AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Alessa cleared her throat. “I apologize for all the secrecy, but we didn’t want to unsettle anyone.” Anyoneelse.Theywere clearly unsettled. “The Consiglio has granted me permission to try anew strategy. I’d like to get a deeper understanding of your gifts and your strengths, before we begin training—”
She stepped aside as a line of servers approached with trays of chilled lemonade and limoncello.
Josef accepted a glass, accidentally freezing it so nothing came out when he tried to take a sip.
“Excuse me,” said Saida. “How can we teach you about our gifts when you can’t touch us?”
“Ah. Well, we may have to bend a few rules.”
Saida and Kamaria exchanged looks.
Nina’s glass bulged above and below her fingers. “Sorry. Sometimes I slip up when I’m nervous.” She loosened her grasp, and the solid crystal goblet regained its shape.
“Wait.” Kaleb sounded slightly breathless. “Are you saying you’re going to use our giftsbeforechoosing a Fonte?”
“I. Um.”
“Let’s not worry about that today.” Renata came to the rescue, descending the stairs. “We’ll give you time to get acquainted first, then Fonte Tomohiro Miyamoto will be—” Renata stopped, brow furrowed. A percussion of heavy boots echoed through the tunnel.
A platoon of soldiers filed into the courtyard, led by Captain Papatonis, whose face was white as bone. “Finestra, the Watch is here to see you.”
Chills prickled up Alessa’s neck.
Soldiers carried in a stretcher with a piece of stained fabric concealing something large. As they set their burden before her, something flopped out from beneath the tarp.
A claw, twisted and underdeveloped.
It twitched.
A nearby soldier raised her bayonet and stabbed the fabric. The twitching stopped, and a trickle of midnight blue snaked out.
Captain Papatonis cleared his throat. “The esteemed Fifth Platoon is here to present the First Warning.”
Josef’s glass slipped from his hand, shattering in a spray of golden shards.
For better or worse, Alessa finally knew how long she had left.
One month.
One month to choose her Fonte.
One month until they faced a swarm of those… things.
One month, and it would all be over.
Seventeen
La morte e la sorte stanno dietro la porta.
Death and fate are behind the door.
DAYS BEFORE DIVORANDO: 28
At Renata’s subtle cough, Alessa dragged her gaze away from the creature and forced her lips to move.
“Thank you for your service and your vigilance.”
Renata was right, practicedidmake perfect. The ceremonial response had slipped out so smoothly she might have been receiving a bouquet of flowers rather than the mangled corpse of a massive, demonic insect.
