flight

Cato left us in the cheerfully opulent reception area, where Ali, the tall guy with dark hair and skin, was still at his post behind the polished counter. Bright, jaunty music, like music in an elevator, played lightly in the background.

"You won't be leaving until after dark," Cato told us. "Someone will be sent to inform you when you may go." With a final polite dip of his head, he turned and strode back out, in the direction of the circular stone chamber.

Edythe pulled me over toward one of the sofas, her expression a mask of anxiety as she studied my face. "Beau? Beau, are you all right?"

I found my eyes wandering over the room. It all looked so ridiculously normal, like any old business office back in Phoenix. Brightly lit, sterile, safe.

"Let's get him sat down," Archie said, his voice unusually urgent. "I think he's going to..."

I only heard what he was saying vaguely, like in a dream. I looked down at my hands, and saw they were trembling. When I brought a hand to my face, I found it felt cold and slick with sweat. My stomach was twisting violently, and I covered my hand with my mouth, sure I was going to be sick.

Edythe didn't need to be told twice and, supporting almost all my weight, guided me to the sofa furthest from the reception desk.

"It's okay, it's okay," she murmured in my ear, almost frantically, as she helped me down to the sofa. Using the cloak to insulate me from the cold, she encircled me in her arms and pulled me to her. "Shh," she murmured in a low, soothing voice, "it's going to be okay, Beau, it's going to be fine."

I tried to speak, but I couldn't. All those people—I didn't know what they were, rapists, murderers, or just druggies—but it didn't really matter. To die such a horrible death, having no idea what was coming—

This was the world of vampires. Edythe's world. The world I made up my mind to join.

I held onto Edythe as though my life depended on it. I concentrated on breathing deeply, in and out, in and out.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" someone asked. My head jerked up automatically and I saw the receptionist, Ali, standing a few feet away, his expression politely concerned. He must have seen the wild, crazed look on my face, but his mask of professionalism didn't waver.

Edythe turned to glare at him. "Nothing, thank you," she said stiffly, in a sharp voice plainly meant to be taken as a dismissal.

If Ali was intimidated, he didn't show it, and only nodded in reply. "Please let me know if you need anything."

He returned to his desk on the other side of the room, and Edythe glared after him for a moment, making me wonder what he was thinking. I realized his interruption had distracted me long enough I had stopped shivering and as I turned to Edythe I heard myself ask in a low voice, "Does...he know?"

Edythe's eyes returned to my face, and her gaze was mournful. "Yes," she said in an undertone. "He knows everything."

I was quiet as I digested that. As my thoughts returned to the stone chamber, I had to swallow the bile that rose in my throat, and my flickered back to Ali, who had now drawn out a piece of cloth, and was calmly wiping down the edges of the already immaculate desk, as though he hadn't a care in the world.

"Isn't he afraid?" I asked suddenly, my hoarse voice accusatory. "Doesn't he know it could be him next?"

Edythe rubbed my arm soothingly, and she reached up to touch my face. "Yes, he knows," she said quietly. "He isn't supposed to be killed, at least so long as his genuine loyalty toward them remains intact—but he knows accidents have happened before, and are likely to happen again."

I looked down, afraid he would notice me staring, but before long my gaze wandered back over to the desk. "Why does he do it then?" I murmured, almost to myself.

"He's hoping they'll decide to let him join them," Edythe said quietly.

I turned back to stare at her. "He...wants to become one of thm?" I asked in a low voice. "One of the Volturi?"

"Yes," she said softly. "Or at least—a vampire. He lost his entire family to a terrorist attack, his wife and two young children. When he discovered that such a power existed...he dreams now of having the power to someday tracking the ones responsible down and making them pay."

I looked down. Revenge—I wondered if that was a legitimate reason to want to become a monster. Maybe it was. Maybe every time Sulpicia brought in a group of humans to eat, Ali imagined them to have the faces of the people who had murdered his family, and that was why he didn't care. I wondered if he had found my horror disgusting.

My head spun, I didn't know what to think. However, my confused, slightly panicked eyes drifted and came to meet Edythe's, and I suddenly remembered that the two of us were finally together again, and we weren't dead. Some of the heavy thoughts of the whirling conflict weighing down my mind faded to the back, and I felt myself relax.

