"What the hell is going on here?!"

The fire lay before the couch in the Cullen living room crackled and the wood burned, the black of the night being chased away by the warm rays of orange light.

The crackling was the only sound in the room now and Nora stepped back as twelve pairs of eyes stared at her in shock.

Carlisle nearly sunk to his knees in gratitude. At last, she was here.

Aro whipped around, his eyes that had once been filled with boredom sparking to life as they fell upon Nora. Though concern quickly overruled his relief when he noticed the state she was in.

Completely ignoring the situation still unfolding behind him, with Rosalie now going still and Caius and Marcus halting their actions in favor of devoting all of their attention on her, Aro sped to stand in front of her.

He could care less about what the Cullens would think of him, not when she was finally in front of him after hours of worrying.

"My darling, thank the God's you are safe. Ero così preoccupato, piccolo amore." He breathed, lifting his hands to softly cradle her face, brushing his thumb against a small painless scratch on her left cheekbone with an upset frown on his face, letting it fall to caress her lip.

Nora wanted to remain incredulous with what she had just stumbled upon, but the way he was looking down at her so lovingly washed away her concern with the situation happening around them. She could only focus on him, on the way he pulled her closer and brushed her messy hair behind her ear. His touch lingered and his eyes closed, his face becoming peaceful.

She could only focus on the way his hand encompassed the back of her head in that familiar way that he knew made her feel safe, on the way his abnormally stiff muscles completely slackened when she was safe in his embrace. His arms even shook slightly as he pulled her flush against him, desperately gripping her waist.

She felt awful now, as she saw what her absence had done to them. No matter how restrained they were trying to appear for their audience, she could see when she looked at Marcus and Caius over Aro's shoulder that they were itching to rush towards her as Aro had done. Though, they currently had their hands literally full.

Caius quickly grew tired of the game he had enjoyed playing, eyeballing the dead eyed woman in his arms with chagrin. Nora was infinitely more important to him than this whole macabre charade. His own selfish desires to end the Cullens could wait.

"Demitri. Felix."

Neither of the two guards needed further orders, they moved at the simple acknowledgement of their names. Felix replaced Marcus, stamping his foot on the Herculean man's throat in his master's place, smirking down at Emmett when his hands pointlessly pushed at his shoe.

Demitri appeared where Caius had been standing, gripping Rosalie's remaining arm in a sturdy and solid hold.

Rosalie didn't try to run or escape. She didn't even move. She simply stared ahead as if she had dissociated with the people and things around her, in a state of shock as the feel of her missing appendages finally caught up with her.

Sensing his brothers behind him, Aro reluctantly released Nora and was quickly replaced by Marcus whose hands threaded in her wild hair, turning her head up so he could press a light kiss on her forehead. He stood there a moment, his eyes closed as he savored the feeling of her in his arms. Her hands ran up his chest and he tugged her closer, laying his chin on the top of her head, his relief too intense to put into words. He had been so worried, so stressed over her wellbeing this whole time. Every second he had been without her was torturous.

Marcus didn't need to be an empath, like the Cullen boy Jasper, to sense his blond haired brother's impatience. He was sighing periodically every ten seconds, even going so far as to tap his foot on the floor.

Internally rolling his eyes, Marcus gently pushed Nora back, clasping her hand in his and placing it on his cheek. She smiled gently, soft and tentative and he swore in that moment he fell even harder for her in her bashfulness, in her ability to diffuse any and all worry and tension that had been tormenting him.

Caressing his cheek, she chuckled nervously, her eyes darting to look at Aro and Caius as she tried to explain herself.

"I...I'm so sorry I ran off like that. I just couldn't cope, I–"

"Hush, my love." Smiling his own soft smile, Marcus shook his head and ran his thumb along the smooth skin of her hand. "There is no need to explain, I am only glad you are safe and unharmed...well, mostly." He chuckled, his mood lifted by her small smile at his teasing. Though he was worried over the state she was in, he knew not to focus too much on it. She wasn't majorly injured, that was the main thing.

