52 Weeks
by Wizardtho
Chapter 17:
Caius POV
Time moves slowly as I care for my changing mate, but I watch with rapt attention as each tiny change takes place.
Hair lengthens and color becomes more vibrant.
Nails strengthen.
Lashes become more full.
Lips take on a more lush look.
Skin turns paler shade by minuscule shade, all while becoming both harder and more supple-looking at the same time.
Isabella impossibly becomes more beautiful with the passage of this time during her change. She is calm when I hear Aro being let into the sitting room, so I kiss her lips softly before whispering, “I’ll be just in the other room for a moment, Sweetling. Conserve your energy. You are safe in our suite, and I will not be out of hearing range.”
Her eyes fluttering is my only response, so I slip from the room before closing the door. Aro looks up from the chair he’s chosen, offering me a small smile. “I would have waited patiently, Brother.”
I smile in return, “Isabella is calm… well as calm as can be during such an event, I suppose. She whimpers every so often but otherwise seems content to be in my arms. Do you come with news?”
Aro nods, then says, “The coven is accounted for. None had slipped away from the guard detail we had on them, other than the boy. They seemed shocked by what was told to them, which was only that Edward had arrived back in Volterra, and they were being summoned as a result. I will read each individual upon their arrival.”
I thank him, then there is silence in the room for a moment. A small smile forms on my brother’s lips before he mentions, “Sulpicia was grateful you allowed her to visit with Isabella. She has taken to your mate with a fierceness I have rarely seen. She is very protective of Isabella.”
I nod in understanding, able to read between the lines, “As are you, Brother… though you show it differently. If you would like to peek in on her, give me just a moment to make sure she is covered.”
He nods, “I would be thankful for a moment to see my newest sister, Caius. Take your time.”
I stand, but ask while walking toward the bedroom, “Would you mind fixing me a tall glass of blood in the meantime? Of course, feel welcome to fix one for yourself, if you have not yet had the time to feed.”
I take a few minutes to resettle Isabella in the center of the bed while speaking softly to her, then lay the sheet loosely over her before placing her hands above it on her stomach. I hear Aro moving toward the door, so I say softly, “Come in, Aro.”
He enters with a single glass of blood, handing it to me, then sits at the edge of the bed with a smile only for my mate. He touches her hand in comfort, offering, “You are safe with your mate, Sister. Soon you will wake to your etern-”
He gasps as his eyes close, then whispers, “She’s allowing me to read her, Brother. Isabella knows she’s in transition, but wondering why she is not screaming in pain.”
I lean to whisper in her ear, “I am your mate, My Darling. My venom, an extreme amount of it, is flowing through your system. As I am incapable of harming you in any way, neither will my venom harm you. Yes, you might feel a good bit of discomfort, but I could never cause you pain.”
Aro nods to me, then relays, “She understands now… and is asking me to relay her love for you. She has tried numerous times to tell you herself, but is incapable of saying more than your name.”
I nod in understanding, recalling all the times she has whimpered my name. “As I love you, Isabella. Eternity will never be long enough to show you the depth of my love for you. Rest, Sweetling.”
Aro chuckles then explains, “I see a picture of her blushing in my mind’s eye, Brother, along with her calling you a charmer. On a slightly different note, I will have much to speak to Jasper on. Her gift and control are expanding exponentially, even now. Having firsthand knowledge of its workings now, I am pleased to say that your little mate will be the most protected individual on earth. So, too, will anyone she chooses to shield. Thank you, Sister, for the treasure of allowing me access to your amazing mind.”
He is quietly concentrating on my mate’s face now. “She is warning me that her shields may expand on their own, close to the end of her transformation. She does not understand how she knows, but just feels I should be forewarned.”
I nod, then offer, “You should probably warn Jane, Demetri, and the Whitlocks, as well as keep the royals close near the end.”
He agrees, noting, “That is what Isabella believes, also, Brother. Family. Automatic protection. Her thoughts are scattered and just out of reach... as if that part of her mind is not fully expanded yet. Worry not, Sister, I will take care of it.”