My arms tightened and I drew myself close as I could. "Edythe," I breathed. I couldn't afford to waste even a minute of this time I had left. Now that this was over, her guilty conscience assuaged, soon she would be gone again. I had to make the most of every second. "Edythe."

She smiled up at me, tracing her fingers along the back of one of my hands.

As I looked back into her face, content, I noticed suddenly again that her eyes were flat black, and dark purple bruises hung beneath them.

"Oh," I said, drawing back slightly. "You're hungry, aren't you?"

"Maybe a little," she admitted.

I hesitated, glancing over at Archie, who was sitting on another couch nearby, arms folded, staring off into space. Keeping my face away from hers so I wouldn't accidentally breathe my scent on her, I suggested, "Maybe I better go sit with Archie." However, I couldn't quite keep the painful reluctance from my voice.

Edythe smiled and laughed softly, and before I could move to let go, her hand closed over mine, holding me there. With her free hand, she raised a finger to stroke my jaw, turning my face toward hers, until our faces were barely inches apart. I held my breath.

"What?" she said in a low, amused voice. "Don't tell me, after all this time, you're finally developing a proper sense of fear. What Sulpicia said finally get through to you, did it?"

The lack of oxygen and the scent of her breath on my face made me dizzy, and I couldn't keep it up. I turned my head away, letting the air out in a sigh, and I muttered, "I know it just makes it harder on you."

Edythe laughed again, the sound like the tinkling of crystal bells, then pressed her lips to my neck, and laid her head against my chest. I knew she was listening to the sound of my blood, pumping through my heart and rushing through my veins.

"It's not hard," she murmured. "It's never been easier than it is right now."

I didn't have the will to argue, and I settled in again, letting my arms grip her even more tightly than before. I made up my mind not to worry about anything right now—not the horror going on in the other room, not the guy watching me from across the room with what I was sure was secret disdain, and not the real reasons why Edythe was holding me to her just like in the days in the far gone past. I didn't care if it was purely out of relief from guilt or an effort to make sure I didn't freak out again—I knew I only had a little time left now, but I was determined to make the most of every moment.

The room was quiet, but for the occasional rustling of paper from Ali's desk, until at last Edythe and Archie started in discussing how we would get home, talking so low and fast I missed most of it. It sounded like theft would be involved again, and I decided to leave that to them.

I let my eyes slide closed, and just concentrated on savoring the feeling of Edythe in my arms, and the feeling of the tips of her fingers as they caressed my hand, occasionally reaching up to my face.

Archie shook me briefly from my trance as he said, "So, il Suo cantante. 'Your singer.' What was that about?"

I'd wondered about that too at the time, and I blinked, perking up slightly.

Edythe sighed, her fingers tracing the bones in my hand, sliding down to the knob on the side of my wrist, then back. "Beau's blood's allure for me—" she began in a murmur, "they have a word for it. When a human's blood calls to you in a particular, powerful way, they call that human your singer. Because their blood sings to you." She added with just a touch of exasperation, "It's supposed to be quite rare."

"You're just lucky," Archie commented, with a bit of a grin.

Edythe's mouth pursed slightly, and she didn't look amused. "Apparently," she muttered dryly. However, as her eyes slid once again to my face, her irked expression relaxed, and she reached up to stroke my jaw again.

Archie and Edythe continued to talk in low voices, and my eyelids began to feel heavy. However, I didn't let myself sleep. Instead, I leaned against Edythe, simply drinking in the soft sound of her voice.

Eventually, they lapsed into silence. Without the outside stimulation, my eyes slid closed several without my permission, and each time I had to shake my head before sleep could overtake me.

Of course Edythe noticed, and she looked up with concern. With a fingertip, she traced the dark circles beneath my eyes. "If you need to sleep, you should sleep," she said softly. "Archie and I will wake you when it's time to go."

I shook my head mutely. With some desperation, I tried to think of some of the questions that had occurred to me earlier. Anything to keep my brain from shutting down.

"Hey," I said in a low voice, and was surprised to find it hoarse with disuse. "Um, can I ask you something?"

Edythe eyed me warily. "What is it?"

The big ones were eluding me at the moment, so I said the first one that came to my mind. "You know, what Sulpicia said before...about love being a force of destruction?" I began. "Um, does she really believe that?"

Edythe gazed back at me, and she seemed surprised by the question. She traced her fingers along my arm for a moment, seeming to consider. "Yes," she said at last. "Wholeheartedly. Perhaps even more than she expressed." She paused, eying me curiously. "Why? Why do you ask?"