Nora giggled, at what he had said but also over the fact that Caius's irritated huffing was getting louder and more frequent by the minute.

Averse to let her go, Marcus eventually released her and stepped back. His red eyes stayed pinned on her as Caius stepped in front of her, convinced if he looked away for even a second she would disappear again.

Caius didn't pull her into an embrace like his brothers had, instead his hands that had been causing life ending damage only seconds before fell lightly to brush along her jaw, fingers tilting her head back with such care and consideration she almost couldn't place him with the vicious man she had just seen. Confused, she tried her best to look at his face, to discern what he was doing.

He turned her head left to right, up and down before trailing his hand along her neck to push back her hair, his eyes meticulously scanning over her and his lips pushed into a concentrated line. It was only when his hands fell to roll up the sleeves of her coat so he could look at her bleeding, grazed palms did she realize he was checking over her injuries. He could probably smell the dried blood covering her knees, too.

His eyes were conflicted when he looked into hers, concern and mirth with her recklessness battling in their crimson depths.

He clicked his tongue behind his teeth—a bare glimpse of his teeth showing as one side of his mouth quirked up in a playful grin, his tone reprimanding with a teasing lilt. "My clumsy little gattina. What am I going to do with you, hm?"

In their own little bubble, Nora blocked out the rest of the room and smirked back up at Caius, cocking her head so her chestnut hair fell over her shoulder. Leaning up, she kissed him quickly on the lips, her eyes closed and her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. She pressed a staying hand against his chest when she drew back, amused as he followed her for more.

His eyes simmered with annoyance at her refusal, but she simply nodded her head behind him, losing her playful attitude as the gravity of it all fell back on them. "Later, darling. We have something to finish."

His eyes flashed for the briefest of seconds with something dark, and she knew he'd hold that promise of later against her.

Joining their hands, he turned to face his brothers and pulled her so they all stood together, facing the lawbreakers.

Now that Nora was here, Carlisle noted with relief that the kings had...somewhat calmed down. He didn't know, though, what was about to happen. He didn't know what had made his son attack the kings. He only hoped whatever it was, it wasn't enough reason to end Edward's life; but he knew, his hope as it so often was, was misplaced. The chances of his oldest son escaping this unscathed were slim to none.

Tense would be an understatement to describe the way each person in the room was looking at one another; the air was tight and close with tension. Each opposing side was guarded and on high alert, all except Nora. She merely stood and tried to process the situation...but she had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on.

What she did know, however, was that the sight of Edward rolling around on the floor while all of this occurred was fucking hilarious.

It was taking all of her willpower, and that really wasn't a lot, not to burst out laughing as he slipped and cried and tried to gain the attention of her younger sister, who Nora proudly noticed was doing her best not to look at him.

"Bella...please." Coldly, she blanked him.

Maybe Bella had finally come to her senses.

Edward was acting so pitifully it would be a wonder if Bella would respect him enough now to be gaslighted by him anymore.

Nora had to bite her lip, the shock of pain helping her reel in her laughter. Not the time, really. Why couldn't she just act normally in uncomfortable situations?

In the end, Carlisle decided to at least make an attempt to unseed the truth as to why his son had done what he did. The noiseless face off between them all was driving his nerves haywire.

Dropping to his knees, he bowed his head and pleaded humiliatingly, knowing that was the only way he might win any sympathy, knowing that was the only way most of his family would keep their lives. "My Kings and Queen...I have no idea what to say except that I beg for your forgiveness. Just, please tell me what has happened, so everyone can be put at ease. That is all I ask."

All eyes fell upon Aro, the unofficial decision maker of the Volturi. Inevitably, it was his decision that would dictate their fates, it was he and Marcus after all who knew the real truth–but he always had the final say.

