party

I was pretty sure I was dreaming.

For one thing, I was standing in a shaft of sunlight. Which would be totally normal, if I didn't live in Forks, Washington, where it rains ninety-five percent of the year. For another, I was staring at my Grandpa Marty. Gramps had been dead for six years now.

Gramps looked about the way I remembered him, with leathery skin that folded away from his blue eyes like an elephant, slightly mussed white hair sticking up in a halo around his head.

We both blinked simultaneously, and then the corners of his old mouth spread into a wide grin at the same time mine did. I was suddenly filled with questions. What had he been up to these past years? How was Gran, and had they been reunited in the afterlife? However, I paused as I noticed he'd opened his mouth too, and I held back to let him go ahead and tell me at his own speed. He hesitated too, and we both grinned a little sheepishly.

"Beau?"

I paused, as it wasn't Gramps who had said my name. I definitely knew that voice—I'd know it awake or asleep, or even dead, probably. The voice of an angel I'd go through hell and back for—or at least slog through endless cold and rain on a daily basis.

Normally, any day I saw Edythe Cullen was a good day. However, I could feel the sunshine blaring against the top of my head, and a stab of panic shot through me.

Vampires didn't burn up in the sun, but they did studiously keep out of it around ordinary humans. Vampires were the ultimate predators, made in every way to be alluring to their human prey. When a vampire stepped into the sun, their pale skin refracted sunbeams like a prism, turning them from an almost human-looking being, to something that looked deceptively like a god.

Naturally, Gramps didn't know Edythe was a vampire. This wasn't exactly the way I had pictured introducing my girlfriend—especially since no humans were technically supposed to know they existed. That was why Edythe and her family lived in Forks, where it was overcast almost all the time. But Edythe's lips spread into a smile, showing her dimples, without a hint of worry, like she might if it was only me standing here.

I suddenly had a wish that I'd never had before, that Edythe could use her mysterious power to read minds to read mine. But I'd always been the one exception, so of course she didn't hear my mental shout of warning.

I turned my head with shock and terror to see that Gramps was giving me a startled look tinged with horror.

Edythe came to a stop beside me, and slipped a slender arm around my waist, taking my hand with the other. She smiled up at me and, in spite of myself, I felt my heart give a familiar lurch of pleasure. I felt the corner of my mouth turn up automatically.

I glanced back at Gramps to gauge his reaction, prepared to explain everything, but to my surprise, the horror was gone from his face, and the end of his old wizened mouth had turned up in a slight smile, his blue eyes round with just a hint of wonder.

His arm was hanging down at his side, and I noticed for the first time that the fingers were curled unnaturally inward, as though he were holding some invisible object. Like they were laced through invisible fingers.

I blinked, and as my gaze moved I saw for the first time my grandpa stood surrounded by a giant black frame. Without thinking, I felt the hand that wasn't in Edythe's lift up and drift toward Gramps. Gramps mirrored the movement back at me, in perfect sync. Where the tips of our fingers met, I felt cold glass.

Edythe, who cast no reflection, turned to look at me, and she stretched herself up, and I felt her perfect lips touch my sandpaper cheek.

"Happy birthday, Beau," she said softly.

I awoke with a jolt. My gaze fell on the window, through which dreary gray light filtered down, replacing the brilliant light of the dream. Just a dream.

I jumped when my alarm went off and nearly knocked it off my bedside table. I stared at the glowing red letters in the bottom corner of the display. September the thirteenth.

I groaned and rolled back over, throwing my pillow over my head.

For most guys, an eighteenth birthday would be a good thing. The world transitioned seeing a boy to recognizing you as a man. You didn't need to get parents to sign permission forms anymore, and you could move out at any time without any legal hassle.

All through the happiest summer I'd ever had in my life, I'd been dreading this day.

Of course, as I looked in the mirror as I brushed my teeth and quickly pulled a comb through my uncooperative hair, I didn't see anything different. Same blue eyes, same unhealthy pale skin and thick dark hair. But at eighteen, I was already older than Edythe would ever be.

Maybe it was a bit dramatic to start worrying about my turning into Gramps right now, but I couldn't quite get the picture my subconscious had dredged up out of my mind. Maybe it was a long way off, but as Edythe and I planned to be together forever, it would come someday. I shivered at the thought.

Not wanting to have to force myself to act excited and happy around Charlie—my dad—I skipped breakfast and went straight out to my truck. However, he was already outside and caught me on the way, so I did my best to plaster on a grin as he gave me the presents I had definitely told him not to get.

I slowly pulled into the parking lot behind Forks High School and carefully maneuvered my truck into a vacant spot. My eyes automatically scanned the area, until they at last settled on what I was looking for, and I let out the barest breath of relief.

