All three of their heads snapped up, and I watched my pain ripple across Edward's face as he trespassed in my head again.
"Ahh," he choked.
I didn't know what I was doing; I stood there, trembling, ready to bolt for the very first escape that I could think of.
Moving like the strike of a snake, Edward darted to a small end table and ripped something from the drawer there. He tossed it at me, and I caught the object reflexively.
"Go, Jacob. Get away from here." He didn't say it harshly--he threw the words at me like they were a life preserver. He was helping me find the escape I was dying for.
The object in my hand was a set of car keys.
18. JIMMY GNECCO FEATURING BRIAN MAY, "SOMEONE TO DIE FOR"
Chapter 18 Everything inside me came undone as I stared at the tiny porcelain face of the half-vampire, half-human baby. All the lines that held me to my life were sliced apart in swift cuts, like clipping the strings to a bunch of balloons. Everything that made me who I was--my love for the dead girl upstairs, my love for my father, my loyalty to my new pack, the love for my other brothers, my hatred for my enemies, my home, my name, my self--disconnected from me in that second--snip, snip, snip--and floated up into space.
I was not left drifting. A new string held me where I was.
Not one string, but a million. Not strings, but steel cables. A million steel cables all tying me to one thing--to the very center of the universe.
I could see that now--how the universe swirled around this one point. I'd never seen the symmetry of the universe before, but now it was plain.
The gravity of the earth no longer tied me to the place where I stood.
It was the baby girl in the blond vampire's arms that held me here now.
Renesmee.
Breaking Dawn BOOK THREE
19. SMASHING PUMPKINS, "TODAY"
Chapter 20 Everything was so clear.
Sharp. Defined.
The brilliant light overhead was still blinding-bright, and yet I could plainly see the glowing strands of the filaments inside the bulb. I could see each color of the rainbow in the white light, and, at the very edge of the spectrum, an eighth color I had no name for.
20. RIGHT SAID FRED, "I'M TOO SEXY"
Chapter 20 My first reaction was an unthinking pleasure. The alien creature in the glass was indisputably beautiful, every bit as beautiful as Alice or Esme. She was fluid even in stillness, and her flawless face was pale as the moon against the frame of her dark, heavy hair. Her limbs were smooth and strong, skin glistening subtly, luminous as a pearl.
21. THE TEMPER TRAP, "SWEET DISPOSITION"
Chapter 27 And I was euphoric the vast majority of the time. The days were not long enough for me to get my fill of adoring my daughter; the nights did not have enough hours to satisfy my need for Edward.
22. LINKIN PARK, "PTS.OF.ATHRTY"
Chapter 28 "The Volturi," Alice moaned.
"All of them," Edward groaned at the same time.
"Why?" Alice whispered to herself. "How?"
"When?" Edward whispered.
"Why?" Esme echoed.
"When?" Jasper repeated in a voice like splintering ice.
Alice's eyes didn't blink, but it was as if a veil covered them; they became perfectly blank. Only her mouth held on to her expression of horror.
"Not long," she and Edward said together. Then she spoke alone. "There's snow on the forest, snow on the town. Little more than a month."
23. 3 DOORS DOWN, "DUCK AND RUN"
Chapter 29 "I'm not going down without a fight," Emmett snarled low under his breath. "Alice told us what to do. Let's get it done."
The others nodded with determined expressions, and I realized that they were banking on whatever chance Alice had given us. That they were not going to give in to hopelessness and wait to die.
Yes, we all would fight. What else was there? And apparently we would involve others, because Alice had said so before she'd left us. How could we not follow Alice's last warning? The wolves, too, would fight with us for Renesmee.
We would fight, they would fight, and we all would die.
We would fight, they would fight, and we all would die.
24. SIMON AND GARFUNKEL, "HAZY SHADE OF WINTER"
Chapter 33 And then my smile faded. Alice had sent me here for a reason, and I was sure it was to protect Renesmee. Her last gift to me. The one thing she would know I needed...
It was as I had suspected. We couldn't win. But we must have a good shot at killing Demetri before we lost, giving Renesmee the chance to run.
My still heart felt like a boulder in my chest--a crushing weight. All my hope faded like fog in the sunshine. My eyes pricked.
25. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, "I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK"
Chapter 35 Edward cocked one eyebrow as I approached, but otherwise did not remark on my accessory or Renesmee's. He just put his arms tight around us both for one long moment and then, with a deep sigh, let us go. I couldn't see a goodbye anywhere in his eyes. Maybe he had more hope for something after this life than he'd let on.
26. MUSE, "INTRO [ABSOLUTION]"
Chapter 35 Another minute ticked by, and I found myself straining to hear some sound of approach.
And then Edward stiffened and hissed low between his clenched teeth. His eyes focused on the forest due north of where we stood.
We stared where he did, and waited as the last seconds passed.
27. MUSE, "TAKE A BOW"
Chapter 36 They came with pageantry, with a kind of beauty.
They came in a rigid, formal formation. They moved together, but it was not a march; they flowed in perfect synchronicity from the trees--a dark, unbroken shape that seemed to hover a few inches above the white snow, so smooth was the advance.