He paid them all no mind; the only person garnering his attention was Nora, who stared up at him, her lovely face encouraging him to do the right thing rather than act impulsively as Caius would. He could see in her eyes, she was itching, just as Carlisle was, to know what was happening.

Sighing through his nose, he twisted and pursed his lips as he looked away from her, purposefully taking his time to make his decision. While he wasn't as acrimonious in his nature as Caius was, he still enjoyed watching the Cullens squirm.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he observed them all for a moment, an amused grin twitching at the corner of his mouth as he too watched Edward groan and roll around, sharing in Nora's amusement.

Eventually, he took a step forward and fastened his daunting stare onto Carlisle, feeling a small, meager scrap of sympathy for his old friend.

"We do not need your forgiveness, Carlisle. I can see from Edwards memories, your family has been left in the dark, meaning I can safely say you have committed no crime. It is regrettable young Emmett and Rosalie jumped into action before knowing the gravity of Edwards crime, but family will protect family. I know that." He shrugged at the two like they meant nothing, only making Emmett struggle and Rosalie look away.

Nora's mouth dropped open and she nodded to herself, finally getting it. It would seem, for whatever reason, the three cullens had tried an attack.

It was pretty fucking stupid of them, if Nora was being honest.

As if he were some gracious saint, Aro bowed his head at Carlisle and smiled, a sarky and taunting curl of his lips. "You are all pardoned, my dear friend."

Carlisle breathed in deeply, his gratitude and awe at Aro's leniency a surprise. His building grin fell when Aro continued to smile that secretive little hair raising smile–one that Carlisle knew only appeared when he was feeling particularly vindictive. It was a clear sign things were about to plummet from bad to worse.

"However, I'm afraid Edward is not going to be so lucky."

Nora's lips stretched back in shock and sadness.

The woeful emotion she was feeling was only for her sister, not for him. She could give two shits whether or not Edward was killed...in fact if she had her say, she'd only advocate for that.

The decision, in the end, had a number of effects.

Caius and Marcus, like her, were obviously pleased by Aro's choice. The rest of the room...well, not so much.

Carlisle released an odd sort of choking gasping sound of alarm and dismay, followed swiftly by Esme who placed a hand over her mouth to conceal her heartbroken cries.

Emmett and Rosalie were caught in a grim, accepting silence that was remorseful too. They had tried to save their brother, whether he had deserved it or not, and it was still all for nothing.

Jasper and Alice, who still guarded Bella, did a better job of hiding their emotions; Alice was accepting, this was one of the fates she had seen after all, she had just hoped Edward wouldn't have been stupid enough to make it become reality...it was plain to see, she had overestimated his self control.

Maybe...she should have informed her family of what was to come, but it would have all eventually played out the same way.

Jasper looked about ready to slaughter the lot of them, his black eyes that reminded Nora of an emotionless doll's eyes were filled with vows of retribution.

Edwards reaction to the news he was literally going to be executed was again, fucking hysterical. He sobbed and cried like a stroppy little child and Nora was overjoyed...spitefully gleeful at his misery over the situation he had put himself in.

Finally, that walking tampon that had been fucking with her sisters delicate mind was going to get his well deserved comeuppance.

Through her joy, it was perhaps Bella's reaction that caught Nora's attention the most. She was distressed, there was no ignoring that. Tears fell from her eyes like a mournful waterfall, and her small sobs did truy break Nora's heart.

It was her eyes though...they were just...empty. No sadness. No fear. No anger or fury or anything, not even as those tears kept flowing. They were usually warm but now, they were a deep void of nothingness...and that scared Nora. It was almost as if Bella was crying for herself, like her tears had built up and were just finally spilling over.

This was a man her sister loved, a man she had cherished over even her own family and yet she was just doing...nothing. Saying nothing. Feeling nothing.

Nora had the most concerning, dreaded feeling her sister had been traumatized beyond repair by what she had seen and now, in her mind, Nora wished upon a wish that she had been there to protect her from all of this.

