Page 70 of Tear of Destiny
“Tess,” Noah calls out as Alessandro’s leopard rears up at him. He only glances at me briefly, which is good because at that moment, Nero pounces. Noah raises his hands and smoky flames shoot out of them and envelop the key spirit. At the same time, Rain lunges at the leopard and bites into its flank.
“Noah!” echoes Frances’ piercing cry, and then I see it too. Alessandro is holding a knife, which he draws back and thrusts down at Noah. He plunges it into his shoulder, then pulls out the blade and tries to stab him again. It’s clear to all of us that this time it’ll be a lethal strike.
Frances’ bear hurls a hex at him. Alessandro flies several yards and lands near the wall.
Frances quickly goes to Noah and bends over him with tears inher eyes. “Are you okay? How badly are you hurt?”
Noah shakes his head and struggles to his feet. “It’s not that bad. I’m fine.” I can hear the contempt in his voice, and his eyes contain nothing but disappointment.
“I’m sorry,” she begins. “I never wanted this. But I had no choice. I’m doing it for my brother. He’s an ovlem.”
“What?” Noah asks incredulously. “You can’t be serious?”
“His name is Jacob. Teresa met him. He ambushed her in the Odyss when she was trying to summon the door.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. That guy, that crazy nut job who tried to kill me and Kate, is her brother?! No wonder Frances sent us away. She never had to fight him.
“I was just trying to help him. No matter what happened, I know my brother. He’s no monster. I had to help him. I’m all he has left.” She slowly lifts her head and looks us in the eyes. “I read a book about the tear of destiny and about who originally took it from the goddess. I knew it was my only chance. It could help my brother recover. I had to try. I came to this house and broke in. But unfortunately, I was caught.”
“And that’s how this wonderful collaboration came about,” Alessandro announces, obviously feeling so superior to us that he doesn’t even take the opportunity to attack. “The deal was, I supply her with dying breaths until she procures enough key spirits for me. Then she was supposed to get the tear.”
“And you believed him?!” Noah snarls at her. “What have you done? Did you leak information to him too?” He scrutinizes her and suddenly seems to come to a realization. His eyes narrow with shock as he continues. “It was you! You told him about the Noctu stationed at the hospital. That’s why that fight happened; that’s how they knew exactly who to attack.”
“No,” Frances whispers in dismay. “That’s not what happened.”
Her imploring look has no effect. Noah’s expression is cold as ice.
“I had no choice,” she continues. “I had to bring him the key spirits. He was calling all the shots.”
“You could have come to me. I would have helped you.”
“Nobody can help me,” she mutters with quiet sorrow.
“Frances,” Noah whispers, reaching his hand out to her. At that moment, something hisses through the air. Frances’ eyes widen, and she stares at Noah, speechless.
“Enough sentimentality. I don’t need you anymore, so I can eliminate you,” murmurs Alessandro, standing directly behind Frances. He draws the blade out of her back.
She opens her mouth as if to say something, but all that comes out of her throat is a gargle and a gush of blood.
“Frances,” Noah cries in horror, catching her as her legs buckle under her. He holds her in his arms, and she reaches out a trembling hand as if she wants to touch him. Her lips move, trying to form words, as if there’s something she desperately needs to say, but all she can get out are a few labored breaths.
Noah pulls her toward him protectively and tries to put pressure on the wound, and I don’t waste any more time. I turn around furiously and command Yoru to attack. A column of fire hurtles toward Alessandro, who merely raises his hand, and his spirit counters it with a storm that knocks us off our feet. I’m hurled against a chest of drawers, and Noah slides across the floor with Frances in his arms and slams into a mountain of draped furniture, which crashes down around him. He scrambles to his feet as fast as he can and carries Frances to a corner of the room where she’s safe from further attacks for the time being. In all the uproar, I don’t hear the door opening upstairs. I don’t register the footsteps either. But the voice that fights its way through the fog in my brain is loud and clear. “You bastard!”
Chapter 31
Ayden jumps down the last few steps and sets Snow onto the leopard. The snow-white wolf locks his jaws onto Nero’s left hind leg, prompting him to twist around and try to sink his teeth into his attacker. Rain takes the opportunity to hurry to Snow’s aid – something I’m sure has never been seen before. Ayden raises his hand and sends a fireball down on Alessandro, who is so taken by surprise that he doesn’t have time to dodge it. It bounces off him and crashes into a shelf. A large burn mark appears on his chest.
“Ayden,” I whisper. “What are you doing here?”
“I told you; Snow can sense when you’re fighting. But it took us a while to find you.”
He comes to me, offers me his hand, and helps me up. “Do I want to know why you’re fighting on the side of a Noctu against the son of Council members?”
“Sure, it’s always the Noctu’s fault,” Noah growls quietly. He’s on his feet now too, raising his hand to hurl a smoky black flame at Alessandro. This hits its mark too, and Noah follows it with more. It’s as if he can no longer hold back his rage, his horror at Frances’ death.
Ayden glances at me only briefly. He’s on our side, although he has no idea what’s happened. But I guess it’s enough for him to know that I’m in danger. We get into formation.
The smoke slowly recedes, but Alessandro remains lying on the floor. And then he laughs.