Page 140
but we will if you can’t control yourself。” “How can you stand it？” I asked him； almost begging。 Wasn’t he burning； too？ “I want her。” I stared at her； desperately wishing the distance between us was gone。 My fingers raked uselessly through the rocky dirt。 “You must stand it；” Carlisle said solemnly。 “You must exercise control。 It is possible； and it is the only thing that will save you now。” If being able to tolerate the human the way these strange vampires did was my only hope for survival； then I was already doomed。 I couldn’t stand the fire。 And I was of two minds about survival anyway。 I didn’t want to die； I didn’t want pain； but what was the point？ Everyone else was dead。 Diego had been dead for days。 His name was right on my lips。 I almost whispered it aloud。 Instead； I gripped my skull with both hands and tried to think about something that wouldn’t hurt。 Not the girl； and not Diego。 It didn’t work very well。 “Shouldn’t we move away from her？” the human whispered roughly； breaking my concentration。 My eyes snapped back to her。 Her skin was so thin and soft。 I could see the pulse in her neck。 “We have to stay here；” said the vampire she was clinging to。 “They are ing to the north end of the clearing now。” They？ I glanced to the north； but there was nothing but smoke。 Did he mean Riley and my creator？ I felt a new thrill of panic； followed by a little spasm of hope。 There was no way she and Riley could stand against these vampires who had killed so
Page 141
many of us； was there？ Even if the howly ones were gone； Jasper alone looked capable of dealing with the two of them。 Or did he mean this mysterious Volturi？ The wind teased the girl’s scent across my face again； and my thoughts scattered。 I glared at her thirstily。 The girl met my stare； but her expression was so different from what it should have been。 Though I could feel that my lips were curled back from my teeth； though I trembled with the effort to stop myself from springing at her； she did not look afraid of me。 Instead she seemed fascinated。 It almost looked like she wanted to speak to me like she had a question she wanted me to answer。 Then Carlisle and Jasper began to back away from the fireand me closing ranks with the others and the human。 They all were staring past me into the smoke； so whatever they were afraid of was closer to me than it was to them。 I huddled tighter to the smoke in spite of the nearby flames。 Should I make a run for it？ Were they distracted enough that I could escape？ Where would I go？ To Fred？ Off on my own？ To find Riley and make him pay for what he’d done to Diego？ As I hesitated； mesmerized by that last idea； the moment passed。 I heard movement to the north and knew I was sandwiched between the yelloweyes and whatever was ing。 “Hmm；” a dead voice said from behind the smoke。 In that one syllable I knew exactly who it was； and if I hadn’t been frozen solid with mindless terror I would have bolted。 It was the darkcloaks。
Page 142
What did this mean？ Would a new battle begin now？ I knew that the darkcloaked vampires had wanted my creator to succeed in destroying these yelloweyes。 My creator had clearly failed。 Did that mean they would kill her？ Or would they kill Carlisle and Esme and the rest here instead？ If it had been my choice； I knew who I would want destroyed； and it wasn’t my captors。 The darkcloaks ghosted through the vapor to face the yelloweyes。 None of them looked in my direction。 I held absolutely still。 There were only four of them； like last time。 But it didn’t make a difference that there were seven of the yelloweyes。 I could tell that they were as wary of these darkcloaks as Riley and my creator had been。 There was something more to them than I could see； but I could definitely feel it。 These were the punishers； and they didn’t lose。 “Wele； Jane；” said the yelloweyed one who held the human。 They knew each other。 But the redhead’s voice was not friendlynor was it weak and eager to please like Riley’s had been； or furiously terrified like my creator’s。 His voice was simply cold and polite and unsurprised。 Were the darkcloaks this Volturi； then？ The small vampire who led the darkcloaks Jane； apparently slowly scanned across the seven yelloweyes and the human； and then finally turned her head toward me。 I glimpsed her face for the first time。 She was younger than me； but much older； too； I guessed。 Her eyes were the velvet color of
Page 143