The outer perimeter was gray; the color darkened with each line of bodies until the heart of the formation was deepest black. Every face was cowled, shadowed. The faint brushing sound of their feet was so regular it was like music, a complicated beat that never faltered.
At some sign I did not see--or perhaps there was no sign, only millennia of practice--the configuration folded outward. The motion was too stiff, too square to resemble the opening of a flower, though the color suggested that; it was the opening of a fan, graceful but very angular. The gray-cloaked figures spread to the flanks while the darker forms surged precisely forward in the center, each movement closely controlled.
Their progress was slow but deliberate, with no hurry, no tension, no anxiety.
Their progress was slow but deliberate, with no hurry, no tension, no anxiety. It was the pace of the invincible.
28. MUSE, "ASSASSIN"
Garrett's perspective
Chapter 37 "We have the answer to all these questions. We heard it in Aro's lying words--we have one with a gift of knowing such things for certain--and we see it now in Caius's eager smile. Their guard is just a mindless weapon, a tool in their masters' quest for domination.
"So now there are more questions, questions that you must answer. Who rules you, nomads? Do you answer to someone's will besides your own? Are you free to choose your path, or will the Volturi decide how you will live?
"I came to witness. I stay to fight. The Volturi care nothing for the death of the child. They seek the death of our free will."
He turned, then, to face the ancients. "So come, I say! Let's hear no more lying rationalizations. Be honest in your intents as we will be honest in ours. We will defend our freedom. You will or will not attack it. Choose now, and let these witnesses see the true issue debated here."
29. OK GO, "INVINCIBLE"
Chapter 38 I could taste it as soon as it touched my shield--it had a dense, sweet, cloying flavor. It made me remember dimly the numbness of Novocain on my tongue.
The mist curled upward, seeking a breach, a weakness. It found none. The fingers of searching haze twisted upward and around, trying to find a way in, and in the process illustrating the astonishing size of
the protective screen.
There were gasps on both sides of Benjamin's gorge.
"Well done, Bella!" Benjamin cheered in a low voice.
My smile returned.
I could see Alec's narrowed eyes, doubt on his face for the first time as his mist swirled harmlessly around the edges of my shield.
And then I knew that I could do this. Obviously, I would be the number-one priority, the first one to die, but as long as I held, we were on more than equal footing with the Volturi. We still had Benjamin and Zafrina; they had no supernatural help at all. As long as I held.
30. TRAVIS, "SAFE"
Chapter 38 "Forever," I promised her.
We had forever. And Nessie was going to be fine and healthy and strong. Like the half-human Nahuel, in a hundred and fifty years she would still be young. And we would all be together.
Happiness expanded like an explosion inside me--so extreme, so violent that I wasn't sure I'd survive it.
31. ELBOW, "ONE DAY LIKE THIS"
Chapter 39 "Bella!" Edward whispered in shock.
I knew it was working then, so I concentrated even harder, dredging up the specific memories I'd saved for this moment, letting them flood my mind, and hopefully his as well.
Some of the memories were not clear--dim human memories, seen through weak eyes and heard through weak ears: the first time I'd seen his face... the way it felt when he'd held me in the meadow... the sound of his voice through the darkness of my faltering consciousness when he'd saved me from James... his face as he waited under a canopy of flowers to marry me... every precious moment from the island... his cold hands touching our baby through my skin...
And the sharp memories, perfectly recalled: his face when I'd opened my eyes to my new life, to the endless dawn of immortality... that first kiss... that first night...
And the sharp memories, perfectly recalled: his face when I'd opened my eyes to my new life, to the endless dawn of immortality... that first kiss... that first night...
"I heard you," he breathed. "How? How did you do that?"
"Zafrina's idea. We practiced with it a few times."
He was dazed. He blinked twice and shook his head.
"Now you know," I said lightly, and shrugged. "No one's ever loved anyone as much as I love you."
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
1. MUSE, "YES PLEASE"
Page 55 It was impossible to mistake the noise. The boom boom boom of the bass, the video-game soundtrack, the snarling. Totally our crowd.
Page 83 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.
2. YEAH YEAH YEAHS, "HEADS WILL ROLL"
Page 9 I turned off my brain. It was time to hunt. I took a deep breath, drawing in the scent of the blood inside the humans below. They weren't the only humans around, but they were the closest. Who you were going to hunt was the kind of decision you had to make before you scented your prey. It was too late now to choose anything.
3. WHITE RABBITS, "MIDNIGHT AND I"
Page 13 I followed him up the alley wall, and then we swung across the girders under the freeway. The lights from the cars below didn't touch us. I thought how stupid people were, how oblivious, and I was glad I wasn't one of the clueless.
4. THE THERMALS, "NOW WE CAN SEE"
Page 35 We sat in silence, pondering this. I mostly thought about how much I didn't know. And why hadn't I worried about everything I didn't know before now? It was like talking to Diego had cleared my head. For the first time in three months, blood was not the main thing in there.
5. HA HA TONKA, "FALLING IN"
Diego's perspective
Pages 49-50 Diego grinned at me, his face beautiful with light, and suddenly, with a deep lurch in my stomach, I realized that the whole BFF thing was way off the mark. For me, anyway. It was just that fast.
