August 13, 1956

"What do you want for your birthday?"

I lifted my sunglasses to stare at him. Edward had his arms lazily crossed behind his head. A comic book lay open on his chest. I frowned. Talking about my birthday was ruining my concentration. Tanning required incredible work on my part to avoid a sunburn.

"My birthday isn't for another month . . . which I thought you knew."

"I do," he confirmed, thumbing the comic book to find where he left off. I peered over his shoulder. Wonder Woman was in the middle of a battle, rearing back to strike with the Lasso of Truth. Edward disliked comics ("They aren't art!"), but I knew he had a soft spot for her.

"I'm trying to think of something ahead of time."

"I really don't need anything," I insisted. It was true. I had more clothes and money than I ever had in the present.

Sometimes it made me uncomfortable. I felt like I wasn't contributing to the Cullen household. Babysitting was out of the question—I was surprised I dared to do it back in 2005—and there seemed little else for a teenage girl to do in the 1950s.

"Honestly," I added, watching his head shake back and forth. "You're everything I need."

He rolled his eyes. "I love you, but I'm still getting you something."

"Wonder Woman wouldn't accept gifts from vampires."

"Well, see, now you have me in a no-win situation."

"How so?"

"If I say you don't have anything on Wonder Woman, then I insult you. I don't want to do that. If I do the same with Wonder Woman, then I insult her. Do you see my dilemma?"

"Or the two of us can save the world without you."

He leaned over me, one hand on either side of my head. With my back pressed to the grass, there was little room to move. I didn't mind.

"I'd read that," he grinned, fully aware of his effect on me. I tried to keep a poker face but failed spectacularly. My body rose to meet him, remembering his touch. There was nothing I could do but close my eyes and sigh. His lips moved down my neck to my shoulder and collarbone.

I wondered if he felt fire on my skin the way I felt ice on his.

"You could wrap yourself up for my birthday," I suggested. "You, a big red bow, and nothing else."

"Not a chance."

My hand grazed his thigh. "If you do it, I'll dress up as Wonder Woman for your next birthday."

It was a struggle for the ages. Wearing a girly bow to see me play one out one of his fantasies. Decisions, decisions.

"I'll think about it."

"You do that."

I did start thinking about what I wanted. Though I was loath to accept a gift, I thought I could wrangle something fun out of it. A new experience, like flying a plane or getting a tattoo. But it had to be interesting. Exciting. And Edward-approved seeing as he'd freak out if I did either of those things.

Rosalie was of no help. Emmett had proposed to her for the third time on a recent hunting trip and she was knee deep in wedding plans. The moment she got home, she begged me to be maid of honor. Now I held the role in two ceremonies, roughly fifty years apart.

"Thank you," I told her as she pulled away from our hug. "I'd love to."

"I've thought of you as a friend for years," she said happily, pressing a cool kiss to my cheek.

"Well, at least we don't look that old."

I regretted the words as soon as I said them, but Rosalie didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were back to the wedding magazine. She couldn't decide if she wanted a veil or a bridal tiara this time.

I let my mind wander to Edward's gift. There seemed to be both no and endless possibilities.

An idea finally arrived in late August. It was almost three in the morning. I was still awake, waiting for Edward to come back from hunting.

That part of his life was a mystery to me. I knew he hunted animals. What did that look like? I couldn't reconcile the two sides of him in my head. He had seen me disappear into the throes of time. Now I was curious to see the side he always kept hidden from me.

It was three-thirty when he leapt onto the window ledge, quiet as a cat. He smiled broadly when he saw me waiting for him. The heat made it impossible to be comfortable, so I wore just one of his button-downs. I could tell he was pleased.

"Are you tired?"

"No," I breathed. I ran my eyes over him. There wasn't a hair or button out of place. No sign of blood. The only clues that he went hunting at all were the gleaming gold eyes. They were zeroed in on me.

His steps toward the bed were slow. Graceful. In a way it seemed his hunting trip carried on into our room.

Edward took his time, though. Each button came undone with a kiss. I could feel my resolve unraveling under his touch. My gift would just have to wait.

I loved him when he was like this. In the face of such control, I enjoyed seeing him lose it with me. There was no better feeling than him trembling in my arms. My name tumbling out of his mouth.

