CHAPTER 3

My curiosity was raging. I needed to know what they were talking about. Why was Alice trying to keep my ability a secret?

Just as I was about to jump up and leap over the river to ask, Carlisle spoke.

"Emmett, come here for a moment."

Emmett didn't hesitate, he jumped up and ran through the river, laughing.

"What is it, Carlisle?"

"You need to take her far away from here. Now. Don't hesitate, don't talk to her. Just go. " He leaned closer to Emmett and whispered something.

Emmett nodded. "Whatever you say."

He returned to us, dripping wet. "C'mon Jazz, we need to get the newborn away from our house."

Each of them grabbed one of my arms, pulling me to my feet. I was mad and a little scared. What would happen to me now?

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"There are some areas pretty far east of here that you might find appealing. Just try to refrain from feeding near here. We don't want to make anyone suspicious."

"But, I don't want to go." I pouted.

"Can't help that. Sorry. We have to help Edward keep Bella safe. And, we have to keep our secret."

They started to run, dragging me along with them.

"Stop," I yelled. They ignored me.

I decided that persuasion and please had helped before, maybe it would work again.

"Please, stop," I said, in my most alluring voice.

They halted so quickly that they both stumbled, loosening their grip on my arms. I was free.

I turned and ran, using all of the power I had in my legs, back to the Cullen's house. Back to my answer.

I could hear them behind me. Emmett was using language that I was sure his mother, Esme, would not approve of.

It took less than a minute to return. I was over the river in a flash and standing at the back door. I hesitated for only a second before turning the knob and entering the kitchen.

"See, told you," Alice said. "It's pointless trying to avoid telling her the truth."

I looked at her and she frowned at me. She turned to Carlisle and shrugged.

"Tell me," I demanded.

"We really shouldn't," Carlisle said.

I calmed myself as much as I could, "Please, tell me what my ability is. I need to know everything about myself so I can survive." I bowed my head, trying to convince them, but peeked up at them.

Carlisle looked stunned for a moment, then said, "Persuasion."

"What?"

"If you want something, all you have to do is be persuasive," Alice replied. "But, it only works when you ask in a calm, reasonable tone." She was holding the counter for support.

I staggered for a second, finally sitting in one of their kitchen chairs.

Emmett and Jasper stormed in through the back door. Emmett was suppressing his language, for the moment. They took in the scene before them. No real danger, obviously, at least not physically.

But a plan was already starting to form in my head. I would not leave the Cullens with my hands empty.

"I need some clothes and some money," I said, my voice dripping with honey. "Oh, and a car to drive away from here."

Within minutes, I had a full suitcase of designer clothes. Thankfully, Alice and I were nearly the same size. Another large duffel bag was stuffed with cash. They really kept a lot in the house! The keys to an unknown vehicle were in my hand. Carlisle had parked the car in front of the house before bringing them to me.

I turned and looked at the family I had just stolen from.

"Been nice meeting you," I said, winking.

I ran out of the house, hopping into a red Prowler. Sweet! I wondered for just a moment who this car belonged to.

"Oh well, it belongs to me now!" I said as I hit the gas pedal and squealed the tires on the dirt.

I didn't see when Rosalie walked out of the trees behind me. I barely heard her as she said, "Who just left in my new car?"

Ah, the freedom of having a car with darkly tinted windows! It no longer mattered if the sun peeked out of the cloud cover. I was shielded from its light.

I drove up the coast, enjoying the power of the engine. It purred like a kitten. It was so fast. There was no way that Plymouth had put this engine together! I didn't think any American-made cars went faster than 200 miles per hour. Of course, I had never been an auto-phile, so I wasn't sure.

The car was perfect for me. Glossy red suited my personality. I loved the gleaming chrome. I didn't even feel guilty for stealing the car. I was above common rules now.

I pulled over when I reached the outskirts of Bellingham. I needed to get gas for the car, so I stopped at a small station. I really wanted to take the top down now that the sun was setting.

