Thanks, Leanne. Another great job!

.

I'm happy to own the magic as almost everything else is on loan from SM.

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Leah.

Demetri's POV

I sighed as I made my way to the turret room. I knew the drill; Heidi would bring a couple of guests down to make sure I was fed before flying, then I would pay Julio a visit for the necessary documentation—a fake passport and matching credit card; followed by collection of a VEP from storage.

VEP's—or Volturi Emergency Packs—were small wheeled suitcases, the sort being used in any domestic airport. They came in black for men and grey for women, and were packed with two changes of clothes and toiletries. They were unnecessary hindrances, serving only to satisfy customs and other aircraft officials that we were normal passengers, however the clothes occasionally proved useful as human blood stained so easily.

I was not amused at the alias Julio had given me. "Glen?" I queried. "Do I look like a Glen?" He shrugged. I snarled and turned to go, when he called me back to hand me a cheap unregistered cell. "Gee, they're pushing the boat out aren't they?" I sneered shoving the offensive item in my pocket.

The drive to Galileo Airport was bearable, apart from the waves of glee that rolled off Felix as he relished the thought of taking me out of the equation with Leanne. I smiled sweetly while I plotted revenge for when I returned.

I hated travelling on my own. When we went in any numbers, we took the private jet—so much more convenient. Flying to Canada involved stopovers and more time among humans than would be comfortable, so I flew as directly as I could to the edge of the Atlantic.

Fortunately, my flight though tedious and noisy, was uneventful. Travelling overnight, I was able to feign sleep for most of the eight hour journey. Arriving in Vigo, Spain, I retrieved the obnoxious bag before hailing a cab to take me to the bus station. The sun would soon be coming up so I stuffed the bag in a luggage locker for use on the return journey, pausing only to remove a sealable pouch for my passport and cell.

Leaving the station, I crossed Parque Charlie Rivel to the docks, where I slipped unseen between the boats and into the depths of the marina. In no time, I was out in the Atlantic heading West for the coast of Maine. Swimming all day and night was a much more relaxing way to reach Canadian shores.

I was lucky, and managed to snag a stray fisherman from the rocks as I clambered out of a secluded corner of Grays Cove, Northeast of Portland, Maine. It was a dull day, and I easily made my way into the wilderness, skirting Montreal and keeping North of Ottawa. It was an easy run through the State of Ontario, and I found a lone human on the southern fringes of Winnipeg, before heading West and then Southwest to Montana. From there, a short jaunt West found me dutifully holed up in the hills around Olympia.

It was a long tedious week before Aro contacted me, the highlight of which was an occasional venture into the town at night to feed. Under no circumstances was I to enter Forks or the surrounding areas, so how, I wondered, was I to check on the Cullen coven?

Felix thought it funny to call me up and describe what Leanne was wearing, winding me up. I tried to get my own back by calling Leanne directly, but she sent me to answer phone every time. Damn caller ID.

Normally that would have been my idea of heaven—a week or two away from all the plotting and back-stabbing in Volterra, plenty of unpopulated landscape to roam freely with very few annoying humans to worry about, and only myself to please—but I was restless, unable to appreciate anything, anxious to return to the sneers and cutting remarks of my beautiful Leanne.

Every tongue lashing that she submitted me to made me want her more. Despite the humiliation as she persistently spurned my advances, I wanted nothing more than to grovel at her feet. I hadn't known that I could use a word like that in reference to myself, but I was damned if I wasn't hurting at the separation.

Someone as soulless as me didn't register pain, physical or mental, so maybe I had a soul after all, and it had been in Leanne's hands all along.

Hell, I needed to get laid!

I was formulating a plan to dazzle some late night hooker, one with Leanne's eyes and hair colour, when my cell rang out. "I am the one and only…" What? I had to keep up with the times. It was a text to be alert in the hope that I would be active very soon.

