Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Everyone in the room, vampire or not, turned to the sleeping Eleanora Hadley with varying degrees of surprise. Bella was doing her best to hold the Hadley girl up while also looking warily, but she knew very well that Ellie would never forgive her if she let her sack to the floor although she would eventually understand. Alice noticed Bella's struggle immediately, picking up the sleeping girl and resting her on the vampire's own shoulder, sending a small smile in Ellie's direction.
"Aro can read every thought I ever had with one touch," Edward explained, changing the topic to stop everyone from looking at Ellie, his gaze never trailing from Aro. "And now you know everything. So, get on with it."
"You are quite a soul reader yourself, Edward. Though you can't read Bella's thoughts," Aro continued, glancing back at Bella. "Fascinating! I would love to see if. . .you are an exception to my gifts, as well. Would you do me the honour?" Bella extended her hand out, hesitating and the room fell silent as the seconds passed. "Interesting, I see nothing."
"And what is this?" Aro continued, stepping over to where Ellie was slumped on Alice's shoulder. "Another human girl, Eleanora. . . sleeping," Aro trailed off, before picking up Ellie's limp hand, the girl stirring slightly as images of a life, her life flashed before her eyes. "Interesting, a condition called Narcolepsy. So naive although always a pleasure to know that she didn't mean to fall asleep in our company." Aro added stepping back to view everyone once more. "I wonder, let's see if she is immune to all of our powers. Shall we, Jane?"
"No," Edward immediately shouted in defence, starting to move towards Jane who smiled back at him sickeningly.
"Pain."
Edward's entire body immediately froze up at the simple command. Bending at the spine, Edward's face contorted painfully, agony rushing through his bones, causing his legs to collapse sending him to the ground with a thud.
"Stop!" Bella shouted, her hands running through her hair frantically as Alec prevented her from joining Edward's side. "Stop! Just stop hurting him! Please!"
"Jane," Aro said turning to the blonde, whose wicked little smile showed off just how much fun she was having.
"Master," Jane returned, pulling her attention away from Edward to obey.
"Go ahead, my dear." Aro then encouraged.
"This may hurt just a little." Jane smiled wickedly only for her smile to fall when nothing happened.
"Remarkable! She confounds us all. So, what we do with you now?" Aro asked.
"You already know what you are going to do, Aro," Marcus said from his seat, his gaze falling to the sleeping Hadley. "With both of them."
"They know too much. Both are liabilities," Caius added.
"That's true," Aro admitted. "Felix."
In a blink of an eye, Edward had flipped Bella behind him, Alice now holding Ellie protectively behind her. Before Edward charged at Felix, Alice soon strangled by another guard, Ellie falling to the floor, where Bella caught her head just in time.
Everything was happening too fast for anyone to see, Edward and Felix's trading blows, throwing each other across the room. It would appear like Edward would be succeeding before blinking again and Felix would now have the upper hand.
The two of them went at it, marble smashing and their faces cracking at the force of it before mending themselves again. It was amongst all this fighting that Ellie woke up once more, looking around warily, all the noise reaching her immediately. Bella was too busy watching the fight to notice that her friend had woken, only realising when someone took her hand, that Ellie was standing strongly beside her once more.
"Please! No, no! Please!" Bella shouted desperately. "Kill me. . . kill me. Not him."
"How extraordinary. You would give up your life for someone like us. A vampire. A soulless monster." Aro asked, stepping forward towards the two human girls.
"Just get away from them!" Edward shouted, from where he was restrained by Felix.
"You don't know a thing about his soul," Bella retorted.
"This is a sadness. If only it be your intention to give her immortality." Aro said before his gaze drifted over to Ellie. "To both of you."
"Wait!" Alice interrupted. "Both Bella and Ellie will become one of us! I've seen it." Demetri released his hold on Alice's neck as she held out her hand as Ellie whipped her head around to look at Alice in shock. "I'll change them myself."
Aro stepped forward to grab Alice's head. "Mesmerizing! To see what you have seen before it has happened." Aro said before his gaze fell onto the two girls. "Your gifts. . . . will make for an intriguing immortal, Isabella. As for you Eleanora, it appears that immortality should become your greatest medication yet. Go now. Make your preparations."
"I would advise that you follow through on your promise soon," Caius added. "I would not delay. We do not offer second chances."
The group left the throne room, Ellie's thoughts running wild at what Alice had revealed about her future. But thankful at the same time that they had all at least made it out alive, unlike the long stream of tourists they passed as they made their exit, Ellie wincing as their screams met her ears.