The smell of the attendant and the sound of his pulse had me struggling for control. I hadn't eaten for a while, and I was getting thirsty. I just managed to stop myself when he came to fill the tank. There were too many witnesses here.

The car proved to be a great hunting tool, though.

As I was pulling out of the station, a young man with a backpack approached me, signaling for me to stop. I did.

"I'm trying to get to Prince George. Any chance you're heading that way."

"As a matter of fact, I am heading there. Hop in."

We talked for a few minutes. He was actually quite charming, for a human. But, not as charming as he thought. He asked about my sunglasses more than once. I played it off, I couldn't reveal my eyes.

"Hey, why don't we pull over and get to know each other a little better," he said, flirting.

"That was just what I had in mind."

He looked a little shocked.

I stopped the car, pulling into the trees on the side of the road. He leaned in, thinking he would get lucky. It really wasn't his lucky day, though.

It was over before he breathed out. One sniff of his scent when he was that close and I lost all control! His thin pliable skin melted away as my teeth bit in. At least I was getting better at eating without making a mess, my car wasn't ruined.

I tossed his body and his backpack down a hill, into a small creek at the bottom. I wiped my face as I walked back. Handi-wipes were a great thing to have in the car. I'd have to thank Rosalie someday.

When I got back to the car, I started to think. I really needed to have a plan. I wasn't sure if the Cullens would come after me, but I needed reinforcements if they did.

There was a whole coven of newborns in Seattle. I didn't really think that I'd be safe with them. I'd already seen the result of newborn madness.

But, someone older had created them. Emmett told me that. Maybe that someone could help defend me if the Cullens found me.

I decided to head back to Seattle. I'd watch from the sidelines, get a feel for the dynamics of the newborn coven. If I felt safe, I'd approach them.

I headed south, deciding on impulse to stop at the station again. The attendant was alone now, and he really did smell good.

I'd been spying on the warehouse for a few days, watching the newborns come and go with the night. It hadn't been very hard to track them. They left traces of their presence everywhere. Their scent was strong.

There were at least twenty newborns, maybe more. I had spotted a few that seemed to be a little more mature, more in control of their bloodlust. But, even these few would start a fight if hungry or confronted by strong emotion.

One vampire, in particular, seemed to be in charge. He was young, fair, and very enticing. Once I'd watched as another vampire called to him, a sweet-faced young girl, who was obviously trying to catch his attention. His name was Riley. He didn't seem to be the likely leader of a coven of newborns, barely able to maintain his composure when approached by a group of humans.

And, he didn't stay at the warehouse with the others. He spent his days somewhere else.

By now, I had seen what the newborns could do to each other firsthand. Tonight, just after sunset, two of the newborns ventured out of the warehouse and discovered a homeless man curled up in an alcove on the outer wall. They both ran, blurred by speed, to the place where he slept. Hungry, no doubt. Before they could feast, they started to argue over whose dinner the hapless man would be. It turned ugly fast.

They bit each other, ripping pieces of their marble skin away. They ran at each other, creating monstrous booms when they collided. The hisses and snarls were deafening. I watched their deadly battle for a while, cringing at the conclusion.

One vampire finally grabbed his opponent by the hair, and deftly ripped his head backwards and off of his body. The head rolled toward the building and the body dropped to the ground, arms and legs moving in an eerie dance. He didn't hesitate to claim his prize.

When Riley came, he quickly picked up the pieces of vampire flesh from the parking lot and piled them with the headless body. I watched as he flicked his lighter, and the evidence of the battle went up in flames. He casually walked toward the side of the building, and reached for the head. He rolled it toward the fire, laughing at the strange wobble as it moved.

When he was sure that there was nothing left that to reveal their presence, he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket.

"We're short one more," he said.

He listened for a moment. I could almost hear the shouting from the other end of the line.

"Fine, Victoria. I'll find another one. Meet me at the pier in an hour. I need to check on the rest of this nightmare."

Silence for a moment.