The way he looked at me when we lay next to one another. "You're quiet tonight."

He chuckled at my bewilderment. "No, no. Not that. I mean, you usually want to talk before you go to sleep."

I laughed. "Oh, sorry. I don't know where my head is tonight."

He tried not to look too satisfied. I wriggled close to him, enjoying the feel of his arms around me. With his chin pressed to the top of my head, I could hear every word.

"My memories don't do you justice."

"Your memories?"

His hand smoothed strands of hair from my forehead so he could kiss me there. "I remember moments like these when you're gone. I can recall the exact details—your face, the way you move . . . but nothing compares to the real thing."

No doubt he felt the rush of blood to my face. It always surprised me to know he thought of me in the same way I thought of him.

"Sometimes I wonder where you are in my time."

I felt him shrug. "Maybe I'm there and you haven't seen me. That Edward knows more than I do."

Maybe. But I had grown accustomed to their habits. They would never settle in Phoenix or Jacksonville. It was a reassuring thought, though, to imagine him watching out for me.

"I think I know what I want my birthday gift to be."

"Really?"

He was so excited. Though I disliked receiving gifts from him, I thought I could do it all the time if he looked like that.

"Yeah," I said, smoothing my hand across his pectoral muscles. "You know how you and your family go hunting?"

"I'm familiar with it, yes."

"Well," I went on, ignoring the sarcasm, "I was wondering . . . is that something I might get to see?"

His eager expression vanished. With a jolt of actual fear, I realized he was angry. "Absolutely not!"

I gaped at him, watching as he rose and started to dress. He looked furious. I pulled the sheet over myself and stared. "Why? What's the matter?"

"You live one of the most dangerous lives I've ever known. Why would I agree to put you in more danger?"

"Edward, wait. Come on. Can we talk about this?"

"We're not discussing it."

A surge of anger pulsed through me. Not only was he avoiding this discussion, he was going to walk away. I wrapped the sheet around myself and pushed past him to block the door.

"I'm not letting you leave."

"I'm not going away, Bella. Just for a walk."

"What if I'm gone when you come back?"

I could tell the thought hadn't crossed his mind. I seized on his hesitation. "Instead of running out the door like an idiot, sit down and tell me what you're thinking."

When it looked like he might argue, I cut him off. "Or you can spend the next few months regretting it if I disappear here and now."

He pulled me to him in answer. I didn't resist. He needed no further convincing. I frowned at the thought of how many times he witnessed that happening—me lost in the clutches of time.

My words didn't sit well with me, either. It felt like I made a threat.

"I'm sorry, love," Edward said at last, his hand spanned over my shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

A slight smile crossed my face at the endearment. "I'm sorry, too. Can you tell me what I said?"

Edward sighed, leading me back to the bed. He looked a little disappointed to see me put a shirt on. When I was ready, he sighed again.

"That was inexcusable of me. I apologize. I just couldn't bear the thought of you there while I hunted."

"Why?"

"When I hunt, I don't act like myself," he explained. "I operate as a predator. Give myself over to my other senses . . . and my thirst. It's the one time I don't have to control myself."

"So if I was there, it would be worse for you."

"And you," he insisted. "I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you."

I spent the next several days in a funk. It was never my intention make him upset. In my eyes, watching him hunt was just another way we could be closer. I never thought it could be dangerous. He had mastered his control.

But he was right, of course. If my blood lured him that much, then my presence on a hunt was too great a risk. He may have mastered the ability to be close when we made love, but if he was channeling the extra hunger during his hunting trips, I could understand his fears.

That could have been me, I thought one morning over the newspaper. A girl had been found floating in the river. Though the police initially thought it to be a suicide, the medical examiner had since ruled it a homicide. I shivered. The idea of throwing someone away like garbage . . . it made me feel sick.

"That poor girl," Esme said sadly as she set my breakfast on the table. "Her parents are in my church group. There's nothing more painful than losing a child."

Her breath hitched as she spoke. I pressed my hand to her icy one. She held them that way for a moment, kissed the top of my head, then wandered outside to check the mail.

Esme, like others in the Cullen family, had her own share of demons.

