20 VOLTERRA

19 HATE

WE MADE OUR FLIGHT WITH SECONDS TO SPARE, AND THEN the true torture began. The plane sat idle on the tarmac while the flight attendants strolled–so casually–up and down the aisle, patting the bags in the overhead compartments to make sure everything fit. The pilots leaned out of the cockpit, chatting with them as they passed. Alice's hand was hard on my shoulder, holding me in my seat while I bounced anxiously up and down.

" It's faster than running, " she reminded me in a low voice.

I just nodded in time with my bouncing.

At last the plane rolled lazily from the gate, building speed with a gradual steadiness that tortured me further. I expected some kind of relief when we achieved liftoff, but my frenzied impatience didn't lessen.

Alice lifted the phone on the back of the seat in front of her before we'd stopped climbing, turning her back on the stewardess who eyed her with disapproval. Something about my expression stopped the stewardess from coming over to protest.

I tried to tune out what Alice was murmuring to Jasper; I didn't want to hear the words again, but some slipped through.

" I can't be sure, I keep seeing him do different things, he keeps changing his mind… A killing spree through the city, attacking the guard, lifting a car over his head in the main square… mostly things that would expose them–he knows that's the fastest way to force a reaction…"

" No, you can't. " Alice's voice dropped till it was nearly inaudible, though I was sitting inches from her. Contrarily, I listened harder. " Tell Emmett no… Well, go after Emmett and Rosalie and bring them back… Think about it, Jasper. If he sees any of us, what do you think he will do? "

She nodded. " Exactly. I think Bella is the only chance–if there is a chance… I'll do everything that can be done, but prepare Carlisle; the odds aren't good. "

She laughed then, and there was a catch in her voice. " I've thought of that… Yes, I promise. " Her voice became pleading. " Don't follow me. I promise, Jasper. One way or another, I'll get out… And I love you. "

She hung up, and leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed. " I hate lying to him. "

" Tell me everything, Alice, " I begged. " I don't understand. Why did you tell Jasper to stop Emmett, why can't they come help us? "

" Two reasons, " she whispered, her eyes still closed. " The first I told him. We could try to stop Edward ourselves–if Emmett could get his hands on him, we might be able to stop him long enough to convince him you're alive. But we can't sneak up on Edward. And if he sees us coming for him, he'll just act that much faster. He'll throw a Buiclc through a wall or something, and the Volturi will take him down.

" That's the second reason of course, the reason I couldn't say to Jasper. Because if they're there and the Volturi kill Edward, they'll fight them. Bella. " She opened her eyes and stared at me, beseeching. " If there were any chance we could win… if there were a way that the four of us could save my brother by fighting for him, maybe it would be different. But we can't, and, Bella, I can't lose Jasper like that. "

I realized why her eyes begged for my understanding. She was protecting Jasper, at our expense, and maybe at Edward's, too. I understood, and I did not think badly of her. I nodded.

" Couldn't Edward hear you, though. '" I asked. " Wouldn't he know, as soon as he heard your thoughts, that I was alive, that there was no point to this? "

Not that there was any justification, either way. I still couldn't believe that he was capable of reacting like this. It made no sense! I remembered with painful clarity his words that day on the sofa, while we watched Romeo and Juliet kill themselves, one after the other. I wasn't going to live without you, he'd said, as if it should be such an obvious conclusion. But the words he had spoken in the forest as he'd left me had canceled all that out–forcefully.

" If he were listening, " she explained. " But believe it or not, it's possible to lie with your thoughts. If you had died, I would still try to stop him. And I would be thinking 'she's alive, she's alive' as hard as I could. He knows that. "

I ground my teeth in mute frustration.

" If there were any way to do this without you, Bella, I wouldn't be endangering you like this. It's very wrong of me. "

" Don't be stupid. I'm the last thing you should be worrying about. " I shook my head impatiently. " Tell me what you meant, about hating to lie to Jasper. "

She smiled a grim smile. " I promised him I would get out before they killed me, too. It's not something I can guarantee–not by a long shot. " She raised her eyebrows, as if willing me to take the danger more seriously.

" Who are these Volturi? " I demanded in a whisper. " What makes them so much more dangerous than Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and you? " It was hard to imagine something scarier than that.

She took a deep breath, and then abruptly leveled a dark glance over my shoulder. I turned in time to see the man in the aisle seat looking away as if he wasn't listening to us. He appeared to be a businessman, in a dark suit with a power tie and a laptop on his knees. While I stared at him with irritation, he opened the computer and very conspicuously put headphones on.

I leaned closer to Alice. Her lips were at my ears as she breathed the story.

" I was surprised that you recognized the name, " she said. " That you understood so immediately what it meant–when I said he was going to Italy. I thought I would have to explain. How much did Edward tell you? "

" He just said they were an old, powerful family–like royalty. That you didn't antagonize them unless you wanted to… die, " I whispered. The last word was hard to choke out.

" You have to understand, " she said, her voice slower, more measured now. " We Cullens are unique in more ways than you know. It's… abnormal for so many of us to live together in peace. It's the same for Tanya's family in the north, and Carlisle speculates that abstaining makes it easier for us to be civilized, to form bonds based on love rather than survival or convenience. Even James's little coven of three was unusually large–and you saw how easily Laurent left them. Our kind travel alone, or in pairs, as a general rule. Carlisle's family is the biggest in existence, as far as I know, with the one exception. The Volturi.

