The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 27. Travel Plans

I took mythology a lot more seriously since Id become a vampire.Often, when I looked derriere over my start 3some months as an immortal, I imagined how the th teach of my carriage might look in the Fates loom who k newfound tho that it actu solelyy existed? I was sure my thread must lead changed color I thought it had in all probability started fall out as a nice beige, something supportive and non-confrontational, something that would look good in the background. Now it tangle worry it must be bright crimson, or maybe glistening gold.The tapestry of family and friends that wove to suither most me was a beautiful, glowing thing, full of their bright, complementary colors.I was surprised by some of the threads I got to include in my life. The werewolves, with their deep, woodsy colors, were non something Id expected Jacob, of course, and Seth, too. But my old friends Quil and Embry became part of the fabric as they joined Jacobs pack, and scour Sam and Emily were cord ial. The tensions amidst our families eased, approximatelyly due to Renesmee. She was easy to love.Sue and Leah Clearwater were interlaced into our life, too devil more I had non anticipated.Sue seemed to confirm taken it on herself to smooth Charlies spiritual rebirth into the world of make-believe. She came with him to the Cullens most days, though she n ever so seemed truly comfortable here the way her son and most of Jakes pack did. She did not speak often she just hovered protectively tightly fitting Charlie. She was always the origin individual he looked to when Renesmee did something disturbingly advanced which was often. In answer, Sue would eye Seth meaningfully as if to say, Yeah, break me about it.Leah was even less comfortable than Sue and was the only part of our recently extended family who was openly hostile to the merger. However, she and Jacob had a new camaraderie that kept her close to us all. I asked him about it in one case hesitantly I didnt want to pry, but the relationship was so different from the way it used to be that it do me unexpended. He shrugged and told me it was a pack thing. She was his second-in-command in a flash, his beta, asId called it once long ago.I figured as long as I was dismissal to do this Alpha thing for real, Jacob explained, Id part nail guttle the formalities.The new responsibility made Leah feel the gather up to check in with him often, and since he was always with RenesmeeLeah was not able to be near us, but she was the exception. Happiness was the main component in my life now, the sovereign pattern in the tapestry. So much so that my relationship with Jasper was now much closer than Id ever dreamed it would be.At first I was really annoyed, though.Yeesh I complained to Edward one night after wed define Renesmee in her wrought-iron crib. If I hold upnt killed Charlie or Sue yet, its probably not going to happen. I wish Jasper would cloture hovering all the timeNo one doubts you, B ella, not in the slightest, he assured me. You know how Jasper is he cant resist a good emotional climate. Youre so happy all the time, love, he gravitates toward you without implying.And then(prenominal) Edward hugged me tightly, because nil pleased him more than my overwhelming ecstasy in this new life.And I was euphoric the vast majority of the time. The days were not long enough for me to get my fill of adoring my daughter the nights did not encounter enough hours to satisfy my need for Edward.There was a flipside to the joy, though. If you turned the fabric of our lives over, I imagined the design on the backside would be woven in the bleak grays of doubt and fear.Renesmee spoke her first word when she was precisely one week old. The word was Momma, which would have made my day, except that I was so frightened by her progress I could barely force my frozen count to smile back at her. It didnt patron that she continued from her first word to her first sentence in the sa me breath. Momma, where is Grandpa? shed asked in a clear, high soprano, only bothering to speak aloud because I was across the room from her. Shed already asked Rosalie, using her practice (or seriously abnormal, from another point of view) means of communication. Rosalie hadnt known the answer, so Renesmee had turned to me.When she walked for the first time, fewer than three weeks later, it was similar. Shed simply stared at Alice for a long moment, watching intently as her aunt arranged bouquets in the vases scattered around the room, dancing back and forth across the floor with her arms full of flowers. Renesmee got to her feet, not in the least bit shaky, and crossed the floor almost as gracefully.Jacob had burst into applause, because that was clearly the rejoinder Renesmee wanted. The way he was tied to her made his own reactions secondary his first reflex was always to pull Renesmee whatever she essential. But our eyes met, and I saw all the panic in mine echoed in his. I made my lots clap unneurotic, too, trying to hide my fear from her. Edward applauded quietly at my side, and we didnt need to speak our thoughts to know they were the same.Edward and Carlisle threw themselves into research, looking for any answers, anything to expect. There was really bantam to be found, and none of it verifiable.Alice and Rosalie ordinarily began our day with a fashion register. Renesmee never wore the same clothestwice, partly because she outgrew her clothes almost this instant and partly because Alice and Rosalie were trying to create a baby album that appeared to span years rather than weeks. They