suggestion　as　to　where　else　we　might　go　for　answers。　It　was　unlikely　that　the　three　Amazon　vampires　had
  anything　to　do　with　the　legends　of　vampire　hybrids　themselves；　as　they　were　all　female。　There　was　no
  way　to　know　how　long　our　search　would　take。
  I　hadn't　told　Charlie　about　the　longer　trip　yet；　and　I　stewed　about　what　to　say　to　him　while　Edward　and
  Carlisle's　discussion　went　on。　How　to　break　the　news　to　him　just　right？
  I　stared　at　Renesmee　while　I　debated　internally。　She　was　curled　up　on　the　sofa　now；　her　breathing　slow
  with　heavy　sleep；　her　tangled　curls　splayed　wildly　around　her　face。Usually；　Edward　and　I　took　her　back
  to　our　cottage　to　put　her　to　bed；　but　tonight　we　lingered　with　the　family；　he　and　Carlisle　deep　in　their
  planning　session。
  Meanwhile；　Emmett　and　Jasper　were　more　excited　about　planning　the　hunting　possibilities。　The　Amazon
  offered　a　change　from　our　normal　quarry。　Jaguars　and　panthers；　for　example。　Emmett　had　a　whim　to
  wrestle　with　an　anaconda。　Esme　and　Rosalie　were　planning　what　they　would　pack。　Jacob　was　off　with
  Sam's　pack；　setting　things　up　for　his　own　absence。
  Alice　moved　slowly—for　her—around　the　big　room；　unnecessarily　tidying　the　already　immaculate　space；
  straightening　Esme's　perfectly　hung　garlands。　She　was　re…centering　Esme's　vases　on　the　console　at　the
  moment。　I　could　see　from　the　way　her　face　fluctuated—aware；　then　blank；　then　aware　again—that　she
  was　searching　the　future。　I　assumed　she　was　trying　to　see　through　the　blind　spots　that　Jacob　and
  Renesmee　made　in　her　visions　as　to　what　was　waiting　for　us　in　South　America　until　Jasper　said；　〃Let　it
  go；　Alice；　she's　not　our　concern；〃　and　a　cloud　of　serenity　stole　silently　and　invisibly　through　the　room。
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  Alice　must　have　been　worrying　about　Irina　again。
  She　stuck　her　tongue　out　at　Jasper　and　then　lifted　one　crystal　vase　that　was　filled　with　white　and　red
  roses　and　turned　toward　the　kitchen。　There　was　just　the　barest　hint　of　wilt　to　one　of　the　white　flowers；
  but　Alice　seemed　intent　on　utter　perfection　as　a　distraction　to　her　lack　of　vision　tonight。
  Staring　at　Renesmee　again；　I　didn't　see　it　when　the　vase　slipped　from　Alice's　fingers。　I　only　heard　the
  whoosh　of　the　air　whistling　past　the　crystal；　and　my　eyes　flickered　up　in　time　to　see　the　vase　shatter　into
  ten　thousand　diamond　shards　against　the　edge　of　the　kitchen's　marble　floor。
  We　were　perfectly　still　as　the　fragmented　crystal　bounced　and　skittered　in　every　direction　with　an
  unmusical　tinkling；　all　eyes　on　Alice's　back。
  My　first　illogical　thought　was　that　Alice　was　playing　some　joke　on　us。　Because　there　was　no　way　that
  Alice　could　have　dropped　the　vase　by　accident　I　could　have　darted　across　the　room　to　catch　the　vase　in
  plenty　of　time　myself；　if　I　hadn't　assumed　she　would　get　it。　And　how　would　it　fall　through　her　fingers　in　the
  first　place？　Her　perfectly　sure　fingers。。。
  I　had　never　seen　a　vampire　drop　anything　by　accident。　Ever。
  And　then　Alice　was　facing　us；　twisting　in　a　move　so　fast　it　didn't　exist。
  Her　eyes　were　halfway　here　and　halfway　locked　on　the　future；　wide；　staring；　filling　her　thin　face　till　they
  seemed　to　overflow　it。　Looking　into　her　eyes　was　like　looking　out　of　a　grave　from　the　inside；　I　was　buried
  in　the　terror　and
  despair　and　agony　of　her　gaze。
  I　heard　Edward　gasp；　it　was　a　broken；　half…choked　sound。
  〃What？〃Jasper　growled；　leaping　to　her　side　in　a　blurred　rush　of　movement；　crushing　the　broken　crystal
  under　his　feet。　He　grabbed　her　shoulders　and　shook　her　sharply。　She　seemed　to　rattle　silently　in　his
  hands。　〃What　Alice？〃
  Emmett　moved　into　my　peripheral　vision；　his　teeth　bared　while　his　eyes　darted　toward　the　window；
  anticipating　an　attack。
  There　was　only　silence　from　Esme；　Carlisle；　and　Rose；　who　were　frozen　just　as　I　was。
  Jasper　shook　Alice　again。　〃What　is　it？〃
  〃They're　coming　for　us；〃　Alice　and　Edward　whispered　together；　perfectly　synchronized。　〃All　of　them。〃
  Silence。
  For　once；　I　was　the　quickest　to　understand—because　something　in　their　words　triggered　my　own　vision。
  It　was　only　the　distant　memory　of　a　dream—faint；　transparent；　indistinct　as　if　I　were　peering　through　thick
  gauze。。。。　In　my　head；　I　saw　a　line　of　black　advancing　on　me；　the　ghost　of　my　half…forgotten　human