Leaning quite motionless against a shiny silver Volvo was Edythe, her inhumanly glorious features accentuated even in the dull, gray natural light of Forks.

Of course, all vampires were beautiful, with ivory skin and sleepless dark crescents beneath their eyes, and moved with a kind of eerily smooth grace. Edythe and all her brothers and sisters—or so all of Forks believed they were brothers and sisters, taken care of by the young couple of Dr. Carine Cullen and her husband Earnest—all shared the same physical traits, the same beauty. However, for some reason that I could never explain, least of all to myself, Edythe had been the one to draw my attention from the start. Maybe I should have been afraid of her as dangerous—that unnatural beauty all vampires shared was part of their equipment as predators, to lure in their prey, and there were definitely times when I was around some other members of her family I'd suddenly felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. But Edythe—Edythe was Edythe. Somehow, I couldn't be afraid of her.

I stared at her across the parking lot, as always, hardly able to believe that she was real and that she was here. And even more amazing, waiting for me.

Standing next to her, bouncing on the balls of his feet, was her brother Archie. He was holding something under his arm which, I thought as I surveyed him through narrowed eyes, looked suspiciously like a package.

I got out of the truck, slamming the door behind me, and headed on over.

"Hey, man," called Archie as he came to meet me partway, grinning. "It's that day. What are you going to do first? Join the military? Go out and buy a pack of American Spirits?"

I glowered at him, but he only grinned back, unperturbed. Probably he had seen what my reaction was going to be ahead of time, and had been looking forward to it. Some vampires, when they were created, were born with special powers. Edythe could hear the thoughts of anyone within a certain range, and Archie saw visions of the future.

Archie thrust the package toward me. "Want to open it now?" he asked, still grinning. "Or later?"

By way of answer, I folded my arms across my chest, and turned wordlessly toward the school doors.

"What did you think of that photobook your mom got you? And the camera from your old man?"

I sighed and grumbled to myself a little. Even if I knew all about Archie's powers, sometimes they were still hard to get used to. "Yeah...they're not bad, I guess."

"Great idea, right?" he said as we walked. "You're only going to be a senior once."

"How many times have you been a senior?" I asked dubiously.

Archie grinned, hands shoved in his pockets. "That's different."

We reached the Volvo then, where Edythe still stood. She smiled up at me, her eyes the color of liquid honey, then slipped her hand into mine. I felt my mood lift just a fraction.

"So," she said. "As discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a happy birthday. Correct?"

"Correct," I answered vehemently, trying to imitate her formal way of speaking, and failing. The kind of cadence of her speech was only something that could be picked up in an earlier century.

"I just thought I would check. Most normal people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts."

Archie laughed, cutting in. "Oh, he'll enjoy it, don't worry about that. He's just being cranky because there's nowhere in this town he can actually buy American Spirits."

"You're planning to take up smoking, Beau?" Edythe asked, with a definite note of concern.

I shot Archie a poisonous look and said quickly, "Don't listen to him. I'm not a moron. I do badly enough in the gym without coating my lungs in tar, too." However, as I turned to look at Edythe earnestly, I saw her eyes were twinkling.

"Actually," Archie said seriously, "the real reason he doesn't want to celebrate his birthday is that it means he's one year older than you, Edy."

I could feel the ugly red splotches creeping up my neck, and I shot him a glare. So much for the man code. He wasn't supposed to go around blurting stuff like that out.

"It's just one year," Edythe said lightly, squeezing my hand a little. As always, her fingers were cold as ice and hard as stone.

I looked down at her. Technically, she was right, it was just one year, and most people couldn't have told the difference between seventeen years and an eighteen years. If there was a definite plan in the works to let me join the Cullens—not as a human, but as truly one of them—then it wouldn't be a big deal. But Edythe was set absolutely, positively against it. I wasn't becoming a vampire, and that was final. And as long as Edythe stuck to her guns, that future of Gramps-me was getting closer all the time.

"So," said Archie, cutting into my thoughts. "What time you going to be at the house?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I didn't know I had plans to be there."

Archie slapped me lightly on the back, causing me to double up, wheezing.

"Come on, don't be like that, man. We've got it all planned. Big shindig."

"I thought birthdays were supposed to be about getting what you want," I grumbled.

"He'll be there," Edythe promised, lips turning up and looking just a little mischievous. "From Charlie's, right after school. I'll make sure of it."

"I've got work," I argued.

Archie waved a hand dismissively. "Already taken care of. Called Mrs. Newton and she went ahead and traded your shift. Nice lady. She told me to wish you 'Happy Birthday.'"

I gritted my teeth. I was starting to feel like one of Charlie's fish on a hook, thrashing wildly as I was slowly, inexorably reeled in toward my doom.

"Can't come," I insisted again. "I've got English homework."

