Page 3 of A Goddess Awakens
“Then whose key is this?”
Ayden shrugs. “That’s what I’m wondering. You found it in Frida’s house. It revealed itself to you and led you to the Odyss and to Yoru. The key chose you. There’s no question that you’re its rightful owner. But I want to know where Frida got it from.”
“She must have taken it from someone,” says Kate, glancing at me apologetically.
I know what this means. Frida must have killed its owner. Knowing that she defected to the Noctu at some point, that’s not too far-fetched. So I have the key of a person she most likely murdered. Not a nice thought.
Ayden senses my emotional turmoil and comes to me. He pulls me into an embrace and strokes my hair. His touch, his scent, and his warmth envelop me and dispel some of the chill and the horror.
“We’ll figure it out,” he says. “But first, I’ll deal with Mr. Brian, and then I’ll try to find out how the Council plans to respond to his disappearance. It won’t be long before he’s missed.” He kisses my temple and squeezes me tighter. “I’m always here for you,” he promises. “We’ll get through this.”
Before ringing the Fabricis’ doorbell, I take a deep breath. I still have no house key of my own and have to ring the bell every time I arrive, as if I’m a visitor, a stranger. And that’s how I feel. This will never feel like home, and the Fabricis are doing everything in their power to reinforce that. To them, I’m just a means to an end.
I try to clear my mind of everything that’s been plaguing me. I can’t let them see how agitated I am. But I can’t help thinking of Ayden. He’s probably in the Odyss by now. I didn’t want him to have to take on that odious task, and I keep wondering whether it’s the right course of action. But what choice do we have? It’s true – if we told the Council about Mr. Brian’s attack and how he died, there would inevitably be an investigation.
I slowly exhale, paste on a neutral expression, and step into the hallway. I consider disappearing into my room, but the decision is made for me. The man who opened the door for me in a dark suit with buttoned-up collar says in a stilted voice, “You’re expected. Please follow me.”
He doesn’t wait for a reply, but briskly leads the way without a backward glance. We reach one of the living rooms. He opens the door for me, and I enter. Ms. Fabrici is sitting on the cream-colored sofa. She’s wearing a simple but elegant black dress. Alfredo is standing beside her, regarding me with a sour expression. His mother says nothing at first and doesn’t look at me for a few seconds, which I assume is supposed to increase my sense of unease. Honestly, the sight of her is enough to make my mood plummet.
“You’re very late,” is all she says.
“My friend Kate was unwell. She was discharged from the infirmary today, and I wanted to look in on her.”
“Is that why you skipped your classes?”
Of course she knows. Apparently, the school keeps her thoroughly updated. I hate to think what else gets reported to her.
I nod slowly. “I didn’t want her to be alone. She really wasn’t feeling well.”
“In what way did your presence do anything to help your friend’s malaise?” She turns to face me and gives me a piercing look. “I heard that she discharged herself. Very unwise, as I’m sure any clear-thinking individual would agree. But if that’s her choice, then she should live with her decision and doesn’t need to be mollycoddled by you.”
I swallow back the sharp comment on the tip of my tongue and try to remain calm. There’s no use in expressing my anger – it only makes things worse.
“I just wanted to be there for her,” I say.
“This just goes to show once again how much you have to learn,” says Alfredo. “Especially with regard to your priorities. You have a lot of catching up to do, and you really can’t afford to miss classes or training sessions.” He folds his arms across his chest and can’t resist an arrogant smirk.
“I suppose you want to catch up on my missed training session now?”
It comes as no surprise. He was probably hoping to provoke more of a reaction from me.
“It’s the least you can do to make up for things, wouldn’t you agree?” he hisses.
I shrug. “If that’s how you want to spend your valuable time.”
“It saddens me that you continue to be so ungrateful. Alfredo has taken time out from his studies for you. He sees it as his duty to support you so that one day you’re in a position to support the Council with your gift.”
Or support the Fabrici family to increase their fame and power, I’m tempted to say. Luckily, I manage to keep my mouth shut.
“She’ll learn to be grateful,” Alfredo whispers in a menacing tone that gives me goosebumps. “Go get changed and meet me in the training room.”
I turn around without another word and go to my room to change into my training gear. I pull on my t-shirt and keep reminding myself that I’ve learned a few things by now, and I’m not totally helpless. During the fight with Mr. Brian, I succeeded in merging with Yoru. If I can buy myself a little time, I figure I can do it again. And seeing the look on Alfredo’s face when I do will be so gratifying.
The dim lighting in the training room is murky and doesn’t even reach in the corners of the room. But maybe those dark corners are what can buy me the time I need. My eyes wander around the room, and a plan gradually takes shape in my mind. It’s definitely worth a try!
Alfredo looks at me expectantly. He seems to guess what I’m thinking, but he figures I still pose no danger to him. His caiman puffs itself up, its tongue flicking out of its mouth and its short legs shuffling impatiently on the spot.
I glance at Yoru. He seems focused and looks up at me expectantly. I send him some odeon and give him the silent command to attack. We have no time to lose.