" There were three of them originally, Aro, Caius, and Marcus. "

" I've seen them, " I mumbled. " In the picture in Carlisle's study. "

Alice nodded. " Two females joined them over time, and the five of them make up the family. I'm not sure, but I suspect that their age is what gives them the ability to live peacefully together. They are well over three thousand years old. Or maybe it's their gifts that give them extra tolerance. Like Edward and I, Aro and Marcus are… talented. "

She continued before I could ask. " Or maybe it's just their love of power that binds them together. Royalty is an apt description. "

" But if there are only five–"

" Five that make up the family, " she corrected. " That doesn't include their guard. "

I took a deep breath. " That sounds… serious. "

" Oh, it is, " she assured me. " There were nine members of the guard that were permanent, the last time we heard. Others are more… transitory. It changes. And many of them are gifted as well–with formidable gifts, gifts that make what I can do look like a parlor trick. The Volturi chose them for their abilities, physical or otherwise. "

I opened my mouth, and then closed it. I didn't think I wanted to know how bad the odds were.

She nodded again, as if she understood exactly what I was thinking. " They don't get into too many confrontations. No one is stupid enough to mess with them. They stay in their city, leaving only as duty calls. "

" Duty? " I wondered.

" Didn't Edward tell you what they do? "

" No, " I said, feeling the blank expression on my face.

Alice looked over my head again, toward the businessman, and put her wintry lips back to my ear.

" There's a reason he called them royalty… the ruling class. Over the millennia, they have assumed the position of enforcing our rules–which actually translates to punishing transgressors. They fulfill that duty decisively. "

My eyes popped wide with shock. " There are rules? " I asked in a voice that was too loud.

" Shh! "

" Shouldn't somebody have mentioned this to me earlier? " I whispered angrily. " I mean, I wanted to be a… to be one of you! Shouldn't somebody have explained the rules to me? "

Alice chuckled once at my reaction. " It's not that complicated, Bella. There's only one core restriction–and if you think about it, you can probably figure it out for yourself. "

I thought about it. " Nope, I have no idea. "

She shook her head, disappointed. " Maybe it's too obvious. We just have to keep our existence a secret. "

" Oh, " I mumbled. It was obvious.

" It makes sense, and most of us don't need policing, " she continued. " But, after a few centuries, sometimes one of us gets bored. Or crazy. I dor't know. And then the Volturi step in before it can compromise them, or the rest of us. "

" So Edward…"

" Is planning to flout that in their own city–the city they've secretly held for three thousand years, since the time of the Etruscans. They are so protective of their city that they don't allow hunting within its walls. Volterra is probably the safest city in the world–from vampire attack at the very least. "

" But you said they didn't leave. How do they eat? "

" They don't leave. They bring in their food from the outside, from quite far away sometimes. It gives their guard something to do when they're not out annihilating mavericks. Or protecting Volterra from exposure…"

" From situations like this one, like Edward, " I finished her sentence. It was amazingly easy to say his name now. I wasn't sure what the difference was. Maybe because I wasn't really planning on living much longer without seeing him. Or at all, if we were too late. It was comforting to know that I would have an easy out.

" I doubt they've ever had a situation quite like this, " she muttered, disgusted. " You don't get a lot of suicidal vampires. "

The sound that escaped out of my mouth was very quiet, but Alice seemed to understand that it was a cry of pain. She wrapped her thin, strong arm around my shoulders.

" We'll do what we can, Bella. It's not over yet. "

" Not yet. " I let her comfort me, though I knew she thought our chances were poor. " And the Volturi will get us if we mess up. "

Alice stiffened. " You say that like it's a good thing. "

I shrugged.

" Knock it off, Bella, or we're turning around in New York and going back to Forks. "

" What? "

" You know what. If we're too late for Edward, I'm going to do my damnedest to get you back to Charlie, and I don't want any trouble from you. Do you understand that? "

" Sure, Alice. "

She pulled back slightly so that she could glare at me. " No trouble. "

" Scout's honor, " I muttered.

She rolled her eyes.

" Let me concentrate, now. I'm trying to see what he's planning. "

She left her arm around me, but let her head fall back against the seat and closed her eyes. She pressed her free hand to the side of her face, rubbing her fingertips against her temple.

I watched her in fascination for a long time. Eventually, she became utterly motionless, hei face like a stone sculpture. The minutes passed, and if I didn't know better, I would have thought she'd fallen asleep. I didn't dare interrupt her to ask what was going on.

I wished there was something safe for me to think about. I couldn't allow myself to consider the horrors we were headed toward, or, more horrific yet, the chance that we might fail–not if I wanted to keep from screaming aloud.

I couldn't anticipate anything, either. Maybe, if I were very, very, very lucky, I would somehow be able to save Edward. But I wasn't so stupid as to think that saving him would mean that I could stay with him. I was no different, no more special than I'd been before. There would be no new reason for him to want me now. Seeing him and losing him again…

I fought back against the pain. This was the price I had to pay to save his life. I would pay it.

They showed a movie, and my neighbor got headphones. Sometimes I watched the figures moving across the little screen, but I couldn't even tell if the movie was supposed to be a romance or a horror film.

After an eternity, the plane began to descend toward New York City. Alice remained in her trance. I dithered, reaching out to touch her, only to pull my hand back again. This happened a dozen times before the plane touched town with a jarring impact.

" Alice, " I finally said. " Alice, we have to go. "

I touched her arm.

Her eyes came open very slowly. She shook her head from side to side for a moment.

