A scant half hour later, Edward held up a hand to stop. We all slowed, pulling up next to him, as he concentrated on the mental voices only he could hear.

"There are four of them," he reported. "Joham and three women. Jacob's unconscious. They're frustrated that they haven't gotten anything out of him yet–they're expecting a fifth person to show up, and they think she might be able to make some progress. There's something… off… about the women, but I can't tell what." He kept listening, intrigued by the puzzle.

"You mean besides the fact that they're crazy enough to hang around Joham?" Rosalie spat.

"Besides that," Edward agreed. "They're obviously not human, but their minds don't sound normal for vampires, either."

"Do these women have powers? Anything that could pose a threat to us?" Jasper analyzed the tactical situation.

Edward shrugged helplessly. "If they think about the answer to that, you'll be the first to know."

Alice groaned. "I hate not being able to see anything." Her tiny face contorted in frustration.

"What if we just go ask them?" I proposed. The others stared at me like I had suggested that beet juice might be a good alternative to drinking blood. "They don't know we want to kill Joham," I elaborated, holding up my hands defensively. "We don't have to go in guns blazing. We could pretend we're on their side against the wolves."

There was a moment of silence. I waited nervously. Were they all trying to find a polite way to tell me I was crazy?

"It could work," Rosalie mused finally, to my great relief. "It wouldn't be difficult to convince them that we're disgusted by those overgrown mutts," she said, scowling at the memory of Embry.

"What if they have a power like Edward's?" Jasper objected. "They'd see straight through us."

"If they had an Edward, they'd already know we're here," I countered.

"Not all such powers work the same," Carlisle disagreed. "My old friend Aro can read minds, but only when touching his targets. Maggie can tell when someone's lying. Victoria knew when a situation was a trap. Going to talk to them significantly increases the chances that they could detect hostile intent." He surveyed our group. "This is also an unusually large coven–they might feel threatened by our very presence. It would be hard to convince them we come in peace."

"I could go in alone, then," I suggested. "None of those powers would work on me."

I wasn't the slightest bit surprised when Edward shut this idea down. "Not a chance," he said firmly, holding me tightly to his chest. "We lose nothing by waiting to see if they think about more useful information."

I let him stroke my hair for a moment, comforting me. Then I felt him wince.

"What happened?" I asked, looking up at his face. He pursed his lips, and I could tell he was evaluating whether I would do something stupid if he told me the truth. "Are they hurting Jake?" I demanded.

"Not fatally," he admitted. "They're just making sure he stays unconscious. Werewolves heal very quickly… they have to inflict a new injury every few minutes to keep him subdued."

A growl rose from deep in my chest. "We are not waiting here for more information while they brutalize Jacob. We have them outnumbered two to one."

Edward ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. "I don't like it. For one thing, I still don't know what's different about the three women."

"Then let me go in with my reconnaissance plan!"

"Fine," he crossed his arms, "But I'm coming with you."

"That's not necessary," I insisted. "In fact, it's downright detrimental to my plan. You're not immune to lie-detection powers, and I'm not good enough to extend my shield to you consistently."

"You're forgetting about the ordinary form of lie detection, which is much more common," Edward observed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I hissed. It infuriated me how calmly he could stand here debating this.

"It means you've got no poker face, Bella," Emmett chuckled from behind me. "Let Edward be the one to lie to Joham."

I opened my mouth to remind them that I was no longer a blushing human–I had lied to Edward successfully just a few days earlier, about how I'd known Victoria was after me. Then my brain caught up to what I was about to say, and my jaw snapped shut again, frustrated. I suddenly wondered how many master spies lived among friends who believed them to be bad liars.

"Jasper could come with me instead," I argued weakly. "He's a good liar. He can manipulate them into a more receptive mood, too."

"A single glance at Jasper would set them more on edge than the rest of us put together," Alice pointed out. I sighed. She was right–the lattice of faded crescent scars on his ivory skin screamed danger! more effectively than our whole family combined.

Edward took my hands in his. "Bella, I know you don't want to put me in harm's way. I hate the very idea of you going in there, too. I'm fighting my very nature by agreeing to this plan… but I know that we have to trust each other and work as a team." I could see in his eyes how intensely it hurt him to imagine me facing Joham, and in that instant, I understood how deeply selfish I was being. He cupped my cheek with his palm, begging me: "I know I can't stop you from going. So meet me in the middle. Bring me along, to prove to me that you're going to be as careful with your own life as you would be with mine."

