I could almost imagine that frustrated look that Edward used to get around me now plastered on his heavenly face as he, once again, tried to figure out why I’d reacted the way I had.

Marcus had moved so silently that I hadn’t noticed him standing before me tipping my face up. He had Edward’s hand in one of his as he used his power against us. He barely brushed Aro’s hand who nodded his thanks as Marcus cast me a meaningful look before gliding to his seat.

“Like there was any doubt,” Edward hissed.

My face turned of its own accord toward Edward at that cryptic remark, my brow raised in question, but the moment our eyes met my heart all but stopped. He took a step closer and I broke free from his intense gaze shaking my head, my hand extended in an effort to ward him off.

Edward closer to me would be a very bad thing. I could barely think a coherent thought as it was. If he touched me…I was done for. There would be no recovery, no drug that could patch me up, no Dylan to help me forget.

To clear my mind, I focused on Dylan’s face – a face that I’d woken up to many mornings these last few months, a face I thought might be a part of my life for many more years to come – and told myself that I didn’t want to know what Edward was talking about. I just wanted this night over with. Wanted our punishment revealed so I could get as far away from Edward as humanly possible. And Dylan. And Alice, who I could barely stand to look at because of the immense shame and guilt that was gnawing at my insides for the awful way I treated her when she’d last visited me.

Aro’s declaration jerked me back to the matter at hand. “You are dismissed for tonight. Heidi will take you to the East Wing. Anything you desire, simply ask. Felix and Heidi will see to everything.” That was it? Put it off for another night? Was he trying to kill me?

He descended the dais and smiled in greeting to Edward’s distraction. “Tanya, my apologies for not properly greeting you, my love.”