I collapsed onto Edward. “No! No, you can’t leave me,” I wailed. “I will not spend all of eternity on this godforsaken earth without you by my side,” I whispered into his bronze hair. The silence that met those words was so final. If Edward had been alive, he would have answered me with his thoughts. My hands flitted over his wound uncertainly as I felt a small spark of heat from him answering the power in my hands. I laid them gently against his devastated neck and volcanic heat rushed out of me and erupted into him. His back arched at the force of my power and just as quickly the warmth receded. I lifted my hands cautiously to reveal a flawless neck, the most precious neck. My mouth attacked his as sobs overtook me, yet no tears fell. The ache in my chest lingered as I kissed his amused face and his healed throat.

Aro’s hollow voice came behind me. I broke away from Edward to face the cause of all this devastation. “Please.” His cool hand clutched at me. His milky eyes bore into mine and shared the pain at his brother’s defeat. “Please,” he whispered hoarsely. “You must save him. Heal him as you did your Edward,” he begged. He had saved me from that vampire earlier, but I couldn’t help feeling slightly relieved that in death Marcus would no longer have a hold over me, right?

Seeing the indecision flutter across my face he continued, “Ask me anything.” He placed both palms on either of my cheeks forcing me to experience the agony that he was feeling. The razor sharp pain of his brother’s death tore through his unbeating heart and mine. How could I not try? What kind of monster would I be if I could ignore such raw pain?

“Carlisle?” I called. He moved forward clutching Esme’s hand tightly. “What do you want me to do?”

He searched his old friend’s face for what seemed like eternity, and then raised an eyebrow at Edward. This affects you more than anyone. Carlisle’s voice flitted thorough my mind. With him dead she will most likely no longer remain under his thrall. He gave the barest of shrugs and Carlisle sought out the rest of his family’s faces. “We will stand by your decision in this matter, Bella,” Carlisle finally replied.