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At that moment, I hear a voice behind us. My heart does a relieved somersault. Noah’s running toward us with Rain. Theyboth look unscathed.
“Tess, everything okay?” he calls out to me. As usual, he’s only thinking of me, which makes me think maybe Frances isn’t entirely wrong. Noah has just put himself at risk to protect me. And I keep telling myself I want to finally stand on my own two feet. My heart aches, and I try desperately not to think of Ty.
I nod. “Yeah, all good,” I call out to him.
He looks relieved. When he reaches us, he leans forward with his hands on his knees. “It was no big deal. I drove it away. Nobody saw anything.”
I nod, relieved that everything turned out okay. This time. But what about next time?
Noah reaches out to me. I guess he can see that something’s not right. “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” I reply. “Today was just a lot to take in. But thank you for your help.”
Noah nods, but he looks confused and glances back and forth between me and Frances.
I step toward the portal, raise my hand in farewell and say, “Thanks again. For everything.”
I catch a glimpse of Noah frowning. “Teresa, something’s...”
The rest of his sentence is lost as I disappear through the portal and land near my mom’s house.
Chapter 23
I’m on the street for less than a minute before Yoru comes running out of a shrub and sits down beside me, looking up at me expectantly. I crouch down and stroke his head.
“It doesn’t look good, little guy. Frida wasn’t the person we thought she was. Why did she do all those terrible things?”
I recall what Mr. Brian and Charles told me. They both said that Frida had changed. That she lost herself in some sick delusion. Did it have something to do with the Noctu? Or did Frida only turn to them after she felt misunderstood by the Tempes? I can’t be sure, but it’s pointless wrecking my head over it now. I have to live with the fact that I’m related to a murderer who betrayed her own people. I start to worry again about whether this could impact my own life. Would the Tempes still trust me if they knew about Frida? Mr. Brian was anything but friendly toward me after he found out I was related to her. Would others react that way too? I think about my classmates, who are loyal Tempes. They wouldn’t welcome the descendent of a traitor in their midst, surely.
I sigh and head back to school with Yoru. I barely register my surroundings. I’m far too busy trying to process everythingthat happened today. Noah was forced to fight for me. Because of me, one of the fallen found its way into an area where they normally don’t venture. What if some did notice? Until now it seemed unlikely despite everything that anyone would learn of our friendship. But now I realize it’s not just about that. Noah will always try to protect me, like today when he fought for me. And that’s exactly the position I never want to put anyone in again. I swore it to myself after Ty’s death. Was Frances right, then, when she said I’m just a burden to Noah? I bite my lip, unsure what to do or think. I feel so overwhelmed, but I don’t know if I can talk to anyone about all of this. And if so, who?
Kate pops into my head. As soon as I arrive at school, I make my way to her room. I’m passing the corridor that leads to the hunter wing when someone calls my name.
“Tess?”
I turn to see Ayden walking toward me.
“Are you okay? You look wrecked.”
I really don’t want him to see me in this overwrought state – and his presence doesn’t exactly make me calmer.
“I... I was just...” I wave dismissively. “I’m fine, honestly. I was just going to see Kate.”
His eyes widen, and I can see the concern in them. “It’s almost midnight. I’m still up because I was out on patrol and just got back.”
“Oh,” I say lamely. “Then Kate’s probably sleeping.”
I know I must sound loopy. But my head is a chaotic mess right now. I just don’t know what to do. I really wish I could talk to Kate. She would at least have something to say about the whole thing.
“Teresa, what happened?” Ayden asks, slowly walking toward me. I can make out the vibrant green of his eyes even in the dimly lit corridor. They’re so radiant, and I love it when they look at me like that.
But I shake my head. “It’s okay. It’s... it’s nothing.”
Ayden frowns. It’s obvious to him that I’m lying.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk to me. I can understand after everything that’s happened between us if you can’t trust me. But if you need help, I’m here for you.”
In his eyes, those incredibly beautiful eyes, I see a look of pure tenderness. It feels as if they’re caressing my face and teasing out something that I’m desperately trying to keep locked away. I hold my breath, feeling the tension, all the thoughts and emotions trying to break through the surface. I have to get out of here! I can’t do this anymore. But Ayden is already beside me, tentatively reaching for my hand. I don’t resist; I let his fingers close around mine. It happens so slowly, so carefully, as if he wants to be sure that every millimeter is okay for me.
