.:Bella's POV:.
A shield? What did that even mean? And what did Kate want to do? She was staring at me like I was some kind of guinea pig ready for a lab experiment. Whatever my...power was, I was definitely sure it wasn't as great as big as she was making it out to be.
Before I could protest, or even process what she was doing, Kate pressed her finger against my shoulder. From the wicked grin that was plastered to her face, I was braced for pain. But nothing happened.
Eleazar and Carmen smirked, eyes dancing, as Kate's brow puckered. She squinted, her mind concentrated, and she pushed her whole hand against me.
I stared at her, confused. I didn't know what Kate could do, or what was supposed to be happening to me, but I knew it wan't working. Maybe even in this life I was safe from any ability that affected a person mentally, blocking it, like a shield, hence Eleazar's name for me.
Answers were becoming clearer.
"Is something happening?" Eric asked, as Kate and I just stared at each other. "It... It doesn't look like it."
Kate shook her head in frustration and defeat, pulling her hand away. "I even put it on the strongest level I could, and yet she's still standing, unnerved."
Eleazar nodded in understanding, and said, "Apparently, she is completely unaware of what she is doing."
"Your gift affects the mind?" I asked Kate. She looked surprised by my assessment.
"How did you know that?"
"What doesn't she know," Jessica retorted from behind me. I glanced at her, only to quickly look away as her critical eyes met mine.
It was a bit frustrating how things were turning out simply because of the information I carried. I had no idea my knowledge of this life would cause such a rift between me and my friends. Actually, I had hoped it would help us. And it did, a little. I couldn't figure out why they were so irritated with me. Maybe, if I had turned into a blood-drinking creature knowing as little as they did, then I would have also been annoyed with someone constantly telling me what to do, seeming to have known what all humans were forbidden to even while she was human. Jess especially would be jealous of that.
I sighed. It wasn't like I did it on purpose. These things just tended to happen to me.
Kate scratched her head in wonder. "I guess that is true," she mumbled softly.
"Um," I hesitated. "Edward — he couldn't read my mind as a human."
Even with my back facing every one of my friends, I could still feel their eyes stabbing at me. When they had first heard of Edward's ability, I was sure some would attempt to make it less embarrassing knowing he could also read my mind. Now, however, I was another miraculous exception. The only one I was sure would not feel any ill will towards me was Angela, maybe Ben.
"But Alice and Jasper could use their gifts on me," I continued quickly. "Alice said it was because my mind was private, protected."
"And Alice was corrected. Yours is purely a mental defense," Eleazar agreed. "Still, to have that defense even while human... Interesting. It could prove to be very powerful if it was pronounced even before transformation." His voice was thick with awe. He gaped at me in a strange admiration. I waited for the heat to fill my cheeks, but it never came, and I remembered that I would never blush again. Of course, I knew Eleazar's admiration was not entirely directed at me — just my power. Still, it was too much attention that I didn't want.
"Have you tried projecting it?" Kate asked me enthusiastically. Then she frowned, quickly answering her own question. "Oh. Of course you haven't. You've barely discovered you have it. Pity."
"What do you mean 'project it'?" I asked curiously.
"You know, push it out from yourself. Protect others from attacks, not just yourself."
"I can do that?" A smile formed on my lips at the thought. Could I actually control this subtle power of mine?
Kate shrugged. "How far you can stretch it, and how strong the barrier is once you do, depends on the wielder, I assume. And, of course, you might not be able to do it at all. Heaven knows I've been working on it with my power for the longest time. It used to only radiate from the palms of my hands, but after a lot of practice the best I can do is run a current over my skin." She smirked and gave me a wink. "But you should try it. See if you can."
I blinked at her.
"She creates an electrical current on her body," Carmen answered my unspoken question, reading the expression on my face. "Touching her would be like getting tasered."
My friends and I cringed away from her. It was an automatic response. And I remembered it was just a few seconds ago that Kate had pressed her hand against me. Suddenly, now more than ever before, I was grateful for my internal shield and its strength.
Kate laughed out our reactions.
"Mine would be categorized as an offensive skill, I guess, but I use it mostly to defend myself. So don't worry. As long as you don't try anything funny you won't get shocked," she assured us, smirking slightly, looking a little smug.
It was silent for a moment as we thought about that. Then Eric complained loudly, "Okay, okay, enough of Bella and Kate! What about me?"
"And me," Mike chimed in.
"Me, too!"
We all turned to Ben. He already knew his power. When he noticed our strange looks, he shrugged.
"Maybe I could do something more, I don't know."
"You get to stop time — what more do you want?" Mike asked, exasperated. Ben only shrugged again. Angela patted her mate on the shoulder, amused by him.