I frowned slightly, trying to think how to put my thoughts into words. "I guess...it's just, it's hard to imagine looking at love as a bad thing," I said finally. "At least, in the way she meant. I could see her looking at love as a weakness or something, maybe...but destruction? Seems kind of overly dramatic, or something." I tried to smile.

Edythe's lips gave a slight twitch, but her eyes were sad. "Perhaps. But you also have to understand Sulpicia's history. She has good reason for thinking as she does."

I was feeling slightly more awake now, and I tried to think what Archie had told me. "She turned against her husband when he went bad," I remembered.

Edythe nodded. "When Aro murdered Marcus's mate—his own sister—in secret, Sulpicia betrayed him to Marcus, and his soldiers seized Aro. She watched his execution."

I stared out at the bright reception area, at the carefully arranged couches and ornate rug by the coffee table. It was hard to imagine— turning on your own mate, someone you had loved, and just standing by and watching him die.

"She must have really hated him," I said in a low voice, thoughtful. "After what he did..." I wondered if Sulpicia had cared for Aro's sister—if maybe she had also been like a sister to her. I wondered if that had been enough to make Sulpicia's heart like flint.

Edythe sighed, leaning back against the sofa, eyes sliding closed. "That's the funny thing," she murmured. "Sulpicia doesn't hate him, not then, and not now." Her dark eyes opened, to stare up at the ceiling, and I saw in them mingled confusion and awe. "She hasn't the slightest regret for her decision, and yet she loves him even still. Every time she uses her power, she thinks of him, and misses him."

We were all silent for a long moment. At last Edythe said, so softly I almost didn't catch it, "I can read her mind, but that doesn't mean I understand. I don't understand how she was able to do it, and then continue to live on, for decades, centuries. If I were in her place...I could never have done what she did."

Edythe was staring straight ahead now, and I saw a flicker of the old frustration in her brow, a trace of the look she usually only reserved for me, when I wouldn't tell her what I was thinking.

"But," I said, trying to make my voice light. "Aro was crazy, right? If I became a vampire and turned into some kind of crazed, dictator-wannabee, you would have to do something to stop me, too. Right?"

It was all a joke, of course. We weren't together anymore. Things felt just like they once had been for the present, because Edythe was so happy and relieved she hadn't inadvertently been responsible for my demise after all, but I knew in the end everything still stood as it had last September. It didn't change a thing.

Edythe looked up at me, and she didn't smile. Instead, a wild flicker passed across her features, her black eyes wide with something like panic. Before I could think of anything to say, her eyes dropped away from mine. She pressed her face to my chest, her icy fingers tightly gripping mine, and she didn't reply.

I sighed slightly, and leaned back against the couch, lifting my eyes to the ceiling as I imagined the scenes Edythe and Archie had told me. Aro, spinning to stare at his wife with the mingled fury and pain of betrayal as he realized what was happening, alternately cursing her for her treachery and pleading to know why. Sulpicia, standing rigidly behind Marcus's soldiers, her wise eyes sad, but her expression set in stone, ready to act for the good of all.

Another question occurred to me, and I said, "So why is it Sulpicia always thinks of Aro when she uses her gift?"

Edythe looked back up at me. She seemed herself again, calm and relaxed. She took my hand, twining our fingers together, and she beamed up at me, and her familiar dimpled smile was so dazzling I completely forgot I'd even asked a question until she said, "Because it wasn't really her gift, it was Aro's."

I had to blink away the stars from my eyes and shake my head before I raised my eyes to look at her again, nonplussed. She elaborated.

"When Marcus and his soldiers captured Aro, they didn't kill him right away. His gift was far too valuable to simply destroy—Aro was capable of drawing out an enemy's most sensitive battle secrets, what gifts vampires in any given coven possessed, even their individual predispositions and weaknesses, all at the touch of a finger. The remaining Volturi knew that, without his power, their plans to unite our world and establish order were most likely destined for failure. Consequently, Sulpicia went in search of a new power, and she found Mele, the thief. The girl had the power to steal a vampire's born extra talent and pass it to someone else. Mele stole Aro's power, and gave it to Sulpicia."

I remembered the picture of the little girl in Carine's painting. And I remembered what Archie had said about her.

