78. Truths

Once our guests had been introduced to Renesmee, those who had not before met began getting to know one another. There was none of the bickering or posturing one might expect from apex predators jockeying for the top position among peers. The atmosphere in our home was relaxed and friendly, with our friends comparing how they had met Carlisle and sharing their amusement over his determination to live on animal blood.

Strange though we were to them, they couldn't help but to like Carlisle. His sincerity, his gentle self-confidence, his compassion, the same bedside manor that made him such a wonderful doctor made it impossible for even vampires to resist his charm. Aro himself called Carlisle 'friend'.

While my father's lifestyle amused them, the rest of our family's decision to follow his ways left them completely baffled. With the exception of Bella, we all knew what it was to drink human blood, and yet, we chose not to. They discussed the subject at length, but none of them could conceive of why we bothered depriving ourselves of something that, to them, was absolutely vital. A necessity. Essential to our very existence.

Especially when, sooner or later, every single human was going to die anyway. Today, tomorrow, next year or next decade. What was the harm in hastening the inevitable? Did it really matter much? Illness, homicide, accident, or old age. Something would take them, while we would live on and on and on and on…

When I'd met Siobhan, she had felt more pity for me than anything. However weird one was, with an eternity in which to look, it was well within the realm of possibilities that a like mind could be found, or created, but there were eight of us now, not to mention the Denali clan. They would have been less surprised if Carlisle had convinced a group of humans to give up breathing

I watched the growing friendships with a touch of amazement over their easy camaraderie. It seemed completely at odds with everything I knew of traditional vampires.

What could account for the difference? What was it about Renesmee that sparked such devotion?

Or perhaps it had nothing to do with her specifically. Was it merely a result of the opportunity to participate in saving a life, such a rarity for those whose existence usually revolved around taking them? I listened avidly to what was said as well as what was not, but found nothing definitive that explained their attitudes.

Their reactions made me wonder what Jasper would have made of such a grouping of friendly vampires. It was interesting to note their emotions were free from any tampering. The newly made friendships were genuine.

As they shared their pasts with each other, Bella took in our friends' life stories with something akin to the expression of polite interest she used to wear when questioning me. It was a just mask though, and not a very convincing one. The most monstrous aspects of my life, things which I had expected would cause her to run from me, screaming as she went, had only been met with more questions. Each of my revelations had fueled her fascination with me and my world, but our friends' pasts drew forth the small furrows of distress which I had never found when relating mine.

Even now that she was part of our world, it seemed other vampires were still to be feared, but not me, never me. It was my hand she clung to, and me she leaned against, and them she watched with what I could only interpret as a wary distrust.

I knew she didn't like having them here, but she spoke with them bravely enough, volunteering comments or asking questions with no discernable hesitation. Maybe Bella was just afraid to believe in the hope they represented.

Holding on to my hope in the absence of Alice wasn't easy, but I had faith in my sister and the chance she had left us with. The more full our house became, the more likely our success in getting the Volturi to pause long enough to see and hear the truth.

The truth…

Watching Maggie's thoughts was especially fascinating with such a diverse crowd. She didn't say much, but her red eyes were consistently focused on whomever was speaking as she listened for evasions and half-truths or out-right lies. They seemed to make her uncomfortable in some indefinable way, but her accuracy was undeniable. Even I could be lied to, but not Maggie, nor her coven. Siobhan was intensely aware of her, as was Liam to a lesser extent, whether they seemed to be or not. The little vampire girl with the mess of red curls was always at the periphery of her coven's thoughts. As they conversed with the rest of our guests, the two watched for her subtle nods or head shakes and adjusted their comments accordingly.

Ours wasn't the only family to have grown. Carlisle had already met Amun's mate, Kebi. In the intervening centuries, Amun had changed Benjamin, and he, in turn, had changed his mate, Tia. Benjamin had gone to check on the girl he'd remembered from his human life, and when she'd learned what had become of him, she had wanted to join him.

Unlike myself, Benjamin hadn't hesitated to grant her request.

The truly surprising aspect was that he'd been successful. Benjamin had only been a few years into his new life when he'd ventured away from Amun. It was the only time he'd ever left his creator, and he'd returned as soon after Tia woke as the two could safely travel. He'd never once considered leaving Amun the way I'd left Carlisle. He'd only run away to find the girl he'd remembered and, having accomplished that aim, had returned to Amun to stay. Both he and Tia were quite content with their lot.

