Chapter Thirty Four
Bella
Visualizing my shield was easier said than done. I tried closing my eyes and seeing my shield as a soap bubble and after a while I could see it wrapped around me, stopping the others who were only too happy to attack at the first sign I wasn't expecting it, Peter especially, and he caught me a few times so I needed to find something more durable. I thought about the shaped balloons I'd seen at fairgrounds and always wanted when I was younger. That worked better because it felt more substantial and I wrapped it round myself tightly so it looked like a Mickey Mouse shape. The next time Peter attacked I was ready, well not ready but the shield seemed to stick to my form and repelled him without me having to think about it. After two days they couldn't catch me out at all and Jazz decided it was time for phase two of my training, trying to protect someone else in the same way. With him it was easy, my shield wanted to reach out and wrap him too, I didn't even have to try, and no one got through this time not even when we were apart. It was as if there were a secondary part of my balloon that worked without my having to think about it.
"I'm not surprised really, mates will do anything to protect each other."
I looked at Garrett when he said this,
"Are you saying it's going to be much harder to protect the rest of you?"
"Well probably not me or Charlotte, but Peter, he's so obnoxious you might want to let your shield down purposely to let the Volturi get him."
"Up yours Garrett. Bella wouldn't do that to me, would you?"
I shook my head and I genuinely meant it, I wouldn't want to see any of them harmed, even Peter!
Jasper
The next day we told Bella we were taking a day off to have some fun, that meant some climbing and hunting, Peter and Charlotte deciding that bears and mountain lions were ferocious enough to count for them although Peter did make it quite clear he wasn't drinking any animal blood,
"Rots the brain. You've seen the effect on the Cullens, I'm quite expecting The Major to start foaming at the mouth any time now. It's not natural drinking from furry creatures who can't ask you not to kill them"
"Shut up Peter."
I wondered if his words would upset Bella but she seemed to take everything Peter said in her stride.
We climbed for quite a while before coming across bear tracks.
"Right, one Yogi Bear coming up!"
Bella just rolled her eyes as Peter started a comic version of tracking. As he got close to the edge of the cliff the bear decided he'd had enough of being made a fool of and attacked. Peter stepping back to give himself room to manoeuvre slipped over the edge followed by the irate bear and we ran to watch the fall.
"That landing's going to hurt"
Bella glanced at Garrett as he spoke and concentrated closing her eyes, I saw both figures slow until by the time they hit the ground hundreds of feet below they were almost stopped and didn't raise even a dust cloud. Peter whooped with delight until the bear who had landed behind him roared its disapproval and swiped him on the shoulder with an enormous paw. He went flying, the enraged bear chasing after him but Peter was too quick in his recovery and the bear soon lay dead at his feet.
"Way to go Bella, I'm impressed, was that difficult?"
"Not when I heard what you said about the landing hurting. Suddenly I didn't want Peter to get hurt,"
"But you saved the bear too"
"It was easier to wrap both of them together but I think I get the idea now."
"Well if you can repeat that action, preferably without any of us having to fall off a cliff, I'd say were onto a winner folks."
Bella tried over and over that day as we hunted and by evening she was able to protect us all, her balloon visualization working just fine.
"I think we're almost ready for a visit from the Volturi, or an invitation. Any bets on which it will be?"
"Garrett went for the visit while Peter preferred the idea of an invitation,
"Only because Aro has all his guard ready to take us on in his own little castle"
Bella
I worked on my shield for the next week until it was instinctual, I could cover us all, each with their own little balloon like second skin but I was nervous of seeing Aro again, he'd given me the shudders last time but there were a few massive differences now, I was a vampire too and I had my mate at my side. Edward would be on the opposing team now! We had just come back from a days riding when I saw a low cloud on the horizon and pointed it out to Peter who was riding at my side back into the yard,
"Fuck! Major they're coming in from the East"
"They?"
"The Volturi Bella."
We quickly unsaddled the horses and set them free in the paddock, wiping them down would have to wait for now, we had more important things to worry about.
I saw Garrett climb a tree to get a good look as they approached and he whistled,
"Aro himself, Marcus, Jane, Alec, and Chelsea. Now that's interesting"
"Why?"
I didn't know what he was talking about and Jasper took my hand,
"I think you need to activate your shield now before they get too close and keep a watch on the girl with long brown hair"
"Why? Who is she?"
"That my dear is the famed Chelsea. She very rarely leaves Volterra because she is so valuable."
"What can she do Garrett?"
"Chelsea is a manipulator. She can alter emotional ties. Make you hate The Major instead of loving him, make you want to work for Aro."
"That's why she's here?"
"Yes, I think Aro has decided he'd like you working for him, so he plans on breaking your ties with The Major and us, and replace them with a tie to himself"
"Not the Volturi?"
"It amounts to the same thing really, Aro is the Volturi to all intents and purposes."
"Bella, do you think you could wrap a shield around someone who isn't in our happy little group?"
"I don't know Garrett why?"
He looked at Peter and Peters face broke into a wide grin,
"Garrett you devious fucker."
They both looked at Jazz who smiled too and put his arm around me,
"I think what Abbott and Costello are referring to is Marcus Volturi"
"What about him?"
"Well, Chelsea binds him to Aro, he and his wife wanted to leave the Volturi and then she died, under suspicious circumstances. Aro used Chelsea to make sure Marcus stayed loyal to him."
"But why?"
"Because Marcus has a gift of his own that Aro wants working for him. He sees the emotional ties between individuals and can see when Chelsea is needed."
"Oh right, if I can shield Marcus then we may have an ally on the Volturi?"
"Yes, but lets see what Aro wants first."