Summer was always the best time to spend with the Cullens. While Carlisle and Esme had daytime commitments, I spent most of my days with Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett. We did everything imaginable: movies, concerts, boat rides. They even tried to get me into sports. While I insisted that I ran and boxed occasionally with Phil, they were always trying to get me into baseball. It was their favorite sport.

"Why can't you all understand that I'm not a sporty girl?"

Rosalie ignored my complaining. "I wasn't a sporty girl, either. You learn along the way."

We were playing in the backyard. Rosalie was carrying most (okay, all) of the weight for our team. The boys were against us. Esme was the referee when she wasn't invested in her gardening. She docked Emmett and Edward some points a few innings ago when a stray ball hit one of her gardenias.

They were being safe, though. I knew they couldn't play to their full potential out in the open. Then it hit me.

"Possible birthday idea," I called from the outfield. Edward was standing at the plate, which was actually a hubcap from one of their old cars.

"Yes?"
"Me watching all of you play baseball. Your kind of baseball."

Emmett toyed with his glove. "I like that. You can see how we really play. None of this little league shit."

Edward was twirling a bat through the air silently. I waited for him to think it over before I spoke again. "If I can't see you hunt, this has to be the next best thing."

When he hesitated, I groaned. "You're killin' me, Smalls!"

"Pardon?"

"Nevermind," I shook my head. "What do you think?"

All heads were turned toward him. Finally, he nodded. I watched him long after everyone else turned away. He met my eyes and nodded twice more. I took that to mean that he was on board. That it wasn't just for his family.

I smiled at him. The returning smile made my heart leap.

Leave it to Edward to find a loophole. A condition of this harmless birthday present was me going to high school with him again.

"Can't you ground him or something?" I grumbled.

Carlisle was sitting in the no man's land between us. "Unfortunately, no."

"If you're going anywhere with us at night, I want something in return," Edward argued. "This place has become very dangerous."

I followed his gaze to the newspaper. Three more girls had been found dead.

"Do you think—" The rest of Carlisle's words were lost. I huffed in frustration at their mental exchange.

"Think what?"

"It's my suspicion that these deaths are the work of a vampire," Carlisle said after a moment. His concern made him look a lot older.

Edward set a bottle of Coca-Cola in front of me, mindful of the shiver that went down my spine. I nodded my thanks and let the bubbles ease the nerves. He sat next to me this time, our petty argument forgotten.

"We've been monitoring the situation since the first corpse was discovered," he told me. "It seemed too early to tell, but Carlisle pulled some strings to examine the latest body."

"It was the same as the others. Strangulation was the final cause of death, but the medical examiner noted that they were exsanguinated."

"Drained of blood," I whispered.

My eyes fell to the yearbook picture they printed in the newspaper. Her name had been Helen Peterson. She was only sixteen. Her dark hair contrasted with a bright, toothy smile. Her neck was long and white.

It must have been bruised when they found her. I pressed a hand to my throat and squeezed gently. Minutes passed before I found my voice.

"If it is a vampire, do you think a human is helping them?"

Carlisle shrugged. "I think it's a fair possibility. All of the victims have been teenage girls. The human helping them could be a classmate. We want Edward in school to monitor what's happening there. Perhaps one of the humans is an accomplice."

"Why would someone do that?"

Edward spoke up. "Perhaps the vampire promised this person immortality."

"That's repulsive."

His answering smile was cold. "Faust made a deal with the devil. Some people will do anything for eternal life."

I shivered again. That was an evil bargain to make. A blood bargain. Selling out your fellow humans in exchange for immortality. It was dark and ugly, a greed that went back to the very beginning of humankind. And vampire kind, I was sure.

From then on I stopped my complaining. I wasn't about to turn away Edward's company because of something stupid like high school. There were bigger problems out there.

Besides, I learned they also wanted my help. I was just as much as an asset to them as Edward. As beautiful as they were, human instinct turned people away from the Cullens. It was constant effort on their part to appear normal. Though I was far from normal, my human status gave me an edge. If I talked with the right people, perhaps I could learn something.

