ag itself mindlessly across the ground.

Seth was circling Riley again, and now Riley was retreating. He backed away from the advancing werewolf, his face rigid with pain. He raised his one arm defensively.

Seth rushed Riley, and the vampire was clearly off-balance. I saw Seth sink his teeth into Rileys shoulder and tear, jumping back again.

With an earsplitting metallic screech, Riley lost his other arm.

Seth shook his head, flinging the arm into the woods. The broken hissing noise that came through Seths teeth sounded like snickering.

Riley screamed out a tortured plea. Victoria!

Victoria did not even flinch to the sound of her name. Her eyes did not flicker once toward her partner.

Seth launched himself forward with the force of a wrecking ball. The thrust carried both Seth and Riley into the trees, where the metallic screeching was matched by Rileys screams. Screams that abruptly cut off, while the sounds of rock being ripped to shreds continued.

Though she spared Riley no farewell glance, Victoria seemed to realize that she was on her own. She began to back away from Edward, frenzied disappointment blazing in her eyes. She threw me one short, agonized stare of longing, and then she started to retreat faster.

No, Edward crooned, his voice seductive. Stay just a little longer.

She wheeled and flew toward the refuge of the forest like an arrow from a bow.

But Edward was faster  a bullet from a gun.

He caught her unprotected back at the edge of the trees and, with one last, simple step, the dance was over.

Edwards mouth brushed once across her neck, like a caress. The squealing clamor coming from Seths efforts covered every other noise, so there was no discernible sound to make the image one of violence. He could have been kissing her.

And then the fiery tangle of hair was no longer connected to the rest of her body. The shivering orange waves fell to the ground, and bounced once before rolling toward the trees.




25. MIRROR

IFORCED MY EYES FROZEN WIDE OPEN WITH SHOCK to move, so that I could not examine too closely the oval object wrapped in tendrils of shivering, fiery hair.

Edward was in motion again. Swift and coolly businesslike, he dismembered the headless corpse.

I could not go to him  I could not make my feet respond; they were bolted to the stone beneath them. But I scrutinized his every action minutely, looking for any evidence that he had been harmed. My heart slowed to a healthier rhythm when I found nothing. He was lithe and graceful as ever. I couldnt even see a tear in his clothes.

He did not look at me  where I stood frozen to the cliff wall, horrified  while he piled the quivering, twitching limbs and then covered them with dry pine needles. He still did not meet my shocked gaze as he darted into the forest after Seth.

I didnt have time to recover before both he and Seth were back, Edward with his arms full of Riley. Seth was carrying a large chunk  the torso  in his mouth. They added their burden to the pile, and Edward pulled a silver rectangle from his pocket. He flipped open the butane lighter and held the flame to the dry tinder. It caught at once; long tongues of orange fire licked rapidly across the pyre.

Get every piece, Edward said in a low aside to Seth.

Together, the vampire and the werewolf scoured the campsite, occasionally tossing small lumps of white stone into the blaze. Seth handled the pieces with his teeth. My brain wasnt working well enough for me to understand why he didnt change back to a form with hands.

Edward kept his eyes on his work.

And then they were done, and the raging fire was sending a pillar of choking purple toward the sky. The thick smoke curled up slowly, looking more solid than it should; it smelled like burning incense, and the scent was uncomfortable. It was heavy, too strong.

Seth made that snickering sound again, deep in his chest.

A smile flickered across Edwards tense face.

Edward stretched out his arm, his hand curled into a fist. Seth grinned, revealing the long row of dagger teeth, and bumped his nose against Edwards hand.

Nice teamwork, Edward murmured.

Seth coughed a laugh.

Then Edward took a deep breath, and turned slowly to face me.

I did not understand his expression. His eyes were as wary as if I were another enemy  more than wary, they were afraid. Yet hed shown no fear at all when hed faced Victoria and Riley. . . . My mind was stuck, stunned and useless as my body. I stared at him, bewildered.

Bella, love, he said in his softest tone, walking toward me with exaggerated slowness, his hands held up, palms forward. Dazed as I was, it reminded me oddly of a suspect approaching a policeman, showing that he wasnt armed. . . .

Bella, can you drop the rock, please? Carefully. Dont hurt yourself.

Id forgotten all about my crude weapon, though I realized now that I was grasping it so hard that my knuckle was screaming in protest. Was it rebroken? Carlisle would put me in a cast for sure this time.

Edward hesitated a few feet from me, his hands still in the air, his eyes still fearful.

It took me a few long seconds to remember how to move my fingers. Then the rock clattered to the ground, while my hand stayed frozen in the same position.

Edward relaxed slightly when my hands were empty, but came no closer.

You dont have to be afraid, Bella, Edward murmured. Youre safe. I wont hurt you.

The mystifying promise only confused me further. I stared at him like an imbecile, trying to understand.

Its going to be all right, Bella. I know youre frightened now, but its over. No one is going to hurt you. I wont touch you. I wont hurt you, he said again.

My eyes blinked furiously, and I found my voice. Why do you keep saying that?

I took an unsteady step toward him, and he leaned away from my advance.

Whats wrong? I whispered. What do you mean?

Are you . . . His golden eyes were suddenly as confused as I felt. Arent you afraid of me?

Afraid of you?Why? 

I staggered forward another step, and then tripped over something  my own feet probably. Edward caught me, and I buried my face in his chest and started to sob.

Bella, Bella, Im so sorry. Its over, its over.

Im fine, I gasped. Im okay. Im just. Freaking out. Give me. A minute.

His arms tightened around me. Im so sorry, he murmured again and again.

I clung to him until I could breathe, and then I was kissing him  his chest, his shoulder, his neck  every part of him that I could reach. Slowly, my brain started to work again.

Are you okay? I demanded between kisses. Did she hurt you at all?

I am absolutely fine, he promised, burying his face in my hair.

Seth?

Edward chuckled. More than fine. Very pleased with himself, in fact.

The others? Alice, Esme? The wolves?

All fine. Its over there, too. It went just as smoothly as I promised. We got the worst of it here.

I let myself absorb that for a moment, let it sink in and settle in my head.

My family and my friends were safe. Victoria was never coming after me again. It was over.

We were all going to be fine.

But I couldnt completely take in the good news while I was still so confused.

Tell me why, I insisted. Why did you think I would be afraid of you?

Im sorry, he said, apologizing yet again  for what? I had no idea. So sorry. I didnt want you to see that. Seeme like that. I know I must have terrified you.

I had to think about that for another minute, about the hesitant way hed approached me, his hands in the air. Like I was going to run if he moved too fast. . . .

Seriously? I finally asked. You . . . what? Thought youd scared me off? I snorted. Snorting was good; a voice couldnt tremble or break during a snort. It sounded impressively offhand.

He put his hand under my chin and tilted my head back to read my face.

Bella, I just  he hesitated and then forced the words out  I just beheaded and dismembered a sentient creature not twenty yards from you. That doesntbother you?