AN: Sorry it took so long for the update. Hopefully it'll come quicker form now on. Thanks for your patience. I love reading your reviews, keep them coming.


Chapter 15 - Emilene

I crouched, I hissed, I moved in front of everyone and held my arms out as wide as I could protectively, and I waited. I waited for my sixth sense to kick back in, it couldn't be gone, it was my purpose. I heard gasps and growls from the wolves behind me. Nessie's sobs rang in my ears as Jacob fought his way ahead of me. Even Nahuel stood offensively, maybe he spoke the truth after all.

"Who is it Bells?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know."

"You don't recognize them?"

"No. I mean, it's gone."

"They left?" He asked, allowing some slack in his shoulders.

"No. I mean, I don't know. My shield, it's gone. I can't see them, I can't see any of you." Tearless sobs left my mouth. How did we get into this position?

"It's okay. I know who it is." Nahuel announced. "She won't hurt you…us. She won't hurt us."

"Are you sure?" I asked him. I felt like I could trust him, Edward would know if we could.

"Come on out!" Nahuel called to the trees.

I may not have my power but I was still a vampire, I could still hear the breath escaping her chest, the rustling of the leaves underneath her feet as she headed out of the woods. She was petite, even smaller than Nessie. She was dark like Nahuel. Pain was all over her face and fear kept her body tense.

"Nahuel?" She asked in a high pitched childlike voice.

"It's okay Emilene, come here. They won't hurt you." Nahuel called back to her.

"That's what you think." Jacob mumbled under his breath.

Nahuel looked at me for reassurance.

"We won't hurt you as long as you don't try to hurt us." I did the best I could under the circumstances.

Emilene ran to Nahuel, pushed past Leah and wrapped her arms around him. She reminded me of Nessie when she was just about 5 years old - not quite fully grown. My mothering instincts kicked in and told me I needed to protect this girl. But why?

I let them hug for a few minutes, Nahuel ran his hand back and forth on her back, comforting her as if she was his own child. But there were questions to be asked, questions to be answered and I wasn't going to get them by watching the two embrace.

"Nahuel, I have some more questions."

He released Emilene but kept her hand in his. "Go ahead." He said.

"What did she do to me? And can it be undone?"

"It's her power. She can turn off a vampire's power if she wishes. I do not know if she can turn it back on. We have not come across a situation where we have needed to." Nahuel began. "But I imagine it is possible."

"Can we try it, please. I feel blind."

Nahuel spoke to Emilene in a foreign language that I didn't recognize. Over the years I'd learned quite a few languages, it was so simple now and it passed the time. But this one I did not recognize. I watched their mouths move trying to pick out a dialect or a resemblance to something I'd heard before…nothing. I watched as Emilene tightened her face in concentration, she pointed her little round chin in my direction. I felt a spark, I could feel my shield fall into place, and feel it disappear all over again. Emilene tried a few more times, as long as she was concentrating I could see the sparks of the minds I protected as soon as she dropped that concentration it all disappeared. I just wanted to reach out and grab it, take it back, it's my shield, someone else can't give it and take it away.

We spent the next couple days practicing. Of course Emilene needed to rest, she wasn't a full vampire. But even during her dreams I could feel the familiar reassurance of my shield. She was working so hard to help us. And even though Jacob wasn't very welcoming of the newcomers I knew Emilene held the key to my power and she was staying.