The joy -- which isn't joy, but relief and caustic snapping -- sends Edward across the room in the breath of one hundredth of a second, books and wine glass and chair forgotten, for grabbing Carlisle's offending arm.

"Don't."

The word is a hard command, even when he doesn't mean to speak, and when he isn't positive if it's for the feral surge from not-his-Carlisle or the answering glint in River.

This is stupid. He knows it even as it starts, but what could he do really? Leave Carlisle to attack her? Why hadn't he said anything about being here previously?