Nora wanted to know what the hell was going on, and she wanted to know now. The sooner the 'trial' was over the sooner she could get Bella the hell out of dodge, her anger with her baby sister be damned.

"Aro." Her raven haired mate turned halfway so he could see her, just keeping the grieving Cullens in his peripherals.

Nora sternly glanced at him, her will in that steel blue gaze commanding him to do as she wished. "Tell me what he has done to deserve death." It had to be bad, diabolical even.

Aro sighed and dropped his eyes to look at the pristine floor, secretive and saddened and just like that, Nora felt she'd rather not know; because thanks to his telling reaction, what he was going to reveal was going to hurt her, and the only way Edward could possibly hurt her was through...her sister.

Aro turned his head in Marcus's direction, face tight with an indecipherable look to most–but it was one that Marcus seemed to recognize and understand.

They were the two in the room who knew the truth and, thanks to his gift, it was only fitting that Marcus be the one to break the news. Then there could be no one to argue against him, his input would be damning.

Smiling tersely at Nora, Marcus looked at her younger sister, who had finally dragged her eyes away from her hollow staring, her brown eyes so different from Nora's colliding with his. Her dull stare was one he recognized, and he was slightly shocked to understand and feel her agony.

They looked long and hard at one another and eventually, Marcus decided to bite the proverbial bullet, ignoring Edward as he begged and pleaded for Bella not to listen, spouting rubbish that Marcus was trying to pollute her mind.

"I'm sorry, Isabella. But Edward has been lying to you...for many months, now." Marcus felt Caius's prying eyes as they pierced him with an upset stare at being one of the last to know. He felt Nora shift uncomfortably, seeing out of the corner of his eye the way his love turned to look up at him in confusion, her hand subconsciously seeking his–for comfort he assumed. Gladly he gave it to her, squeezing her small hand enveloped in his so she'd feel reassured.

Sighing, Marcus knew to just get this over with. "Edward attacking us was enough provocation to end his life...but the true crime is that you, Isabella, are not Edward's mate."

Bella's mouth dropped open, her face finally showing her pain. She paled, contorting her body as if she had just been punched in the stomach. Still, her reaction felt understated. Marcus could only assume, after his brother had blackened Edwards character this afternoon and had revealed his abusive tendencies, that Bella's love for the young mind reader had shriveled and shrunk. No one wants to be told the one person they loved the most had been toying with their mind.

Caius scoffed, the muscles of his shoulders rippling as he rolled them backwards, feeling his wrath he tried to keep buried spike perilously. The need to end the pathetic auburn haired nuisance's life were his only thoughts; he had exposed their secret to a human and broken one of their most sacred laws. Caius would not let this go unpunished, by his own hands Edward Cullen would suffer.

Aro, having spent years becoming familiarized with it, was well acquainted with the way Caius's mind worked; he waved his hand discreetly behind his back to stall his brother from jumping into action.

Caius would have been angry at the command, but the small twitch of Aro's lips let him know he would get what he wanted...and Caius couldn't wait. Patience was not something he was well versed in...but he knew, Aro wanted to see Nora's reaction before he let Caius do anything...and that was something Caius would respect. She was the only one who had ever won his patience, the only one who was granted it.

To bury his clawing anger, Caius focused and reminisced on all the things he would do to Edward to make him suffer, the images in his mind making Edward wail in terror.

Nora audibly gasped, her breath coming out in short puffs. When Marcus and Caius looked down upon her they saw the escalating seething outrage almost beaming from her eyes, mingling with pain for her sister and anger that her mates had been attacked. No wonder he was missing his arms...it was all making sense to her now.

The Cullens watched her too, staring from Edward to Bella, back to an appaled Nora who looked like she was seconds away from stomping his head in.

