IT LOOKED LIKE CHARLIE WAS WAITING UP FOR ME. ALL THE HOUSE LIGHTS were on. My mind went blank as I tried to think of a way to pull this off.
Edythe stopped a car length back from my truck. All three of them were ramrod straight in their seats, listening to every sound of the forest, looking through every shadow around the house, searching for something out of place. The engine died and I sat quietly as they continued to listen.
"She's not here," Edythe hissed. "Let's go."
Eleanor reached over to undo the harness. "Don't worry, Beau," she said in a low but cheerful voice. "We'll take care of things here quickly."
I felt the strangest sense of sadness as I looked at Eleanor's gorgeous and terrifying face. I barely knew her, but somehow, not knowing when I would see her again was awful. I knew this was the easiest goodbye I would have to survive in the next hour, and the thought made my stomach churn.
"Archie, El." Edythe's voice was a command. They slipped soundlessly into the darkness and were gone.
I crawled out after Eleanor, and Edythe was already there.
"Fifteen minutes," she said through her teeth.
I nodded, then stopped.
"Hurry, Beau."
"One thing." I bent down and kissed her once hard. "I love you. Whatever happens now, that doesn't change."
"Nothing is going to happen to you, Beau."
"Keep Charlie safe for me."
"Done. Hurry."
I nodded again, and then, with one backward glance at her, I jumped onto the porch and threw the front door open with a loud bang. I lurched inside and kicked the door shut behind me.
I suddenly knew what I was going to do, and I was already horrified at myself.
Charlie's face appeared in the hallway. "Beau?"
"Leave me alone," I snapped.
My eyes were starting to feel red and wet, and I knew I was going to have to get it together if I was going to do this right—protect Charlie, protect the Cullens, and make this plan work. It would be easier if I wasn't looking at him.
I wheeled and ran up the stairs, then slammed my bedroom door closed and locked it. I threw myself on the floor and yanked a duffel bag out from under the bed. Then I shoved my hand between the mattress and box spring, searching till I found the knotted tube sock with my cash hoard.
Charlie pounded on my door. "Beau, are you okay? What's going on?"
"I'm going home!" I yelled.
I turned to the dresser, and Edythe was already there, silently yanking out armfuls of clothes that she then threw at me. I caught what I could and stuffed it into the bag.
"So I guess your date didn't go so well." Charlie's voice was confused but calmer.
"Ugh, stay out of it, Charlie," I growled.
"Did she break up with you?"
"I broke up with her."
Edythe didn't react to what I was saying. She was totally focused. She swept my stuff off the top of the dresser and into the bag with one arm.
"Why?" Charlie asked, surprised. "I thought you really liked this girl."
"I do—too much."
"Um… that's not how that works, son."
Edythe zipped the bag up—apparently my packing time was over. She hung the strap on my shoulder.
"I'll be in the truck—go!" she whispered, and she pushed me toward the door. She vanished out the window.
I unlocked the door and shoved past Charlie. My bag knocked a picture off the wall as I hurtled down the stairs.
Charlie ran after me and grabbed the strap of my bag, hauling me back a step.
"Are you doing drugs, Beau?" he demanded.
"No!"
"Slow down. I don't understand. Tell me what happened."
He had a tight grip on the strap. I could leave it, but that would put a hole in my story. I was going to have to do this the hard way.
I turned to look at him, hoping the red in my eyes looked like anger.
"I'll tell you what happened," I said in the hardest voice I could manage. "I had a great night with the prettiest girl I've ever seen—and we talked about the future. The way she sees it—it's just like you. She's going to stay here the rest of her life. She's going to get married and have kids and never leave. And for a second, that all actually made sense to me. I'm losing myself here—I'm getting sucked in. If I don't run now, I'll never get out!"
"Beau, you can't leave now," he whispered. "It's nighttime."
"I'll sleep in the truck if I get tired."
"Just wait another week," he pleaded, looking shell-shocked. "Renée will be back by then."
This completely derailed me. "What?"
Relief flashed across Charlie's face when I hesitated. "She called while you were out. Things aren't going so well in Florida, and if Phil doesn't get signed by the end of the week, they're going back to Arizona. The assistant coach of the Sidewinders said they might have a spot for another shortstop."