dark red roses。 Knowing it was too late to escape notice； I put my head down； covering it with my hands。 Maybe if it were clear that I didn’t want to fight； Jane would treat me as Carlisle had。 I didn’t feel much hope of that； though。 “I don’t understand。” Jane’s dead voice betrayed a hint of annoyance。 “She has surrendered；” the redhead explained。 “Surrendered？” Jane snapped。 I peeked up to see the darkcloaks exchanging glances。 The redhead had said that he’d never seen anyone surrender before。 Maybe the darkcloaks hadn’t； either。 “Carlisle gave her the option；” the redhead said。 He seemed to be the spokesperson for the yelloweyes； though I thought Carlisle might be the leader。 “There are no options for those who break the rules；” Jane said； her voice dead again。 My bones felt like ice； but I didn’t feel panicked anymore。 It all seemed so inevitable now。 Carlisle answered Jane in a soft voice。 “That’s in your hands。 As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us； I saw no need to destroy her。 She was never taught。” Though his words were neutral； I almost thought he was pleading for me。 But； as he had said； my fate was not up to him。 “That is irrelevant；” Jane confirmed。 “As you wish。” Jane was staring at Carlisle with an expression that was half confusion and half frustration。 She shook her head； and her face was unreadable again。
Page 144
“Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you； Carlisle；” she said。 “He sends his regards。” “I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him；” he answered。 Jane smiled。 “Of course。” Then she looked at me again； with the corners of her mouth still slightly holding the smile。 “It appears that you’ve done our work for us today… for the most part。 Just out of professional curiosity； how many were there？ They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle。” She spoke of jobs and professionals。 I was right； then； that it was her profession to punish。 And if there were punishers； then there must be rules。 Carlisle had said before； We follow their rules； and also； There is no law against creating vampires if you control them。 Riley and my creator had been afraid but not exactly surprised by the arrival of the darkcloaks； these Volturi。 They knew about the laws； and they knew they were breaking them。 Why hadn’t they told us？ And there were more Volturi than just these four。 Someone named Aro and probably many more。 There must have been a lot for everyone to fear them so much。 Carlisle answered Jane’s question。 “Eighteen； including this one。” There was a barely audible murmur among the four dark cloaks。 “Eighteen？” Jane repeated； a note of surprise in her voice。 Our creator had never told Jane how many of us she’d created。 Was Jane really surprised； or just faking it？ “All brandnew；” Carlisle said。 “They were unskilled。” Unskilled and uninformed； thanks to Riley。 I was beginning
Page 145
to get a sense of how these older vampires viewed us。 Newborn； Jasper had called me。 Like a baby。 “All？” Jane snapped。 “Then who was their creator？” As if they hadn’t already been introduced。 This Jane was a bigger liar than Riley； and she was so much better at it than he was。 “Her name was Victoria；” the redhead answered。 How did he know that when even I didn’t？ I remembered that Riley had said there was a mind reader in this group。 Was that how they knew everything？ Or was that another of Riley’s lies？ “Was？” Jane asked。 The redhead jerked his head toward the east like he was pointing。 I looked up and saw a cloud of thick lilac smoke billowing from the side of the mountain。 Was。 I felt a similar kind of pleasure to what I’d felt imagining the big vampire shredding Raoul。 Only much； much greater。 “This Victoria；” Jane asked slowly。 “She was in addition to the eighteen here？” “Yes；” the redhead confirmed。 “She had only one other with her。 He was not as young as this one here； but no older than a year。” Riley。 My fierce pleasure intensified。 Ifokay； when I died today； at least I didn’t leave that loose thread。 Diego had been avenged。 I almost smiled。 “Twenty；” Jane breathed。 Either this was more than she had expected； or she was a killer actress。 “Who dealt with the
Page 146
creator？” “I did；” the redhead said coldly。 Whoever this vampire was； whether he kept a pet human or no； he was a friend of mine。 Even if he were the one to kill me in the end； I would still owe him。 Jane turned to stare at me with narrowed eyes。 “You there；” she snarled。 “Your name。” I was dead anyway； according to her。 So why give this lying vampire anything she wanted？ I just glared at her。 Jane smiled at me； the bright； happy smile of an innocent child； and suddenly I was