Armed with red lipstick and a blue shirtwaist dress, I was every bit the new girl on the block in September. It was a hard decision, but Edward and I decided to keep our distance in school. Blending in would be easier if I was alone. If asked, I'd just say I was Esme's goddaughter. Though I was staying at their house, I was to say that I did not associate with the three youngest Cullens.

Moving schools so much gave me a great read on teen social hierarchy. Whether it was 1956 or 2005, there was always someone the other students gravitated toward. I gave myself the first few classes to find them. By lunch, I knew exactly who she was—Kathleen Cary.

With the school lunch sludge on my tray and my head held high, I marched toward her table. She was sitting with five other girls, but strangely, none of them were talking or even looking at one another. Even their food was untouched. I cleared my throat.

"Excuse me. Would it be all right if I sat here?"

Kathleen immediately moved her things from a vacant chair. "Yes, of course. Hello, I'm Kathleen."

The other girls went around in a circle—Carolyn, Meredith, Ann, Julie, and Joan. I smiled at each one in turn and introduced myself. I saw the interest in their eyes at once.

"You're living with Dr. Cullen?"

"He's married to my godmother. I'm staying there while my parents get our new house ready."

"They moved here last year," Joan said, glancing toward their table. "Not very friendly."

"We don't talk much," I agreed. "They're all pretty spoiled."

Edward bent his head toward a textbook. Even from a distance, I knew when he was trying to suppress a smile.

Ann suddenly leaned over and whispered to Kathleen. Both eyes flashed in my direction. I blushed, wondering if any part of the story didn't match up. I spent the summer here in Portland with the Cullens. Had one of them seen me and Edward together, proving me a liar?

At my curious look, Kathleen shook her head. "It's nothing. You just look a lot like a friend of ours." "Really?"

"Our friend Helen," Carolyn murmured. Her eyes were full of tears. "She was the one they found. You know? By the river."

I forced myself to nod. "Of course."

Kathleen smoothed a stray hair behind my ear. "It's the hair. Hers was dark, too." "I'm so sorry for your loss."

She gave me a watery smile. "Thank you."

I admired the strength of these girls. They went to school even though they were grieving. They welcomed someone new without hesitation. Welcomed a girl who reminded them of their friend. It took a lot of work to do all that.

At least one of them had class with me for the rest of the day. I knew better than to pry about Helen right now. Too many questions would raise suspicion. My game would have to be a long con.

I only hoped Edward made better progress listening in.

When school was over, I met him at our pickup spot several blocks away. He kissed me, but there was tension behind it. Something was on his mind.

"Hear anything interesting?"

"Helen was at a dance the night she went missing. None of her friends saw what he looked like, but apparently he offered to drive her home. That was the last time they saw her."

My chest felt tight. How awful. No doubt they blamed themselves for letting her go.

I spent the week with the girls but learned nothing. No one had seen the man she left with. But they were pleasant to be around and I didn't mind school all that much.

Suddenly it was my birthday.

It was the welcome distraction that we all needed. There was a thunderstorm coming; it would be the perfect cover for the game. The mood in the group lightened as we drove to Mount Hood. I was excited to see them play for real.

It was seven thirty by the time we found the perfect spot. They kept the car lights on so I could watch after the sun went down. Then they drew straws to pick the teams. Carlisle, Rosalie, and Esme were on one team; Edward and Emmett made up the other. I thought they might protest about the numbers, but Emmett shook his head.

"I'll pick up the slack just fine, Bella. I like a challenge."

Rosalie snorted from her place on the pitcher's mound. They seemed to like the competition. Judging from the way her eyes followed him, they seemed to like it quite a bit.

I stood up from my seat; I had been made the referee. "Play ball!"

A peal of thunder followed my words. Then the game began. Most of it was too fast for my eyes. Every now and then I'd see Edward make a catch, or Rosalie dive to tag someone before home plate.

I smiled happily. They all were enjoying themselves. It was a much needed break from the day-to- day stress. It was a wonderful birthday present to see them relaxed and jovial.

By the time the last inning came to a close, it was getting to be ten o'clock. I wondered if Edward could be persuaded to skip school tomorrow. We wouldn't get back to the house until late, and tomorrow was Friday.

He winked at me from across the field. Oh yes. Mission Persuasion was a go.