At last I got the call for action. "Two of the Cullen coven are at a car showroom in Elma. If you get there soon enough, you can acquaint yourself with their scent and learn something about them," Aro told me. "The crowds should mask you, and don't forget to approach from the South—the opposite direction to the Cullens."

I rolled my eyes. It wasn't like I was born yesterday. I knew how to track, keeping down wind etc, and I had plenty of garlic. No it doesn't affect vampires, but it sure can help mask our scent.

Making my way to Elma, I was less than enamoured of the disgusting attire I had been forced to wear "to fit in". Whoever invented such ball crushing clothes as jeans should be shot, and the material the hoodie was made of smelled rank as it infringed on my face.

It was easy to spot them in the crowds. One male, one female. He was a giant of a man, and it briefly crossed my mind to invite him back to Volterra and teach Felix a lesson. She was much easier on the eye, and if her flirtatious manner with the big guy was anything to go by, I'd say she was well up for it. Pity for her that I only had eyes for Leanne, so unlike me, but hey it was her loss.

I caught their unique aromas and even their names as they shamelessly flaunted themselves in front of the humans— in broad daylight. Retracing my steps, I disappeared. Hopefully, if they went straight back to forks, they would be none the wiser. Not that they'd know who it was, but it would be better if they were unaware of another vampire in the vicinity.

Billy's POV

Leah.

Leah was a problem, one that needed solving quickly. The other three protectors gathered at my house, and we decided that any outcome would affect us all. The young ones, we thought, had a right to express an opinion, so Sam and Quil left to round them up.

Harry and I sat in silence for a while; he was not happy with the situation. Studying him, I was struck how he had aged lately. His face was more wrinkled and his hair was shot with silver. His aura had a few more flecks of grey, too. This discussion wasn't going to help any of that.

"I'm sorry, Harry," I said at length.

He let out a long deep sigh. "It's not your fault, Billy," he said, resignation apparent in his voice. "If it's what she is, better that she learns to defend herself, I suppose."

I nodded in sympathy. "And it's not like she'd be the only girl."

Harry gave me a weak smile, clearly struggling to see the positives, while he couldn't be enthusiastic about them.

The door burst open, and Seth Clearwater led the assault as Jacob, Quil, and Bella rushed in before Sam and old Quil.

"Hey, Dad," Seth called out. "Hey, Billy."

Harry beckoned Seth over. "Hey, Son," he said pulling him down to sit with him, keeping hold of his hand.

The others all made themselves comfortable. Old Quil sat the other side of Seth, filling the couch, and Sam took the armchair leaving Bella, Quil, and Jacob on the floor. It was quite a squash for my tiny house.

"Harry?" I said when the noise died down. "Would you like to start?"

Obviously he hadn't expected that. Looking like a rabbit caught in headlights, his voice held a note of defeat. "Only to say that I will have no part in this discussion, except to abide by whatever decision is taken."

He squeezed Seth's hand, and the lad was mute for once in his life, concern for his father beginning to worry him.

It fell to me to open proceedings. "We are here," I began, "Because Bella and Seth share an ancestor which we believe is why Daniel Chee saw them as being both different to the rest of us, and stronger."

Seth beamed with pride, as Bella dropped her head and blushed in embarrassment. Quil gave Seth a thumbs up, and Jacob patted Bella's hand.

"I know Sam has talked to you about auras." I paused, acknowledging the nods of agreement. "What he hasn't told you is that Bella can see more than anyone—even me." The three boys were wide eyed.

"Bella, do you see anything when you look at Jacob?"

"Yes," she said timidly, smiling shyly at my son.

"Please describe it," I asked her.

"A faint orange glow in the shape of a flame."

"As expected," I said, pleased to know it was developing. "How about young Quil?"

"His is just a glow that hasn't taken shape yet, very faint, but definitely orange."

"Now, could you tell us about Seth's aura."