What must that be like, to be so satisfied with what they were?

I was happy now, yes, now that I had Bella, but neither of us fed on humans. How could they kill people as they did, and still find love in their hearts?

So many vampires lived as they did, killing together and loving together, it made me wonder how they managed. I couldn't conceive that, even with her seemingly unlimited capacity for forgiveness, Bella would have fallen in love with me if I still murdered people. Assuming of course, that without all those decades of practicing restraint and self-control, I had managed to avoid killing her the second I'd caught her scent.

Had we met under other circumstances, had Bella been changed by someone else and lived on human blood for any length of time, would I have been as forgiving of her murders as she was of mine?

Possibly, I conceded. If she were to accidentally kill now, I would love her no less.

But would I have fallen in love with her if she had already killed? Would I have bothered to discover her essential goodness? Would she have retained it? Our friends were not bad people, aside from all the murders. I liked them. Could I have loved Bella, if she were like them?

I was glad I would never know. Bella was pure and perfect just as she was. A pure and perfect vampire. Why had I ever believed she could be anything else? And to think, I used to believe Rosalie was the pig-headed one.

Regardless, Benjamin was grateful to Amun for the life he'd provided.

Benjamin's loyalty to his creator put mine to shame. He loved Amun the way I loved Carlisle, but I felt Amun was less deserving of such devotion than my father was. Carlisle had only sought a companion when he'd changed me, and never saw my telepathy as a commodity to be used. It seemed to me that the love Amun had for Benjamin was a jealous love, possessive and calculating, focused on and centered around Benjamin's unique abilities, which Amun was terrified of losing.

Given that the ancient vampire had already lost one child to the Volturi, I couldn't really blame Amun for his fears, not after seeing what Benjamin could do.

Hadn't I wanted to hide my daughter from Aro? To keep her safe, a secret only our family could know?

Secrets weren't exactly feasible though. Not in our house. A fact Amun did not know at first. As he had not wanted Carlisle to know what his son could do, neither had my father spoken of our very gifted family.

I saw as much in Amun's thoughts as the four made their way down our long drive. He had no more idea of who or what awaited them than any of our other guests.

Sons and daughters, was all my father had said.

Amun was thinking of my parents, remembering their visit, and the anger he'd felt when confronted with Carlisle's predicament. Sons, my father had said! Sons and daughters! What else except for a swift and decisive retribution had Carlisle expected in gathering such numbers about himself? Having lived with the Volturi, Carlisle should have known better. And then to have the nerve to go around begging for help!

Benjamin was also thinking of my parents, of the visit that had brought the four of them here, and how Amun had not wanted them to meet, insisting that Benjamin hide himself away. For his own safety, of course. As if anyone with senses capable of finding their home would not know well before crossing the threshold that four vampires lived there.

The prospect of meeting another vampire had intrigued Benjamin, not frightened, but he'd heard the stories of the Volturi far too often to dismiss his father's fears outright. He'd respected his father's wishes and had remained inside while Amun had hastened out to shoo the unwelcome visitors away.

Amun had designed his home carefully, with the exterior acting as camouflage. The building's true entrance sat far back from the street, on the far side of a covered courtyard, beyond a smoke-screen of shade-loving plant life and a massive water fountain.

It was here, in the courtyard, that Amun confronted my parents. Here, they could be allowed, but no farther.

"Carlisle, my friend," Amun had greeted him pleasantly enough. "I am sorry, but you have come at a terrible time. We already have guests, and I am afraid you cannot be here. Please go. We will have to visit another day."

Completely ignoring the fact that Amun was attempting to herd the two back out to the street, my father put a hand on my mother's back and held his ground.

"Forgive us for intruding, but we need your help."

There was a desperation in my father's eyes with which Amun was all too familiar. Carlisle didn't need to explain why he needed help; Amun already knew.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you. No one can. Now, please leave." He'd gestured them toward the exit once again.

"Amun, please," Carlisle had said. "I wouldn't ask if it weren't urgent."

"No. I am sorry, but you must go." Amun had stood with arms crossed and eyes narrowed, unyielding and incurious, and impatient for them to continue their search for more willing fools somewhere far away.