" Anything new? " I asked in a low voice, conscious of the man listening on the other side of me.

" Not exactly, " she breathed in a voice I could barely catch. " He's getting closer. He's deciding how he's going to ask. "

We had to run for our connection, but that was good–better than having to wait. As soon as the plane was in the air, Alice closed her eyes and slid back into the same stupor as before. I waited as patiently as I could. When it was dark again, I opened the window to stare out into the flat black that was no better than the window shade.

I was grateful that I'd had so many months' practice with controlling my thoughts. Instead of dwelling on the terrifying possibilities that, no matter what Alice said, I did not intend to survive, I concentrated on lesser problems. Like, what I was going to say to Charlie if I got back: ' That was a thorny enough problem to occupy several hours. And Jacob? He'd promised to wait for me, but did that promise still apply? Would I end up home alone in Forks, with no one at all? Maybe I didn't want to survive, no matter what happened.

It felt like seconds later when Alice shook my shoulder–I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep.

" Bella, " she hissed, her voice a little too loud in the darkened cabin full of sleeping humans.

I wasn't disoriented–I hadn't been out long enough for that.

" What's wrong? "

Alice's eyes gleamed in the dim light of a reading lamp in the row behind us.

" It's not wrong. " She smiled fiercely. " It's right. They're deliberating, but they've decided to tell him no. "

" The Volturi? " I muttered, groggy.

" Of course, Bella, keep up. I can see what they're going to say. "

" Tell me. "

An attendant tiptoed down the aisle to us. " Can I get you ladies a pillow? " His hushed whisper was a rebuke to our comparatively loud conversation.

" No, thank you. " Alice beamed at up at him, her smile shockingly lovely. The attendant's expression was dazed as he turned and stumbled his way back.

" Tell me, " I breathed almost silently.

She whispered into my ear. " They're interested in him–they think his talent could be uselul. They're going to offer him a place with them. "

" What will he say? "

" I can't see that yet, but I'll bet it's colorful. " She grinned again. " This is the first good news–the first break. They're intrigued; they truly don't want to destroy him–'wasteful, ' that's the word Aro will use–and that may be enough to force him to get creative. The longer he spends on his plans, the better for us. "

It wasn't enough to make me hopeful, to make me feel the relief she obviously felt. There were still so many ways that we could be too late. And if I didn't get through the walls into the Volturi city, I wouldn't be able to stop Alice from dragging me back home.

" Alice? "

" What? "

" I'm confused. How are you seeing this so clearly? And then other times, you see things far away–things that don't happen? "

Her eyes tightened. I wondered if she guessed what I was thinking of.

" It's clear because it's immediate and close, and I'm really concentrating. The faraway things that come on their own–those are just glimpses, faint maybes. Plus, I see my kind more easily than yours. Edward is even easier because I'm so attuned to him. "

" You see me sometimes, " I reminded her.

She shook her head. " Not as clearly. "

I sighed. " I really wish you could have been right about me. In the beginning, when you first saw things about me, before we even met…"

" What do you mean? "

" You saw me become one of you. " I barely mouthed the words.

She sighed. " It was a possibility at the time. "

" At the time, " I repeated.

" Actually, Bella…" She hesitated, and then seemed to make a choice. " Honestly, I think it's all gotten beyond ridiculous. I'm debating whether to just change you myself. "

I stared at her, frozen with shock. Instantly, my mind resisted her words. I couldn't afford that kind of hope if she changed her mind.

" Did I scare you? " she wondered. " I thought that's what you wanted. "

" I do! " I gasped. " Oh, Alice, do it now! I could help you so much–and I wouldn't slow you down. Bite me! "

" Shh, " she cautioned. The attendant was looking in our direction again. " Try to be reasonable, " she whispered. " We don't have enough time. We have to get into Volterra tomorrow. You'd be writhing in pain for days. " She made a face. " And I don't think the other passengers would react well. "

I bit my lip. " If you don't do it now, you'll change your mind. "

" No. " She frowned, her expression unhappy. " I don't think I will. He'll be furious, but what will he be able to do about it? "

My heart beat faster. " Nothing at all. "

She laughed quietly, and then sighed. " You have too much faith in me, Bella. I'm not sure that I can. I'll probably just end up killing you. "

" I'll take my chances. "

" You are so bizarre, even for a human. "

" Thanks. "

" Oh well, this is purely hypothetical at this point, anyway. First we have to live through tomorrow. "

" Good point. " But at least I had something to hope for if we did. If Alice made good on her promise–and if she didn't kill me–then Edward could run after his distractions all he wanted, and I could follow. I wouldn't let him be distracted. Maybe, when I was beautiful and strong, he wouldn't want distractions.

" Go back to sleep, " she encouraged me. " I'll wake you up when there's something new. "

" Right, " I grumbled, certain that sleep was a lost cause now. Alice pulled her legs up on the seat, wrapping her arms around them and leaning her forehead against her knees. She rocked back and forth as she concentrated.

I rested my head against the seat, watching her, and the next thing I knew, she was snapping the shade closed against the faint brightening in the eastern sky.

" What's happening? " I mumbled.

" They've told him no, " she said quietly. I noticed at once that her enthusiasm was gone.

My voice choked in my throat with panic. " What's he going to do? "

" It was chaotic at first. I was only getting flickers, he was changing plans so quickly. "

" What kinds of plans? " I pressed.

