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Chapter 48

Gifts

Bella

When we finally got off the plane, I stretched with pleasure and let my bones crack.

I did it out of habit, since as a vampire I actually didn't mind sitting around for hours in the same position.

As we stepped out into the crisp night air of Rome, I took a deep breath.

I felt really sick on the plane. Not that I couldn't stand flying, but fifteen hours in a confined space with a few hundred people - not a good idea. I wondered how the others could stand to resist the 'blood that smelled so good to them' for so long.

After much discussion, everyone came along to Italy. Carlisle had to come along because Aro still considered him something of a friend and it made me calmer when he was there. Emmett didn't want to let me go and I would have hated to be away from him, so he came along to Italy too. Alice, like Emmett, insisted on staying with me and where Alice was, so was Jasper. And since Esmé would have been home alone otherwise, she came along too.

Since we weren't pressed for time this time, the Cullens refrained from carjacking and took two cabs. The cab drivers did not drive at the same murderous pace as the Cullens, but still like typical Italians. After three hours we reached the city walls of Volterra. We asked them to wait, and Carlisle gave them an extra bonus for doing so. Both drivers grinned happily and parked next to the high sand-colored walls.

"So, I've allowed you all to come with me all the way here to Volterra. But as agreed, Bella, Emmett and I will go up to the tower alone," Carlisle said.

Alice looked at him crossly.

Emmett had begged Carlisle to let him come along. Not because he didn't trust Carlisle, but he couldn't stand it when I was with those 'bastards' - in his words - and he couldn't be by my side.

He took my hand and the three of us walked beside the city walls to the door that led us back into the corridors.

When we arrived by the guard, he recognized us - or Carlisle and Emmett, anyway.

He looked at me for a long time. Probably he compared the picture in his memory with my current appearance.

He let us through without first running up to his masters to announce us.

I had to chuckle softly as we flew up the stairs with ease, while last time I still had to be carried by Emmett, so I didn't collapse from exhaustion.

Emmett gave me a 'what's so funny'-look and I just shrugged.

In a few minutes we were upstairs in the reception hall and greeted the receptionist.

It was the same as last time and she was still human.

Carlisle politely talked to her in Italian and she went to the back of the hall and through a door. We heard her announce us and Aro clapped her hands delightedly.

When Gianna, the receptionist, stepped out the door and waved at us, we went to join them.

Aro came to us again with open arms.

We were not in the same large hall as last time. This room was much cozier. There were shelves full of books, walls and easels full of paintings, beautiful southern flowers, and classical music playing in the background. The dome was all glass and had it not been night, the room would have been flooded with sunlight. In the center was a chaise longue made of dark wood and cushions of turquoise silk. Sulpicia was lying on it.

Painted Aro, perhaps?

"Carlisle, my old friend," he said, taking his hand in his as he led us out to the hall with the thrones, where Marcus and Caius were engrossed in a game of chess.

Athenodora stood behind Caius and her hand was on his shoulder.

Jane and Alec flanked Marcus and watched the game.

When we entered, they looked up and looked at me in surprise.

"So ... I see you have turned the lovely Isabella into one of us. She is really beautiful," Aro said in a soft voice and came a few steps closer.

Emmett tried to get in front of me, but Carlisle held him back.

He had to know that Aro wouldn't hurt me. Besides, I was stronger than Emmett anyway and could protect myself just as well.

"Not many newborns can sit on a plane full of people for fifteen hours ..." he said admiringly.

But I knew that he knew how averse I was to human blood. It was a small side blow that only the four of us noticed, since the others at the chess game knew nothing of my peculiarity.

"Would you do me the honor?", he asked politely and held out his hand.

As if I had a choice! I thought and held out my hand.

He took a deep breath in and out. For a second, I saw frustration in his eyes. Then he let go of me.

"Interesting," he said thoughtfully.

I wondered what he found so interesting in my thoughts.

"I don't see anything ..." He took a few steps back and moved aside. "Jane, could you please try?" he asked, turning to Jane.

Before Carlisle could react, Emmett stood in front of me. I took his hand to stop him, but he stayed in front of me. Nothing happened and Jane looked at Emmett piercingly.

