word will spread. It's time our world saw the Volturi for what they've become. They'll never fall if
everyone believes this nonsense about them protecting our way of life."
"At least when we ruled, we were honest about what we were," Vladimir replied.
Stefan nodded. "We never put on white hats and called ourselves saints."
Tm thinking the time has come to fight," Vladimir said. "How can you imagine well ever find a better
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force to stand with? Another chance this good?"
"Nothing is impossible. Maybe someday—"
"We've been waiting for fifteen hundred years, Stefan. And they've only gotten stronger with the
years." Vladimir paused and looked at me again. He showed no surprise when he saw that I was
watching him, too. "If the Volturi win this conflict, they will leave with more power than they came with.
With every conquest they add to their strengths. Think of what that newborn alone could give them"—he
jerked his chin toward me—"and she is barely discovering her gifts. And the earth-mover." Vladimir
nodded toward Benjamin, who stiffened. Almost everyone was eavesdropping on the Romanians now,
like me. "With their witch twins they have no need of the illusionist or the fire touch." His eyes moved to
Zafrina, then Kate.
Stefan looked at Edward. "Nor is the mind reader is exactly necessary. But I see your point. Indeed,
they will gain much if they win."
"More than we can afford to have them gain, wouldn't you agree?"
Stefan sighed. "I think i must agree. And that means…"
"That we must stand against them while there is still hope."
"If we can just cripple them, even, expose them …"
"Then, someday, others will finish the job."
"And our long vendetta will be repaid. At last."
They locked eyes for a moment and then murmured in unison. "It seems the only way."
"So we fight," Stefan said.
Though I could see that they were torn, self-preservation warring with revenge, the smile they exchanged
was full of anticipation.
"We fight," Vladimir agreed.
I suppose it was a good thing; like Alistair, I was sure the battle was impossible to avoid. In that case,
two more vampires fighting on our side could only help. But the Romanians' decision still made me
shudder.
"We will fight, too," Tia said, her usually grave voice more solemn than ever. "We believe the Volturi will
overstep their authority. We have no wish to belong to them." Her eyes lingered on her mate.
Benjamin grinned and threw an impish glance toward the Romanians. "Apparently, I'm a hot commodity.
It appears I have to win the right to be free."
"This won't be the first time I've fought to keep myself from a king's rule," Garrett said in a teasing tone.
He walked over and clapped Benjamin on the back. "Here's to freedom from oppression."
"We stand with Carlisle," Tanya said. "And we fight with him."
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The Romanians' pronouncement seemed to have made the others feel the need to declare themselves as
well.
"We have not decided/7Peter said. He looked down at his tiny companion; Charlotte's lips were set in
dissatisfaction. It looked like she'd made her decision. I wondered what it was.
"The same goes for me," Randall said.
"And me," Mary added.
"The packs will fight with the Cullens," Jacob said suddenly. "We're not afraid of vampires," he added
with a smirk.
"Children," Peter muttered.
"Infants," Randall corrected.
Jacob grinned tauntingly.
"Well, I'm in, too," Maggie said, shrugging out from under Siobhan's restraining hand. "I know truth is on
Carlisle's side. I can't ignore that."
Siobhan stared at the junior member of her coven with worried eyes. "Carlisle," she said as if they were
alone, ignoring the suddenly formal feel of the gathering, the unexpected outburst of declarations, "I don't
want this to come to a fight."
"Nor do I, Siobhan. You know that's the last thing I want." He half-smiled. "Perhaps you should
concentrate on keeping it peaceful."
"You know that won't help," she said.
I remembered Rose and Carlisle's discussion of the Irish leader; Carlisle believed that Siobhan had some
subtle but powerful gift to make things go her way—and yet Siobhan didn't believe it herself.
"It couldn't hurt," Carlisle said.
Siobhan rolled her eyes. "Shall I visualize the outcome I desire?" she asked sarcastically.
Carlisle was openly grinning now. "If you don't mind."
"Then there is no need for my coven to declare itself, is there?" she retorted. "Since there is no possibility
of a fight." She put her hand back on Maggie's shoulder, pulling the girl closer to her. Siobhan's mate,
Liam, stood silent and expressionless.
Almost everyone else in the room looked mystified by Carlisle and Siobhan's clearly joking exchange,
but they didn't explain themselves.
