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“The whole thing with the soul link really messed with his head.” I run my fingers over Ayden’s naked chest. “It was hard on you too, I know. Your relationship with your adoptive father will never be the same, and it shattered your trust in the Council.”
He says nothing, but his pained expression is answer enough. He leans forward and seals my lips with his. It does me good, and for a moment, I’m able to forget everything else.
Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice remaining in this world instead of leaving. But I would have lost so much. Just the thought of losing Yoru – no, I could never give him up.
My phone beeps. It’s the alarm I set so that I wouldn’t have to constantly check the time.
I kiss Ayden again and reluctantly disentangle myself from him. “I have to go.”
He nods slowly and runs his fingers through my hair again.
I slip back into my clothes. “Will you be there again tonight?”
He nods. “I’ll be stationed in front of the building.”
A lot of effort is going into making sure the test runs smoothly. I guess that makes sense, given how important it is to the Council to finally have a goddess in their midst and what it means for the Cunningham family.
“Do you think Claire will make it?”
Tonight she’ll face her final test. And that will show once and for all whether there truly is a goddess slumbering inside her. But even passing the test is no guarantee that she’ll be able to withstand the transformation that seems inevitable once her powers full awaken. I really couldn’t say what Claire’s chances are. She’s strong, and she’s been preparing for this moment since she was a small child. But can she hold out against her goddess nature?
“She has to,” says Ayden. He turns toward me with a pensive expression.
I frown. “Do you know something?”
He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, which makes him look pretty sexy – even though I know this is really not an appropriate moment for thoughts like that.
“Nothing concrete. Only that it’s going to be really dangerous this time.”
I’m sure she knows that too. Will she be better at hiding her nervousness this time?
I put on my sweater and give Ayden a kiss. “See you after the test?”
He nods, takes my hand, and pulls me back toward him. I really don’t want to go, but I have to if I want to finally rid myself of the Fabricis. So I make my way to my room. It’s only one corridor away from Ayden’s, but it was disappointing not to get my old room back.
When I get there, I see a man standing outside my door. He’s holding a garment bag, which I guess contains my wardrobe for this evening.
“I’m supposed to give you this,” he says, handing it to me. “And remind you not to be late.”
I roll my eyes. Even now, they can’t resist an opportunity to assert their dominance.
“You’ll be free of them soon. You’ll be free of them soon,” I mutter to myself as I unlock my door. I lay the bag on my bed and open it. The dress is black, knee-length, pretty, with a high leg slit. The fabric glitters in the light as if it has thousands of tiny diamonds sewn onto it.
I peel off my clothes and slip into the dress. Then I apply a little makeup and pin up my hair, although I really have no talent for it. Still, by my standards, it looks decent. I check myself out in the mirror one last time before making my way to the hunter wing.
Having to meet with the Fabricis again and tolerate their company is not going to be easy for me. But I guess Alfredo’s mother will have to try a little harder tonight to disguise her hatred for me. Because that’s what this is all about: showing unity in public.
I cross the walkway connecting the school to the hunter wing and feel the tension rising. How must Claire be feeling? She probably can’t wait for the test to start and finally confirm her as a miraya.
As I turn to go downstairs, I glance into the corridor to my right. I stop in surprise. A young woman is standing at the end, looking through an open window. She’s wearing tight black leather pants, a white shirt, and a vest. Her hair is tied back. Even from behind, I instantly recognize her.
I approach her slowly. It takes her a while to hear my footsteps. Claire turns around in fright. For a moment, I see the fear in her face, but it’s quickly replaced by the façade that she so skillfully maintains.
“What are you doing here?” she asks.
“I was about to ask you that,” I reply. “Shouldn’t you be down there waiting for the test to start?”
“It’s being held outside today.” He voice now sounds very distant, almost mechanical. “I was on my way down and just stopped for a moment.”