Archie looked mystified. "English homework?" he said blankly. He turned to Edythe.

She smiled a little. "Everyone is supposed to watch the play Romeo and Juliet by next class. The nineteen-sixties version."

Archie looked aghast. "And just how many guys in your class does this teacher think is actually going to go home and sit through it? Edy, you can't let him torture himself that way. As his girlfriend, you're obligated to get him out of it any way possible. You know what the teacher is going to ask on the pop quiz, just give him the answers."

Edythe laughed, as always the sound like a musical choir. "As unethical as that would be, I do see your point." She turned her gaze up to me, topaz eyes sparkling. "Question number one—"

I had to look away from her to keep my head clear and my purpose set. Between spending the afternoon watching Romeo and Juliet for class and spending the evening at the Cullen's, trying to pretend to be happy about taking one step closer to assisted living, I knew which one I'd prefer.

"Really," I said, cutting her off. "I don't mind Romeo and Juliet, it's okay. I'll just watch it."

Archie folded his arms, and for the first time, started to look just a touch annoyed. "Look, man, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice. But if I don't see your scrawny butt at the house—"

Edythe cut him off. "Relax, Archie. It's Beau's birthday, he can watch Romeo and Juliet if he wants to."

"That's right," I agreed quickly. "What she said."

Edythe went on, "I'll bring him over around seven. That will give you time to set up."

Archie's smile was instantly back. "Cool. See you then, man. It'll be a riot." He was already on his way down the walk, humming to himself, before I could even think to respond.

I shot Edythe a look of severe disapproval, but I couldn't keep it up as she smiled brightly, showing her dimples, and leaving me helplessly spellbound.

"I really don't want to," I muttered sullenly, eyes on the sidewalk.

Edythe touched my cheek briefly with the back of her hand. "Let's talk about it later," she said. "We'll be late for class."

When Edythe and I had first started dating, it had been the subject of a lot of gossip. One, because the Cullens had always kept to themselves, and Edythe had always been cool and standoffish toward guys. Two, because she was jaw-droppingly beautiful and everyone who saw us together knew I was way, way out of her league. However, we'd been together long enough now that no one whispered as we passed anymore.

Edythe and I took up our usual seats at the back of the class. These days, pretty much all our classes were together. I didn't know the details, but Edythe had used her influence and powers of persuasion to wangle it somehow, and I wasn't going to complain.

McKayla gave me a smile and a wave as she passed me on the way to her seat. I was relieved to have our relationship back to friendly. Right after Edythe and I started dating, I'd thought McKayla seemed a little downcast and gloomy whenever she looked in my direction. Edythe had cheerfully informed me that McKayla absolutely hated her guts, and worried I was too nice a guy to get eaten alive by a black widow. I was hopeful that McKayla was getting past that now.

As the day went by, I plotted ways of getting out of letting Edythe drag me down to her house. Normally I liked going down to the Cullens; they were all so welcoming I'd almost started to feel like one of Dr. Cullen's adopted sons myself. But today, I really wasn't in the mood to celebrate.

I was also just a little peeved that apparently no one had listened to me when I explicitly said no presents. I'd expected Charlie and my mom to ignore me, which they had, but the idea of the Cullens all throwing gifts at me made me grimace.

I was used to being the poor guy—my mom had raised me on a kindergarten teacher's salary, and I'd learned how to pinch pennies practically out of diapers. Now that I was in Forks, Charlie's income from his job as the police chief wasn't a whole lot better, though I made a little cash working at a sporting goods store on the edge of town, owned by McKayla's parents, and I horded it away for college, just in case I actually ended up going. But, not having a lot of money to throw around had never really bothered me.

By contrast, the Cullen were rolling in wealth—money didn't mean a whole lot to immortals a century and more old, and when one of you had an unreal ability to predict trends in the stock market—and I knew if I let her, Edythe would have me driving a red Ferrari, going out to expensive restaurants in Seattle every night ("If you're worried they're looking at you funny, we can make it look like you paid, Beau, even if, as I said, it isridiculous to get caught up in antiquated gender roles"), and when I was out of high school, send me to Harvard or Princeton, fully paid.

"Beau," Edythe had said at one point, her growing exasperation obvious, "if this is about some male-ego related desire for self-sufficiency, then I respect you for that, but why can't you just let me spend my money where I want to? If you at least let me get you a nicer car, I wouldn't have to constantly worry about you having a breakdown out in the middle of the countryside."