"Seth is surrounded by a flame of very pale green." Bella paused to peer intently at Seth. "There is an edge forming, but I can't quite make out the colour. It could be orange."

I should not have been surprised to hear how different Seth's was. I would have to remember to ask Bella how it progressed. "Thank you, Bella," I said.

"Quil, do you see any of this?" I asked, wanting to check.

"Nope, nothing." He shrugged.

"Jacob?"

He stared intensely at them all before saying dejectedly, "Nope."

"It's okay, son," I assured him. "That's how it should be." I turned to face the couch. "Now, Seth. Tell us what you see."

"Well, Quil I don't see nothin'—sorry mate. Jacob has a glow, like Bella described Quil's."

"And Bella," I urged.

"She's always glowed—like she was toxic or somethin', but it's looking like a flame now."

"Do you see the colour, Seth?"

"Yeah, a sort of pale bluey green."

The boys were restless. "Jacob. Quil." I got their attention. "We…" I indicated the four adults. "Can see none of this, apart from Bella's aura which is fully formed and quite beautiful."

I didn't miss the pride that flashed across Jacob's face, as he glanced her way on hearing that. "Why can't you see our auras?" he asked.

"They will become visible to us when you start to wield the magic."

"So you see Bella's because she has used it?"

"Exactly." I smiled at my son, then passed briefly over their joined hands before resting my gaze on Bella. "We are here to discuss Leah."

Bella's head shot up meeting my gaze. "Leah was very angry at you a while ago," I said gently. "Would you tell us what happened?"

Bella chewed on her lip, turning her attention to Harry and Seth and looking apologetic, she swallowed and said. "Um, she glowed."

I watched my old friend flinch and stiffen at her words, his hand tightening on his son's. Seth's eyes opened wide at his father's reaction coupled with the enlightenment of what that meant. There were sharp intakes of breath from the other boys.

Again, Jacob showed his leadership qualities. "Does that mean—"

"We're not sure what it means," I cut him off. "We do think it likely that she is not only a vessel to pass the magic to her children, but may possess it herself."

"Cool," Seth said, and Harry shook his head grimly.

"We must decide whether Leah should join you in your training," I explained

"Why wouldn't she?" Quil asked.

"Because," his grandfather answered. "If she doesn't possess the magic, then she has no right knowing about the things we do."

There was a fairly heated discussion. Sam and Seth were both for training Leah, Old Quil and Bella were against it, and I was undecided. Jacob and young Quil were open to persuasion, listening to every point of view, and Harry, true to his word, kept out of it.

Despite his grandfather's misgivings, Quil eventually joined Sam and Seth, Bella admitted that if she was honest, she did think Leah possessed magic, and Jacob though not totally convinced, thought she should be given the opportunity to train. With only old Quil still against, I ruled that Leah was to join in and see what happened.

I faced my friend. "Will you tell her tonight, Harry?" I asked. He huffed in defeat and his whole frame slumped..

Sam came over to stand by Harry's side. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he asked quietly, "Can I tell her?"

Clasping his hand over Sam's, Harry dropped his head nodding dejectedly. "Thanks," he whispered, patting the hand.

Moving behind him, Sam dug his fingers into either side of Harry's neck, massaging for a while, before slapping him on the back affectionately. Nodding to Quil and I, he ran off to the Clearwater's.

Leah's POV

I was having a bitch of a summer. It started before school was out, having to share my room with Bella. Not that I minded at first, she wasn't bad company, but she kept trying it on with Sam, my boyfriend, playing the damsel in distress.

Thankfully, after about a week, we'd both had enough and she moved back home. She still got to spend more time with Sam than I did, and way too often she turned up for dinner. They rarely took time off from their precious training, and I had been pretty bored.

That day started the same as many others, except that Dad took a call in the middle of breakfast. He had been acting strange for a while, and I'd often caught him staring at me with a weird look on his face. Returning after the call, he sent one of those looks my way before telling Sam they had to go to Billy's.

