The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

they wanted… Who could return to land anywhere… Canada, California, Chile, China…

You would never be able to find those two vampires. They would be gone. Disappeared like they’d gone up in smoke.

We didn’t have to come back the other night! We shouldn’t have! Why hadn’t I thought of it then?

But… would Diego have agreed? I was abruptly not so sure of myself. Was Diego more loyal to Riley after all? Would he have felt it was his responsibility to stand by Riley? He’d known Riley a lot longer—he’d really only known me a day. Was he closer to Riley than he was to me?

I pondered that, frowning.

Well, I would find out as soon as we had a minute alone.

And then maybe, if our secret club really meant something, it wouldn’t matter what our creator had planned for us. 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.

Suddenly, I wondered if this was what had really happened to Shelly and Steve and the other kids who had disappeared. I knew they hadn’t burned in the sun. Had Riley only claimed he’d seen their ashes as another way to keep the rest of us afraid and dependent on him? Returning home to him every dawn?

Maybe Shelly and Steve had just set off on their own. No more Raoul. No enemies or armies threatening their immediate future.