I didn't think it had anything to do with a male ego, or even the man code I'd made up, and was sure even if things were reversed and Edythe was the guy and I was the girl, I still wouldn't be able to stomach the idea of having money spent on me like that. The thing was that we were already so out of balance. Edythe was beautiful, extravagantly wealthy, and supernaturally powerful. She had stepped in to save my life at least three times that I could count, and was constantly looking out for my safety. Me—I was an awkward dork who couldn't spend a day in gym class without falling on my face and taking a few people with me. The fact that she had singled me out, taken an interest in me, was still a mystery to me even now. I never felt like I was really giving anything back, and having her showering me with money would only make it that much worse.

For lunch, Edythe, Archie and I sat at our usual table, at the far end on the same table with some of our other friends, Jeremy and Allen, McKayla, Erica, Taylor, and Logan. Now that the older Cullen siblings, Jessamine, Royal, and Eleanor, had all graduated, it felt more natural for Edythe and Archie to sit closer to the others, though the three of us still remained a little apart.

When school was over, Edythe walked over with me to my truck, the way she usually did, but this time I couldn't help but notice she headed straight for the driver's side door, and pointed me in the direction of the passenger side. I guessed Archie had taken the Volvo, leaving Edythe to act as my parole officer to keep me from trying to make a break for it.

"You're seriously going to drive my truck?" I said, looking at her in disbelief. "Shouldn't I get to drive? It is my...you know."

Edythe raised her eyebrows. "But I thought we were pretending it wasn't your birthday," she said archly.

"Yeah well," I muttered. "I want to drive." I added hopefully after a minute, "Unless we can cancel going to your house after."

Edythe smiled. "Sorry, Beau." She stepped away from the driver's side cab and walked around to the other. "All yours."

I climbed inside and slammed the door behind me. I looked over at my passenger.

"Seat belts," I announced.

Edythe looked back at me like I was crazy. If we were in a crash, even if my truck wasn't a monster that I privately thought could go up against a semi and come out smiling, Edythe would walk away without a scratch.

"Really, Beau?"

"Seat belt," I said again. With a sigh, she reached back and snapped the buckle into place.

As I backed out of the parking lot and started off in the direction of my house, Edythe twiddled with the truck radio.

"I don't think I've ever heard reception this bad," she mused.

I'd been feeling stressed since I'd learned about Archie's plans, and I wasn't in the mood to listen to people diss my truck.

"If you wanted to listen to a nice stereo, maybe you should have taken your own car."

Edythe glanced up at me, and I could tell she was fighting a smile.

When at last I pulled the truck into Charlie's driveway, we sat there for a moment in silence.

"You really should be in a good mood," Edythe said matter-of-factly. "Today of all days."

"Yeah, well," I muttered.

Edythe eyed me for a moment, and her eyes seemed to burn like molten gold. Her lips flickered into a smile. She leaned across the middle seat, and I realized I was leaning back toward her.

"Here's something," she said softly, and I felt the taste of her sweet breath on my face. I stopped breathing.

She reached up with her small ivory hands, and cupped my face between them. Her palms were frigid and hard as ice blocks, but she held me very gently, as though holding something made of glass. "Close your eyes, Beau," she murmured.

I obediently did as I was told. I felt her breath on my nose and mouth a moment before her cold, hard lips briefly pressed against mine. A moment later she pulled back, releasing my face.

I looked at her dizzily for a moment, an electric thrill pulsing through my system and my heart hammering in my chest. When I'd finally found my voice again, I said dazedly, "And...that's it?"

Edythe smiled. "That's it. Because you still haven't learned to be good, Beau."

Edythe had drawn very exacting physical lines between us, mainly for my own safety. Vampires all had superhuman strength, not to mention an ever present thirst for human blood, and there was something about the smell of my blood that made the temptation particularly hard for Edythe. As Edythe had described it, my blood was her brand of heroin. The first time we really ran into each other at Forks high school, Edythe had sat rigid in her seat, glaring at me like I was a demon from hell, and she had told me later she had been plotting dozens of ways to lure me away from the safety of the others so she could suck me dry. But out of some sense of humanity that she was able to hold onto, even under the onslaught of her vampire instincts at their most potent, instead she'd walked away, leaving me to go about my ordinary, humdrum life.

I knew even now the temptation to eat me was still there, at the back of her mind. A part of me knew this should probably disturb me, but somehow, when I tried to stop and examine how I really felt, I just wasn't afraid of Edythe, and couldn't be even if I tried. Of course, that was part of why I had a tendency to make things harder on her. Edythe tried to avoid being too close, but sometimes I'd found my body doing things I hadn't commanded it to do.

"It is my birthday," I said.

But Edythe only laughed, and pushed the side door open. "Come on, Beau. Let's go watch a sappy, tragic romance."

I had already stopped by a little shop the day before to buy the movie, and I quickly tore off the wrapping and slotted the disc into the machine, where it whirred to life.

Edythe had already gone to sit on the couch, and I went to sit beside her, remote in hand. Edythe turned, so that she draped her legs over mine, and reached out to take my hand to hold it. Even through the legs of my trousers, I felt the ice of where we came into contact.