But Benjamin was curious. So he'd prevented them from leaving. I watched the memories in awe. More than a touch of anger colored Amun's memory, though Benjamin's was full of impish satisfaction.

Of course I knew that some vampires could affect the mind while others' gifts acted on the physical world, but never had I seen such a demonstration. Never had I imagined such an ability to be remotely possible.

The water in the fountain flowed up into the air and traveled unsupported past my parents to form a curtain across the arched entry.

I understood Amun's hostility immediately. So, no doubt, had Carlisle. Benjamin remembered the looks of awe on my parents' faces when he'd emerged from his home, hands extended toward the water he controlled.

"I'd like to hear about it." With a casual gesture, he caused the water to return to the fountain. Freed from his control, it sloshed about, spilling out onto the floor and over everyone's feet. Unabashed, Benjamin grinned at my parents. A little drenching wouldn't bother vampires. "I never get to meet any of Amun's friends. He likes to keep me hidden."

"I can't imagine why," Carlisle had quipped as he'd glanced at Amun, who'd glowered darkly back. Carlisle had strode forward confidently to clasp Benjamin's hand and introduce himself and my mother.

"My wife and I have children as well," Carlisle said, intuiting their relationships. "We would very much like for you to meet them. That is all we ask. For you to visit our home and meet our sons and daughters. After that, if you chose to come right back home, so be it."

It hadn't taken any further convincing where Benjamin was concerned. He wanted to meet other vampires, and here he was, being invited to do exactly that.

Where he went, the others followed.

Though Amun was the clear leader, the head of his coven, Benjamin was the center around which he and Tia orbited. Kebi, however, deferred to Amun exclusively. If I hadn't heard her inner voice, the words mentally spoken in an ancient language with which I was entirely unfamiliar, I wouldn't have known she could speak at all. She reminded me of an aloof human stepmother, nominally part of the family, yet separate from it. Tolerating the other two only because her husband wished it.

While he may have insisted upon coming regardless of Amun's worries, Benjamin intended to follow the instructions he'd been given. Look. Listen. Whether or not he would then leave, as Amun wished, well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it. At the very least, he would not indulge in a blatant display of his ability the way he had with my father.

But no. I saw that even then, he had held back. It wasn't just water he controlled. It was all the elements. If the flashes in their thoughts were to be believed, he could move the air, the earth, even summon fire.

Well, they were here to help us. I would respect Amun's wishes, I decided as the mansion came into their view. I might know of Benjamin's gifts, but there was no need for me to announce them to the rest of the house. I was good at keeping secrets; I would keep theirs. At least, for now. It was a small enough concession given the risk they were taking just in coming here, but if they stayed, the truth was bound to come out.

I could feel Bella's eyes on me and quickly rearranged my features from out of their stunned expression into one of unconcern. I gave her an easy smile as I pulled her to the front door, to greet our newest guests as we had the others, but I didn't think I'd fooled her. She always could see through me.

It wasn't just me Bella saw through. She could tell there was something special about Benjamin. I supposed it was rather obvious. Bella would have had to be blind to miss the awe on Eleazar's face when the two met, or the hostility on Maggie's. For Maggie, the glaring lie of omission canceled out Benjamin's otherwise genial nature.

Perhaps if they had not come with the intention of hiding his gift, Maggie would not have noticed. After all, there was plenty she had not been told, things whose omission did not cause her gift to be triggered. One couldn't be expected to relate their entire life history to her. If simply leaving something out caused her to react, how could she ever know what was a true lie and what events were unremarkable, everyday occurrences, unworthy of mention? I guessed it had something to do with the intention to deceive that caused her reaction.

Where the Irish coven had been the easiest to convince to stay and witness, I feared the Egyptians would be the most difficult. More difficult than even Tanya.

My carefully worded preparations proved useless. Nessie's beating heart and living warmth meant nothing to Amun. The presence of our other guests, gathered protectively behind Bella and Jacob, did nothing to reassure him. Seeing how many vampires were standing with us should have been somewhat reassuring. It was not. All he saw was his own history repeating itself.

One look at my daughter and Amun was ready to bolt. His hands twitched toward Benjamin, and there was a distinct image in Amun's mind of lifting his son over his head and carrying him bodily away if the young man would not go willingly, as it immediately became apparent that he would not.

