I shivered.

"Victoria held a grudge against Bella," Edward told her, his voice impassive.

Jane laughed - the sound was golden, the bubbling laugh of a happy child. "This one seems to bring out bizarrely strong reactions in our kind," she observed, smiling directly at me, her face beatific.

Edward stiffened. I looked at him in time to see his face turning away, back to Jane.

"Would you please not do that?" he asked in a tight voice.

Edward hissed at that and several people looked angry.

"What did she do?" Emmett asked.

"I'll give you one guess," Jasper said.

"Oh," Emmett said. "It's okay... it's not like that could hurt Bella anyways."

Jane laughed again lightly. "Just checking. No harm done, apparently."

I shivered, deeply grateful that the strange glitch in my system - which had protected me from Jane the last time we'd met - was still in effect. Edward's arm tightened around me.

"Well, it appears that there's not much left for us to do. Odd," Jane said, apathy creeping back into her voice. "We're not used to being rendered unnecessary. It's too bad we missed the fight. It sounds like it would have been entertaining to watch."

"Yes," Edward answered her quickly, his voice sharp. "And you were so close. It's a shame you didn't arrive just a half hour earlier. Perhaps then you could have fulfilled your purpose here."

Jane met Edward's glare with unwavering eyes. "Yes. Quite a pity how things turned out, isn't it?"

Edward nodded once to himself, his suspicions confirmed.

"Stupid Volturi," Emmett grumbled.

Carlisle let out a sigh at hearing that, hanging his head.

Jasper was looking similarly to Carlisle. He had always thought highly of the Volturi and it seemed like he was letting that image go now.

Jane turned to look at the newborn Bree again, her face completely bored. "Felix?" she drawled.

"Wait," Edward interjected.

Jane raised one eyebrow, but Edward was staring at Carlisle while he spoke in an urgent voice. "We could explain the rules to the young one. She doesn't seem unwilling to learn. She didn't know what she was doing."

"Are you speaking for Carlisle or yourself there?" Emmett asked, again hoping his brother was going to interact with them.

"I'm not sure," Edward said in his deadened voice. "I think both."

"Right," Emmett said, happy that Edward at least attempted to answer him.

"Of course," Carlisle answered. "We would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree."

Jane's expression was torn between amusement and disbelief.

"We don't make exceptions," she said. "And we don't give second chances. It's bad for our reputation. Which reminds me . . ." Suddenly, her eyes were on me again, and her cherubic face dimpled. "Caius will be so interested to hear that you're still human, Bella. Perhaps he'll decide to visit."

Everyone glared at the book now. The threat was clear and none of them liked it.

"The date is set," Alice told Jane, speaking for the first time. "Perhaps we'll come to visit you in a few months."

Jane's smile faded, and she shrugged indifferently, never looking at Alice. She turned to face Carlisle. "It was nice to meet you, Carlisle - I'd thought Aro was exaggerating. Well, until we meet again . . ."

"You didn't meet Jane?" Jasper asked.

"No, she was... away when I was there," Carlisle said.

"What does that mean?" Jasper asked.

"We can discuss that later," Emmett hissed.

Carlisle nodded, his expression pained.

"Take care of that, Felix," Jane said, nodding toward Bree, her voice dripping boredom. "I want to go home."

"Don't watch," Edward whispered in my ear.