Page 28 of Tear of Destiny
“I still can’t believe it,” Kate mutters to me. “You really think my premonition was about you running into Alessandro?”
I nod slowly. “It fits.”
She rubs her tired face. “I don’t get it. I can’t even remember saying the words. How can that be? Why am I suddenly making these obscure predictions?”
I get that this development is scary for her. Especially as she seems to have no control over it.
“Maybe you can learn to control your ability. And hopefully I can too. Right now, I feel totally at the mercy of my gift.”
“I know what you mean,” Kate sighs. “Let’s talk about something else. We need to decide what to do about Two Trees. There must be something about that place.”
“Maybe we should go back to Frida’s secret room. We might find some clue there.”
Kate nods. “Let’s go after classes today.”
Afternoon training was pretty tiring, and some of Yoru’s attacks didn’t go as planned. But that was mostly because my mind was elsewhere. I’m so preoccupied right now, and I wish I could solve at least some of my problems.
“Want to come to my room?” I ask Kate in the locker room.
“Sure. I’ll go get changed and then meet you there.”
I say goodbye and head to my room. When I turn into my corridor, I see someone standing outside Ayden’s room, knocking on his door.
“Ayden? Open up,” Vicky demands, banging on the door again, this time much harder. “Ayden, are you there?” She waits a moment and seems to be listening for noises in his room, but apparently, she hears nothing. “Ayden, please!” She sounds desperate.
I keep walking and try not to pay any attention to the scene, but I wonder what’s happened between Ayden and Vicky to make him avoid her.
She turns to me and flashes me her usual angry look. “He’s giving me the cold shoulder now. I hope you’re happy.”
I briefly consider just opening my door and leaving her standing there, but in the end, I can’t keep my mouth shut.
“I don’t know why you think it has anything to do with me. In case you forgot, I tried to bury the hatchet with you. I told you I have nothing against your friendship with him. I know how much he means to you. And you to him. Whatever’s going on between you two, it has nothing to do with me.”
Vicky looks at me with an icy glare as sharp as a blade. But to my surprise, her voice doesn’t sound cold and condescending like it usually does. More sad and disappointed.
“Since he broke up with you, he’s been really withdrawn. He does his duties, and he’s always punctual and available when it comes to hunter stuff. But he’s changed. I never imagined that we could become so distant.”
I can hear how much this bothers her and that she doesn’t know the reason. She can’t understand how it’s come to this. But she’s talking to the wrong person because I have no answers for her.
And then I hear myself say, “He cares about you. He’s probably just got a lot on his mind right now, but I’m sure he’ll come around. He’d never ditch you. You’re way too important to him. He just needs time.”
I don’t really know what makes me say all this, but I know exactly how she’s feeling right now.
Vicky stares at me. I’m not entirely sure how to interpret her expression. Is that gratitude? Doubt? Anyway, she nods slowly, turns around, and disappears down the corridor without another word.
When I let Kate in, she looks a little tense, her eyes dart restlessly, and she fidgets with the hem of her sweater. “I hope we make some progress this time.”
“Let’s just try it,” I reply, taking the paintings out from under my bed.
As soon as I’ve lined them up, the footprints begin to move. I grab Kate’s hand and prepare to be pulled into the painting. Kate cries out as we fall, and then we’re in my great aunt’s room. It takes Kate a moment to get over the shock. Then she slowly approaches the display wall, and her eyes wander over it.
“I still find this all so impressive.”
“Yeah, and kind of crazy,” I remark. “I’ve looked at it so many times now, and I still can’t really make sense of it.” I point to a memo with the words ‘goddesses of destiny’ written on it. “Judging by the photos and notes, it looks as if Frida continued searching for goddesses in secret during her time as school secretary. I wonder if she ever found any.” I shrug.
Kate inspects everything closely, reading through the articles. “A lot of time went into this. It must have been really importantto her.”
I nod and survey Frida’s efforts. I’ve looked at most of it multiple times and still have no answers. I stop on the article about Two Trees. I read it line by line, word by word, but I don’t understand why this place was significant to her. What was Charles trying to tell me? I inspect the photo inset again, and my heart skips a beat. A hallway with vases standing on chests of drawers and a painting of a beach on the wall. I slowly reach out and touch the newspaper clipping.