The look on Benjamin's face reminded me of Bella's upon seeing Renesmee for the first time after her change. Or perhaps he was more like Nessie herself, his expression resembling the look of wonder and discovery she so often wore.

As the two shared a smile, Amun felt the same hollow sensation of loss that he'd felt when Demetri had walked away from him to embrace his new master.

"No! We have to go!" Amun put an imploring hand on Benjamin's arm in an attempt at getting him to turn about and leave of his own volition. His other hand already clasped Kebi's, who was more than ready to follow Amun out the door.

Benjamin didn't try to shake him off, but neither did he move. He simply stared back at Nessie and returned the grin she gave him. He'd been told to observe, hadn't he?

"Her heart," I said. "You hear it, don't you?"

Benjamin nodded.

"And her pulse, the blood beneath her skin - " Jacob twitched. He didn't like me mentioning her blood to vampires. I ignored his low grumble. " - you see it? Feel her warmth?"

"Yes," Benjamin breathed. "Half vampire?" he asked, looking at me. "Half human?" He looked at Bella to confirm what I'd told them, what his senses were telling him.

We both nodded.

"She'd like to tell you about it herself," Bella said.

Nessie extended her hand to him, but Amun held him back.

"Are you mad? We have to go. Now! Before it's too late." Maybe it's not already too late… can't be too late.

"You said to look. Well, look." Benjamin gestured toward Nessie almost helplessly. Her humanity was so obvious, her life so unmistakable, if Amun couldn't see it, no words of explanation would suffice.

"I have! And I see why they were in such urgent need of help!" Amun spat the last word, releasing him to extend an accusatory finger toward the tiny girl in Bella's arms. "They have brought their doom upon themselves, Benjamin. There's no point in throwing your life away with theirs. Please! Come home with me. Now!"

"You are welcome to return home. I'm sure I'll see you again at some point. Forever is a long time, no? Go. Our paths will cross again."

Amun took a step back, shocked by the cold threat in his son's voice. The way unobstructed, Benjamin closed the distance between us to take Nessie's extended hand in his. Her tiny hand completely disappeared in his grasp.

Solemnly, but with laughter dancing in his eyes, he shook her hand and said, "Hello. My name is Benjamin."

"I'm Renesmee," she said in her clear, sweet voice. When he released her hand, she reached up to place it on his cheek, measuring his acceptance before actually touching him.

He gasped as the images appeared in his mind. Some of Nessie's favorite memories played in quick succession. Seeing birds in flight for the first time, her first hunt and stalking the deer with us, catching snowflakes, her first memories of me and of Bella, both before Bella's change and after.

Amun made a strangled noise and then hissed, "What is she doing to him?"

"She has a gift," I said, carefully. "She's showing him her memories. Telling him about herself."

Nessie left her hand against Benjamin's cheek and extended the other toward Amun. "Let me show you, too."

He recoiled as though she were some disease he was afraid of catching. Though Kebi made no move toward us, Amun shifted himself subtly to stand between her and us. Renesmee returned her focus to Benjamin the things she wanted him to see.

When Nessie allowed her hand to fall away at last, Benjamin said, "We have to stay. Of course we will help."

"Benjamin, no!"

"Forgive me, father. What I meant was, of course I will stay, and I will help you, if I can. Tia? Will you stay with me?" He beckoned her over so she could see what he had. I could see his pride in her, that she wasn't afraid. She joined us with her head held high, her chin shifting upward slightly as she passed Amun and Kebi. While her attention was absorbed in Nessie's incredible gift, Benjamin and Amun held a silent battle of wills.

"Amun," I said. He didn't shift his focus. No matter. He'd hear me. "Amun, please. We've done nothing wrong. All we need is to get Aro to pause, to give us the chance to show him, like Renesmee showed Benjamin. They have nothing to fear from her."

"It won't matter!" Amun said coldly. "Don't you see? It doesn't matter what you've done. Or what you say she is. If Aro is coming for you, we cannot be here!"

I stared uselessly at Bella, feeling at a complete loss.

Even if we survived, if Aro wished us well, turned about, and left us to our eternity, any who stood with us would be exposed. Regardless of their verdict, if the Egyptian coven stayed, then Benjamin, hidden safely away since before my birth, would be known. For Amun, the end results would be the same. He was going to lose his son. There was nothing that could be said that would convince him otherwise.