" There was a bad hour, " she whispered. " He'd decided to go hunting. "

She looked at me, seeing the comprehension in my face.

" In the city, " she explained. " It got very close. He changed his mind at the last minute. "

" He wouldn't want to disappoint Carlisle, " I mumbled. Not at the end.

" Probably, " she agreed.

" Will there be enough time? " As I spoke, there was a shift in the cabin pressure. I could feel the plane angling downward.

" I'm hoping so–if he sticks to his latest decision, maybe. "

" What is that? "

" He's going to keep it simple. He's just going to walk out into the sun. "

Just walk out into the sun. That was all.

It would be enough. The image of Edward in the meadow–glowing, shimmering like his skin was made of a million diamond facets–was burned into my memory. No human who saw that would ever forget. The Volturi couldn't possibly allow it. Not if they wanted to keep their city inconspicuous.

I looked at the slight gray glow that shone through the opened windows. " We'll be too late, " I whispered, my throat closing in panic.

She shook her head. " Right now, he's leaning toward the melodramatic. He wants the biggest audience possible, so he'll choose the main plaza, under the clock tower. The walls are high there. He'll wait till the sun is exactly overhead. "

" So we have till noon? "

" If we're lucky. If he sticks with this decision. "

The pilot came on over the intercom, announcing, first in French and then in English, our imminent landing. The seat belt lights dinged and flashed.

" How far is it from Florence to Volterra? "

" That depends on how fast you drive… Bella? "

" Yes? "

She eyed me speculatively. " How strongly are you opposed to grand theft auto? "

A bright yellow Porsche screamed to a stop a few feet in front of where I paced, the word TURBO scrawled in silver cursive across its back. Everyone beside me on the crowded airport sidewalk stared.

" Hurry, Bella! " Alice shouted impatiently through the open passenger window.

I ran to the door and threw myself in, feeling as though I might as well be wearing a black stocking over my head.

" Sheesh, Alice, " I complained. " Could you pick a more conspicuous car to steal? "

The interior was black leather, and the windows were tinted dark. It felt safer inside, like nighttime.

Alice was already weaving, too fast, through the thick airport traffic–sliding through tiny spaces between the cars as I cringed and fumbled for my seat belt.

" The important question, " she corrected, " is whether I could have stolen a faster car, and I don't think so. I got lucky. "

" I'm sure that will be very comforting at the roadblock. "

She trilled a laugh. " Trust me, Bella. If anyone sets up a roadblock, it will be behind us. " She hit the gas then, as if to prove her point.

I probably should have watched out the window as first the city of Florence and then the Tuscan landscape flashed past with blurring speed. This was my first trip anywhere, and maybe my last, too. But Alice's driving frightened me, despite the fact that I knew I could trust her behind the wheel. And I was too tortured with anxiety to really see the hills or the walled towns that looked like castles in the distance.

" Do you see anything more? "

" There's something going on, " Alice muttered. " Some kind of festival. The streets are full of people and red flags. What's the date today? "

I wasn't entirely sure. " The nineteenth, maybe? "

" Well, that's ironic. It's Saint Marcus Day. "

" Which means? "

She chuckled darkly. " The city holds a celebration every year. As the legend goes, a Christian missionary, a Father Marcus–Marcus of the Voltun, in fact–drove all the vampires from Volterra fifteen hundred years ago. The story claims he was martyred in Romania, still trying to drive away the vampire scourge. Of course that's nonsense–he's never left the city. But that's where some of the superstitions about things like crosses and garlic come from. Father Marcus used them so successfully. And vampires don't trouble Volterra, so they must work. " Her smile was sardonic. " It's become more of a celebration of the city, and recognition for the police force–after all, Volterra is an amazingly safe city. The police get the credit. "

I was realizing what she meant when she'd said ironic. " They're not going to be very happy if Edward messes things up for them on St. Marcus Day, are they? "

She shook her head, her expression grim. " No. They'll act very quickly. "

I looked away, fighting against my teeth as they tried to break through the skin of my lower lip. Bleeding was not the best idea right now.

The sun was terrifyingly high in the pale blue sky.

" He's still planning on noon? " I checked.

" Yes. He's decided to wait. And they're waiting for him. "

" Tell me what I have to do. "

She kept her eyes on the winding road–the needle on the speedometer was touching the far right on the dial.

" You don't have to do anything. He just has to see you before he moves into the light. And he has to see you before he sees me. "

" How are we going to work that? "

A small red car seemed to be racing backward as Alice zoomed around it.

" I'm going to get you as close as possible, and then you're going to run in the direction I point you. "

I nodded.

" Try not to trip, " she added. " We don't have time for a concussion today. "

I groaned. That would be just like me–ruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.

The sun continued to climb in the sky while Alice raced against it. It was too brigh:, and that had me panicking. Maybe he wouldn't feel the need to wait for noon after all.

" There, " Alice said abruptly, pointing to the castle city atop the closest hill.

I stared at it, feeling the very first hint of a new kind of fear. Every minute since yesterday morning–it seemed like a week ago–when Alice had spoken his name at the foot of the stairs, there had been only one fear. And yet, now, as I stared at the ancient sienna walls and towers crowning the peak of the steep hill, I felt another, more selfish kind of dread thrill through me.

I supposed the city was very beautiful. It absolutely terrified me.

" Volterra, " Alice announced in a flat, icy voice.

