I looked at Marcus's dead face, and I believed that.

Emmett chuckled at that.

"It's just so difficult to understand, even now," Aro mused, staring at Edward's arm wrapped around me. It was hard for me to follow Aro's chaotic train of thought. I struggled to keep up. "How can you stand so close to her like that?"

"It's not without effort," Edward answered calmly.

"But still – la tua cantante! What a waste!"

"Waste?" Edward hissed.

"So, it is la tua cantante," Carlisle smiled, realizing he had been right.

Edward chuckled once without humor. "I look at it more as a price."

Aro was skeptical. "A very high price."

"Opportunity cost."

"She's worth it…and so much more," Edward said.

Aro laughed. "If I hadn't smelled her through your memories, I wouldn't have believed the call of anyone's blood could be so strong. I've never felt anything like it myself. Most of us would trade much for such a gift, and yet you…"

"Waste it," Edward finished, his voice sarcastic now.

Aro laughed again. "Ah, how I miss my friend Carlisle! You remind me of him – only he was not so angry."

Everyone laughed at that and Carlisle beamed at Edward.

"Carlisle outshines me in many other ways as well."

"I certainly never thought to see Carlisle bested for self-control of all things, but you put him to shame."

"Hardly," Edward scoffed.

"Hardly." Edward sounded impatient. As if he were tired of the preliminaries. It made me more afraid; I couldn't help but try to imagine what he expected would follow.

"I am gratified by his success," Aro mused. "Your memories of him are quite a gift for me, though they astonish me exceedingly. I am surprised by how it…pleases me, his success in this unorthodox path he's chosen. I expected that he would waste, weaken with time. I'd scoffed at his plan to find others who would share his peculiar vision. Yet, somehow, I'm happy to be wrong."

"That's nice to know," Carlisle smiled.

Edward didn't reply.

"But your restraint!" Aro sighed. "I did not know such strength was possible. To inure yourself against such a siren call, not just once but again and again – if I had not felt it myself, I would not have believed."

"It must really have been strong then," Carlisle said.

"I don't think he's the one to ask when you're talking about restraint," Edward said.

Edward gazed back at Aro's admiration with no expression. I knew his face well enough –time had not changed that – to guess at something seething beneath the surface. I fought to keep my breathing even.

"Just remembering how she appeals to you…" Aro chuckled. "It makes me thirsty."

Edward narrowed his eyes.

"He won't do anything," Carlisle said. "He is not rash."

Edward tensed.

"Don't be disturbed," Aro reassured him. "I mean her no harm. But I am so curious, about one thing in particular." He eyed me with bright interest. "May I?" he asked eagerly, lifting one hand.

"He wants to see if Bella's silence will keep her mind from him too," Carlisle said. "I never thought of that, but it might work that way."

"What do you think, Jazz?" Emmett smirked.

"I think it will work," Jasper said. "His power just sounds so all-encompassing. Besides, we know that Alice and my powers work on her. "

"Good…I thought Bella would stump him," Emmett said. "A thousand dollars?"

"Sure," Jasper agreed.

"I can't wait to see his reaction when he can't read her," Emmett smirked in anticipation.

"Still it might be nice for Edward if he could," Alice said. "That way he could finally see into Bella's mind."

"But that wouldn't be as funny," Emmett pouted.

"Ask her," Edward suggested in a flat voice.

"Of course, how rude of me!" Aro exclaimed. "Bella," he addressed me directly now. "I'm fascinated that you are the one exception to Edward's impressive talent – so very interesting that such a thing should occur! And I was wondering, since our talents are similar in many ways, if you would be so kind as to allow me to try – to see if you are an exception for me, as well?"

My eyes flashed up to Edward's face in terror. Despite Aro's overt politeness, I didn't believe I really had a choice. I was horrified at the thought of allowing him to touch me, and yet also perversely intrigued by the chance to feel his strange skin.

"Ha... she does get to touch him," Emmett laughed.

"At least it's not poking him in the face," Edward grumbled.

Edward nodded in encouragement – whether because he was sure Aro would not hurt me, or because there was no choice, I couldn't tell.

"Both," Edward and Carlisle answered together.