Dark Devotions: God of Eloquence

Forks has grown from a quiet logging town into a modern coastal city, anchored by a sprawling Olympic Coast University perched above rain-soaked cliffs between the Quileute Reservation and the sea.

Months after Edward leaves Bella Swan in the woods, she is still unraveling-her friends talk about college and the future, but for her, everything has gone silent.

The only person who can reach her is her uncle, Elijah Higginbotham.

At twenty-four, Elijah is a young professor of comparative mythology at Olympic Coast University-brilliant, composed, and the one constant in Bella's life. When Edward leaves, he moves to Forks and keeps a promise to Charlie and Renee: he will look after her. And he does, staying through her collapse until she slowly begins to heal.

So when Bella decides to follow Edward to Italy, Elijah refuses to let her go alone.

Volterra is ancient and suffocating, and the Volturi expect a desperate girl.

They do not expect him.

When Aro Volturi takes Elijah's hand, everything breaks-Aro becomes human for one impossible heartbeat before snapping back with violent shock.

The throne room falls silent.

A Volturi king has been made mortal by a single touch.

Elijah doesn't understand what happened, only that Volterra has changed around him-and he is no longer allowed to leave.

They want to study him.

Aro, however, is fascinated by the feeling of being human again... even for a heartbeat.