Could　I　answer　him　without　screaming？　I　considered　that　for　a　moment；　and　then　the　fire　ripped　hotter
  still　through　my　chest；　draining　in　from　my　elbows　and　knees。　Better　not　to　chance　it。
  'Til　bring　them　right　up；〃　Alice　said；　an　urgent　edge　to　her　tone；　and　I　heard　the　swish　of　wind　as　she
  darted　away。
  And　then—　oh！
  My　heart　took　off；　beating　like　helicopter　blades；　the　sound　almost　a　single　sustained　note；　it　felt　like　it
  would　grind　through　my　ribs。　The　fire　flared　up　in　the　center　of　my　chest；　sucking　the　last　remnants　of　the
  flames　from　the
  rest　of　my　body　to　fuel　the　most　scorching　blaze　yet。　The　pain　was　enough　to　stun　me；　to　break　through
  my　iron　grip　on　the　stake。　My　back　arched；　bowed　as　if　the　fire　was　dragging　me　upward　by　my　heart。
  I　allowed　no　other　piece　of　my　body　to　break　rank　as　my　torso　slumped　back　to　the　table。
  It　became　a　battle　inside　me—my　sprinting　heart　racing　against　the　attacking　fire。　Both　were　losing。　The
  fire　was　doomed；　having　consumed　everything　that　was　combustible；　my　heart　galloped　toward　its　last
  beat。
  The　fire　constricted；　concentrating　inside　that　one　remaining　human　organ　with　a　final；　unbearable　surge。
  The　surge　was　answered　by　a　deep；　hollow…sounding　thud。　My　heart　stuttered　twice；　and　then　thudded
  quietly　again　just　once　more。
  There　was　no　sound。　No　breathing。　Not　even　mine。
  For　a　moment；　the　absence　of　pain　was　all　I　could　comprehend。
  And　then　I　opened　my　eyes　and　gazed　above　me　in　wonder。
  20。　NEW
  Everything　was　so　clear。
  Sharp。　Defined。
  The　brilliant　light　overhead　was　still　blinding…bright；　and　yet　I　could　plainly　see　the　glowing　strands　of　the
  filaments　inside　the　bulb。　I　could　see　each　color　of　the　rainbow　in　the　white　light；　and；　at　the　very　edge　of
  the　spectrum；　an　eighth　color　I　had　no　name　for。
  Behind　the　light；　I　could　distinguish　the　individual　grains　in　the　dark　wood　ceiling　above。　In　front　of　it；　I
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  could　see　the　dust　motes　in　the　air；　the　sides　the　light　touched；　and　the　dark　sides；　distinct　and　separate。
  They　spun　like　little　planets；　moving　around　each　other　in　a　celestial　dance。
  The　dust　was　so　beautiful　that　I　inhaled　in　shock；　the　air　whistled　down　my　throat；　swirling　the　motes　into
  a　vortex。　The　action　felt　wrong。　I　considered；　and　realized　the　problem　was　that　there　was　no　relief　tied
  to　the　action。　I　didn't　need　the　air。　My　lungs　weren't　waiting　for　it。　They　reacted　indifferently　to　the　influx。
  I　did　not　need　the　air；　but　I　liked　it。　In　it；　I　could　taste　the　room　around　me—taste　the　lovely　dust　motes；
  the　mix　of　the　stagnant　air　mingling　with　the　flow　of　slightly　cooler　air　from　the　open　door。　Taste　a　lush
  whiff　of　silk。　Taste　a　faint　hint　of　something　warm　and　desirable；　something　that　should　be　moist；　but
  wasn't。。。　That　smell　made　my　throat　burn　dryly；　a　faint　echo　of　the　venom　burn；　though　the　scent　was
  tainted　by　the　bite　of　chlorine　and　ammonia。　And　most　of　all；　I　could　taste　an
  almost…honey…lilac…and…sun…flavored　scent　that　was　the　strongest　thing；　the　closest　thing　to　me。
  I　heard　the　sound　of　the　others；　breathing　again　now　that　I　did。　Their　breath　mixed　with　the　scent　that
  was　something　just　off　honey　and　lilac　and　sunshine；　bringing　new　flavors。　Cinnamon；　hyacinth；　pear；
  seawater；　rising　bread；　pine；　vanilla；　leather；　apple；　moss；　lavender；　chocolate。。。。　I　traded　a　dozen
  different　comparisons　in　my　mind；　but　none　of　them　fit　exactly。　So　sweet　and　pleasant。
  The　TV　downstairs　had　been　muted；　and　I　heard　someone—Rosalie？—shift　her　weight　on　the　first　floor。
  I　also　heard　a　faint；　thudding　rhythm；　with　a　voice　shouting　angrily　to　the　beat。　Rap　music？　I　was
  mystified　for　a　moment；　and　then　the　sound　faded　away　like　a　car　passing　by　with　the　windows　rolled
  down。
  With　a　start；　I　realized　that　this　could　be　exactly　right。　Could　I　hear　all　the　way　to　the　freeway？
  I　didn't　realize　someone　was　holding　my　hand　until　whoever　it　was　squeezed　it　lightly。　Like　it　had　before
  to　hide　the　pain；　my　body　locked　down　again　in　surprise。　This　was　not　a　touch　I　expected。　The　skin　was
  perfectly　smooth；　but　it　was　the　wrong　temperature。　Not　cold。
  After　that　first　frozen　second　of　shock；　my　body　responded　to　the　unfamiliar　touch　in　a　way　that　shocked
  me　even　more。
