North Star

22. New Clues

Everyone stands to stare at me but my entire focus is on the direction that Gabriel ran off in just now.

"Cristal, are you alright?" I hear Esme ask from behind me.

"I think so?" I answer without comprehending what I'm answering. I don't turn around to look at her, or anyone, either; I can't stop looking into the forest. The silent footsteps of everyone from inside indicates that everyone is here, all but Ness, Nahuel and the wolves. I'm aware of everything, and yet none of it matters as I continue to stare into the forest, subtly smelling the last traces of his scent.

It's not possible, but I saw something in his eyes and I can't stop thinking about it anymore. I was with him, and I was happy, we were happy. An image of us in a an old house, laying in each other's arms popped into my head, as though it were a long lost memory, it was like I remembered doing this but I don't remember ever doing this. Is this a vision? Is this a way the universe is saying that I found my other half through a vision?

The thing that pulls me out of my weird trance is my face in the dirt and an excruciating shock on my shoulder that leaves me roaring at the top of my lungs, which is pretty loud; I think I felt the ground rumble. I beg for an end to it.

"Kate! Enough!" I hear Rose holler in worry from behind me. The shock goes away and the silk clumps back into folds on my skin. I'm so confused and gasping for air that I didn't know I needed it at all.

"What happened?" I ask, dazed. I see that Emmett is the one holding me down when I lift my head to see around me and behind. He loosens his grip and I slowly roll onto my back and stiffly get up, feeling drained from the pain and whatever trance that I was just in.

"You mean, you don't remember?" Carlisle asks. I shake my head, trying to comprehend everyone's worried stares as I dust the dirt off of my clothes. Everyone from inside has come outside to check up on us but they clearly weren't expecting to see this scene.

"The only thing I remember is a sort of vision, perhaps? But it felt like a memory. I remember him but I don't really remember him. I was with him and-" I don't continue with it because it would be too embarrassing to reveal my emotions. Although, I'm sure Edward and Jasper can hear and feel exactly what I'm feeling and seeing in my head.

"Fascinating. A sort of mind manipulation. I was able to sense something as soon as we heard his voice for the first time," Eleazar says, a little surprised but there is worry all over his face as he looks at me.

"His gift is mind manipulation? Is that even possible?" Bella asks.

"It is very possible and it just happened," Edward answers his wife, his voice angry. But he is clearly angry about something else entirely.

I could tell because of the face he gives me; a sort of face you would give them if you found a secret and you're not sure you should reveal it or not. I know because I've seen it many times on Carlisle's face whenever he is in the room, which is why Alice and Edward would kick me out to avoid him and them. Except, Edward's face looked worse and then it jumped back to fury as he looked in the direction Gabriel ran.

"Wait, so what I saw wasn't real? He manipulated a false memory into my head?"

"The vision was not real. It's quite a complicated but extraordinary gift, mind manipulation, almost similar to Zafrina's but not. With Zafrina she can manipulate the mind to make you see what she wants you to see and hear but that is it. With him, he manipulates the mind more powerfully; thoughts and memories. The one thing that I can't entirely put my finger on is how you were able to snap out of it and believe that it's not a real memory the way he probably wanted you to believe. From what I could tell, his gift is quite powerful and isn't something that can be altered; only he can put it on and take it off," Eleazar continues to comment.