took thousands of pictures, documenting both phase of her accelerated childhood.At three months, Renesmee could have been a big one-year-old, or a weensy two-year-old. She wasnt shaped exactly like a toddler she was leaner and more graceful, her proportions were more even, like an adults. Her bronzy ringlets hung to her waist I couldnt bear to cut them, even if Alice would have allowed it. Renesmee could speak with flawless grammar and articulation, but she rarely bo in that respectd, preferring to simply show people what she wanted. She could not only walk but run and dance. She could even read.Id been translation Tennyson to her one night, because the flow and rhythm of his poetry seemed restful. (I had to search constantly for new material Renesmee didnt like repeat in her bedtime stories as other children supposedly did, and she had no patience for picture books.) She reached up to touch my cheek, the go for in her mind one of us, only with her holding the book. I gave it to her, smiling. There is sweet music here, she read without hesitation, that softer falls than petals from blown roses on the grass, or night-dews on still waters between walls of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass My hand was robotic as I took the book back.If you read, how will you fall dormant? I asked in a voice that had barely escaped move.By Carlisle s calculations, the growth of her body was stepwise slowing her mind continued to race on earlier. Even if the rate of decrease held steady, shed still be an adult in no more than four years.Four years. And an old woman by fifteen. rightful(prenominal) fifteen years of life.But she was so healthy. Vital, bright, glowing, and happy. Her conspicuous well-being made it easy for me to be happy with her in the moment and leave the future for tomorrow.Carlisle and Edward discussed our options for the future from either angle in low voices that I tried not to hear. They never had these discussions when Jacob was around, because there was one sure way to halt aging, and that wasnt something Jacob was likely to be excited about. I wasnt. Too dangerous my instincts screamed at me. Jacob and Renesmee seemed alike in so many ways, both half-and-half beings, two things at the same time. And all the werewolf lore insisted that vampire venom was a death sentence rather than a course to immortal ity___Carlisle and Edward had exhausted the research they could do from a distance, and now we were preparing to follow old legends at their source. We were going back to Brazil, starting there. The Ticunas had legends about children like Renesmee. If other children like her had ever existed, by chance some tale of the life span of half-mortal children still lingered___The only real point left was exactly when we would go.I was the holdup. A small part of it was that I wanted to stay near Forks until after the holidays, for Charliessake. But more than that, there was a different journey that I knew had to come first that was the clear priority. Also, it had to be a solo trip.This was the only argument that Edward and I had gotten in since Id become a vampire. The main point of contention was the solo part. But the facts were what they were, and my plan was the only one that made reasonable sense. I had to go see the Volturi, and I had to do it absolutely alone.Even freed from ol d nightmares, from any dreams at all, it was impossible to forget the Volturi. Nor did they leave us without reminders.Until the day that Aros lay showed up, i didnt know that Alice had sent a wedding announcement to the Volturi leaders wed been far onward on Esmes island when shed seen a vision of Volturi soldiers Jane and Alec, the devastatingly powerful twins, among them. Caius was provision to send a hunting party to see if I was still human, against their edict (because I knew about the secret vampire world, I either must join it or be silenced permanently). So Alice had mailed the announcement, seeing that this would delay them as they deciphered the meaning piece of tail it. But they would come eventually. That was certain.The present itself was not overtly threatening. Extravagant, yes, almost frightening in that very extravagance. The threat was in the parting railway line of Aros congratulatory note, written in black ink on a square of impenetrable, plain face clo th paper in Aros own handI so look forward to seeing the new Mrs. Cullen in person.The gift was presented in an ornately carved, ancient wooden box inlaid with gold and mother-of-pearl, ornamented with a rainbow of gemstones. Alice tell the box itself was a priceless treasure, that it would have outshone just about any piece of jewelry besides the one inside it.I always wondered where the crown jewels disappeared to after John of England pawned them in the ordinal century, Carlisle said. I suppose it doesnt surprise me that the Volturi have their share.The necklace was simple gold woven into a obtuse set of a chain, almost scaled, like a smooth snake that would curl close around the throat. iodine jewel hung suspended from the rope a w take a leake diamond the size of a golf ball.The blanket(a) reminder in Aros note interested me more than the jewel. The Volturi needed to see that I was immortal, that the Cullens had been obedient to the Volturis orders, and they needed to s ee this soon. They could not be allowed near Forks. There was only one way to keep our life here safe.Youre not going alone, Edward had insisted through his teeth, his hands clenching into fists.They wont hurt me, Id said as soothingly as I could manage, forcing my voice to sound