"Chelsea is trying to break our bindings," Edward whispered. "But she can't find them. She can't feel ushere. . . ." His eyes cut to me. "Are you doing that?"I smiled grimly at him. "I am all over this."Edward lurched away from me suddenly, his hand reaching out toward Carlisle. At the same time, I felta much sharper jab against the shield where it wrapped protectively around Carlisle's light. It wasn'tpainful, but it wasn't pleasant, either.

　　"Carlisle? Are you all right?" Edward gasped frantically.

　　"Yes. Why?""Jane," Edward answered.

　　The moment that he said her name, a dozen pointed attacks hit in a second, stabbing all over the elasticshield, aimed at twelve different bright spots. I flexed, making sure the shield was undamaged. It didn'tseem like Jane had been able to pierce it. I glanced around quickly; everyone was fine.

　　"Incredible," Edward said.

　　"Why aren't they waiting for the decision?" Tanya hissed.

　　"Normal procedure," Edward answered brusquely. "They usually incapacitate those on trial so they can'tescape."I looked across at Jane, who was staring at our group with furious disbelief. I was pretty sure that,besides me, she'd never seen anyone remain standing through her fiery assault.

　　It probably wasn't very mature. But I figured it would take Aro about half a second to guess—if hehadn't already—that my shield was more powerful than Edward had known; I already had a big target onmy forehead and there was really no point in trying to keep the extent of what I could do a secret. So Igrinned a huge, smug smile rightat Jane.

　　Her eyes narrowed, and I felt another stab of pressure, this time directed at me.

　　I pulled my lips wider, showing my teeth.

　　Jane let out a high-pitched scream of a snarl. Everyone jumped, even the disciplined guard. Everyonebut the ancients, who didn't so much as look up from their conference. Her twin caught her arm as shecrouched to spring.

　　The Romanians started chuckling with dark anticipation.

　　"I told you this was our time," Vladimir said to Stefan.

　　"Just look at the witch's face," Stefan chortled.

　　Alec patted his sister's shoulder soothingly, then tucked her under his arm. He turned his face to us,perfectly smooth, completely angelic.

　　I waited for some pressure, some sign of his attack, but I felt nothing. He continued to stare in ourdirection, his pretty face composed. Was he attacking? Was he getting through my shield? Was I the onlyone who could still see him? I clutched at Edward's hand.

　　"Are you okay?" I choked out.

　　"Yes," he whispered.

　　"Is Alec trying?"Edward nodded. "His gift is slower than Jane's. It creeps. It will touch us in a few seconds."I saw it then, when I had a clue of what to look for.

　　A strange clear haze was oozing across the snow, nearly invisible against the white. It reminded me of amirage—a slight warping of the view, a hint of a shimmer. I pushed my shield out from Carlisle and therest of the front line, afraid to have the slinking mist too close when it hit. What if it stole right through myintangible protection? Should we run?

　　A low rumbling murmured through the ground under our feet, and a gust of wind blew the snow intosudden flurries between our position and the Voituri's. Benjamin had seen the creeping threat, too, andnow he tried to blow the mist away from us. The snow made it easy to see where he threw the wind, butthe mist didn't react in any way. It was like air blowing harmlessly through a shadow; the shadow wasimmune.

　　The triangular formation of the ancients finally broke apart when, with a racking groan, a deep, narrowfissure opened in a long zigzag across the middle of the clearing. The earth rocked under my feet for amoment. The drifts of snow plummeted into the hole, but the mist skipped right across it, as untouched bygravity as it had been by wind.

　　Aro and Caius watched the opening earth with wide eyes. Marcus looked in the same direction withoutemotion.

　　They didn't speak; they waited, too, as the mist approached us. The wind shrieked louder but didn'tchange the course of the mist. Jane was smiling now.

　　And then the mist hit a wall.

　　I could taste it as soon as it touched my shield—it had a dense, sweet, cloying flavor, it made meremember dimly the numbness of Novocain on my tongue.

　　The mist curled upward, seeking a breach, a weakness. It found none. The fingers of searching hazetwisted upward and around, trying to find a way in, and in the process illustrating the astonishing size ofthe protective screen.

　　There were gasps on both sides of Benjamin's gorge.

　　"Well done, Bella!'7Benjamin cheered in a low voice.

　　My smile returned.

　　I could see Alec's narrowed eyes, doubt on his face for the first time as his mist swirled harmlesslyaround the edges of my shield.

　　And then I knew that I could do this. Obviously, I would be the number-one priority, the first one to die,but as long as I held, we were on more than equal footing with the Volturi. We still had Benjamin andZafrina; they had no supernatural help at all. As long as I held.

　　Tm going to have to concentrate," I whispered to Edward. "When it comes to hand to hand, it's going tobe harder to keep the shield around the right people.""I'll keep them off you.""No. You have to get to Demetri. Zafrina will keep them away from me."Zafrina nodded solemnly. "No one will touch this young one," she promised Edward.

　　"I'd go after Jane and Alec myself, but I can do more good here.""Jane's mine," Kate hissed. "She needs a taste of her own medicine.""And Alec owes me many lives, but I will settle for his," Vladimir growled from the other side. "He'smine.""I just want Caius," Tanya said evenly.

　　The others started divvying up opponents, too, but they were quickly interrupted.

