be okay?”
“Leah wasn’t hurt,” Edward mumbled63.
I stared at him for a long second.
Sam — help him — Edward had gasped. Him, not her.
“We’re almost there,” Edward said, and he stared at a fixed64 point in the sky.
Automatically, my eyes followed his. There was a dark purple cloud hanging low over the trees. A cloud?
But it was so abnormally sunny. . . . No, not a cloud — I recognized the thick column of smoke, just like theone at our campsite.
“Edward,” I said, my voice nearly inaudible. “Edward, someone got hurt.”
I’d heard Seth’s agony, seen the torture in Edward’s face.
“Yes,” he whispered.
“Who?” I asked, though, of course, I already knew the answer.
Of course I did. Of course.
The trees were slowing around us as we came to our destination.
It took him a long moment to answer me.
“Jacob,” he said.
I was able to nod once.
“Of course,” I whispered.
And then I slipped off the edge I was clinging to inside my head.
Everything went black.
I was first aware of the cool hands touching65 me. More than one pair of hands. Arms holding me, a palmcurved to fit my cheek, fingers stroking my forehead, and more fingers pressed lightly into my wrist.
Then I was aware of the voices. They were just ahumming at first, and then they grew in volume andclarity like someone was turning up a radio.
“Carlisle — it’s been five minutes.” Edward’s voice, anxious.
“She’ll come around when she’s ready, Edward.” Carlisle’s voice, always calm and sure. “She’s had toomuch to deal with today. Let her mind protect itself.”
But my mind was not protected. It was trapped in the knowledge that had not left me, even inunconsciousness — the pain that was part of the blackness.
I felt totally disconnected from my body. Like I was caged in some small corner of my head, no longer atthe controls. But I couldn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t think. The agony was too strong for that. Therewas no escape from it.
Jacob.
Jacob.
No, no, no, no, no . . .
“Alice, how long do we have?” Edward demanded, his voice still tense; Carlisle’s soothing66 words had nothelped.
From farther away, Alice’s voice. It was brightly chipper. “Another five minutes. And Bella will open hereyes in thirty-seven seconds. I wouldn’t doubt that she can hear us now.”
“Bella, honey?” This was Esme’s soft, comforting voice. “Can you hear me? You’re safe now, dear.”
Yes, I was safe. Did that really matter?
Then cool lips were at my ear, and Edward was speaking the words that allowed me to escape from thetorture that had me caged inside my own head.
“He’s going to live, Bella. Jacob Black is healing as I speak. He’ll be fine.”
As the pain and dread67 eased, I found my way back to my body. My eyelids68 fluttered.
“Oh, Bella,” Edward sighed in relief, and his lips touched mine.
“Edward,” I whispered.
“Yes, I’m here.”
I got my lids to open, and I stared into warm gold.
“Jacob is okay?” I asked.
“Yes,” he promised.
I watched his eyes carefully for some sign that he was placating69 me, but they were perfectly70 clear.
“I examined him myself,” Carlisle said then; I turned my head to find his face, only a few feet away.
Carlisle’s expression was serious and reassuring71 at the same time. It was impossible to doubt him. “His life isnot in any danger. He was healing at an incredible rate, though his injuries were extensive enough that it will stillbe a few days before he is back to normal, even if the rate of repair holds steady. As soon as we’re donehere, I will do what I can to help him. Sam is trying to get him to phase back to his human form. That willmake treating him easier.” Carlisle smiled slightly. “I’ve never been to veterinarian school.”
“What happened to him?” I whispered. “How bad are his injuries?”
Carlisle’s face was serious again. “Another wolf was in trouble —”
“Leah,” I breathed.
“Yes. He knocked her out of the way, but he didn’t have time to defend himself. The newborn got hisarms around him. Most of the bones on the right half of his body were shattered.”
I flinched.
“Sam and Paul got there in time. He was already improving when they took him back to La Push.”
“He’ll be back to normal?” I asked.
“Yes, Bella. He won’t have any permanent damage.”
I took a deep breath.
“Three minutes,” Alice said quietly.
I struggled, trying to get vertical72. Edward realized what I was doing and helped me to my feet.
