Author's Notes (August 11, 2011): Thank yous and hugs to duskwatcher2153 (who polished one important area in this chapter a lot!), GreatChemistry, Aleeab4u and smexy4smarties (Go eat some salt, 'kay?). Any mistakes left are mine, because I did final edits at five in the morning.

Chapter pic: I am full of lame and didn't have time to make one! :( However, there is a companion pic to this chapter. The link is in the closing notes.

Chapter music: bit(dot)ly/sotpm26-music

"SINS OF THE PIANO MAN"
CHAPTER 26: OUR SINS, REVISITED

How many children have you sucked dry of life?
None, none, none. Don't you see?
It is you I intend to suck dry.

Translation of "La Bruja" ("The Witch") by Conjunto Jardin

EDWARD MASEN
"Well, don't just stand there, mi amante. This is your home, is it not?"

"Of course. Excuse my rudeness, Maria," I answered around the venom collecting in my mouth. "Won't you come in?"

As if she hadn't already broken my lock, as if she wasn't standing in my open doorway, dredging up a history I had no desire to revisit. What did she know? What had she seen? How long had she been here?

Black skirts swirling, Maria led me into my home, effectively destroying the tranquility Bella and I had begun to build. Heeled boots click-smacked on the hardwood floors. She counted her steps, focusing on each number. A tactician at heart, she'd always been a mastermind at blocking her true thoughts from me. Maria was the reason I didn't like revealing my ability to other vampires. It was dangerous. She was dangerous.

"Lovely place. Very human, though. I smell their food." She ran her fingers along the back of a kitchen chair while studying me, her head cocked to one side. "I see you still haven't learned table manners."

I glanced down at my bloodied shirt.

She continued, "But you have changed." Golden eyes. As quickly as her mind had opened, it shut once more, disappeared behind a memory of deceptively delicate fingers touching cactus needles.

"I'm no longer a nomad," I answered evasively.

"That much is obvious—but why? What can four walls offer you that the open road and rich, human blood cannot?"

"Peace of mind, for one."

She rolled her eyes. "You always were bothered by your gift. And so dramatic! What does it matter what humans think when they die? Their minds are simple, whereas ours are layered. They are nothing."

They mattered a great deal to me. "Why are you here, Maria?"

"Oh, you know I like to pay you a visit every now and again."

"It's been twenty-three years."

"You see? Far too long!"

Not long enough. I glanced at a clock. Bella would be home in an hour or two. I had to handle this situation carefully, but I couldn't tell Maria to leave. I spread my arms wide. "Mi casa es su casa."

"Gracias, but no need to be so formal," she chastised, though I could see she was in fact pleased. "As for my being here, there's much to explain. Let us retire to your couches, yes?" She turned toward the living room, already familiar with the layout of my home. "They look so soft. You know I have a fondness for fine, soft things." Looking over her shoulder, past a shining layer of black hair, she added, "I like fine, hard things, too, of course."

Though her words sickened me, I forced a grin to my face.

Lucky let out a weak growl when we entered the room. Quivering, he had pressed himself into the farthest corner. The scent of urine emanated from him. For once, instinct had kicked in.

"It's all right, Lucky," I murmured, hoping what I said was true. I sat in a chair that put me between the two of them.

Though her stare was one of supreme disinterest, she snarled at him, clicking her teeth in a dangerous bite. He whimpered, and she chuckled in amusement.

"Stop it." I added quickly, "Please."

"I'm only having a little fun. You used to have fun. I suppose you're too busy picking out curtains these days." She looked around the room as she fingered the fabric of the lounge chair she'd seated herself on. "How long have you been here? Did the…beast belong to the previous owner?"

"I own this house. Lucky's my pet."

Maria let out a loud, barking laugh. She'd always had a laugh that didn't at all suit her small frame. "A vampire with a pet! Just when I think I've seen it all. Ah, but you always have been an odd one, have you not? Special, some might say."

"You flatter me."

She sniffed the air, cataloguing scents, not least of all Bella's, and it was then that I knew I'd made a mistake by not saying the house belonged to another, a human. "I wonder… Do you have a human pet, too?" She inhaled again. "That's a very fresh scent. Floral."

I countered, "Are you stalking me again?"

"What's she like?"

"She's nothing, a distraction," I said as casually as possible. "Are you stalking me?"

Though her eyes hinted at amusement, Maria pouted. "You wound me. Do you not wish to see me, mi amante?"

"I'd be fine with the occasional visit," I lied, "if I thought that was all this was. We've been through this before. You know I've no desire to follow you into whatever mess you're getting yourself in now."

"So you've said once or twice. But we were so good together. Your gift—"

"Won't be used to spy on other vampires in an effort to control them. It's what I've told you every time you've asked me to permanently join your coven." Unfortunately, I knew my refusal was part of my appeal.