That was the end of the dramatic speeches for the night. The group slowly dispersed, some off to hunt,
some to while away the time with Carlisle's books or televisions or computers.
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Edward, Renesmee, and I went to hunt. Jacob tagged along.
"Stupid leeches," he muttered to himself when we got outside. "Think they're so superior." He snorted.
"They'll be shocked when the infants save their superior lives, won't they?" Edward said.
Jake smiled and punched his shoulder. "Hell yeah, they will."
This wasn't our last hunting trip. We all would hunt again nearer to the time we expected the Volturi. As
the deadline was not exact, we were planning to stay a few nights out in the big baseball clearing Alice
had seen, just in
case. All we knew was that they would come the day that the snow stuck to the ground. We didn't want
the Volturi too close to town, and Demetri would lead them to wherever we were. I wondered who he
would track in, and guessed that it would be Edward since he couldn't track me.
I thought about Demetri while I hunted, paying little attention to my prey or the drifting snowflakes that
had finally appeared but were melting before they touched the rocky soil. Would Demetri realize that he
couldn't track me? What would he make of that? What would Aro? Or was Edward wrong? There were
those little exceptions to what I could withstand, those ways around my shield. Everything that was
outside my mind was vulnerable—open to the things Jasper, Alice, and Benjamin could do. Maybe
Demetri's talent worked a little differently, too.
And then I had a thought that brought me up short. The half-drained elk dropped from my hands to the
stony ground. Snowflakes vaporized a few inches from the warm body with tiny sizzling sounds. I stared
blankly at my bloody hands.
Edward saw my reaction and hurried to my side, leaving his own kill undrained.
"What's wrong?" he asked in a low voice, his eyes sweeping the forest around us, looking for whatever
had triggered my behavior.
"Renesmee," I choked.
"She's just through those trees," he reassured me. "I can hear both her thoughts and Jacob's. She's fine."
"That's not what I meant," I said. "I was thinking about my shield—you really think it's worth something,
that it will help somehow. I know the others are hoping that I'll be able to shield Zafrina and Benjamin,
even if I can only keep it up for a few seconds at a time. What if that's a mistake? What if your trust in
me is the reason that we fail?"
My voice was edging toward hysteria, though I had enough control to keep it low. I didn't want to upset
Renesmee.
"Bella, what brought this on? Of course, it s wonderful that you can protect yourself, but you're not
responsible for saving anyone. Don't distress yourself needlessly."
"But what if I can't protect anything?" I whispered in gasps. "This thing I do, it's faulty, it's erratic!
There's no rhyme or reason to it. Maybe it will do nothing against Alec at all."
"Shh," he hushed me. "Don't panic. And don't worry about Alec. What he does is no different than what
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Jane or Zafrina does. It's just an illusion—he can't get inside your head any more than I can."
"But Renesmee does!" I hissed frantically through my teeth. "It seemed so natural, I never questioned it
before. It's always been just part of who she is. But she puts her thoughts right into my head just like she
does with everyone else. My shield has holes, Edward!"
I stared at him desperately, waiting for him to acknowledge my terrible revelation. His lips were pursed,
as if he was trying to decide how to phrase something. His expression was perfectly relaxed.
"You thought of this a long time ago, didn't you?" I demanded, feeling like an idiot for my months of
overlooking the obvious.
He nodded, a faint smile pulling up one corner of his mouth. "The first time she touched you."
I sighed at my own stupidity, but his calm had mellowed me some. "And this doesn't bother you? You
don't see it as a problem?"
"I have two theories, one more likely than the other."
"Give me the least likely first."
"Well, she's your daughter," he pointed out. "Genetically half you. I used to tease you about how your
mind was on a different frequency than the rest of ours. Perhaps she runs on the same."
This didn't work for me. "But you hear her mind just fine. Everyone hears her mind. And what if Alec
runs on a different frequency? What if—？"
He put a finger to my lips. "I've considered that. Which is why I think this next theory is much more
likely."
I gritted my teeth and waited.
"Do you remember what Carlisle said to me about her, right after she showed you that first memory?"
Of course I remembered. "He said, It's an interesting twist. Like she's doing the exact opposite of what
you can.'"
"Yes. And so I wondered. Maybe she took your talent and flipped it, too."
I considered that.
"You keep everyone out," he began.
"And no one keeps her out?" I finished hesitantly.