I stared at the scene in front of me.
The Cullens stood in a loose semicircle around the bonfire. There were hardly any flames visible, just thethick, purple-black smoke, hovering73 like a disease against the bright grass. Jasper stood closest to the solid-seeming haze74, in its shadow so that his skin did not glitter brilliantly in the sun the way the others did. He hadhis back to me, his shoulders tense, his arms slightly extended. There was something there, in his shadow.
Something he crouched over with wary intensity75. . . .
I was too numb76 to feel more than a mild shock when I realized what it was.
There were eight vampires77 in the clearing.
The girl was curled into a small ball beside the flames, her arms wrapped around her legs. She was veryyoung. Younger than me — she looked maybe fifteen, dark-haired and slight. Her eyes were focused on me,and the irises78 were a shocking, brilliant red. Much brighter than Riley’s, almost glowing. They wheeled wildly,out of control.
Edward saw my bewildered expression.
“She surrendered,” he told me quietly. “That’s one I’ve never seen before. Only Carlisle would think ofoffering. Jasper doesn’t approve.”
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the scene beside the fire. Jasper was rubbing absently at his leftforearm.
“Is Jasper all right?” I whispered.
“He’s fine. The venom79 stings.”
“He was bitten?” I asked, horrified.
“He was trying to be everywhere at once. Trying to make sure Alice had nothing to do, actually.” Edwardshook his head. “Alice doesn’t need anyone’s help.”
Alice grimaced80 toward her true love. “Overprotective fool.”
The young female suddenly threw her head back like an animal and wailed81 shrilly82.
Jasper growled83 at her and she cringed back, but her fingers dug into the ground like claws and her headwhipped back and forth85 in anguish. Jasper took a step toward her, slipping deeper into his crouch43. Edwardmoved with overdone86 casualness, turning our bodies so that he was between the girl and me. I peeked87 aroundhis arm to watch the thrashing girl and Jasper.
Carlisle was at Jasper’s side in an instant. He put a restraining hand on his most recent son’s arm.
“Have you changed your mind, young one?” Carlisle asked, calm as ever. “We don’t want to destroy you,but we will if you can’t control yourself.”
“How can you stand it?” the girl groaned88 in a high, clear voice. “I want her.” Her bright crimson89 irisesfocused on Edward, through him, beyond him to me, and her nails ripped through the hard soil again.
“You must stand it,” Carlisle told her gravely. “You must exercise control. It is possible, and it is the onlything that will save you now.”
The girl clutched her dirt-encrusted hands around her head, yowling quietly.
“Shouldn’t we move away from her?” I whispered, tugging90 on Edward’s arm. The girl’s lips pulled backover her teeth when she heard my voice, her expression one of torment91.
“We have to stay here,” Edward murmured. “They are coming to the north end of the clearing now.”
My heart burst into a sprint92 as I scanned the clearing, but I couldn’t see anything past the thick pall93 ofsmoke.
After a second of fruitless searching, my gaze crept back to the young female vampire. She was stillwatching me, her eyes half-mad.
I met the girl’s stare for a long moment. Chin-length dark hair framed her face, which was alabaster94 pale.
It was hard to tell if her features were beautiful, twisted as they were by rage and thirst. The feral red eyeswere dominant95 — hard to look away from. She glared at me viciously, shuddering96 and writhing97 every few seconds.
I stared at her, mesmerized98, wondering if I were looking into a mirror of my future.
Then Carlisle and Jasper began to back toward the rest of us. Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme all convergedhastily around where Edward stood with Alice and me. A united front, as Edward had said, with me at theheart, in the safest place.
I tore my attention away from the wild girl to search for the approaching monsters.
There was stillnothing to see. I glanced at Edward, and his eyes were locked straight ahead. I tried tofollow his gaze, but there was only the smoke — dense99, oily smoke twisting low to the ground, rising lazily,undulating against the grass.
It billowed forward, darker in the middle.
“Hmm,” a dead voice murmured from the mist. I recognized the apathy100 at once.
“Welcome, Jane.” Edward’s tone was coolly courteous101.
