door to Carmen and back again every second。 〃A mind reader for a father； a shield for a mother； and
then whatever magic this extraordinary child has bewitched us with。 I wonder if there is a name for what
she does； or if it is the norm for a vampire hybrid。 As if such a thing could ever be considered normal！ A
vampire hybrid； indeed！〃
〃Excuse me；〃 Edward said in a stunned voice。 He reached out and caught Eleazar's shoulder as he was
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about to turn again for the door。 〃What did you just call my wife？〃
Eleazar looked at Edward curiously； his manic pacing forgotten for the moment。 〃A shield； I think。 She's
blocking me now； so I can't be sure。〃
I stared at Eleazar； my brows furrowing in confusion。 Shield？ What did he mean about my blocking him？
I was standing right here beside him； not defensive in any way。
〃A shield？〃 Edward repeated； bewildered。
〃e now； Edward！ If I can't get a read on her； I doubt you can； either。 Can you hear her thoughts
right now？〃
Eleazar asked。
〃No；〃 Edward murmured。 〃But I've never been able to do that。 Even when she was human。〃
〃Never？〃 Eleazar blinked。 〃Interesting。 That would indicate a rather powerful latent talent； if it was
manifesting so clearly even before the transformation。 I can't feel a way through her shield to get a sense
of it at all。 Yet she must be raw still—she's only a few months old。〃 The look he gave Edward now was
almost exasperated。 〃And apparently pletely unaware of what she's doing。 Totally unconscious。
Ironic。 Aro sent me all over the world searching for such anomalies； and you simply stumble across it by
accident and don't even realize what you have。〃 Eleazar shook his head in disbelief。
I frowned。 〃What are you talking about？ How can I be a shield？ What does that even mean？〃 All I
could picture in my head was a ridiculous medieval suit of armor。
Eleazar leaned his head to one side as he examined me。 〃I suppose we were overly formal about it in the
guard。 In truth； categorizing talents is a subjective； haphazard business； every talent is unique； never
exactly the same thing twice。 But you； Bella； are fairly easy to classify。 Talents that are purely defensive；
that protect some aspect of the bearer； are always called shields。 Have you ever tested your abilities？
Blocked anyone besides me and your mate？〃
It took me few seconds； despite how quickly my new brain worked； to organize my answer。
〃It only works with certain things；〃 I told him。 〃My head is sort of。。。 private。 But it doesn't stop Jasper
from being able to mess with my mood or Alice from seeing my future。〃
〃Purely a mental defense。〃 Eleazar nodded to himself。 〃Limited； but strong。〃
〃Aro couldn't hear her；〃 Edward interjected。 〃Though she was human when they met。〃
Eleazar's eyes widened。
〃Jane tried to hurt me； but she couldn't；〃 I said。 〃Edward thinks Demetri can't find me； and that Alec
can't bother me； either。 Is that good？〃
Eleazar； still gaping； nodded。 〃Quite。〃
〃A shield！〃 Edward said； deep satisfaction saturating his tone。 〃I never thought of it that way。 The only
one I've ever met before was Renata； and what she did was so different。〃
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Eleazar had recovered slightly。 〃Yes； no talent ever manifests in precisely the same way； because no one
ever thinks in exactly the same way。〃
〃Who's Renata？ What does she do？〃 I asked。 Renesmee was interested； too； leaning away from
Carmen so that she could see around Kate。
〃Renata is Aro's personal bodyguard；〃 Eleazar told me。 〃A very practical kind of shield； and a very
strong one。〃
I vaguely remembered a small crowd of vampires hovering close to Aro in his macabre tower； some
male； some female。 I couldn't remember the women's faces in the unfortable； terrifying memory。 One
must have been Renata。
〃I wonder。。。；〃 Eleazar mused。 〃You see； Renata is a powerful shield against a physical attack。 If
someone approaches her—or Aro； as she is always close beside him in a hostile situation—they find
themselves。。。 diverted。
There's a force around her that repels； though it's almost unnoticeable。 You simply find yourself going a
different direction than you planned； with a confused memory as to why you wanted to go that other way
in the first place。 She can project her shield several meters out from herself。 She also protects Caius and
Marcus； too； when they have a need； but Aro is her priority。
〃What she does isn't actually physical； though。 Like the vast majority of our gifts； it takes place inside the
mind。 If she tried to keep you back； I wonder who would win？〃 He shook his head。 〃I've never heard of
Aro's or Jane's gifts being thwarted。〃
〃Momma； you're special；〃 Renesmee told me without any surprise； like she was menting on the color
of my clothes。
I felt disoriented。 Didn't I already know my gift？ I had my superselfcontrol that had allowed me to skip