"That's my theory," he said. "And if she can get into your head, I doubt there's a shield on the planet who
could keep her at bay. That will help. From what we've seen, no one can doubt the truth of her thoughts
once they've allowed her to show them. And I think no one can keep her from showing them, if she gets
close enough. If Aro allows her to explain___"
I shuddered to think of Renesmee so close to Aro's greedy, milky eyes.
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"Well," he said, rubbing my tight shoulders. "At least there's nothing that can stop him from seeing the
truth."
"But is the truth enough to stop him?" I murmured.
For that, Edward had no answer.
35. DEADLINE
"Headed out?" Edward asked, his tone nonchalant. There was a sort of forced composure about his
expression. He hugged Renesmee just a little bit tighter to his chest.
"Yes, a few last-minute things…，" I responded just as casually.
He smiled my favorite smile. "Hurry back to me."
"Always."
I took his Volvo again, wondering if he'd read the odometer after my last errand. How much had he
pieced together? That I had a secret, absolutely. Would he have deduced the reason why I didn't confide
in him? Did he guess that Aro might soon know everything he knew? I thought Edward could have come
to that conclusion, which explained why he had demanded no reasons from me. I guessed he was trying
not to speculate too much, trying to keep my behavior off his mind. Had he put this together with my odd
performance the morning after Alice left, burning my book in the fire? I didn't know if he could have
made that leap.
It was a dreary afternoon, already dark as dusk. I sped through the gloom, my eyes on the heavy
clouds. Would it snow tonight? Enough to layer the ground and create the scene from Alice's vision?
Edward estimated that we had about two more days. Then we would set ourselves in the clearing,
drawing the Volturi to our chosen place.
As I headed through the darkening forest, I considered my last trip to Seattle. I thought I knew Alice's
purpose in sending me to the dilapidated drop point where J. Jenks referred his shadier clients. If I'd
gone to one of his other, more legitimate offices, would I have ever known what to ask for? if I'd met him
as Jason Jenks or Jason Scott, legitimate lawyer, would I ever have unearthed J. Jenks, purveyor of
illegal documents? I'd had to go the route that made it clear I was up to no good. That was my clue.
It was black when I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant a few minutes early, ignoring the eager
valets by the entrance. I popped in my contacts and then went to wait for J inside the restaurant. Though
I was in a hurry to be
done with this depressing necessity and back with my family, J seemed careful to keep himself untainted
by his baser associations; i had a feeling a handoff in the dark parking lot would offend his sensibilities.
I gave the name Jenks at the podium, and the obsequious maftre d' led me upstairs to a small private
room with a fire crackling in a stone hearth. He took the calf-length ivory trench coat I'd worn to disguise
the fact that I was wearing Alice's idea of appropriate attire, and gasped quietly at my oyster satin
cocktail dress. I couldn't help being a little flattered; I still wasn't used to being beautiful to everyone
rather than just Edward. The mattre d' stuttered half-formed compliments as he backed unsteadily from
the room.
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I stood by the fire to wait, holding my fingers close to the flame to warm them a little before the
inevitable handshake. Not that J wasn't obviously aware that there was something up with the Cullens,
but it was still a good habit to practice.
For one half second, I wondered what it would feel like to put my hand in the fire. What it would feel
like when I burned___
J's entrance distracted my morbidity. The maftre d' took his coat, too, and it was evident that I was not
the only one who had dressed up for this meeting.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," J said as soon as we were alone.
"No, you're exactly on time."
He held out his hand, and as we shook I could feel that his fingers were still quite noticeably warmer than
mine. It didn't seem to bother him.
"You look stunning, if I may be so bold, Mrs. Cullen."
"Thank you, J. Please, call me Bella."
"I must say, it's a different experience working with you than it is with Mr. Jasper. Much less…
unsettling." He smiled hesitantly.
"Really? I've always found Jasper to have a very soothing presence."
His eyebrows pulled together. "Is that so?" he murmured politely while clearly still in disagreement. How
odd. What had Jasper done to this man?
"Have you known Jasper long?"
He sighed, looking uncomfortable. "I've been working with Mr. Jasper for more than twenty years, and
my old partner knew him for fifteen years before that… He never changes." J cringed delicately.
"Yeah, Jasper's kind of funny that way."
J shook his head as if he could shake away the disturbing thoughts. "Won't you have a seat, Bella?"
