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“Oh, okay. Then you should go. You don’t want to invite trouble. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kate raises her hand in farewell.
I actually have to hurry if I don’t want to be late getting back to the Fabrici house. As I near the main entrance and dash for the door, I hear voices that make me pause. I turn around in surprise and see Ayden with Claire and Vicky. What’s he doing here with them?
Claire’s talking Ayden’s ear off. As they get closer, I can make out what she’s saying.
“I should have told you, and I’m really sorry. I just didn’t know how else to deal with the situation.”
“It’s okay,” he says, obviously struggling to remain calm.
“No one in my family knows that I knew about it. And believe me, I really didn’t want to hurt you. I’m so sorry about how it all went down.”
“You should have told me, not Tess,” he says in a ruder tone, which makes her flinch. But then he makes an effort to speak more softly and puts his hand on her shoulder. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” The charming smile on his lips is bewitching. But I know that he feels very different on the inside and that he probably had a few more sharp words for her.
“I get why you’re angry at me,” she says with a magnanimous smile. “It must have looked like I was trying to screw with you guys.”
Which was definitely not the case, I think but don’t say.
“I was just in a bad mood yesterday,” Claire continues. “I know it wasn’t fair to take it out on Tess. I had a call with my parents. It was about the first test, which is happening in a few days. They kept lecturing me and telling me everything I’m not allowed to do, and how I need to behave, and what to say to the Council. My grandfather hasn’t called. It’s like he doesn’t even care about me. But he’ll drop everything for Teresa.” She suddenly seems to notice that she’s worked herself into a frenzy. “Anyway, like I said, I shouldn’t have done that.”
I can tell by Ayden’s body language how angry he is and how much effort it takes for him to keep his composure.
“Well, regardless of what’s going on between you and your grandfather, and however unfairly you feel your parents are treating you, you need to leave Tess out of it. She almost got expelled.”
“But in the end, she didn’t. Your threat to leave with her seemed to have the desired effect. And don’t forget that my grandfather put in a good word for her too.”
Vicky, who’s been following the conversation without comment, now she chimes in. She puts her hand on Ayden’s shoulder and says, “At least now you know the truth, and they can’t keep lying to you anymore.”
“Some consolation,” he growls softly.
When he turns to face forward and starts walking again, he sees me. It takes a moment, but then his face relaxes, and his eyes radiate this warmth that instantly steals my heart. I know that we’re supposed to stay away from each other when Claire’s around, but right now I can’t help myself. I walk purposefully toward him. A smile flashes across his face as his eyes wander over my face with affection and longing. That hungry look has its effect on me, and I instinctively gaze at his lips and wish I could kiss them.
“How are you doing?” I ask, to distract myself.
He shrugs. “I had a long conversation with my father. He kept apologizing. In the end, he sounded pretty remorseful. He said if there was any other way, he wouldn’t have done it.”
Sounds like a pretty feeble apology to me, after lying to his adopted son for years, manipulating him, and risking his health with the soul link.
“And what was the outcome?”
“They’re not going to expel you. Mr. Cunningham and I made sure of that. And I won’t be taking part in the trials anymore. I made that crystal clear to my father. He reluctantly accepted it. The most important thing for him is for us to re-establish a foundation of trust again – his words not mine. He knows he’s screwed things up between us.”
The way Ayden’s talking makes it sound like he’s starting to get over the betrayal, but his expression says something else entirely.
“And your dad spoke up for Tess with the Council,” says Vicky. “Without his input, she could have faced serious consequences. Sure, what happened wasn’t okay, but maybe you guys can find a way back to each other.”
Ayden shrugs. “First I need to figure out how I’m going to deal with the whole situation. There’s no way I’ll ever trust the Council or my father again.”
“It’s always best to be on guard with everyone,” says Claire. “The only person you can really trust is yourself.”
“What a wonderfully health attitude,” Vicky remarks sarcastically.
Claire continues undeterred. “I’ll have no one to help me through my test. I learned from a young age that I’m solely responsible for myself. And soon I get to prove that all that energy and trust my family invested in me wasn’t wasted. I honestly can’t wait.”
“You’re looking forward to the test?” I ask incredulously.
I vividly recall how I felt before my destiny test. That was a different kind of test, but there was still a lot riding on the result for me.
“I’ve been preparing for this day for years. And now I finally get to prove what I’m made of. And I’m ready, so I’m glad that it’s finally about to happen.”