sure. They have no reason to. Im a vampire. Case closed.No. abruptly no.Edward, its the only way to protect her.And he hadnt been able to argue with that. My logic was watertight.Even in the short time Id known Aro, Id been able to see that he was a collector and his most prized treasures were his existent pieces. He coveted beauty, talent, and rarity in his immortal followers more than any jewel locked in his vaults. It was unfortunate enough that hed begun to covet Alices and Edwards abilities. I would give him no more reason to be prehensile of Carlisles family. Renesmee was beautiful and gifted and unique she was one of a kind. He could not be allowed to see her, not even through someones thoughts. And I was the only one whose thoughts he could not hear. Of course I would go alone.Alice did not see any trouble with my trip, but she was worried by the indistinct quality of her visions. She said they were sometimes similarly hazy when there were outside decisions that might conflict but that had not been solidly resolved. This uncertainty made Edward, already hesitant, extremely opposed to what I had to do. He wanted to come with me as far as my connection in London, but I wouldnt leave Renesmee without both her parents. Carlisle was coming instead. It made both Edward and me a little more relaxed, knowing that Carlisle would be only a few hours away from me.Alice kept searching for the future, but the things she found were unrelated to what she was looking for. A new trend in the stock market a possible visit of reconciliation from Irina, though her decision was not smashed a snowstorm that wouldnt hit for another six weeks a call from Renee (I was practicing my rough voice, a nd getting better at it every day to Renees knowledge, I was still sick, but mending).We bought the tickets for Italy the day after Renesmee turned three months. I planned for it to be a very short trip, so I hadnt told Charlie about it. Jacob knew, and he took Edwards view on things. However, today the argument was about Brazil. Jacob was determined to come with us.The three of us, Jacob, Renesmee, and I, were hunting together. The provender of animal blood wasnt Renesmees favorite thing and that was why Jacob was allowed to come along. Jacob had made it a contest between them, and that made her more willing than anything else.Renesmee was quite clear on the whole good vs. bad as it applied to hunting humans she just thought that donated blood made a nice compromise. forgiving food filled her and it seemed compatible with her system, but she reacted to all varieties of solid food with the same martyred endurance I had once presumption cauliflower and lima beans. Animal blood w as better than that, at least. She had a militant nature, and the challenge of beating Jacob made her excited to hunt.Jacob, I said, trying to reason with him again while Renesmee danced ahead of us into the long clearing, searching for a scent she liked. Youve got obligations here. Seth, Leah He snorted. Im not my packs nanny. Theyve all got responsibilities in La Push anyway.Sort of like you? Are you officially dropping out of high school, then? If youre going to keep up with Renesmee, youre going to have to study a lot harder.Its just a sabbatical. Ill get back to school when things slow drink down.I broken my concentration on my side of the disagreement when he said that, and we both automatically looked atRenesmee. She was staring at the snowflakes fluttering high above her head, run before they could stick to the yellowed grass in the long arrowhead-shaped meadow that we were standing in. Her ruffled pearl dress was just a shade sliminesser than the snow, and her reddish -brown curls managed to shimmer, though the sun was buried deeply behind the clouds.As we watched, she crouched for an instant and then sprang fifteen feet up into the air. Her little hands closed around a flake, and she dropped lightly to her feet.She turned to us with her shocking smile truly, it wasnt something you could get used to and opened her hands to show us the perfectly formed eight-pointed ice star in her palm before it melted.Pretty, Jacob called to her appreciatively. But I think youre stalling, Nessie.She bounded back to Jacob he held his arms out at exactly the moment she leaped into them. They had the shine perfectly synchronized. She did this when she had something to say. She still preferred not to speak aloud.Renesmee touched his face, scowling adorably as we all listened to the sound of a small herd of elk moving farther into the wood.Suuuureyoure not thirsty, Nessie, Jacob answered a little sarcastically, but more indulgently than anything else. Youre just a fraid HI catch the biggest one againShe flipped reflexive out of Jacobs arms, landing lightly on her feet, and rolled her eyes she looked so much like Edward when she did that. therefore she darted off toward the trees.Got it, Jacob said when I leaned as if to follow. He yanked his t-shirt off as he charged after her into the forest, already trembling. It doesnt count if you cheat, he called to Renesmee.I smiled at the leaves they left fluttering behind them, shaking my head. Jacob was more a child than Renesmee sometimes.I paused, giving my hunters a few minutes head start. It would be beyond simple to track them, and Renesmee would love to surprise me with the size of her prey. I smiled again.The narrow meadow was very still, very empty. The fluttering snow was thinning above me, almost gone. Alice had seen that it wouldnt stick for many weeks.Usually Edward and I came together on these hunting trips. But Edward was with Carlisle