"Actually, I'm in a bit of a hurry. I've got a long drive home." As I spoke, I took the thick white envelope
with his bonus from my bag and handed it to him.
"Oh," he said, a little catch of disappointment in his voice. He tucked the envelope into an inside pocket
of his jacket without bothering to check the amount. "I was hoping we could speak for just a moment."
"About?" I asked curiously.
"Well, let me get you your items first. I want to make sure you're satisfied."
He turned, placed his briefcase on the table, and popped the latches. He took out a legal-sized manila
envelope.
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Though I had no idea what I should be looking for, I opened the envelope and gave the contents a
cursory glance. J had flipped Jacob's picture and changed the coloring so that it wasn't immediately
evident that it was the same picture on both his passport and driver's license. Both looked perfectly
sound to me, but that meant little. I glanced at the picture on Vanessa Wolfe's passport for a fraction of a
second, and then looked away quickly, a lump rising in my throat.
"Thank you," I told him.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and I felt he was disappointed that my examination was not more thorough.
"I can assure you every piece is perfect. All will pass the most rigorous scrutiny by experts."
"I'm sure they are. I truly appreciate what you've done for me, J."
"It's been my pleasure, Bella. In the future, feel free to come to me for anything the Cullen family needs."
He didn't even hint at it really, but this sounded like an invitation for me to take over Jasper's place as
liaison.
"There was something you wanted to discuss?"
"Er, yes. It's a bit delicate " He gestured to the stone hearth with a questioning expression. I sat on the
edge of the stone, and he sat beside me. Sweat was dewing up on his forehead again, and he pulled a
blue silk handkerchief from his pocket and began mopping.
"You are the sister of Mr. Jasper's wife? Or married to his brother?" he asked.
"Married to his brother," I clarified, wondering where this was leading.
"You would be Mr. Edward's bride, then?"
"Yes."
He smiled apologetically. "I've seen all the names many times, you see. My belated congratulations. It's
nice that Mr. Edward has found such a lovely partner after all this time."
"Thank you very much."
He paused, dabbing at the sweat. "Over the years, you might imagine that I've developed a very healthy
level of respect for Mr. Jasper and the entire family."
I nodded cautiously.
He took a deep breath and then exhaled without speaking.
"J, please just say whatever you need to."
He took another breath and then mumbled quickly, slurring the words together.
"If you could just assure me that you are not planning to kidnap the little girl from her father, I would
sleep better tonight."
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"Oh," I said, stunned. It took me a minute to understand the erroneous conclusion he'd drawn. "Oh no.
It's nothing like that at all." I smiled weakly, trying to reassure him. "I'm simply preparing a safe place for
her in case
something were to happen to my husband and me."
His eyes narrowed. "Are you expecting something to happen?" He blushed, then apologized. "Not that
it's any of my business."
I watched the red flush spread behind the delicate membrane of his skin and was glad—as I often
was—that I was not the average newborn. J seemed a nice enough man, criminal behavior aside, and it
would have been a shame to kill him.
"You never know." I sighed.
He frowned. "May I wish you the best of luck, then. And please don't be put out with me, my dear,
but… if Mr. Jasper should come to me and ask what names I put on these documents …"
"Of course you should tell him immediately. I'd like nothing better than to have Mr. Jasper fully aware of
our entire transaction."
My transparent sincerity seemed to ease a bit of his tension.
"Very good," he said. "And I can't prevail upon you to stay for dinner?"
"I'm sorry, J. I'm short on time at present."
"Then, again, my best wishes for your health and happiness. Anything at all the Cullen family needs,
please don't hesitate to call on me, Bella."
"Thank you, J."
I left with my contraband, glancing back to see that J was staring after me, his expression a mixture of
anxiety and regret.
The return trip took me less time. The night was black, and so I turned off my headlights and floored it.
When I got back to the house, most of the cars, including Alice's Porsche and my Ferrari, were missing.
The traditional vampires were going as far away as possible to satiate their thirst. I tried not to think of
their hunting in the night, cringing at the mental picture of their victims.
Only Kate and Garrett were in the front room, arguing playfully about the nutritional value of animal
blood. I inferred that Garrett had attempted a hunting trip vegetarian-style and found it difficult.
