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out； ready； though he seemed to be missing part of one hand。 。 。 。
Only a few yards away from that fight； Edward and Victoria were dancing。
Not quite circling； because Edward was not allowing her to position herself closer to me。 She sashayed
back； moving from side to side； trying to find a hole in his defense。 He shadowed her footwork lithely； stalking
her with perfect concentration。 He began to move just a fraction of a second before she moved； reading her
intentions in her thoughts。
Seth lunged at Riley from the side； and something tore with a hideous； grating screech。 Another heavy
white chunk flew into the forest with a thud。 Riley roared in fury； and Seth skipped back — amazingly light on
his feet for his size — as Riley took a swipe at him with one mangled hand。
Victoria was weaving through the tree trunks at the far end of the little opening now。 She was torn； her feet
pulling her toward safety while her eyes yearned toward me as if I were a magnet； reeling her in。 I could see
the burning desire to kill warring with her survival instinct。
Edward could see that； too。
“Don’t go； Victoria；” he murmured in that same hypnotic tone as before。 “You’ll never get another chance
like this。”
She showed her teeth and hissed at him； but she seemed unable to move farther away from me。
“You can always run later；” Edward purred。 “Plenty of time for that。 It’s what you do； isn’t it？ It’s why
James kept you around。 Useful； if you like to play deadly games。 A partner with an uncanny instinct for
escaping。 He shouldn’t have left you — he could have used your skills when we caught up to him in Phoenix。”
A snarl ripped from between her lips。
“That’s all you ever were to him； though。 Silly to waste so much energy avenging someone who had less
affection for you than a hunter for his mount。 You were never more than a convenience to him。 I would know。”
Edward’s lips pulled up on one side as he tapped his temple。
With a strangled screech； Victoria darted out of the trees again； feinting to the side。 Edward responded；
and the dance began again。
Just then； Riley’s fist caught Seth’s flank； and a low yelp coughed out of Seth’s throat。 Seth backed away；
his shoulders twitching as if he were trying to shake off the pain。
Please； I wanted to plead with Riley； but I couldn’t find the muscles to make my mouth open； to pull the
air up from my lungs。 Please； he’s just a child！
Why hadn’t Seth run away？ Why didn’t he run now？
Riley was closing the distance between them again； driving Seth toward the cliff face beside me。 Victoria
was suddenly interested in her partner’s fate。 I could see her； from the corner of her eyes； judge the distance
between Riley and me。 Seth snapped at Riley； forcing him back again； and Victoria hissed。
Seth wasn’t limping anymore。 His circling took him within inches of Edward； his tail brushed Edward’s
back； and Victoria’s eyes bulged。
“No； he won’t turn on me；” Edward said； answering the question in Victoria’s head。 He used her
distraction to slide closer。 “You provided us with a common enemy。 You allied us。”
She clenched her teeth； trying to keep her focus on Edward alone。
“Look more closely； Victoria；” he murmured； pulling at the threads of her concentration。 “Is he really so
much like the monster James tracked across Siberia？”
Her eyes popped wide open； and then began flickering wildly from Edward to Seth to me； around and
around。 “Not the same？” she snarled in her little girl’s soprano。 “Impossible！”
“Nothing is impossible；” Edward murmured； voice velvet soft as he moved another inch closer to her。
“Except what you want。 You’ll never touch her。”
She shook her head； fast and jerky； fighting his diversions； and tried to duck around him； but he was in
place to block her as soon as she’d thought of the plan。 Her face contorted in frustration； and then she shifted
lower into her crouch； a lioness again； and stalked deliberately forward。
Victoria was no inexperienced； instinct…driven newborn。 She was lethal。 Even I could tell the difference
between her and Riley； and I knew that Seth wouldn’t have lasted so long if he’d been fighting this vampire。
Edward shifted； too； as they closed on each other； and it was lion versus lioness。
The dance increased in tempo。
It was like Alice and Jasper in the meadow； a blurred spiraling of movement； only this dance was not as
perfectly choreographed。 Sharp crunches and crackings reverberated off the cliff face whenever someone
slipped in their formation。 But they were moving too fast for me to see who was making the mistakes。 。 。 。
Riley was distracted by the violent ballet； his eyes anxious for his partner。 Seth struck； crunching off
another small piece of the vampire。 Riley bellowed and launched a massive backhanded blow that caught Seth
full in his broad chest。 Seth’s huge body soared ten feet and crashed into the rocky wall over my head with a
force that seemed to shake the whole peak。 I heard the breath whoosh from his lungs； and I ducked out of the
way as he rebounded off the stone and collapsed on the ground a few feet in front of me。
A low whimper escaped through Seth’s teeth。
Sharp fragments of gray stone showered down on my head； scratching my exposed skin。 A jagged spike
of rock rolled down my right arm and I caught it reflexively。 My fingers clenched around the long shard as my
own survival instincts kicked in； since there was no chance of flight； my body — not caring how ineffectual the
gesture was — prepared for a fight。
Adrenaline jolted through my veins。 I knew the brace was cutting into my palm。 I knew the crack in my
knuckle was protesting。 I knew it； but I could not feel the pain。
Behind Riley； all I could see was the twisting flame of Victoria’s hair and a blur of white。 The increasingly
frequent metallic snaps and tears； the gasps and shocked hissings； made it clear that the dance was turning
deadly for someone。
But which someone？
Riley lurched toward me； his red eyes brilliant with fury。 He glared at the limp mountain of sand…colored
fur between us； and his hands — mangled； broken hands — curled into talons。 His mouth opened； widened；
his teeth glistening； as he prepared to rip out Seth’s throat。
A second kick of adrenaline hit like an electric shock； and everything was suddenly very clear。
Both fights were too close。 Seth was about to lose his； and I had no idea if Edward was winning or losing。
They needed help。 A distraction。 Something to give them an edge。
My hand gripped the stone spike so tightly that a support in the brace snapped。
Was I strong enough？ Was I brave enough？ How hard could I shove the rough stone into my body？
Would this buy Seth enough time to get back on his feet？ Would he heal fast enough for my sacrifice to do him
any good？
I raked the point of the shard up my arm； yanking my thick sweater back to expose the skin； and then
pressed the sharp tip to the crease at my elbow。 I alread