The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 11

That didnt make sense to me. Didnt the secrecy protect her more than than than it protected any(prenominal) of us? Riley hurried on before we had too colossal to examine his statement.Of course, it doesnt matter now that theyve decided to move on Seattle. We wil amazement them on their instruction in, and we wil annihilate them. He whist take a single funky n unrivalled through his teeth. Done. And accordingly non only is the city al ours, other covens wil know not to mess with us. We wont name to be so careful to c everyplace our tracks anymore. As much blood as you want, for ein truth(prenominal)one. search every night. Wel move right into the city, and we will rule it.The growls and snarls were alike(p) applause. Everyone was with him. only for me. I didnt move, didnt make a sound. Neither did F rosy-cheeked, unless who knows why that was?I was not with Riley because his promises sounded like lies. Or else my whole line of logic had been wrong. Riley express it w as only these enemies that kept us from hunting with step forward caution or restraint. scarce that didnt go along with the fact that al other vampires must(prenominal) go for been discreet, or humans would lead known about them long ago.I couldnt concentrate to act as it out, because the door at the top of the stairs had not moved. DiegoWe have to do this to spend a pennyher, though. Today Im going to lead you through whatever techniques. Fighting techniques. Theres more to this than precisely scuffling around on the floor like toddlers. When it gets dark, wel go outside and practice. I want you to practice hard, save alimentation your focus. I am not losing another member of this coven We al privation each other every one of us. I wil not let any more mistakenity. If you think you dont have to listen to me, you are wrong. He paused for a short help, the muscles in his render shifting into a immature arrangement. And you wil learn how wrong you are when I take you to her I shuddered and matte up the tremor through the room as everyone else did, too and hold you art object she tears gain your legs and then slowly, slowly burns off your fingers, ears, lips, tongue, and every other superfluous appendage one by one.Wed al illogical a limb, at least, and wed al burned when we became vampires, so we could easily opine how that would feel, but it wasnt the threat itself that was so terrifying. The truly scary thing was Rileys face as he express it. His face was not twisted in rage, the expression it usual y was when he was angry it was calm and cold, tranquil and beautiful, his lip curled at the edges into a smal smile. I suddenly had the depiction that this was a new Riley. aroundthing had changed him, hardened him, but I couldnt suppose what could have happened in one night to create that cruel, perfect smile.I styleed away, tingle a particular, and saw as Raouls smile shifted to echo Rileys. I could roughly see the gears turnin g in Raouls inquiry. He wouldnt kil his victims so quickly in the future.Now, lets get some teams judge out so that we can work in groups, Riley verbalize, his face normal again. Kristie, Raoul, get your baby birds together and then divvy up the rest evenly. No fightingShow me you can do this discerning y. Prove yourselves.He walked away from those ii, ignoring the fact that they fel in force(p) about immediately into bickering, and make an arc around the outside edge of the room. He touched a few vampires on the shoulder as he passed, nudging them toward one of the new leaders or the other. I didnt realize at first that he was heading in my direction, because he took such a wide way around.Bree, he verbalise, squinting toward where I stood. It looked like this took some effort.I entangle like a block of ice. He must have smel ed my trail. I was bloodless.Bree? he said, softer now. His voice reminded me of the first time hed talked to me. When he was square-toed to me. A nd then even lower, I promised Diego Id give you a message. He said to tel you it was a ninja thing. Does that make any sense to you?He stil couldnt look at me, but he was edging closer.Diego? I murmured. I couldnt help myself.Riley smiled a tiny bit. Can we talk? He jerked his head toward the door. I double-checked al the windows. The first floor is total y dark and safe.I knew I wouldnt be as safe once I walked away from Fred, but I had to hear what Diego had wanted to tel me. What had happened? I should have stayed with him to meet Riley. I fol owed Riley through the room, obligateing my head down. He gave Raoul a few instructions, nodded to Kristie, and then went up the stairs. From the corners of my look I saw a few bulk curiously watch the direction he was going. Riley passed through the door first, and the kitchen of the sept was, as hed promised, total y black. He