"Can I not hope that you've changed your mind?"

"Our kind doesn't change."

"Doesn't it?"

I frowned, and she smiled.

"Here you gaze at me with golden eyes as we sit in your furnished home, with your pet and with the scent of a human"—she leaned over and sniffed the fabric of her chair—"female in her twenties coating every surface." She smiled a thin smile, and her mind was set on the desert. "I think a lot has changed about you—much more than I was expecting. It's a very interesting development."

"You assume a great deal," I replied tightly.

"Do I? I'm not known for that."

"How did you find me?"

"You could say we have a mutual acquaintance—had, really."

My body tensed. "Who?"

"Alexander Jang—a pianist, I believe. In Seattle."

For a moment, I stared at her, numb with shock. "What did he do to you?"

"He smelled good. I fed. There's nothing mysterious about it."

She was right. There wasn't. It was no different to how I'd lived in the past. Even so, it was difficult to accept now. The quiet, anxious little man I'd shared music with was gone forever. He had been a recluse. I had to wonder if anyone even knew he was dead.

"Imagine my surprise when I found a recently-shipped box of sheet music from one Edward Masen," Maria said, unaware of my grief. "What are the odds?" I'm glad I found you, mi amante.

"You can't stay here."

"Why not? Besides, you know I come and go as I please."

That was the problem.

"There are others," I said, thinking quickly, feeling the sudden pressure of time. What if I couldn't get her to leave soon? What if Bella came home early? I shoved those thoughts aside and continued, "Another coven. I have a tenuous agreement with them, but I don't think they'll take kindly to another vampire moving in on their territory. They're three strong." There were the wolves, too.

"Three, you say?" Maria barked out another loud, raucous laugh. "Eduardo, mi amante, who do you take me for? I never travel an area that I've not first scouted. I am well aware of Carlisle Cullen and his little fringe cult. In fact, that you should be so near them is fortunate."

"You know the Cullens?"

"We've crossed paths once or twice. They have something that belongs to me."

"They stole from you?" What could one steal from a vampire such as Maria, other than territory? Maria had never wanted anything but Mexico under her control, which she had, as far as I knew. What could the Cullens have that was hers—in Washington?

"It's not of your concern. What is of your concern is the reason for my little detour to see you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Which is?"

"It will come as a surprise to you, I'm sure, but I'm on Volturi business."

The knot in my stomach grew more uncomfortable at the mention of our government. Bella. The Volturi could not, under any circumstance, know about Bella and me.

I struggled to keep my tone neutral. "That is a surprise. Don't you and the Volturi make for strange bedfellows? Weren't they considering killing you only a century ago?"

"Eternity's a long, tedious matter, as you know," Maria sighed. "They've forgiven me my transgressions, and, for them, the New World is difficult to control from so far away. We have mutual interests. I want more territory, and they want a branch in North America to cut back on air travel when dealing with messes. Part of their effort to go green," she said, using air quotes. "So you see, enemies easily become friends."

Suddenly, I understood. "The deaths in Seattle and Portland—"

She snickered. "Isn't it driving the humans mad trying to figure it all out!"

"You're building a newborn army again. But that's forbidden. The Volturi would never allow—"

"Yes, well, here's the funny thing about that," Maria interrupted, and not without some acid. "What's illegal is sometimes not so illegal when the government is on your side. My job is to wipe out the vampires between Alaska and Colorado—easiest, most effective way I know of is newborns."

"Wipe them out?" I echoed in disbelief. "At what cost? Your methods are exposing us."

Maria waved a hand in dismissal. "No one's guessed vampires are the culprit, and you know they won't. The world doesn't accept that sort of superstitious thinking these days. Besides, I've been given some leeway. There are growing pains in establishing any new rule, you know."

Recklessly creating newborns was supposed to be illegal in our world, as newborns were extraordinarily strong, difficult to control and always thirsty. How could the Volturi sanction this? Corrupt human governments were bad enough. The thought of corruption in my world's government… I felt impossibly cold.

"Who will run this new branch?" I asked, dreading her reply.

"That remains to be seen—probably one of their own will come here. I don't care, provided I have a slice of territory to myself. You know I'm always eager to expand. To them, I'm just the military—here to do the dirty work. Europe's been busy this last decade or they probably would have done it all themselves. More cleanly, too, but where's the fun in that?"

"And what about the Cullens?"

She flashed a mysterious smile. "I've been told I can handle them however I see fit, but that I should first attempt to gain their allegiance. The Volturi leader sees them as a growing threat to his rule."

"The Cullens are a threat?"

"It's paranoia. You don't kill and rule as many vampires as the Volturi have without making enemies who might wish to see someone usurp the throne; paranoia isn't unwise. The Olympic Coven seems like a threat, because the Volturi can't understand them. They aren't a threat, but they are human fanatics, so I imagine it will come down to eradicating them, once I retrieve what is mine." She sighed dramatically, but I heard the warning for what it was. Toe the line, follow, or risk eventual execution.