　　Aro, staring calmly at Alec's ineffective mist, finally spoke.

　　"Before we vote," he began.

　　I shook my head angrily. I was tired of this charade. The bloodlust was igniting in me again, and I wassorry that I would help the others more by standing still. I wanted to fight.

　　"Let me remind you," Aro continued, "whatever the council's decision, there need be no violence here."Edward snarled out a dark laugh.

　　Aro stared at him sadly. "It will be a regrettable waste to our kind to lose any of you. But you especially,young Edward, and your newborn mate. The Volturi would be glad to welcome many of you into ourranks. Bella, Benjamin, Zafrina, Kate. There are many choices before you. Consider them."Chelsea's attempt to sway us fluttered impotently against my shield. Aro's gaze swept across our hardeyes, looking for any indication of hesitation. From his expression, he found none.

　　I knew he was desperate to keep Edward and me, to imprison us the way he had hoped to enslaveAlice. But this fight was too big. He would not win if I lived. I was fiercely glad to be so powerful that Ileft him no way not to kill me.

　　"Let us vote, then," he said with apparent reluctance.

　　Caius spoke with eager haste. "The child is an unknown quantity. There is no reasonto allow sucha riskto exist. It must be destroyed, along with all who protect it." He smiled in expectation.

　　I fought back a shriek of defiance to answer his cruel smirk.

　　Marcus lifted his uncaring eyes, seeming to look through us as he voted.

　　"I see no immediate danger. The child is safe enough for now. We can always reevaluate later. Let usleave in peace." His voice was even fainter than his brothers' feathery sighs.

　　None of the guard relaxed their ready positions at his disagreeing words. Caius's anticipatory grin didnot falter. It was as if Marcus hadn't spoken atall.

　　"I must make the deciding vote, it seems," Aro mused.

　　Suddenly, Edward stiffened at my side. "Yes!" he hissed.

　　I risked a glance at him. His face glowed with an expression of triumph that I didn't understand—it wasthe expression an angel of destruction might wear while the world burned. Beautiful and terrifying.

　　There was a low reaction from the guard, an uneasy murmur.

　　"Aro?" Edward called, nearly shouted, undisguised victory in his voice.

　　Aro hesitated fora second, assessing this new mood warily before he answered. "Yes, Edward? Youhave something further... ?""Perhaps," Edward said pleasantly, controlling his unexplained excitement. "First, if I could clarify onepoint?""Certainly," Aro said, raising his eyebrows, nothing now but polite interest in his tone. My teeth groundtogether; Aro was never more dangerous than when he was gracious.

　　"The danger you foresee from my daughter—this stems entirely from our inability to guess how she willdevelop? That is the crux of the matter?""Yes, friend Edward," Aro agreed. "If we could but be positive... be sure that, as she grows, she will beable to stay concealed from the human world—not endanger the safety of our obscurity ..." He trailedoff, shrugging.

　　"So, if we could only know for sure," Edward suggested, "exactly what she will become... then therewould be no need for a council at all?""If there was some way to be absolutely sure," Aro agreed, his feathery voice slightly more shrill. Hecouldn't see where Edward was leading him. Neither could I. "Then, yes, there would be no question todebate.""And we would part in peace, good friends once again?" Edward asked with a hint of irony.

　　Even more shrill. "Of course, my young friend. Nothing would please me more."Edward chuckled exultantly. "Then I do have something more to offer."Aro's eyes narrowed. "She is absolutely unique. Her future can only be guessed at.""Not absolutely unique," Edward disagreed. "Rare, certainly, but not one of a kind."I fought the shock, the sudden hope springing to life, as it threatened to distract me. The sickly-lookingmist still swirled around the edges of my shield. And, as I struggled to focus, I felt again the sharp,stabbing pressure againstmy protective hold.

　　"Aro, would you ask Jane to stop attacking my wife?" Edward asked courteously. "We are stilldiscussing evidence."Aro raised one hand. "Peace, dear ones. Let us hear him out."The pressure disappeared. Jane bared her teeth at me; I couldn't help grinning back at her.

　　"Why don't you join us, Alice?" Edward called loudly.

　　"Alice," Esme whispered in shock.

　　Alice!

　　Alice, Alice, Alice!

　　"Alice!" "Alice!" other voices murmured around me.

　　"Alice," Aro breathed.

　　Relief and violent joy surged through me. It took all my will to keep the shield where it was. Alec's miststill tested, seeking a weakness—Jane would see if I left any holes.

　　And then I heard them running through the forest, flying, closing the distance as quickly as they couldwith no slowing effort at silence.

　　Both sides were motionless in expectation. The Volturi witnesses scowled in fresh confusion.

　　Then Alice danced into the clearing from the southwest, and I felt like the bliss of seeing her face againmight knock me off my feet. Jasper was only inches behind her, his sharp eyes fierce. Close after themran three strangers; the first was a tall, muscular female with wild dark hair—obviously Kachiri. She hadthe same elongated limbs and features as the other Amazons, even more pronounced in her case.

　　The next was a small olive-toned female vampire with a long braid of black hair bobbing against herback. Her deep burgundy eyes flitted nervously around the confrontation before her.

　　And the last was a young man... not quite as fast nor quite as fluid in his run. His skin was an impossiblerich, dark b............