Trying not to let myself get too distracted, I skipped ahead through the credits to the home menu, then hit the play button.

I knew I'd studied Romeo and Juliet in school before, and as Romeo appeared in the first scene I tried to mentally line up the order of events.

"I never did care for Romeo," said Edythe presently, interrupting my studious thoughts. "In fact, I always found him to be a rather pathetic, even reprehensible figure."

I glanced over at her, feeling my brow draw down a little. Romeo had never been my favorite fictional character, but somehow, as a guy myself, I wasn't sure how to feel about that. Weren't girls supposed to see Romeo as the kind of ultimate prince in shining armor? "What's wrong with him?"

Edythe raised her free hand, fingers splayed, and began ticking off the reasons. "Well, first there's that other girl, Rosaline. Surprisingly quick to change the identity of the one true love of his life, our Romeo. Then there's the obvious plain lack of common sense—killing the cousin of his new wife, you think he would have foreseen the trouble that was liable to cause. Not to mention he was a cradle robber. Juliet was what—thirteen?"

By now I was starting to get into the story as one of the early confrontations between the Capulets and Montagues started up, and found myself a little annoyed. "It's just a play. You're not supposed to take it seriously."

I turned surreptitiously in Edythe's direction briefly, and saw her gaze was focused entirely on me instead of the film, and her eyes seemed to twinkle with amusement at my reaction.

"Are you going to watch the movie?" I asked, frowning.

Edythe was smiling slightly. "No, I'm going to watch you," she said, unabashed.

Feeling the familiar red color creeping up my neck and not sure how to respond, I turned back to the screen. A moment later, I felt a cool arm slide around behind my waist, and I rested an arm on her slender shoulders. I wondered if Archie was really right, and absolutely none of the guys in our English class would actually watch the film. If so, it was their loss. It was a good date movie.

Edythe stayed quiet then, and in spite of myself, I didn't have a lot of trouble getting sucked into the drama of the narrative. I got a little choked up when Romeo heard of his love's death, and entered the crypt where she lay, vial of poison from the apothecary in hand.

"Lack of brilliance, once again," Edythe murmured, cutting into my thoughts one more time. "If he was going to do it, he ought to have made absolutely certain first. If he had only waited a few minutes, so much pain could have been avoided."

I glanced at her. "He did try," I pointed out. "He went to her crypt. She was cold, she wasn't breathing. How was he supposed to know?"

Edythe was still holding my hand, and she traced a fingernail along the skin between my thumb and forefinger. "I suppose," she said. Her eyes flickered to the screen. She added thoughtfully, "I have to admit, however, I envy him a bit here. And Juliet, both."

I stared back at her, mystified. "Because they both died gruesome, horrible deaths thanks to a misunderstanding?"

Edythe laughed, the sound like music. "No, I mean how easily they were able to die when they chose to. Humans are more fortunate than they know. All Romeo needed was a little vial of plant extracts, and Juliet, a small dagger."

I looked at her for a long moment, not sure what she was getting at. "What do you mean?"

Edythe's lips were still curled in that same smile, but her tawny eyes glinted with a hint of steel. "I had to think about it once," she said softly. "Our kind...dying isn't so easy. You remember Carine's story, how she tried to kill herself when she first realized what she had become. But she couldn't."

I had gone very still, the movie forgotten. "What do you mean, you had to think about it once?" I said slowly.

Edythe tilted her head to one side, smile still in place, but her eyes almost hard. When she spoke, her tone was teasing, but her voice was quiet. "Last spring, when you were almost...killed." She paused, eyes not moving from mine. "Of course, we were determined to save you, but at the back of my mind, I had to start making contingency plans. Just in case. Like I said, it's not easy for a vampire to die—or whatever it is we do."

My mind suddenly shot back to Phoenix. The ballet room, where a sadistic vampire who loved nothing more than the thrill of the hunt and inciting other worthy foes to give chase and do battle with her, stood over me, smiling as she snapped my leg and smashed my ribs. I glanced down at my finger, where the crescent shaped scar of Joss's teeth was just a little cooler than the rest of my body.

"Contingency plans?" I echoed, drawing out every syllable as though I were trying to speak underwater.

"Well," she said matter-of-factly, "obviously I wasn't going to live without you. But I wasn't exactly sure how to get it done. Eleanor and Jessamine wouldn't help me, I knew that for sure, and definitely not Royal or Archie. I thought maybe I could go to Italy. Do something to provoke the Volturi."

Edythe was no longer looking at me. Her eyes were still on the television screen, but her gaze was far away.

"Volturi?" I repeated in a low, hoarse voice.