"So, this girl could steal abilities and pass them along to someone else," I said slowly. "So if she was still around, if she wanted you or Archie's powers, she could have just taken them. But...she's not around, is she?"

Edythe nodded, and didn't seem surprised I knew this. "Yes. She was...killed."

I shook my head. "How?" I wondered. I remembered the long lines of vampires standing stiff and at attention in the stone chamber, Sulpicia's loyal guard. There had been so many—more than twice the number in Carine's coven, probably more, and it was hard to imagine anyone getting close enough to Sulpicia or any of the other core members of their clan to lay a finger on them.

Edythe sighed. "It's a bit of a long story."

I glanced around at the empty reception room. "I think we have time." I was eager for more—I didn't feel remotely sleepy anymore, and I was keen to keep it that way.

Edythe smiled, and stroked her finger along my jaw. "I see your point."

Edythe's hand dropped to mine, and she began to trace the knuckles again, back and forth, in a light pattern as she began.

"It happened over half a century ago. A vampire with a particularly dangerous natural talent was amassing an army of our kind, preparing to overthrow the Volturi and seize power for himself. His born talent allowed him to take control of others—by simply looking into the eyes of another, he had the power to take control of their will, to force them to do his bidding. You saw Jovian's power earlier—this was very much like that, only a thousand times more potent, and it worked on our kind as well as humans. The Volturi's own guards and most powerful talents could all be turned against them in a moment.

"The fact that the Volturi would be wiped from existence and replaced with a new regime seemed inevitable—Mele, however, saw what she had to do. Small and fast as she was, she had a knack for sneaking into places undetected, and she stole into the enemy camp. She managed to place a hand on the leader, and she took his ability from him. Seeing what she had done and now powerless, in a blind rage, he destroyed her."

I stared up at the ceiling, trying to process all this. It was so strange to think that Mele—one of the core Volturi, who had been there almost from the beginning, three thousand years—was gone. Just like that. And it really hadn't been that long ago either. Carine would have been around then, and Edythe, and almost all the rest of the Cullens. I wondered what they had thought at the time, or if they even knew about it.

Edythe continued, shaking me from my thoughts.

"It was not long later that the Volturi came, and seized the leader of the rebellion. When Sulpicia touched him, she knew immediately what had happened to her little thief—and she was possessed of such a rage that the vampire world had never seen the like of it. Sulpicia unleashed the full might of Volturi's armies on the vampire world, personally leading her forces to track down and slaughter not only every rebel, but everyone who had so much as breathed a word in support of the rebellion. Her rage was like a blazing inferno, and she rained down terror on the whole of Europe. As most of the vampires who held territory anywhere near the conflict had believed that the Volturi would certainly be destroyed, almost all had swayed in their loyalties, out of fear if nothing else, and Sulpicia showed them no mercy. For three years she led her forces back and forth across Europe, until almost all our kind in that area of the world but a select few were all but wiped out."

I was quiet as I digested that. At last I said, "I'm surprised someone didn't notice that."

Edythe chuckled softly, but there was no humor in it. "The human world was a bit preoccupied at the time. Let's just say, not all the deaths attributed to Adolf Hitler were entirely his doing."

I nodded slowly. I supposed that made sense—during the mayhem of World War II, a few more fields of burning corpses wouldn't have attracted that much attention.

Suppressing the shudder that went down my spine, I said, "Is that what she was thinking about? When she said that love can be a force of destruction."

Edythe nodded. "Yes," she said softly. "One of the things, anyway."

I was silent for a minute, thinking. I couldn't seem to figure Sulpicia out. She seemed so gentle, so kind, and exuded an aura of wisdom accumulated through the centuries. In a way, she reminded me just a little of Carine. Yet I'd felt beneath the surface a coldness about her too. Now that I'd heard what she was capable of, it only seemed all the more obvious.

At last I asked, "Is Sulpicia a good guy or a bad guy?"

Edythe smiled grimly. "I don't know, Beau. By your human standards, she's probably a bad guy. She has killed many, and ordered many executions. She eats humans, many of them innocent, even if she does make an effort to stick mainly to criminals where possible. Don't be fooled by her gentle facade—she is ruthless, and she will eliminate anything that threatens the order she and the other two have built."

Edythe paused for a moment, then added grudgingly, "However, by vampire standards...I could see, in terms of rulers, where we could do worse."

I nodded slowly, staring off into space. I found my thoughts wandering back to the room with the drain at the center of the floor, and though we couldn't hear any screaming in here, I felt the sweat break out on my palms again.

