When the party ended, Lydia was ready.
She had switched out her sundress with a simple pair of leggings and a tank top, something easy to move in. It wouldn't get in the way. She'd yanked her long hair into a tangled golden ponytail. Her hiking boots were swapped out for sneakers Alice had bought her ages ago and never got worn.
The run to the clearing only took a couple minutes, and Lydia studied her coven. Edward had chosen to return to Bella's house with her once the last of the party guests left so they were missing one. This was the clearing that, so many months ago, they had played baseball. When everything had gone wrong.
When all of this had started.
This was where Bella had first met Victoria.
Though they still had no solid proof that the newborn army was being sent by her, Lydia knew it was. The Volturi wouldn't create such a mess.
Last spring, Bella had been hunted by Victoria's mate James, and it had ended in his death. Now, she sought revenge. Mate for mate. Death for death. Pain for pain.
However little sense it made to her, it only had to make sense to one. That was enough.
Lydia could remember running to Vancouver with Edward, Emmett and Carlisle as she had been part of the group that was meant to lead James away until Bella was safely out of the state. She remembered the incredibly fragrant smell of the too-big clothes she wore to confuse his scent, to lead his tracking in the wrong direction.
Apparently, being raised alongside a sadistic psychopath meant she had insight into their way of thinking.
Lydia turned her head at the sound of bodies clashing. Jasper and Emmett were messing around and wrestling in the middle of the clearing since there was time to spare before everyone else arrived. Rosalie stood with Carlisle and Esme off to the side while Alice watched her mate happily. Jasper was in his element now.
In a short stop, Edward appeared at the edge of the clearing with a half-asleep Bella in his arms. His eyes immediately went to Lydia, where she stood alone in the tree line across from him.
Any one of them could be dead in three days.
A small part of her was saddened by that. Her coven was kind beyond reason, and they didn't deserve the fate that had been forced upon them. The danger. It didn't matter that they'd welcomed the problem with open arms, they should've stayed away.
In fact, Edward should've let the car accident play out naturally.
A low, furious snarl resounded from opposite to her. Lydia merely bared her teeth at him and folded her arms over her chest.
That was when she heard them.
The footfalls were near silent, but because of the silence around her they were barely-there audible. From what she could tell, there were nearly ten of them.
She could see Esme and Rosalie exchanging a wide-eyed glance.
The first out of the bushes was naturally the alpha; Sam Uley.
The others fanned out behind him in a wide line, four on one side and three on the other. She could see that got damn silver wolf glowering at her from the alphas side, resentment and something else displayed clearly in its eyes.
What the fuck is his problem?
She didn't miss Edward glancing at her and looking away as she turned her head.
Carlisle stepped toward them. "Welcome."
Edwards voice was flat as he spoke the words Sam Uley thought. "Thank you. We will watch and listen, but no more. That is the most we can ask of our self control."
"That is more than enough," Carlisle answered. "My son Jasper has experience in this area. He will teach us how they fight, how they are to be defeated. I'm sure you can apply this to your own hunting style."
"They are different from you?" Edward translated.
Carlisle nodded. "They are all very new, only months old to this life. Children, in a way. They will have no skills or strategy, only brute strength. Tonight their numbers stand at twenty. Ten for us, ten for you — it shouldn't be difficult. The numbers may go down. The new ones fight amongst themselves."
"We are willing to take more than our share, if necessary."
Carlisle only smiled. "We will see how it plays out.
"Do you know when they'll arrive?"
"They'll come across the mountains in four days, in the late morning. As they approach, Alice will help us intercept their path."
"Thank you for the information. We will watch."
It was silent for a moment before Jasper took a step into the empty space between the wolves and vampires. His skin shone brightly against the moonlight, as did the wolves eyes. He looked warily at Edward, who nodded, before turning his back to the werewolves. He was uncomfortable.
"Carlisle is right," Jasper said to the coven, as if trying to ignore the audience behind him. "They'll fight like children. The two most important things you'll need to remember are first; don't let them get their arms around you. Second; don't go for the obvious kill. That's all they'll be prepared for. As long as you come at them from the side and keep moving they'll be too confused to respond effectively." He gestured for Emmett to join him. "Emmett first, he's the best example of a newborn attack."
Lydia couldn't help but snicker. At the same time a choking sound came from the sliver wolf, and it took her a moment to realize he was laughing as well. But when he realized that they were in sync, he quickly fell silent.
She ignored him.
Lips pursed, Emmett turned to look at her, but she could see the smile he was trying to hide. "I'll try not to break anything," he muttered.
Jasper grinned at them both. "What I mean is that Emmett relies on his strength. He's very straight forward about the attack. The newborns won't be trying anything subtle, either. Just go for the easy kill, Emmett."
Then, Jasper took three steps back, grinning. "Okay Emmett, try to catch me." His body tensed.
When Emmett took charge, Lydia took note of the way Jasper moved and dodged and twisted. He had been right; Emmett relied too much on his strength. The two were a blur of movement that only supernatural eyes could catch. It was almost as if Jasper had choreographed it.
Then they froze, and Lydia couldn't help her grin. Jasper was behind Emmett, teeth an inch from his throat.
The wolves grumbled lowly, as if they were talking to each other.
"Again," Emmett demanded, his smile long gone.
"It's my turn," Edward protested.
"In a minute," Jasper said. He turned to Bella. "I want to show Bella something first." He waved Alice into the clearing. "I know you worry about her. I want to show you why that isn't necessary."
Lydia looked away from them, knowing exactly how it would turn out. Since Alice could predict the future, she would see Jasper's moves before he made them. She would move herself accordingly. It would essentially be a dance.
As they moved, she forced herself to look at her clean hands — small and unassuming — and for a brief moment, remembered her crooked broken fingers and the blood that stained them that fateful night. She had been thinking about it more than usual recently, and she refused to acknowledge why.