I shook my head, trying to get back on track. Every passing second put Charlie in more danger.
"I have a key," I muttered, turning the knob. He was too close, one hand still locked on my bag, his face dazed. I couldn't lose any more time arguing with him. I was going to have to hurt him further.
"Just let me go, Charlie," I said through my teeth. I threw the door open. "It didn't work out, okay? I really, really hate Forks!"
The cruel words did their job—Charlie's hand dropped from my bag. His mouth fell open with surprise while a deep pain surfaced in his eyes. I turned my back on him and stalked out the door. I couldn't let him see my face now.
I tried to keep my walk angry, but I wanted to sprint. The dark yard seemed full of extra shadows that I was pretty sure were just my imagination. But not totally positive. I hurled my bag into the bed of the truck and wrenched the door open. The key was waiting in the ignition.
"I'll call you tomorrow!" I yelled.
I would never be able to explain this to him, never be able to make it right again. I gunned the engine and peeled out.
Edythe reached for my hand.
"Pull over," she said as Charlie and the house disappeared behind us.
I kept my eyes on the road, trying to control my face. "I can drive."
Suddenly she was sliding over my lap, her hands on the wheel and her foot pushing mine off the gas. She moved into the space between my leg and the door, then shoved me over with her hip. The truck didn't swerve an inch and she was in the driver's seat.
"You wouldn't be able to find the house," she explained.
Lights flared behind us. I jumped, and stared out the back window.
"It's just Archie," she said. She took my hand again.
When I closed my eyes, all I could see was Charlie standing in the doorway.
"The tracker?"
"She caught the end of your performance. She's running behind us now—about a mile back."
My body felt cold. "Can we outrun her?"
"No." But she sped up as she spoke. The truck's engine whined.
My plan wasn't feeling so brilliant anymore.
I was staring back at Archie's headlights when the truck shuddered and a dark shadow sprang up outside the window.
"E—!"
Her hand clamped over my mouth before I could finish shouting the warning.
"It's Eleanor!"
She dropped her hand to my knee.
"It's okay, Beau," she promised.
We raced out of town, headed north.
"I didn't realize you were still so bored with small-town life," she said conversationally, and I knew she was trying to distract me. "It seemed like you were adjusting fairly well—especially recently. Maybe I was just flattering myself that I was making life more interesting for you."
"That was below the belt," I confessed, staring at my knees. "Those were the last words my mother said to him when she left. It would have done less damage if I'd punched him."
"He'll forgive you," she promised.
I closed my eyes.
"Beau, it's going to be all right."
I looked down at her. "It won't be all right when we're not together."
"It's only a few days. Don't forget this was your idea."
"That makes it worse. Why did this happen? I don't understand."
She stared at the road ahead, her eyebrows pulling low over her eyes. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have exposed you like that."
I grabbed her hand. "No, that's not what I'm talking about. Okay, I was there. Big deal. It didn't bother the other two. Why did Joss decide to kill me? There are people all over the place—people who are a lot easier to get to." I glanced over my shoulder at Eleanor's shadow. "Why am I worth all this trouble?"
Edythe hesitated, thinking before she answered. "I got a good look at her mind tonight," she said in a low voice. "I'm not sure if there's anything I could have done to avoid this, once she caught your scent. It is partially your fault." She looked at me from the side of her eye for a second. "If you didn't smell so ridiculously delicious, she might not have bothered. But when I defended you… well, that made it a lot worse. She's not used to being thwarted, no matter how insignificant the object. She thinks of herself as a hunter—as the hunter. Her life is consumed with tracking, and a challenge is what she loves best in life. Suddenly we've presented her with an amazing challenge—a large clan of strong fighters, all determined to protect the one vulnerable element. You don't know how euphoric she is right now. It's her favorite game, and we've just created the most exciting round ever." Her tone was full of disgust. She took a deep breath. "But if I had stood by, she would have killed you right then!" she hissed with frustration.
"I thought… I didn't smell the same to the others… as I do to you."
"You don't. But that doesn't mean that you aren't still a temptation to every one of them. If you had appealed to the tracker—or any of them—the same way you appeal to me, it would have meant a fight right there."
I shuddered.
"I don't think I have any choice but to kill her now," she muttered. "Carine won't like it."
"I don't like it," I whispered.
