Time seemed to slow down right in front of her eyes. She was glad she no longer had a beating heart because she was sure it would have stopped out of pure fear at this point if it had. Every move occurred in slow motion, her vision blurring from the venom pooling in her eyes.
Peter hadn't noticed yet, caught up in his own slightly unfair battle, she couldn't imagine what he would feel if he could see this. She had known neither of them that long, and yet both meant the absolute world to them, they were the strongest people she ever knew, and her heart was breaking right in front of her.
She couldn't say why her next actions occurred, in fact, they were incredibly foolish, Peter would surely chastise her for leaving herself so obviously unprotected, but with what was somewhere between a cry and growl she held her hand out towards Charlotte.
"STOP!" Her words sounded loud and clear through the battlefield, but it was not that which held people's attention. She wasn't sure if it was the words or the action, but she was sure it was her that caused the vampires surrounding Charlotte to fly through the air. Charlotte rubbed her neck, fear still plainly in her eyes as she made shocked eye contact with Bella.
And while the fear didn't wane, her near death too close, she lit up in a proud smile towards her prodigy. The vampires she sent away were in a state of abject confusion, they kept trying to get back at Charlotte, their snarls increasing with every second they failed, every time their own leaps set them back as they hit an invisible barrier.
Bella had thought the mental shield was her only gift, it's strength having increased since her change so she could control it herself and block even more gifts, there had been no sign at all that she was gifted past that, and yet here she was, holding back vampires from their attack with her mind alone. Her own battles had not brought it out, it had only been when she had been close to losing a loved one that it had blossomed in her mind, and by the fact she was still standing she could only assume It had expanded to protect herself.
However, she didn't know what to do now that she had them under her gift, it was new to her and she didn't know how to control it, it was bigger than she was, stronger than she thought herself possible of. And yet, if she let it go, she would have achieved nothing, the vampires would be right back at Charlotte, and while she was formidable, but she was not infallible as the moments leading up to this had proved.
She sent pleading, desperate eyes to Charlotte, the only other person protected and able to focus with her. Peter, though it looked like it hurt him to, returned to his own battles as soon as he had realised that everyone he cared about was safe. She couldn't blame him, the decision had worked in his favour, allowing him to make a jump shot on a number of the vampires who had been too surprised by the change of events. Having said that, she would be very grateful for his level headed patience and focus right now.
In return to her terrified eyes, Charlotte sent her a calm smile. She wasn't sure if it was because they were both under her gift, or because she was listening so intently for any help, but hearing Charlotte was far from difficult despite the obvious noises of battle around them.
"That's some gift you've got there, Little Lady… now we don't know what you can do with it, but as long as you don't feel weak, I think you should just focus and see what you can do with those guys you've got at an impasse there," Bella nodded to her friend, maintaining eye contact as a way to focus herself, "Try something simple first, they're all separated, why don't you see if you can move them closer together."
Bella took a deep unneeded breath, focusing in on the people she wanted to manipulate. Her shield was slowly becoming a tangible thing, like a shadow in the corner of her eye, but it wasn't there enough yet for her to think she could get a genuine handle on it.
She imagined it like a video game in her head, her thoughts and actions remote, but having a tangible effect on the characters on the screen. She went for the one who had been at Char's throat first, the one she hated most, if only because he had been so close to destroying her best friend. Her mind was a claw machine, him just a sad toy hanging from the crane, his legs dangled off the air, as if whatever was holding him couldn't quite keeping him steady. Bella smirked, amused to see the vampire so prone and weak, and with only the power of her mind she swung the man back and forth, he was a puppet, and she was with a string. With one last final push with her mind she sent him careening through the air, his marble body bowling into his previous friends. They did not care that he had been friend, they cared that he was threat and unthinkingly they teared into him, reducing him to body parts within seconds.
Charlotte was in awe, she was sure just minutes ago that she was destined for death, the only thing that both comforted and terrified her equally, was knowing that her mate would join her just as soon as he realised. But then, the tables had turned, Bella's gift that had laid dormant had exploded into life, protecting her from certain death. Her heart swelled that Bella cared so much about her that her gift had come to her defence. Watching Bella play with the vampire that had nearly killed her brought a smirk to Char's lips. Yes, Bella definitely belonged with her and Peter, the Cullen's would never approve of such raw grittiness, would unwittingly stamp it out over the decades.
"Okay Little Lady, we've determined you can in fact move people within your shield, what about further confining them?" Charlotte realised that exploring Bella's gift on the battlefield probably wasn't her most sensible choice, but she had always been to impulsive for her own good. Plus, she and Bella were safe under the gift, and it gave Char the opportunity to look over the rest of the battle, make sure all her loved ones and allies were safe, an opportunity she never would have gotten in the thick of battle.
A proud smile lit up her face as she watched Rosalie and Emmett flying full hog into the battle, a true team, working back to back, protecting each other, their banter back and forth giving them a blasé look to their enemies. Emmett had finally come out of his shell of over reliance on his strength and was formidable, and by the smile on his face he loved the fight.