Carmen smiled kindly at us, then turned to Eleazar. They shared a significant look, seeming to communicate silently, painfully similar to Alice and Jasper. Then Eleazar turned his attention to us.
"Alright," he said. "Pay attention."
Each of our abilities was explained to us, and I had to admit it was interesting. I was amazed that all of us actually had some kind of talent. I thought having abilities beyond the norm of most vampires was rare. Perhaps it was more common than Edward and Carlisle thought.
Angela was what Eleazar called the "truth manipulator", which we had already discovered a while back, so no surprise there. She could be useful for getting out of trouble for sure.
As for Ben, it turned out he wasn't exactly stopping time; rather, he was slowing it down. And although we hadn't seen it in action yet, he could also speed it up, as well. Ben was extremely excited by this news, and immediately began testing it out. Judging from his frustrated sighs, he wasn't succeeding. He moved from being in front of us to behind us in the blink of an eye, but he was only capable of slowing down time for a few seconds, during which he would move to a new spot. Carmen gently told him that enabling the full strength of one's ability would take time and practice. It wouldn't come naturally.
With her words, I began to test my own power. Kate had hinted I could probably stretch it out somehow, to protect others. That thought made me hopeful. I didn't have to be the defenseless girl I was when I was human; I could actually protect the people I cared for now.
And yet, as I watched the others try out their newly found talents while attempting to grasp my own, I felt like it was impossible. It was just so difficult to work with something as inevitable and shapeless as my shield. The more I pressed, the more it resisted and retracted back into my head.
Eric, for his part, whined that it wasn't fair he was nothing but a techno path — someone who could manipulate technology.
"Some good that'll do me in the middle of the wilderness," he complained. I had to hold back a laugh at that. I knew he was hoping for something more 'superhero-like', as he put it, but what he had fit him well and, really, it wasn't that bad. At least he still had his vampire muscle and speed to satisfy him. Carmen also reassured him that it probably wasn't as useless as he felt, that he could probably reach machines and electronics that were miles away. Eleazar agreed with her, and added, as an example, that if an airplane was passing above, Eric might be able to interact and read data from it, along with other gadgets, like the passengers' cell phones and laptops. This information brought Eric's spirits back up, deeply satisfying him. He began concentrating on finding a hint of technology from a nearby town or something, sometimes even glancing up at the sky, searching for a plane. I doubted he would be able to reach it at this stage, but it wasn't like that would have stopped him from trying or anything. He was determined.
Jessica was a sound illusionist. She had the ability to create sounds, even words, at any range, pitch, or tone, in a person's mind. The noises she creates were only illusions, and she could only affect one person at a time, but she seemed to enjoy it. Her first attempt at forming a sound succeeded. Quite well, I might add. Poor Mike was her victim. I supposed she chose him just to annoy him, like he had been doing to her since we first woke up from transformation. Mike described what he heard as a high-pitched grating sound, like someone running their nails across a chalkboard; Jessica was ecstatic with herself, stating that was exactly what she was picturing when forming the sound.
I had to admit that it felt good knowing I was immune to her power. The last thing I needed was Jessica invading and clouding my mind with incessant noises.
Despite the annoyance I sometimes had with Jessica, I was glad she was pleased with her power, and that she was immediately triumphant with it. I was gratified knowing that she had something she could enjoy while being a vampire. After all, she had lost, not only her family and friends, but also her seemingly happy life, one she would have never given up if she had the opportunity like I would have mine. She had places she wanted to go, tasks she wanted to accomplish in life. Not to mention her inability to bear children. She had asked that question a while back, after we had left the shack in the clearing, and Jessica and Angela both were hit hard by the realization that they could never have kids of their own, never be able to create a family. Only, Angela showed her disappointment thought sorrow, while Jessica showed hers through anger, using her attitude and temper as weapons. Granted, Angela also had Ben, her other half, while Jessica had lost Mike.
So, I was glad Jessica found joy in her gift.
Eleazar categorized Mike as an Imitator. He explained that Mike had the power to copy, or imitate, another vampire's ability. As Mike began to test it out, we discovered that he could only copy one power at a time, and he had to be at an immensely close range. Mike was still pleased, though. Actually, he was ecstatic. Attempting to mimic Ben's time stopping ability was his greatest challenge, and he was loving every minute of it. He was confident he could do it, because his talent had worked with Angela's; he had secretly focused on her power and then told us something crazy, which we all believed.
Angela's power scared me the most. It was subtle, but extremely effective. It had to be, because in no way would we have ever believed Mike when he told us a vampire-eating snake was just inches from Jessica if it wasn't for the strength of Angela's gift. Honestly, what happened to any common sense when entranced by her power? It was terrifying. Even though Mike found it hilarious. I made a note in the back of my head to use Angela as a tool for revenge against him some time.
