New Love, New Life
by Momma2fan
Chapter 15
Caius gave them two days before he was banging on the door of their suite. Jane and Felix were chuckling beside him, knowing he could hear the sounds coming from inside as well as they could.
“You’ll be lucky if Demetri doesn’t tear your head off, Sir.”
Caius looked at Felix, “I would like to see my daughter. He’s had her in their rooms long enough.” He jumped back when the door swung open, revealing a disheveled Bella to his eyes. “Mia Figlia!”
“Go away. We will come to the throne room in an hour.” Bella slammed the door closed and the trio heard what sounded like her body hitting the door, followed by a moan of pleasure.
Not wanting to hear anymore of his daughter in that manner, Caius turned and ran back to the throne room, informing his brother’s that Bella and Demetri would join them soon.
Almost three hours later, Caius’ patience had worn thin and he was about to go get them, when the doors opened and they walked in.
“Ah, Isabella,” Aro smirked at the girl. “You’re a stunning vampire, my dear. How do you feel?”
“I feel amazing, Zio Aro.” Bella smiled slyly at him, “I have something to show you, if you don’t mind?”
Aro’s smile grew, “Of course, Piccolo.”
Bella smirked and looked at Jane, giving her a wink. Renata, sensing what Bella was planning, stepped away from Aro, allowing her shield to fall away. Jane looked at Aro, squinting her eyes, watching as he began twitching under the power of her gift. Just as he fell to the floor, Bella turned to him, waved her hand and encircled him in an invisible bubble, lifting him from the floor into the air. Inside his protection, Aro was clapping and laughing with glee.
Bella released her shield and looked at Demetri, whose face glowed with pride. He’d known she was gifted, they’d been practicing in their suite. They weren’t just fucking, contrary to what the others believed.
“I’m ready, il mio compagno.”
“Eísai sígouros?” (Are you certain?)
Nodding, she walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Let’s end this.”
Caius understood and wanted to make sure she was ready as well. Before he could comment, however, Bella smiled at him as if she could read his mind and nodded. His posture relaxed, while he allowed his daughter to have the floor.
“Zio Marcus, before we bring the Cullens here, I have a request.” Bella looked at her uncle, while her mate squeezed her hand.
“What is it, my dear?”
“I don’t believe Jasper is Alice’s mate, and I am curious whether Emmett is Rosalie’s. I think Esme has a gift which allows her to manipulate those around her, without them knowing. I believe she convinced Rose they were mates and brought Emmett to Carlisle to change. When Alice and Jasper showed up, she must have been able to get around her visions and his empathy, convincing them they were more than companions and occasional lovers.”
“I’ve never sensed a gift in Esme,” a voice spoke from the back of the room.
Caius gave them two days before he was banging on the door of their suite. Jane and Felix were chuckling beside him, knowing he could hear the sounds coming from inside as well as they could.
“You’ll be lucky if Demetri doesn’t tear your head off, Sir.”
Caius looked at Felix, “I would like to see my daughter. He’s had her in their rooms long enough.” He jumped back when the door swung open, revealing a disheveled Bella to his eyes. “Mia Figlia!”
“Go away. We will come to the throne room in an hour.” Bella slammed the door closed and the trio heard what sounded like her body hitting the door, followed by a moan of pleasure.
Not wanting to hear anymore of his daughter in that manner, Caius turned and ran back to the throne room, informing his brother’s that Bella and Demetri would join them soon.
Almost three hours later, Caius’ patience had worn thin and he was about to go get them, when the doors opened and they walked in.
“Ah, Isabella,” Aro smirked at the girl. “You’re a stunning vampire, my dear. How do you feel?”
“I feel amazing, Zio Aro.” Bella smiled slyly at him, “I have something to show you, if you don’t mind?”
Aro’s smile grew, “Of course, Piccolo.”
Bella smirked and looked at Jane, giving her a wink. Renata, sensing what Bella was planning, stepped away from Aro, allowing her shield to fall away. Jane looked at Aro, squinting her eyes, watching as he began twitching under the power of her gift. Just as he fell to the floor, Bella turned to him, waved her hand and encircled him in an invisible bubble, lifting him from the floor into the air. Inside his protection, Aro was clapping and laughing with glee.
Bella released her shield and looked at Demetri, whose face glowed with pride. He’d known she was gifted, they’d been practicing in their suite. They weren’t just fucking, contrary to what the others believed.
“I’m ready, il mio compagno.”
“Eísai sígouros?” (Are you certain?)