They were in disbelief. Utter disbelief and Carlisle felt he had failed, as a maker but also as a father. For his son to do something so diabolical, to lie and scheme and lead on poor Bella when she wasn't his intended, when she never was...if it could happen, he would feel sick.

"You conniving little–" Nora scrunched up her nose and breathed deeply, her anger palpable. Her sights were only set on Edward, who did his best not to look at her, trying to crawl to his family...as if they would save him.

"That was why...that was why you wanted Bella to hate me, because you knew if I was around that meant my mates would be too, and you didn't want your little secret to be exposed." Nora pieced it all together now and she couldn't help but want to pulverize Edward until he was nothing but a pile of ashes on the floor.

Her little sister...led on, treated like she was nothing. Manipulated, lied to, emotionally abused and for what? So Edward could have someone to play fantasy land with while he waited for that special one to come along?

So she could be a fill in, a pastime until she got too old, until he didn't want her anymore?

On top of that...the little worm had the audacity to attack her mates? To try and end them so he could continue living his deluded little life–to hurt everyone she cared about like they were just...nothing?

No.

No fucking way was he getting away with that.

It was as if her rage was physical fire in her veins, and when Nora looked quickly at Bella, seeing her sob heartbrokenly despite being emotionally numb from his abuse, she lost it and let that fire take control of her actions.

"You sick fuck!" Nora growled, storming forward. She picked up one of the pokers meant for the useless fire in the Cullens living room and with superhuman strength she can only assume came from her rage and her adrenaline, she stabbed the pointed, blazing end right through Edwards right eye when he turned to gape up at her in horror, laughing with joy as he screeched.

"AGH!"

His scream was joined by his families, and Nora watched the thick liquid oozing from his socket with grim satisfaction, the sizzling of the small flame ignited by his venom was music to her ears.

Her heart hammering away in her chest, she couldn't deny to herself that...that had felt amazing.

The kings watched in awe, struck into silence by Nora in that moment. They knew she had some darkness in her, why else would she be theirs...but in that moment, she was ferociously beautiful, dark and menacing and everything they had known she could be, everything they had waited for.

Caius unfroze from his astonished admiring as he saw Jasper start to rush for her with a roar, and in a flash he had him pinned to the wall, tilting his head eerily up at him.

"Really? Will you Cullens never learn, boy?"

Returning his shocked stare back onto Nora who dug the poker in deeper just to see Edward convulse, Caius smirked and swore if his heart was still working it would have skipped a beat as he stared like a lovesick fool at her beautiful face...so gorgeously malicious; his eyes were practically sparkling as he watched her punish the law breaker like some dark, hellish angel. Never had he felt so much love for her then he had then...she was alluring.

Nora's adrenaline started to recede, her body trembling slightly. She held no regret, stepping back to watch Edward suffer. His stumps wiggled and she giggled, the sound deranged–because there was no way he could get the poker out even if he wanted to.

She felt sort of delirious, almost high. Her head spun and her mind raced and she felt so confused, her vision blurring. Never had she done something like that before and she probably never would again. It had been invigorating and she had felt so powerful. She felt some remorse, but today she had done exactly what she wanted, she had gotten revenge for her sister.

Hands fell on her shoulders and turned her around, and she gazed up at Aro in anticipation, slightly scared of his reaction as that high faded, her guilt catching up with her.

He softly touched her hand, frowning as he heard her conflicted thoughts filter into his own mind, worried as he heard how lost she felt. Shaking his head, he guided her away from Edward who still screeched like some horrid bird of prey, his family grouping around him...as close as Demitri, Felix and Caius would allow them.

He pulled her closer to Marcus who rubbed a hand down her back as her trembles became more violent, trapping her body in between them both so the chaos was blocked out for a moment.

"Do not feel regret, Nora. Everything happening to Edward Cullen today is a web spun by his own doing." Aro kissed her forehead as he whispered in her ear, his hands cupping her jaw, delicately angling her head in Edwards direction so she they could both observe her handy work again, watching his face contort with agony.