motioned for me to keep fol owing and led me through a dark hal past a few on the loose(p) bedroom doors, t hen through another door with a dead bolt. We ended up in the garage.Youre brave, he commented in a very low voice. Or real y relianceing. I legal opinion it would be more work to get you upstairs with the sun up.Whoops. I should have been more skittish. Too late now. I shrugged.So you and Diego are reasonably tight, right? he awaited, just breathing the words. Probably, if everyone were silent in the basement, they would stil be able to hear him, but it was pretty noisy down in that location right now.I shrugged again. He saved my life, I whispered. Riley lifted his chin, al approximately but not quite a nod, and appraised. Did he believe me? Did he think I stil feared the day?Hes the trounce, Riley said. The smartest kid Ive got.I nodded once.We had a little meeting about the situation. We agreed that we need some surveil ance. way out in blind is too dangerous. Hes the only one I trust to scout ahead. He exhaled, almost angrily. Wish I had two of him Raouls got too short a fuse and Kristie is too self-absorbed to get the spectacular picture, but theyre the best Ive got, and Il have to make do. Diego said you were smart, too.I waited, not sure how much of our story Riley knew.I need your help with Fred. Wow, that kid is strong I couldnt even look at him tonight.I nodded guardedly again.Imagine if our enemies cant even look at us. It wil be so promiscuousI didnt think Fred would like that idea, but maybe I was wrong. He didnt seem like he cared anything for this coven of ours. Would he want to save us? I didnt respond to Riley.You spend a lot of time with him.I shrugged. Nobody bothers me there. Its not easy.Riley pursed his lips and nodded. Smart, like Diego said.Where is Diego?I shouldnt have asked. The words just ripped out of their own accord. I waited anxiously, trying to look indifferent and most likely failing.We dont have time to waste. I sent him south the second I found out what was coming. If our enemies decide to attack early, we need th e dismiss warning. Diego wil meet up with us when we move against them.I tried to imagine where Diego was now. I wished I were there with him. Maybe I could talk him out of doing Rileys bidding and putting himself in the line of fire in the process. that maybe not. It seemed like Diego was thick with Riley, just like Id worried.Diego wanted me to tel you something.My eyes snapped to his face. Too fast, too eager. Blew it again.Sounded like nonsense to me. He said, Tel Bree Ive got the handshake figured out. Il show her in four days, when we meet up. I have no idea what that essence. Do you?I tried to force a salamander face. Maybe. He did say something about needing a secret handshake. For his underwater cave. Some word form of password. He was just kidding around, though. Im not sure what he means now.Riley chuckled. Poor Diego.What?I think that kid likes you a lot more than you like him.Oh. I looked away, confused. Was Diego giving me this message as a way to let me know I co uld trust Riley? nevertheless he hadnt told Riley I knew about the sun. Stil, he must have trusted Riley to tel him so much, to show Riley that he cared about me. I thought it would be wiser to keep my mouth shut, though. Too much had changed.Dont write him off yet, Bree. Hes the best, like I said. cut into him a chance.Riley was giving me romantic advice? This could not get weirder. I bobbed my head once and muttered, Sure.See if you can talk to Fred. Make sure hes on board.I shrugged. Il do what I can.Riley smiled. Great. Il pul you aside before we leave, and you can tel me how it went. Il keep it casual, not like tonight. I dont want him to feel like Im catching on him.Okay.Riley motioned for me to fol ow and then headed patronise to the basement.The training lasted al day, but I wasnt part of it. After Riley went back to his team leaders, I took my spot beside Fred. The others had been split up into four groups of four, with Raoul and Kristie directing them. No one had pick ed Fred for a side, or maybe hed ignored them, or maybe they couldnt even see that he was there. I could stil see him. He stood out the only one not participating, a big blond elephant in the room. I had no rely to insinuate myself into either Raouls team or Kristies, so I just watched. No one seemed to notice that I was sitting out with Fred. though we must have been somewhat invisible, thanks to talented Fred, I matt-up horribly obvious. I wished I were invisible to myself that I could see the il usion so that I could trust it. But no one detect us, and after a while I could almost relax.I watched the practicing closely. I wanted to know everything, just in case. I wasnt planning on fighting I was planning on finding Diego and making a break for it. But what if Diego wanted