Chapter Thirty Five

Bella

The jet was waiting as Alice had promised and we were airborne very quickly but the memory of Charlie laying dead in the hotel room kept playing in my mind. Eventually Peter broke the heavy silence,

"Bella I know you don't feel much like it now but were running out of time so here goes. Alice said you were a shield?"

"Yes, what does it mean? She told me to concentrate, think and concentrate and I could protect you."

"Well I know of one other shield but she has to touch the person she's protecting, this sounds like it might be a bit more powerful than that."

Jasper, still holding me close, shot him a glance,

"You mean Renata?"

"Yeah, fucking spooky! She protects Aro from anything as long as she's touching him. Maybe you don't need to be touching, as long as you concentrate."

I wasn't convinced I had anything like that but it was worth a try. Anything to keep my mind occupied.

"Right Bella, we're going to try something. The Major will try to knock me off my feet with his Mojo. Your job is to try to stop him."

I concentrated on Peter but I didn't know what I was supposed to do and he was soon a heap on the floor. Getting up he smiled at me encouragingly,

"Try again Bella but try to think of something, a bubble, a second skin, a wall, anything that might help. If you can visualize your shield it will be much easier."

I tried again and this time I closed my eyes imagining a huge wall between Peter and Jasper. It worked but I was so excited I stopped concentrating and he went down again but jumped up seconds later with a smile.

"See, you did it"

"But it didn't last long"

"Only because you stopped thinking about it. This is really cool Bella, much stronger than anything I've ever seen. Now do it again, but this time really concentrate Bella"

I nodded and fixed him with my gaze but this time he was the one who attacked. He flew at Jasper and as my eyes followed him I threw my wall up between them and Peter stopped dead as if he'd hit a solid object. This time I kept concentrating until he nodded then relaxed and he could move forward again. After two hours I was exhausted but I'd mastered protecting Jasper, not only that but I used the wall to push him slowly backwards away from Jasper until he was right up against the bulkhead. Peter smiled broadly.

"Great, I thought it would work better if you were protecting your mate.

I sat open-mouthed as I listened to his explanation. I could protect Jasper in the same way he protected me. Going to his side I took his hands in mine.

"Jasper I can finally be of some use. I can protect you and maybe Grace too"

He put his arms around me and held me close, nuzzling my neck as he did so. His scent was overwhelming, it made me feel dizzy but in a pleasant way and I stayed there as Peter went to sit with Charlotte who had more or less recovered but was very conscious of her face. It was much like Emily, perfect one side but badly scarred the other as if it had been too close to heat and was made of plastic which had started to melt. I could see it made no difference to Peter, he kissed the scarred side and stroked it much as Sam did with Emily. I was so tired now with everything I had seen and done and I fell asleep in Jaspers arms.

Jasper

The flight was long and I usually found plane journeys tedious but this was different, with Bella in my arms. All I could think of was her, and my daughter in Rosalie's hands. I vowed I would get Grace free of them and destroy her and Carlisle for what they had done. I held Bella close to comfort her and receive it back in return as she woke up.

"We will get her back wont we Jasper?"

Her voice was a mere whisper but I heard the question clearly enough.

"Yes Bella I promise you we will and that those responsible for what's happened pay for their deeds."

As soon as we landed Peter took Char to hunt while Bella and I arranged for transport.

"If Alice is right we have time to stop them getting to Volterra. We'll drive part way and set up a road block far enough away that it wont be noticed by the Volturi."

"They'll help Rose and Carlisle if they find out who they have with them wont they?"

"Yes. Aro will want Grace."

"He's not having her."

"No Bella he isn't, I'll do all in my power to keep her from Volterra."

Bella

My cell phone went then and I answered it recognising Alice's number,

"Where are you?"

"Italy Alice, just as you told us"

"Good, you're ahead of the others. They'll be landing in a few hours and will drive straight to Volterra. You have to stop them before they get there. I can't see what happens after that so I wont be able to tell you or help you any further. All I do know is that Grace can be dangerous"

"Dangerous? How? To who?"

"I don't know, I don't see her once she reaches Volterra but something dreadful will happen if she enters the Volturi stronghold. Did you work on your shield?"

"Yes, it works"

"Of course it does Bella. Just remember to concentrate. Good luck, I hope to see you all eventually."

"Thanks for your help Alice"

She rang off and I turned to Jasper who had heard her words as well as me.

"What do you think she means by dreadful?"

"I have no idea but if we can stop Grace getting to Volterra we will."

As soon as Peter and Char returned we set off, her face looking better for hunting although as Peter had said it would never be unblemished like her other profile. I still felt guilty but she just smiled,

"Bella stop bludgeoning yourself for what happened, it wasn't your fault."

I only wished I could believe that but I tried to look convinced. Jasper drove out of Pisa and put his foot down so we sped through the Italian countryside towards Volterra.

"Is it very far?"

"No not really, it sits on the top of a hill with a wall around it. Its beautiful actually and the safest place for humans."

"Safe? With the Volturi living there?"

"Yes, the Volturi don't allow hunting in the city so humans are safe there."

I found that ironic, the vampires forbidding the hunting of humans in their own town.

When he pulled the car off the road I looked around, there was a sharp bend in the road which narrowed down to single track, an ideal point for an ambush. Peter and he went off into the undergrowth while Char stayed with me. I was shaking now with a mixture of anger, fear and the cold of the breaking dawn. When they came back Peter was carrying a large tree which he carried on down the hill with. Jasper in the meantime was stringing a wire across the road at head height from tree to tree.

"Will that stop them?"

"If they're going fast enough and not looking for it then it will slice through the roof of the car, stopping them momentarily which is all we need. Peter's setting up a false ambush further down the road, they'll be expecting something if we're here. We need to slow them down otherwise we'll have to attack their car with ours so you will be hiding in the bushes by the side of the road. I wont put you at risk by having you in our car if we have to use it to ram theirs.."

I began to shake my head but he hushed me with a kiss,

"You're far too precious to me to be put at risk. Let me look after you, trust me to get Grace safely back. this is what I do. The only thing I'm good at Bella, fighting."

I shook my head,

"No you are a better man than that, there's a lot more to you".

He smiled gently,

"Then let me do what needs doing. You stay with Char until I give the signal."

I nodded unhappily, he was right, I would only be something else for them to worry about.