Page 65 of Called By Fate

“Keep sparring!” I shout behind me again as we hurry out of the gym. Before we pass through the doors I say, “Oliver, you’re in charge while I'm gone!” His comically wide green eyes and his pale face are the last things I see, and it almost makes me chuckle, but I’m too worried about Adam and what the hell is going on.

Hemsworth and I are right on Emma’s heels as we jog. I work on trying to rein in my shadows until we reach our cabin. When we walk in, I find Adam leaning against the wall, breathing heavily and my eyes widen at his appearance. His hair is completely disheveled, which is totally out of the norm for him, he's covered in dirt and bleeding from a cut on his shoulder. Frankly, he looks like plain shit-on-a-stick. Kaos is already there healing him, working his magic over the wound on his shoulder.

Elian, Reed, Dante, and Vinson are standing to the side. Thankfully, they’re all here.

"What the hell happened to you?" I ask, walking over to Adam.

Emma beats me to him, and I stop when I realize she’s crying softly. Adam strokes her cheek and whispers something too soft for me to hear, and Emma nods.

Adam grunts when Kaos' magic starts stitching the wound together. I forgot that for anyone outside our Circle, Kaos' ability can be slightly uncomfortable, but it’s better than remaining injured. Adam knows that too, judging by the way he grits his teeth and bears the feeling.

"We were ambushed while out recruiting this morning," Adams says, still slightly out of breath. "We barely made it out of there alive. Nick and Niall went to find Emma as they came out better than I did in that fight, but they could probably use some of your magic too, Kaos. They should be here soon now that I know Emma is here."

Kaos nods his agreement but keeps his focus on healing Adam’s wound.

Hemsworth asks the question on the tip of my tongue. "How did they know you would be there?"

Adam shakes his head. "I don't know, but there wasn't any sort of warning. None of us suspected anything. We knocked on the door and as soon as it opened, magic started flying. One of them managed to nick my shoulder with their knife during the scuffle."

That’s more than a little nick,I think, staring at the gaping wound pouring blood out of his shoulder.

This is not good. Not good at all. It means the Elders are retaliating, upping the ante. I wonder if this has anything to do with their creepy statement, and the time they mentioned is creeping up on us.

All of us are spinning, round and round on the same meteor that is currently hurtling onward, stuck on a collision course that will split it apart. There can only be one side that wins and I’m going to make damn sure it’s ours.

"You all are going to have to start being more careful," I say, voicing my concern out loud.

"You're telling me," Adam responds and grits his teeth.

"What happened to the people you were there for?" Vinson asks.

Adam's face twists with anger. “Dead. Their throats were slit. From what I could tell, they had been dead for a few days.”

My gut churns with unease and guilt for the dead Weavers I don't even know. I may have some deaths on my own hands, but not anyone innocent, thanks to my built-in crime-o-meter from the Goddess. Those Weavers didn't deserve their fate.

Kaos finishes healing Adam's wound, then runs his hands over the rest of his body, checking for other injuries. When he doesn't find any, he steps away and says, "You're all good."

"Thanks, man," Adam says, rubbing the smooth skin of his shoulder and then stretching it.

"What I don't understand is why ambush you and kill those people?" I ponder.

Adam looks at me, and from the glint in his eye, to the tick in his jaw, to his clenched teeth, I instantly know I’m not going to like what he’s going to say. "Apparently, it was to leave you a note. I found this on one of the attackers." So, the Elders knowingly sent those Elites that attacked the trio to their deaths, knowing they’d be killed. They didn’t want to kill whoever stumbled upon them, they wanted to toy with us.

Adam fishes a letter with a wax seal out of his pocket and hands it to me. It’s slightly crumpled, and the outside is blank save for the seal on the back, which isn't broken.At least they didn't read it.

A chill skates down my spine when I flip the envelope over to get a closer look at the symbol embossed in the wax. "Recognize this?" I ask, showing it to Kaos.

His forehead crinkles. "Isn't that the same symbol from your apartment that night?"

Dante leans in to also get a better look. "And the one from Ashley's parents’ house?"

I shiver, thinking of the blood on the walls that day. "Yeah, it is. What does it mean?"

"Well, I've never seen thatparticularsymbol before," Adam responds, watching our exchange. "However, it does remind me of my fathers' official seal. Although slightly different. See how the star has four points? My father’s only has three."

"Yes, I noticed that as well," Elian says, staring at the letter in my hand.

The more I hold onto it, the more my stomach roils with anxiety.

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