"Look at him Nora and think...if we had not caught him, what more would he do to your sister? How much more pain would he have put her through–put your entire family through? You've only let him get a taste of his own medicine. This is justice darling, and it isn't a pretty thing."

Her hands gripped desperately at his wrists, tears welling in her eyes. She...she didn't know what to think anymore. She was glad she had done it, but that part of herself just then was one she had never seen before...she felt horrid, scared, her sense of self dissolving.

Aro's smooth voice became earnest, turning her head so she could look into his eyes, his encouragement joined and helped by Marcus as he continued to rub her back, bending to kiss her temple. "It is part of you, Nora. That darkness has been waiting to come out, festering beneath years of pain. We both know it. Don't be afraid–embrace it. This is who you are...who you were meant to be. This is what the world has wanted from you, who they have molded you into, so become it." He was desperate and his words, regardless of how much they scared her, only invoked that newfound freeing feeling inside of her.

He grinned as he felt her coming to terms with it, stroking her cheek softly. "Accept yourself like I have, my darling. You're magnificent." That was the final piece of reassurement she needed, and she closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead again, happy with the knowledge that she was loved, and accepted in spite of what she thought were her flaws. Because there was no denying, there was some part of her that had appeared like a phoenix through the ashes of her misery, and it longed to cause the world just as much pain as she had been dealt.

Aro let her go and glided back, nodding for Marcus to keep her away from it all, so she didn't become overwhelmed. He had a feeling this was more violence then she could handle.

"He's right, Nora." Marcus whispered in her ear, his arms around her waist, her back to it all. She clung to him, the events of the day too much for her to bear. "It's alright, my love. Everything will be alright." She had been delightful for Marcus to watch in her fury, but he was always the one to be concerned for her. He would shower her with praise later, right now she needed to know that everything was okay.

Nora swallowed and closed her eyes, sinking into him, burying her face in his soft winter coat.

She needed his comfort, this was all just so...unbelievable. The day had started as a friendly visit with her father...how had it ended like this, her sister's boyfriend being put to death at the ungodly hours of the morning? She didn't know...and while she enjoyed it, this was far from anything she could deal with.

Stepping closer to the carnage after making sure Nora was alright, Aro hummed and looked at the Cullens; the majority glared daggers at him and at Nora, only making him chuckle.

He paraded around as if he were some damned messiah, basking in their hatred of him and putting on a show, shaking lightly with concealed rage at their open displeasure with what Nora had done.

"By all means, my dears, paint me a villain. Think us the puppet masters of your hardship and misfortune. But know, that it was your dear Edward who had plans to manipulate poor Nora and Bella, even their father–to ruin their relationship. He was the one who planned to never tell any of you about his deceit, to live in a little fairyland of wonder built on lies and trickery. But of course, hate me. It will not save your poor Edward, in fact...I think I only want to hurt him more now." He cackled snidely as they murmured in disgust, he lived for the controversy after all.

"The question is, darlings, are you going to stay and watch the show? Because I promise you, knowing my brother, it's going to be one hell of a spectacle."

As Caius grinned sickly and raised his eyebrows to goad them into challenging him, the Cullen family were conflicted, knowing there was nothing they could do to save Edward. They felt like they should try...but what he had done, even they couldn't deny it was abominable. He was their family, their brother and their son...so how could he do something like this? How could he put Bella in needless peril, how could he try to split up a family and put them in inadvertent danger?

How truly selfish and depraved was Edward Cullen?

Carlisle looked away, venom in his eyes as he made one of the toughest decisions he had ever made, but Edward...he'd all but done this himself. He had been his son, but no son of his could do something like this.

"We will go."

Aro grinned like the cheshire cat, pleased to not have to fight him.

Esme and Alice, even Jasper who was still pinned to the wall; they all recoiled in shock, but they made no move to object. It was pointless...if they did, they would be made to watch Edward suffer.

