Carlisle's POV

Bella's revelation about her infrequent hunting habits completely threw me. I was shocked to hear that she didn't have to drink blood regularly, the last time she had drank any blood had been four months ago. It was one thing for her to have human blood but for a vampire not to crave human blood was physically impossible. Even I occasionally craved it, even if I'd learned long ago to ignore that urge. Bella was only a newborn, there was no way she was even remotely close to learning that degree of control. It would take centuries at the very minimum.

I made sure my face was smooth as I answered, making my tone calm. "You're full of surprises."

Bella looks miserably at me. "I don't want to be full of surprises. I just want to be a normal vampire."

"Bella if you were a normal vampire you wouldn't even be having this conversation right now." Eleazar says quietly. "You'd be murdering some defenceless human right now, stuck in the throes of your newborn instincts."

Bella shudders as she imagines what Eleazar is saying. She sighs quietly. "Well I definitely don't want that, but having blood… human blood, is not normal." She whispers as she shudders again. "I need to go find Edward… Apologise for what I just put him through." She says suddenly, her voice cracking with emotion as she sprints for the door. I don't make a move to stop her, her flight was too fast, too unexpected but suddenly Eleazar was there, gripping her wrist.

Both Eleazar and I were aware that Bella was stronger than both of us put together, her tree breaking episode had proven that, but she did not make any attempt to remove her wrist from Eleazar's grip. I stare at Eleazar in shock as I try to figure out how he'd moved so fast to intercept Bella.

Eleazar reads the question on my face and he smiles grimly. "I'm sure Edward mentioned to you that I was in the Volutri?"

I nod mutely. "Well, let's just say some of the Volutri training is still with me. It makes me… faster and more aware than other vampires." He explains.

Bella growls suddenly, completely startling me. "Let me go Eleazar, I must find him. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't let me go."

My compassionate side instantly surfaced. "Bella," I say warningly, "you're our guest but please remember that Eleazar is too."

Bella's shoulders slump. "I'm sorry," she says quietly, before turning to Eleazar who is watching her intently with a peculiar expression, "I don't mean any offence to you Eleazar. Just let me go."

Eleazar's face transforms into a frown, before his golden eyes start to burn intently. He's still staring at her. "Just hear me out for a minute." He pauses thoughtfully. "Correct me if I'm wrong but Edward can't read your mind, can he Bella?"

Bella looks startled, her gold tinged irises staring at Eleazar in confusion. "No," she says hesitantly, "how do you know that?"

I notice that Eleazar is still gripping Bella's wrist but she wasn't resisting him now. I observe his golden eyes increasing in intensity as he stares down at Bella and I wonder idly if my eyes ever looked that golden. "But Alice can see your future… and Jasper can control your emotions." He continues thoughtfully.

I frowned as a realization hit. "We've never mentioned Alice's or Jasper's abilities around you." Eleazar glances briefly over at me before returning almost immediately to Bella. His eyes are fixed on her as he answers.

"I was in the Volutri for a reason Carlisle." He says simply.

"You have a supernatural gift."

"Indeed." He agrees.

"Which is?" I question flatly, the mention of the Volutri making me tense. Eleazar turns knowing eyes to me.

"I have the ability to sense the type and strength of gifted vampire's talents." He states.

Bella stiffens. "Are you saying I have a supernatural gift Eleazar?" She asks quietly.

I frown thoughtfully. "You do have exceptional self-control." I blurt, my thirst for knowledge flaring.

Eleazar laughs at my eagerness. "No Carlisle that's not it, although that is certainly something to consider. Originally, that's why I started assessing her, in my belief that she had the gift of self-control."

"If it's not self-control, what is it?" I ask, my words mirrored by Bella's same question. I smile at our sync.

Eleazar releases Bella's wrist, probably figuring she wouldn't run now. "Well I'm actually struggling to get a read on you Bella. When I look at vampires, and even humans, I get a… sense of them, if you'd like. Who they are, what abilities they possess, even their potential gifts as a vampire, but with you… nothing. It's like a brick wall." He explains.

