My heart leapt into my throat. Not Esme! My muscles were suddenly aching with the need to fight, but I recognized Jane's threat for the childish antic it was. She had been sitting silently throughout most of the exchange, thinking how ridiculous and tiresome we were. But when Demetri had made his offer, she had been barely been able to contain her protest. She didn't see why Aro needed another mind reader, and she seemed personally offended by Demetri's offer, like her own position was being threatened. Rather stupid, considering that the very purpose of their visit had obviously been to see if I was worth recruiting.

But now that I had refused the offer, she was furious. Not only did she see me as unworthy, but I had dared to insult the prestige of the offer she hadn't wanted me to receive. She wanted to hurt me for my failure to choose correctly, and this was how she was going to do it.

Instead of attacking, I spoke up quickly. "Jane. Before you go… I'd like a demonstration."

All eyes were suddenly on me, and Carlisle was calling out to me frantically in his mind. Edward, what do you think you're doing?! They were about to leave!

I swallowed, holding Jane's hopeful gaze, keeping it away from my mother. "It's only fair. I told you everything about my ability, and now I want to see what yours… feels like."

She turned to Demetri, waiting for his permission. He rolled his eyes and nodded. She turned back toward me and whispered one word in her tiny, angelic voice: "Pain."

By the time the word left her lips, I was already burning. My head was exploding with fire, and I couldn't stop the scream that tore out of my lungs. It was worse than the pain of transformation; this was an all-consuming tornado of flame. Was the whole house on fire?! How long had I been burning? Hours? Surely I should be dead by now…

Finally, when I was sure it was too late, I heard Demetri speak firmly through the haze: "Jane, three seconds is quite long enough." And just as instantly as it had begun, the pain vanished. It absence was so sudden I felt like I was floating. I opened my eyes slowly to find my face pressed into the floor. Ten new gashes streaked across the carpet, five on either side of my head—tracks made by my nails as I had tried to claw my way out of the fire. Carlisle and Esme were already kneeling beside me. Their thoughts were so frantic they were beyond words.

I clambered to my feet, surprised by the normal strength in my legs. I checked the skin on my face and arms, and I realized with astonishment that the fire had been only in my mind. I glared down at Jane, who smiled sweetly back.

Demetri rose gracefully from his chair. "A pleasure as always, Carlisle. And Edward, our offer to you stands. You may find this artificial way of life tiresome after a few centuries." I think you'll discover, young Edward, that our world is much larger than your creator has led you to believe. You know where to find us.

There was a breath of wind from their cloaks, and they were gone.

.

.

.

We must have stood frozen, unbreathing, for a full two minutes after the guards' departure. I followed their minds as long as I could.

"They're gone," I finally announced.

Esme threw herself into my arms, sobbing and reliving, over and over, the three seconds of intractable pain I had endured. In her mind, I saw myself collapse to the floor, screaming and writhing in pain as Jane looked on smugly. I glanced over to where I had fallen; the room bore no evidence of what had just occurred, save for the ten slashes in the carpet and the two extra chairs that were out of place. But their scents still hung in the air, their odd, foreign sweetness mixing with our own. Without a word, Carlisle crossed the room and opened all the windows.

"Why?" Esme demanded when she was able to speak again. "Why did you ask her to do that?"

I caught Carlisle's eye over her shoulder, and glanced downward, to where Esme's head laid against my chest.

Jane was going to hurt her?

I nodded, ever so slightly. His mind exploded into a wordless fury as he imagined his wife enduring Jane's torment, and then I saw myself suffering again, in his memory. I bent down, kissing Esme's forehead. "I was just curious, Esme. I'm sorry."

She just shivered and buried her face in my shoulder again. I'm so glad they're gone. I'm so glad you didn't go with them—it would have been so horrible. I closed my eyes and tightened my grip on her shoulders. I felt Carlisle's protective embrace come around both of us, and I understood, as I had never understood before, how lucky I was to have a family.