The dark shapes came closer, separating themselves from the haze, solidifying102. I knew it would be Jane inthe front — the darkest cloak, almost black, and the smallest figure by more than two feet. I could just barelymake out Jane’s angelic features in the shade of the cowl.
The four gray-shrouded figures hulking behind her were also somewhat familiar. I was sure I recognizedthe biggest one, and while I stared, trying to confirm my suspicion, Felix looked up. He let his hood103 fall backslightly so that I could see him wink104 at me and smile. Edward was very still at my side, tightly in control.
Jane’s gaze moved slowly across the luminous105 faces of the Cullens and then touched on the newborn girlbeside the fire; the newborn had her head in her hands again.
“I don’t understand.” Jane’s voice was toneless, but not quite as uninterested as before.
“She has surrendered,” Edward explained, answering the confusion in her mind.
Jane’s dark eyes flashed to his face. “Surrendered?”
Felix and another shadow exchanged a quick glance.
Edward shrugged. “Carlisle gave her the option.”
“There are no options for those who break the rules,” Jane said flatly.
Carlisle spoke106 then, his voice mild. “That’s in your hands. As long as she was willing to halt her attack onus107, I saw no need to destroy her. She was never taught.”
“That is irrelevant,” Jane insisted.
“As you wish.”
Jane stared at Carlisle in consternation108. She shook her head infinitesimally, and then composed herfeatures.
“Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards.”
Carlisle nodded. “I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him.”
“Of course.” Jane smiled. Her face was almost too lovely when it was animated109. She looked back towardthe smoke. “It appears that you’ve done our work for us today . . . for the most part.” Her eyes flickered tothe hostage. “Just out of professional curiosity, how many were there? They left quite a wake of destruction inSeattle.”
“Eighteen, including this one,” Carlisle answered.
Jane’s eyes widened, and she looked at the fire again, seeming to reassess the size of it. Felix and theother shadow exchanged a longer glance.
“Eighteen?” she repeated, her voice sounding unsure for the first time.
“All brand-new,” Carlisle said dismissively. “They were unskilled.”
“All?” Her voice turned sharp. “Then who was their creator?”
“Her name was Victoria,” Edward answered, no emotion in his voice.
“Was?” Jane asked.
Edward inclined his head toward the eastern forest. Jane’s eyes snapped up and focused on something farin the distance. The other pillar of smoke? I didn’t look away to check.
Jane stared to the east for a long moment, and then examined the closer bonfire again.
“This Victoria — she was in addition to the eighteen here?”
“Yes. She had only one other with her. He was not as young as this one here, but no older than a year.”
“Twenty,” Jane breathed. “Who dealt with the creator?”
“I did,” Edward told her.
Jane’s eyes narrowed, and she turned to the girl beside the fire.
“You there,” she said, her dead voice harsher than before. “Your name.”
The newborn shot a baleful glare at Jane, her lips pressed tightly together.
Jane smiled back angelically.
The newborn girl’s answering scream was ear-piercing; her body arched stiffly into a distorted, unnaturalposition. I looked away, fighting the urge to cover my ears. I gritted110 my teeth, hoping to control my stomach.
The screaming intensified111. I tried to concentrate on Edward’s face, smooth and unemotional, but that made meremember when it had been Edward under Jane’s torturing gaze, and I felt sicker. I looked at Alice instead,and Esme next to her. Their faces were as empty as his.
Finally, it was quiet.
“Your name,” Jane said again, her voice inflectionless.
“Bree,” the girl gasped.
Jane smiled, and the girl shrieked112 again. I held my breath until the sound of her agony stopped.
“She’ll tell you anything you want to know,” Edward said through his teeth. “You don’t have to do that.”
Jane looked up, sudden humor in her usually dead eyes. “Oh, I know,” she said to Edward, grinning athim before she turned back to the young vampire, Bree.
“Bree,” Jane said, her voice cold again. “Is his story true? Were there twenty of you?”
The girl lay panting, the side of her face pressed against the earth. She spoke quickly. “Nineteen ortwenty, maybe more, I don’t know!” She cringed, terrified that her ignorance might bring on another round oftorture. “Sara and the one whose name I don’t know got in a fight on the way. . . .”