20 VOLTERRA

WE BEGAN THE STEEP CLIMB, AND THE ROAD GREW CONGESTED. As we wound higher, the cars became too close together for Alice to weave insanely between them anymore. We slowed to a crawl behind a little tan Peugeot.

" Alice, " I moaned. The clock on the dash seemed to be speeding up.

" It's the only way in, " she tried soothe me. But her voice was too strained to comfort.

The cars continued to edge forward, one car length at a time. The sun beamed down brilliantly, seeming already overhead.

The cars crept one by one toward the city. As we got closer, I could see cars parked by the side of the road with people getting out to walk the test of the way. At first I thought it was just impatience–something I could easily understand. But then we came around a switchback, and I could see the filled parking lot outside the city wall, the crowds of people walking through the gates. No one was being allowed to drive through.

" Alice, " I whispered urgently.

" I know, " she said. Her face was chiseled from ice.

Now that I was looking, and we were crawling slowly enough to see, I could tell that it was very windy. The people crowding toward the gate gripped their hats and tugged their hair out of their faces. Their clothes billowed around them. I also noticed that the color red was everywhere. Red shirts, red hats, red flags dripping like long ribbons beside the gate, whipping in the wind–as I watched, the brilliant crimson scarf one woman had tied around her hair was caught in a sudden gust. It twisted up into the air above her, writhing like it was alive. She reached for it, jumping in the air, but it continued to flutter higher, a patch of bloody color against the dull, ancient walls.

" Bella. " Alice spoke quickly in a fierce, low voice. " I can't see what the guard here will decide now–if this doesn't work, you're going to have to go in alone. You're going to have to run. Just keep asking for the Palazzo dei Priori, and running in the direction they tell you. Don't get lost. "

" Palazzo dei Priori, Palazzo dei Priori, " I repeated the name over and over again, trying to get it down.

" Or 'the clock tower, ' if they speak English. I'll go around and try to find a secluded spot somewhere behind the city where I can go over the wall. "

I nodded. " Palazzo dei Priori. "

" Edward will be under the clock tower, to the north of the square. There's a narrow alleyway on the right, and he'll be in the shadow there. You have to get his attention before he can move into the sun. "

I nodded furiously.

Alice was near the front of the line. A man in a navy blue uniform was directing the flow of traffic, turning the cars away from the full lot. They U‑ turned and headed back to find a place beside the road. Then it was Alice's turn.

The uniformed man motioned lazily, not paying attention. Alice accelerated, edging around him and heading for the gate. He shouted something at us, but held his ground, waving frantically to keep the next car from following our bad example.

The man at the gate wore a matching uniform. As we approached him, the throngs of tourists passed, crowding the sidewalks, staring curiously at the pushy, flashy Porsche.

The guard stepped into the middle of the street. Alice angled the car carefully before she came to a full stop. The sun beat against my window, and she was in shadow. She swiftly reached behind the seat and grabbed something from her bag.

The guard came around the car with an irritated expression, and tapped on her window angrily.

She rolled the window down halfway, and I watched him do a double take when he saw the face behind the dark glass.

" I'm sorry, only tour buses allowed in the city today, miss, " he said in English, with a heavy accent. He was apologetic, now, as if he wished he had better news for the strikingly beautiful woman.

" It's a private tour, " Alice said, flashing an alluring smile. She reached her hand out cf the window, into the sunlight. I froze, until I realized she was wearing an elbow‑ length, tan glove. She took his hand, still raised from tapping her window, and pulled it into the car. She put something into his palm, and folded his fingers around it.

His face was dazed as he retrieved his hand and stared at the thick roll of money he now held. The outside bill was a thousand dollar bill.

" Is this a joke? " he mumbled.

Alice's smile was blinding. " Only if you think it's funny. "

He looked at her, his eyes staring wide. I glanced nervously at the clock on the dash. If Edward stuck to his plan, we had only five minutes left.

" I'm in a wee bit of a hurry, " she hinted, still smiling.

The guard blinked twice, and then shoved the money inside his vest. He took a step away from the window and waved us on. None of the passing people seemed to notice the quiet exchange. Alice drove into the city, and we both sighed in relief.

The street was very narrow, cobbled with the same color stones as the faded cinnamon brown buildings that darkened the street with their shade. It had the feel of an alleyway. Red flags decorated the walls, spaced only a few yards apart, flapping in the wind that whistled through the narrow lane.

It was crowded, and the foot traffic slowed our progress.

" Just a little farther, " Alice encouraged me; I was gripping the door handle, ready to throw myself into the street as soon as she spoke the word.

She drove in quick spurts and sudden stops, and the people in the crowd shook their fists at us and said angry words that I was glad I couldn't understand. She turned onto a little path that couldn't have been meant for cars; shocked people had to squeeze into doorways as we scraped by. We found another street at the end. The buildings were taller here; they leaned together overhead so that no sunlight touched the pavement–the thrashing red flags on either side nearly met. The crowd was thicker here than anywhere else. Alice stopped the car. I had the door open before we were at a standstill.

She pointed to where the street widened into a patch of bright openness. " There–we're at the southern end of the square. Run straight across, to the right of the clock tower. I'll find a way around–"

Her breath caught suddenly, and when she spoke again, her voice was a hiss. " They're everywhere? "

I froze in place, but she pushed me out of the car. " Forget about them. You have two minutes. Go, Bella, go! " she shouted, climbing out of the car as she spoke.

I didn't pause to watch Alice melt into the shadows. I didn't stop to close my door behind me. I shoved a heavy woman out of my way and ran flat out, head down, paying little attention to anything but the uneven stones beneath my feet.