Back with the shield Char watched Bella with something that could have either been fear and awe. It had taken her much less time to get a handle on her gift than any other aspect of vampiric life. The shield wasn't visible, but she could see its effects, somehow it had divided and was truly conquering. Each of the fourteen remaining vampires that had been surrounding her started to form cracks in their skin, as if they were being attacked. It took all of five seconds for Char to realise that it wasn't quite that which was happening, rather Bella's shield was slowly crushing them, crushing them so tightly that they became dust.
Bella herself looked terrified of her own power. Char's dead heart contracted to see her friend experiencing such horror at her own gift. With a small smile she put her hand on Bella's shoulder, ignoring the flinch she received in response. Char wasn't a fool, she knew that the flinch was not aversion to her, rather a wariness of the girl's own power and a fear of hurting those she cared about.
"Look at me Bella," She waited until ruby irises made contact with her own before continuing on, "You are in control, I was under your shield too and I am fine. We need to finish this while we can, use it in the battle, but don't over rely on it and you'll be fine." Bella nodded; the fear not quite fading but was overshadowed by a fierce determination. Char placed a quick kiss to Bella's cheek before running over to her mate and joining the foray. They exchanged a warm smile before their focus went once more to their enemies.
Bella hadn't quite expected to be able to do that with her gift, she hoped she would rarely need to use it even but, taking on Char's advice she returned to the heat of battle. Like a moth to a flame, she gravitated over to where Jasper was battling. She was thankful for her gift, giving her protection so she could admire the man before her. He was all beast right now, none of the softness she associated with Jasper was present, if not for the pure fluidity and grace she would have been inclined to call him mechanical. Even when practicing, a softness, a humanity had remained, but it was completely absent now, she was sure this was more the Major than Jasper, the creature of war borne of Jasper's beginnings as a vampire.
In a split second lull he looked over to her, her dead heart pulsing with affection as she saw the humanity enter his eyes for just that moment, just as soon as it was there, he was back in the battle, more ferocious, she thought, than he had been moments before. And without another thought, she joined him as well. She used the strengths she had to her benefit, mixing them with her gift. She reserved her gift for the most difficult of combatants, it was new to her and she didn't want to take the risk it would drain her, not in such a fierce battle. Now that she had found him, she made sure that Jasper remained at her back, almost mindlessly she wrapped him also in her gift, it didn't make him invulnerable but certainly decreased the likelihood that his enemies would get in the hit they intended to.
Jasper had lost track of the amount of time he had been fighting. He wouldn't say it felt good, but it felt right to be back into the thick of battle, his mind and muscles working on memory alone, as if he had never stopped. He had let the Major, that crueller part of his mind, not even really separate, come to the forefront. He relished the taste of venom in his mouth, enemy's venom in his mouth meant he was step closer to protecting those he cared about.
He supposed that was what separated the Major of now and the Major of then, past him had been a creature of instinct, fighting for the sake of fighting, only surviving because he was good at fighting rather than actually having anything to fight for. But now, now he had both, the skills and the reason to fight, it put a ferociousness and single-mindedness into the art that he had never shown before.
In the lull's he forayed the field, looking out for allies, pleased to see them doing well. At one such time, he looked up and his eyes met Bella's, the smallest but softest of smiles flicked across his lips. The demon inside making a realisation that the humane side was taking longer to come to. The girl was his mate. It should have been obvious, the feeling had been there, but it was new and fledgling.
He hadn't been waning, but the knowledge gave him a boost he didn't need, his vision sharper, his attacks more accurate. Family had been one thing to fight for, but she was bigger and better than all of that. She fought back to back with him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and his heart swelled. He felt her gift wrap around him, and for the first time in the battle he had felt hope.
And then without warning, the battle had stopped. No more enemies came at him, no screeching sounds of flesh on flesh were to be heard.
He had barely turned around, once he was sure the battle was over as they thought, before he had an armful of his mate. With a sigh, both from the relief of the battle and the warmth of his mate in his arms, he held her back just as tightly. And once he knew she was safe, he checked her over, head to toe, despairing at the wounds he saw on her skin, growling just low in his throat in disgust that others had not just touched her, harmed her. If not for the fact they were already dead, he would have been on the warpath for her head.
He noticed with soft affection that Bella had done her own checks in response, he could tell she was not satisfied with what she saw but accepting nonetheless, and when she was done she leaned up on her tip-toes, planting the softest of kisses to his cheek. They were both freezing cold, and yet the place burned. He could not have kept the grin off his face.
And yet, they had forgotten just who was meant to be leading the revolt, lost in their own world.
"Jasper, I…" Her words were cut off, interrupted by newcomers into the room.
The end is nigh guys, but I can't put into words how thankful I am for breaking 300 reviews, you guys are great. To those reviewers who were wondering where the shield was… well here it is… and with a bang.