"I know you need me. I'll be there." He sighed.

He wasn't happy, but he would do anything to please the person on the phone.

I knew what I had to do. When he met Victoria, I'd be there, spying on them both.

I was thirsty, too. It would only take me a few minutes to grab a homeless person around here. Nobody would miss them for a while and the water made it easy to clean up after myself. I was being very cautious. I didn't need the Volturi breathing down my neck.

The old wooden pier rocked slightly as the waves hit. It was creaky and rotting, the perfect place to have a secret meeting. No human in their right mind would use this pier. The whole area here was deserted and run down.

Vampire senses were fabulous. I didn't even have to walk onto the pier to be able to hear every word that Riley and Victoria said. It was getting intense.

"You smell like the newborns. Yuck! I can't believe you left them alone for so long!"

"It's not my fault a homeless guy fell asleep there!"

"We can't afford to lose any more! We need at least twenty of them. The Cullens are a strong family. When I talked to Laurent he said they have special abilities that will help them in a fight. The big guy, Emmett, and the tall one, Jasper, will rip them to shreds. Alice will see them coming. They will kill them all before I can get to Bella."

She kicked toward the boards at her feet, and a portion of the pier broke away, splashing into the water below.

"Edward will pay!"

"What did he do? Why won't you tell me?"

"All you need to know is that he took something of mine," she snarled dangerously.

"Fine," he said, hands up, backing away a step.

"Really, Riley," she crooned at him, "you don't think I'd hurt you? Do you?"

She stepped closer to him. He stopped moving. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.

"C'mon baby. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you. I love you."

She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him soundly. Any complaints he had were lost in the moment.

When she was finished, she stepped back. "So, how are we going to solve this little problem? We only have five days until we move." Her voice was soft and silky.

"Um, I have someone with me. I thought you might want another one."

"Oh, Riley! You are wonderful. You must love me," she teased, touching his arm.

He reached out and took her hand and they walked back toward the parking lot above the small beach.

I could see the human's feet when Riley opened the car door. I could smell fresh blood and hear his heart beating furiously. He was scared. He should be.

Victoria reached into the car and pulled the man out by his tied hands.

"You are going to help me," she said.

He shook his head desperately and tried to say something through the gag that Riley had placed in his mouth. I could see now that his eyes were covered by a blindfold. I was confused by that.

"Come with me," she said and grabbed the man's arm. He flinched when she touched him.

She started to walk along the beach, pulling him with her. I could tell he was crying. There were tears running down his cheeks and he was sobbing against the fabric stuffed in his mouth.

I watched from my perch in a tree on the beach. I could see everything. She was headed to a small vacation home. It looked like nobody had lived there in a long time.

The shutters were barely hanging on to the small cottage. The windows were boarded up. All of the paint was peeling and falling off. There were patchwork holes in the roof, where shingles had been torn away by the wind.

She reached the home and turned to Riley, who had been following her like an obedient puppy dog.

"You'd better leave for a while."

He nodded, hesitant.

She looked at him with contempt, "What?"

"Nothing," he said, shoulders sagging. He turned and ran back to his waiting car.

Her attention returned to the man on the doorstep.

She pulled the gag out of his mouth. "What's your name?"

I could see him flexing his jaw and trying to wet his mouth now that the fabric was gone. He paused for a moment, cleared his throat, and said, "I'm Tom. Who are you?"

"I'm God," she said, laughing viciously. "At least I will be when I've finished creating the new you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Let me show you," she said, pulling him into the cottage and shutting the door.

I could hear their footsteps on the wooden floor. Hers were cat-like, soft and almost indiscernible. His were loud and clumsy.

She reached what must have been the bedroom and asked, "Ready?"

"For what?"

I heard her hiss in laughter. Then, I could hear her teeth tearing into his flesh, even through his screams. She bit him, over and over again. But, she didn't drink his blood. He fell to the floor, screaming in pain, his body writhing on the wood.

"Good," she said to herself. "I didn't kill him."