But whatever Amun might say, Benjamin was already determined to stay. His reasons seemed to have little to do with Renesmee herself. He simply wanted to help. We were in need, we had asked for aid - to save a child, no less - and it wasn't in his nature to turn his back on a friend.

Amun should have known that. Hadn't Benjamin been compelled to go back for Tia?

And so, our numbers grew.

I had more than one cause to be glad of Nessie's need for sleep. Trying to ignore the constant flow of thoughts was a strain. Vampire thoughts were so much clearer, so much more vibrant than human ones. I was used to pushing the hundreds of human voices to the background when at school. My family's voices had always stood out amongst them, louder than the rest, but their familiar voices were easy enough to tune out.

This growing crowd of vampires was not so easy to ignore. They were so… there. Inescapable. The cottage provided a regular reprieve.

I desperately needed those precious few hours alone in Bella's arms each night.

The cottage afforded Bella and I more than lovers' privacy. It gave us a place where we could talk without being overheard by the subjects of our conversation. While Bella could tell there was something about Benjamin, she had no way of guessing what. And of course, she was curious.

As she cuddled against me in the wee hours of the morning, she finally voiced the questions that had been in her eyes since the Egyptians' arrival.

"Benjamin is pretty special, huh?"

"You could say that," I laughed.

I wasn't really interested in discussing other vampires right now. She was far more interesting. The way her hair spilled down to frame her face like some ethereal goddess was hovering above me, the intelligence and curiosity in her eyes, the unconscious way she moved as she leaned against my chest to ask her questions... It was a good thing I didn't need to breathe.

"Do you think his gift will work on the Volturi? I mean, with Chelsea there, would it still work?"

Confused as to what Chelsea in particular had to do with anything, I said, "I don't see why not. I don't imagine there's much that could stop him."

"Yeah, apparently not even my gift."

"Bella, he hasn't used his gift on you. Or at all since their arrival. You'd know it if he had."

"But… but I saw! Eleazar? The way he stared at him? And the way the rest of his coven act around him? It's like they're drawn to him or something. Like they need his… I dunno. Him. Like they can't be without him. Doesn't he do that?"

"No more than you do to me."

It took some time for her to get back around to the subject of Benjamin's gift, as I felt it necessary to show her at least one of the ways in which I needed her, but persistent as always, when she wasn't otherwise occupied, she brought him up again.

"So, Benjamin doesn't have some supernatural… charisma or whatever? Like Jasper? An ability to influence those around him?"

The way in which his coven appeared to hang on his every word must have seemed as supernatural to Bella as her astonishing self-control still seemed to me, but there was nothing inhuman about it. Extraordinary, perhaps, but the results of nothing more than their two incredible personalities.

Keeping the truth about his abilities from our guests didn't apply to Bella. I had no qualms in correcting her assumptions.

"It's not that," I said. "His gift is so singular that Amun is terrified of losing him. Much like we had planned to keep Renesmee from Aro's knowledge, Amun has been keeping Benjamin from Aro's attention. Amun created Benjamin, knowing he would be special."

"What can he do?' she pressed, though I would have continued without her prompting.

"Something Eleazar's never seen before. Something I've never heard of. Something that even your shield would do nothing against."

If Fate insisted on throwing every conceivable threat at her, at least some higher power had seen fit to provide her with a measure of protection. Bella's shield might protect her against mental tampering only, but it was absolutely impenetrable. Well, except where our daughter was concerned, but that was okay.

I grinned at her, well pleased with her ability.

Her eyes tightened. Impatient for me to get on with it, I supposed.

"He can actually influence the elements," I explained. "Earth, wind, water, and fire. True physical manipulation, no illusion of the mind. Benjamin's still experimenting with it, and Amun tries to mold him into a weapon. But you see how independent Benjamin is. He won't be used."

"You like him," Bella said. It wasn't a question.

I shrugged my agreement. "He has a very clear sense of right and wrong. I like his attitude."

I wondered what she'd think if I told her that I liked all of them. Especially as she clearly did not. Resigned to needing their help, she might be. Perfectly happy to marry a vampire and become one herself, she definitely was. But counting these other vampires as friends right alongside Jacob or Seth?

Not likely.

I thought Benjamin and Tia might be the exceptions.

