“Seriously？” I finally asked。 “You 。 。 。 what？ Thought you’d scared me off？” I snorted。 Snorting was
good； a voice couldn’t tremble or break during a snort。 It sounded impressively offhand。
He put his hand under my chin and tilted my head back to read my face。
“Bella； I just” — he hesitated and then forced the words out — “I just beheaded and dismembered a
sentient creature not twenty yards from you。 That doesn’t bother you？”
He frowned at me。
I shrugged。 Shrugging was good； too。 Very blasé。 “Not really。 I was only afraid that you and Seth were
going 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 stunt with the rock。 You know that you nearly gave me a
heart attack？ Not the easiest thing to do； that。”
His furious glower made it hard to answer。
“I wanted to help 。 。 。 Seth was hurt。 。 。 。”
“Seth was only feigning 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 he
can’t claim a singlehanded defeat now。”
“Seth was 。 。 。 faking？”
Edward nodded sternly。
“Oh。”
We both looked at Seth； who was studiously ignoring us； watching the flames。 Smugness radiated from
every hair in his fur。
“Well； I didn’t know that；” I said； on the offense now。 “And it’s not easy being the only helpless person
around。 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 you
anticipate 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 was
over。
Or 。 。 。 was it？
“Hold on。 Didn’t you say something before — ？” I flinched； remembering what exactly it had been before
— what was I going to say to Jacob？ My splintered heart throbbed out a painful； aching beat。 It was hard to
believe； almost impossible； but the hardest part of this day was not behind me — and then I soldiered on。
“About a plication？ And Alice； needing to nail down the schedule for Sam。 You said it was going to be
close。 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 stiffened 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 that
you 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 collapsed？ “No
reason to be afraid。 Got it。”
He pursed his lips for a second； deciding what to say。 And then he glanced abruptly at Seth； as if the wolf
had called him。
“What’s she doing？” Edward asked。
Seth whined； 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 spasm rocked through Seth’s body； and a howl； blistering 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 face
furrowed in pain。
I screamed once in bewildered terror； and dropped to my knees beside him。 Stupidly； I tried to pull his
hands 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 clenched teeth apart。
“It’s okay。 We’re going to be fine。 It’s —” He broke off； and winced again。
“What’s happening？” I cried out while Seth howled in anguish。
“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。 No
unseen force was attacking them。 This time； the crisis was not here。
He was using the pack plural。
I’d burned through all my adrenaline。 My body had nothing left。 I sagged； and Edward caught me before I
could hit the rocks。 He sprang to his feet； me in his arms。
“Seth！” Edward shouted。
Seth was crouched； 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 agonized eyes for one long second； and then he straightened up and
flew 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 constricted throat。 “What happened； Edward？ What
happened 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 probability
of this happening。 Earlier this morning； Alice saw it and passed it through Sam to Seth。 The Volturi decided it
was time to intercede。”
The Volturi。
Too much。 My mind refused to make sense of the words； pretended it couldn’t understand。
The trees jolted past us。 He was running downhill so fast that it felt as if we were plummeting； falling out of
control。
“Don’t panic。 They aren’t ing for us。 It’s just the normal contingent of the guard that usually cleans up
this kind of mess。 Nothing momentous； they’re merely doing their job。 Of course； they seem to have timed
their arrival very carefully。 Which leads me to believe that no one in Italy would mourn if these newborns had
reduced the size of the Cullen family。” The words came through his teeth； hard and bleak。 “I’ll know for sure
what 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 crept
into my unwilling 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 no
reason to harass us； but 。 。 。 Jane’s with them。 If she thought we were alone somewhere away from the others；
it might tempt 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 exquisite； childlike face in my head。 A
strange 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 truces with werewolves。”
I could hear my breathing get faster； but I couldn’t control it。 I started to gasp。
“I swear they will be fine；” Edward promised me。 “The Volturi won’t recognize the scent — they won’t
realize 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 shreds by my fears。 We’re going to
be 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 racing blur that flowed around him like jade 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 wolves
didn’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 prove
something。 She engaged him alone。 。 。 。”
“Leah；” I repeated； and I was too weak to feel shame for the relief that flooded through me。 “Is she going
to be okay？”
“Leah wasn’t hurt；” Edward mumbled。
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 fixed 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 the
one 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？”