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Chapter 1
I’ll never see him again. Those are the words that keep going through my head. It’s over. I’ve lost him – irretrievably. This knowledge tears me apart, and I can’t think clearly.
I’ve been sitting in the hunters’ infirmary for hours, staring at the fluorescent tubes on the ceiling and jumping every time a doctor hurries past me. One of them will soon bring me the news and make my fears a reality.
Noah couldn’t come with me, of course. But he opened a door to the Odyss and propped Ayden up while I searched for a way to get us as close as possible to the school. Kate just stood beside us, silent and vacant. It still gives me goosebumps to think about it. Unfortunately, Noah couldn’t open a door to the hunter wing for us because it’s hidden from the Noctu by a protective enchantment. With his guidance, I was able to find a suitable door, and we landed near the school. Noah said goodbye to me with a heavy heart; he had to go and take care of Frances. I could tell he wasn’t unaffected by Ayden’s death. Is that because he knows what it means to me to lose Ayden? Or is he afraid that there are questions that will never be answered without him? Kate’s words still hang in the air. Ayden and Noah are supposedly brothers.
Kate came back to her senses outside the school, helped me with Ayden, and then went to her room. I haven’t had a chance to speak to her yet.
I lean forward with my arms on my knees and keep replaying scene in my mind’s eye. Ayden collapsing, all that blood. His rattling breath, labored and erratic. His gaze, burning into mine and then becoming more and more unfocused until it faded into the distance. It all happened so fast. I didn’t even have time to say goodbye. He just stopped breathing suddenly, and my world came to a standstill.
I know things aren’t any easier for Noah right now. I think of Frances and the way she died and all the secrets she was carrying around with her.
I rub my tired head. Things couldn’t have turned out worse. I stayed by Ayden’s side, desperately hoping for a sign of life. But there was nothing. And now I’m sitting here, waiting for someone to come and bring me the definitive news of his death. I realize that a member of the Tempes could show up at any moment to question me. After all, the son of a prominent Council family is dead and probably a hunter too. But I’m not going anywhere. Not before I know for sure.
Time seems to stretch out, and I stare at the clock on the wall opposite me as it ticks slowly but relentlessly.
As expected, a couple of people show up at some point to question me about what happened. I tell them the story that Ayden, Noah, and I came up with. Ayden and I were talking privately in one of the corridors when suddenly we heard a noise and then found Alessandro locked in a fight with a couple of Noctu. We tried to help him, but he was killed. The Noctu tried to escape, we pursued them, and that’s when Ayden was fatally wounded.
“Has a doctor taken a look at you?” asks the tall man with gray stubble and jowls.
I shake my head.
“It’s incredible that you were able to bring your friend all the way here on your own,” comments the woman standing next to him and studying me with a piercing gaze.
But her cold stare fails to unnerve me. I steadily meet her gaze and reply, “I used the portals. It took us several tries to get to the hunter building, but my key spirit seems to know his way around the doors to some degree. I know we Tempes don’t normally use that mode of transport, but at that point I had no choice.”
The man restlessly shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “We’re not here to accuse you of anything. It can’t have been easy for you.” He looks awkward as he runs his hand over his stubbly chin. “Well, for now, we’ll pass on your statement and come back to you later. We wish you all the best.”
I give a tired nod and don’t even look up as they walk way away. I reach for my phone and send Noah an update. He reads the message but doesn’t reply.
Time ticks on, and I stare at the floor. Occasionally, I risk a glance at the clock. Hours and hours pass. Initially, I hoped that I’d soon hear from one of the doctors. But I’m almost relieved when they all pass me by without a word because this means my fears can’t become certainty. But after a while, I just want this to be over. I want to be able to grieve for Ayden, and to see him one last time.
“You brought Ayden Collins in?” a woman’s voice says, wrenching me out of my reverie. I look up. She’s tall, with very pale skin, and her blonde hair is tied back in a bun. Her expression is serious, and I can tell from her white coat that she’s a doctor. My heart begins to race.
“Is he…?” I can’t bring myself to finish the sentence.
She looks at me earnestly. There’s a sad look in her eyes as she says in a calm, clear voice, “I’m not actually supposed to inform you.” She hesitates, sees my fear, my grief. “No, he’s alive – at least for now,” she says eventually. “It’s a miracle he made it this far. His injuries are serious, and we had to perform an emergency operation. The key spirit that bit him injected venom, which resulted in massive blood loss. And several organs were damaged. Hence the respiratory arrest.”
“But he’s alive,” I say in disbelief. I’m scared that this tenuous hope will be dashed after all.
“We believe it’s down to his connection with his key spirit. His wolf is very strong, and the bond between them is remarkable. In rare cases, a spirit can send enough energy to its master to maintain a small spark of life. As I said, it’s very rare, and it’s testimony to the enormous resilience of both of them. But… he’s still in a critical condition. We’ll see over the next few days whether he makes it or not. Right now, there’s nothing more we can do. It’s up to him. But I’ll be completely honest with you, it doesn’t look good.”
“Can I see him?” I ask with an imploring expression.
A look of uncertainty flits across her face. I can’t be sure of the reason, but in the end she nods. “I’ll take you to him.”
We walk for a while and then arrive in the intensive care unit. A nurse bustles past us with an anxious expression, and when another nurse comes out of one of the rooms, I see a shaggy key spirit beside a bed. I guess the spirits don’t have to hide themselves in here. My heart skips a beat when we stop in front of a door. The doctor opens it.
“It may do him good to have you nearby. He needs all the support he can get right now.”
I nod, take another deep breath, and step inside. What I notice first are the machines and all the tubes and cables connected up to the young man lying motionless in the bed. I’m shocked at first because I hardly recognize him. My feet automatically take me to Ayden. My eyes are drawn to that mussed up hair that I love so much, and his pale face, which looks like a lifeless mask. I’m hugely relieved to see his chest rising and falling – otherwise, I’d assume he was dead.
I pull up a chair and sit beside him. It really pains me to see him like this, and at the same time, I’m so happy that he’s alive. I slowly reach out to touch his arm resting on the covers. I stroke it and feel his cool skin, which is normally so warm and soft.
“I know you’re going to make it,” I say to him, wiping the tears from my cheeks. I just want to be by his side, feel his closeness, and hope that maybe some part of him senses that he’s not alone.
I can’t say how long I’ve been sitting here, just looking at Ayden and watching his chest slowly rise and fall with each breath. I’m relieved every time I see that. He’s alive, and although the doctor told me his chances weren’t good, I just know that he’ll make it. I can’t allow myself to consider the alternative right now.
