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If I’d known that, I could have stayed longer with Kate instead of rushing back. But I’m not going to complain about a little free time. I walk the empty corridor to my room. My footfalls are muffled by the snow-white carpet. What could be so important that the family would disrupt their daily schedule? I stop walking and bite my lip. I know this is a bad idea. But I have a strong hunch that overrides the warning voice in my head. I have an idea where Mr. Fabrici might be right now, so I follow the corridor that leads to his study. My heart is in my mouth. If one of the staff catches me now, they’ll inform the family, and I have a pretty good idea what will happen to me then.
I advance slowly, careful not to make a sound. But it feels like my footsteps must be thundering through the building. Luckily, the corridor is empty, and I arrive unseen outside his door.
Sure enough, I hear voices.
“I was hoping for a few more days. This changes things,” I hear Mr. Fabrici say.
“Maybe she’ll fail the first test. That would make things easier for us,” says Alfredo.
“We can’t count on that,” says Ms. Fabrici. “This puts us at a clear disadvantage. We needed more time. We can’t do anything to prevent her from passing now. And you know what that means.” She sounds exasperated.
“At least we still have the thread-seer,” says Alfredo. “She’s a good trump card.”
His mother scoffs disdainfully. “She hasn’t brought us any real benefits so far.”
“What’s important is that the other families think that she’s loyal to us. They don’t know how stubborn the girl is. If the others believe she’s on our side, that puts us in a very strong position,” says Mr. Fabrici.
So all I am to them is a kind of trophy that increases their power and influence.
“Then that’s exactly what we need to demonstrate. We have no budding goddess, but we have a thread-seer. For the moment, that makes us the second most influential family. We’ll make a show of that. And who knows? Maybe the cards will be reshuffled in our favor tonight,” Alfredo suggests.
“You want to take her with us?” his mother asks doubtfully. “What reason would we give?”
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea at all,” his father agrees. “And it’s easy enough to come up with reason.”
“I’m not so sure. But if you insist,” says Ms. Fabrici.
I suspect the conversation is about to end, so I hurry to my room. I arrive with a pounding heart. The conversation I overheard is still echoing in my head. They must have been talking about Claire’s test. And apparently it’s tonight. If I understood the Fabricis correctly, they want me to go with them, to flaunt their power in front of the other Council members. They have me on their side, and if Claire fails, I become the most valuable pawn in their power games. My heart sinks when I realize the position I find myself in. One thing is clear: I won’t escape their clutches any time soon.
Chapter 11
You’re here to personally escort me to dinner?” I ask Alfredo when he shows up at my door.
He’s standing in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest, regarding me with his usual arrogance. “We’re skipping dinner tonight. An excursion has been scheduled instead. We’re going to watch a little performance at ten o’clock at hunter headquarters, and you’re coming with us.”
I raise my eyebrows and act surprised. “I didn’t know they put on shows there.”
He rolls his eyes irritably. “It’s not a theatrical performance. My mother will send up something for you to wear. We’ll leave together. Make sure you’re ready.”
“I’m not really in the mood to go out again tonight and parade myself in front of a bunch of Council members. That’s what this is about, right?”
“I couldn’t care less what you’re in the mood for.”
“Hmm, and I couldn’t care less what the other families think of your family, or me for that matter. I doubt it will improve your image when they see how little control you have over me.” I know that was a risky thing to say. But judging by what I just heard, they desperately need me. They want to illustrate their standing, and I’m in a position to quickly destroy that. It’s a rare opportunity for me to gain the upper hand.
Alfredo’s eyes widen. I can see that he’s struggling to stay calm and not yell at me. He hisses through clenched teeth, “You wouldn’t dare.”
“You want to find out?”
Silence reins for a few seconds, in which we just stare at each other. Finally, Alfredo snorts like an angry bull. “What do you want?”
“I want some free time, unsupervised. I’ll make my way to school now and meet you there later so that we can show up together for the … whatever it is. And I promise I’ll toe the line and not make a scene.”
“You want to go see your boyfriend,” Alfredo concludes. He shrugs. “If you want to squander your time, it’s fine with me. As long as you pull your head in tonight and be on your best behavior, I don’t care what you get up to in the meantime.”
“So it’s a deal?”
He nods. “The test starts at ten. So you need to be at the hall before then. We’ll meet you there.”
