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Alfredo nods. “Sure. But one of the blood trails was pretty sparse.”
“Look, I don’t know why they ran. I don’t even know why they were there. All I know is that they killed Alessandro and then escaped.”
“Where exactly did the Noctu summon the door?” asks Alfredo.
Noah, Ayden, and I prepared the answer to that question too, agreeing on the spot where Noah opened the door to take Ayden to the infirmary. So I repeat what I said previously, which doesn’t seem to satisfy Alfredo.
“Then you can’t have pursued them far.”
“Like I said, that’s where the Noctu disappeared, and then I took Ayden to the infirmary.”
“I’m amazed that you found the strength to do that. I mean, Ayden’s a man, much taller than you and muscular.”
“Ayden was still on his feet at first. I summoned a door and took him to the Odyss. It was a while before I figured out how to get to the hunter building. That’s where Ayden collapsed.”
“And you really got him there all by yourself?” Alfredo probes.
“I had to leave Ayden near the entrance for a minute because I couldn’t carry him. A hunter came out and helped me.”
Alfredo’s lips narrow. He seems to be trying to catch me out in a lie. Does he suspect that that’s not how it went down? Or is he just trying to find someone to blame for his brother’s death?
“Alright, I think that answers all of our questions, and we can call Ayden in next,” Mr. Cunningham suggests.
But Alfredo shakes his head vehemently. “We’re not done here. For one thing, Miss Franklin seems to have an unusual talent for getting herself into dangerous situations. I can’t help wondering why that is.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Believe me, I’d prefer not to get mixed up in these fights.”
“I get the impression that you don’t grasp the gravity of the situation. You could have died. And your inability to defend yourself may be the reason my brother had to die,” says Alfredo.
“I agree. We need to need to ensure that no harm comes to Miss Franklin in future. After all, she’s very important to the Council with her gift,” Mr. Fabrici says calmly, once again making it clear that they’re only interested in my ability. “My family has thought long and hard about how we can better protect Miss Franklin and in particular how we can support her. The Council already agreed some time ago that we need to ascertain the status of Miss Franklin’s gift. To what extent can she apply it and control it? I think it’s time we addressed that.”
I frown. Where’s this going? The Fabricis clearly have a plan.
“What are you thinking exactly?” asks Vanessa Tumberland.
Lorenzo Fabrici folds his hands and regards me coolly. “We should have her take the destiny test.”
I have no idea what that is. But the way Mr. Fabrici emphasizes the words makes me think it can’t be anything good. And then I see Vanessa Tumberland and Albert Cunningham’s faces. Creased foreheads, eyebrows raised in astonishment, and slightly horrified expressions. This doesn’t bode well.
“That test has only been used on rare occasions in the past, and it’s associated with a certain amount of risk,” says Albert Cunningham. “In this case, I really don’t think it’s…”
“Forgive me, but I have to disagree with you, Albert,” Mr. Fabrici interrupts. “Until now, most people possessing a gift have benefited from a comprehensive education. They were quickly able to master their abilities and were an enormous help to the Council. But we know nothing about Miss Franklin’s strengths. We have no idea what stage she’s at, and if we asked her to demonstrate it, she likely wouldn’t be able to. In order to help her master her gift, we have no choice but to determine what she’s currently capable of. Only then can we provide the optimal guidance and support.” He looks back at me, and his eyes are cold.
“What would this support look like exactly?” asks Matilda Cunningham. “Assuming she’s completely at the mercy of this gift and has no influence over it? It would take an enormous amount of time and effort to train her, without any guarantee of success.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I blurt. “I happen to be in the room. So it would be nice if you didn’t talk about me as if I weren’t here.”
But that’s exactly what Mr. Fabrici does. He turns to Matilda and says, “In that case, my family is willing to provide intensive training. We’re well set up for that. We have training rooms, highly skilled hunters, the appropriate literature, time, and equipment.”
My eyes widen, and I stare at him in disbelief. “You can’t be serious?! What if that’s not what I want?”
His lips narrow slightly. “Who would be so stupid as to refuse such an opportunity? A Council family offering help, which I’m convinced you’re in dire need of.”
“I don’t appreciate people going over my head and deciding for me. I make my own decisions.”
“You can’t train yourself. I assume you have no control over your gift, and it’s not something you can learn to master quickly. So my family and I feel that this decision should be made for you.”
“Well, first we need to determine whether your assumption is correct,” Vanessa Tumberland points out. “So maybe the test isn’t such a bad idea.”
