strong　enough　that　it　was　no　burden　to　her。
  Her　eyes　were　huge　as　she　read　the　agony　on　my　face。　But　she　had　guessed　enough　not　to　ask　me　what
  I　was　doing。
  〃I　love　you；〃　I　told　her。　〃More　than　anything。〃
  〃I　love　you；　too；　Momma；〃　she　answered。　She　touched　the　locket　at　her　neck；　which　now　held　a　tiny
  photo　of　her；　Edward；　and　me。　〃We'll　always　be　together。〃
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  〃In　our　hearts　we'll　always　be　together；〃　I　corrected　in　a　whisper　as　quiet　as　a　breath。　〃But　when　the　time
  comes　today；　you　have　to　leave　me。〃
  Her　eyes　widened；　and　she　touched　her　hand　to　my　cheek。　The　silent　no　was　louder　than　if　she'd
  shouted　it。
  I　fought　to　swallow；　my　throat　felt　swollen。　〃Will　you　do　it　for　me？　Please？〃
  She　pressed　her　fingers　harder　to　my　face。　Why？
  〃I　can't　tell　you；〃　I　whispered。　〃But　you'll　understand　soon。　I　promise。'7
  In　my　head；　I　saw　Jacob's　face。
  I　nodded；　then　pulled　her　fingers　away。　〃Don't　think　of　it；〃　I　breathed　into　her　ear。　〃Don't　tell　Jacob　until　I
  tell　you　to　run；　okay？〃
  This　she　understood。　She　nodded；　too。
  I　took　from　my　pocket　one　last　detail。
  While　packing　Renesmee's　things；　an　unexpected　sparkle　of　color　had　caught　my　eye。　A　chance　ray　of
  sun　through　the　skylight　had　hit　the　jewels　on　the　ancient　precious　box　stuffed　high　overhead　on　a　shelf　in
  an　untouched　corner。　I　considered　it　for　a　moment　and　then　shrugged。　After　putting　together　Alice's
  clues；　I　couldn't　hope　that　the　coming　confrontation　would　be　resolved　peacefully。　But　why　not　try　to
  start　things　out　as　friendly　as　possible？　I　asked　myself。　What　could　it　hurt？　So　I　guess　I　must　have　had
  some　hope　left　after　all—blind；　senseless　hope—because　I'd　scaled　the　shelves　and　retrieved　Aro's
  wedding　present　to　me。
  Now　I　fastened　the　thick　gold　rope　around　my　neck　and　felt　the　weight　of　the　enormous　diamond　nestle
  into　the　hollow　of　my　throat。
  〃Pretty；〃　Renesmee　whispered。　Then　she　wrapped　her　arms　like　a　vise　around　my　neck。　I　squeezed　her
  against　my　chest。　Interlocked　this　way；　I　carried　her　out　of　the　tent　and　to　the　clearing。
  Edward　cocked　one　eyebrow　as　I　approached；　but　otherwise　did　not　remark　on　my　accessory　or
  Renesmee's。　He　just　put　his　arms　tight　around　us　both　for　one　long　moment　and　then；　with　a　deep　sigh；　let
  us　go。　I　couldn't　see　a　goodbye　anywhere　in　his　eyes。　Maybe　he　had　more　hope　for　something　after　this
  life　than　he'd　let　on。
  We　took　our　place；　Renesmee　climbing　agilely　onto　my　back　to　leave　my　hands　free。　I　stood　a　few　feet
  behind　the　front　line　made　up　by　Carlisle；　Edward；　Emmett；　Rosalie；　Tanya；　Kate；　and　Eleazar。　Close
  beside　me　were　Benjamin　and　Zafrina；　it　was　my　job　to　protect　them　as　long　as　I　was　able。　They　were
  our　best　offensive　weapons。　If　the　Volturi　were　the　ones　who　could　not　see；　even　for　a　few　moments；
  that　would　change　everything。
  Zafrina　was　rigid　and　fierce；　with　Senna　almost　a　mirror　image　at　her　side。　Benjamin　sat　on　the　ground；
  his　palms　pressed　to　the　dirt；　and　muttered　quietly　about　fault　lines。　Last　night；　he'd　strewn　piles　of
  boulders　in　natural…looking；　now　snow…covered　heaps　all　along　the　back　of　the　meadow。　They　weren't
  enough　to　injure　a　vampire；　but　hopefully　enough　to　distract　one。
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  The　witnesses　clustered　to　our　left　and　right；　some　nearer　than　others—those　who　had　declared
  themselves　were　the　closest。　I　noticed　Siobhan　rubbing　her　temples；　her　eyes　closed　in　concentration；
  was　she　humoring　Carlisle？　Trying　to　visualize　a　diplomatic　resolution？
  In　the　woods　behind　us；　the　invisible　wolves　were　still　and　ready；　we　could　only　hear　their　heavy　panting；
  their　beating　hearts。
  The　clouds　rolled　in；　diffusing　the　light　so　that　it　could　have　been　morning　or　afternoon。　Edward's　eyes
  tightened　as　he　scrutinized　the　view；　and　I　was　sure　he　was　seeing　this　exact　scene　for　the　second　time
  —the　first　time　being　Alice's　vision。　It　would　look　just　the　same　when　the　Volturi　arrived。　We　only　had
  minutes　or　seconds　left　now。
  All　our　family　and　allies　braced　themselves。
  From　the　forest；　the　huge　russet　Alpha　wolf　came　forward　to　stand　at　my　side；　it　must　have　been　too
  hard　for　him　to　keep　his　distance　from　Renesmee　when　she　was　in　such　immediate　danger。