I'd felt it, too, the magnetism that she sensed. I liked the others; it seemed only natural I should like him, but this was more.

He'd been younger at the time of his change than I'd been at mine. Meeting him was like reuniting with a younger brother I'd not seen in ages. Maggie might glare, but there was such an openness to his boyish face, an honesty in his thoughts, I couldn't help but trust him implicitly. Besides, I knew what his lie was and why he made it.

And there was no reason for it! What was the point in keeping his secret when the secret was already known by so many of us?

The next morning, I decided I would have to confront him.

Renesmee also liked Benjamin. At her request, Bella brought our daughter close enough to him for Nessie to give his cheek a pat. She passed along a flurry of images from this morning's run back to the mansion by way of a greeting,

"And a good morning to you, too!" Benjamin said, laughing with appreciation at her cheerful demeanor.

Nessie turned to brush Bella's cheek quickly, warning her before springing to the floor to dance across the room like a miniature Alice and then launch herself into Jacob's arms. I'd told him it wasn't necessary that he stay at the house with our friends, to monitor their comings and goings, but the couch in our cottage was a bit too close to mine and Bella's nighttime activities for his sleeping comfort. At least he could feel somewhat useful here.

Benjamin watched the two while I tried to figure out how to say what needed saying without seeming to make an accusation. Lucky for me, Benjamin made it easy.

"Your daughter is very special."

"That she is," I agreed. "She's gifted. As are many of us, here."

The picture of innocence, Benjamin simply returned my smile. Amun's thoughts were a steady stream of denials, but he could be proud of the way Benjamin was following his instructions. If I didn't already know, Benjamin's expression would not have given him away.

"Kate, for example," I said with a gesture at my cousins, "can inflict the sensation of an electric shock onto anyone unwise enough to touch her without her permission. And Eleazar is able to recognize what kind of gift someone has. They don't need to use it for him to sense what it is."

A cold spike of fear shot through Amun. We knew.

Feeling it was only right to tell them of everyone's gifts before asking that Benjamin reveal his, I continued, "Maggie knows when anyone is lying. And when they are withholding the truth."

Maggie gave a sharp nod of agreement. Amun, Tia, and Kebi darted guilty looks at her, which were met with a scowl, but Benjamin continued to gaze unwaveringly at me. He looked as if he were patiently waiting for me to finish talking about a subject that held no interest for him, but he was too polite to say so.

"Bella unconsciously shields herself against others' mental abilities. Including blocking Aro's ability. While she was still human, no less. And Jane's." I hesitated, but there was no easy way to say it. "And she blocks mine, too. She's the only person I've ever met whose thoughts I can't hear."

Benjamin's expression of polite disinterest changed as my meaning sank in. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and a spark of excitement flickered in his eyes. He didn't have to hide anymore!

I shifted my gaze to Amun, on whom my words had the opposite affect, and let chagrin color my voice.

"I knew about Benjamin's gift before we met. I heard it in your thoughts when you were driving up. I thought I would allow you your secret, but there's little point. We already know the truth. It's better that you do, too."

Amun's nostrils flared with fury. How did I have the audacity to speak of truths? Carlisle had deceived him! We all had!

"Not intentionally, and no more than you have done."

Carlisle should have said something. Warned me...

"Would you have come if he had?"

Of course not! ...would have kept Benjamin away, no matter what he wanted.

I nodded and spread my hands. "Then Carlisle did what he had to, and I can't say I'm sorry."

You read minds. An accusation, not a question.

"Yes, I do."

From a distance? With no contact? Amun thoughts held more than a touch of alarm. Quite a lot more. At least when Aro probed a person's mind, there was no mistaking what he was doing, seeing as he was standing right there with his victim physically within his grasp.

"From a distance of about three miles, give or take," I confirmed. "Ah, no, that's Renesmee. I can't send; I only receive. No, Aro reads everything, past and present. I only read immediate thoughts. I'm sorry, but I can't. Believe me, if I could turn it off, I would. Well, sure, but who I'm listening to doesn't prevent me from hearing everyone else anyway. You can do so if you like, but it won't help. Um, well, because thoughts are more than words that might require translating. Think in whatever language you want, I'll still know."

Maggie very carefully kept her reaction to where only I would notice it. Testing me, I thought.