We were walking back to the cars when Edward seized my arm. Confused, I turned to look as the Cullens gathered in a group around us.

"What's happening?"

"There's a group of vampires nearby. They're coming toward us."

Rosalie was tense. "How soon?"

"Two minutes," he answered. My heart sped up in response. I had never seen him look so afraid.

"How many?"

"Six," he breathed. His eyes darted to me and away. "I won't make it."

Emmett snapped his bat in half. "They wouldn't dare."

With a start, I realized he was talking about me. What they'd do to me. I had put all of them—myself included—in terrible danger. I closed my mouth to quell the rising panic.

There was nothing any of us could do but wait.

The group emerged from the trees in no hurry. There was no need of it; they knew we were outnumbered. The Cullens moved as one to stand in front of me. Rosalie pulled the tie from my hair as the leader approached us.

He wasn't the most striking of people. With his light brown hair and plain face, he could be anyone. Only the red eyes revealed his true nature.

He smiled in greeting. It seemed forced . . . even sinister.

"Good evening."

"Good evening," Carlisle said with a stiff nod. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure."

"My name is James," the leader said politely. "We have a mutual friend."

"Oh?"

"Aro," Edward cut in. He was almost humming with tension. The one named James turned his gaze in our direction. I was too chicken to look at him; I studied his jacket instead.

"This is my family," Carlisle was saying, gesturing toward us. "Esme, Emmett—"

"Forgive me, Dr. Cullen, but I've been acquainted with your coven for some time. And your human pet. Isabella."

Edward hissed at my name. James ignored him, his eyes never straying from me. I wasn't sure if it was fear or plain stupidity that made me me stare back.

His head was tilted to the side. Studying me. I cleared my throat, but the words that came out were high-pitched and frightened. "Have we met before?"

"Not officially, no," James chuckled. Then he held out his hand. "May I?"

Renee spent years coaching me on polite social interactions. I felt myself take an automatic step forward before Edward blocked my way. "That won't be necessary."

"Mr. Cullen, I am employed by the Volturi. I do not want to send them a bad report." "You haven't spoken to them in years."

"Ah, your little gift. I was warned of that. You are correct. Partly. I have not maintained contact because I prefer radio silence on my missions."

"Then what do you want?" Emmett snapped. "What's your mission?"

"Merely to meet the little human you seem so anxious to protect. Let me speak with her. Then we will be on our way."

Edward reluctantly moved out out of my way. His finger brushed my arm as I passed. James did not miss the gesture; he watched us without blinking.

It seemed like an eternity before James and I met in the middle. He wasn't tall; I estimated he was a mere four inches taller than me. Up close, I was struck with a sudden feeling of familiarity.

His hand was still outstretched. I took it, forcing myself to stop shaking. James took a deep breath. "Remarkable. A lovely scent."

"Sweet," one of the vampires crooned. Her hair was a violent red, wild and tangled over her coat. James turned to glare at her. She went silent at his hissed command.

"Forgive her rudeness, Isabella. Sometimes Victoria forgets her place."

I nodded dumbly. This was hardly a conversation. He was doing all the talking. What exactly did he want from me?

His other hand rose to touch my cheek. "Why do they protect you?"

I stood stock still. I couldn't answer him; it was all I could do not to scream. There seemed to be no easy way out of this situation. Six vampires versus five Cullens and one human. I gulped. Even if I tried to run, he would catch me. I felt my knees knock together.

James sighed. "What a beauty. Surely enough for my men to recognize you. But they brought me the wrong girl again and again. Sometimes, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

I heard Esme gasp.

No wonder Kathleen and the other girls noticed the resemblance between me and Helen. It was no coincidence.

Those girls were dead because of me.

"You . . . you killed them?" I choked out.

His voice was smooth and genial. "Not all of us have your vampire's restraint."

Edward growled. Even with my back to him, I knew he was preparing for a fight. But the noise didn't perturb James at all. He had the numbers behind him.

"Tell me, Isabella," James went on, as if Edward's growl was nothing more than an embarrassing social faux pas. "Tell me the secret. What binds you to this coven? How does it work?"