He kisses her forehead, telling her to focus on her future with me, then pats my shoulder, “Let me know if you have need of anything, Caius. I will see it taken care of.”
I nod, curling into Isabella’s side, who automatically curls herself closer into my embrace. Aro gives us an approving nod, then silently makes his way to speak to both guards in the suite sitting room, closing the bedroom door behind him.
Jane POV
Master Aro calls me quietly to enter Master Caius’s suite. I enter, making sure to not disturb Lady Isabella, then wait with my hands clasped in front of me. He speaks quietly, but quickly, “Lady Isabella has allowed me to read her. She has asked that you both stay close near the end of her transformation, not realizing that Caius has you both on duty now. Her shields may expand rapidly at that point, so I am warning you in preparation. Demetri, you may suddenly have several people dropping off your radar, then blinking back in. From what I understand, you will no longer be ‘blind’ when Isabella shields someone mentally. The protection is still sound, but she had no idea that she could allow or block a power from entering a shielded space.”
Demetri nods, looking deep in thought, so I ask, “Even with Lady Isabella and Master Caius always being protected under her shields, she will somehow be able to allow Demetri to see their wavelengths?”
Master Aro nods with a grin, “She will, Jane. I doubt she will allow me unrestricted access to her thoughts, though, knowing her mind as I do now. She is quite an amazing creature, your new Mistress. Protect them well, my fledglings.”
We both nod seriously, then I follow Master Aro out the suite door to retake my post.
JPOV
I’m talkin’ to both Peter and Char when a soft knock can be heard on my suite door. I open it to find Aro, who is fightin’ not to allow his small grin to take over his whole face. His emotions, on the other hand, are explodin’ with pride and awe. I shake my head, “Ya musta learned somethin’ good, ‘cuz ya look fit to burst, Sire. Come in.”
He nods and enters, shuttin’ the door behind him, then gets right down to it.
“Isabella has just allowed me to read her. I only touched her hand in comfort during my visit, but she allowed me access to her mind, talking to me through my gift.”
I nod, but Peter confirms, “We kinda figured she’d be able to allow or block gifts from her mental shield at some point. She was already doin’ so with her physical one… even if was only sporadically. But that’s not all, is it?”
Aro shakes his head no, then offers with a grin, “Her shields have no foreseeable limits, as long as she stays properly fed. As she will have an endless supply of energy as a well-fed vampire, so too will her shield capacity be endless. We only need to find where her personal thirst threshold will stop her from shielding, then make sure she never nears that point. Just before leaving her company, she asked me to warn the three of you, Jane, Demetri, and the other royals to stay close near the end of her transformation. She believes her shields will expand rapidly, and that it has something to do with automatically shielding who she sees as family. Demetri will still be able to sense your wavelengths, but you will be fully covered by Isabella’s mental shield.”
Char lets out a breath, then shakes her head, “Okay… stay close… we’d planned to do that anyway. It’ll be interesting to see just how much her shields have grown during her change. Were you able to get a feel for them?”
Aro nods, “Amazingly powerful. She will be the most protected person on the face of the earth, as I told Caius. I do not believe, with how entwined the two are, that any gift would be able to penetrate her shields when they are both active… unless she purposely allowed it, as with Demetri’s gift.”
I feel the relief triple in the room at this new information, so I allow Aro to feel a small bit of it. He nods seriously, then goes on to say, “We will talk more about this when Isabella is fed properly and able to participate in the conversation. I must speak to my mate and Marcus now, as I do not believe Isabella’s transformation will take a full 72 hours. She is nearly a quarter of the way now, at only the 12-hour mark. Caius must have flooded each bite with a massive amount of venom.”
I walk Aro to the door, then look back at my brother and sister dumbfounded. I can’t even think of somethin’ to say right now, though I’m glad Bella won’t have to go through a full 72 hours changin’.
Plans… we need ta plan for when my li’l sister wakes. If I know her like I think, she won’t wanna wait to train, once she’s good and fed. I look to Pete and Char, givin’ them a look they know all too well while sayin’ only, “Game plan. We got no time to be wastin’ here, folks.”