She looked at me, surprised. "You want me to spare her?"
I blinked. "No—I mean, yes. I don't care if she… dies. I mean, that would be a relief, right? I just don't want you… What if you get hurt?"
Her face went hard. "You don't have to worry about me. I don't fight fair."
I could hear the tires cross the bridge, though I couldn't see the river in the dark. I knew we were getting close.
"How do you kill a vampire?" I asked in a low voice.
She glanced at me—her eyes were hard to read. When she spoke her voice was harsh. "The only way to be sure is to tear her to shreds, and then burn the pieces."
"And the other two will fight with her?"
"The male will. I'm not sure about Lauren. They don't have a very strong bond—she's only with them for convenience. She was embarrassed by Joss's behavior in the meadow.…"
"But Joss and Victor—they'll be trying to kill you?" My voice was raw, like I'd sandblasted the back of my throat.
"Stop. You focus on staying safe. You do whatever Archie tells you."
"How am I supposed to not worry about you? What does that even mean—that you don't fight fair?"
She half-smiled. It didn't touch her eyes. "Have you ever tried to act without thinking of that act first? Aside from involuntary muscle actions like breathing and blinking, it's terribly difficult to do. Especially in a fight. I'll see every single thing she plans, every hole in her defense. The only one who can hold his own against me is Archie—since he can see what I decide to do, but then I can hear how he'll react. It's usually a draw. Eleanor says it's cheating."
She seemed relaxed—like the idea of fighting the hunter and her partner was the easiest part of this whole mess. It made my stomach twist and plunge.
"Should Archie stay with you, then?" I asked. "If he's a better fighter than the others?"
"Eleanor can hear all this, you know. She's offended, and also not thrilled with that idea. It's been a while since she was allowed to really brawl, no holds barred. She plans to keep me and my cheating ways out of this as much as possible."
That made me feel a little bit better, which wasn't fair to Eleanor. I looked over my shoulder again, but I couldn't see her expression.
"Is she still following?" I asked.
Edythe knew I wasn't talking about Eleanor. "Yes. She won't attack the house, though. Not tonight."
She turned off onto the invisible drive. Archie's headlights followed. We drove right up to the house. The lights inside were bright, but they didn't do much to light up the surrounding trees. The yard was still black. Eleanor had my door open before the truck was stopped. She pulled me out of the seat, ducked under my arm, threw her arm around my waist, than ran me through the front door with my feet a foot off the ground, like I was a giant rag doll.
She burst into the big white room with Edythe and Archie on either side. All of them were there, already on their feet. Lauren stood in the middle of their circle. A low snarl rumbled in Eleanor's chest as she set me next to Edythe.
"She's tracking us," Edythe hissed, glaring at Lauren.
Lauren's expression was unhappy. "I was afraid of that."
Archie darted to Jessamine's side and whispered in her ear. They flew up the stairs together. Royal watched them, then moved quickly to Eleanor's side. His eyes were intense and—when they flickered unwillingly to my face—hostile.
"What will she do?" Carine asked Lauren.
"I'm sorry," she answered. "I was afraid, when your girl there defended him, that it would set Joss off."
"Can you stop her?"
Lauren shook her head. "Nothing stops Joss when she gets started."
"We'll stop her," Eleanor promised. There was no doubt what she meant.
"You can't bring her down," Lauren answered. "I've never seen anything like her in my three hundred years. She's absolutely lethal. That's why I joined her coven."
Her coven, I thought, of course. That whole show of leadership in the clearing was just that—a show.
Lauren was shaking her head. She glanced at me, obviously confused. "Are you sure this is all worth it?"
Edythe's furious growl tore through the room. Lauren cringed away from her.
Carine looked at Lauren. "I'm afraid you're going to have to make a choice."
Lauren understood. She hesitated for a minute. She looked at every face, then at the bright room.
"I'm intrigued by the life you've created here. But I won't get in the middle of this. I bear none of you any enmity, but I won't go up against Joss. I think I will head north—to that clan in Denali." She paused. "Don't underestimate Joss. She's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. She looks wild, but she's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be. She won't come at you head on.… I'm sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry." She bowed her head, but I saw her flicker another puzzled look at me.
"Go in peace," Carine said.
Lauren took one more long look around the room, and then she disappeared through the door.