Edward must have taken Renesmee home to sleep. Jacob, no doubt, was in the woods close by the
cottage. The rest of my family must have been hunting as well. Perhaps they were out with the other
Denalis.
Which basically gave me the house to myself, and I was quick to take advantage.
I could smell that I was the first one to enter Alice and Jasper's room in a long while, maybe the first
since the night they'd left us. I rooted silently through their huge closet until I found the right sort of bag. It
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must have been Alice's; it was a small black leather backpack, the kind that was usually used as a purse,
little enough that even Renesmee could carry it without looking out of place. Then I raided their petty
cash, taking about twice the yearly income for the average American household. I guessed my theft
would be less noticeable here than anywhere else in the house, since this room made everyone sad. The
envelope with the fake passports and IDs went into the bag on top of the money. Then I sat on the edge
of Alice and Jasper's bed and looked at the pitifully insignificant
package that was all I could give my daughter and my best friend to help save their lives. I slumped
against the bedpost, feeling helpless.
But what else could I do?
I sat there for several minutes with my head bowed before the inkling of a good idea came to me.
If…
If I was to assume that Jacob and Renesmee were going to escape, then that included the assumption
that Demetri would be dead. That gave any survivors a little breathing room, Alice and Jasper included.
So why couldn't Alice and Jasper help Jacob and Renesmee? If they were reunited, Renesmee would
have the best protection imaginable. There was no reason why this couldn't happen, except for the fact
that Jake and Renesmee both were blind spots for Alice. How would she begin to look for them?
I deliberated for a moment, then left the room, crossing the hall to Carlisle and Esme's suite. As usual,
Esme's desk was stacked with plans and blueprints, everything neatly laid out in tall piles. The desk had a
slew of pigeonholes above the work surface; in one was a box of stationery. I took a fresh sheet of paper
and a pen.
Then I stared at the blank ivory page for a full five minutes, concentrating on my decision. Alice might
not be able to see Jacob or Renesmee, but she could see me. I visualized her seeing this moment, hoping
desperately that she wasn't too busy to pay attention.
Slowly, deliberately, I wrote the words RIO DE JANEIRO in all caps across the page.
Rio seemed the best place to send them: It was far away from here, Alice and Jasper were already in
South America at last report, and it wasn't like our old problems had ceased to exist just because we had
worse problems now. There was still the mystery of Renesmee's future, the terror of her racing age.
We'd been headed south anyway. Now it would be Jacob's, and hopefully Alice's, job to search for the
legends.
I bowed my head again against a sudden urge to sob, clenching my teeth together. It was better that
Renesmee go on without me. But I already missed her so much I could barely stand it.
I took a deep breath and put the note at the bottom of the duffel bag, where Jacob would find it soon
enough.
I crossed my fingers that—since it was unlikely that his high school offered Portuguese—Jake had at
least taken Spanish as his language elective.
There was nothing left now but waiting.
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For two days, Edward and Carlisle stayed in the clearing where Alice had seen the Volturi arrive. It was
the same killing field where Victoria's newborns had attacked last summer. I wondered if it felt repetitive
to Carlisle, like deja vu. For me, it would be all new. This time Edward and I would stand with our
family.
We could only imagine that the Volturi would be tracking either Edward or Carlisle. I wondered if it
would surprise them that their prey didn't run. Would that make them wary? I couldn't imagine the Volturi
ever feeling a need for caution.
Though I was—hopefully—invisible to Demetri, I stayed with Edward. Of course. We only had a few
hours left to be together.
Edward and I had not had a last grand scene of farewell, nor did I plan one. To speak the word was to
make it final. It would be the same as typing the words The End on the last page of a manuscript. So we
did not say our goodbyes, and we stayed very close to each other, always touching. Whatever end found
us, it would not find us separated.
We set up a tent for Renesmee a few yards back into the protective forest, and then there was more
deja vu as we found ourselves camping in the cold again with Jacob. It was almost impossible to believe
how much things had changed since last June. Seven months ago, our triangular relationship seemed
impossible, three different kinds of heartbreak that could not be avoided. Now everything was in perfect
balance. It seemed hideously ironic that the puzzle pieces would fit together just in time for all of them to
be destroyed.
It started to snow again the night before New Year's Eve. This time, the tiny flakes did not dissolve into
the stony ground of the clearing. While Renesmee and Jacob slept—Jacob snoring so loudly I wondered
how Renesmee didn't wake—the snow made first a thin icing over the earth, then built into thicker drifts.