"I'll help you," I blurted out, thinking that I could perhaps disrupt her plans. "They'll cooperate if I become involved. They could be valuable. There's a gifted vampire in their coven."

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh? Now why would they be so cooperative if you got involved?" What is he hiding? He's hiding something. She sniffed the room again, and her mind returned to a desert sunrise.

"I told you. I have an agreement with them."

"That must be some agreement. Of course, you feed as they do, so I'm sure that puts you into their good graces," she said, her lip curling.

"You know—"

"—that you feed from animals? Of course. Your eyes give you away."

"Have you always known we could survive on animal blood?"

"Only since the sixties."

"Why didn't you tell me? You've seen me twice since then."

Her lip curled. "Why would I encourage this behavior? Animal blood is disgusting." Her eyes landed on Lucky. "And I never knew you were such a masochist." She tapped a finger on the arm of her chair. "This gifted vampire… Tell me more."

I sent a silent apology to Alice, while wondering if she was aware of the predicament I currently found myself in. "A female. She can predict the future."

"Intriguing. Is she any good?"

"She'd be helpful with your newborn vampires. You don't seem to have very good control over them, judging by the news reports."

"I can't be everywhere at once," Maria snapped. "You can deliver this female to me?"

"I'll try if you wish."

"I do."

"Leave it to me. She'll be more receptive if only I approach her."

Maria's looked surprised. "You must know her well."

"Well enough."

"And you'll join me? As soon as I realized we were both in Washington, I thought of all we could do together. You could help me babysit the newborns. They can be a handful—always leaving messes for me to clean up."

"Maria. No."

"Did we not have good times?" Smirking, she opened her mind to me, sharing a memory of how it had felt to have me buried inside her. It was more bizarre than arousing. Not that it could be arousing for either of us, truly. Her mate had died long ago, and her bitterness came through in moments when passion should have existed.

"That's enough," I said softly.

As I looked at her, I recalled the month we'd spent together in 1947, when I'd been in my twenty-sixth year of vampirism. I'd been passing through New Mexico, when I'd crossed paths with Maria and three others who were following her at the time. I remembered her words: "Stick with me for a month, amigo, and you'll never want to leave." I followed; words such as those are appealing to the listless.

She'd almost had me, too. With Maria, all my guilt fell away. Killing, using my ability against others: that was my purpose, or so she preached. It had been a month of hedonistic pleasure—toying with humans, sharing blood, teasing and licking and sucking until finally, we'd fucked in the middle of the desert, drained corpses strewn out around us. I didn't like remembering that night, the night I'd lost my long-held virginity in a way I'd never quite intended.

I'd left her after that, and she'd found me every twenty years or so since, in hopes of reeling me in again. Part of it was that, in her arrogance, she couldn't quite grasp how or why vampires willingly left her coven. The other part was that she believed my mind reading would be of great use to her, and if there was one thing that could be said of Maria, it was that she surrounded herself with those she deemed useful.

"It's been sixty-one years since I followed you in any capacity, Maria. I have no desire to join your coven or take part in newborn armies, even if you have the Volturi's…blessing. I don't want to be involved." I inhaled slowly, carefully, and used words I hoped would pacify her and ensure her swift departure. "But I will help you with the Cullens." And hope they could help me in the process. "It's the least I can do for an old friend."

"Oh, amiga, am I?" She quirked a brow. "No lovers these days? Always trying to be the celibate one. And yet, if I didn't know better"—she sniffed, breathing in the scent of roses—"I'd say the human pet is more to you than she should be. But then…you wouldn't dare defy protocol so blatantly as that, would you?"

Another warning.

I forced myself to remain calm. "The human is nothing to me—a toy."

"Hmm."

"I'll get the psychic for you," I said, even as it felt as though my throat were closing. "Just give me some time and independence."

Red eyes stared at me. "Fine." Maria stood, her bangle bracelets chiming. "You do that. As you say, it's the least you can do for your first love, who is now but a friend."

I stood as well. "How do I get in touch with you?" She wasn't the type to carry a cell phone. Old vampires often abhorred technology.

"I'll return in three days. Try to acquire her for me. A gift such as hers should not be wasted on the likes of Carlisle Cullen's coven."

There was something in Maria's voice, the satisfaction of her tone, that left me to wonder if I was playing into her hand. She had a way of using those she wanted to, as she saw fit.

"Will you be in Seattle or Portland?" I asked.

"I'll be around."

Stepping toward me, Maria placed a hand on my chest. I froze. "Eternity stretches on longer than you can fathom. You will tire of this little game you are playing with humans and their sympathizers."