Edythe waved a hand dismissively. "The Volturi are an old vampire family. A little like royalty would be to you, I suppose. Carine lived with them briefly in Italy before she came to America."

I nodded. Edythe had shown me the paintings depicting Carine's life at the Cullen's, and I remembered one in particular, one man and three women, and a small girl. One of the figures in the painting had been Carine, while the others were named Sulpicia, Marcus—the man—Athenodora, and Mele, the girl. Nighttime patrons of the arts, so Edythe had called them.

"The Volturi rule over our kind," Edythe continued. "They make the laws to make certain we stay hidden and unknown to the human world at large. If you do anything to break those laws...you are executed, swiftly and decisively."

I was still looking at her. Maybe I should have found it romantic, or flattering or something, but I suddenly felt my temper flare.

"Look," I said. "This isn't Romeo and Juliet. You don't just run off and kill yourself for something like that. I can't believe that was even going through your mind." I felt myself calm a little and added, "But you wouldn't have gone through with it. It was just a passing thought. An emotional response or something. Right?"

Edythe looked back at me, and she didn't blink. The sleepless dark patches beneath her golden eyes seemed unusually pronounced. "I would have," she said softly, her eyes burning with intensity. "Because there would have been nothing else for me to do."

I shook my head, feeling my uncharacteristic anger return, only to be replaced by fear. Fear of the thought of her, not existing somewhere in the world. "And what if something happened to you?" I said, grasping at anything. "Would you want me to run off and pull a Romeo?"

Edythe's eyebrows contracted above her eyes, and her faintly amused expression turned to pain. "Well, no," she admitted. "But it's pointless to talk about anyway, because nothing is going to happen to you. I won't let it."

Her brooding expression softened, and when she glanced again in my direction, she suddenly grinned. "But you know, Beau. If we're comparing ourselves to Romeo and Juliet, you know you're more like Juliet, right?"

I frowned, distracted. "How so?"

Her grin widened. "Well, first of all, I'm the cradle robber."

I opened my mouth to respond—now that I was eighteen, technically I was older than she was, even if she was close to a century older than me in actual years—but Edythe abruptly let go of my hand and swiveled so her legs came off of mine, sitting next to me with her back straight and hands clasped in her lap like a proper young lady.

"Charlie?" I guessed.

"Almost to the driveway," she said, smiling back.

A moment later I heard the crunch of the police cruiser as it pulled up to the house and the slam of a car door as my dad got out and headed up the drive.

Charlie came in with a pizza box in his hand and a grin on his face. "Hey," he said. "Thought you might like a break from washing dishes and cooking for your birthday." Looking at Edythe, he added, "I swear, he'd make someone a good housewife."

"Dad," I grumbled as Edythe laughed.

Charlie and I ate, though of course Edythe passed on dinner as she always did and spent the time making polite conversation. Charlie was used to this by now and didn't comment, but he'd told me more than once to make sure I let Edythe know she really didn't need to diet.

When we were finished, Edythe said, "Beau is going to be coming over to my family's house this evening, they have a few plans lined up. Is that all right?"

I looked at Charlie, suddenly hoping that he might have some concept of birthdays as stay-at-home, family affairs. This would be my first birthday with him since my mom had remarried and gone to live in Florida, so I didn't know what he thought. Maybe he would save me from whatever Archie's outrageous plans were.

"That's fine," Charlie said with a shrug. "The Mariners are playing the Sox tonight, so I wouldn't be any kind of company."

I felt myself deflate. So much for that.

"Oh," he added, "but here, take these." He picked up the camera he had gotten me, which my mom had coordinated with him so I'd have a way to fill up my photobook. He tossed it lightly to me.

A bad move, and one he ought to have known better than to try with me. It hit one of my knuckles and bounced off, tumbling toward the linoleum. Luckily Edythe bent and caught it before I could break one of my presents before I'd ever used it.

"Good one," said Charlie. "You should consider signing on the local baseball team."

"It's nothing," Edythe said modestly.

Charlie turned to me. "Take some photos while you're at the Cullens tonight. You know how your mother gets, she'll be wanting to see the pictures faster than you can take them."

Edythe handed me the camera, and I took it reluctantly. However, before I could lose my nerve, I quickly held it up and snapped a shot of her face. "It works," I said, as my excuse.

"Good," Charlie said. Then added, "And say hi to Archie while you're over there, will you? That kid hasn't been over here in a while." He frowned slightly.

I shook my head. It had barely been three days. However, Charlie had really taken a liking to Archie. Last spring when I'd been recovering from my extensive injuries, Archie had really stepped up and helped me with all the embarrassing stuff I couldn't do by myself for a while, like showering and going to the bathroom. I knew Charlie would have been willing to take care of it, but we'd always both been awkward kind of people, and I think we were both grateful not to go through that. Archie's laughter and constant jokes had almost made it bearable. "Okay, Dad, I will."

