asked you to do me a favor once you were immortal？〃
That rang a dim bell。 I sifted through the blurry human conversations。 After a moment； I remembered
and I gasped； 〃Oh！〃
Alice trilled a long； pealing laugh。 Jacob poked his head around the corner； his mouth stuffed with food。
〃What？〃 Emmett growled。
〃Really？〃 I asked Edward。
〃Trust me；〃 he said。
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I took a deep breath。 〃Emmett； how do you feel about a little bet？〃
He was on his feet at once。 〃Awesome。 Bring it。〃
I bit my lip for a second。 He was just so huge。
〃Unless you're too afraid。。。 ？〃 Emmett suggested。
I squared my shoulders。 〃You。 Me。 Armwrestling。 Dining room table。 Now。〃
Emmett's grin stretched across his face。
〃Er； Bella；〃 Alice said quickly； 〃I think Esme is fairly fond of that table。 It's an antique。〃
〃Thanks；〃 Esme mouthed at her。
〃No problem；〃 Emmett said with a gleaming smile。 〃Right this way； Bella。〃
I followed him out the back； toward the garage； I could hear all the others trailing behind。 There was a
largish granite boulder standing up out of a tumble of rocks near the river； obviously Emmett's goal。
Though the big rock was a little rounded and irregular； it would do the job。
Emmett placed his elbow on the rock and waved me forward。
I was nervous again as I watched the thick muscles in Emmett's arm roll； but I kept my face smooth。
Edward had promised I would be stronger than anyone for a while。 He seemed very confident about this；
and I felt strong。 That strong？ I wondered； looking at Emmett's biceps。 I wasn't even two days old；
though； and that ought to count for something。 Unless nothing was normal about me。 Maybe I wasn't as
strong as a normal newborn。 Maybe that's why control was so easy for me。
I tried to look unconcerned as I set my elbow against the stone。
〃Okay； Emmett。 I win； and you cannot say one more word about my sex life to anyone； not even Rose。
No allusions； no innuendos—no nothing。〃
His eyes narrowed。 〃Deal。 I win； and it's going to get a lot worse。〃
He heard my breath stop and grinned evilly。 There was no hint of bluff in his eyes。
〃You gonna back down so easy； little sister？〃 Emmett taunted。 〃Not much wild about you； is there？ I bet
that cottage doesn't have a scratch。〃 He laughed。 〃Did Edward tell you how many houses Rose and I
smashed？〃
I gritted my teeth and grabbed his big hand。 〃One； two—〃
〃Three；〃 he grunted； and shoved against my hand。
Nothing happened。
Oh； I could feel the force he was exerting。 My new mind seemed pretty good at all kinds of calculations；
and so I could tell that if he wasn't meeting any resistance； his hand would have pounded right through the
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rock without difficulty。 The pressure increased； and I wondered randomly if a cement truck doing forty
miles an hour down a sharp decline would have similar power。 Fifty miles an hour？ Sixty？ Probably
more。
It wasn't enough to move me。 His hand shoved against mine with crushing force； but it wasn't unpleasant。
It felt kind of good in a weird way。 I'd been so very careful since the last time I woke up； trying so hard
not to break things。 It was a strange relief to use my muscles。 To let the strength flow rather than
struggling to restrain it。
Emmett grunted； his forehead creased and his whole body strained in one rigid line toward the obstacle
of my unmoving hand。 I let him sweat—figuratively—for a moment while I enjoyed the sensation of the
crazy force running through my arm。
A few seconds； though； and I was a little bored with it。 I flexed； Emmett lost an inch。
I laughed。 Emmett snarled harshly through his teeth。
〃Just keep your mouth shut；〃 I reminded him； and then I smashed his hand into the boulder。 A deafening
crack echoed off the trees。 The rock shuddered； and a piece—about an eighth of the mass—broke off at
an invisible fault line and crashed to the ground。 It fell on Emmett's foot； and I snickered。 I could hear
Jacob's and Edward's muffled laughter。
Emmett kicked the rock fragment across the river。 It sliced a young maple in half before thudding into
the base of a big fir； which swayed and then fell into another tree。
〃Rematch。 Tomorrow。〃
〃It's not going to wear off that fast；〃 I told him。 〃Maybe you ought to give it a month。〃
Emmett growled； flashing his teeth。 〃Tomorrow。〃
〃Hey； whatever makes you happy； big brother。〃
