按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Generatedby ABC Amber LIT Converter； ：。processtext。abclit。html
〃If the Volturi won't pause to listen to our witness； we cannot simply stand by；〃 Tanya insisted。 〃Of
course； I should only speak for myself。〃
Kate snorted。 〃Do you really doubt me so much； sister？〃
Tanya smiled widely at her。 〃It is a suicide mission； after all。〃
Kate flashed a grin back and then shrugged nonchalantly。 〃I'm in。〃
〃I； too； will do what I can to protect the child；〃 Carmen agreed。 Then； as if she couldn't resist； she held
her arms out toward Renesmee。 〃May I hold you； bebe linda？〃
Renesmee reached eagerly toward Carmen； delighted with her new friend。 Carmen hugged her close；
murmuring to her in Spanish。
It was like it had been with Charlie； and before that with all the Cullens。 Renesmee was irresistible。 What
was it about her that drew everyone to her； that made them willing even to pledge their lives in her
defense？
For a moment I thought that maybe what we were attempting might be possible。 Maybe Renesmee
could do the impossible and win over our enemies as she had our friends。
And then I remembered that Alice had left us； and my hope vanished as quickly as it had appeared。
31。 TALENTED
〃What is the werewolves' part in this？〃 Tanya asked then； eyeing Jacob。
Jacob spoke before Edward could answer。 〃If the Volturi won't stop to listen about Nessie； I mean
Renesmee；〃 he corrected himself； remembering that Tanya would not understand his stupid nickname；
〃we will stop them。〃
〃Very brave； child； but that would be impossible for more experienced fighters than you are。〃
〃You don't know what we can do。〃
Tanya shrugged。 〃It is your own life； certainly； to spend as you choose。〃
Jacob's eyes flickered to Renesmee—still in Carmen's arms with Kate hovering over them—and it was
easy to read the longing in them。
〃She is special； that little one；〃 Tanya mused。 〃Hard to resist。〃
〃A very talented family；〃 Eleazar murmured as he paced。 His tempo was increasing； he flashed from the
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
Page 347
Generatedby ABC Amber LIT Converter； ：。processtext。abclit。html
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。〃
Page 348
Generatedby ABC Amber LIT Converter； ：。processtext。abclit。html
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。
Page 349
Generatedby ABC Amber LIT Converter； ：。processtext。abclit。html
〃Kate's got an offensive skill；〃 Edward said。 〃Sort of like Jane。〃
I flinched away from Kate automatically