Amicably, Aro sighed sadly and quirked his head as if he felt truly sorry, his raven hair highlighting his wicked face. "I am sorry, dear ones. Losing a member of any family is hard, I understand that. Can't you see I'm doing you a kindness in this?" Jasper clenched his fists, feeling the falseness of Aro's sympathy. It was sickening.

Smiling, Aro stepped to the side so the path to the stairs was clear, extending his hand cordially. "Go, and take poor Emmett and Rosalie with you. They will need your help to be patched up, after all."

Caius released Jasper and placed him on his feet, the angry southern man resisting the urge to shove the smug bastard of a king in front of him for humiliating him. For good measure, when Jasper brushed past him, Caius hissed, lurching his tense body towards him making the empath scuttle away like a little rat.

Laughing mockingly at Jaspers pathetic bravado, Caius waved his hand behind him. Felix and Demitri exchanged a secretive look as they released their charges, snickering as Emmett kept his eyes on the floor–his fight gone, guiding Rosalie to join the rest of their family, the couple grimacing as they passed Edward and tried not to listen to his ineffective begging.

"No...NO! Please don't leave me...please don't...CARLISLE!"

Carlisle kept his head high as he led his family out, doing his best not to turn back as Edward cried for them not to leave, his resolve cracking as Rosalie began to sob, watching Emmett collect her lost limbs in despair so they could be reattached.

At last they were all gone, and Edward shook his head like he couldn't believe it. He had honestly thought they would stand by him, but he had pushed the limits of their loyalty by breaking their most respected law.

The only people left in the room were the kings, Nora, a zombified Bella and a grinning Demitri and Felix, the latter stepping forward as Aro gestured toward him.

"Felix, join them. I wouldn't put it past them to try to stop us after all."

Felix bowed, his cloak billowing around him as he vanished from sight.

The excitement had calmed down, and now Nora was conflicted. On the one hand, she'd love to stay and watch Edward die a slow, painful death–probably at the hands of Caius. On the other, her sister looked one more violent act away from having a mental breakdown.

Kissing Marcus on the jaw, she smiled up at him and tapped his hand so he knew it was okay to let her go. He did, with reluctance, brushing her hair behind her ear, fingers skimming the skin of her neck. It tingled where their skin had touched and she closed her eyes for a second, feeling the first calming waves of peace she had felt all day.

"Are you alright?"

Nora licked her dry lips, trying to ignore Edwards gag-like sobs so she could focus on Marcus and easing his worries. He was terrible for it–worse than her father. "I'm fine, Marcus. I just...I don't think I want to be here when you do it, I–I don't think me or Bella can handle it."

He nodded, his eyes warm and consoling. "Of course, my love. We can take care of it now."

"Thank you." She sighed, pecking him quickly on the lips before she let him help her turn around, setting her sights on Bella.

She slowly approached her sister, casting Edward a cursory glance, his one good eye filled with emotional agony. Grinning down at him, she stopped to take him in for a moment, fascinated by the grotesque severity of his injuries. God, he was a mess.

"Tough luck, Eddy."

He whimpered, venom spewing from his mouth.

Nora exhaled a short breath, a chuckle of derision, and stepped over one of his arms so she could stop just a few feet from Bella.

"Bells?" She turned and Nora had to bite back a frown.

Bella was so scared and confused, completely lost and she looked like she did when she was a kid, when she was small and needed Nora's guidance.

Nora opened her arms and Bella wasted no time, throwing herself at her older sister and sobbing into her chest, gut wrenching sobs of pure pain.

"It's okay, Bells. You're okay now...shhh, I won't let him hurt you again." Nora soothed, holding Bella tightly to her, her anger completely gone. Bella was innocent, manipulated and played by Edward just as everyone else had been. She was young, younger than she liked to think, and she was inexperienced. It was a shame, her first taste of true love had been to someone so evil, who had seen that innocence and naivety and had taken advantage of it.

