Renesmee made in her visions as to what was waiting for us in South America until Jasper said； 〃Let it
go； Alice； she's not our concern；〃 and a cloud of serenity stole silently and invisibly through the room。
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Alice must have been worrying about Irina again。
She stuck her tongue out at Jasper and then lifted one crystal vase that was filled with white and red
roses and turned toward the kitchen。 There was just the barest hint of wilt to one of the white flowers；
but Alice seemed intent on utter perfection as a distraction to her lack of vision tonight。
Staring at Renesmee again； I didn't see it when the vase slipped from Alice's fingers。 I only heard the
whoosh of the air whistling past the crystal； and my eyes flickered up in time to see the vase shatter into
ten thousand diamond shards against the edge of the kitchen's marble floor。
We were perfectly still as the fragmented crystal bounced and skittered in every direction with an
unmusical tinkling； all eyes on Alice's back。
My first illogical thought was that Alice was playing some joke on us。 Because there was no way that
Alice could have dropped the vase by accident I could have darted across the room to catch the vase in
plenty of time myself； if I hadn't assumed she would get it。 And how would it fall through her fingers in the
first place？ Her perfectly sure fingers。。。
I had never seen a vampire drop anything by accident。 Ever。
And then Alice was facing us； twisting in a move so fast it didn't exist。
Her eyes were halfway here and halfway locked on the future； wide； staring； filling her thin face till they
seemed to overflow it。 Looking into her eyes was like looking out of a grave from the inside； I was buried
in the terror and
despair and agony of her gaze。
I heard Edward gasp； it was a broken； halfchoked sound。
〃What？〃Jasper growled； leaping to her side in a blurred rush of movement； crushing the broken crystal
under his feet。 He grabbed her shoulders and shook her sharply。 She seemed to rattle silently in his
hands。 〃What Alice？〃
Emmett moved into my peripheral vision； his teeth bared while his eyes darted toward the window；
anticipating an attack。
There was only silence from Esme； Carlisle； and Rose； who were frozen just as I was。
Jasper shook Alice again。 〃What is it？〃
〃They're ing for us；〃 Alice and Edward whispered together； perfectly synchronized。 〃All of them。〃
Silence。
For once； I was the quickest to understand—because something in their words triggered my own vision。
It was only the distant memory of a dream—faint； transparent； indistinct as if I were peering through thick
gauze。。。。 In my head； I saw a line of black advancing on me； the ghost of my halfforgotten human
nightmare。 I could not see the glint of their ruby eyes in the shrouded image； or the shine of their sharp
wet teeth； but I knew where the gleam should be。。。。
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Stronger than the memory of the sight came the memory of the feel —the wrenching need to protect the
precious thing behind me。
I wanted to snatch Renesmee up into my arms； to hide her behind my skin and hair； to make her
invisible。 But I couldn't even turn to look at her。 I felt not like stone but ice。 For the first time since I'd
been reborn a vampire； I felt cold。
I barely heard the confirmation of my fears。 I didn't need it。 I already knew。
〃The Volturi；〃 Alice moaned。
〃All of them；〃 Edward groaned at the same time。
〃Why？〃 Alice whispered to herself。 〃How？〃
〃When？〃 Edward whispered。
〃Why？〃 Esme echoed。
〃When？〃Jasper repeated in a voice like splintering ice。
Alice's eyes didn't blink； but it was as if a veil covered them； they became perfectly blank。 Only her
mouth held on to her expression of horror。
〃Not long；〃 she and Edward said together。 Then she spoke alone。 〃There's snow on the forest； snow on
the town。 Little more than a month。〃
〃Why？〃 Carlisle was the one to ask this time。
Esme answered。 〃They must have a reason。 Maybe to see 。。。〃
〃This isn't about Bella；〃 Alice said hollowly。 〃They're all ing—Aro； Caius； Marcus； every member of
the guard； even the wives。〃
〃The wives never leave the tower；〃 Jasper contradicted her in a flat voice。 〃Never。 Not during the
southern rebellion。 Not when the Romanians tried to overthrow them。 Not even when they were hunting
the immortal children。 Never。〃