Seth bounced as he asked, "Me, too?"

"No, just us oldies," Dad said smiling fondly at my scamp of a little brother.

Well that was good. At least Bella wouldn't be there either.

They hadn't been gone long when Sam came back for Seth. He didn't even take the time to properly say hi, as they were to meet the others who were all at Quil's. My curiosity was piqued, and my jealousy too. They were obviously not doing their regular training, and I hung around on the off chance that Sam would be home for lunch.

I flopped in front of the TV, not really listening, my head imagining what Sam and Bella might be doing—sick, I know. Bella had told me that she wasn't interested, that she had a boyfriend, but it hadn't stopped her letting Jacob touch her all the time.

And then a miracle happened. My Sam came running in and scooped me up.

"Come with me, Leah," he said.

"Where?" I laughed happily. I would go anywhere with him.

"We need to talk, and I want to do it somewhere private."

Being the silly schoolgirl that I was, I jumped to conclusions. The only reason I could imagine he'd want to talk in private was to propose. I reasoned that he must have asked Dad first, then told them all why there was no training today.

I beamed and said breathily, "Of course! Wherever you lead, I will follow."

"Good." Sam smiled back. "Can you throw some sandwiches together and we'll make it a picnic?"

Jumping up in excitement, I danced to the kitchen grabbing bread and cheese, while Sam found and filled some bottles with water. I ran to my room for a blanket, leaving Sam to fill a bag with the sandwiches, water and a few apples.

Soon we were laying on the blanket on the sand in a small cove at the end of First Beach. My heart was thumping, and I was glad Sam wanted to talk first, as I could not have eaten a thing.

"Leah," he began.

I had to bite my lip to keep from shouting, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"We've decided…" he continued hesitantly.

Oh, that "we" should have been a clue.

"…to let you come and train with us," Sam finished like an express train.

"Yes!" I blurted before my brain caught up to my mouth. Then, "Wait! You what?"

I couldn't believe my own ears. Sure I was upset that he hadn't proposed, but that was masked by outrage at their audacity in deciding anything for me. What right had they? And why so long after letting Bella in? Who said I even wanted to join them?

I was properly pissed off, and jumped up, hands on hips. "What gives you all the right to decide," I yelled at Sam. "Maybe I don't want to be in your pathetic gang."

"Leah, be reasonable." Sam reached out to me.

Resisting the urge to kick sand in his face, I turned and ran away from First Beach. I needed to be on my own, not bumping into people I would know.

"Leah, stop!" Echoed in my ears. I knew I couldn't outrun him, but I could make him work to catch me. I let my anger fuel my muscles, and managed a good half mile before strong arms wrapped round my waist, lifting my pistoning feet from the ground.

Defeated, the anger turned inwards and I began to sob.

"Leah," he growled in my ear. "Let me explain."

He knew I couldn't resist him growling my name, and I twisted round in his arms to lock mine behind his neck. He held me until I was spent.

Allowing me back on my feet at last, he wiped a lock of hair from my sweaty forehead, and gazed into what must have been bloodshot eyes.

"What was all that about?" he asked gently.

I sighed heavily. "Let's go back and sit down," I hedged giving myself time to think. I certainly wasn't going to admit I'd thought he was proposing.

Sam lifted me up swinging my legs over his arm, and started walking back.

"I can walk," I giggled, enjoying the attention.

"I know, but seeing as how I'm missing training, I thought I'd improvise." He spotted the scowl forming on my face at the mention of training, and added. "Besides, I like it." And he kissed me.

Reaching the blanket, he dumped me on my ass. "Now, will you stay there, woman?" he huffed jovially.

"Maybe," I laughed back, pleased to be referred to as a woman—especially after acting like such a child. "If you make it worth my while."

Swiftly, I was pressed onto my back, Sam hovering over me. "Will you promise to sit and listen until I've finished?" he coaxed.