"Says the woman who's played war games for centuries."

Her smile showed white vampire teeth. "I like to think of it as chess for the more durable. Of course, you know I don't only do it for fun."

No, Maria never did anything without a great deal of thought. How long had Alexander been dead? How long since she'd decided to visit? Had she been watching me from afar? Had she already seen Bella?

Leaning up on her toes, Maria kissed my cheek. It felt wrong—cold, lifeless, everything Bella wasn't. "Three days, Eduardo. That will give you time to consider joining me."

"I won't."

"We'll see."

I followed her as she walked to my back door. I couldn't help but ask, "Did you kill him quickly?"

She turned to look at me. "Who, mi amante?"

Did life mean so little to her? Had it once meant so little to me?

"Alexander," I clarified.

"He's dead, Eduardo. Stop thinking about it."

With that, she ran into the shadowed woods. I waited until I could no longer hear her footsteps or see the imagery of her thoughts, the last scene of which depicted a coyote roaming through the brush of a desert mountainside. Her thoughts were her own, and I was left all the more to my panic because of it.

She knew where I lived. She knew Bella's scent and that something wasn't right about my relationship with her; vampires and humans weren't meant to live together. How much did she know? Maria wanted to use me, and though I had no reliable means of seeing into her mind, I knew well enough that Bella could be the pawn she'd need. I could be a pawn as well, and not know it.

Lucky whined from the corner he was still hiding in, and my body thawed out. Never before had I been more grateful for my expansive vampire mind. Plans. I needed plans. Lots of them. But I really only had one: Get to Bella. Protect her at all costs.

"It's all right. Everything's all right," I said to the quaking dog, while selecting Bella's number on my phone.

"Hey!" she answered on the third ring. She sounded happy. I hated knowing I was about to ruin that.

"Bella—"

"I'll be home soon. I'm finishing up n—"

"Bella," I interrupted more firmly, "I need you to stay where you are. Do not leave your father's house."

She was silent for a moment, then asked, "What's wrong?"

This called for honesty. "An acquaintance of mine is in town."

"An acquai—do you mean a vampire?" I heard the loud thud of her heart through the phone.

"I'm sorry." This had always been my fear, that I would draw danger to her.

"Is it really a problem for us? I mean, are they just passing through? You said you used to do that—just go through places."

"It's a long story," I sighed. There were possibly several problems, but I wouldn't worry her over the phone. "I won't risk you, though. Stay where you are. I'll come get you."

"Wait, I'm in trouble?"

"I'm being careful. I'd rather you not be anywhere near a vampire who feeds from humans."

"Oh. Right. Human-eater. Not good."

"Exactly. Pack a bag or two. Do you have a passport?" I covered the mouthpiece of the phone and whistled to Lucky, who reluctantly trudged away from his corner.

"I…have one, yeah. It's in your closet, in the front of my blue suitcase." I made a detour upstairs to retrieve it as she asked, "Do you think I'll need it?"

"I don't know, but it's better to be over-prepared than not at all." In the garage, I unlocked my car and loaded Lucky into the passenger's seat. I didn't like the thought of leaving him in the house, when Maria might return to "play." As it was, I didn't know where Bella and I would be in twenty-four hours. I wouldn't be taking any chances.

"Where will we go?" she asked as I reversed out of the garage.

"To the Cullens'. I may have dragged them into something, and there's safety for you in numbers." At least that was what I was hoping.

On my way to Forks, I tried to reach Alice. As I sped down highways, passing every car and truck on the road, I called her phone three times. She wasn't answering.

My fingers left marks on the steering wheel as my frustration grew. What good was a psychic who couldn't warn me of these matters and answer her phone? I growled when her voicemail started up again.

"You've reached Alice Cullen! If you're trying to contact me about a design you purchased from Etsy, please email—"

"Dammit!" I yelled, and Lucky yipped. "Not you," I said to him absently.

I sent Alice a text message: There's a problem I might have involved you in—Maria. Have you had any visions of her? You need to come home now. Answer. Your. Phone.

She didn't reply; neither did Carlisle, nor Esme. Something wasn't right. Had Maria already gotten to them? Did she go to them first, and then break into my home to toy with me? Was it greater risk to leave Bella only in my protection or to take her to one of the few places Maria might soon venture, in hopes of joining the others? There were newborns from Seattle to Portland. I couldn't be certain that members of the Volturi weren't about. For me, as for most nomads, they were a governing body whose legends preceded them; I had no firsthand knowledge of them.

I never should have fucked that woman.

My panic continued to escalate until I parked in front of Charlie's old house. It was the sound of Bella's heartbeat that grounded me. She was my priority, and I couldn't protect her if I wasn't being levelheaded. I took a deep breath and got out of the car.

"Bella, it's me," I said, my knuckles gently rapping on the front door.

