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“Mr. Cunningham’s key spirit pulled you to the door with his wind power, and we got you out of there. There was a lot of luck involved.”
I can hardly believe it. That harrowing room was pure hell. But in the end, I escaped it because the ones who cared about me never gave up searching for me.
“How long was I there?”
“Eleven days,” says Ayden. “It was a long time before we found Yoru.”
I nod. Eleven days. It felt a lot longer – like I was locked in there for half a lifetime. Death. Death and emptiness. I never want to feel anything like that ever again.
“Mr. Cunningham told me what happens to a person in that place.” Ayden hugs me tighter. I can feel that he’s aching for me and struggling to keep it together. It must have been hell for him too, not knowing where I was or what had happened to me. And then finding out the truth about that room. I can’t stop thinking about it. And then finally, it all bursts out of me, and I tell him everything that happened. Starting with Frida’s memories and then my desolate prison.
“He’ll pay for this,” Ayden promises. “I won’t let him get away with it.”
At that moment, there’s a knock at the door.
“Yes?” I say.
Mr. Cunningham enters. “I’m glad to see you’re awake. How do you feel?”
“As if I died, went to hell, and was resurrected. So … relieved, but also pretty messed up.”
He nods. “That’s understandable. That room … is one of the most harrowing places in the Odyss. I’d heard stories about it, but I wasn’t sure it actually existed.”
“How did the Fabricis find it?” asks Ayden.
“I assume one of their ancestors stumbled across it and the secret was passed down through the generations. There are a few such rooms that only certain families know about.” He sighs, pulls up a chair, and sits down. “Ayden told me that Alfredo threatened you. It was clearly his intention for you to experience immense suffering.”
“He blames me for his brother’s death. He refuses to believe that I had nothing to do with it. And since the Council wouldn’t punish me for it, he took it into his own hands,” I say, staying as close to the truth as possible.
He nods slowly. “Yes, he made it very clear during your interrogation what he thought of our verdict. But don’t worry, Miss Franklin, I’ll take care of this and make sure his crime doesn’t go unpunished.” He stands up and gives me an encouraging smile. “First you need time to recover. I’ve arranged for you to stay in the infirmary for as long as necessary. Then you’ll be provided with a room in the school residence. Obviously, you can’t return to the Fabrici house, at least until this matter has been handled. I’ll send someone to fetch some of your things and bring them here.”
I can’t believe my ears. I don’t have to go back to the Fabricis?! Pure relief floods through me and a glimmer of hope. Maybe Alfredo will actually be forced to pay for what he’s done.
“You’ll hear from me soon,” Mr. Cunningham promises. He leaves the room.
I bury myself deeper in Ayden’s arms and still can’t believe that I’m allowed to stay here. That gives me more hope than I’ve felt in months.
“Alfredo can’t talk his way out of this,” Ayden promises. “Mr. Cunningham had to come find you and rescue you. And he’s definitely on your side.”
I nod and feel a pall of exhaustion descend on me. These past days were absolute torture, and the last few hours have been intense too. No wonder I’m so tired. Now that I know I’m safe, my eyelids droop.
I feel Ayden’s lips on my hair and the gentle caress of his fingers on my arm. It’s blissful … and I soon doze off.
I spend nine days in the infirmary, where I gradually recover. My physical ailments didn’t take long to heal, but that room in the Odyss affected my psyche above all. It affects me especially at night – I return there in my nightmares, and when I wake up, I can’t distinguish between the dream and reality. Each time this happens, I’m terrified that my room in the infirmary may be an illusion and in reality, I’m still in that harrowing place.
I’m back in school now and trying to find my way back to normality. But it’s not easy. So much has changed.
I look at Kate walking beside me, humming quietly to herself. She looks completely lost in thought again. When she notices me looking at her, she smiles at me and then gazes dreamily at nothing. Kate didn’t say much about my return, but at least she visited me in the infirmary. We’re now on our way to English.
“I like English class,” she says. “Books are wonderful things. A window into another world, another time, another life. How could anyone not enjoy these classes?” She smiles again. How apt. A library that likes books – who would have thought?
I can’t think of anything to say, but I don’t need to, because a figure suddenly appears at the end of the corridor and strides toward me. My heart contracts in panic and then hammers like crazy. I’m tempted to turn and run. My breathing becomes shallow and fast. I need to calm down. No, I need to get out of here. Now! What’s Alfredo doing here? He can’t be here. He just can’t …
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my upper arm. I flinch and look down. Kate’s grasping me tightly and shaking her head. “No weakness. Not in front of him. Be strong. There’s no reason to be afraid of him. Don’t give him that power over you.”
I nod slowly. I can’t let it show, or I’ll be giving him exactly what he wants. I raise my head, banish all emotion from my face, and watch him approach. I calm my breathing, stand upright and undaunted in the middle of the corridor, and wait for him to reach me.
“I figured I’d come to deliver the happy news in person.” He smiles, but his eyes are threatening. He’s not as calm as he appears on the outside. It’s a big effort for him to keep his cool.