right over the horrifying newborn year。 Vampires only had one extra ability at most； right？
Or had Edward been correct in the beginning？ Before Carlisle had suggested that my selfcontrol could
be something beyond the natural； Edward had thought my restraint was just a product of good
preparation— focus and attitude；he'd declared。
Which one had been right？ Was there more I could do？ A name and a category for what I was？
〃Can you project？〃 Kate asked interestedly。
〃Project？〃 I asked。
〃Push it out from yourself；〃 Kate explained。 〃Shield someone besides yourself。〃
〃I don't know。 I've never tried。 I didn't know I should do that。〃
〃Oh； you might not be able to；〃 Kate said quickly。 〃Heavens knows I've been working on it for centuries
and the best I can do is run a current over my skin。〃
I stared at her； mystified。
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〃Kate's got an offensive skill；〃 Edward said。 〃Sort of like Jane。〃
I flinched away from Kate automatically； and she laughed。
〃I'm not sadistic about it；〃 she assured me。 〃It's just something that es in handy during a fight。〃
Kate's words were sinking in； beginning to make connections in my mind。 Shield someone besides
yourself she'd said。 As if there were some way for me to include another person in my strange； quirky
silent head。
I remembered Edward cringing on the ancient stones of the Volturi castle turret。 Though this was a
human memory； it was sharper； more painful than most of the others—like it had been branded into the
tissues of my brain。
What if I could stop that from happening ever again？ What if I could protect him？ Protect Renesmee？
What if there was even the faintest glimmer of a possibility that I could shield them； too？
〃You have to teach me what to do！〃 I insisted； unthinkingly grabbing Kate's arm。 〃You have to show me
how！〃
Kate winced at my grip。 〃Maybe—if you stop trying to crush my radius。〃
〃Oops！ Sorry！〃
〃You're shielding； all right；〃 Kate said。 〃That move should have about shocked your arm off。 You didn't
feel
anything just now？〃
〃That wasn't really necessary； Kate。 She didn't mean any harm；〃 Edward muttered under his breath。
Neither of us paid attention to him。
〃No； I didn't feel anything。 Were you doing your electric current thing？〃
〃I was。 Hmm。 I've never met anyone who couldn't feel it； immortal or otherwise。〃
〃You said you project it？ On your skin？〃
Kate nodded。 〃It used to be just in my palms。 Kind of like Aro。〃
〃Or Renesmee；〃 Edward interjected。
〃But after a lot of practice； I can radiate the current all over my body。 It's a good defense。 Anyone who
tries to touch me drops like a human that's been Tasered。 It only downs him for a second； but that's long
enough。〃
I was only halflistening to Kate； my thoughts racing around the idea that I might be able to protect my
little family if I could just learn fast enough。 I wished fervently that I might be good at this projecting thing；
too； like I was somehow mysteriously good at all the other aspects of being a vampire。 My human life
had not prepared me for things that came naturally； and I couldn't make myself trust this aptitude to last。
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It felt like I had never wanted anything so badly before this； to be able to protect what I loved。
Because I was so preoccupied； I didn't notice the silent exchange going on between Edward and Eleazar
until it became a spoken conversation。
〃Can you think of even one exception； though？〃 Edward asked。
I looked over to make sense of his ment and realized that everyone else was already staring at the
two men。 They were leaning toward each other intently； Edward's expression tight with suspicion；
Eleazar's unhappy and reluctant。
〃I don't want to think of them that way；〃 Eleazar said through his teeth。 I was surprised at the sudden
change in the atmosphere。
〃If you're right—；〃 Eleazar began again。
Edward cut him off。 〃The thought was yours； not mine。〃
〃If I'm right。。。 I can't even grasp what that would mean。 It would change everything about the world
we've created。 It would change the meaning of my life。 What I have been a part of。〃
〃Your intentions were always the best； Eleazar。〃
〃Would that even matter？ What have I done？ How many lives 。。。〃
Tanya put her hand on Eleazar's shoulder in a forting gesture。 〃What did we miss； my friend？ I want
to know so that I can argue with these thoughts。 You've never done anything worth castigating yourself
this way。〃
〃Oh； haven't I？〃 Eleazar muttered。 Then he shrugged out from under her hand and began his pacing
again； faster even than before。
Tanya watched him for half a second and then focused on Edward。 〃Explain。〃
Edward nodded； his tense eyes following Eleazar as he spoke。 〃He was trying to understand why so
many of
the Volturi would e to punish us。 It's not the way they do things。 Certainly； we are the biggest mature
coven they've dealt with； b