"I . . . " I stammered. "I don't . . . I can't—"

James waggled his finger at me like I was a naughty child. "Oh, but you do. I thought you were an intelligent girl. We've met before, Isabella. Remember?"

I stared at him, struggling to remember his face. It was nondescript, except for the eyes. Those cold, unnerving eyes . . .

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I had met him before. It was a chilly May evening in 1955. I landed in a playground of Rutland, Vermont, and went into town to ask for help finding the Cullens. A group of teenagers pointed me in the right direction.

One had stood out . . . one unsettled me.

The words died in my throat. I made to back away, but his hand became a shackle around my wrist.

"You do remember!" he exclaimed. "I tracked your strange sent out of town. But when I found the Cullen trail, I assumed they'd taken you. I was angry then. Only one other human has escaped me before."

There was a scuffling noise behind me. I didn't dare turn around. I had a horrible feeling that sound was the Cullens trying to restrain Edward. I was afraid of he thought was coming.

"Imagine my surprise when they kept you," James said, his voice harder now. The genial tone was gone. "Kept you, clothed you, fed you . . . made love to you. You're their little lamb."

The little lamb in a lion's den, I thought fearfully. In the group behind him, the female—Victoria—watched me through slitted eyes. My heartbeat thudded in my ears.

"I saw the true nature of your gift in Hoquiam," he was saying. His face was lit up with an odd sort of gleam. "It was extraordinary."

My instincts had been right. Someone did follow me. At that time I believed it was the pack of werewolves. But it was something infinitely more dangerous.

James followed me from the Hoquiam house, he stalked me on the bus to Portland . . . he bought me that drink in the bar. He had been circling close. Observing his prey before he pounced.

And I was too stupid to piece it all together. Now it was too late.

"Anyway," he continued, tightening his grip on my arm. There would be bruises tomorrow. If I made it to tomorrow. "You escaped me a second time in Hoquiam, and a third time here," he added. "Because of that silly old man."

The tone indicated there would be no fourth time. And that my friend was gone.

"Jerry," I whispered, hot tears gathering in my eyes.

Jerry warned me someone was watching. He made me get off the bus first. He hadn't known me at all and protected me anyway. And he paid for that kindness with his life.

The tears spilled down my cheeks. James touched one tear curiously, carefully, before flinging me to the ground.

I fell on my left wrist, hard. The bones crunched on impact. I screamed.

A deafening roar echoed through the clearing. My hair hid my face, blocking my view of the scuffle. Someone pulled me violently to my feet. I covered my mouth to stifle a cry.

There was a man to every Cullen. No one left to hide behind. I was all alone.

Victoria had her arm around Edward's neck, forcing him to his knees. His eyes were wide with terror. From what he had seen or what he thought would happen, I wasn't sure.

James was where I left him, beckoning me with one finger. I gritted my teeth against the pain and shuffled forward. Not fast enough. He grabbed the throbbing wrist and squeezed. I cried out.

"What do you want?"

"Show me your power. I've seen it once before. Do it again."

"I c-can't," I gasped. "It doesn't work like that."

I stepped backwards, trying to free myself. But I was clumsy. He vanished. I whipped around, too slowly to see him move. It was a deadly game of hide-and-seek. Before I could think of what to do next, I was trapped in his iron arms.

"Please . . . I can't . . . "

"Do I have to kill for you to obey?"

"No!" I shrieked. "I'll try. Don't touch them."

My eyes were sticky with tears. I bent my head, for the first time trying to time travel. Trying and trying. Not doing. Hysteria simmered under my skin. I had a feeling I was dangerously close to snapping from stress.

His impatience erupted. James tore the sweater from my shoulders. Edward bellowed, but the Victoria didn't budge an inch.

"Let her go! James!"

It was Rosalie who shouted next, her voice cracking at the end.

James ripped from the collar of my dress down to the waist. Cold air cut through to the camisole underneath.

"Please, don't," I begged. "I sorry, I'll try again . . "

James spun me to face Edward and clapped over my mouth and nose. I struggled, but he was stronger.

"Edward? Maybe you can enlighten me."

