This is an excerpt from chapter 32 of Silent Auction explaining what the boys did with Corin while they were in the basement. Enjoy!
EPOV Chapter 32
After our leisurely bout of lovemaking in the tub, I tucked Bella into bed. I was still holding onto her humanity, not quite ready to believe that she was no longer the fragile girl that I had won at an auction. I was more than happy with the changes that had accompanied her transformation. Not wanting to kill her every minute was wonderful. I was also ecstatic that I could touch her without the fear of hurting her. The only thing I really missed was her warmth. I longed for the times when her hot body was stretched across mine and the feel of her delicate skin conforming to my ice cold granite flesh.
I actually would have thought my girl was sleeping if I had not known better. When I left the room she was snuggled down under the covers, only the top of her head visible. I would have liked nothing better than to stay with her, pretending to sleep and dream, but I could already hear both Carlisle and Jasper encouraging me to come down and try to deal with Corin.
As I descended the stairs, I could feel the anxiety emanating from Jasper. He must have been very anxious if he was unable to keep the emotion under control. Carlisle and Jasper were standing at the door to the basement. I had never seen my creator this frazzled. His hair was nearly as chaotic as mine and it looked as if he had slept in his clothes. He would never forgive himself for not being there when Esme was attacked. There was nothing he could have done, nothing anyone could have done. It would take decades before he shed his guilt.
Upon noticing my approach, Jasper opened the basement door and flew down the stairs. I knew he was having a hard time trying to neutralize the self-destructive feelings coming from the very broken vampire huddled in the corner of the basement. She had her hands clenched tightly against her chest, as if she were trying to keep her heart from trying to escape from her chest. I knew exactly how she was feeling. I felt guilty for feeling so satisfied that she was getting a taste of her own power. The pain of true heartbreak was debilitating, I could attest to that thanks to her. She barely moved when the three of us approached her. The only outward sign that she knew we were there was the tremor that ran through her.
"Are you going to destroy me?" She whispered.
"No." I answered, surprised that I had made that decision. I wanted nothing more than rip her head off of her shoulders with my bare hands. Knowing the severity of pain she inflicted on my precious girl made my finger itch to wrap themselves around her neck. But I realized that she had no control over her powers right now. Bella's shield had short-circuited her gift and I had no idea how to fix it. It made me curious as to what Bella's shield had done to the other gifted vampires she had used it on. We could not ask Jane or Alec, as they were both still smoldering in the pile of ash in the driveway. I would have to remember to ask Bella if she used her shield on Demetri. We knew he was a tracker, and that his powers worked on Bella, because he found her after I had won her at the auction. If Bella had deflected his powers while she was held prisoner, he might not be able to find her now. A plan was forming in my head, but I needed to deal with Corin first and then talk to Carlisle about how to keep Bella safe.
"Edward, what are you thinking?' Carlisle demanded, pulling me out of my thoughts. "There is no way we can keep her here and I can think of nowhere else we could send her."
"There has to be something we can do Carlisle. Bella's shield was what was responsible for her becoming like this. We need to try everything we can to help her." I said.
"Edward, you do realize that there is nothing we can do right?" Jasper said, putting his hand over my clenched fist, trying his best to reassure me with both his words and emotions.
"What about Stefan and Vladimir? You talk about them all the time Carlisle. Isn't that where we heard about the Volturi and the auction?" I asked, knowing by his thoughts that I was correct.
"Yes Edward, that is who told me about the human auction, but Vladimir and Stefan are nomads. There is no way they would want to take on a new coven member, especially one as dysfunctional as Corin is right now." He said, but I could tell that he was already intrigued by the idea of sending this broken vampire off with his two acquaintances.
"Do you have any way to reach them?" I asked quietly, not wanting to get my hopes up. Carlisle had yet to make a decision and I did not want my overeager attitude to sway him.
"Yes, I'll go try and contact them now." He relented as he went over to the laptop that was set up on the table against the wall.
"What are you going to email them?" Jasper questioned.
"No. They are on Facebook." Carlisle said with a straight face.
"You are shittin' me! They have Facebook accounts?" Jasper exclaimed.
"Yes, don't you?" Carlisle sneered.
The door at the top of the stairs was suddenly pulled open, revealing the smiling face of Alice.
"Good job Edward. There are still too many factors that are altering the outcome, but at least she will be safe and cared for. Now as long as no one gets her upset, everything should work out just fine." She said before quickly shutting the door again. This all felt a little too easy, but I was more than ready to re-join Bella in our bed. Maybe we could christen the shower since we had already taken care of the tub.