His grin softened a little bit into just the hint of a smile. His eyes were wide like mine. All awe and lights. He touched my face, the way he'd touched my hand, as if he was trying to understand the shine.
"So pretty," he said. He left his hand against my cheek.
6. THE DEAD WEATHER, "ROCKING HORSE"
Pages 57-58 "I see the little girl made it, too," said a new voice, and I shuddered because it was Raoul. I felt a little bit of relief that he didn't know my name, but mostly I just felt horrified that he'd noticed me at all.
"Yeah, she followed me." I couldn't see Diego, but I knew he was shrugging.
"Aren't you the savior of the hour?" Raoul said snidely.
"We don't get extra points for being morons."...
"Interesting attitude you got, Diego. You think that Riley likes you so much he's gonna care if I kill you. I think you're wrong. But either way, for tonight, he already thinks you're dead."
7. REFUSED, "NEW NOISE"
Page 113 Riley had better control of them than I had thought possible.
Still, it was mostly repetition. I noticed Riley saying the same things over and over and over again. Work together, watch your back, don't go at her head-on; work together, watch your back, don't go at him head-on; work together, watch your back, don't go at her head-on. It was kind of ridiculous, really, and made the group seem exceptionally stupid. But I was sure I would have been just as stupid if I'd been in the thick of the fight with them rather than watching calmly from the sidelines with Fred.
It reminded me in a way of how Riley had drilled into us our fear of the sun. Constant repetition.
8. BLUE OCTOBER, "WHAT IF WE COULD"
Pages 89-90 And I suddenly realized something stupendously obvious. It was the solution that had tickled the edges of my understanding before, when I was tracking the vampire herd to this place with Diego....
We didn't have to come back the other night! We shouldn't have! Why hadn't I thought of it then?...
We could disappear, and Riley would have to make do with nineteen vampires, or make some new ones quick. Either way, not our problem.
I couldn't wait to tell Diego my plan. My gut instinct was that he would feel the same. Hopefully.
9. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, "SICK, SICK, SICK"
Pages 105-106 His face was not twisted in rage, the way it usually was when he was angry; it was calm and cold, smooth and beautiful, his mouth curled at the edges into a small smile. I suddenly had the impression that this was a new Riley. Something had changed him, hardened him, but I couldn't imagine what could have happened in one night to create that cruel, perfect smile.
10. SILVERSUN PICKUPS, "THE ROYAL WE"
Page 115 Kristie and Raoul growled, and both of their companies followed suit immediately. I was surprised to see it, but they did look like an army in that moment. Not that they were marching in formation or anything, but there was just something uniform about the response. Like they all were part of one big organism.
I could see that the idea of a real fight--of being not only allowed but encouraged to rip and burn--was almost as exciting as hunting.
Pages 133-134 It took them a minute, but everyone started to realize that this was it, and they got quieter and more fierce. I could see that the idea of a real fight--of being not only allowed but encouraged to rip and burn--was almost as exciting as hunting. It appealed to people like Raoul and Jen and Sara.
11. MEESE, "COUNT ME OUT"
Fred's perspective
Pages 136-137 "You're not going?"
Fred shook his head. "Of course not. It's obvious we're not being told what we need to know. I'm not going to be Riley's pawn.... I'm out. I'm going to explore on my own, see the world."
12. METRIC, "BLINDNESS"
Page 143 But it didn't feel like I had a choice. I headed south in a flat-out sprint again. I had to go get Diego. Drag him away if it came to that. We could catch up with Fred. Or take off on our own. We needed to run. I would tell Diego how Riley had lied. He would see that
Riley had no intention of helping us fight the battle he'd set up. There was no reason to help him anymore....
And then I heard the snarling and screaming and screeching explode from ahead and I knew the fight was happening and I was too late to beat Diego there. I only ran faster. Maybe I could still save him.
13. DAN MANGAN, "SET THE SAILS"
Pages 162-163 I was of two minds about survival anyway. I didn't want to die, I didn't want pain, but what was the point? Everyone else was dead. Diego had been dead for days.
His name was right on my lips. I almost whispered it aloud. Instead, I gripped my skull with both hands and tried to think about something that wouldn't hurt.
One of the things I most enjoy about Twilight fans is their creativity. I remember the first time I saw a piece of original artwork inspired by my book.... I was speechless. I was so flattered and impressed by the talent and effort that had been spent on illustrating my story. Since then, I've seen thousands of original drawings, paintings, and even videos, and I always love getting to experience what the fans are seeing in their heads when they read. Here is just a small sample of the talent and imagination that the fans bring to the Twilight world.
THE CULLENS
RINIAN
BELLA AND EDWARD
STEPHANIE MARTIN ("ANYAE")
BELLA SWAN
JESSICA TANNER ("SILIVRENSTAR")
EDWARD CULLEN
KATRI NAYOUNG ("ROHANELF")
YOUNG JACOB BLACK
KIM KINCAID
BELLA x JACOB--ECLIPSE
LEEN ISABEL ("LENITY")
JACOB AND BELLA--SUNNY DAYS