Speaking of revenge, I wished Mike didn't carry it. It was so distinct in his features, in his words and, if I was looking hard enough, in his actions. The motivation that drove him to excel at strengthening his ability was vengeance against Riley, unlike the rest of us, who were driven by excitement. Mike was always such a nice guy — sweet and loyal. He was never an angry person. Not even toward Edward—
I flinched at his name, and I sighed, clutching my stomach. I was doing so well up until now. Saying their name, saying his name... It seemed easier, and it was. But I was kidding myself if I said it didn't hurt.
.:Jasper's POV:.
The little shack in the clearing was marinated in Bella's scent. It made Alice almost giddy to be near that flower-like smell again.
Aside from the slight joy of our discovery, I was also more anxious to find Bella. She was nowhere near the abandoned building anymore. She had been gone for a while, I guessed, along with the others, whose smells seemed familiar, but I couldn't place a face or a name to them. Alice had the same problem. Carlisle was right, though — they were kids from our old school, so it was likely we had smelled them before, at one point.
As we scouted the area, my mind was busy analyzing the information the wolves had given us.
The newborns were not picked by their leader in any strategic form. It sounded like it was simply random, and very unorganized. Obviously, whoever created them was new to the whole newborn army thing. The newborns managed to annihilate an entire town, risking exposure more than anything the south had ever done.
Although, it was strange that she — the leader — was with them, helping them. The reason for this could be that their creator was ignorant herself, or there was some other purpose. What could that other purpose be? From what I knew, it wasn't some attempt to create an army which backfire and grew out of control. It was something else. So, perhaps, it really was organized, and she got what she wanted.
That still made little sense, however. Killing off the population of one innocent town — what did that get her? Only a visit from the Volturi, and I doubted anyone would want that.
Alice's eyes glazed over, becoming distant and out of the present. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Most of her visions were quick, but her expressions told me the seriousness of what she was seeing; her emotions helped, as well. Right now, her beautiful face was smooth, almost blank, except for her forehead, which creased, and her eyes showed a sign of misunderstanding. Something she was seeing wasn't making sense to her. There was a problem.
As I waited for my mate to come back to me, I peered around us. Bella's scent didn't go far from the rundown building that the wolves had left her in. I guessed this area happened to be her hunting grounds. Maybe Carlisle had caught the real trail—
Suddenly, Alice gasped, yanked my arm off her shoulders, squeezed my hand, and began sprinting into the trees, towing me along with her. Her topaz gaze was focused ahead, way ahead, on something I couldn't see yet.
I didn't ask questions. I would be patient.
"Carlisle!" Alice cried. She sounded helpless, and that worried me.
Carlisle appeared up ahead of us. He turned his head when he heard his name being called, and stiffened at the anxiety in the voice who spoke it. He glanced at me and cocked an eyebrow. I could only imagine what my face must look like. I hated when Alice was pained over something, and it made me doubly concerned.
"We have to go! Now!" she ordered, her words coming out quick and hurried, almost blurred together. She pulled me right past Carlisle, not slowing or stopping for him. Naturally, he followed us without saying a word. His confusion was evident, though, as was mine. I couldn't take it any longer. I needed to know what was going on, what was causing my wife so much stress.
"Alice?" I started. She hushed me before I could go any further into questioning. I noticed the same gloss coating in her eyes as before, and I held on to my questions until she was ready to answer them. Carlisle followed suit.
We ran in silence for a minute, unease surging through us.
"Pick up the pace," Alice squeaked abruptly, panicked. I pushed my legs harder, keeping up with her small, quick form. Now I really could not stand it.
"Alice, would you please tell me what's happening?"
"We have to make it to Bella before..." she started, her face scrunching up in fear.
"Before what?" I prompted.
"The Volturi," she whispered.
"They're tracking her down for sure now?" Carlisle asked worriedly.
Alice shook he head. "No. They've already found her. They're with her!"
I tensed. Of course, I had to remember that Alice sometimes, most of the time, spoke of the future as the present. Consequently, I knew the Volturi haven't caught up with Bella yet. But they would be, very soon. Time was always against us. No matter how fast we moved, no matter how many leads we found to point us in Bella's direction, our opposition was always a step ahead.
"They are debating whether to trust them or not," Alice continued, "but I can't see their final judgement for some reason. Their minds must keep changing due to some unnatural cause. One minutes they believe them, and the next they don't. It's weird."
Them?
Bella must have stayed with the other newborns after all, which was something I had been wondering about earlier.
