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That last part makes me a little suspicious. “Oh yeah? Why? Is he some kind of hero?” I ask sardonically.
“He’d like to think so,” Ayden says wryly. “No, Charles is all good. He’s really gregarious, always telling some entertaining anecdote. You’ll see what I mean when you meet him.”
“Do you know if he and my great aunt went on hunterdeployments together?” I probe.
Ayden shakes his head. “I can’t say.”
I nod. Of course not. Hunter affairs are no business of the students.
Suddenly, Ayden’s hand is on my cheek. He lifts my chin, forcing me to look at him. His fingers briefly caress my skin, and his gaze is so intense, so mesmerizing, that for a moment I forget to breathe. Then, he quickly withdraws his hand – as if he’s burned himself.
“Sorry,” he mumbles.
I just nod. We have to stop having these intimate moments. I know that. It’s what I want. But still, it feels as if I’ve lost something precious, something I need to keep me alive. When will that feeling go away? When will my heart stop yearning for him and imagining a future that will never happen? I’ve made my decision, and I know it’s the right one.
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I just don’t know the answer to your question,” he says, interrupting my thought process. “When I joined the hunters, Frida had already left. I never heard anything about her, so I can’t say if she and Charles knew each other.”
His reply reassures me a little, and I believe him. “Thanks,” I say, and I mean it. Our eyes meet again briefly. His eyes are so familiar to me – I seem to know every nuance of that green, and I’ve committed to memory. And that memory needs to stay locked away deep inside me.
“I can let you know if I see him,” Ayden offers, and I nod gratefully.
Now that I have my answer, I want to get away from him. It’s as if being close to him sucks away the air that I need to breathe. I don’t know where my head is at, and I just want to get out of his room.
“Thanks again,” I say and head for the door.
Ayden follows me. “See you around.” It sounds so casual, so normal and at the same time so bland, as if there were never anything between us. But that’s how we both need to be if we want to move on.
I don’t dare glance back over my shoulder. I just make a beeline for my room and unlock the door. It takes a certain effort to simply step inside and close the door behind me, but it’s for the best. He’s just someone I know – a classmate, nothing more.
Chapter 2
You need to command him more firmly,” Mr. Laydon stresses, looking at Gray, who’s lying on the floor beside Kate and doesn’t seem to be paying much attention to the conversation. “Don’t be too lenient with him. Gray is an experienced fighter, which is essentially a big advantage. But you also need to show him that you have leadership qualities and are in no way inferior to his former master.”
I can tell from Kate’s posture that she’s taking his words to heart. She wants to be a good partner to Gray. Especially since he was Ty’s key spirit. It’s a big responsibility, and she doesn’t want to disappoint him or herself. But I know how hard it is to find the odeon within yourself.
“At the moment, you don’t seem to have a great deal of odeon in you,” Ms. Rupert chimes in. “That may change. But if it doesn’t, you’ll need to compensate for the lack of power with good sense. Think very carefully about each step and don’t waste any energy.”
Kate nods and fidgets with her shirt, clearly embarrassed. “I’ll do my best.”
“OK, try again,” Ms. Rupert urges her with a clap of her hands.
Kate takes a deep breath and closes her eyes as if searching within herself. Seconds pass, and nothing happens.
Mr. Laydon folds his arms and says, “Go deeper inside yourself, concentrate.”
I roll my eyes. I can’t stand by and watch this any longer, so I say to them, “Maybe Kate could use some help from another student. You remember how much that helped me,” I lie in a syrupy voice. “If you think it’s a good idea, I could give her a few tips. I mean, I was in the exact same situation not long ago.” The teachers don’t look convinced, so I add, “You’ve already given her some good pointers and suggestions. Maybe we should try to put them into practice now?”
It’s hard for me to sound convincing because their suggestions didn’t help me at all in the beginning. They just made me feel incompetent. At the time, they ignored my objections, but thanks to Ayden, I’ve since learned how to deal with the two coaches.
And sure enough, Mr. Laydon nods. “Fine. If you have any problems, come to me.”
They leave us alone and turn their attention to another student. Kate breathes a sigh of relief, and I put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
“We’ll get there, don’t worry. It was exactly the same for me at the start.”
Kate sighs again and shrugs her shoulders in resignation. “I have absolutely no idea how to find this odeon inside me. I’m worried that this power is too weak in me, and I’ll never be able to use it.” She looks sadly at Gray, who immediately comes up to her and nuzzles her leg.
“You two didn’t find each other for no reason,” I say. “It’s not easy at the start; I know. But I’ll help you. And I have no doubt that you can do this. You’re much stronger than you think.”