“And this Victoria — did she create you?”
“I don’t know,” she said, flinching113 again. “Riley never said her name. I didn’t see that night . . . it was sodark, and it hurt. . . .” Bree shuddered114. “He didn’t want us to be able to think of her. He said that our thoughtsweren’t safe. . . .”
Jane’s eyes flickered to Edward, and then back to the girl.
Victoria had planned this well. If she hadn’t followed Edward, there would have been no way to know forcertain that she was involved. . . .
“Tell me about Riley,” Jane said. “Why did he bring you here?”
“Riley told us that we had to destroy the strange yellow-eyes here,” Bree babbled115 quickly and willingly.
“He said it would be easy. He said that the city was theirs, and they were coming to get us. He said once theywere gone, all the blood would be ours. He gave us her scent.” Bree lifted one hand and stabbed a finger inmy direction. “He said we would know that we had the right coven, because she would be with them. He saidwhoever got to her first could have her.”
I heard Edward’s jaw116 flex117 beside me.
“It looks like Riley was wrong about the easy part,” Jane noted118.
Bree nodded, seeming relieved that the conversation had taken this non-painful course. She sat upcarefully. “I don’t know what happened. We split up, but the others never came. And Riley left us, and hedidn’t come to help like he promised. And then it was so confusing, and everybody was in pieces.” Sheshuddered again. “I was afraid. I wanted to run away. That one” — she looked at Carlisle — “said theywouldn’t hurt me if I stopped fighting.”
“Ah, but that wasn’t his gift to offer, young one,” Jane murmured, her voice oddly gentle now. “Brokenrules demand a consequence.”
Bree stared at her, not comprehending.
Jane looked at Carlisle. “Are you sure you got all of them? The other half that split off?”
Carlisle’s face was very smooth as he nodded. “We split up, too.”
Jane half-smiled. “I can’t deny that I’m impressed.” The big shadows behind her murmured in agreement.
“I’ve never seen a coven escape this magnitude of offensive intact. Do you know what was behind it? It seemslike extreme behavior, considering the way you live here. And why was the girl the key?” Her eyes restedunwilling on me for one short second.
I shivered.
“Victoria held a grudge119 against Bella,” Edward told her, his voice impassive.
Jane laughed — the sound was golden, the bubbling laugh of a happy child. “This one seems to bring outbizarrely strong reactions in our kind,” she observed, smiling directly at me, her face beatific120.
Edward stiffened. I looked at him in time to see his face turning away, back to Jane.
“Would you please not do that?” he asked in a tight voice.
Jane laughed again lightly. “Just checking. No harm done, apparently121.”
I shivered, deeply grateful that the strange glitch122 in my system — which had protected me from Jane thelast time we’d met — was still in effect. Edward’s arm tightened around me.
“Well, it appears that there’s not much left for us to do. Odd,” Jane said, apathy creeping back into hervoice. “We’re not used to being rendered unnecessary. It’s too bad we missed the fight. It sounds like itwould have been entertaining to watch.”
“Yes,” Edward answered her quickly, his voice sharp. “And you were so close. It’s a shame you didn’tarrive just a half hour earlier. Perhaps then you could have fulfilled your purpose here.”
Jane met Edward’s glare with unwavering eyes. “Yes. Quite a pity how things turned out, isn’t it?”
Edward nodded once to himself, his suspicions confirmed.
Jane turned to look at the newborn Bree again, her face completely bored. “Felix?” she drawled.
“Wait,” Edward interjected.
Jane raised one eyebrow123, but Edward was staring at Carlisle while he spoke in an urgent voice. “Wecould explain the rules to the young one. She doesn’t seem unwilling to learn. She didn’t know what she wasdoing.”
“Of course,” Carlisle answered. “We would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree.”
Jane’s expression was torn between amusement and disbelief.
“We don’t make exceptions,” she said. “And we don’t give second chances. It’s bad for our reputation.