"Tell me more," I said quickly, almost urgently, wanting any distraction. "About Sulpicia. The Volturi."

Edythe glanced up, startled by my intensity. She thought for a moment. "Well, several of the guards Sulpicia has now have abilities that were not originally their own. Before they lost Mele, whenever Sulpicia came across an ability she believed would be useful, if the vampire in question did not have the disposition to live up to the ideals of the Volturi, Mele could take the power and transfer it to a worthy member of her guard. Sometimes she asked permission—sometimes not."

I thought about that. I remembered the even, stoic faces of the guard members, only one not like the others stuck out in my mind.

"What about Jonathan?" I asked.

Edythe glanced up at me curiously. "What about him?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. He just seemed a little sadistic. More than the others."

Edythe's expression was thoughtful. "Jonathan seems to be an odd case. I picked up a great deal while we were in there—Sulpicia has such a vast mind, always working on multiple levels of thought, not only engaged in the here and now, but constantly aware of factors in the past that have led up to the present. I was able to get bits and pieces. It seems like Sulpicia has been aware that such a dangerous power as Jonathan possesses was prone to abuse, and she knew she ought to have transferred the power to someone else—someone of a more responsible mindset. But for some reason...she didn't."

Edythe shrugged. "It could be because Jonathan's sister—Alexa, who was changed at the same time he was—loved him, and Sulpicia did not want to split the two. Or perhaps something about their story—they exhibited odd powers when they were still human, and were badly abused as a result—made Sulpicia pity him enough to grant him a chance. I don't know if Sulpicia herself knows for sure. In any case, she always hoped that Jonathan might mellow out, once he was in a new environment, where he was not being persecuted by raging mobs and given something like a family."

"But it didn't work?" I guessed.

Edythe shook her head. "Actually, I think he might have been better at first. Jonathan and Alexa both loved Sulpicia like a mother. Sulpicia hoped that, because they were around the same age when they were changed, the two of them might be friends for Mele. But...instead, it seems that Jonathan resented Mele for being Sulpicia's favorite. And he's only grown to resent her more over time, even now that's she's dead. And that's only made him worse. Sulpicia regrets not taking his power and giving it to someone else when she still had the chance, but of course now it's too late. Jonathan's powers—and Alexa's, too—are too important to the Volturi's offensive power to be destroyed, even if she thought any of her other guard members could get close enough to do so."

I considered that. "But why does he stay then? Jonathan, I mean. If he's not happy, why doesn't he and his sister just pack up and leave?"

Edythe shrugged. "There are benefits to being part of the Volturi. You have authority and prestige. You don't have to work for your food. Even though Sulpicia herself and many of the other guards are very disciplined, limiting themselves to dregs—blood often tainted with drugs and various illegal substances—Jonathan and Alexa are always given the first choice. And it seems like—I think Jonathan does want Sulpicia's approval, even now. That's why he hates the memory of Mele so much."

I thought about that. "Wow," I muttered. "Kind of sounds like a Gothic soap opera. Life with the Volturi must be exciting." I added, "Sure you don't want to join? Sulpicia said you were in, if you just got over the inconvenient passions thing."

Edythe smiled a little. "I think I'll pass. Though it really is such a sacrifice. I absolutely crave relationship drama."

We both laughed softly. However, it faded back into silence.

Edythe was staring straight ahead at the far wall of the reception room, and her face was thoughtful again.

"I think..." she said slowly, uncertainly. "I think Jonathan—and Alexa, too—can't leave. There's something that keeps them bound to the Volturi, and Sulpicia. The others are loyal to Sulpicia and her ideals because Sulpicia chose them specifically. Look at Tacita—she would cut off her own hand and burn it if Sulpicia ordered her to. But Jonathan and Alexa...when Athenodora said that they had their ways to keep their humans under control, she was thinking of the two of them. As far as anyone knows, Athenodora doesn't have an extra talent, but it felt like—she has some kind of influence. However they control the humans, I think they're doing the same thing with Jonathan and Alexa, though Jonathan and Alexa don't seem to be aware of it. But I only got the vaguest sense—it seemed like Sulpicia and Athenodora were being careful not to think of any details. But somehow, it seems like those two are under their control."

