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“Well, that’s it I guess,” grumbles Alfredo. “Unbelievable! She didn’t even stumble over it.” He clenches his fists, struggling to contain himself. “Damn it! This makes everything so much more complicated.”
“Pull yourself together!” his mother reprimands him. “Do you want everyone here to know what you’re thinking? Have some decorum.”
He forces his features to relax, with visible effort. He slowly leans back in his seat and tries to look unperturbed.
A peculiar murmur sweeps across the room. Everyone seems to be in a discussion with their neighbor about the test and Claire’s performance. The experience left an impression on me too because although I know you can’t tell a goddess by the way she looks, it’s hard for me see Claire as anything but a young woman. But now we have proof that there’s a lot more to her and that her family’s hopes and dreams likely won’t be thwarted.
A few more minutes pass, and then the door opens again, and the Council members return. Their faces look satisfied and relaxed. Even Mr. Fabrici has a smile on his face, but it’s only a façade. They briefly confer with Mr. Jameson, then return to their seats.
Claire is called back into the room and goes to stand beside the table.
“After a thorough examination, the Council has confirmed that Miss Cunningham has successfully completed the first test. We congratulate her from the bottom of our hearts and hope that she’ll master the subsequent tasks with as much ease as this one.”
He extends his hand, and Claire shakes it and smiles. She gazes out at the people in the audience, who give her a standing ovation. I stand up too and applaud.
Chapter 13
It must be weird. Only yesterday, Claire reached a decisive milestone in her life, and the next day there’s hardly anyone she can share it with. The students know nothing about the goddesses of destiny, so Claire can’t discuss it with anyone or share her success. Not with the majority of students anyway. Of course, there is one who seems to have received a detailed account.
I saw Ayden and Claire briefly on my way to my first class. All he could do was shoot me a quick glance and an encouraging smile, which I received with a pang of longing. And now, on my way to the next class, I see her at his side again, regaling him in minute detail.
“I was genuinely worried that I might not be able to read the text. I’ve never clapped eyes on a text written in the goddesses’ language. And believe me, my family did everything in their power to get their hands on one – in vain. So I was nervous about whether I could actually do it. But when I finally had the book in front of me, it was like I was reading the text in English. For a moment, I even thought they had given me the wrong document.” She laughs and glances sideways at me. “The Fabricis didn’t look too pleased that I passed.”
I shrug. “When are the Fabricis ever in a good mood?”
“They need to get over their petty jealousies. It’s basically in everyone’s interests for me to pass these tests. Then the Council has a goddess on its side. But I can kind of understand their disappointment. It means they put all that effort into you for nothing.”
“They shouldn’t pin their hopes on me. I have no intention of getting mixed up in their little game.”
She raises her eyebrows in surprise. “You’re already mixed up in it, surely you realize that? I mean, you live with the Fabricis; they’re training you. It won’t be easy to extract yourself. Unless you keep failing to get your powers under control.”
“Let’s talk about something else,” Ayden chimes in, tenderly caressing her cheek. “You should just focus on yourself and forget about what other people are doing.”
“Don’t worry,” she replies with a satisfied smile. “I won’t disappoint my family. They were so proud of me and full of praise. They’re even throwing a party to celebrate my success. Unfortunately, there aren’t many young people I can invite who know about the goddesses. But you’re coming tonight, right? There’ll be loads of Council members there and my family.”
He basically has a gun to his head. There’s no way he can refuse if there are going to be Council members there.
“Tess, obviously you’re invited too, and you can bring your friend. I heard that she’s in the loop too. Then at least there’ll be a few people my age.”
I’m genuinely surprised at this suggestion. “I’ll have to ask Kate and get permission from the Fabricis. They don’t like it when I miss training.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll agree to let you come. I mean, you’ll be coming to my grandfather’s house – their arch nemesis. And who knows, maybe you’ll pick up some valuable information that you can pass on to them?” she adds with a wink.
“I won’t be coming as a spy,” I retort, which makes Claire laugh.
“I doubt you’d make a very good one anyway. But all jokes aside, I hope you can come. It’ll be a fun night.” She hooks her arm through Ayden’s. “Should we be making our way to class?”
He shoots me an apologetic look. “Yeah. I’ll see you later, Tess.”
I nod and watch him go with a heavy heart. I take out my phone to distract myself. Still no message. I’m really starting worry about Noah. I haven’t heard from him since I told him about the soul link, and when I think about how badly that conversation went … I decide to try calling him, but again I just get his voicemail. I leave a message and think about what to do if the radio silence continues. I’m aware of how limited my options are. But I can’t just sit around and wait.
Lost in thought, I enter the classroom, where Kate is already seated at her desk.
“Hey, you’ll never guess what. We’re going to a party tonight,” I say, putting down my bag and flopping into the seat beside her.
Kate stops doodling on her note pad, puts down her pen, and rolls her eyes. “Claire passed the test, am I right?”
I nod. “Her grandfather’s throwing a party for her at his house.”