  Air　hissed　up　my　throat；　spitting　through　my　clenched　teeth　with　a　low；　menacing　sound　like　a　swarm　of
  bees。　Before　the　sound　was　out；　my　muscles　bunched　and　arched；　twisting　away　from　the　unknown。　I
  flipped　off　my　back　in　a　spin　so　fast　it　should　have　turned　the　room　into　an　incomprehensible　blur—but　it
  did　not。　I　saw　every　dust　mote；　every　splinter　in　the　wood…paneled　walls；　every　loose　thread　in
  microscopic　detail　as　my　eyes　whirled　past　them。
  So　by　the　time　I　found　myself　crouched　against　the　wall　defensively—about　a　sixteenth　of　a　second
  later—I　already　understood　what　had　startled　me；　and　that　I　had　overreacted。
  Oh。　Of　course。　Edward　wouldn't　feel　cold　to　me。　We　were　the　same　temperature　now。
  I　held　my　pose　for　an　eighth　of　a　second　longer；　adjusting　to　the　scene　before　me。
  Edward　was　leaning　across　the　operating　table　that　had　been　my　pyre；　his　hand　reached　out　toward　me；
  his　expression　anxious。
  Edward's　face　was　the　most　important　thing；　but　my　peripheral　vision　catalogued　everything　else；　just　in
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  case。　Some　instinct　to　defend　had　been　triggered；　and　I　automatically　searched　for　any　sign　of　danger。
  My　vampire　family　waited　cautiously　against　the　far　wall　by　the　door；　Emmett　and　Jasper　in　the　front。
  Like　there　was　danger。　My　nostrils　flared；　searching　for　the　threat。　I　could　smell　nothing　out　of　place。
  That　faint　scent　of　something　delicious—but　marred　by　harsh　chemicals—tickled　my　throat　again；　setting
  it　to　aching　and　burning。
  Alice　was　peeking　around　Jasper's　elbow　with　a　huge　grin　on　her　face；　the　light　sparkled　off　her　teeth；
  another　eight…color　rainbow。
  That　grin　reassured　me　and　then　put　the　pieces　together。　Jasper　and　Emmett　were　in　the　front　to　protect
  the　others；　as　I　had　assumed。　What　I　hadn't　grasped　immediately　was　that　/　was　the　danger。
  All　this　was　a　sideline。　The　greater　part　of　my　senses　and　my　mind　were　still　focused　on　Edward's　face。
  I　had　never　seen　it　before　this　second。
  How　many　times　had　I　stared　at　Edward　and　marveled　over　his　beauty？　How　many　hours—days；
  weeks—of　my　life　had　I　spent　dreaming　about　what　I　then　deemed　to　be　perfection？　I　thought　I'd　known
  his　face　better　than　my　own。　I'd　thought　this　was　the　one　sure　physical　thing　in　my　whole　world：　the
  flawlessness　of　Edward's　face。
  I　may　as　well　have　been　blind。
  For　the　first　time；　with　the　dimming　shadows　and　limiting　weakness　of　humanity　taken　off　my　eyes；　I　saw
  his　face。　I　gasped　and　then　struggled　with　my　vocabulary；　unable　to　find　the　right　words。　I　needed　better
  words。
  At　this　point；　the　other　part　of　my　attention　had　ascertained　that　there　was　no　danger　here　besides
  myself；　and　I　automatically　straightened　out　of　my　crouch；　almost　a　whole　second　had　passed　since　I'd
  been　on　the　table。
  I　was　momentarily　preoccupied　by　the　way　my　body　moved。　The　instant　I'd　considered　standing　erect；　I
  was　already　straight。　There　was　no　brief　fragment　of　time　in　which　the　action　occurred；　change　was
  instantaneous；　almost　as　if　there　was　no　movement　at　all。
  I　continued　to　stare　at　Edward's　face；　motionless　again。
  He　moved　slowly　around　the　table—each　step　taking　nearly　half　a　second；　each　step　flowing　sinuously
  like　river　water　weaving　over　smooth　stones—his　hand　still　outstretched。
  I　watched　the　grace　of　his　advance；　absorbing　it　with　my　new　eyes。
  〃Bella？〃　he　asked　in　a　low；　calming　tone；　but　the　worry　in　his　voice　layered　my　name　with　tension。
  I　could　not　answer　immediately；　lost　as　I　was　in　the　velvet　folds　of　his　voice。　It　was　the　most　perfect
  symphony；　a　symphony　in　one　instrument；　an　instrument　more　profound　than　any　created　by　man___
  〃Bella；　love？　I'm　sorry；　I　know　it's　disorienting。　But　you're　all　right。　Everything　is　fine。〃
  Everything？　My　mind　spun　out；　spiraling　back　to　my　last　human　hour。　Already；　the　memory　seemed　dim；
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  like　I　was　watching　through　a　thick；　dark　veil—because　my　human　eyes　had　been　half　blind。　Everything
  had　been　so　blurred。
  When　he　said　everything　was　fine；　did　that　include　Renesmee？　Where　was　she？　With　Rosalie？　I　tried　to
  remember　her　face—I　knew　that　she　had　been　beautiful—but　it　was　irritating　to　try　to　see　through　the
  human　memories。　Her　face　was　shrouded　in　darkness；　so　poorly　lit___
  What