As he turned to stalk away； Emmett punched the granite； shattering off an avalanche of shards and
powder。 It was kind of neat； in a childish way。
Fascinated by the undeniable proof that I was stronger than the strongest vampire I'd ever known； I
placed my hand； fingers spread wide； against the rock。 Then I dug my fingers slowly into the stone；
crushing rather than digging； the consistency reminded me of hard cheese。 I ended up with a handful of
gravel。
〃Cool；〃 I mumbled。
With a grin stretching my face； I whirled in a sudden circle and karatechopped the rock with the side of
my hand。 The stone shrieked and groaned and—with a big poof of dust—split in two。
I started giggling。
I didn't pay much attention to the chuckles behind me while I punched and kicked the rest of the boulder
into fragments。 I was having too much fun； snickering away the whole time。 It wasn't until I heard a new
little giggle； a highpitched peal of bells； that I turned away from my silly game。
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〃Did she just laugh？〃
Everyone was staring at Renesmee with the same dumbstruck expression that must have been on my
face。
〃Yes；〃 Edward said。
〃Who wasnt laughing？〃 Jake muttered； rolling his eyes。
〃Tell me you didn't let go a bit on your first run； dog；〃 Edward teased； no antagonism in his voice at all。
〃That's different；〃 Jacob said； and I watched in surprise as he mockpunched Edward's shoulder。
〃Bella's supposed to be a grownup。 Married and a mom and all that。 Shouldn't there be more dignity？〃
Renesmee frowned； and touched Edward's face。
〃What does she want？〃 I asked。
〃Less dignity；〃 Edward said with a grin。 〃She was having almost as much fun watching you enjoy yourself
as I was。〃
〃Am I funny？〃 I asked Renesmee； darting back and reaching for her at the same time that she reached
for me。 I took her out of Edward's arms and offered her the shard of rock in my hand。 〃You want to
try？〃
She smiled her glittering smile and took the stone in both hands。 She squeezed； a little dent forming
between her eyebrows as she concentrated。
There was a tiny grinding sound； and a bit of dust。 She frowned； and held the chunk up to me。
Til get it；〃 I said； pinching the stone into sand。
She clapped and laughed； the delicious sound of it made us all join in。
The sun suddenly burst through the clouds； shooting long beams of ruby and gold across the ten of us；
and I was immediately lost in the beauty of my skin in the light of the sunset。 Dazed by it。
Renesmee stroked the smooth diamondbright facets； then laid her arm next to mine。 Her skin had just a
faint luminosity； subtle and mysterious。 Nothing that would keep her inside on a sunny day like my
glowing sparkle。 She touched my face； thinking of the difference and feeling disgruntled。
〃You're the prettiest；〃 I assured her。
Tm not sure I can agree to that；〃 Edward said； and when I turned to answer him； the sunlight on his face
stunned me into silence。
Jacob had his hand in front of his face； pretending to shield his eyes from the glare。 〃Freaky Bella；〃 he
mented。
〃What an amazing creature she is；〃 Edward murmured； almost in agreement； as if Jacob's ment was
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meant as a pliment。 He was both dazzling and dazzled。
It was a strange feeling—not surprising； I supposed； since everything felt strange now—this being a
natural at something。 As a human； I'd never been best at anything。 I was okay at dealing with Renee； but
probably lots of people could have done better； Phil seemed to be holding his own。 I was a good
student； but never the top of the class。 Obviously； I could be counted out of anything athletic。 Not artistic
or musical； no particular talents to brag of。 Nobody ever gave away a trophy for reading books。 After
eighteen years of mediocrity； I was pretty used to being average。 I realized now that I'd long ago given up
any aspirations of shining at anything。 I just did the best with what I had； never quite fitting into my world。
So this was really different。 I was amazing now—to them and to myself。 It was like I had been born to
be a vampire。 The idea made me want to laugh； but it also made me want to sing。 I had found my true
place in the world； the place I fit； the place I shined。
27。 TRAVEL PLANS
i took mythology a lot more seriously since I'd bee a vampire。
Often； when I looked back over my first three months as an immortal；