ight be the leader。 “There are no options for those who break the rules；” Jane said； her voice dead again。 My bones felt like ice； but I didn’t feel panicked anymore。 It all seemed so inevitable now。 Carlisle answered Jane in a soft voice。 “That’s in your hands。 As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us； I saw no need to destroy her。 She was never taught。” Though his words were neutral； I almost thought he was pleading for me。 But； as he had said； my fate was not up to him。 “That is irrelevant；” Jane confirmed。 “As you wish。” Jane was staring at Carlisle with an expression that was half confusion and half frustration。 She shook her head； and her face was unreadable again。
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“Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you； Carlisle；” she said。 “He sends his regards。” “I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him；” he answered。 Jane smiled。 “Of course。” Then she looked at me again； with the corners of her mouth still slightly holding the smile。 “It appears that you’ve done our work for us today… for the most part。 Just out of professional curiosity； how many were there？ They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle。” She spoke of jobs and professionals。 I was right； then； that it was her profession to punish。 And if there were punishers； then there must be rules。 Carlisle had said before； We follow their rules； and also； There is no law against creating vampires if you control them。 Riley and my creator had been afraid but not exactly surprised by the arrival of the darkcloaks； these Volturi。 They knew about the laws； and they knew they were breaking them。 Why hadn’t they told us？ And there were more Volturi than just these four。 Someone named Aro and probably many more。 There must have been a lot for everyone to fear them so much。 Carlisle answered Jane’s question。 “Eighteen； including this one。” There was a barely audible murmur among the four dark cloaks。 “Eighteen？” Jane repeated； a note of surprise in her voice。 Our creator had never told Jane how many of us she’d created。 Was Jane really surprised； or just faking it？ “All brandnew；” Carlisle said。 “They were unskilled。” Unskilled and uninformed； thanks to Riley。 I was beginning
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to get a sense of how these older vampires viewed us。 Newborn； Jasper had called me。 Like a baby。 “All？” Jane snapped。 “Then who was their creator？” As if they hadn’t already been introduced。 This Jane was a bigger liar than Riley； and she was so much better at it than he was。 “Her name was Victoria；” the redhead answered。 How did he know that when even I didn’t？ I remembered that Riley had said there was a mind reader in this group。 Was that how they knew everything？ Or was that another of Riley’s lies？ “Was？” Jane asked。 The redhead jerked his head toward the east like he was pointing。 I looked up and saw a cloud of thick lilac smoke billowing from the side of the mountain。 Was。 I felt a similar kind of pleasure to what I’d felt imagining the big vampire shredding Raoul。 Only much； much greater。 “This Victoria；” Jane asked slowly。 “She was in addition to the eighteen here？” “Yes；” the redhead confirmed。 “She had only one other with her。 He was not as young as this one here； but no older than a year。” Riley。 My fierce pleasure intensified。 Ifokay； when I died today； at least I didn’t leave that loose thread。 Diego had been avenged。 I almost smiled。 “Twenty；” Jane breathed。 Either this was more than she had expected； or she was a killer actress。 “Who dealt with the
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creator？” “I did；” the redhead said coldly。 Whoever this vampire was； whether he kept a pet human or no； he was a friend of mine。 Even if he were the one to kill me in the end； I would still owe him。 Jane turned to stare at me with narrowed eyes。 “You there；” she snarled。 “Your name。” I was dead anyway； according to her。 So why give this lying vampire anything she wanted？ I just glared at her。 Jane smiled at me； the bright； happy smile of an innocent child； and suddenly I was on fire。 It was like I’d gone back in time to the worst night of my life。 Fire was in every vein of my body； covering every inch of my skin； gnawing through the marrow of every bone。 It felt like I was buried in the middle of my coven’s funeral bonfire； with the flames on every side。 There wasn’t a single cell in my body that wasn’t blazing with the worst agony imaginable。 I could barely hear myself scream over the pain in my ears。 “Your name；” Jane said again； and as she spoke the fire disappeared。 Gone like that； as if I’d only been imagining it。 “Bree；” I said as fast as I could； still gasping though the pain wasn’t there anymore。 Jane smiled again and the fire was everywhere。 How much pain would it take before I would die of it？ The screams didn’t even feel like they were ing from me anymore。 Why wouldn’t someone rip my head off？ Carlisle was kind enough for that； wasn’t he？ Or whoever their mind reader was。 Couldn’t he or she understand and make this stop？
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“She’ll tell you anything you want to know；” the redhead growled。 “You don’t have to do that。” The pain vanished again； like Jane had turned off a light switch。 I found myself facedown on the ground； panting as if I needed air。 “Oh； I know；” I heard Jane say cheerfully。 “Bree？” I shuddered when she called my name； but the pain didn’t start again。 “Is his story true？” she asked me。 “Were there twenty of you？” The words flew out of my mouth。 “Nieen or twenty； maybe more； I don’t know！ Sara and the one whose name I don’t know got in a fight on the way…。” I waited for the pain to punish me for not having a better answer； but instead Jane spoke again。 “And this Victoria did she create you？” “I don’t know；” I admitted fearfully。 “Riley never said her name。 I didn’t see that night… it was so dark； and it hurt！” I flinched。 “He didn’t want us to be able to think of her。 He said that our thoughts weren’t safe。” Jane shot a glance at the redhead； then looked at me again。 “Tell me about Riley；” Jane said。 “Why did he bring you here？” I recited Riley’s lies as quickly as I could。 “Riley told us that we had to destroy the strange yelloweyes here。 He said it would be easy。 He said that the city was theirs； and they were ing to get us。 He said once they were gone； all the blood
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would be ours。 He gave us her scent。” I pointed in the human’s 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。” “It looks like Riley was wrong about the easy part；” Jane said； a hint of teasing in her tone。 It seemed like Jane was pleased with my story。 In a flash of insight； I understood that she was relieved Riley hadn’t told me or the others about her little visit to our creator。 Victoria。 This was the story she wanted the yelloweyes to knowthe story that didn’t implicate Jane or the darkcloaked Volturi。 Well； I could play along。 Hopefully the mind reader was already in the know。 I couldn’t physically take revenge on this monster； but I could tell the yelloweyes everything with my