Caius POV
Time moves slowly as I care for my changing mate, but I watch with rapt attention as each tiny change takes place.
Hair lengthens and color becomes more vibrant.
Nails strengthen.
Lashes become more full.
Lips take on a more lush look.
Skin turns paler shade by minuscule shade, all while becoming both harder and more supple-looking at the same time.
Isabella impossibly becomes more beautiful with the passage of this time during her change. She is calm when I hear Aro being let into the sitting room, so I kiss her lips softly before whispering, “I’ll be just in the other room for a moment, Sweetling. Conserve your energy. You are safe in our suite, and I will not be out of hearing range.”
Her eyes fluttering is my only response, so I slip from the room before closing the door. Aro looks up from the chair he’s chosen, offering me a small smile. “I would have waited patiently, Brother.”
I smile in return, “Isabella is calm… well as calm as can be during such an event, I suppose. She whimpers every so often but otherwise seems content to be in my arms. Do you come with news?”
Aro nods, then says, “The coven is accounted for. None had slipped away from the guard detail we had on them, other than the boy. They seemed shocked by what was told to them, which was only that Edward had arrived back in Volterra, and they were being summoned as a result. I will read each individual upon their arrival.”
I thank him, then there is silence in the room for a moment. A small smile forms on my brother’s lips before he mentions, “Sulpicia was grateful you allowed her to visit with Isabella. She has taken to your mate with a fierceness I have rarely seen. She is very protective of Isabella.”
I nod in understanding, able to read between the lines, “As are you, Brother… though you show it differently. If you would like to peek in on her, give me just a moment to make sure she is covered.”
He nods, “I would be thankful for a moment to see my newest sister, Caius. Take your time.”
I stand, but ask while walking toward the bedroom, “Would you mind fixing me a tall glass of blood in the meantime? Of course, feel welcome to fix one for yourself, if you have not yet had the time to feed.”
I take a few minutes to resettle Isabella in the center of the bed while speaking softly to her, then lay the sheet loosely over her before placing her hands above it on her stomach. I hear Aro moving toward the door, so I say softly, “Come in, Aro.”
He enters with a single glass of blood, handing it to me, then sits at the edge of the bed with a smile only for my mate. He touches her hand in comfort, offering, “You are safe with your mate, Sister. Soon you will wake to your etern-”
He gasps as his eyes close, then whispers, “She’s allowing me to read her, Brother. Isabella knows she’s in transition, but wondering why she is not screaming in pain.”
I lean to whisper in her ear, “I am your mate, My Darling. My venom, an extreme amount of it, is flowing through your system. As I am incapable of harming you in any way, neither will my venom harm you. Yes, you might feel a good bit of discomfort, but I could never cause you pain.”
Aro nods to me, then relays, “She understands now… and is asking me to relay her love for you. She has tried numerous times to tell you herself, but is incapable of saying more than your name.”
I nod in understanding, recalling all the times she has whimpered my name. “As I love you, Isabella. Eternity will never be long enough to show you the depth of my love for you. Rest, Sweetling.”
Aro chuckles then explains, “I see a picture of her blushing in my mind’s eye, Brother, along with her calling you a charmer. On a slightly different note, I will have much to speak to Jasper on. Her gift and control are expanding exponentially, even now. Having firsthand knowledge of its workings now, I am pleased to say that your little mate will be the most protected individual on earth. So, too, will anyone she chooses to shield. Thank you, Sister, for the treasure of allowing me access to your amazing mind.”
He is quietly concentrating on my mate’s face now. “She is warning me that her shields may expand on their own, close to the end of her transformation. She does not understand how she knows, but just feels I should be forewarned.”
I nod, then offer, “You should probably warn Jane, Demetri, and the Whitlocks, as well as keep the royals close near the end.”
He agrees, noting, “That is what Isabella believes, also, Brother. Family. Automatic protection. Her thoughts are scattered and just out of reach... as if that part of her mind is not fully expanded yet. Worry not, Sister, I will take care of it.”