Which reminds me . . .” Suddenly, her eyes were on me again, and her cherubic face dimpled. “Caius will beso interested to hear that you’re still human, Bella. Perhaps he’ll decide to visit.”
“The date is set,” Alice told Jane, speaking for the first time. “Perhaps we’ll come to visit you in a fewmonths.”
Jane’s smile faded, and she shrugged indifferently, never looking at Alice. She turned to face Carlisle. “Itwas nice to meet you, Carlisle — I’d thought Aro was exaggerating. Well, until we meet again . . .”
Carlisle nodded, his expression pained.
“Take care of that, Felix,” Jane said, nodding toward Bree, her voice dripping boredom124. “I want to gohome.”
“Don’t watch,” Edward whispered in my ear.
I was only too eager to follow his instruction. I’d seen more than enough for one day — more than enoughfor one lifetime. I squeezed my eyes tightly together and turned my face into Edward’s chest.
But I could still hear.
There was a deep, rumbling125 growl84, and then a high-pitched keen that was horribly familiar. That sound cutoff quickly, and then the only sound was a sickening crunching126 and snapping.
Edward’s hand rubbed anxiously against my shoulders.
“Come,” Jane said, and I looked up in time to see the backs of the tall gray cloaks drifting away towardthe curling smoke. The incense smell was strong again — fresh.
The gray cloaks disappeared into the thick mist.
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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chunk
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| n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量） | |
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flipped
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| 轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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vampire
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| n.吸血鬼 | |
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scoured
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| 走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮 | |
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incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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offhand
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| adj.临时，无准备的；随便，马虎的 | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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stunt
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| n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长 | |
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glower
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| v.怒目而视 | |
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feigning
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| 假装，伪装( feign的现在分词 )； 捏造（借口、理由等） | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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spasm
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| n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作 | |
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37
blistering
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| adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡 | |
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38
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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plural
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| n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的 | |
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sagged
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| 下垂的 | |
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crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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44
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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constricted
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| adj.抑制的，约束的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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intercede
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| vi.仲裁，说情 | |
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49
jolted
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| （使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
plummeting
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| v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的现在分词 ) | |
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51
contingent
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| adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队 | |
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52
momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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53
bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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54
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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55
harass
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| vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰 | |
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56
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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57
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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58
truces
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| 休战( truce的名词复数 )； 停战（协定）； 停止争辩（的协议）； 中止 | |
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59
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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60
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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61
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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62
jade
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| n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠 | |
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63
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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65
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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66
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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67
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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68
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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69
placating
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| v.安抚，抚慰，使平静( placate的现在分词 ) | |
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70
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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71
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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72
vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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73
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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74
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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75
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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76
numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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77
vampires
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| n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 )；吸血蝠；高利贷者；（舞台上的）活板门 | |
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78
irises
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| n.虹( iris的名词复数 )；虹膜；虹彩；鸢尾（花） | |
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79
venom
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| n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨 | |
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80
grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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82
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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83
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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84
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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85
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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86
overdone
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| v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
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87
peeked
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| v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出 | |
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88
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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89
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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90
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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91
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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92
sprint
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| n.短距离赛跑；vi. 奋力而跑，冲刺；vt.全速跑过 | |
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93
pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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94
alabaster
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| adj.雪白的；n.雪花石膏；条纹大理石 | |
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95
dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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96
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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97
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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98
mesmerized
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| v.使入迷( mesmerize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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99
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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100
apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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101
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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102
solidifying
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| （使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的现在分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化 | |
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103
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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104
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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105
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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106
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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107
onus
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| n.负担；责任 | |
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108
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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109
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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111
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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112
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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113
flinching
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的现在分词 ) | |
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114
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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115
babbled
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| v.喋喋不休( babble的过去式和过去分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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116
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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117
flex
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| n.皮线，花线；vt.弯曲或伸展 | |
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118
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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119
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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120
beatific
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| adj.快乐的，有福的 | |
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121
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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122
glitch
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| n.干扰；误操作，小故障 | |
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123
eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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124
boredom
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| n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊 | |
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125
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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126
crunching
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| v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的现在分词 )；嘎吱作响；（快速大量地）处理信息；数字捣弄 | |
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