She fumbled with the locks—all three—and let me in. As soon as we were facing one another, her hands fluttered over my shoulders and arms in scrutiny. "You aren't hurt, right? This other vampire didn't—"

"Not a scratch on me." I smiled, taking one of her trembling hands. "Are you all right? I don't want you to be afraid, Bella. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not afraid," she said in a strong voice, but her heart and scent told me otherwise.

I kissed her forehead and took the backpack from her shoulder; she'd packed lightly. "We should head out."

"Now?" Her eyes widened. "But the Cullens aren't even home yet. They won't get in until this evening."

"I want to be there when they arrive." I frowned. "They aren't answering my calls."

"Is that a…bad sign?"

"I'm not sure. Alice would see any danger…" Wouldn't she? Had she? I wasn't so sure.

"This vampire's really dangerous, isn't he?" Bella bit at her lip.

"She," I corrected. "Maria Esperanza. And, yes, she is." I led Bella out the door. "I'll explain on the way to the Cullens'," I said as she locked up the house. "You might not like it…"

Heart ticking like a time bomb, Bella snorted. "How bad can it be? We've survived the worst stuff together already." She gave me a weak smile.

"I hope you're right about that."

Bella stared out the front of the car at her father's house as her fingers tangled in Lucky's hair. He was half overtaking her seat, half lounging over her legs. "Something really big's happening, isn't it?" she asked.

I thought of the dozens missing or dead in Portland and Seattle, Maria's war-lust, and the mysterious, powerful Volturi. "Possibly," I replied.

"I know you said on the phone that you're just being cautious—and not to sound selfish—but am I caught in the middle?"

I reached over and touched her cheek. "If you are, it's only because of the poor choices I've made." I looked back at Charlie's front door with her. It was cream white, repainted a couple of weeks earlier. "We're only going to the Cullens' now, but if anything should happen, I'll make sure you get to come back here. I promise."

She let out a small sigh and nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

The Cullens didn't live far away, but the drive to their home provided enough time for me to give Bella a brief history of Maria, a somewhat censored version of my relationship with her, and how much trouble we might be in by being in Washington.

"How can she do that to all those innocent people?" Bella asked, her eyes wide.

"She's a vampire. She behaves how most all vampires do—how I once did."

Bella shook her head. "She sounds a lot worse than you ever were."

"Perhaps." It was hard to believe that when I'd caused yet another death. I would add Alexander to my lists of victims.

"So…do we need to leave the whole region? I mean, what with the Volturi…" She shuddered. She hadn't taken the notion of a vampire government very well since I'd told her about them.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I'm hoping Alice will have some answers." My fingers tightened on the already-warped steering wheel. "She'd better have a good explanation for why she didn't warn me of this."

"I don't think she can predict everything."

"No," I agreed with a sigh, "but this was a very big thing for her to miss."

I turned onto the near-hidden driveway that led to the Cullens'. Trees, some made scraggly by winter, hung low over the car, their branches like dark fingers reaching toward us. They made me feel caged in, and I imagined running away from them with Bella—running away from everything. But I couldn't be sure that Maria wouldn't follow; she enjoyed battles of speed and wit. She would come after me, if she thought I'd be useful for her insane cause.

My concerns were interrupted, for as we neared the Cullens', I picked up the mental whispers of two vampires. One I didn't know, but I recognized the crystal clear thought processes of my kind; the other mind belonged to Alice.

"Alice is here," I murmured as I tried to decipher the chaos of her mind.

"At least we know she's okay," Bella said.

The other vampire—a male, I thought—was in the house, rummaging through a suitcase. He was whistling an old folk tune under his breath. I glanced at Bella, wondering if she would be safe with this new stranger.

When the Cullen mansion came into view, we saw Alice. She stood stock still beside a polished, black motorcycle, staring ahead, a large helmet hanging from one hand.

"I didn't know she was into bikes."

I glanced at Bella incredulously.

"Sorry," she whispered.

I came to a hard stop fifty feet from Alice. Her blank stare made it physically obvious that she was searching the future with her ability, but she never paused on the images in her mind, and they were too layered for me to grasp. As always, I was left wondering if this was how she naturally thought, or if she was hiding something from me. She'd told me she would if she felt it necessary.

"Maybe you're not meant to understand everything yet. Even if that drives you crazy."

"So you're going to withhold information about me—from me?"

"If I have to."

I frowned at the memory. "Stay in the car," I said to Bella.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"There's someone else here. I don't know him."

He could hear me from inside the house. He didn't know me, either. We were both on high alert, but for the moment, I didn't sense a threat.

"Maybe it's Jasper. Maybe he came back with her," Bella suggested.

I looked at her. "Who?"

Her brows pulled together. She glanced at Alice out of her side window. "I think you better talk to Alice."