  nightmare。　I　could　not　see　the　glint　of　their　ruby　eyes　in　the　shrouded　image；　or　the　shine　of　their　sharp
  wet　teeth；　but　I　knew　where　the　gleam　should　be。。。。
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  Stronger　than　the　memory　of　the　sight　came　the　memory　of　the　feel　—the　wrenching　need　to　protect　the
  precious　thing　behind　me。
  I　wanted　to　snatch　Renesmee　up　into　my　arms；　to　hide　her　behind　my　skin　and　hair；　to　make　her
  invisible。　But　I　couldn't　even　turn　to　look　at　her。　I　felt　not　like　stone　but　ice。　For　the　first　time　since　I'd
  been　reborn　a　vampire；　I　felt　cold。
  I　barely　heard　the　confirmation　of　my　fears。　I　didn't　need　it。　I　already　knew。
  〃The　Volturi；〃　Alice　moaned。
  〃All　of　them；〃　Edward　groaned　at　the　same　time。
  〃Why？〃　Alice　whispered　to　herself。　〃How？〃
  〃When？〃　Edward　whispered。
  〃Why？〃　Esme　echoed。
  〃When？〃Jasper　repeated　in　a　voice　like　splintering　ice。
  Alice's　eyes　didn't　blink；　but　it　was　as　if　a　veil　covered　them；　they　became　perfectly　blank。　Only　her
  mouth　held　on　to　her　expression　of　horror。
  〃Not　long；〃　she　and　Edward　said　together。　Then　she　spoke　alone。　〃There's　snow　on　the　forest；　snow　on
  the　town。　Little　more　than　a　month。〃
  〃Why？〃　Carlisle　was　the　one　to　ask　this　time。
  Esme　answered。　〃They　must　have　a　reason。　Maybe　to　see　。。。〃
  〃This　isn't　about　Bella；〃　Alice　said　hollowly。　〃They're　all　coming—Aro；　Caius；　Marcus；　every　member　of
  the　guard；　even　the　wives。〃
  〃The　wives　never　leave　the　tower；〃　Jasper　contradicted　her　in　a　flat　voice。　〃Never。　Not　during　the
  southern　rebellion。　Not　when　the　Romanians　tried　to　overthrow　them。　Not　even　when　they　were　hunting
  the　immortal　children。　Never。〃
  〃They're　coming　now；〃　Edward　whispered。
  〃But　why？〃　Carlisle　said　again。　〃We've　done　nothing！　And　if　we　had；　what　could　we　possibly　do　that
  would　bring　f/？/sdown　on　us？〃
  〃There　are　so　many　of　us；〃　Edward　answered　dully。　〃They　must　want　to　make　sure　that。。。〃　He　didn't
  finish。
  〃That　doesn't　answer　the　crucial　question！　Why？〃
  I　felt　I　knew　the　answer　to　Carlisle's　question；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　I　didn't。　Renesmee　was　the
  reason　why；　I　was　sure。　Somehow　I'd　known　from　the　very　beginning　that　they　would　come　for　her。　My
  subconscious　had　warned　me　before　I'd　known　I　was　carrying　her。　It　felt　oddly　expected　now。　As　if　I'd
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  somehow　always　known　that　the　Volturi　would　come　to　take　my　happiness　from　me。
  But　that　still　didn't　answer　the　question。
  〃Go　back；　Alice；〃　Jasper　pleaded。　〃Look　for　the　trigger。　Search。〃
  Alice　shook　her　head　slowly；　her　shoulders　sagging。　〃It　came　out　of　nowhere；　Jazz。　I　wasn't　looking　for
  them；　or　even　for　us。　I　was　just　looking　for　Irina。　She　wasn't　where　I　expected　her　to　be。。。。〃　Alice　trailed
  off；　her　eyes　drifting　again。　She　stared　at　nothing　for　a　long　second。
  And　then　her　head　jerked　up；　her　eyes　hard　as　flint。　I　heard　Edward　catch　his　breath。
  〃She　decided　to　go　to　them；〃　Alice　said。　〃Irina　decided　to　go　to　the　Volturi。　And　then　they　will　decide。。。。
  It's　as　if　they're　waiting　for　her。　Like　their　decision　was　already　made；　and　just　waiting　on　her___〃
  It　was　silent　again　as　we　digested　this。　What　would　Irina　tell　the　Volturi　that　would　result　in　Alice's
  appalling　vision？
  〃Can　we　stop　her？〃　Jasper　asked。
  〃There's　no　way。　She's　almost　there。〃
  〃What　is　she　doing？〃　Carlisle　was　asking；　but　I　wasn't　paying　attention　to　the　discussion　now。　All　my
  focus　was　on　the　picture　that　was　painstakingly　coming　together　in　my　head。
  I　pictured　Irina　poised　on　the　cliff；　watching。　What　had　she　seen？　A　vampire　and　a　werewolf　who　were
  best　friends。　I'd　been　focused　on　that　image；　one　that　would　obviously　explain　her　reaction。　But　that　was
  not　all　that　she'd　seen。
  She'd　also　seen　a　child。　An　exquisitely　beautiful　child；　showing　off　in　the　falling　snow；　clearly　more　than
  human。。。
  Irina。。。　the　orphaned　sisters。。。　Carlisle　had　said　that　losing　their　mother　to　the　Volturi's　justice　had　made
  Tanya；　Kate；　and　Irina　purists　when　it　came　to　the　law。
  Just　half　a　minute　ago；　Jasper　had　said　the　words　himself：　Not　even　when　they　were　hunting　the
  immortal　children。。。。　The　immortal　children—the　unmentionable　bane；　the　appalling　taboo。。。
  With　Irina's　past；　how　could　she　apply　any　other　reading　to　what　she'd　seen　that　day　in　the　narrow　field？