I didn't reply. I was starting to understand why Edythe had seemed so wary of Sulpicia from the very start. But maybe it made sense—someone didn't get to be the ruler of the world of vampires by being gentle and benign. There seemed something sickening and wrong about trapping someone, taking way their freewill, but if Sulpicia had to be keeping someone under her control, Jonathan seemed the right one. As I pictured his face in my mind again, I felt a chill down my spine, and I hated to think what would happen if he was unleashed on the world, allowed to do whatever he wanted.

The rest of the time we spent in silence, but for a little more talk between Edythe and Archie, again too low and fast for me to make out. Again I closed my eyes, and concentrated on the feeling of Edythe in my arms, trying to lock the memory in my mind, trying not to think about the next day, when most likely, Edythe would be gone again.

Several times my mind wandered back to Sulpicia, and her long, sad story. What she had said about love and destruction. It had seemed such an outrageous thing to say at the time, but the more I thought, the more I found myself agreeing with it. Love did have the power to destroy, maybe more than anything else. I ought to know that as well as anyone. It didn't just destroy by inciting violence—it could hollow you out and leave you empty, when you had it and lost it. These past few months, it had been love that had broken me.

But I disagreed with Sulpicia on one thing. Even if it had been love that had destroyed me, I wouldn't go back and change a thing. I didn't regret loving Edythe. I would rather have experienced this love, and suffer the pain a thousand times, than to have never had it at all.

Time passed. After what felt like an age, a pair of figures strolled through the double doors. I tensed where I was, my eyes dropping to the floor.

It was the girl Alexa, and Jonathan was with her. Their eyes glowed a vivid ruby from across the room. Alexa, beaming at us like we were all best chums, chirped, "Lady Sulpicia says you're all free to leave now. She asks that you please do not linger in the city, if that's all right."

Even Jonathan was looking a little better-natured. He was holding Alexa's hand, and his slight smile lacked the vindictive edge of before.

They turned and left the way they had come, Alexa giggling, and Jonathan smiling warmly down at her.

When they were gone, Ali approached us. "Simply follow the hallway around the corner to the first set of elevators," he said as we all got up, Edythe keeping a tight hold on my arm in case I showed signs of unsteadiness again. "You will find the lobby two floors down, and it exits onto the street." He added in a pleasant voice, "Have a fine day, miss, sirs."

I was relieved we wouldn't be going back through the underground, and as we passed through the lobby on the ground floor and through the front doors, I turned back a minute to look at the castle we had just come from. It was strange, the ancient and modern coexisting in one place—the luxurious couches and regulated temperature, white florescent lights, all inside a castle straight out of medieval times, where people were devoured by monsters.

The festival was still going strong down here on the streets, red flags fluttering in the breeze as the night lamps sputtered to life. The sky was a dark gray overhead, fading toward black.

Edythe wasn't at all conspicuous in her long dark cloak, as there were plenty of others dressed up for the occasion, and some even topped it off with a few plastic fangs.

After everything that had happened in the castle, being around ordinary people again gave everything a strangely surreal feel. It took a little while before I realized that Archie was no longer with us.

"Hey," I said in a low voice. "We're missing someone."

"Archie's gone to get us a ride," Edythe explained. She had an arm wrapped around my back, and her other hand held mine.

I remembered that Archie had probably ditched the Porsche somewhere in the city, and by now it had most likely been towed or identified as stolen.

"Stealing another car?" I said with a sigh.

Edythe smiled a little. "We're going to meet him outside."

We passed through the dark stone archway of the entrance to the city. My eyes flickered up automatically to the gate, hanging above our heads like it would drop on us the moment we tried to get out. I didn't relax until we reached the other side.

Edythe led me to a dark car rumbling in the shadows just to the right of the gate, and we slid into the backseat.

"Sorry," Archie called back to us, gesturing to the dashboard. "Not much to choose from this time."

Edythe smiled a little. "That's fine, Archie. We're not in any hurry." Edythe again slid her arm around behind me, using the cloak to shield me against the cold.

Archie sighed wistfully. "Porsche 911 Turbo—she handled like a dream, you can't imagine. I'm going to get me one just like her, just as soon as I get the chance."

Edythe's eyes were still on me, and I saw the familiar dimples in her smile. "I'll get you one for Christmas."

Archie turned to grin at her, which made me wince, as we were already speeding like maniacs down the curvy dark road. "You're the best, Edy. Make it yellow."

