Chapter 16—Magical Abilities

The magical, supernatural force that is with us every second is time. We can't even comprehend it. It's such an illusion; it's such a strange thing.

Anthony Hopkins

Bella's POV

The young woman with long black hair standing in front of me was not who I was expecting. She looked no older than fourteen.

"Hi, I'm Moira," she said, extending her hand.

"Bella," I said with a brief handshake.

Moira's eyes went wide, and she swayed. "Wow! You're powerful, Bella."

My eyes snapped to hers and then Grandfather's. "Who—what is she?" I asked

"Moira is … how should I put this?"

"I am a power detector—an oracle of sorts," Moira said, shrugging.

Power detector?

I turned to Grandfather. "I really don't have time for this. I need answers."

"It wouldn't hurt to see what she has to say," Edward said. "I'm Edward." He extended his hand, and Moira took hold of it.

Moira didn't immediately release his hand. Instead, she closed her eyes. I watched in silent wonder. After a couple of minutes, I whispered, "What is she doing?"

"We have to wait, lass. But I think you'll see that Moira can provide the answers you seek."

"Interesting," Moira finally said, releasing his hand. She walked on unsteady feet to the nearest chair and sat down. Her eyes once again closed. "You, too, have great power."

"Like?" Edward asked.

"Telekinesis," she answered, not opening her eyes. "And, Bella, you have a similar power that is much stronger: psychokinesis."

My jaw dropped. How in the world did she know that? We only briefly touched. "How?"

She opened her eyes and smiled at me. "A whisper of a touch is all I need, but for a deeper sense of another's power, a longer touch is required."

I gulped. Did she want to use her ability on me? Did I want to know more about my future powers? I hesitated a few more seconds, but my need for answers won out. Slowly, I held out my shaking hand to Moira.

"A reading is not why I'm here, Bella. You want answers. Ask."

I blinked. I had so many questions; where did I start? Edward. "Every time I went out in public before I met Edward, I recited a repulsion spell. Edward was able to penetrate the spell. How?"

Moira tapped her finger against her temple. "Hmmm … that's a bit strange." She turned her gaze to Edward. "Any ideas?"

Edward shifted beside me. When I turned to face him, he had a finger between his neck and shirt collar.

"Uh … ummm … well … maybe."

"Care to share, lad?" Grandfather asked.

Edward blew out a breath and then took hold of my hands, running his thumbs across my palms. "I don't want you to be frightened, but some power beyond my own drew me to you."

I closed my eyes and swallowed. Finding out he was drawn to me wasn't a big surprise; what was surprising was that I felt a similar pull to be with him. Soul mate ran through my mind. "Is that even possible?" I didn't know if I was asking Moira or Edward the question.

"Anything is possible," Moira answered. "And it depends on what you were repelling?"

"Those who would harm me," I answered, turning my head to look at Moira. "Why does that matter?"

Laughs resounded from Edward and Grandfather. "It means everything, love," Edward replied. "The reason I wasn't kept away was because I meant you no harm."

I thought back on that first meeting. Edward had been sitting at a table alone, and when he got up, moving toward me, I had gotten scared. But when he was standing right next to me, he ignored me and instead called out to Jasper. Then he had touched me, and the spot had started tingling. As I continued to think about that day and the next, it became clear that Edward wouldn't have done everything he did if he had meant to hurt me.

"Okay, that question's answered." So, that left the crystals. Turning back to Moira, I asked, "Why can I make crystals jump?"

Moira tilted her head, taking me in. "I can't answer that. Maybe a reading is in order," she said, holding out her hand.

I took hold of it, and immediately I felt like I was caught in a whirlwind. She was in my mind, or was it my body she was in? It felt like I was spinning faster and faster, but the room remained still. The sensation was very odd, and it stopped as suddenly as it began.

Moira collapsed back in the chair. "I need a moment."

I sat back, gripping my head. What in the world did she do to me? My head was still reeling.

"It will pass," Edward whispered, wrapping an arm around me.

A wave of energy washed over me the moment his arm was around me, and the dizziness subsided.

Moira righted herself before leaning toward where Edward and I sat. She had one eyebrow raised. "How did you do that?" she asked, looking at Edward.

"Do what?" Edward asked.