"You two have a fun night, now," he said. He was already drifting toward the living room, and I knew that was our cue to get gone.

Edythe's polite smile turned crafty, and she looked at me with triumph. "Shall we go?" she said.

Sighing, I turned and trudged after her out the door.

I let Edythe drive this time, as I always had trouble finding the little turnoff that led to the backwoods where the Cullen's house was, especially in the dark. However, I watched her suspiciously out of the corner of my eye as she edged the speedometer up over fifty, and I felt the engine of my ancient Chevy groan in protest.

"Hey," I said. "Careful. Don't push her too fast."

"You know what would suit you, Beau?" Edythe said brightly. "A nice little Audi cabriolet. Very quiet, lots of power. You could feel the wind in your hair if you wanted."

"My truck is fine," I retorted. "Besides, everyone knows you spend a fortune on upkeep and repairs on Audis. That's what you get for German made."

"Of course I'd be willing to take responsibility, and pay for repairs too," Edythe said solemnly. "Or Eleanor knows a thing or two about mechanics."

I shook my head. "No. And speaking of expensive gifts, I did tell you not to spend any money, right?"

She nodded. "Not a single dime," she promised.

"Good."

Edythe glanced over at me, as always not feeling the need to keep her eyes on the road. "Beau?" she said. "Could you do me a favor?"

I regarded her suspiciously. "What?"

She signed deeply, and looked a little downcast. "The last real birthday we celebrated was Eleanor in 1935. So if you could just...play along. Let Archie and the others have their fun."

I looked at her for a moment, and as usual, looking into her eyes I couldn't deny her anything. "Okay."

Edythe looked back at me, then suddenly bit her lip, looking a touch guilty, but also amused. "And you probably should know, Beau. When I say Archie and the others...I mean all of them."

"All?" I said suspiciously. "All? But I thought Eleanor and Royal were supposed to be in Africa." According to the Cullen's story, Eleanor and Royal had graduated last spring, and were now supposed to be away at college.

"Eleanor really wanted to be here."

"And...Royal?" I said apprehensively.

Edythe winced slightly. "He'll be on his best behavior."

I sighed. I got along with most of the Cullens pretty well, but for some reason I'd always gotten the impression Royal hated my guts. I was an outsider, an intruder into their family. I was really glad none of the other Cullens seemed to feel the same way about me, because Royal would have probably been intimidating to a six-foot-tall football star, and he was bad enough.

"Well," said Edythe, cutting into my thoughts. "If you aren't interested in the Audi, isn't there something else I can get you?"

I turned to stare back at her. I said evenly, "I think you know what I want."

A cloud passed over her brow, and she turned to look at me, her light eyes suddenly cold. "No, Beau. This isn't going to be your last birthday."

"You know it's going to happen eventually," I said.

"I know no such thing."

We were at the house now, cutting our argument short. Bright, happy light shone from every window on the first two floors. Someone had strung a series of glowing Japanese lanterns from the porch to the eaves, and a red carpet with gold trim had been laid out leading up the stairs. It reminded me of those carpets laid out for celebrities in Hollywood, where they stepped out of a limousine and were instantly surrounded on all sides by screaming fans and flashing camera bulbs. The image made me cringe.

Edythe seemed to have recovered her good humor, and she slipped a hand in mine. "Please, Beau, do try to be a good sport. This is a party we're supposed to be having."

"Sure," I muttered, eying the ostentatious gold patterns on the edge of the carpet with a deep frown.

Edythe led me up the stairs. I scrambled to try to open the door for her, but of course she got there first, and I was forced to go on in as she held it open for me.

The Cullens were all there waiting, and the moment I stepped through they all chorused at once, "Happy Birthday, Beau!" I looked down and felt the familiar red splotches creeping up my neck.

The white living room had been transformed into something that wouldn't have been out of place at a rock concert. Gothic looking black velvet drapes had been added to the windows, and spidery black ornaments with lots of sharp points hung from the ceiling. Glowing candles covered every surface, along with crystal bowls filled with chocolates, and next to Edythe's grand piano, on a surface covered in a black table cloth a giant chocolate cake had been erected with the words 'Live Free' written in a gangster scrawl. Next to that was a small pile of wrapped presents.

Shoot me, I thought.

Edythe clearly sensed my reaction, and she squeezed my hand encouragingly.

Edythe's parents, Carine and Earnest, were standing the closest to the door.

Earnest leaned forward, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry about this, Beau," he said. "We couldn't make Archie stop."

Eleanor and Royal were standing just a little behind them. Royal didn't look particularly pleased to see me, but for once he wasn't glaring. Eleanor's entire face lit up as she saw me.

