quickly and willingly.

"he said it would be easy. he said that the city was theirs, and they were coming to get us. he said once they were gone, all the blood would be ours. he gave us her scent." bree lifted one hand and stabbed a finger in my direction. "he said we would know that we had the right coven, because she would be with them. he said whoever got to her first could have her."

i heard edward's jaw flex beside me.

"it looks like riley was wrong about the easy part," jane noted.

bree nodded, seeming relieved that the conversation had taken this non-painful course. she sat up carefully. "i don't know what happened. we split up, but the others never came. and riley left us, and he didn't come to help like he promised. and then it was so confusing, and everybody was in pieces." she shuddered again. "i was afraid. i wanted to run away. that one" - she looked at carlisle - "said they wouldn't hurt me if i stopped fighting."

"ah, but that wasn't his gift to offer, young one," jane murmured, her voice oddly gentle now. "broken rules demand a consequence."

bree stared at her, not comprehending.

jane looked at carlisle. "are you sure you got all of them? the other half that split off?"

carlisle's face was very smooth as he nodded. "we split up, too."

jane half-smiled. "i can't deny that i'm impressed." the big shadows behind her murmured in agreement. "i've never seen a coven escape this magnitude of offensive intact. do you know what was behind it? it seems like extreme behavior, considering the way you live here. and why was the girl the key?" her eyes rested unwilling on me for one short second.

i shivered.

"victoria held a grudge against bella," edward told her, his voice impassive.

jane laughed - the sound was golden, the bubbling laugh of a happy child. "this one seems to bring out bizarrely strong reactions in our kind," she observed, smiling directly at me, her face beatific.

edward stiffened. i looked at him in time to see his face turning away, back to jane.

"would you please not do that?" he asked in a tight voice.

jane laughed again lightly. "just checking. no harm done, apparently."

i shivered, deeply grateful that the strange glitch in my system - which had protected me from jane the last time we'd met - was still in effect. edward's arm tightened around me.

"well, it appears that there's not much left for us to do. odd," jane said, apathy creeping back into her voice. "we're not used to being rendered unnecessary. it's too bad we missed the fight. it sounds like it would have been entertaining to watch."

"yes," edward answered her quickly, his voice sharp. "and you were so close. it's a shame you didn't arrive just a half hour earlier. perhaps then you could have fulfilled your purpose here."

jane met edward's glare with unwavering eyes. "yes. quite a pity how things turned out, isn't it?"

edward nodded once to himself, his suspicions confirmed.

jane turned to look at the newborn bree again, her face completely bored. "felix?" she drawled.

"wait," edward interjected.

jane raised one eyebrow, but edward was staring at carlisle while he spoke in an urgent voice. "we could explain the rules to the young one. she doesn't seem unwilling to learn. she didn't know what she was doing."

"of course," carlisle answered. "we would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for bree."

jane's expression was torn between amusement and disbelief.

"we don't make exceptions," she said. "and we don't give second chances. it's bad for our reputation. which reminds me . . ." suddenly, her eyes were on me again, and her cherubic face dimpled. "caius will be so interested to hear that you're still human, bella. perhaps he'll decide to visit."

"the date is set," alice told jane, speaking for the first time. "perhaps we'll come to visit you in a few months."

jane's smile faded, and she shrugged indifferently, never looking at alice. she turned to face carlisle. "it was nice to meet you, carlisle - i'd thought aro was exaggerating. well, until we meet again . . ."

carlisle nodded, his expression pained.

"take care of that, felix," jane said, nodding toward bree, her voice dripping boredom. "i want to go home."

"don't watch," edward whispered in my ear.

i was only too eager to follow his instruction. i'd seen more than enough for one day - more than enough for one lifetime. i squeezed my eyes tightly together and turned my face into edward's chest.

but i could still hear.

there was a deep, rumbling growl, and then a high-pitched keen that was horribly familiar. that sound cut off quickly, and then the only sound was a sickening crunching and snapping.

edward's hand rubbed anxiously against my shoulders.

"come," jane said, and i looked up in time to see the backs of the tall gray cloaks drifting away toward the curling smoke. the incense smell was strong again - fresh.

the gray cloaks disappeared into the thick mist.