"Bella…" What wasn't she saying?

She fidgeted. "Talk to Alice."

Frowning, I got out of the car. "I would've appreciated a warning," I said as I neared Alice. "If you saw what happened, that is."

She blinked and finally looked at me. This is the present, she reminded herself. Looking back at the house, she said, "It's okay, Jasper. Stay inside." In the back of her mind, she was still actively trying to search the future.

I glared at her. "Friend of yours?"

"I didn't know," she answered, replying to my initial statement. "I didn't see this happening. I had no idea you knew her. I thought—"

"Did you know about her, though—at all?" I asked, my voice a low growl. "Did you know she was behind what's been happening in Portland and Seattle?"

Alice hesitated, her eyes darting from me to where Bella was—I hoped—safely ensconced in the car. "Edward, I've had no choice."

"You knew."

Betrayal.

Snarling, I was before her in an instant. "How long has it been going on?" I hissed. "How many months have you put Bella at risk? You know how her scent is, and the whole fucking region is apparently crawling with vampires." I wasn't foolish. While I knew Bella's blood called to me in a unique way, I was aware of how even the Cullens appreciated her scent. I had no doubt that Bella was a walking target for my kind.

"I've watched over Bella. I watched over Charlie. Nothing has happened to them!"

"It could have!" I snapped.

"No, it couldn't! They haven't come anywhere near Forks or Port Angeles! You'd have smelled them if they had!"

"How do you know they aren't headed in this direction right now? You aren't as infallible as you believe," I taunted. "You're not God."

Alice… The vampire inside the house was growing restless. He wanted to be with her. He paced the second story, listening to our words, concentrating on our breathing and movement. But it was Alice he concentrated on most. He was replaying a conversation they'd had earlier in the day. She wanted him to stay inside until she said otherwise, but he knew he'd go back on his word to her if it came down to her safety, if it came down to protecting her from me.

Suddenly, I understood. I let out a disbelieving laugh. "You're mated."

She glanced at the house and replied simply, "Yes."

"Do I actually know anything about you and your coven?"

Perhaps it wasn't Maria's hand I'd been playing into. Perhaps it was Alice's.

Bella leaned out of the now open passenger's side window. "Is everything okay?"

Without turning away from Alice, I answered, "Stay where you are, Bella."

Of course, Bella had a stubborn, reckless streak, and so she chose to get out of the vehicle. I glanced back at her in disapproval. She coolly returned the expression as she folded her arms over her chest. Wind flowed past, and I smelled the adrenaline in her bloodstream.

"Edward, listen to me," Alice pled, and I turned back to her. "What she's doing—"

"Is what Maria always does—gain territory. At least I have some idea of what to expect from her. I thought it was the other way around, but I see I was wrong about that."

The vampire in the house halted his pacing. His disquiet was palpable. Maria? In his mind, he saw the petite, olive-skinned woman with the calculating red eyes. He hadn't seen her in a decade; he'd hoped he wouldn't see her for a very long time.

I looked at Alice in surprise. "Oh, that's rich. You're keeping secrets from him, too?"

My voice prompted the other vampire into action. He rushed downstairs and threw open the front door. Tawny eyes surveyed the scene before him.

Alice dropped her helmet to the ground as she ran to the bottom of the porch, putting herself between us. "No, Jasper!"

It was too late.

Time froze as this vampire—this Jasper—and I stared at one another. There was something about him that I couldn't quite place, but slowly his features took shape, aligning themselves with a faded memory of a red-eyed creature of the night. Numb shock stole over me.

He was surprised as well. He remembered me, of course, the dirty young man in the gutter beside an empty bottle of whiskey. I had lain in a puddle and turned a muddy cheek in his direction as he neared me in his memory. I was so fragile.

He was as tall as I vaguely remembered him, with blond hair he'd tied back. I'd never forgotten the honey wheat hair, the way it'd covered my face as he'd drunk from my neck. The way it was tied back now revealed something I had no memory of—vampire flesh so thoroughly scarred that it lay over his muscles and bones more like a twisting bed of snakes than flawless granite. Vampire bites. He'd fought before, and he was the one left standing.

How many had he killed?

Even knowing this, even knowing I was inexperienced and younger in comparison, I saw him through a filter of blazing, white anger that made me believe I could defeat him. I saw him only as the vampire who'd stolen my chance at being a whole, good man, the vampire who'd indirectly led to the destruction of so many others. I knew him, knew his venom flowed in my veins, and I hated him with every fiber of my being.

It can't be him, he thought.

I bent into a crouch and snarled.

He stepped forward, putting himself in front of Alice, who was now mumbling as she stared ahead, seemingly trapped by the visions of her mind. Distantly, I watched versions of myself, Jasper, Bella and Alice as we shifted from one place to another, in a million alternate and colliding universes. We were actors on any number of possible stages. The future was uncertain.