"I don't know…I'm thinking the alternative might suit me better," I smirked suggestively.

"Such a naughty girl," Sam muttered, then said, "Believe me, you won't like the alternative."

"Are you sure?" I pressed.

Moving to sit next to me, he became solemn. "No, love. If you're not going to listen, I'm just going to walk away."

Peering up at him, I could tell that he was serious. "Okay," I said and shuffled along, twisting round to lay my head in his lap. "I'm listening."

Sam smiled lovingly down at me. "It's not a case of who we do or don't want to let in on what we do, Leah," he said. "If it were, I'd have made sure we included you a long time ago."

"So why are you including me now?" I asked.

"This has never happened to girls before, and we're not one hundred percent sure about you, but we think you possess the tribe's magic." Sam paused to gauge my reaction, and I gave it to him.

I burst out laughing. "Surely you could come up with something better than that?" I wheezed, short of breath.

Sam was not laughing. "I'm deadly serious," he said gravely.

I tried hard to sober up. Taking a deep lung full of air, I let it out slowly. "What's this magic for?" was all I could think to ask.

"Safeguarding the tribe," he replied.

"From what?" I was genuinely curious. "And wouldn't guns do the trick?" Without the need for tedious training, I declined to add.

"No, guns don't kill the enemy we destroy," he said slowly.

Immediately I felt he was talking to me like a kid at school, but quickly realised that he was wary, but was that of me…or what he was saying? "What is this enemy," I asked sceptically.

Wincing slightly, Sam said, "Vampires."

He knew I wouldn't believe him, but I had disappointed him enough that day, and for once thought before I spoke. "Can't you use wooden bullets?" I actually thought that was pretty clever, but this time it was Sam who laughed.

"At least you didn't shoot me down about their existence," he placated me. "Real vampires—not the ones in movies—are as hard as rock, so no bullet will have any effect."

I sat up. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

Sam clasped my hand in his, a little nervously. "It's not something I'd joke about, Leah."

"Vampires really exist?" I was having trouble accepting the idea, but I couldn't miss the sincerity and urgency in his eyes.

"They really do," he assured me.

"Wow, I'd like to meet one."

"Not most of them you wouldn't," he growled. "But we have some…unusual ones locally, and you have already met two of them."

"No way! Who?" How could I have met vampires and not known. I was hanging on his next words, eager to know.

"The Cullens," he almost whispered.

My mouth dropped open. I never would have guessed. "Doctor Cullen?" I gasped in disbelief. "And…oh! em! gee! Bella's boyfriend is a vampire? Does she know?"

"Yes," Sam sneered.

"That's hilarious!" I exclaimed and collapsed in fits of laughter.

When I calmed down I enquired, "Has he hypnotised her so he can drink her blood?"

"That's where our local variety are different—they only drink animal blood." Sam cupped my cheeks to make sure I paid attention. "Leah, you can't tell anyone about this."

"You have got to be kidding me!" He shook his head. "The best gossip ever, and I'm not allowed to tell?" I whined.

"No," he said sternly. "You would put us all in danger if you did."

"Danger, how?"

"Billy's grandfather, Ephraim, made a treaty with them."

I interrupted. "Hang on, with who? That must have been ages ago."

"With the Cullens," Sam said patiently.

"Not these Cullens?" Sam was nodding as my eyes got wider. "How old are they?" I whispered.

"I'm not sure, but the doctor was the leader even back then. His wife, the muscular giant, the blond bombshell and Bella's boy were with him."

"Bella's…? Ew! He must be sixty or seventy years at least! That is so gross!"

"There's no accounting for taste," Sam muttered. "Anyway, we agreed to leave them alone as long as they didn't bite anybody. We also have a mutual agreement not to reveal what we are to others."

"So if I told…"

"The Treaty would be broken and they could kill us all. The whole tribe would be in danger."

"Tell me more about them," I urged.