Coming out of the dark lane, I was blinded by the brilliant sunlight beating down into the principal plaza. The wind whooshed into me, flinging my hair into my eyes and blinding me further. It was no wonder that I didn't see the wall of flesh until I'd smacked into it.

There was no pathway, no crevice between the close pressed bodies. I pushed against them furiously, fighting the hands that shoved back. I heard exclamations of irritation and even pain as I battled my way through, but none were in a language I understood. The faces were a blur of anger and surprise, surrounded by the ever‑ present red. A blond woman scowled at me, and the red scarf coiled around her neck looked like a gruesome wound. A child, lifted on a man's shoulders to see over the crowd, grinned down at me, his lips distended over a set of plastic vampire fangs.

The throng jostled around me, spinning me the wrong direction. I was glad the clock was so visible, or I'd never keep my course straight. But both hands on the clock pointed up toward the pitiless sun, and, though I shoved viciously against the crowd, I knew I was too late. I wasn't halfway across. I wasn't going to make it. I was stupid and slow and human, and we were all going to die because of it.

I hoped Alice would get out. I hoped that she would see me from some dark shadow and know that I had failed, so she could go home to Jasper.

I listened, above the angry exclamations, trying to hear the sound of discovery: the gasp, maybe the scream, as Edward came into someone's view.

But there was a break in the crowd–I could see a bubble of space ahead. I pushed urgently toward it, not realizing till I bruised my shins against the bricks that there was a wide, square fountain set into the center of the plaza.

I was nearly crying with relief as I flung my leg over the edge and ran through the knee‑ deep water. It sprayed all around me as I thrashed my way across the pool. Even in the sun, the wind was glacial, and the wet made the cold actually painful. But the fountain was very wide; it let me cross the center of the square and then some in mere seconds. I didn't pause when I hit the far edge–I used the low wall as a springboard, throwing myself into the crowd.

They moved more readily for me now, avoiding the icy water that splattered from my dripping clothes as I ran. I glanced up at the clock again.

A deep, booming chime echoed through the square. It throbbed in the stones under my feet. Children cried, covering their ears. And I started screaming as I ran.

" Edward! " I screamed, knowing it was useless. The crowd was too loud, and my voice was breathless with exertion. But I couldn't stop screaming.

The clock tolled again. I ran past a child in his mother's arms–his hair was almost white in the dazzling sunlight. A circle of tall men, all wearing red blazers, called out warnings as I barreled through them. The clock tolled again.

On the other side of the men in blazers, there was a break in the throng, space between the sightseers who milled aimlessly around me. My eyes searched the dark narrow passage to the right of the wide square edifice under the tower. I couldn't see the street level–there were still too many people in the way. The clock tolled again.

It was hard to see now. Without the crowd to break the wind, it whipped at my face and burned my eyes. I couldn't be sure if that was the reason behind my tears, or if I was crying in defeat as the clock tolled again.

A little family of four stood nearest to the alley's mouth. The two girls wore crimson dresses, with matching ribbons tying their dark hair back. The father wasn't tall. It seemed like I could see something bright in the shadows, just over his shoulder. I hurtled toward them, trying to see past the stinging tears. The clock tolled, and the littlest girl clamped her hands over her ears.

The older girl, just waist high on her mother, hugged her mother's leg and stared into the shadows behind them. As I watched, she tugged on her mother's elbow and pointed toward the darkness. The clock tolled, and I was so close now.

I was close enough to hear her high‑ pitched voice. Her father stared at me in surprise as I bore down on them, rasping out Edward's name over and over again.

The older girl giggled and said something to her mother, gesturing toward the shadows again impatiently.

I swerved around the father–he clutched the baby out of my way–and sprinted for the gloomy breach behind them as the clock tolled over my head.

" Edward, no! " I screamed, but my voice was lost in the roar of the chime.

I could see him now. And I could see that he could not see me.

It was really him, no hallucination this time. And I realized that my delusions were more flawed than I'd realized; they'd never done him justice.

Edward stood, motionless as a statue, just a few feet from the mouth of the alley. His eyes were closed, the rings underneath them deep purple, his arms relaxed at his sides, his palms turned forward. His expression was very peaceful, like he was dreaming pleasant things. The marble skin of his chest was bare–there was a small pile of white fabric at his feet. The light reflecting from the pavement of the square gleamed dimly from his skin.

I'd never seen anything more beautiful–even as I ran, gasping and screaming, I could appreciate that. And the last seven months meant nothing. And his words in the forest meant nothing. And it did not matter if he did not want me. I would never want anything but him, no matter how long I lived.

The clock tolled, and he took a large stride toward the light.

" No! " I screamed. " Edward, look at me! "

He wasn't listening. He smiled very slightly. He raised his foot to take the step that would put him directly in the path of the sun.

I slammed into him so hard that the force would have hurled me to the ground if his arms hadn't caught me and held me up. It knocked my breath out of me and snapped my head back.

His dark eyes opened slowly as the clock tolled again.

He looked down at me with quiet surprise.

" Amazing, " he said, his exquisite voice full of wonder, slightly amused. " Carlisle was right. "

" Edward, " I tried to gasp, but my voice had no sound. " You've got to get back into the shadows. You have to move! "

He seemed bemused. His hand brushed softly against my cheek. He didn't appear to notice that I was trying to force him back. I could have been pushing against the alley walls for all the progress I was making. The clock tolled, but he didn't react.