to fight? Or what if we had to fight to get away from the rest? Better to pay attention.Only once did anyone ask about Diego. It was Kevin, but I had a sense that Raoul had put him up to it.So, did Diego end up getting fried after al ? Kevin asked in a forced joking tone.Diegos with her, Riley said, and no one had to ask who he meant. Surveil ance.A few people shuddered. No one said anything more about Diego.Was he real y with her? I cringed at the thought. Maybe Riley was just saying that to keep people from questioning him. He probably didnt want Raoul getting jealous and feeling second best when Riley needed him at his most arrogant today. I couldnt be sure, and I wasnt going to ask. I kept quiet, as usual, and watched the training.In the end, watching was boring, athirst(p) work. Riley didnt give his army a break for three days and two nights straight. During the daytime it was harder to stay out of the mix we al were crammed so tightly into the basement. It made things easier in one way for Riley he could usual y catch a fight before it got ugly. Outside at night, they had more room to real y work around each other, but Riley was kept busy darting back and forth to catch limbs and get them back to their owners quickly. He kept his temper wel, and hed been smart enough to find al the lighters this time. I would have bet that this would spin out of control, that wed lose at least a couple of coven members with Raoul and Kristie skirmishing head to head for days on end. But Riley had better control of them than I had thought possible.Stil, it was for the most part repetition. I noticed Riley saying the same things over and over and over again. melt together, watch your back, dont go at her head-on work together, watch your back, dont go at him head-on work together, watch your back, dont go at her head-on. It was kind of ridiculous, real y, and made the group seem exceptional y stupid. But I was sure I would have been just as stupid if Id 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 dril ed into us our fear of the sun. Constant repetition.Stil, it was so dul that after about ten hours that first day, Fred produced a deck of card game and started playing solitaire. That was more interesting than watching the same mistakes over and over again, so I mostly watched him.After about another twelve hours we were inside again I nudged Fred to point out a red five that he could move over. He nodded and made the change. After that hand, he dealt out the cards to both of us, and we played rummy. We never spoke, but Fred smiled a few times. No one ever looked our way or asked us to join in.There were no hunting breaks, and as time went on, this got harder and harder to ignore. Fights skint out more regularly and with less provocation. Rileys commands got more shril, and he divide off two arms himself. I tried to forget the combustion thirst as much as possible after al, Riley must have been getting thirsty, too, so this couldnt last forever but mostly thirst was the only thing on my mind. Fred was looking pretty strained. wee into the third nigh t one more day to go, and when I thought about the ticking clock it tied my empty stomach into knots Riley cal ed al the mock fights to a halt.Round it up, kids, he told us, and everyone moved into a loose half-circle facing him. The original gangs al stood close together, so the practicing hadnt changed any of those al iances. Fred put the cards in his back pocket and stood up. I stood close to his side, counting on his repulsive aura to hide me.Youve make wel , Riley told us. Tonight, you get a reward. Drink up, because tomorrow youre going to want your strength.Snarls of remainder from almost everyone.I say want and not need for a reason, Riley went on. I think you guys have got this. Youve stayed smart and worked hard. Our enemies arent going to know whats correspond themKristie and Raoul growled, and both of their companies fol owed suit immediately. I was surprised to see it, but they did look like an army in that moment. Not that they were marching in geological formati on or anything, but there was just something uniform about the response. the likes of they al were part of one big organism. As always, Fred and I were the glary exceptions, but I thought only Riley was even the slightest bit advised of us every now and then his eyes would scan crossways where we were standing, almost like he was checking to make sure he stil matt-up Freds talent. And Riley didnt seem to mind that we werent joining up. For now, anyway.Um, you mean tomorrow night, right, boss? Raoul clarified.Right, Riley said with a strange little smile. It didnt seem like anyone else noticed anything off in his reply except for Fred. He looked down at me with one eyebrow raised. I shrugged.You ready for your reward? Riley asked.His little army roared in response.