How could I refuse him this? But how could I consent to it, either? Worst of all, how could I stand here undecided, while Jacob was suffering?

"Sending Edward with you is tactically sound," Jasper spoke into the silence. "He'll be able to see and respond to their thoughts in real time. Plus, you two will easily sell the image of a mated pair traveling together."

I thought of one final reason why he shouldn't be the one to come, and held it in front of me like a bulwark. "How will everyone else know what's going on, if the two of us go alone?" Desperation leaked into my tone as I looked around at my family. "You won't be able to get close enough to overhear us without risking Joham noticing your scent–you need Edward here to keep you updated via telepathy. I'll bring Carlisle."

Unfortunately, Alice had a plan ready. "Edward can call us on his cell phone, and leave it open in his pocket. That way we can hear the conversation. I'll mute my microphone so Joham can't hear anything from our end."

I glared at her.

Edward was still looking intently at me. "Bella," was all he said.

I swallowed. "Alright." The single word fell off my tongue like a pound of bricks. "Let's go."

Alice rummaged in her bag and pulled out a pair of maroon-tinted contacts. "So that you look more like a normal vampire," she explained, handing them to Edward.

I knew I was in a hurry, but I still had to ask. "I thought you couldn't foresee anything about this mission. Why do you just have these?"

"Be prepared!" she sang.

No one else in the family seemed the slightest bit surprised, so I shook my head and moved on. Edward started the call from his cell phone and then tucked it away, muting the ringer. "Codeword 'ocean' means it's safe to attack. I'll sneak it into the conversation as soon as I've ascertained whether they have any dangerous powers."

Carlisle nodded. "Try to find out the allegiances of the three women, as well. I would rather not kill them if we don't have to."

Edward dipped his head in return, and then we raced to close the remaining mile to our quarry.

"Greetings," Edward called as we approached.

Four pairs of eyes were already trained on us, analyzing our potential threat. One belonged to a tall dark-haired man; the other three were set in the faces of exquisitely beautiful women. As I scanned the features of the three girls, alike enough to be sisters, I could immediately see what Edward meant about something being off. Their irises were not the typical vampire red, nor even the vegetarian gold of our coven–I saw two pairs of brown eyes and one greenish-gray. Although sunlight wound down through the canopy to touch their pale skin in a number of places, it gave off only a faint shimmer in comparison to the man's iridescent sparkle. Most tellingly, I heard the quick thump of three heartbeats. But they couldn't be human–breathing in their scent left me with a pleasant floral sweetness in my nostrils, not the dry burn of thirst.

"Greetings," the tall man called back. "I am Joham. What brings you here?"

My curiosity vanished, replaced with a burning anger. I worked to bury the feeling, letting no sign of it show on my face. I was glad our plan called for Edward to do the talking.

"My name is Edward. We crossed paths with the scent of one of those mutant wolves." His lip curled in disgust as he spoke. "We have a bone to pick with their kind. How did you find yourself in its company?"

Joham relaxed immediately. "I, too, have a grievance with these monsters. One of them killed my mate fifty-six years ago. I thought I'd killed them all in revenge… but then I ran into this one roaming about two days ago."

I forced myself to nod. Internally, I was horrified. Was that what had become of the last pack–Jacob's ancestors? All dead in revenge for a kill they had never actually made?

"Why haven't you killed it yet?" Edward inquired, as if merely curious.

"I wanted to find out whether there are more–and what's creating them. I intended to stamp out their species when I last encountered them, but clearly they're more resilient weeds than I anticipated."

Edward nodded. "A worthy goal. They destroyed my creator, Carlisle, seventy years ago. I wasn't strong enough to fight them alone… but I would gladly join you in wiping out these abominations."

"Then you're most welcome." Joham closed the remaining distance between us and shook his hand. "These are my daughters: Serena, Maysun, and Jennifer." He gestured at each in turn. "And your lovely companion is…?"

"My mate, Bella," Edward introduced me with a radiant smile.

"An apt name for one so lovely." Joham kissed the back of my hand. I refrained from ripping his head off with difficulty. Edward didn't seem to like it either; he wrapped an arm around me possessively.

"Now, when you say daughters…" Edward wondered.

"I mean my biological children," Joham confirmed. "Their mothers were human. None survived the pregnancy–but they created something far greater than themselves. I first discovered it was possible fifty years ago."

"Incredible," Edward breathed. "Do they feed as we do? Are they strong enough to take on the wolf pack?"