I blinked, and I realized my eyelids were starting to feel heavy again. Edythe said softly in my ear, "You can sleep now, Beau. It's over. We're safe."

I blinked hard, forcing my eyes to stay open. "I'm not tired," I lied. I looked down at her, studying her face, determined not to succumb. I was going to live in this dream as long as I could.

"You really should try to get some rest," Edythe said gently, gazing up at me with some concern.

"I'm fine," I said, reaching over to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "I'm wide awake."

Edythe sighed, and reached up to adjust the cloak so that my skin wouldn't come into contact with hers. However, she took my hand again.

I managed to stay awake the entire drive, and I was relieved when we got into the airport and the bright lights stimulated my brain and brought me out of my dazed stupor. Archie nabbed some new clothes for Edythe and I from somewhere, and I was finally able to get out of my heavy jeans, which were still damp from the knees down. Edythe buttoned a steel-gray collared shirt over the sleeveless one, and pulled on a light jacket, discarding the Volturi cloak in the trash. We took the short flight to Rome, which was too short for me to be in danger of falling asleep, but after we settled in for the flight from Rome to Atlanta, I ordered a Coke from the flight attendant.

Edythe looked up at me with disapproval. "You really need to sleep, Beau," she said in a low voice, a little more forcefully than before.

"I'm good," I lied again. "Really."

Edythe reached up, and with a delicate finger once again traced the the black crescents beneath my eyes. Her lips pursed slightly, and her eyes were worried. "Please, Beau," she said softly. "Won't you try to sleep for a bit? It would make me feel better."

I knew she wasn't going to let it go, so I sighed and said quietly, "If I go to sleep now, I'll have nightmares."

Edythe hesitated, then looked away. She didn't say anymore about it.

My eyelids were feeling like lead now, but I fought it hard. I had to keep awake. I knew there were a lot of questions I needed to ask her, and this would be the perfect time to ask them—but I held off. Somehow I felt, however illogically, like if I put them off longer, then that would mean I would get more time with her. I wanted to draw it out as long as possible.

I just kept sipping away at my soda, trying not to let my eyes fall closed even for an instant. Edythe leaned her head against my shoulder, holding my hand, her other arm around me. Her fingers gently traced over my knuckles, back and forth, in an endless loop. Occasionally she would turn and lean over to press her icy lips to the side of my neck, or the side of my jaw.

I was conflicted. After everything we had just lived through, I wanted nothing more than to turn my head and press my lips to hers, to revel in the pure relief and joy of the fact that she was alive, and we were together, for a little while at least. Just a pet to her or not, I didn't think she would turn away right now. However, though I'd made up my mind to make the most of this all too temporary reunion, at the back of my mind I knew it was time to start steeling myself again for separation. I knew I was going to be completely torn apart, destroyed, there was no avoiding that, but if I mentally prepared myself, just a little, maybe I wouldn't be left completely comatose. I had my dad to think about. And Jules. She was going to be so pissed when we got back—but she would be happy, too. Happy I wasn't dead.

I couldn't think about the pending separation just now, or the future—it was too much to take. But I held on to the tiny spark of hope—hope that, even as I was completely destroyed again beyond recognition, I'd still have something to come back to.

Edythe didn't say a word the entire time. Maybe she was still hoping I'd sleep, or maybe she just had nothing to say.

We touched down in Atlanta, then headed to our next and final flight. As we neared the Sea-Tac airport, I stared out at the sky, where the sun was beginning to rise over Seattle's cloud cover, before Edythe reached over and closed the shutter. I felt invigorated. I hadn't dozed off even once the entire way.

I was little startled as we headed out the exit to find people there, waiting for us. I saw Jessamine first—she made a line straight for us, going to Archie. They didn't hug or kiss like some of the other couples, but simply gazed at one another, their eyes full of such deep emotion that after a moment I looked away to give them their privacy.

Carine and Earnest were there, too, waiting for us in the shadow of a pillar. The moment we were there, Earnest came forward, putting an arm around me. "Thank you, Beau," he murmured. "We can never repay you."

He turned to Edythe next and wrapped her in a fierce hug, then held her back at arm's length. "You are in so much trouble, young lady," he said, his voice low with emotion.

"I'll do the dishes for the next ten years," Edythe said with a bit of a laugh, putting an arm around him in return, though she kept one arm latched to me.

