The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (Twilight #3.5)(18)

Our creator hesitated, and then spoke al in a rush. Almost as if there had been some silent intimidation. "I haven't made the decision," she spit out. Then she added more slowly, unwil ingly, "To attack. I've never decided to do anything with them."

"Rough, but effective," the cloaked girl said. "Unfortunately, your period of deliberation has come to a close. You must decide - now - what you wil do with your little army." Both Diego's and my eyes widened at that word. "Otherwise, it wil be our duty to punish you as the law demands. This reprieve, however short, troubles me. It is not our way. I suggest you give us what assurances you can... quickly."

"We'l go at once!" Riley volunteered anxiously, and there was a sharp hiss.

"We'l go as soon as possible," our creator amended furiously. "There is much to do. I assume you wish us to succeed? Then I must have a little time to get them trained - instructed - fed!"

There was a short pause.

"Five days. We wil come for you then. And there is no rock you can hide under or speed at which you can flee that wil save you. If you have not made your attack by the time we come, you wil burn." This was said with no menace other than an absolute certainty.

"And if I have made my attack?" our creator asked, shaken.

"We'l see," the cloaked girl answered in a brighter tone than she'd used yet. "I suppose that al depends on how successful you are. Work hard to please us." The last command was given in a flat, hard pitch that made me feel a strange chil in the center of my body.

"Yes," our creator snarled.

"Yes," Riley echoed in a whisper.

A second later the cloaked vampires were noiselessly exiting the house. Neither Diego nor I so much as took a breath for five minutes after they'd disappeared. Inside the house, our creator and Riley were just as quiet. Another ten minutes passed in total stil ness.

I touched Diego's arm. This was our chance to get out of here. At the moment, I wasn't so afraid of Riley anymore. I wanted to get as far away as I could from those dark-cloaks. I wanted the safety of numbers waiting back in the log cabin, and I figured that was exactly how our creator felt, too. Why she'd made so many of us in the first place. There were some things out there scarier than I'd imagined.

Diego hesitated, stil listening, and a second later his patience was rewarded.

"Wel ," she whispered inside the house, "now they know."

Was she talking about the cloaks or the mysterious clan?

Which one was the enemy she'd mentioned before the drama?

"That doesn't matter. We outnumber - "

"Any warning matters!" she growled, cutting him off. "There is so much to do. Only five days!" She groaned. "No more messing around. You start tonight."

"I won't fail you!" Riley promised.

Crap. Diego and I moved at the same time, leaping from our perch into the next tree over, flying back the way we'd come. Riley was in a hurry now, and if he found Diego's trail after al that had just passed with the cloaks, and no Diego there at the end of it...

"I've got to get back and be waiting," Diego whispered to me as we raced. "Lucky it's not in view of the house! Don't want him to know I heard."

"We should talk to him together."

"Too late for that. He'd notice that your scent wasn't on the trail. Looks suspicious."

"Diego..." He'd trapped me into sitting this one out. We were back to the spot where he'd joined me. He spoke in a rushed whisper.

"Stick to the plan, Bree. I'l tel him what I planned to tel him. It's not close to dawn, but that's just how it has to be. If he doesn't believe me..." Diego shrugged. "He's got bigger things to worry about than me having an overactive imagination. Maybe he'l be more likely to listen now - looks like we need al the help we can get, and being able to move around in the day can't hurt."

"Diego...," I repeated, not knowing what else to say. He looked into my eyes, and I waited for his lips to twitch into that easy smile, for him to make some joke about ninjas or BFFs.

He didn't. Instead, he leaned in slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, and kissed me. His smooth lips pressed against mine for one long second while we stared at each other. Then he leaned away and sighed. "Get home, hide behind Fred, and act clueless. I'l be right behind you."

"Be careful."

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard, then let go. Riley had spoken of Diego affectionately. I would have to hope that affection was real. There wasn't another choice. Diego disappeared into the trees, quiet as a rustling breeze. I didn't waste time looking after him. I sprinted through the branches in a direct line back to the house. I hoped my eyes were stil bright enough from last night's meal to explain my absence. Just a quick hunt. Got lucky - found a lone hiker. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The sound of the thudding music that greeted my approach was accompanied by the unmistakable sweet, smoky scent of a burning vampire. My panic went into overdrive. I could just as easily die inside the house as outside. But there was no other way. I didn't slow, just rushed down the stairs straight to the corner where I could barely make out Freaky Fred standing. Looking for something to do? Tired of sitting? I had no idea what he was up to, and I didn't care. I would stick tight to him until Riley and Diego got back.