Solstice

CONVERSATIONS

In the early afternoon, we went over to the big house. I wanted to get Carlisle alone and have a serious talk with him. I'd confided my plans to Edward – he wasn't happy, but he understood why I'd made my choice. So Edward was going to take everyone else off to the movie theatre for an afternoon of Lord of the Rings, which was having a special screening, while I had Carlisle to myself for once: his company was always in demand. I waved them all off, resisting the urge to kiss Edward for a lot longer than was polite in public, and turned to face my father-in-law.

'Did Edward tell you I needed to talk...?' I felt oddly nervous as I looked at Carlisle's flawless face, noting again the flaxen hair that was a shade lighter than his honey-coloured eyes, the small, warm smile on his lips. Carlisle was a creature of light. In simpler, more superstitious times, he would have been thought to be a literal angelic being.

'He did.' Carlisle ushered me inside, closing the door behind us. 'Come up to my study, Bella. We can talk freely there.'

'So...' I sat gingerly on the seat opposite him. Carlisle raised an eyebrow. 'It's difficult to know where to begin,' I confessed.

'From the beginning?' he suggested, steepling his fingers. He didn't look exasperated, or bored, so I gathered my tangled thoughts and dived in headfirst.

'So you know by now that Ness sent Jacob away – or, rather, he sent himself away when he found out she doesn't love him like that,' I began. Carlisle nodded. 'When I went to Emily and Sam's, she showed me some of their old legends – or something that might be one of their legends, or a myth; we're not actually sure what they are – which talk about how to break an imprint. And an imprint can only be broken by a witch.' Carlisle leant forward, his eyes suddenly alive with interest. Feeling a sudden surge of confidence, I launched into my story, more fluently this time. 'I got the address of a bona fide witch from a vampire called Calvin O'Dowd, whom I've since found out is a very nasty piece of work. But the address was genuine, so I went to see the witch – Persephone, her name is, Persephone Grey – and she said that she could break the imprint with or without someone's consent. She said she would perform the spell for me, but she wanted something in return. To be Changed. She's over two hundred and fifty years old, and loves her life, but her body's failing her some.

I came back, and when Jacob asked me whether Ness loved him... well, I couldn't lie. I told him about breaking the imprint. He didn't say one way or the other whether he wanted to. I decided to go back and see Persephone again, because I had these strange symptoms, and I didn't want to worry you with them... I didn't know what was going on, but I felt like I didn't want to involve the family now. Not when everything is so up in the air over Jacob and Ness, and Ness falling in love with Nahuel.'

'So that is why we are receiving a visit from our Amazonian friends,' Carlisle murmured. 'But your symptoms, Bella: are you able to describe them now?'

'You really are a complete doctor, aren't you?' I grinned, and he smiled ruefully. 'So my worst symptom was that...' I took a deep breath. 'I fell asleep.' Carlisle was nearly out of his chair. I held up my hand before he could pepper me with questions, and he sank back. 'I'd been yawning, as you know – I yawned in front of everyone – but one evening when I was super-stressed, I blacked out for eight hours. I asked Persephone if she had ever heard of something like this happening to a vampire. And she had.' I took another deep breath. 'She took one of my hairs and analysed it under a microscope. Apparently, if you have a witch in your bloodline, you will never be a full vampire. Some of the witch traits – the human traits – like being able to sleep and eat, and other things I'm still learning about – override the vampire ones. She said that I must have a very close relative who's a witch. Either Renée or one of my grandmothers. She lent me this book –' I pulled up the flap on the messenger bag I was carrying and rummaged around amongst the general chaos until I found it, handing it to him '– which tells you what it's like to have powers. What they are. What you should be looking out for. I read it this morning, cover to cover, and then again. So I have it pretty well memorised. The thing is...' My voice shook. Carlisle laid down the book, the pages of which he had been turning over with avid interest, and looked at me with such compassion in his eyes that I was glad my vampire nature ensured I was no longer able to cry. 'Edward won't tell me, but Persephone said the Volturi had had a very bad reaction to vampires with a witch bloodline. So I don't know how I can even go to Volterra for three whole days for the convocation. What if I black out? What if someone sees me asleep? I'd probably be burnt at the stake in the town square. I don't know what to do, Carlisle. I'm not worried about one thing – that Aro will be able to see this conversation, because I've found a new way to use my shield. I can separate pieces of it and wrap them around someone's brain, so that only the information they want Aro to hear will pass through it –'