crime； covered by such a ridiculous deception？〃 He held his arms rigidly at his sides； his hands curled into
claws。 I wondered why he did not just touch Aro to share his opinion。 Were we seeing a division in their
ranks already？ Could we be that lucky？
〃Because it's all true；〃 Aro told him calmly。 〃Every word of it。 See how many witnesses stand ready to
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give evidence that they have seen this miraculous child grow and mature in just the short time they've
known her。 That they have felt the warmth of the blood that pulses in her veins。〃 Aro's gesture swept
from Amun on one side across to Siobhan on the other。
Caius reacted oddly to Aro's soothing words； starting ever so slightly at the mention of witnesses。 The
anger drained from his features； replaced by a cold calculation。 He glanced at the Volturi witnesses with
an expression that looked vaguely。。。 nervous。
I glanced at the angry mob； too； and saw immediately that the description no longer applied。 The frenzy
for action had turned to confusion。 Whispered conversations seethed through the crowd as they tried to
make sense of
what had happened。
Caius was frowning； deep in thought。 His speculative expression stoked the flames of my smoldering
anger at the same time that it worried me。 What if the guard acted again on some invisible signal； as they
had in their march？ Anxiously； I inspected my shield； it felt just as imperable as before。 I flexed it now
into a low； wide dome that arced over our pany。
I could feel the sharp plumes of light where my family and friends stood—each one an individual flavor
that I thought I would be able to recognize with practice。 I already knew Edward's—his was the very
brightest of them all。 The extra empty space around the shining spots bothered me； there was no physical
barrier to the shield； and if any of the talented Volturi got under it； it would protect no one but me。 I felt
my forehead crease as I pulled the elastic armor very carefully closer。 Carlisle was the farthest forward； I
sucked the shield back inch by inch； trying to wrap it as exactly to his body as I could。
My shield seemed to want to cooperate。 It hugged his shape； when Carlisle shifted to the side to stand
nearer to Tanya； the elastic stretched with him； drawn to his spark。
Fascinated； I tugged in more threads of the fabric； pulling it around each glimmering shape that was a
friend or ally。 The shield clung to them willingly； moving as they moved。
Only a second had passed； Caius was still deliberating。
〃The werewolves；〃 he murmured at last。
With sudden panic； 1 realized that most of the werewolves were unprotected。 I was about to reach out
to them when I realize that； strangely； I could still feel their sparks。 Curious； I drew the shield tighter in；
until Amun and Kebi—the farthest edge of our group—were outside with the wolves。 Once they were on
the other side； their lights vanished。 They no longer existed to that new sense。 But the wolves were still
bright flames—or rather； half of them were。 Hmm。。。 I edged outward again； and as soon as Sam was
under cover； all the wolves were brilliant sparks again。
Their minds must have been more interconnected than I'd imagined。 If the Alpha was inside my shield；
the rest of their minds were every bit as protected as his。
〃Ah； brother。。。；〃 Aro answered Caius's statement with a pained look。
〃Will you defend that alliance； too； Aro？〃 Caius demanded。 〃The Children of the Moon have been our
bitter enemies from the dawn of time。 We have hunted them to near extinction in Europe and Asia。 Yet
Carlisle encourages a familiar relationship with this enormous infestation—no doubt in an attempt to
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overthrow us。 The better to protect his warped lifestyle。〃
Edward cleared his throat loudly and Caius glared at him。 Aro placed one thin； delicate hand over his
own face as if he was embarrassed for the other ancient。
〃Caius； it's the middle of the day；〃 Edward pointed out。 He gestured to Jacob。 〃These are not Children
of the Moon； clearly。 They bear no relation to your enemies on the other side of the world。〃
〃You breed mutants here；〃 Caius spit back at him。
Edward's jaw clenched and unclenched； then he answered evenly； 〃They aren't even werewolves。 Aro
can tell you all about it if you don't believe me。〃
Not werewolves？ I shot a mystified look at Jacob。 He lifted his huge shoulders and let them drop—a
shrug。 He didn't know what Edward was talking about； either。
〃Dear Caius； I would have warned you not to press this point if you had told me your thoughts；〃 Aro
murmured。 〃Though the creatures think of themselves as werewolves； they are not。 The more accurate
name for them would be shapeshifters。 The choice of a wolf form was purely chance。 It could have been
a bear or a hawk or a panther when the first change was made。 These creatures truly have nothing to do
