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the way she’s shown you。 It’s not all lies and blood； Riley。 You can walk away right now。 You don’t have to
die for her lies。”
Edward slid his feet forward and to the side。 There was a foot of space between us now。 Riley circled too
far； overpensating this time。 Victoria leaned forward onto the balls of her feet。
“Last chance； Riley；” Edward whispered。
Riley’s face was desperate as he looked to Victoria for answers。
“He’s the liar； Riley；” Victoria said； and my mouth fell open in shock at the sound of her voice。 “I told you
about their mind tricks。 You know I love only you。”
Her voice was not the strong； wild； catlike growl I would have put with her face and stance。 It was soft； it
was high — a babyish； soprano tinkling。 The kind of voice that went with blond curls and pink bubble gum。 It
made no sense ing through her bared； glistening teeth。
Riley’s jaw tightened； and he squared his shoulders。 His eyes emptied — there was no more confusion； no
more suspicion。 There was no thought at all。 He tensed himself to attack。
Victoria’s body seemed to be trembling； she was so tightly wound。 Her fingers were ready claws； waiting
for Edward to move just one more inch away from me。
The snarl came from none of them。
A mammoth tan shape flew through the center of the opening； throwing Riley to the ground。
“No！” Victoria cried； her baby voice shrill with disbelief。
A yard and a half in front of me； the huge wolf ripped and tore at the blond vampire beneath him。
Something white and hard smacked into the rocks by my feet。 I cringed away from it。
Victoria did not spare one glance for the boy she’d just pledged her love to。 Her eyes were still on me；
filled with a disappointment so ferocious that she looked deranged。
“No；” she said again； through her teeth； as Edward started to move toward her； blocking her path to me。
Riley was on his feet again； looking misshapen and haggard； but he was able to fling a vicious kick into
Seth’s shoulder。 I heard the bone crunch。 Seth backed off and started to circle； limping。 Riley had his arms
out； ready； though he seemed to be missing part of one hand。 。 。 。
Only a few yards away from that fight； Edward and Victoria were dancing。
Not quite circling； because Edward was not allowing her to position herself closer to me。 She sashayed
back； moving from side to side； trying to find a hole in his defense。 He shadowed her footwork lithely； stalking
her with perfect concentration。 He began to move just a fraction of a second before she moved； reading her
intentions in her thoughts。
Seth lunged at Riley from the side； and something tore with a hideous； grating screech。 Another heavy
white chunk flew into the forest with a thud。 Riley roared in fury； and Seth skipped back — amazingly light on
his feet for his size — as Riley took a swipe at him with one mangled hand。
Victoria was weaving through the tree trunks at the far end of the little opening now。 She was torn； her feet
pulling her toward safety while her eyes yearned toward me as if I were a mag； reeling her in。 I could see
the burning desire to kill warring with her survival instinct。
Edward could see that； too。
“Don’t go； Victoria；” he murmured in that same hypnotic tone as before。 “You’ll never get another chance
like this。”
She showed her teeth and hissed at him； but she seemed unable to move farther away from me。
“You can always run later；” Edward purred。 “Plenty of time for that。 It’s what you do； isn’t it？ It’s why
James kept you around。 Useful； if you like to play deadly games。 A partner with an uncanny instinct for
escaping。 He shouldn’t have left you — he could have used your skills when we caught up to him in Phoenix。”
A snarl ripped from between her lips。
“That’s all you ever were to him； though。 Silly to waste so much energy avenging someone who had less
affection for you than a hunter for his mount。 You were never more than a convenience to him。 I would know。”
Edward’s lips pulled up on one side as he tapped his temple。
With a strangled screech； Victoria darted out of the trees again； feinting to the side。 Edward responded；
and the dance began again。
Just then； Riley’s fist caught Seth’s flank； and a low yelp coughed out of Seth’s throat。 Seth backed away；
his shoulders twitching as if he were trying to shake off the pain。
Please； I wanted to plead with Riley； but I couldn’t find the muscles to make my mouth open； to pull the
air up from my lungs。 Please； he’s just a child！
Why hadn’t Seth run away？ Why didn’t he run now？
Riley was closing the distance between them again； driving Seth toward the cliff face beside me。 Victoria
was suddenly interested in her partner’s fate。 I could see her； from the corner of her eyes； judge the distance
between Riley and me。 Seth snapped at Riley； forcing him back again； and Victoria hissed。
Seth wasn’t limping anymore。 His circling took him within inches of Edward； his tail brushed Edward’s
back； and Victoria’s eyes bulged。
“No； he won’t turn on me；” Edward said； answering the question in Victoria’s head。 He used her
distraction to slide closer。 “You provided us with a mon enemy。 You allied us。”
She clenched her teeth； trying to keep her focus on Edward alone。
“Look more closely； Victoria；” he murmured； pulling at the threads of her concentration。 “Is he really so
much like the monster James tracked across Siberia？”
Her eyes popped wide open； and then began flickering wildly from Edward to Seth to me； around and
around。 “Not the same？” she snarled in her little girl’s soprano。 “Impossible！”
“Nothing is impossible；” Edward murmured； voice velvet soft as he moved another inch closer to her。
“Except what you want。 You’ll never touch her。”
She shook her head； fast and jerky； fighting his diversions； and tried to duck around him； but he was in
place to block her as soon as she’d thought of the plan。 Her face contorted in frustration； and then she shifted
lower into her crouch； a lioness again； and stalked deliberately forward。
Victoria was no inexperienced； instinctdriven newborn。 She was lethal。 Even I could tell the difference
between her and Riley； and I knew that Seth wouldn’t have lasted so long if he’d been fighting this vampire。
Edward shifted； too； as they closed on each other； and it was lion versus lioness。
The dance increased in tempo。
It was like Alice and Jasper in the meadow； a blurred spiraling of movement； only this dance was not as
perfectly choreographed。 Sharp crunches and crackings reverberated off the cliff face whenever someone
slipped in their formation。 But they were moving too fast for me to see who was making the mistakes。 。 。 。
Riley was distracted by the violent ballet； his eyes anxious for his partner。 Seth struck； crunching off
another small piece of the vampire。 Riley bellowed and launched a massive backhanded blow that caught Seth
full in his broad chest。 Seth’s huge body soared ten feet and crashed into the rocky wall over my head with a
force that seemed to shake the whole peak。 I heard the breath whoosh from his lungs； and I ducked out of the
way as he rebounded off the stone and collapsed on the ground a few feet in front of me。
A low whimper escaped through Seth’s teeth。
Sharp fragments of gray stone showered down on my head； scratching my exposed skin。 A jagged spike
of rock rolled down my right arm and I caught it reflexively。 My fingers clenched around the long shard as my
own survival instincts kicked in； since there was no chance of flight； my body — not caring how ineffectual the
gesture was — prepared for a fight。
Adrenaline jolted through my veins。 I knew the brace was cutting into my palm。 I knew the crack in my
knuckle was protesting。 I knew it； but I could not feel the pain。
Behind Riley； all I could see was the twisting flame of Victoria’s hair and a blur of white。 The increasingly
frequent metallic snaps and tears； the gasps and shocked hissings； made it clear that the dance was turning
deadly for someone。
But which someone？
Riley lurched toward me； his red eyes brilliant with fury。 He glared at th