today, planning the trip to Rio, talking behind Jacobs back. I frowned. When I returned, I would take Jacobs side. He should come with us. He had as big a stake in this as any of us his entire life was at stake, just like mine.While my thoughts were lost in the near future, my eyes swept the mountainside routinely, searching for prey, searching for danger. I didnt think about it the urge was an automatic thing.Or perhaps there was a reason for my scanning, some tiny initiate that my razor-sharp senses had caught before I realized it consciously.As my eyes flitted across the edge of a yon cliff, standing out starkly blue-gray against the green-black forest, a glint of silver or was it gold? gripped my attention.My gaze zeroed in on the color that shouldnt have been there, so far away in the haze that an eagle wouldnt have been able to make it out. I stared.She stared back.That she was a vampire was obvious. Her skin was marble white, the texture a one million million million times smoother than human skin. Even under the cl ouds, she glistened ever so slightly. If her skin had not given her away, her stillness would have. Only vampires and statues could be so perfectly motionless.Her hair was pale, pale blond, almost silver. This was the gleam that had caught my eye. It hung clean as a ruler to a blunt edge at her chin, parted evenly down the center.She was a stranger to me. I was absolutely certain Id never seen her before, even as a human. no(prenominal) of the faces in my muddy memory were the same as this one. But I knew her at once from her dark golden eyes.Irina had decided to come after all.For one moment I stared at her, and she stared back. I wondered if she would gamble immediately who I was as well. I half-raised my hand, about to wave, but her lip twisted the tiniest bit, making her face suddenly hostile.I heard Renesmees cry of victory from the forest, heard Jacobs echoing howl, and saw Irinas face thumb reflexively to the sound when it echoed to her a few seconds later. Her gaze cut s lightly to the right, and I knew what she was seeing. An enormous russet werewolf, perhaps the very one who had killed her Laurent. How long had she been watching us? Long enough to see our affectionate mass meeting before, I was sure.Her face spasmed in pain.Instinctually, I opened my hands in front of me in an justificative gesture. She turned back to me, and her lip curled back over her teeth. Her jaw unlocked as she growled.When the shy sound reached me, she had already turned and disappeared into the forest.Crap I groaned.I sprinted into the forest after Renesmee and Jacob, unwilling to have them out of my sight. I didnt know which direction Irina had taken, or exactly how furious she was right now. Vengeance was a common obsession for vampires, one that was not easy to suppress.Running at full speed, it only took me two seconds to reach them.Mine is bigger, I heard Renesmee insist as I burst through the thick thornbushes to the small open space where they stood.Jacobs ears flattened as he took in my expression he crouched forward, uncovering his teeth hismuzzle was streaked with blood from his kill. His eyes raked the forest. I could hear the growl building in his throat.Renesmee was every bit as alert as Jacob. Abandoning the dead stag at her feet, she leaped into my waiting arms, pressing her curious hands against my cheeks.Im overreacting, I assured them quickly. Its okay, I think. Hold on.I pulled out my cell phone and hit the speed dial. Edward answered on the first ring. Jacob and Renesmee listened intently to my side as I filled Edward in.Come, bring Carlisle, I trilled so fast I wondered if Jacob could keep up. I saw Irina, and she saw me, but thenshe saw Jacob and she got mad and ran away, I think. She hasnt shown up here yet, anyway but she looked pretty upset so maybe she will. If she doesnt, you and Carlisle have to go after her and talk to her. I feel so bad.Jacob rumbled.Well be there in half a minute, Edward assured me, and I could hear the whoosh of the wind his running made.We darted back to the long meadow and then waited silently as Jacob and I listened carefully for the sound of an approach we did not recognize.When the sound came, though, it was very familiar. And then Edward was at my side, Carlisle a few seconds behind. I was surprised to hear the heavy pad of big paws following behind Carlisle. I supposed I shouldnt have been shocked. With Renesmee in even a hint of danger, of course Jacob would call in reinforcements.She was up on that ridge, I told them at once, pointing out the spot. If Irina was fleeing, she already had quite a head start. Would she stop and listen to Carlisle? Her expression before made me think not. Maybe you should call Emmett and Jasper and have them come with you. She looked really upset. She growled at me.What? Edward said angrily.Carlisle put a hand on his arm. Shes grieving. HI go after her.Tm coming with you, Edward insisted.They exchanged a long glitter perhaps Carlisl e was measuring Edwards irritation with Irina against his helpfulness as a mind reader. Finally, Carlisle nodded, and they took off to find the booster cable without calling for Jasper or Emmett.Jacob huffed impatiently and poked my back with his nose. He must want Renesmee back at the safety device of the house, just in case. I agreed with him on that, and we hurried home with Seth and Leah running at our flanks.Renesmee was complacent in my arms, one hand still resting on my face. Since the hunting trip had been aborted, she would just have to make do with donated blood. Her thoughts were a little smug.