His terrified eyes met mine. Telling James about me and my condition could endanger all of us. The tiny, analytical part of my brain not devoted to being frightened told me James would do anything to get what he wanted. With no sweater, ally, or even air, I was isolated from any comfort or safety previously afforded to me.

The standoff seemed to go on for an eternity. I felt my chest burning. My face began to flush. I knew humans could only go four minutes without oxygen. Any longer meant permanent brain damage. Through my clouding vision, I could see Carlisle fighting hard against his captor. For someone who was usually calm, he was panicky now.

"Please, let her go! She can't breathe!"

James pulled me closer to him. It felt perverted—obscene, even—to have another man so close. A dark part of me wondered if he realized that.

"Not until someone talks."

My head jerked back and forth. I felt my feet were kicking hard, struggling for the sake of my lungs. It wouldn't be long now. Dark spots appeared in my vision.

I wondered how many seconds I had left. "Enough," Edward yelled. "Enough!"

James immediately dropped me to the ground. I coughed and inhaled, sucking in as much air as I could. My wrist was throbbing painfully. It was a moment before I could stand up.

Abruptly, I was furious. The anger seared through me like wildfire. James was out of his fucking mind.

He threatened my family. He threatened Edward. He stalked and taunted me. When this was all said and done, I was sure he was going to kill me.

He had to pay.

He had to die.

The familiar quiver of time travel went down my spine. James turned, sensed my movement, and swiftly wrapped his arms around me.

The light burst out of my hands like an explosion. Then James was screaming.

I acted purely on instinct. I turned around and grabbed his face in my hands. When his skin touched mine, it sizzled and burned. Steam hissed out at the contact. It was as if I stuck both hands into an electrical socket. Almost like a power surge was radiating from my hands.

James was struggling to free himself, but to my amazement, he couldn't. I dug my fingers into the hard flesh. His cries became one long wail.

I realized the light was time itself. Time funneled into a destructive force that burned him on contact.

The voltage charred him down to the bone. After a moment, I felt the cold marble give way to steel. Then his face was gone. Only a silver, vaguely skeletal structure remained. With a mixture of terror and satisfaction, I realized one of his eyes had evaporated in the heat. The other, ruby red and spinning wildly, slipped out of the socket and hit the ground like a runny egg.

James dropped to his knees, clutching what remained of his head. He howled in agony. I stared down at him without pity. Did his victims scream like this when he choked the life from them?

A terrible rage burned through me at the thought. Jerry, Helen, and the other girls died because this monster was looking for me.

The sightless skull turned in my direction. I wondered if he could still smell me. In a maniacal way, it looked like he was grinning.

He had to die. It was the only way to bring justice to the fallen. It was the only way to protect the living.

I lowered my hands to his chest. The burned flesh was malleable now. I pushed through to the heart, squeezing it in my fingers. I touched the exposed skin with my other hand, scorching everything I could reach. In seconds, there was nothing left of James.

Nothing but ash.

Everything around me slowed to a crawl. I thought it might have been happening in slow motion. I stared at my hands in wonder, deaf to the fighting. How did this happen? How could I reduce a vampire to cinders? When had this power developed?

Edward's voice came to me as if underwater. It was distorted, like radio static between channels.

He was fighting Victoria. She clawed at him, a keening cry erupting from her lips. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and struggled to keep her at bay.

Her teeth snapped the air in my direction. She looked like she wanted to rip me apart. The terror came rushing back to me. I had killed one enemy, but promptly made another.

It took me a moment to understand what Edward was saying.

"Run! Bella, go! Run!"

I took off in a full sprint. If Victoria got free of him, I would be gone in an instant.

I didn't have to wait long. Time quickly caught up with me.

I felt my legs give out from under me as I vanished, and then everything went dark.

A/N: I thought I would be super clever last week and have them stay in room 417. (Forever seventeen . . . anyone? Bueller? Okay, I'm a nerd.)

"Extremophile" is the both longest and my favorite chapter to date. It was the first thing I imagined when I sat down to write the story. Everything else came later.

Number Our Days was voted one of the top favorite stories for the November Fic Dive over at ADifferentForest. I'm so flattered! Thank you very much to all who voted.

As always, I'm grateful for your reviews. You make me smile. (But not in the skull type way. Sorry James. You totally deserved it.)