He kisses her forehead, telling her to focus on her future with me, then pats my shoulder, “Let me know if you have need of anything, Caius. I will see it taken care of.”
I nod, curling into Isabella’s side, who automatically curls herself closer into my embrace. Aro gives us an approving nod, then silently makes his way to speak to both guards in the suite sitting room, closing the bedroom door behind him.
Jane POV
Master Aro calls me quietly to enter Master Caius’s suite. I enter, making sure to not disturb Lady Isabella, then wait with my hands clasped in front of me. He speaks quietly, but quickly, “Lady Isabella has allowed me to read her. She has asked that you both stay close near the end of her transformation, not realizing that Caius has you both on duty now. Her shields may expand rapidly at that point, so I am warning you in preparation. Demetri, you may suddenly have several people dropping off your radar, then blinking back in. From what I understand, you will no longer be ‘blind’ when Isabella shields someone mentally. The protection is still sound, but she had no idea that she could allow or block a power from entering a shielded space.”
Demetri nods, looking deep in thought, so I ask, “Even with Lady Isabella and Master Caius always being protected under her shields, she will somehow be able to allow Demetri to see their wavelengths?”
Master Aro nods with a grin, “She will, Jane. I doubt she will allow me unrestricted access to her thoughts, though, knowing her mind as I do now. She is quite an amazing creature, your new Mistress. Protect them well, my fledglings.”
We both nod seriously, then I follow Master Aro out the suite door to retake my post.
JPOV
I’m talkin’ to both Peter and Char when a soft knock can be heard on my suite door. I open it to find Aro, who is fightin’ not to allow his small grin to take over his whole face. His emotions, on the other hand, are explodin’ with pride and awe. I shake my head, “Ya musta learned somethin’ good, ‘cuz ya look fit to burst, Sire. Come in.”
He nods and enters, shuttin’ the door behind him, then gets right down to it.
“Isabella has just allowed me to read her. I only touched her hand in comfort during my visit, but she allowed me access to her mind, talking to me through my gift.”
I nod, but Peter confirms, “We kinda figured she’d be able to allow or block gifts from her mental shield at some point. She was already doin’ so with her physical one… even if was only sporadically. But that’s not all, is it?”
Aro shakes his head no, then offers with a grin, “Her shields have no foreseeable limits, as long as she stays properly fed. As she will have an endless supply of energy as a well-fed vampire, so too will her shield capacity be endless. We only need to find where her personal thirst threshold will stop her from shielding, then make sure she never nears that point. Just before leaving her company, she asked me to warn the three of you, Jane, Demetri, and the other royals to stay close near the end of her transformation. She believes her shields will expand rapidly, and that it has something to do with automatically shielding who she sees as family. Demetri will still be able to sense your wavelengths, but you will be fully covered by Isabella’s mental shield.”
Char lets out a breath, then shakes her head, “Okay… stay close… we’d planned to do that anyway. It’ll be interesting to see just how much her shields have grown during her change. Were you able to get a feel for them?”
Aro nods, “Amazingly powerful. She will be the most protected person on the face of the earth, as I told Caius. I do not believe, with how entwined the two are, that any gift would be able to penetrate her shields when they are both active… unless she purposely allowed it, as with Demetri’s gift.”
I feel the relief triple in the room at this new information, so I allow Aro to feel a small bit of it. He nods seriously, then goes on to say, “We will talk more about this when Isabella is fed properly and able to participate in the conversation. I must speak to my mate and Marcus now, as I do not believe Isabella’s transformation will take a full 72 hours. She is nearly a quarter of the way now, at only the 12-hour mark. Caius must have flooded each bite with a massive amount of venom.”
I walk Aro to the door, then look back at my brother and sister dumbfounded. I can’t even think of somethin’ to say right now, though I’m glad Bella won’t have to go through a full 72 hours changin’.
Plans… we need ta plan for when my li’l sister wakes. If I know her like I think, she won’t wanna wait to train, once she’s good and fed. I look to Pete and Char, givin’ them a look they know all too well while sayin’ only, “Game plan. We got no time to be wastin’ here, folks.”