Seth's Girl

Chapter Twenty Three ~Aleena~

When Seth had gone, I put the dishes in the sink and went back to Renesmee's room. There was an outfit laying on the bed, with a note pinned to it.

The note read:

Aleena,

This is for you. I would like for you to wear this when you come up to the house…if you come back to the house. Anyways, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask or look for it.

Love you,

Alice

I laughed after I read it. I looked at the outfit and gasped. No way I was going to wear that. But, I didn't want to hurt Alice's feelings, so I decided to modify it a little bit; add my own style to it.

*

When I finally found my way back to the Cullens' house, I could see Alice in the window, looking for me. I waved when she saw me, and she ran out of the house.

"You wore it!" she exclaimed after she hugged me.

I shrugged. "I changed it a little bit…"

"Oh, that doesn't matter! Actually, it makes it better." She shook her head. "Come on!" she grabbed my hand and dragged me inside.

When we got inside, I slipped my hand out of Alice's grip and slid to a stop. There were a lot more vampires in the house than there were yesterday.

A dark-haired man with a slight olive tone to his pale skin, whom I assumed to be the leader of the new coven, stepped forward. I scanned his thoughts; his name was Eleazer. He was about to say something when a strawberry-blonde clucked her tongue, shaking her head.

"Edward, what have you done this time?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip. She was Tanya, the actual leader of the coven; she used to love Edward. I stifled a laugh at that.

Edward looked at me.

"Tell you later." I smirked.

He smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Aleena," he said. "This is Carmen and Eleazer; Tanya, Kate and Garrett." He looked at Garrett. "You've taken to this new lifestyle well, Garrett. I'm glad."

Garrett grinned. "I'll do anything for my woman."

Kate laughed and said, "I have a name, Garrett."

He looked at her, his eyes full of love. "I know." He paused, then said, "Kate." Then he kissed her.

I could tell they wanted to go further, so I cleared my throat, breaking them apart.

I looked at Alice and Edward, waiting.

"So, why exactly are we here?" Carmen asked. I could detect a slight accent; I just didn't know what kind. "We know the Volturi are coming again, but after that…Nada."

"The Volturi are coming because of me." I said. They all looked at me.

"¿Por qué?" Carmen asked. "Why?" she clarified when she saw my expression.

"Edward, let Aleena show them." Alice said, cutting him off.

"Show?" Kate asked.

She nodded. Looking at me, she said, "Show them this." She flashed a few images in her mind.

I nodded and took a deep breath. I turned to Edward. "Who should I show first?" I whispered.

Tanya laughed. "I'll go." She sauntered forward with a smirk on her face.

Slowly, I grabbed her wrist. She gasped and jumped back.

"Edward!" she hissed.

I rolled my eyes, reading her thoughts. "It's not what you think." I said. "Now, could you come back? I wasn't done."

Before I touched her wrist again, Eleazer spoke, watching me while he did.

"Edward, I can't get a read on her. Is she some kind of…shield like Bella?"

"We're not exactly sure." Edward replied.

"What?" They all glanced at me before looking back at Edward, then Alice when she spoke up.

"She has somehow taken our gifts." Alice said. "She didn't mean to; it just happened." She came over and held my arm just above my elbow. "Please, don't judge her."

It was silent until Carmen laughed.

"¿Por qué?" she said. "Why would we judge? Your family surprises us all the time."

Everyone laughed, and the tension left the room.

"Now, Aleena." Tanya said. "Would you finish showing me?" she held out her wrist. I smiled tentatively and took it again.

"Amazing." She said when I was done. "Carmen, come." When Carmen stood beside her, she said to me, "Show her, please."

Carmen gasped when I began showing her. Eleazer stepped forward. "Mi querida, what is it?"

She held her hand up for him to wait, her unseeing eyes focused on me.

After I was finished, she stepped back and smiled.

"It's true." She told Eleazer. "She has somehow acquired the gifts of Alice, Bella, Edward, Jasper, and Renesmee. Though…how she did remains a mystery."

"We have an…idea about how she did, just not why." Edward said.

"You do?" I asked.

He nodded, and Alice said, "We've each touched you at least once. Renesmee did when she showed you her gift and when she held you so Edward and Bella could get Seth out of the car; Edward and Bella pulled you out of the car; I touched your arm yesterday when you yelled; and I told Jasper to touch you."

I blinked in realization. "So that's why you told him to touch me."

She nodded. "But, we don't think it works if you touch the person. We can't test it; you've already got our gifts."

"I'll try." Kate said.

"Kate!" Tanya said.

"What?" she shrugged. "It's not like I need my gift, Tanya. What am I going to use it for?"

"No," Eleazer said. "I'll do it."

"Eleazer!" Carmen said shrilly.

"Carmen, it's okay. I'm sure we'll find a way to get everyone their gifts back. Besides I'd like to know what it's like to live without a gift, if only for a little while."

With a sad look in her eyes, she nodded.

Eleazer walked forward. Slowly, he moved his hand until it was inches away from my arm. Then, I reached out and touched his arm.