  Renesmee　reached　out　to　twine　her　fingers　in　thefur　over　his　massive　shoulder；　and　her　body　relaxed　a
  little　bit。　She　was　calmer　with　Jacob　close。I　felt　a　tiny　bit　better；　too。　As　long　Jacob　was　with　Renesmee；
  she　would　be　all　right。
  Without　risking　a　glance　behind；　Edward　reached　back　to　me。　I　stretched　my　arm　forward　so　that　I
  could　grip　his　hand。　He　squeezed　my　fingers。
  Another　minute　ticked　by；　and　I　found　myself　straining　to　hear　some　sound　of　approach。
  And　then　Edward　stiffened　and　hissed　low　between　his　clenched　teeth。　His　eyes　focused　on　the　forest
  due　north　of　where　we　stood。
  We　stared　where　he　did；　and　waited　as　the　last　seconds　passed。
  36。　BLOODLUST
  They　came　with　pageantry；　with　a　kind　of　beauty。
  They　came　in　a　rigid；　formal　formation。　They　moved　together；　but　it　was　not　a　march；　they　flowed　in
  perfect　synchronicity　from　the　trees—a　dark；　unbroken　shape　that　seemed　to　hover　a　few　inches　above
  the　white　snow；　so　smooth　was　the　advance。
  The　outer　perimeter　was　gray；　the　color　darkened　with　each　line　of　bodies　until　the　heart　of　the　formation
  was　deepest　black。　Every　face　was　cowled；　shadowed。　The　faint　brushing　sound　of　their　feet　was　so
  regular　it　was　like　music；　a　complicated　beat　that　never　faltered。
  At　some　sign　I　did　not　see—or　perhaps　there　was　no　sign；　only　millennia　of　practice—the　configuration
  folded　outward。　The　motion　was　too　stiff；　too　square　to　resemble　the　opening　of　a　flower；　though　the
  color　suggested　that；　it　was　the　opening　of　a　fan；　graceful　but　very　angular。　The　gray…cloaked　figures
  spread　to　the　flanks　while　the　darker　forms　surged　precisely　forward　in　the　center；　each　movement
  closely　controlled。
  Their　progress　was　slow　but　deliberate；　with　no　hurry；　no　tension；　no　anxiety。　It　was　the　pace　of　the
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  invincible。
  This　was　almost　my　old　nightmare。　The　only　thing　lacking　was　the　gloating　desire　I'd　seen　on　the　faces　in
  my　dream—the　smiles　of　vindictive　joy。　Thus　far；　the　Volturi　were　too　disciplined　to　show　any　emotion　at
  all。　They　also　showed　no　surprise　or　dismay　at　the　collection　of　vampires　that　waited　for　them　here—a
  collection　that　looked　suddenly　disorganized　and　unprepared　in　comparison。　They　showed　no　surprise　at
  the　giant　wolf　that　stood　in　our　midst。
  I　couldn't　help　counting。　There　were　thirty…two　of　them。　Even　if　you　did　not　count　the　two　drifting；
  waifish　black…cloaked　figures　in　the　very　back；　who　I　took　to　be　the　wives—their　protected　position
  suggesting　that　they　would　not　be　involved　in　the　attack—we　were　still　outnumbered。　There　were　just
  nineteen　of　us　who　would　fight；　and　then　seven　more　to　watch　as　we　were　destroyed。　Even　counting　the
  ten　wolves；　they　had　us。
  〃The　redcoats　are　coming；　the　redcoats　are　coming；〃　Garrett　muttered　mysteriously　to　himself　and　then
  chuckled　once。　He　slid　one　step　closer　to　Kate。
  〃They　did　come；〃　Vladimir　whispered　to　Stefan。
  'The　wives；〃　Stefan　hissed　back。　'The　entire　guard。　All　of　them　together。　It's　well　we　didn't　try　Volterra。〃
  And　then；　as　if　their　numbers　were　not　enough；　while　the　Volturi　slowly　and　majestically　advanced；　more
  vampires　began　entering　the　clearing　behind　them。
  The　faces　in　this　seemingly　endless　influx　of　vampires　were　the　antithesis　to　the　Volturi's　expressionless
  discipline—they　wore　a　kaleidoscope　of　emotions。　At　first　there　was　the　shock　and　even　some　anxiety　as
  they　saw　the　unexpected　force　awaiting　them。　But　that　concern　passed　quickly；　they　were　secure　in　their
  overwhelming　numbers；　secure　in　their　position　behind　the　unstoppable　Volturi　force。　Their　features
  returned　to　the　expression　they'd　worn　before　we'd　surprised　them。
  It　was　easy　enough　to　understand　their　mindset—the　faces　were　that　explicit。　This　was　an　angry　mob；
  whipped　to　a　frenzy　and　slavering　for　justice。　I　did　not　fully　realize　the　vampire　world's　feeling　toward　the
  immortal　children　before　I　read　these　faces。
  It　was　clear　that　this　motley；　disorganized　horde—more　than　forty　vampires　altogether—was　the
  Volturi's　own　kind　of　witness。　When　we　were　dead；　they　would　spread　the　word　that　the　criminals　had
  been　eradicated；　that　the　Volturi　had　acted　with　nothing　but　impartiality。　Most　looked　like　they　hoped　for
  more　than　just　an　opportunity　to　witness—they　wanted　to　help　tear　and　burn。
  We　didn't　have　a　prayer。　Eve