Carlisle sped up, passing us slightly, and pulled out his phone. "We should call—"
"No," Alice interrupted. "Edward will only get in the way. Trust me."
I looked at Carlisle, and he stared back. As wrong as that sounded — not notifying Edward that we knew where Bella was, and that she needed help — I, in no way, would argue against Alice.
.:Bella's POV:.
Something felt instinctively dangerous. In the pit of my stomach, my nerves were calling out to me, alarmed and on edge, demanding I stay alert.
But everything seemed absolutely fine. So, I didn't mention anything to the others. I figured I was simply worrying over Victoria, as I always had, and always would, now that I knew she wouldn't stop until I was good and dead. For now, though, we were all safe from her, and I refused to break this period of peacefulness. My friends looked carefree and relaxed for the first time since the attack on Forks. I would not ruin it for them. I owed them that much.
To keep my mind off my nerves, I continued practicing to expand my shield outside of my own head, with little success. It was like I was grappling with some tangible force, ordering it to stay put or go where I wanted it to, but it would just disappear into nothing in a matter of seconds.
I was using the other vampires around me as my experimental subjects without their knowledge, though I knew they had realized what I was concentrating on. Eventually, I began to get some things right and I was able to successfully, though momentarily, help someone.
As I observed Jessica narrowing her eyes at Mike, who was a mere six feet in front of me, I attempted to save him from the torture I knew was about to begin in his head. I tried as hard as I could to wrap my elastic shield around us both.
Mike brought his hands to his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "Dammit, Jessica!" he hissed through clenched teeth.
Jessica giggled, sounding almost sadistic.
That was when I felt him in my grasp, in my barrier. I could taste his scent and I could see the strange outline of my shield mold around him, taking his shape. It looked clean, perfect, no rips in it.
Mike slowly opened his eyes and straightened up, glaring at Jessica. Jess's gleeful laughing came to a stop, as her features became shocked. She glared back at him, attempting to break through my protection. I could feel it — sharp stabbings against him. They were bouncing off the band I had over him, and I smiled, relieved that I was finally able to achieve something. But I shouldn't have broken my concentration. The band recoiled sharply, snapping back into me. I nearly fell over from the unexpected force.
Mike was gripping his head again, cursing at Jessica, who was feeling better now that her power was working effectively once again.
I sighed, then froze when I spotted Eleazar watching me curiously. When our eyes met, he smiled encouragingly, nodding his, impressed. I sighed again, this time in embarrassment. I wasn't expecting anyone to be watching me.
Trying to distract myself from thoughts of being caught at experimenting with my power, I noticed that my senses were still shooting off warning signals to my brain, telling me something was coming, something dangerous. And as much as I tried to ignore them, I couldn't. They were actually becoming more potent as time went on.
"Something is wrong," I murmured to myself, loud enough for the others to hear me.
"What? Having no luck controlling your shield?" Mike asked with a joking smile, evidently over Jessica's torture on him. "Well, I hate to say it, Bella, but some of us aren't as naturally gifted as others—"
Mike's feet flew out from underneath him. His back smacked hard into the ground, splintering it. An irritated snarl erupted from his lips as he leaned up on his elbows, immediately searching out Ben, who stood innocently behind Angela, pretending to focus on something else. No one else, however, made any attempt to hide their amusement.
It was then, during our carefree laughter, that the threat of my subconscious lurked closer. So close, that we all felt it, that we all caught it, smelled the incoming scents from the south. The cheerful atmosphere turned tense and apprehensive.
The Denalis stiffened in unison.
"What are they doing here?" Kate wondered. Her mouth opened to say something else, but nothing was said; instead, she seemed to get her answers when glancing at me, and then at my friends. "Of course," she grumbled with a slight hiss, her attention turning to the uniformed alignment of trees to our south.
Carmen looked briefly at Eleazar, who's face matched his mate's. Both were anxious regarding whoever was coming, and they seemed to know who it was.
Automatically, my feet edged in the opposite direction of whatever, or whoever, was about to arrive. Eric and Jessica caught my movement and did the same.
Eleazar stopped us, his voice firm, and motioned for us all to stay put.
"It is too late. Running will only make matters worse."
I stared at him, knowing I should trust him, but my mind and body were still warring over the right decision.
Ben positioned himself, as always, in front of Angela, who peeked apprehensively at me. I knew what she was thinking; our life as vampires was not going so well when it came to avoiding trouble. The only luck we had managed so far was befriending the Denalis.
Mike stood proud and tall, obviously confident in his new found strength. Too confident. From what I could tell, if Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar were reacting like there was no hope, then there wasn't.
So, we had no choice. We stood, frozen, defensive as the dark cloaked figured from my faint human nightmares emerged from the shadows.
