ｂｒｅａｔｈｅ．{ʀ. ʜᴀʟᴇ}

34 | the volturi

⸺ ARO STANDS MENACINGLY IN the middle of the room before walking towards us, "I love a happy ending." He grabs Edward's hand from Bella, and I remember his ability: To see all you've thought throughout your life with just a touch.

He glances down at Bella. "Her blood appeals to you so much..." My heart races at the words. "It makes me thirsty." He smiles.

Rosalie's hand tightens on mine, and I can see her eyes shifting, from Edward, to Bella, to me, to Aro, over and over again. 

"How can you stand so close to her?" Aro asks Edward, truly curious. 

Edward stands emotionless. "It's not without difficulty." 

Aro chuckles, and continues to rub his hand, "Yes I can see that."

Edward turns his head slightly to Bella. "Aro can read every thought you've had with one touch." 

Rosalie's voice almost shook with anger as she spoke. "And now you know everything. So get on with it."

He turned to Rosalie, almost shocked. Jane looks towards Rosalie, but Aro holds up his hand, and turns back to Edward. "You're quite the soul reader yourself Edward... but you can't see Bella's thoughts." He smiles, finally releasing Edwards hand. "Fascinating. I would love to see if you are an exception to my gifts as well."

My heart quickened as he held out his hand to an anxious Bella, and asked, "Will you do me the honor?"

She hesitates, but looking up to Edward, he nods his head, and Bella steps forward to take his hand. Aro pulls in her hand, and stands holding it for a second. Everyone in the room had their eyes trained on the two, trying to see what was happening. 

Suddenly, Aro looks up and smiles, a little shocked. "Interesting. I see nothing." He turns, walking back to near the thrones Caius and Marcus were sitting on. "I wonder... Is she immune to all of our powers. And Andie," He smiles. "Maybe she is immune to some of our powers. Jane," She lifts her head, ready for a command. "Shall we?"

"No!" Rosalie and Edward shout at almost the same time, but while Edward charges towards Aro and Rosalie towards Jane, neither of them move a muscule. I learn why, when Jane speaks one word. "Pain."

Rosalie and Edward both stopped, and I watched as Rose's hands clenched and unclenched, and as she let out a scream that tore my soul. She fell to the ground, and Alice tried to grab my hand as I ran and dropped to my knees next to her. "Rosalie. Rose." I kept shaking her, and trying to find some way to help. Rosalie yelled in agony, and I looked up to Jane. She was smiling down on us. 

I got up quickly, screaming, "Stop it! Stop, please!" Someone grabs me from behind, and I watch as Bella screams too, and Alice runs down to Rosalie and Edward. Aro raises his hand, and Jane stops, looking towards him. Rosalie breathes heavily, and stays sitting on the ground, running her hands through her hair. 

"The girls?" Aro reminds Jane. "Go ahead, my dear."

I look to my side and see the person holding me back is one of the men from the hallway. Demtri, I think it was. To my other side is Bella, and I grab her hand as I cringe and wait for the impact. 

We both look up to see Jane. "This may hurt just a little." She smiles. "Pain."

And like that, every part of me fills with an intense burning. My ears ring and my vision blurs, and the pain is so intense that I crumple to the ground. I hear yelling around me, and feel someones arm on mine. I think I scream, and I keep screaming, but the pain makes it hard to focus on anything but... the burning. Like it will never end. But like coming up from water, the pain is suddenly lifted.