"Hey, kiddo," she said, slapping me on the back. "You know, I was sort of expecting to see something different about you, now that you're an adult and all. But you're still just as scrawny and beet-faced as ever."

"Thanks a lot," I muttered, but in truth I was happy to see her. Eleanor was almost like the older sister I'd never had. She had the look of a professional bodybuilder, the kind of girl no one would ever doubt could beat up ninety-five percent of the guys in the world.

"I've got something I've got to take care of—" I could swear she met Archie's gaze for a second and winked—"but I'll be back soon. Don't trip over your own feet or anything while I'm gone, because I want a laugh too."

"I'll try."

Archie had been hanging back, holding Jessamine's hand, but now he broke away to approach me, grinning broadly. Jessamine gave me a slight smile, but she stayed back. Back when we'd been running from Joss in Phoenix, Archie, Jessamine and I had spent quite a bit of time together. I thought we'd gotten to be pretty good friends, but Jessamine seemed to have reverted back to the way she'd been when we'd first been introduced, keeping her distance from me as much as possible.

I didn't know much about Jessamine's story, except that she was the newest member of the Cullen family, and was still relatively new to the Cullen's particular non-human-eating way of life. She didn't have as much practice resisting the allure of the scent of human blood as the others.

"Okay," said Archie, clapping his hands together. "I think it's time for presents."

"I think I told you not to get me anything," I told him, scowling in his direction.

"And obviously we ignored you," he said, grinning back. He snatched away my camera, which I was still holding uncertainly, and replaced it with a big box, wrapped in black wrapping paper. "Go on, man."

The box was so light it actually felt empty. I looked at the tag and saw it was a joint present, from Eleanor, Royal, and Jessamine. Keeping my eyes down, I began tearing into the wrapping, revealing a box with a long string of numbers in the name of whatever it was. It looked like something electrical. Curiously, I drew back the lid, but found the box really was empty.

"Uh, thanks," I said.

Royal actually smiled a little, and Jessamine gave a low tinkling laugh.

"It's a stereo," Jessamine explained in her soft voice. "For your truck. Eleanor's installing it as we speak, so I'm afraid you won't be able to return it."

I realized I actually was happy at the thought, and laughed as I remembered Edythe's disparaging comments about my radio. A setup, apparently.

"Thanks," I said, grinning. "That's great, guys." I thought I heard Eleanor's rich laugh from outside by my truck.

"Next is Edy's and mine," said Archie, grinning. He waved a small silver package in my face.

Eleanor had come back in, and was grinning from ear to ear. "Just finished," she said. "Wasn't going to miss this." She crowded in beside Jessamine, and Jessamine wandered a little closer than usual to get a look too.

"Hey," I said, turning to Edythe with a frown. "You said—"

"And I didn't," Edythe answered, cutting me off. "Not a dime."

I sighed and took the package from Archie.

I held it up for a moment, trying to guess what it was. It was small, but I wondered how Edythe could have managed not to spend any money.

Shrugging, I slipped my finger under the edge of the wrapping, but as I jerked to pull it away, the tip caught the edge, slitting the skin.

"Aw shoot," I muttered, eying the tiny bead of crimson liquid that formed at the edge. I really was a klutz. Cute in a girl, not so cute in a guy.

It happened in a heartbeat. One second I was standing there, still clutching the box in my hand, examining my hand. The next, everything went to hell.

"No!" Edythe shouted, the sound cutting through me like a gunshot.

My head whipped up, startled, only to see Edythe coming at me in a blur of motion. Before I could even begin to figure out what was happening, I felt her forearm slam into my stomach, and I was hurled backward onto the table, knocking the cake and presents every which way. The table tipped back, taking me with it, and I heard the shattering of the glass bowls as they hit the floor a moment before I did.

Dazed, I laid on my elbow amidst the shattered glass, and stared up to see Jessamine—quiet Jessamine—staring down at me, her body thrust forward, her eyes wild with bloodlust. The only thing keeping her from me was Edythe, who had her arms locked around Jessamine's waist, arms pinned to her sides. Jessamine struggled against Edythe's grip, her lips curled back from her teeth in a feral snarl as she spun to snap at Edythe's face. Edythe hurled her back, away from me, and in the next moment Eleanor had seized Jessamine under the arms, dragging her back. However, Jessamine kept fighting, her wild, empty eyes still on me.

I could only stare straight ahead of me in numb shock, and for the first time, I dully registered pain in my arms. I looked down at the glass shards I had landed in, and saw a dozen cuts going from my wrist to my elbow, crimson lines already were oozing out onto the floor.

Vaguely, I raised my eyes to the scene again, only to find that all attention in the room was suddenly on me. And I found myself looking into the eyes of six suddenly ravenous vampires.