North Star

24. Reflecting

"So what do you think it is?" Edward asks Eleazar, sounding anxious and making me sound like I have some sort of illness.

We're back at the Denali house and standing concerned in the living room. I'm standing tense and still defensive, Nessie next to me worried about me.

Oh, no. Cristal looks so scared. Should I show her something to calm her down? I don't know if she or anyone else will let me touch her though. That wasn't Edwards' voice. It was Nessie's, but it sounded strange, as though she were speaking through an extension call. So, I'm still listening to Edward's head, but I'm also listening to everything he listens to.

Do vampires hyperventilate? Is that something we do? I'm hearing voices. It's fine that Edward is the mind reader and he can hear voices but I feel like I might go insane in about three seconds. Not only am I hearing voices, I think I'm feeling emotions, but none of them are my own. Everyone's worry, anxiety, confusion, nonchalance and frustration are flooding through me without a way to stop them.

I'm no longer defensive because I'm angry at anyone anymore, I'm defensive because I'm terrified. I feel that same annoying familiar silk on me but it is more defined, as though it were a very, very, thin cloth, almost like chiffon fabric. The only difference now is that I feel as though I were cloaked in it but from head to toe and it was flowing through and around me, across the room.

I rub my arms and the rest of my body to see if I could take it off but it only gets tinglier, thicker and tighter on me, but not heavy and not suffocating.

-Oh, dear. This seems serious. Is she alright? That was Esme's voice.

-What did the child do? Edward seems desperate to know. Tanya's voice.

-What is Cristal doing? I can't feel her emotions at all. This has never happened before with anyone. Jasper's voice.

-I don't like this. Ness needs to step away from her right now. Jacob's voice.

-Why is everyone up in her case again? She's just adjusting. You don't have to put so much pressure on her, Edward. Rose's voice.

-What is this? What is going on? Why I can't see her future? It's all blank, like Nessie and the wolves. And is Jazz alright? Why is he feeling so anxious? This isn't like him. Alice's voice. Along with her voice, it's as though I'm being shown images, like how Ness would show me but more abrupt. But the images are hazy, blurry and would disappear without finishing. I'm too confused to even try to describe what they look like and I don't understand them without context, either.

Everyone's voices are going through my head at the same time, I can see everything they are seeing and the anxiety is growing. Jasper can't seem to calm us down. Why can't he tone down the anxiety? What is happening?

I look at Eleazar, waiting for a response. He only stares at me for a few seconds. I sense him analyzing me and I do the same with him, and then I'm able to analyze everyone. Everyone with an ability in the room is a lot more noticeable than before, as though they have their abilities written on their foreheads.

I know about the ones in our coven, but then I notice Kate. Kate looks ready to pounce if anything goes awry, she's pooling with anxiety. I can practically see the aura of her electric shock on her body.

Eleazar is even easier to determine his ability, he is clearly analyzing me and my sudden "ability".

Hmm. It turns out I was right about her talent. I can't find a way to properly view her gift now, she won't let me. She doesn't seem to know how to control it. Everything is bouncing off of her, especially Jasper's ability. Eleazar's voice.