The silence lasted less than a second.
Carine looked at Edythe. "How close?"
Earnest was already moving. His hand touched a keypad on the wall, and with a groan, huge metal shutters began sealing up the glass wall. My mouth fell open.
"About three miles out past the river. She's circling around to meet up with the male."
"What's the plan?"
"We lead her off, then Archie and Jessamine will run him south."
"And then?"
Edythe's voice turned icy. "As soon as Beau is clear, we hunt her."
"I guess she's left us no other choice," Carine agreed, her expression grim.
Edythe looked at Royal. "Get him upstairs and trade clothes."
Royal stared back at her, incredulous.
"And why would I do that?" he asked. "What is he to me?"
"Roy…," Eleanor murmured, putting one hand on his shoulder. He shook it off.
My eyes were on Edythe, worried that this would set off her temper, but she surprised me. She looked away from Royal like he hadn't spoken, like he didn't exist.
"Earnest?" she asked calmly.
"Of course."
As he was speaking, he was already at my side and ducking to grab me in a fireman's hold. We were up the stairs before I could register what was happening.
"What are we doing?" I asked as he set me down in a dark room somewhere off the second-story hall.
"Trying to confuse the scent trail. It won't work for long, but it might give you a head start." His voice was muffled as he pulled his shirt over his head.
I yanked my sweater off and held it out to him. He switched mine for his. I struggled to get my arms through the right holes, then yanked my jeans off. We traded. His pants were a little too short, but otherwise fit fine. He pulled me back to the hall. Earnest looked smaller in my clothes; he'd rolled the bottoms of my jeans. Archie was suddenly there; a leather satchel hung over his arm. They each grabbed one of my elbows and flew down the stairs.
It looked like everything had been settled. Edythe and Eleanor were ready to leave, Eleanor carrying a big backpack over her shoulder. Carine handed something small to Earnest. She turned to Archie and handed him the same thing—a tiny silver cell phone.
"Earnest and Royal will be taking your truck, Beau," she told me as she passed. I nodded, glancing warily at Royal. He was glaring at Carine, resentful.
"Archie, Jess, take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the South."
They nodded.
"We'll take the Jeep."
Carine stopped next to Edythe. I realized that this was the hunting party, and I felt like I was going to throw up. How did it get to this point? Why had they listened to my idea? It was obviously wrong.
"Archie, will they take the bait?"
Everyone watched Archie as he closed his eyes and became incredibly still. A few seconds later his eyes opened again.
"She'll track you. The man will follow the truck. We'll be able to leave after that." He was positive.
"Let's go," Carine said, heading for the kitchen.
But Edythe came back for me. She stared up at me, her gold eyes huge and deep and full of a million words she didn't have time to say, and reached up to put her hands on my face. I leaned down, my hands already in her hair. For the shortest second, her lips were icy and hard against mine.
Then it was over. She pushed my shoulders back. Her eyes went blank, dead, just before she turned away from me.
They were gone.
We stood there, no one looking at me while I stared after them. It felt like someone had ripped all the skin off my face. My eyes burned.
The silent moment dragged. Archie's eyes were closed again. Then Earnest's phone vibrated in his hand, and Archie nodded once. The phone flashed to Earnest's ear.
"Now," Earnest said. Royal stalked out the front door without another glance in my direction, but Earnest touched my shoulder as he passed.
"Be safe." His whisper lingered behind them as they slipped out the door. I heard the truck start thunderously, and then the sound faded away.
Jessamine and Archie waited. Then Archie lifted his phone to his ear just before it buzzed.
"Edythe says the man is on Earnest's trail. I'll get the car." He vanished into the shadows the way Edythe had gone.
Jessamine and I looked at each other. She stood across the length of the entryway from me.
"You're wrong, you know," she said.
"Huh?"
"I can feel what you're feeling now—and you are worth it."
The feeling of being slowly skinned didn't let up. "If anything happens to them, it will be for nothing," I whispered.
She smiled kindly. "You're wrong," she repeated.
Archie stepped through the front door and walked straight toward me, one arm out.
"May I?" he asked.
"You're the first one to ask permission," I mumbled.
Archie slung me up into a fireman's carry like Earnest had and, with Jessamine shielding us protectively, flew out the door, leaving the lights on behind us.