Marcus, his sympathy for both sisters escalating by the minute, nodded at Demitri and just like that he appeared at Nora's side, making Bella jump in fright.

Knowing what he had been instructed to do, Nora whose arm was now wrapped around Bella's shoulder, allowed Demitri to begin to lead them from the room, his hand hovering over her lower back to guide her.

They reached the stairs and Nora stopped, Demitri's brows furrowing in confusion as he waited.

Looking over her shoulder, she met they eyes of her mates who had been watching her leave, Edward's eye piercing into Bella's back as she refused to acknowledge him.

Baring her teeth at him in a bone chilling smile, Nora looked Edward square in the face and sealed his fate.

"Make him pay...and make it slow."

Caius smirked, overjoyed. "Gladly, sweetheart."

Feeling Bella nestle further into her side, Nora gave them all one last forlorn look before she disappeared down the stairs.

Edwards cries were non–stop, and he pushed his feet to try and move where Bella had disappeared, his marble body making a horrid squeaking noise against the floor. "Bella... n–no, Please! Come back!"

Caius sneered down at Edward like he was a pile of shit, kicking him so harshly in the ribs he left an indent in Edward's waist with a thundering crack.

"Silence, you vile creature! No one is going to save you now, Edward. They've all left you...can't you see? You don't mean anything to anyone anymore."

The three kings gathered around him like vultures to a corpse–and Edward stammered as he truly realized he was condemned, as he saw how forsaken he was.

Caius hauled him up, forcing him onto his knees, ripping his head back by his hair. Edward hacked and gasped in pain, the quiet noises turning into a full fledged scream when Caius tore the poker from his eye, admiring it appreciatively. He bent so he and Edward were face to face and winced as he looked at the gaping hole, tutting in jarring sympathy.

"Huh...she got you good, didn't she?" He whistled as he looked at the injury, shaking his head and patting Edward consolingly on the back, making him jolt forward. "She is a fiery woman, our Nora. You ought to have known that, Edward and yet, you still hurt her sister. You really are a stupid idiot aren't you?"

Edward whimpered, lamenting his distress.

Managing to glare at Caius for his commentary, he spit out what would be some of his final words.

"If you're going to kill me just do it!"

Caius stood straight, eyes shining with malignant glee and satisfaction that Edward had retaliated.

Marcus shook his head, uninterested and bored at Edward's stupidity. "Of course we are going to kill you Edward." He deadpanned.

At this, the vegetarian vampire cringed and had to force back plea's. He wouldn't stoop to that level.

"But we won't deny our Queen. She wanted you to die slowly, and that is how it shall be done." Marcus's voice was a dull drawl and Edward could see in his mind, this really meant nothing to him. He was only here to bring Nora closure.

"It is your own fault Edward. Such ignorance..."Aro finally got involved, pacing around Edward, eyeing his missing arms in amusement just to belittle Edward further.

"You thought you could beat us?" His red eyes flashed with something dangerous.

"Trick us?" He stepped closer, casting a long daunting shadow over Edward, somehow making the dark room even more so.

"Lie to us?"

Edward drew back, trying to put space between them and Aro hummed out a scoff, flexing his hands. Even in his fear, Edward couldn't help but to look at them, they were terrifying in their glory.

"No one has ever succeeded...no one ever will...and you, Edward, will be one to know this first hand, to experience what happens when someone tries."

Edward gulped and struggled, trying to keep his face impassive as Aro erased the gap of space between them, bending his body so Edward could see the promise of death in his eyes.

"You wanted your freedom from this life, yes?"

With a grin, Aro chuckled darkly at Edward, one of the last sounds he would ever hear. "Then let us give it to you."

As they closed in on him like a pack of hyenas flocking to their prey, Edward screwed his eyes shut tightly and dreamed in his last moments...

What could have been if he hadn't failed.