Nodding, she walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Let’s end this.”
Caius understood and wanted to make sure she was ready as well. Before he could comment, however, Bella smiled at him as if she could read his mind and nodded. His posture relaxed, while he allowed his daughter to have the floor.
“Zio Marcus, before we bring the Cullens here, I have a request.” Bella looked at her uncle, while her mate squeezed her hand.
“What is it, my dear?”
“I don’t believe Jasper is Alice’s mate, and I am curious whether Emmett is Rosalie’s. I think Esme has a gift which allows her to manipulate those around her, without them knowing. I believe she convinced Rose they were mates and brought Emmett to Carlisle to change. When Alice and Jasper showed up, she must have been able to get around her visions and his empathy, convincing them they were more than companions and occasional lovers.”
“I’ve never sensed a gift in Esme,” a voice spoke from the back of the room.
Turning, Bella recognized, from pictures she saw at the Cullens, the Denali coven. It was Eleazar who spoke up and she cocked her head at him. Before she could ask him the question on her tongue, Demetri leaned into her ear.
“Eleazar can sense whether a vampire is gifted.”
“Well,” Bella started. “Perhaps that’s part of her gift, hiding it from others.”
“That would make sense,” Caius agreed with his daughter.
“Eleazar,” Aro stepped down from the dias and greeted the former guard member. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. Carmen, looking lovely as ever. Ladies, I trust you are well?”
While Aro was polite to their guests, everyone could tell he was itching to read the coven members. He was holding back so as not to be intrusive, as Bella had accused him of being more than once.
Eleazar willingly shook Aro’s hand, allowing him to see his thoughts. There was nothing to hide from his former master and he had committed no crimes.
“Thank you, old friend,” Aro smiled when he let go. “Please, come meet my niece and Demetri’s mate.”
The Denali sisters gasped, but it was Tanya who spoke their thoughts. “I thought she was Edward’s mate?”
“I’m not. I belong to Demetri, my mate and sire.” Bella glared at the blonde. “I was nothing to that sniveling little weasel except his singer.” Looking at Eleazar, “How does your gift work?”
“You are aware of Edward’s gift, yes?” At her nod, he continued, “Much like him, I need to be in fairly close proximity to get a sense, or feel, of a vampire’s gift. I can sense what and how strong their gift is. It’s harder with humans, but still I can do the same.”
“Why do you think you’ve never sensed anything with Esme?”
Eleazar cocked his head to the side, “If she has the gift you believe she does, then perhaps she has convinced me hers is non-existent.”
“If I were to shield her without her knowing, would you be able to sense it?”
He was silent for a moment, before revealing his thoughts. “I believe so. As long as you only use your physical shield, not your mental one.”
“Shall we try it on someone?”
“No,” Marcus broke in. “I think we need to just try it. We can always convene privately once Eleazar gives us the signal.”
“Then let’s bring the Cullens in, but leave the other two in the catacombs.” Aro ordered. “Before we forget, my dear,” he turned to Bella. “Let’s get you your cloak.”
Once the stage was set and all the players ready, the doors to the throne room opened and the Cullens walked inside. Bella immediately wrapped Esme in her shield. Jasper looked up when he felt her emotions cease, looking around the room until his eyes landed on Bella, who shot him a wink.
“Ah, Carlisle, how has your stay been, my friend?” Aro asked congenially.
“Hospitable as always, Aro.”
“Excellent.”
“Let’s get on with it, Aro,” Caius growled, causing Bella to giggle.
“Bella?” Rosalie looked surprised to see her in the room.
“Lil Sis?” Emmett had known she was in transition, but wasn’t aware it was complete or that she was allowed around others. “Being a vampire suits you.”
“Thanks, Em.”
A throat clearing turned Carlisle’s attention to his friend from Alaska. “Eleazar, I hadn’t heard you were here.”
“I just arrived, Carlisle. I was summoned to examine the strength of Isabella’s gift.” Eleazar looked to Aro, who nodded, giving him permission to reveal his discovery. “I was surprised to find a gifted one among your coven, other than the three we knew about.”
Carlisle cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”
Turning his head slightly, “Would you like to tell him, Esme?”
Esme looked into Eleazar’s eyes, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“It won’t work, Esme.” Bella stepped forward, “You see, we thought I was only a mental shield. Turns out we were wrong.” She sneered at the woman she’d once thought of as a mother. “It’s a physical shield, too. And you are well and truly inside its protection. You won’t be convincing anyone to do anything anymore.”
AN: Uh-oh. What did she do? More to come...