It was very strange, for I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt well. Whole. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast through my veins again. My lungs filled deep with the sweet scent that came off his skin. It was like there had never been any hole in my chest. I was perfect–not healed, but as if there had been no wound in the first place.

" I can't believe how quick it was. I didn't feel a thing–they're very good, " he mused, closing his eyes again and pressing his lips against my hair. His voice was like honey and velvet. " Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty, " he murmured, and I recognized the line spoken by Romeo in the tomb. The clock boomed out its final chime " You smell just exactly the same as always, " he went on. " So maybe this is hell. I don't care. I'll take it. "

" I'm not dead, " I interrupted. " And neither are you! Please Edward, we have to move. They can't be far away! "

I struggled in his arms, and his brow furrowed in confusion.

" What was that? " he asked politely.

" We're not dead, not yet! But we have to get out of here before the Volturi–"

Comprehension flickered on his face as I spoke. Before I could finish, he suddenly yanked me away from the edge of the shadows, spinning me effortlessly so that my back was tight against the brick wall, and his back was to me as he faced away into the alley. His arms spread wide, protectively, in front of me.

I peeked under his arm to see two dark shapes detach themselves from the gloom.

" Greetings, gentlemen, " Edward's voice was calm and pleasant, on the surface. " I don't think I'll be requiring your services today. I would appreciate it very much, however, if you would send my thanks to your masters. "

" Shall we take this conversation to a more appropriate venue? " a smooth voice whispered menacingly.

" I don't believe that will be necessary. " Edward's voice was harder now. " I know your instructions, Felix. I haven't broken any rules. "

" Felix merely meant to point out the proximity of the sun, " the other shadow said in a soothing tone. They were both concealed within smoky gray cloaks that reached to the ground and undulated in the wind. " Let us seek better cover. "

" I'll be right behind you, " Edward said dryly. " Bella, why don't you go back to the square and enjoy the festival? "

" No, bring the girl, " the first shadow said, somehow injecting a leer into his whisper.

" I don't think so. " The pretense of civility disappeared. Edward's voice was flat and icy. His weight shifted infinitesimally, and I could see that he was preparing to fight.

" No. " I mouthed the word.

" Shh, " he murmured, only for me.

" Felix, " the second, more reasonable shadow cautioned. " Not here. " He turned to Edward. " Aro would simply like to speak with you again, if you have decided not to force our hand after all. "

" Certainly, " Edward agreed. '" But the girl goes free. "

" I'm afraid that's not possible, " the polite shadow said regretfully. " We do have rules to obey. "

" Then I'm afraid that I'll be unable to accept Aro's invitation, Demetri. "

" That's just fine, " Felix purred. My eyes were adjusting to the deep shade, and I could see that Felix was very big, tall and thick through the shoulders. His size reminded me of Emmett.

" Aro will be disappointed, " Demetri sighed.

" I'm sure he'll survive the letdown, " Edward replied.

Felix and Demetri stole closer toward the mouth of the alley, spreading out slightly so they could come at Edward from two sides. They meant to force him deeper into the alley, to avoid a scene. No reflected light found access to their skin; they were safe inside their cloaks.

Edward didn't move an inch. He was dooming himself by protecting me.

Abruptly, Edward's head whipped around, toward the darkness of the winding alley, and Demetri and Felix did the same, in response to some sound or movement too subtle for my senses.

" Let's behave ourselves, shall we? " a lilting voice suggested. " There are ladies present. "

Alice tripped lightly to Edward's side, her stance casual. There was no hint of any underlying tension. She looked so tiny, so fragile. Her little arms swung like a child's.

Yet Demetri and Felix both straightened up, their cloaks swirling slightly as a gust of wind funneled through the alley. Felix's face soured. Apparently, they didn't like even numbers.

" We're not alone, " she reminded them.

Demetri glanced over his shoulder. A few yards into the square, the little family, with the girls in their red dresses, was watching us. The mother was speaking urgently to her husband, her eyes on the five of us. She looked away when Demetri met her gaze. The man walked a few steps farther into the plaza, and tapped one of the red‑ blazered men on the shoulder.

Demetri shook his head. " Please, Edward, let's be reasonable, " he said.

" Let's, " Edward agreed. " And we'll leave quietly now, with no one the wiser. "

Demetri sighed in frustration. " At least let us discuss this more privately. "

Six men in red now joined the family as they watched us with anxious expressions. I was very conscious of Edward's protective stance in front of me–sure that this was what caused their alarm. I wanted to scream to them to run.

Edward's teeth came together audibly. " No. "

Felix smiled.

" Enough. "

The voice was high, reedy, and n came from behind us.

I peeked under Edward's other arm to see a small, dark shape coming toward us. By the way the edges billowed, I knew it would be another one of them. Who else?

At first I thought it was a young boy. The newcomer was as tiny as Alice, with lank, pale brown hair trimmed short. The body under the cloak–which was darker, almost black–was slim and androgynous. But the face was too pretty for a boy. The wide‑ eyed, full‑ lipped face would make a Botticelli angel look like a gargoyle. Even allowing for the dull crimson irises.

Her size was so insignificant that the reaction to her appearance confused me. Felix and Demetri relaxed immediately, stepping back from their offensive positions to blend again with the shadows of the overhanging walls.

Edward dropped his arms and relaxed his position as well–but in defeat.

" Jane, " he sighed in recognition and resignation.