〃They're ing now；〃 Edward whispered。
〃But why？〃 Carlisle said again。 〃We've done nothing！ And if we had； what could we possibly do that
would bring f？sdown on us？〃
〃There are so many of us；〃 Edward answered dully。 〃They must want to make sure that。。。〃 He didn't
finish。
〃That doesn't answer the crucial question！ Why？〃
I felt I knew the answer to Carlisle's question； and yet at the same time I didn't。 Renesmee was the
reason why； I was sure。 Somehow I'd known from the very beginning that they would e for her。 My
subconscious had warned me before I'd known I was carrying her。 It felt oddly expected now。 As if I'd
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somehow always known that the Volturi would e to take my happiness from me。
But that still didn't answer the question。
〃Go back； Alice；〃 Jasper pleaded。 〃Look for the trigger。 Search。〃
Alice shook her head slowly； her shoulders sagging。 〃It came out of nowhere； Jazz。 I wasn't looking for
them； or even for us。 I was just looking for Irina。 She wasn't where I expected her to be。。。。〃 Alice trailed
off； her eyes drifting again。 She stared at nothing for a long second。
And then her head jerked up； her eyes hard as flint。 I heard Edward catch his breath。
〃She decided to go to them；〃 Alice said。 〃Irina decided to go to the Volturi。 And then they will decide。。。。
It's as if they're waiting for her。 Like their decision was already made； and just waiting on her___〃
It was silent again as we digested this。 What would Irina tell the Volturi that would result in Alice's
appalling vision？
〃Can we stop her？〃 Jasper asked。
〃There's no way。 She's almost there。〃
〃What is she doing？〃 Carlisle was asking； but I wasn't paying attention to the discussion now。 All my
focus was on the picture that was painstakingly ing together in my head。
I pictured Irina poised on the cliff； watching。 What had she seen？ A vampire and a werewolf who were
best friends。 I'd been focused on that image； one that would obviously explain her reaction。 But that was
not all that she'd seen。
She'd also seen a child。 An exquisitely beautiful child； showing off in the falling snow； clearly more than
human。。。
Irina。。。 the orphaned sisters。。。 Carlisle had said that losing their mother to the Volturi's justice had made
Tanya； Kate； and Irina purists when it came to the law。
Just half a minute ago； Jasper had said the words himself： Not even when they were hunting the
immortal children。。。。 The immortal children—the unmentionable bane； the appalling taboo。。。
With Irina's past； how could she apply any other reading to what she'd seen that day in the narrow field？
She
had not been close enough to hear Renesmee's heart； to feel the heat radiating from her body。
Renesmee's rosy cheeks could have been a trick on our part for all she knew。
After all； the Cullens were in league with werewolves。 From Irina's point of view； maybe this meant
nothing was beyond us。。。。
Irina； wringing her hands in the snowy wilderness—not mourning Laurent； after all； but knowing it was
her duty to turn the Cullens in； knowing what would happen to them if she did。 Apparently her
conscience had won out over the centuries of friendship。
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And the Volturi's response to this kind of infraction was so automatic； it was already decided。
I turned and draped myself over Renesmee's sleeping body； covering her with my hair； burying my face
in her curls。
〃Think of what she saw that afternoon；〃 I said in a low voice； interrupting whatever Emmett was
beginning to say。 〃To someone who'd lost a mother because of the immortal children； what would
Renesmee look like？〃
Everything was silent again as the others caught up to where I was already。
〃An immortal child；〃 Carlisle whispered。
I felt Edward kneel beside me； wrap his arms over us both。
〃But she's wrong；〃 I went on。 〃Renesmee isn't like those other children。 They were frozen； but she grows
so much every day。 They were out of control； but she never hurts Charlie or Sue or even shows them
things that would upset them。 She can control herself。 She's already smarter than most adults。 There
would be no reason___〃
I babbled on； waiting for someone to exhale with relief； waiting for the icy tension in the room to relax as
they realized I was right。 The room just seemed to get colder。 Eventually my small voice trailed off into
silence。
No one spoke for a long time。
Then