"Alright, a half-truth," I admitted, shifting my gaze to her so the others would know who I was answering. "With practice and effort, my family has learned ways to hide things from me, and thinking in one of the few languages I don't know is one of them, but I always know they're hiding something, and it never works for long, anyway. It's not easy to try not to think of a thing, without inadvertently thinking of it."

...but not impossible.

"No," I agreed, speaking to Amun again. "More like impractical. Usually, the harder someone tries not to, the more clear it becomes. Few people have that much mental discipline."

Amun's eyes narrowed and his thoughts filled with an image from his past, a painting or mural he had seen somewhere. He brought to mind specific details, concentrating on thinking of the image and nothing else, while his mental voice shifted to the same unfamiliar language that Kebi spoke in an obvious, if successful, attempt to hide the real subject of his thoughts.

"Alright, but how long can you keep it up? Perhaps, but I don't think so. When you get distracted - and you will - and you then remember that you had something you were hiding, can you stop yourself from thinking of the very secret you were trying to keep? Mmm, yes, it is rather academic at this point, isn't it? When the only real secret you had is already known."

I laughed, looking back at Benjamin. "Yes, actually, I have heard that before. Quite often, in fact."

I leaned close to Bella conspiratorially and stage-whispered, "Apparently, it's annoying when I answer people's thoughts."

It was good to hear Bella's laughter. There'd been precious little of it since Alice's vision. I shot a grin at Jacob, who was trying, and failing, to laugh without breathing too much. It was the first time since our red-eyed friends began arriving that he'd found anything remotely amusing without Nessie prompting him.

It was too bad Emmett wasn't here. He would have agreed with Benjamin wholeheartedly. Well, soon enough.

I couldn't wait for my family's return! Surely the longer they looked, the more friends they would find, but as far as I was concerned, they couldn't come home fast enough. I wasn't used to having to play host. Carlisle could have soothed things over with Amun better.

Benjamin was still committed to staying, so I supposed no harm had been done. In fact, now that his secret was out, he seemed eager to demonstrate it.

"Your abilities are really something, Benjamin. I'm sure you knew that already, but… That's some gift you have. Amazing doesn't begin to cover it. Not even close."

...has an impressive gift, too.

I grimaced and shrugged. "Not really. It's helped some in the past, but here? Now? With Aro coming? Reading minds just makes me a spy."

Which is why Aro wants him, more than one person thought.

"Well, he's not going to get me!" I heard the snarl in my voice and didn't care. I looked significantly back at Benjamin and then again at Amun. "Or any of us."

"Bold words, Edward," Amun ground out. But what Aro wants, he takes. You'll serve him, and you won't even realize the decision to do so wasn't your own. I've seen it.

"I know you have, but this time is different. Aro has to follow his rules too, or risk losing everything. We have been accused of a crime we did not commit. With so many witnesses attesting to our innocence, he will have no choice but to leave us be. All of us. Stay. Help us, please."

It wasn't working. Everything I said only seemed to further convince Amun that putting an entire world between us and his coven was the smartest thing he could do.

Frustrated, I shook my head. "That won't work! You know Demetri better than that."

"We have to stay, Amun," Benjamin said into the silence that followed. "Helping them is the right thing to do."

"They weren't so concerned with the right thing when they lured you here!"

"They did not lure him," Tia said with a vehemence that surprised me. "Carlisle asked for our help, and we chose to come. As we choose to stay."

Tia moved closer to Benjamin's side and linked her fingers through his, angling her body away from Amun and toward Benjamin.

"Thank you, Tia." It was woefully inadequate; there were no words capable of expressing how grateful I was to each of them.

"Thank you, Edward, for telling us about your gifts." Benjamin looked around the room, including everyone whose abilities I had named. "I would like to see all of them, but I think right now, you might like to see mine?"

"No, Benjamin, don't!" Amun groaned.

"Why not? They already know."

"You believe that? He could be guessing."

"He could be, but I don't think so."

Amun measured Benjamin's determination for a long minute before throwing his hands in the air. "Fine! Go ahead. Show them everything! Why not?"

"Yes, show us, Benjamin," Renesmee said. "I want to see."

"Perhaps not in the house, though," I cautioned. "I don't think Esme would appreciate the damage unleashing your gift in her living room would do."

"Probably not," Benjamin agreed, then held out his hand to Nessie. "You want to see? Come. I will show you."