Bella looks confused. "So what does that mean?"

"It means you're blocking me. Totally subconsciously, you're that powerful. It also makes you pretty easy to classify when it comes to gifts." He expands.

"Blocking you? What do you mean?" I ask when Bella doesn't respond.

"She's a shield." Eleazar says calmly.

"A what?" Bella and I ask simultaneously again. I feel confused. What was Bella shielding? I couldn't get the picture of a medieval shield out of my head.

"A shield." Eleazar repeats patiently. "As she protects herself from others. Purely mental, which is why Alice and Jasper's physical abilities work on her, but it means her mind is protected from any mental attack, hence any gifts like Edward's that involve interfering or accessing the mind are useless against Bella. A purely mental defence, but effective." He explains.

Silence falls and although I am focusing solely on Bella I distantly hear a thump like something has hit the floor and Alice screaming something. Knowing that I'd be called if I were needed put my mind at rest, although I kept on ear on what was going on downstairs.

"So my mind is completely protected?" Bella asks, distracting me from the events downstairs.

"Yes." Eleazar answers pleasantly. "Nothing can get through that. There's this one female vampire, Renata, they call her, in the Volutri and she is…"

"A physical shield." I interrupt suddenly, remembering. I hadn't paid much attention to Renata in my stay with the Volutri, she'd constantly been around Aro but on the outskirts, not central to things, somehow.

"Physical? How does that differ to mine?" Bella asks.

Eleazar sighs. "Renata is a bodyguard to Aro first and foremostly. Her gift causes assailants to become confused as they approach her. They find themselves moving in a new direction, with a blurred memory as to what they were trying to accomplish. Very simple, but effective in defending herself and Aro. But it doesn't protect their minds, only their physical bodies, that's how it differs to your shield."

Bella frowns, her pretty features crumpling. "So even though her ability is physical… it works in the mind? Which makes it a mental ability?" She questions.

"Yes many of our abilities are mentally based – they work in the mind rather than physically, such as Jane and Alec in the Volutri." Eleazar clarifies.

"The twins?" Bella asks hesitantly.

I nod. "Yes. I take it Edward filled you in on the Volutri?" I question.

A grimace of pain lances across her face when I mention Edward's name but she nods. "Yes and a few other necessities about the vampire world." I nod approvingly as she continues. "So Jane only makes you believe you feel pain? In your head? It's just an illusion?" I could tell she was trying to change the subject away from Edward.

Eleazar shot me a quick look telling me he hadn't missed it either before nodding at Bella. "It's the same with Alec. He just makes you believe you're incapable of moving when in reality your physical body is not affected. It's a misapprehension."

"So… if I've got a mental shield then Jane, Alec and even Renata's abilities wouldn't work against me?" Bella asks quietly, her voice horrified.

"In theory. Neither would Aro's, Chelsea's, Marcus's and probably Demetri's." Eleazar added thoughtfully. I looked at Bella closely to see how she'd react to being told that the largest grouping of gifted vampires in history would be powerless against her.

She looked miserable. "I see I'm doing well at this becoming normal thing."

Eleazar looks baffled at her reaction. "Bella, you quite possibly have one of the strongest and most useful gifts in the vampire world. The Volutri will undoubtedly attempt to collect you if they found out about you – they'd be practically unstoppable with you on their side. You'd be the ultimate defence, just as Jane and Alec are the ultimate offence."

"What use is a gift like mine if I can't stop others from being hurt too?" Bella whispers and I knew she was thinking of Edward.

"What's to say you can't shield others too?" Eleazar asks. "Renata can project her shield out from herself a few metres – you may be able to do the same."

Bella's golden tinged eyes lit up. "I would… be able to protect others? From vampires like the Volutri hurting their minds?" She asks breathlessly.

Eleazar never got the chance to answer because a female voice sounded sharply from elsewhere in the house. "Eleazar, Carlisle, Bella! Get down here now! We're going to have company!"