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。
  〃Come　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　completely　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　uncomfortable；　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　commenting　on　the　color
  of　my　clothes。
  I　felt　disoriented。　Didn't　I　already　know　my　gift？　I　had　my　super…self…control　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　self…control　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　comes　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　half…listening　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