Alice folded her arms across her chest, her expression impassive.

" Follow me, " Jane spoke again, her childish voice a monotone. She turned her back on us and drifted silently into the dark.

Felix gestured for us to go first, smirking.

Alice walked after the little Jane at once. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me along beside her. The alley angled slightly downward as it narrowed. I looked up at him with frantic questions in my eyes, but he just shook his head. Though I couldn't hear the others behind us, I was sure they were there.

" Well, Alice, " Edward said conversationally as we walked. " I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. "

" It was my mistake, " Alice answered in the same tone. " It was my job to set it right. "

" What happened? " His voice was polite, as if he were barely interested. I imagined this was due to the listening ears behind us.

" It's a long story. " Alice's eyes flickered toward me and away. " In summary, she did jump off a cliff, but she wasn't trying to kill herself. Bella's all about the extreme sports these days. "

I flushed and turned my eyes straight ahead, looking after the dark shadow that I could no longer see. I could imagine what he was hearing in Alice's thoughts now. Near‑ drownings, stalking vampires, werewolf friends…

" Hm, " Edward said curtly, and the casual tone of his voice was gone.

There was a loose curve to the alley, still slanting downward, so I didn't see the squared‑ off dead end coming until we reached the flat, windowless, brick face. The little one called Jane was nowhere to be seen.

Alice didn't hesitate, didn't break pace as she strode toward the wall. Then, with easy grace, she slid down an open hole in the street.

It looked like a drain, sunk into the lowest point of the paving. I hadn't noticed it until Alice disappeared, but the grate was halfway pushed aside. The hole was small, and black.

I balked.

" It's all right, Bella, " Edward said in a low voice. " Alice will catch you. "

I eyed the hole doubtfully. I imagine he would have gone first, if Demetri and Felix hadn't been waiting, smug and silent, behind us.

I crouched down, swinging my legs into the narrow gap.

" Alice? " I whispered, voice trembling.

" I'm right here, Bella, " she reassured me. Her voice came from too far below to make me feel better.

Edward took my wrists–his hands felt like stones in winter–and lowered me into the blackness.

" Ready? " he asked.

" Drop her, " Alice called.

I closed my eyes so I couldn't see the darkness, scrunching them together in terror, clamping my mouth shut so I wouldn't scream. Edward let me fall.

It was silent and short. The air whipped past me for just half a second, and then, with a huff as I exhaled, Alice's waiting arms caught me.

I was going to have bruises; her arms were very hard. She stood me upright.

It was dim, but not black at the bottom. The light from the hole above provided a faint glow, reflecting wetly from the stones under my feet. The light vanished for a second, and then Edward was a faint, white radiance beside me. He put his arm around me, holding me close to his side, and began to tow me swiftly forward. I wrapped both arms around his cold waist, and tripped and stumbled my way across the uneven stone surface. The sound of the heavy grate sliding over the drain hole behind us rang with metallic finality.

The dim light from the street was quickly lost in the gloom. The sound of my staggering footsteps echoed through the black space; it sounded very wide, but I couldn't be sure. There were no sounds other than my frantic heartbeat and my feet on the wet stones–except for once, when an impatient sigh whispered from behind me.

Edward held me tightly. He reached his free hand across his body to hold my face, too, his smooth thumb tracing across my lips. Now and then, I felt his face press into my hair. I realized that this was the only reunion we would get, and I clutched myself closer to him.

For now, it felt like he wanted me, and that was enough to offset the horror of the subterranean tunnel and the prowling vampires behind us. It was probably no more than guilt–the same guilt that compelled him to come here to die when he'd believed that it was his fault that I'd killed myself. But I felt his lips press silently against my forehead, and I didn't care what the motivation was. At least I could be with him again before I died. That was better than a long life.

I wished I could ask him exactly what was going to happen now. I wanted desperately to know how we were going to die–as if that would somehow make it better, knowing in advance. But I couldn't speak, even in a whisper, surrounded as we were. The others could hear everything–my every breath, my every heartbeat.

The path beneath our feet continued to slant downward, taking us deeper into the ground, and it made me claustrophobic. Only Edward's hand, soothing against my face, kept me from screaming out loud.

I couldn't tell where the light was coming from, but it slowly turned dark gray instead of black. We were in a low, arched tunnel. Long trails of ebony moisture seeped down the gray stones, like they were bleeding ink.

I was shaking, and I thought it was from fear. It wasn't until my teeth started to chatter together that I realized I was cold. My clothes were still wet, and the temperature underneath the city was wintry. As was Edward's skin.

He realized this at the same time I did, and let go of me, keeping only my hand.

" N‑ n‑ no, " I chattered, throwing my arms around him. I didn't care if I froze. Who knew how long we had left?

His cold hand chafed against my arm, trying to warm me with the friction.

We hurried through the tunnel, or it felt like hurrying to me. My slow progress irritated someone–I guessed Felix–and I heard him heave a sigh now and then.

At the end of the tunnel was a grate–the iron bars were rusting, but thick as my arm. A small door made of thinner, interlaced bars was standing open. Edward ducked through and hurried on to a larger, brighter stone room. The grille slammed shut with a clang, followed by the snap of a lock. I was too afraid to look behind me.

On the other side of the long room was a low, heavy wooden door. It was very thick–as I could tell because it, too, stood open.

We stepped through the door, and I glanced around me in surprise, relaxing automatically. Beside me, Edward tensed, his jaw clenched tight.

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