"I was dizzy, as I'm sure Bella was, and then it vanished."

"Uh …" was Edward's clever answer. He was usually so articulate, but that was the second time in twenty minutes that he seemed at a loss for words.

"You have a healer's touch, but I didn't sense that power within you. Does a family member possess the ability?" Moira elaborated.

Edward gulped. "I don't know. My parents died when I was young."

Moira and Grandfather spoke to one another in a language I didn't know. Their conversation went on for several minutes before Moira switched back to English. "Bella, we'll get back to your questions in a moment. Right now, I need you both to answer a question for me."

"Oookay," I said.

"What crystal or stone do you draw strength from?"

Huh? What was she talking about?

"Diamonds and quartz," Edward answered.

"Isabella?" Grandfather asked.

I shook my head, still not sure what was asked.

Edward shifted, angling his body so he could look at me. "When we were in the store, what stone were you looking for?" he asked.

"Tiger's eye," I responded.

"And when you picked it up, did you feel anything?"

I thought back. "A flood of energy filled me. It was like the stone was talking to me."

"That's your talisman," he said.

My gaze drifted over to Moira and Grandfather. They both nodded in answer to my unspoken question. I let this new information sink in. "Could the crystals that jumped be other talismans?"

"Only you can answer that question," Moira said.

My eyes drifted shut, and I envisioned myself holding each. There had been a slight tickle of energy flow into me, but nothing like I had felt when I picked up the tiger's eye. "I don't know," I said. "There was something, but none of them spoke to me like the tiger's eye did."

Grandfather stood and walked over to his desk, retrieving a box. After sitting back down, he placed it in front of me and opened it. "These were your grandmother's," he said, picking up and handing me two black drawstring bags. "The crystals in each have not been cleansed, but for our purpose, they'll do."

I opened one and dumped a tiger's eye stone out into my left hand. As soon as it was in my palm, I felt a warm rush of energy flow from the stone into me. I gasped but didn't move. Nothing more happened, and no one asked what transpired.

"Edward, open the other bag, and without touching the crystal, place it in her right hand," Moira instructed.

When Edward held the bag upside down over my hand, a diamond tumbled out. It started glowing the moment it settled in my palm. I wasn't sure what was happening, but when it jumped and landed in my left hand, I shrieked and dropped both crystals on the floor.

"That was ... interesting," Moira said. "In my brief time helping others discover their powers, I've never seen anything like this. I'm not sure what it means."

Grandfather rubbed his chin in a considering way. After a couple of moments, he addressed me, speaking in Gaelic. "Lass, I know what it means. It means you are right about what you told me days ago. Edward is your soul mate."

"Are you sure?"

"Aye, lass, I am. I can prove it, too."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Edward, lad, pick up the crystal and hold them as Isabella did," Grandfather instructed.

Edward did so, but the opposite happened. The tiger's eye glowed before jumping into his right hand.

Moira laughed uncomfortably. "Care to share, my laird?"

Edward's POV

My eyes snapped to Bella's a millisecond after the crystals jumped. I knew what this meant, but there was no way. She couldn't be. I was in a state of shock. And as I continued to stare at her, everything that I had been doing—the way I was drawn to her side, my wanting to protect her without knowing the full story, and lending her my family crest necklace to draw strength from while Emmett questioned her—came rushing into my mind. All my actions pointed to one thing. I swallowed. "You are my soul mate."

"What did he say?" Moira asked.

"It's not important," Grandfather said. "Isabella got her answers."

Bella nodded, not saying a word. What did this mean for us? I hadn't a clue, and I wasn't about to ask Bella in front of Moira and Malcolm. What I did know was that it was imperative that I protect her and keep her out of Jacob's reach.

A/N: What a revelation! Will Edward feel obligated to be with Bella? He still wants to protect her from Jacob, but with this revelation, what does it really mean for Bella and him? Thoughts? Questions? Let me know.

Here are some definitions:

Telekinesis - The ability to move objects and individuals by using your mind. It can be channeled through the eyes or hands. Edward used this ability when he and Bella were in the study; after he blurted out he was a warlock—not knowing she was in the room.

Psychokinesis - The ability to move objects that are not in one's line of sight, much stronger than telekinesis. Bella hasn't used this ability yet. Well, we really haven't seen her use any magic yet.