"They share our diet, mostly. One of them has been experimenting with surviving on human food, and it seems possible, but they do not prefer it," the father elaborated. "They're not quite as strong or fast as full vampires, but they're every bit as clever."

"We pass better among humans, too," Maysun chimed in.

"Simply marvelous," Edward praised. I wasn't sure whether he was genuinely impressed by these new creations, or had seen in Joham's mind that this was the fastest way to gain his trust. "An incredible discovery–beyond what I believed our species to be capable of. But why go to the trouble of creating children this way? It must have taken a heroic effort of self control to leave their mothers alive as they conceived–why not simply create companions as full vampires, who would be stronger?"

"I see you are more of a pragmatic man than a scientist," Joham chuckled. "Fear not, my children have a practical advantage too. You may know that a small fraction of vampires gain some special ability–a gift, I call it."

Edward nodded. "I've met the Volturi briefly in Italy. They collect such abilities."

"Exactly," Joham agreed. "The magic of these gifts is far more potent than our physical abilities. If you're familiar with the Volturi, you may have seen Jane at work–she could easily destroy even the most fearsome fighter. But it's hard to collect special powers by turning new vampires; most have useless gifts, or none at all."

"And your half-vampires are more likely to have extra talents?" Edward inferred.

"All five of them do," Joham boasted. "I believe they're inheriting variations of my own gift. I'd like to test the theory with other fathers, but I haven't found any other vampires with the patience to sire their own."

"Five?" I raised my eyebrows. "Are two of them gifted with invisibility?"

Joham grimaced. "My son, Nahuel, turned his back on the family. My youngest daughter, Anna, does not travel with us, but I've sent for her to join us here. Her power will be most useful in gathering information–she can read other people's memories."

I was deeply grateful for Anna's absence. A single look at Edward's memories would give our game away.

Edward looked completely unperturbed by the possibility of having Anna read him; he really was an exceptional liar. "Incredible. And you say that's a variation on what you do?"

I'd forgotten that it would be suspicious for us to already know what Joham's gift was. It was a good thing Edward had so much practice keeping straight which things he wasn't supposed to know.

"Yes–I have a talent for removing memories," Joham told us unnecessarily. "Serena is the most similar to me–she can impose only temporary amnesia, but it works at a distance and is more all-encompassing than my power, which targets specific memories. Maysun can create and implant false memories, but it's slow work for her to construct something believable. Jennifer can amplify memories and connect them to each other, changing how prominent certain things are in the target's mind."

"What does temporary all-encompassing amnesia entail?" I asked warily. Serena's power sounded by far the most dangerous to me, at least on the short timescale of a fight. "That seems like it could help against the wolves," I added, remembering our cover story.

"Would you care to demonstrate, my dear?" Joham asked his daughter.

Serena stepped forward with a smile. "If I may?"

Edward and I inclined our heads in consent.

Nothing happened, but when I focused on my shield, I could feel a faint pressure against it. Edward, meanwhile, was looking ahead with a slackened jaw and empty gaze. I squeezed his hand, but he didn't respond. It was as if he had no sense of self–as if he had forgotten that everything in the world existed.

"Well, that was horrifying," he said lightly, when Serena had released him. "Did you feel anything, my love?"

I shook my head.

"How?" Serena demanded.

"Bella's been immune to some other powers we've encountered, too," Edward explained. "We think it's her gift–but it's not very useful," he downplayed. "I don't expect the wolves to fight us with anything but claws and teeth."

Serena's talent was exactly the sort of thing we had feared: a way to incapacitate our entire coven. We couldn't call in the others to attack, I realized with despair. I wasn't going to abandon Jacob, of course, but we would need to find a new plan. Perhaps we could wait until Serena was separated from the group somehow?

"Nonsense," Joham was smiling at me in a way that was supposed to be charming. "Any gift at all is an honor, to be treasured. Do you mind if the rest of us try out our powers on you, too, Bella? I'm quite curious to see what your immunity feels like."

"Not at all," I tried to smile back.

He rested a hand against my skin. Anger pulsed through my veins, and I worked not to flinch at his touch. "Ahhh, interesting," he said. "I can't even feel your mind. This is quite different from the wolf–I tried to use my power on it, too, but when it was in wolf form I couldn't succeed. It seems to have a mental link with others in its pack, and they resupplied the memories faster than I could delete them. Serena wasn't having any luck, either. We made it shift back to human form so we could incapacitate it more effectively."