Carine hung back a little, and she smiled at me over Earnest's shoulder. "Thank you, Beau," she said softly. "It seems we are in your debt."

I shook my head, trying to deny it, but the action only made my head spin. It seemed the lack of sleep was finally catching up with me—my entire body felt made of lead, and I staggered slightly, forcing Edythe to grip my arm tightly and hold me on my feet.

"I think we better get you home," said Earnest. He took one of my arms and and put it around his neck for support. Edythe was bent forward, my other arm around her back, her arm around mine. I was only vaguely aware as the pair of them hauled me through the airport, the soles of my shoes barely brushing the airport tiles. I assumed Jessamine and Archie were behind us, though I was too tired to look.

I was probably half asleep by the time we made it to the parking garage, but it woke me up some when I saw Royal and Eleanor standing there by a black sedan, waiting for us. I felt Edythe tense beside me.

"Be nice, Edythe," Earnest said in a low voice. "He feels terrible."

"Maybe he should," Edythe said coldly.

"Let him try to make up," said Earnest, in a lower voice still. "Please, Edythe. Carine and I will ride with Archie and Jessamine."

Edythe glared at Royal, and though I knew when we were next to his tall, powerful form would tower over us, at the moment his shoulders were slightly hunched, and he was looking unusually small.

"C'mon, Edythe," I mumbled. "Let's go." To be honest, I probably didn't want to get near Royal anymore than Edythe did; he had always kind of scared the crap out of me. But I hated the idea of there being any fighting among them now that they were finally all reunited, and I couldn't really blame Royal for everything that had happened. He hadn't known it would turn out like this.

Edythe sighed, the sound more like a growl, and took on my weight as Earnest let go, before towing me in the direction of the car.

Wordlessly Eleanor got in on the driver's side while Royal took shotgun, and a moment later Edythe was pulling me into the back. I knew my miraculous staving off sleep was at an end, and I leaned back against the seat, my eyelids sinking. I heard the car purr to life.

Royal cleared his throat. "Edythe," he muttered.

"I know," Edythe snapped, looking away. "Believe me, I know."

A moment's pause, then Royal said hesitantly in his deep voice, "...Beau?"

This was enough to briefly startle me awake again. In all the time I'd known him, I didn't think Royal had ever even said my name, let alone spoken directly to me. "Um, yeah?" I said nervously.

"I'm sorry," he said gruffly. "For everything. Thank you for saving my sister."

For a minute, I was too surprised to say anything. Then at last I mumbled, voice garbled with exhaustion, "No problem." Then, I couldn't help but add, "It's more my fault than yours. Extreme sports...are even more risky than you'd think."

Grinning, Eleanor leaned over to elbow Royal in the side. "Sounds like he's talking in his sleep. Doesn't count, does it?"

"M'wake," I slurred.

"Let him sleep," said Edythe, but her voice was a little gentler than before.

I listened to the quiet thrum of the engine, until I drifted off, and I wasn't aware again until the car door opened, and I felt a chilly breeze on my face. My arm was around a pair of small shoulders, and a hand was pressed against my chest to keep me upright. I staggered forward, though my eyes didn't seem to want to open. I was disoriented, not exactly sure where I was or where I was going. However, Charlie's familiar voice cut through the murk, and this time my eyelids came up a quarter of the way, until I saw a blurry figure coming toward us.

"Beau!" he shouted. "What's going on here? What's wrong with him?"

"It's a long story, Charlie," Edythe said soothingly as she helped me toward the house. "He's fine, he's just exhausted."

Charlie didn't answer, only I felt him get under my opposite arm, taking on my weight. "I've got him," he grunted, and there was an unusually sharp edge to his voice, like a threat.

Edythe gently pulled out from under my arm, but before she could completely slip away, I reached out blindly and grabbed her by the arm, holding on with everything I was.

Wordlessly, Charlie tried to pry my grip off, but I wasn't letting go.

"It's okay, Beau," Edythe said gently. She ran her fingers over mine, until at last my fingers slackened.

"It is definitely not okay," I heard Charlie mutter in a furious undertone.

"Don't go," I slurred, trying to close my cold, numb hands around her again. We hadn't had our talk yet. She couldn't go until I got all my questions answered.

Edythe leaned up and kissed me lightly on the cheek. At the same time she breathed into my ear so only I could hear, "See you soon, Beau."

My last memory was passing over the threshold into the house, before I sank into unconsciousness.