with the Children of the Moon。 They have merely inherited this skill from their fathers。 It's geic—they
do not continue their species by infecting others the way true werewolves do。〃
Caius glared at Aro with irritation and something more—an accusation of betrayal； maybe。
〃They know our secret；〃 he said flatly。
Edward looked about to answer this accusation； but Aro spoke faster。 〃They are creatures of our
supernatural world； brother。 Perhaps even more dependent upon secrecy than we are； they can hardly
expose us。 Carefully； Caius。 Specious allegations get us nowhere。〃
Caius took a deep breath and nodded。 They exchanged a long； significant glance。
I thought I understood the instruction behind Aro's careful wording。 False charges weren't helping
convince the watching witnesses on either side； Aro was cautioning Caius to move on to the next
strategy。 I wondered if the reason behind the apparent strain between the two ancients—Caius's
unwillingness to share his thoughts with a touch—was that Caius didn't care about the show as much as
Aro did。 If the ing slaughter was so much more essential to Caius than an untarnished reputation。
〃I want to talk to the informant；〃 Caius announced abruptly； and turned his glare on Irina。
Irina wasn't paying attention to Caius and Aro's conversation； her face was twisted in agony； her eyes
locked on her sisters； lined up to die。 It was clear on her face that she knew now her accusation had
been totally false。
〃Irina；〃 Caius barked； unhappy to have to address her。
She looked up； startled and instantly afraid。
Caius snapped his fingers。
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Hesitantly； she moved from the fringes of the Volturi formation to stand in front of Caius again。
〃So you appear to have been quite mistaken in your allegations；〃 Caius began。
Tanya and Kate leaned forward anxiously。
〃I'm sorry；〃 Irina whispered。 〃I should have made sure of what I was seeing。 But I had no idea___〃 She
gestured
helplessly in our direction。
〃Dear Caius； could you expect her to have guessed in an instant something so strange and impossible？〃
Aro asked。 〃Any of us would have made the same assumption。〃
Caius flicked his fingers at Aro to silence him。
〃We all know you made a mistake；〃 he said brusquely。 〃I meant to speak of your motivations。〃
Irina waited nervously for him to continue； and then repeated； 〃My motivations？〃
〃Yes； for ing to spy on them in the first place。〃
Irina flinched at the word spy。
〃You were unhappy with the Cullens； were you not？〃
She turned her miserable eyes to Carlisle's face。 〃I was；〃 she admitted。
〃Because。。。 ？〃 Caius prompted。
〃Because the werewolves killed my friend；〃 she whispered。 〃And the Cullens wouldn't stand aside to let
me avenge him。〃
〃The shapeshifters；〃 Aro corrected quietly。
〃So the Cullens sided with the shapeshifters against our own kind—against the friend of a friend；
even；〃 Caius summarized。
I heard Edward make a disgusted sound under his breath。 Caius was ticking down his list； looking for an
accusation that would stick。
Irina's shoulders stiffened。 〃That's how I saw it。〃
Caius waited again and then prompted； 〃If you'd like to make a formal plaint against the
shapeshifters—and the Cullens for supporting their actions—now would be the time。〃 He smiled a tiny
cruel smile； waiting for Irina to give him his next excuse。
Maybe Caius didn't understand real families—relationships based on love rather than just the love of
power。 Maybe he overestimated the potency of vengeance。
Irina's jaw jerked up； her shoulders squared。
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〃No； I have no plaint against the wolves； or the Cullens。 You came here today to destroy an
immortal child。 No immortal child exists。 This was my mistake； and I take full responsibility for it。 But the
Cullens are innocent； and you have no reason to still be here。 I'm so sorry；〃 she said to us； and then she
turned her face toward the Volturi witnesses。 〃There was no crime。 There's no valid reason for you to
continue here。〃
Caius raised his hand as she spoke； and in it was a strange metal object； carved and ornate。
This was a signal。 The response was so fast that we all stared in stunned disbelief while it happened。
Before there was time to react； it was over。
Three of the Volturi soldiers leaped forward； and Irina was pletely obscured by their gray cloaks。 In
the same instant； a horrible metallic screeching ripped through the clearing。 Caius slithered into the center
of the gray melee； and the shocking squealing sound exploded into a startling upward shower of sparks
and tongues of flame。 The soldiers leaped back from the sudden inferno； immediately retaking their
places in the guard's perfectly straight line。
Caius stood alone beside the blazing remains of Irina； the metal object in his hand still throwing a thick
jet of flame into the pyre。
With a small