按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
My hand hesitated in the air above the counter。 I would not have to look back in
order to reach across it and slam Mrs。 Cope's head into her desk with enough force to kill
her。 Two lives； rather than twenty。 A trade。
The monster waited anxiously； hungrily； for me to do it。
But there was always a choice—there had to be。
I cut off the motion of my lungs； and fixed Carlisle's face in front of my eyes。 I
turned back to face Mrs。 Cope； and heard her internal surprise at the change in my
expression。 She shrank away from me； but her fear did not form into coherent words。
Using all the control I'd mastered in my decades of self…denial； I made my voice
even and smooth。 There was just enough air left in my lungs to speak once more； rushing
through the words。
〃Nevermind； then。 I can see that it's impossible。 Thank you so much for your
help。〃
I spun and launched myself from the room； trying not to feel the warm…blooded
heat of the girl's body as I passed within inches of it。
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
21
I didn't stop until I was in my car； moving too fast the entire way there。 Most of
the humans had cleared out already； so there weren't a lot of witnesses。 I heard a
sophomore； D。J。 Garrett； notice； and then disregard？
Where did Cullen come from—it was like he just came out of thin air？ There I
go； with the imagination again。 Mom always says？
When I slid into my Volvo； the others were already there。 I tried to control my
breathing； but I was gasping at the fresh air like I'd been suffocated。
〃Edward？〃 Alice asked； alarm in her voice。
I just shook my head at her。
〃What the hell happened to you？〃 Emmett demanded； distracted； for the moment；
from the fact that Jasper was not in the mood for his rematch。
Instead of answering； I threw the car into reverse。 I had to get out of this lot
before Bella Swan could follow me here； too。 My own person demon； haunting me？ I
swung the car around and accelerated。 I hit forty before I was on the road。 On the road； I
hit seventy before I made the corner。
Without looking； I knew that Emmett； Rosalie and Jasper had all turned to stare at
Alice。 She shrugged。 She couldn't see what had passed； only what was coming。
She looked ahead for me now。 We both processed what she saw in her head； and
we were both surprised。
〃You're leaving？〃 she whispered。
The others stared at me now。
〃Am I？〃 I hissed through my teeth。
She saw it then； as my resolve wavered and another choice spun my future in a
darker direction。
〃Oh。〃
Bella Swan； dead。 My eyes； glowing crimson with fresh blood。 The search that
would follow。 The careful time we would wait before it was safe for us to pull out and
start again？
〃Oh；〃 she said again。 The picture grew more specific。 I saw the inside of Chief
Swan's house for the first time； saw Bella in a small kitchen with the yellow cupboards；
her back to me as I stalked her from the shadows？let the scent pull me toward her？
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
22
〃Stop！〃 I groaned； not able to bear more。
〃Sorry；〃 she whispered； her eyes wide。
The monster rejoiced。
And the vision in her head shifted again。 An empty highway at night； the trees
beside it coated in snow； flashing by at almost two hundred miles per hour。
〃I'll miss you；〃 she said。 〃No matter how short a time you're gone。〃
Emmett and Rosalie exchanged an apprehensive glance。
We were almost to the turn off onto the long drive that led to our home。
〃Drop us here；〃 Alice instructed。 〃You should tell Carlisle yourself。〃
I nodded； and the car squealed to a sudden stop。
Emmett； Rosalie and Jasper got out in silence； they would make Alice explain
when I was gone。 Alice touched my shoulder。
〃You will do the right thing；〃 she murmured。 Not a vision this time—an order。
〃She's Charlie Swan's only family。 It would kill him； too。〃
〃Yes；〃 I said； agreeing only with the last part。
She slid out to join the others； her eyebrows pulling together in anxiety。 They
melted into woods； out of sight before I could turn the car around。
I accelerated back toward town； and I knew the visions in Alice's head would be
flashing from dark to bright like a strobe light。 As I sped back to Forks doing ninety； I
wasn't sure where I was going。 To say goodbye to my father？ Or to embrace the
monster inside me？ The road flew away beneath my tires。
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
23
2。 Open Book
I leaned back against the soft snow bank； letting the dry powder reshape itself around my
weight。 My skin had cooled to match the air around me； and the tiny pieces of ice felt
like velvet under my skin。
The sky above me was clear； brilliant with stars； glowing blue in some places；
yellow in others。 The stars created majestic； swirling shapes against the black universe—
an awesome sight。 Exquisitely beautiful。 Or rather； it should have been exquisite。
Would have been； if I'd been able to really see it。
It wasn't getting any better。 Six days had passed； six days I'd hidden here in the
empty Denali wilderness； but I was no closer to freedom than I had been since the first
moment that I'd caught her scent。
When I stared up at the jeweled sky； it was as if there were an obstruction
between my eyes and their beauty。 The obstruction was a face； just an unremarkable
human face； but I couldn't quite seem to banish it from my mind。
I heard the approaching thoughts before I heard the footsteps that accompanied
them。 The sound of movement was only a faint whisper against the powder。
I was not surprised that Tanya had followed me here。 I knew she'd been mulling
over this coming conversation for the last few days； putting it off until she was sure of
exactly what she wanted to say。
She sprang into sight about sixty yards away； leaping onto the tip of an
outcropping of black rock and balancing there on the balls of her bare feet。
Tanya's skin was silver in the starlight； and her long blond curls shone pale；
almost pink with their strawberry tint。 Her amber eyes glinted as she spied me； half…
buried in the snow； and her full lips stretched slowly into a smile。
Exquisite。 If I'd really been able to see her。 I sighed。
She crouched down on the point of the stone； her fingertips touching the rock； her
body coiled。
Cannonball； she thought。
？ 2008 Stephenie Meyer
24
She launched herself into the air； her shape became a dark； twisting shadow as she
spun gracefully between me and the stars。 She curled herself into a ball just as she struck
the piled snow bank beside me。
A blizzard of snow flew up around me。 The stars went black and I was buried
deep in the feathery ice crystals。
I sighed again； but didn't move to unearth myself。 The blackness under the snow
neither hurt nor improved the view。 I still saw the same face。
〃Edward？〃
Then snow was flying again as Tanya swiftly disinterred me。 She brushed the
powder from my unmoving face； not quite meeting my eyes。
〃Sorry；〃 she murmured。 〃It was a joke。〃
〃I know。 It was funny。〃
Her mouth twisted down。
〃Irina and Kate said I should leave you alone。 They think I'm annoying you。〃
〃Not at all；〃 I a