Lucky's nervous whimper intermingled with Bella's erratic pulse. "Edward?" she called, but I was entranced; I couldn't answer. "Edward! What's going on? Alice—Jasper?"

No one answered.

I remembered the sensation of his teeth sinking into my flesh. Biting into human flesh was too easy for our kind, like a child chomping into cotton candy. The thought was infuriating, and I imagined tearing him in half, spitting venom on his insides.

"Now, let's just wait a minute and talk this out," Jasper said, raising a hand. He should be dead. I thought he was dead.

I growled, and he narrowed his eyes. His hand dropped back to his side.

"I think it'd be best if you'd calm down," he said, his voice low in warning. "No man's ever made a wise decision feeling the way you do."

For a moment, I felt peace sweep through me. It was the peace of lying with Bella after making love, of being well-fed and feeling safe. And yet…there was falseness to the emotion, and in Jasper's thoughts, I heard a sharp, whip-like command: BE CALM. I'd been in enough vampires' minds over the years to know the command for what it was—the mark of an extra ability. This wouldn't be a fair fight.

I wouldn't fight fair, either. I leapt forward.

Our bodies crashed together, striking hard like lightning, cracking like thunder. To the tune of Bella and Alice's pleas and Lucky's barks and growls, we struggled—dancing around one another, then colliding again. He was far more experienced than I, but he had a clear mind that allowed me to counter nearly every maneuver as he envisioned it.

Be at peace. Tired. Calm. Weak. Fear. STAND DOWN.

Each time I felt the pressure of his ability, but it couldn't cut through the intensity of my anger, which burned like venom, drowning out all else. He reached for my arm, and I leaned in to snap at his neck. We dodged each other's attacks. On and on we went.

"Let go!" Bella screamed at Alice, who was holding her back. "He's going to hurt him!"

Distracted, I faltered, and Jasper struck, cold and precise as a viper. He shoved at my chest, and I went flying back. I quickly regained my balance, but he was already rushing toward me. I darted away from his teeth, then grabbed his shoulders to get in my own bite; he yanked me away by my arm. Between his experience and my mind-reading, we were well-matched.

But then Jasper feinted, and in my rage—in my growing confidence over the fact that I'd not lost yet—I fell for deception. In an instant, he'd locked my arms behind my back and slammed me to my knees with such strength that my kneecaps were buried through the grass, into cold mud. A sudden burst of fear tore through me.

I had a life. I didn't want to die.

I heard in his thoughts as he multiplied my fear to use it against me. Fear seemed easier to manipulate than anger, and I was subject to all my worst waking dreams. I saw myself drinking from humans again, feeling the pleasure and guilt that came with such horrors. I saw Bella die a thousand deaths—as she labored with another man's child, or from sickness, or old age. I saw her die as I tried to change her—first, because her heart failed to survive the transformation—second, because I couldn't stop drinking her blood.

I stared into Bella's terrified eyes as Jasper's mouth neared my neck.

"Stop!" Alice and Bella screamed at the same time.

The sense of fear lifted marginally. "Alice?" Jasper queried.

"Stop. He won't do anything. I think it's okay." She looked at me. "Please don't start anything again."

Several long seconds passed as Jasper didn't shift a muscle. His grip was hard and tight. If I moved even a centimeter, he could easily tear my limbs off or rip into my throat with his teeth.

But he believed in Alice. "All right," he said, releasing my wrists.

I stood up and turned to him again. Seeing his face, my fear slowly returned to anger. It wasn't the all-consuming fury it had been minutes prior, but I did seethe. I glanced at Alice, my lip curling. She owed me an explanation—several. It was hard not to want to go after her as well.

Jasper took a step closer, invading my space. "You stay right where you are. Lay a finger on her, and I won't hesitate to lay a finger on Bella—much as I happen to like her." He raised a brow. "Alice is much sturdier."

Anger returned to fear. Again, I smelled adrenaline.

"Jasper…" Alice whispered.

"Are we clear?" he asked me.

I swallowed venom. "Perfectly."

He took a step back and reached for Alice's hand. "You need to listen to me when I tell you to," Alice hissed at him quietly. He grinned and kissed her nose. Considering we'd clawed up a quarter of Esme's front yard only moments prior, he was in relaxed spirits. I envied his ability to feel so calm.

I went to Bella and enfolded her in my arms. I drew in her scent, luxuriated in the burn, as Lucky paced restlessly around us.

"What the hell just happened?" Bella asked, looking up at me.

"Don't worry," Alice answered. "I don't think they're going to fight anymore." She grinned. "It actually all worked out!" Wasn't so sure for a minute there…

"No, we won't fight anymore," I assured her, holding Bella a little tighter. My fury had disappeared. Revenge wasn't worth it if it put Bella at risk. Keeping her safe had been the whole reason I'd brought her to the Cullens'.