I exchanged a glance with Edward. Joham had just unknowingly handed us the keys to defeating him: if we could get in contact with the rest of the pack and convince them to help, they would be able to fight, as long as at least one of the wolves stayed out of range of Serena to keep their memories intact. That would give us even numbers: three of them, plus me, against Joham and his children. I would have preferred a more lopsided fight in my favor… but if we focused on taking down Serena, we would be able to bring in the rest of the family as reinforcements.

Before we could enact any of this plan, of course, we would have to get away from Joham without tipping our hand.

"So what have you been able to learn from the wolf?" Edward redirected the conversation toward our supposed mission.

Joham's lip curled. "Very little. Just that there's more than one. It's under orders from its pack leader not to reveal anything to outsiders, and it seems incapable of violating that command no matter how much pain it's in."

I was almost choking on my anger now. My vision tinged red at the thought of Jacob being tortured.

Fortunately, most of Joham's attention was on Edward. He continued, oblivious. "I tried to remove the memory of the alpha's orders, but they're woven deep into its mind. I'd have to erase all the time it spent mulling over those orders, too, and I might lose all the relevant information in the process. Better to wait for Anna to pick the information out of the creature's brain."

Edward considered the problem. "What if Maysun implanted a new memory of the pack leader saying it was okay to tell us?"

I bit my lip. Why was he giving Joham good ideas?

"She tried. Even with Jennifer helping amplify the new memory, it wasn't convincing enough. It seems the alpha's orders have some magical quality we can't replicate." Oh. Perhaps Edward had already seen in Joham's mind that this wouldn't work, and was garnering trust by seeming to make helpful suggestions.

"Alas," Edward sighed.

"Do you have any gift that might be of use?" Joham probed.

For several reasons, admitting to being a mind reader was out. "Not really," Edward fibbed, feigning a disappointed voice. "I'm quite a fast runner–that's all. Would you like to race me?" he offered with a smile.

Joham agreed jovially, and Edward proposed a course that would take them in vaguely the same direction as the waiting group of Cullens. It was a good plan: even if the half-vampire daughters decided to join the footrace, they were weaker, and would fall behind. We could execute their leader and then be gone before they caught up.

Unfortunately, at that exact moment, a newcomer arrived. The girl was a brunette of medium stature, with hazel eyes and faintly glowing skin matching the other half-vampires. It took me only a tenth of a second to realize who this must be–and the threat her talent posed to us.

Immediately, I slammed my shield outward, wrapping it tightly around Edward. It felt easier to move than before: the pent-up anger at Joham heightened all my senses and lent energy to my efforts. Nonetheless, I was feeling the strain of holding it longer than a couple seconds.

"Anna!" Joham welcomed the new girl with an enthusiastic hug. Introductions were performed all around–mine through gritted teeth. Could I keep my shield stretched around Edward for long enough for us to get away?

"Why can't I hear anything from you?" Anna wondered as she shook my hand. She must have meant you plural, but thankfully, Joham interpreted it as singular.

"Bella's gift blocks other powers," he explained. "Isn't it fascinating?"

From the way she drew her eyebrows together, Anna seemed more suspicious than fascinated… but whatever she was thinking, she kept it to herself.

I was reaching the limit of my ability to protect us both. The elastic layer around me pulled more tightly inward with each passing second, and I fought with everything I had to hold it in place. I had already made it ten times as long as ever before. Thankfully, Edward seemed to sense my struggle.

"We were just about to go for a race," he informed Anna casually. "Care to join us?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "Are you coming too, Bella?"

I nodded, unable to speak. Joham looked at me, noticing for the first time that my face had contorted with strain. "Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded again. "Bella's still a newborn," Edward explained, doing his best to cover for me. "She struggles with her emotions sometimes, and meeting new people can be overwhelming for her. She'll feel better once we're running–exercise helps."

Father and daughter exchanged a skeptical glance, but shrugged. The four of us walked to a relatively sparse area of forest and lined up like sprinters at a starting line. Edward gave us a countdown. My muscles tensed in preparation.

Just when he got to two, a bird call rang out directly overhead. To my immortal ears, it was startlingly loud. I lost my focus for a split second. The shield collapsed, folding in on me with the gravity of a black hole.

I clenched my jaw, finding my mental grip on the protective layer and pulling it back out to cover Edward as quickly as I could, but the damage was done. Anna's suspicious expression had turned violent.

"Kill them," she snarled to her family.