A/N - WOW so that hurdle has been passed - thank goodness. Now that we're back in the present, let's see where we go from here. There are scenes of torture in this chapter - so PLEASE TREAD CAREFULLY - this is your warning.

SM owns the copyright, I'm just expanding on her genius...

Chapter 26: LOSS

In her whole existence as a vampire Bella had never felt so grief-stricken. Even though she had just been forced to relive some of the worst moments of her human life, they still did not compare to what she was feeling now. If meeting the sun could end her life, as the legends said, she would've gladly waited for the morning and put herself out of her misery. Antheria was whooping with joy ahead of her - reveling in accomplishing her mission for Aro and ruining Bella's life in the process. Bella knew Antheria was certain she would be rewarded while Bella was punished.

With vampire speed and help from Aro's private jet, they were back in Volterra in a day's time. Even though it was barely dusk and he was running the risk of being exposed, Aro was waiting for them at the city gates, with Demetri and Felix at his side. Felix bared his teeth at her and although she knew she should be afraid of what Aro had in store for her, she felt... nothing. What had become her whole world in a very short period of time had been taken from her. She glanced at her now ringless left finger - she had quietly slipped the antique off and left it on the table next to the door as she had left the Cullen house. No sense in keeping what was certainly no longer meant to be hers.

Aro said nothing to her as Demetri and Felix each took one of her arms. He spoke only to Antheria - in fact, he wouldn't even look at Bella - not that she cared anymore. Her only hope now was that he would take his anger out on her and leave the Cullens alone.

Felix and Demetri took her straight to the dungeons below the castle. She had been there many times in the past, as the one bringing victims to their horrible, painful end. Now it was her being shackled to the medieval torture device they used on other vampires - a drawing and quartering machine.

Without a word or a spare look in her direction, they secured her arms and legs to the four corners of the platform, then took sentry at the corners of the room past her line of vision. She heard Jane and Alec come in and take up watch as well. The shackles holding her were a special alloy made for holding vampires, but they had still been broken at times, forcing Demetri to go back and make a new, stronger alloy for the next victim. Aro was obviously taking no chances on her escape. Little did he know, she had no desire to return to the home, and love, she had just seen ruined because of her.

The hours began to pass and Bella lost track of time as absolutely nothing happened. There wasn't anything in the dark, windowless room that would indicate any passage of time. They didn't need any additional light sources being vampires. The only change was the occasional absence of one of the others on watch as they left - supposedly - to feed. When she noticed this, she noticed the raging fire in the back of her own throat, realizing she hadn't fed in who knows how long. But starvation was another favorite of Felix's torture methods, and she knew there would be no reprieve.

After several rotations of her guard, Aro swept into the room, instructing the others to light the candles around the walls, then dismissing them. He came to her side, gently touching her face. It took everything she had left in her starved body not to flinch away. She didn't meet his gaze. Slowly, quietly, he began to talk as he moved to where the device was that would pull her arms and legs away from her body.

"I have given Antheria your place at my side, as I'm sure she has told you. You are no longer my daughter. You are a betrayer of the Volturi and will be treated as such - tortured until you give me all the information I asked for. It was your mission, and no matter how you thought it would end, I knew I would get what I wanted." He spun the lever here and Bella felt the slight pull of the machine on her hands and ankles. It would take a couple more twists before she actually felt the pain she knew was coming.

"Of course I could just touch you now and get what I want - but where's the fun in that?" Another twist. "Besides, you must be punished. It is our way. And I will find out what happened to my crystal. If you had any part in it..." These last words were a hiss as he the gears of the device moved again. She felt her shoulders separate from their sockets but refused to make a sound.

She took small refuge in the fact that if he really thought she knew anything about his crystal, he would have gone for the Cullens himself, instead of deciding to stay here and gloat. She said a silent prayer to whomever was listening that the Cullens were kept safe from this horrible creature for as long as possible. Aro cranked the machine again and she grimaced as her hips released from their rightful place.

She say him smile at her face out of the corner of her eye and he approached her again, finding exposed skin on her neck and putting his cold, dry hand on her. "Let down your shield my Bella, and it can all end here. Let it down and I will leave your precious Cullens alone. You know, of course, I cannot let you go, but they will be safe."

Her black eyes met his red ones with defiance and she maintained her silence. In the few brief moments that passed, she wondered how she ever thought this ego-driven, selfish being could have ever been a father figure to her. In comparison with Carlisle, Aro was pure evil, looking out only for himself and his strict codes of conduct he enforced on his coven, and the entire vampire world. A world she had once helped to upkeep and maintain. Shame and guilt flooded through her - Aro saw this flash in her face and misunderstood.

"Good. You feel remorse for abusing my trust. You should. I made you what you are. I gave you a home and a coven. I turned you into an indispensable warrior and my right-hand general. And you throw it all in my face for what? Friendship? Love? A soul mate? Bella, when you are as old as I am, you will know these feelings and "friends" are as transient as everything else. Only those of us who shelter under the rule of Volterra will survive, and that is because of ME. Because of what I've established with my own hands over thousands of years, through sacrifice and commitment. You had your chance to stay with me forever. You chose temporary reprieve instead. That only leads to suffering, sorrow, and an untimely demise, as you will soon find out."

In a flash he was at the lever again, cranking it one more full turn. This time, she couldn't help but cry out as her muscles tore and bones cracked. A human would have been torn limb from limb, if not dead then on the verge. Instead, her immortal, stone body was trying to resist and heal itself, only causing her more agony. When the pain eased and she came back to the present, Aro was gone and her four guards had returned. It was back to the waiting game. Aro knew she wasn't broken enough yet, but he also knew it was only a matter of time.