"But what started all that?" Bella asked. She frowned up at me. "That's not like you."

"He's my maker." Bella's eyes darted toward Jasper in surprise. I didn't miss the fact that Alice's did, too. At the same time, one of the clearest thoughts I'd ever heard come from her mental chaos surfaced: That's why? It all makes sense now.

Jasper watched me closely, remembering the human man I'd been. He remembered the flavor of my blood. I'd tasted like almonds and whiskey. We were both disturbed to feel the burn of our thirst at the memory. It seemed I wasn't the only one who struggled with the call of blood.

"You fucking left me," I accused. "A newborn in the suburbs of Chicago."

"I did no such thing—at least, not on purpose, I didn't. I was on the run when I stumbled across you. I needed nourishment, and there you were—drunk as a skunk. To tell you the truth, you seemed like an easy kill at the time." He wrapped an arm around Alice's shoulders. "Never would've guessed you'd turn up on my doorstep eighty-seven years later." He glanced at his mate. "I'm guessing there's a whole story to that."

My grip tightened on Bella. I struggled to hold back the strength of my growing alarm. "Are you saying you didn't intend to change me? How could you not know you'd made a vampire?"

"I was on the run," he said again. "I'd left Maria's coven—sounds like you know her—and she'd sent a tracker after me. I'd been running for days when I got to Chicago, and I needed to feed—was draining you when they caught up with me, had to make a run for it. I was outnumbered as all get out."

"In other words, I was a mistake."

"I'd hoped you were dead."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically.

He ignored me. "Your heartbeat was faint when I left you. Weak hearts are about the only thing venom can't cure to help you survive the change. You weren't likely gonna make it, and I couldn't exactly go retracing my steps to see what'd happened to you, one way or another. Maria was on my tail for right at a decade. You'd've been long-gone from Chicago by the time I could've made my way back there. The odds were against your surviving."

"I survived," I whispered, and Bella pressed herself closer to my side.

"I see that. I did always…wonder. A little." In truth, it had bothered him many times over the years.

His story was believable, and his thoughts lined up with everything he was saying, but this wasn't what I'd expected. All the anger I'd lived with for decades was for naught, misplaced at best. It left me feeling confused.

"It may be inadequate, but I do apologize," Jasper said, sensing my inner conflict. "It was never my desire to harm anybody. That's why I left Maria." He looked down at Alice, a small smile on his face. "I didn't know there was another way to live until I met Alice." She returned his smile.

I understood his feelings. Bella—my mate—had given me a new way to live, too. I found myself…sympathizing with him. All the times I'd blamed my maker for my actions, he hadn't even known that he'd created a vampire—hadn't ever meant to in the first place. How was I to reconcile decades of anger and anguish with this new understanding?

"What's this I hear about Maria?" Jasper asked.

His words pulled me from my thoughts. I snorted in annoyance. "I'm sure your mate knows something about it."

Jasper lifted a brow at her. "I'd guess she would." He gestured toward me. "Care to sit down and clear the air…?"

"Edward," I supplied.

He nodded once. "Edward, then."

Alice looked down at her shoes. "We should probably wait for the others to get here."

"Where are they?" Bella asked.

"When I saw Edward with Maria," Alice started, "I had Jasper get us here faster. They'll be here shortly. I just thought you two should meet before…everything else came out. It was for the best, even if it didn't go quite according to plan."

Everything else came out?

"Well, we've met now," I snapped.

Relax, I heard Jasper think my way. My body loosened up.

"Stop doing that." He shrugged and let up on his ability.

"This would have gone much better if you'd have listened to me, Jas." Alice sighed as she looked over the broken up patches of grass from where Jasper and I had fought. "Esme's going to be so angry."

"I'm not that worried about Esme," Jasper said. "Maria, however…"

I nodded in agreement. If Jasper and I could find any common ground, it would perhaps be through a mutual dislike for Maria Esperanza.

Alice needlessly rubbed at her right temple. "We really should wait for the others. There's a lot to tell."

"Seems like," Jasper said while we stared at each other, entertaining feelings of wary curiosity in the aftermath of our struggle.

Closing Notes: "Mi amante" means "my lover."

When Maria tells Edward to stop being so formal, it's because he's used the formal version of that phrase. "Mi casa es su casa," which means "my house is your house" is formal; whereas "mi casa es tu casa" is supposedly informal (though I'm not sure how much it's used, if at all).

If you'd like to see a picture of my Maria—as I don't really think of the actor from the "Eclipse" movie when writing her—visit bit(dot)ly/sotpm-maria

As an aside, I hope some of you are going to participate in the Canon Tour! If you don't know what that is, check out bit(dot)ly/canon-tour or hit me up on Twitter at TheCanonTour.