Had she petrified him? Or why was he no longer moving?

She looked away to Aro in annoyance.

"I can't do it on either one!" she cried out.

I let go of Emmett's hand in relief as he stepped next to me again. But suddenly, with a cry of pain, he sank to his knees and writhed on the floor.

I looked at Aro, then at Jane, who had her eyes back on Emmett and was grinning slyly.

I jumped towards her, but in flight one of the big strong guards from the door crashed into me and flung me to the ground.

"Stop it! Jane, Felix!", Aro ordered, looking at Jane and then at the guard who pinned me to the floor.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Emmett's screams stop. I managed to free myself and was already standing next to Emmett again.

"Interesting! A very interesting gift indeed. I didn't see any of that in your thoughts, Carlisle ..." he said, somewhat lost in thought.

"Because we didn't know what her gift was until now," Carlisle replied.

I looked back and forth between him and Aro.

What gift were they talking about?

"What do you mean?", I asked, a little confused.

"Dear Isabella, you are a shield. For you and - it seems - also for those you touch," he explained to me.

That meant I had protected Emmett during the first attack because I was holding his hand?

"But I didn't do anything."

I always thought you had to use your gift actively somehow.

Aro was most interested and wanted to do more tests to see if his theory was correct.

Carlisle put his right hand on my shoulder and held out his left to Aro. Again, Aro couldn't see anything until Carlisle stopped touching me.

Well, it wasn't as great a gift as having visions or something, but at least I could protect those closest to me.

I agreed to let Aro test his guards' other gifts on me as well, as long as it was just me and not Carlisle and Emmett.

Chelsea, Corin and Alec were failing as well as Jane. I had no idea what their gifts were, at least they didn't work on me. Marcus and Demetri, however, had no trouble - according to them - using their gifts on me, even though I didn't feel anything. I thought about asking Carlisle about her gifts later.

Aro clapped his hands enthusiastically.

"Carlisle, how lucky you always are. First Edward, then Alice, and now Isabella ..." he said.

He said the word 'lucky' almost incredulously. Or sarcastically? Jealous?

He turned to me.

"I would be honored if you would like to join us, Isabella," he said.

Where did he get the idea that I wanted to be a part of this weird royal family?

"Thank you for the offer, Aro, but I must decline," I said, adding, to lighten the mood a bit. "A vampire who gets sick from human blood doesn't belong in a place like this."

Emmett next to me chuckled softly.

Caius, his wife, and Jane looked over at me in shock. Marcus continued to play chess as if he were bored to death.

"All right. Emmett. We can always use strong fighters," he said as he turned his head further toward him.

"Renounce."

"Good, then everything would be settled. Goodbye Aro, Caius, Marcus," Carlisle said, looking at everyone briefly.

"Too bad you're leaving again. Come visit us again ...", he said, as if we were all best friends.

When we were back in the cabs, we told Alice and Jasper what had happened.

Carlisle was in the other cab with Esmé, so I couldn't ask about the guards' gifts until we were on the plane.

"Carlisle, why can I block some gifts and not others?" I asked because it was the question that was bothering me the most.

"It looked like you were only defending against psychic gifts. Physical gifts, however, penetrated your shield," he explained.

"What gifts did the guards have? When Marcus and also Demetri said they could use their gift, I didn't feel anything."

"Marcus sees relationships and Demetri is a tracker, specializing in humans but finding vampires as well. Just like Alice and Jasper's gifts, theirs apparently worked for you without any problems. They are all physical and real. Chelsea tightens or loosens bonds and relationships, Corin makes you find any situation pleasant no matter what, and Alec caps all senses. Sight, hearing, smell, pain - just about everything. And Jane's gift you've seen. Her gifts don't let anything real happen. It's all in the mind, just like Edward and Aro's mind reading," Carlisle explained.

At the thought of Jane, I felt venom in my mouth, and I wished I had as cruel a gift as she did to repay her.

I leaned back in my first-class chair and sank into thought.

I was looking forward to Forks, but I still had to think of something to say to Charlie.