"Technically they're dead. They have no heartbeat or blood in their veins. They are cold and hard to touch, and they sparkle in the sunlight."

"Sparkle?" I snorted. I would so have to tease Bella about her sparkly boyfriend. "They don't sound very dangerous. What about fangs?"

"They don't need fangs as their teeth are plenty sharp enough," Sam said. "They are faster and stronger than you can imagine, and near impossible to kill."

"The magic kills them though?" I checked.

"Yes, though I've never seen it. Bella is the only person alive who has had to use it. She disposed of two vampires."

I detected an amount of awe in Sam's voice, and it didn't sit well with me. "It can't be that difficult then," I sniffed.

"It's not something to be taken lightly," Sam admonished, and then smiled sweetly. "I'm glad I can share this with you, especially as I am so involved at the moment. It'll be loads better with you there."

"Hold up. I haven't agreed yet."

"Don't you want to spend more time with me?" He almost pouted.

"Of course I do, but I want to know what I'm getting myself into. What does this magic actually do?" I must say that I was completely sceptical, and wondered if what they all shared was a form of insanity. Magic indeed.

"Okay, I suppose I could give you a small demonstration." Sam found a fist sized rock and placed it maybe twenty feet away on the sand. Standing next to the blanket, he told me not to come near or touch him, but to stay where I was.

I promised, and Sam began to glow. It was eerily like the glow I'd seen around Bella, only he was more orange. I was just thinking that was nice, but not terribly impressive, when I heard a crackling and sparks spat around him. He pointed a finger at the rock and an orange…force?…power? Shot from the tip to the rock.

The rock disappeared. It didn't explode. It didn't make a sound. It simply vanished—ceased to exist. Maybe it disintegrated, I don't know.

Wow, that was hot. I knew that Sam was fast and strong, but that was something else. He came and sat next to me.

"And I can do that?" I asked.

"Leah, that was a tiny part of the magic, and yes I believe you can wield it."

I drew my knees up and hugged them, laying my head sideways on top to study this new Sam.

"When we are at the peak of fitness, we can utilise the magic to increase our speed and strength. You may not realise it, but you were running pretty damned fast along the beach. I think your emotions utilised the magic unconsciously, in the same way you did that evening when you flew at Bella."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I remembered the incident well, but there had been nothing special about it…except. "Bella saw something!" I exclaimed.

Sam nodded. "When we use the magic our auras become visible," he said.

"Auras?"

"Yes, they begin as a kind of glow, and develop into a flame surrounding us."

"Bella's always glowed," I said. "Just now you were glowing in the same way."

"You saw that? Another indication that you do possess the magic," Sam mused. It seemed our discussion was over, as he rumbled, "Where's that food, woman? Using the magic makes me hungry."

I handed Sam a sandwich and took a few mouthfuls of water myself. "Does Mom know?" I asked him.

Sam thought while he ate. "I bet she knows some things," he said at last. "Growing up in one bloodline and marrying into another, but the magic? Definitely not."

He wolfed down three of the sandwiches while I nibbled on the fourth. I was too mixed up to eat. So many emotions swirling in my stomach like butterflies, that there was no room for food.

After devouring a couple of the apples, Sam lay on his back and closed his eyes. I knew he was deep in thought, and I shuffled in behind him lifting his head to lay it on my lap, stroking his hair as I watched the waves rolling in to shore.

Time passed.

"Hey, beautiful," Sam said softly, opening his eyes and squinting in the hazy sun.

"Hey yourself," I replied bending forward for an upside down kiss.

"We should go see Billy."

"Now?"

"Ah huh. He is the Chief and will want to talk with you. Plus, I have something to say to him."

Arriving at the house, I suddenly felt ridiculous. On the beach with Sam, it had all seemed so wonderful and exciting like a very good dream. This was real, and I couldn't believe that Billy would share the dream. I felt stupid even thinking about him in association with vampires or magic, so I hung back as Sam strode in, hiding behind him, shyly.