By the time the sun rose, the scene from Alice's vision was complete. Edward and I held hands as we
stared across the glittering white field, and neither of us spoke.
Through the early morning, the others gathered, their eyes bearing mute evidence of their preparations
—some light gold, some rich crimson. Soon after we all were together, we could hear the wolves moving
in the woods. Jacob emerged from the tent, leaving Renesmee still sleeping, to join them.
Edward and Carlisle were arraying the others into a loose formation, our witnesses to the sides like
galleries.
I watched from a distance, waiting by the tent for Renesmee to wake. When she did, I helped her dress
in the clothes I'd carefully picked out two days before. Clothes that looked frilly and feminine but that
were actually sturdy enough to not show any wear—even if a person wore them while riding a giant
werewolf through a couple of states. Over her jacket I put on the black leather backpack with the
documents, the money, the clue, and my love notes for her and Jacob, Charlie and Renee. She was
strong enough that it was no burden to her.
Her eyes were huge as she read the agony on my face. But she had guessed enough not to ask me what
I was doing.
"I love you," I told her. "More than anything."
"I love you, too, Momma," she answered. She touched the locket at her neck, which now held a tiny
photo of her, Edward, and me. "We'll always be together."
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"In our hearts we'll always be together," I corrected in a whisper as quiet as a breath. "But when the time
comes today, you have to leave me."
Her eyes widened, and she touched her hand to my cheek. The silent no was louder than if she'd
shouted it.
I fought to swallow; my throat felt swollen. "Will you do it for me? Please?"
She pressed her fingers harder to my face. Why?
"I can't tell you," I whispered. "But you'll understand soon. I promise.'7
In my head, I saw Jacob's face.
I nodded, then pulled her fingers away. "Don't think of it," I breathed into her ear. "Don't tell Jacob until I
tell you to run, okay?"
This she understood. She nodded, too.
I took from my pocket one last detail.
While packing Renesmee's things, an unexpected sparkle of color had caught my eye. A chance ray of
sun through the skylight had hit the jewels on the ancient precious box stuffed high overhead on a shelf in
an untouched corner. I considered it for a moment and then shrugged. After putting together Alice's
clues, I couldn't hope that the coming confrontation would be resolved peacefully. But why not try to
start things out as friendly as possible? I asked myself. What could it hurt? So I guess I must have had
some hope left after all—blind, senseless hope—because I'd scaled the shelves and retrieved Aro's
wedding present to me.
Now I fastened the thick gold rope around my neck and felt the weight of the enormous diamond nestle
into the hollow of my throat.
"Pretty," Renesmee whispered. Then she wrapped her arms like a vise around my neck. I squeezed her
against my chest. Interlocked this way, I carried her out of the tent and to the clearing.
Edward cocked one eyebrow as I approached, but otherwise did not remark on my accessory or
Renesmee's. He just put his arms tight around us both for one long moment and then, with a deep sigh, let
us go. I couldn't see a goodbye anywhere in his eyes. Maybe he had more hope for something after this
life than he'd let on.
We took our place, Renesmee climbing agilely onto my back to leave my hands free. I stood a few feet
behind the front line made up by Carlisle, Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Tanya, Kate, and Eleazar. Close
beside me were Benjamin and Zafrina; it was my job to protect them as long as I was able. They were
our best offensive weapons. If the Volturi were the ones who could not see, even for a few moments,
that would change everything.
Zafrina was rigid and fierce, with Senna almost a mirror image at her side. Benjamin sat on the ground,
his palms pressed to the dirt, and muttered quietly about fault lines. Last night, he'd strewn piles of
boulders in natural-looking, now snow-covered heaps all along the back of the meadow. They weren't
enough to injure a vampire, but hopefully enough to distract one.
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The witnesses clustered to our left and right, some nearer than others—those who had declared
themselves were the closest. I noticed Siobhan rubbing her temples, her eyes closed in concentration;
was she humoring Carlisle? Trying to visualize a diplomatic resolution?
In the woods behind us, the invisible wolves were still and ready; we could only hear their heavy panting,
their beating hearts.
The clouds rolled in, diffusing the light so that it could have been morning or afternoon. Edward's eyes
tightened as he scrutinized the view, and I was sure he was seeing this exact scene for the second time
