Page 66 of Called By Fate

“Speculating about a symbol will get us nowhere. We need to open it and see what the bastards want.” Wasting no more time, I crack the seal and slip out the letter. It feels like an omen in my hands. I carefully unfold the paper and start reading the scrawling handwriting I recognize as Mickey's.

Hello, darling niece of mine.

This letter is to inform you of my official acceptance into the Circle of the Elders.

As you will soon find out, we are outlawing any worship of the Goddess. Anyone who chooses to break that rule will be swiftly dealt with. Including your little gang of rebels you're trying to hide.

Time's ticking, little Mercedes. You cannot save everyone.

I can almost hear him chuckling as he writes that line. I glance at the last few words, steeling myself for what I find there.

I bet that's eating you up, isn't it? Knowing you won't be able to rescue them all. That your heart will ultimately be your undoing. You even abandoned your little friend who will soon be dead.

That's fine with me though. I can't wait to suck that mixed-breed power right out of your rotting corpse.

-M.S.

Shell-shocked, I hand the letter over to my mates. I feel slightly light-headed, so I head to the couch and plop down on it, dropping my head between my knees to breathe for a moment. My shadows wrap around me comfortingly, knowing I need them.

Seeing my mate mark on my wrist distracts me and I stroke it, lighting it up silver. My mate bonds hum in my chest, and I love the way it looks with Elian’s full moon symbol completing the intricate design. It brings me a small amount of comfort, along with Hemsworth licking my knee.

"They can't seriously outlaw Goddess worship, can they?" I finally ask, raising my head once they finish the letter to find several stricken faces looking at me. I stroke Hemsworth's fur, letting the feeling distract me. "For fuck's sake, she created us."

Kaos shakes his head, anger radiating off him in waves. "What do they care about that? They've shirked her at every step. With the fake mate pairings, amongst a multitude of different things, and now adding Mickey to their Circle without her blessing. It's clear they don't give a fuck about the Goddess."

He's right, and it doesn't make what they're doing any less shameful.

All of us pause for a moment to think about everything. I replay my uncle’s words in my head.You won't be able to rescue them all. You even abandoned your little friend who will soon be dead.The guilt renews my need to find her with an all-new sense of urgency.

“They’re starting to make their move,” Adam says, wiping sweat off his forehead and trying to fix his hair, but there’s no use. Emma is glued to his side, leaving no empty space between them.

"We need to start upping everyone's training," Reed says decisively, and I feel—rather than see—everyone agree, the foreboding feeling settling over us. The air is charged with grave anticipation, permeating throughout the cabin.

"We also need to come up with a plan, but how do we do that when we still don't know how to defeat them?" I ask.

The sound of our cabin door opening has us on high alert. The guys reach for their crotch knives, but the sight of two familiar faces stops them. It’s just Nick and Niall. They immediately head over to Emma, and she throws herself into their arms. So maybe she is coming around after all. Good, I’m glad.

My mates and I give them that side of the room to have a little privacy. The door opens again, and I sigh.Who the hell is coming in now?

Imagine my surprise when I find Bedi walking through the door like she didn’t disappear on us at a really shitty time. I open my mouth to give her a piece of my mind, the anger I’ve been reserving bubbling up, but that’s when I see the first drop of blood splatter onto the wood beneath her feet.

Bedi collapses to her knees, holding the wound at her side. Her red hair is wild, splayed around her head in every direction like she's been running from something.

“I sure know how to make an entrance, huh?” She groans from the pain. “Good news is, I'm back. Bad news is, I'm not feeling so great."

Once again, I say,fuck.

28

Kaos and I rush over to Bedi's side. I grip her hand while Kaos works on her wound. He and I have worked on healing a billion times… I know how to heal, but it’s like all that knowledge flies out of my brain. Flashbacks to Vin bleeding out in the estate’s foyer are at the forefront of my mind, and I’m slightly panicky. I have to tell myself to inhale and exhale several times before I calm my racing heart enough to come back to the moment.

“Lie back,” Kaos instructs, and she does as he asks, wincing as she goes down. The blood is flowing freely now. “I need to get a better look at this,” he says in frustration. “Is it all right if I lift your shirt?”

Bedi nods and grunts with the movement of Kaos lifting up her shirt. "Gods, that hurts." Her breathing is erratic and every time she draws in a breath, there's a wet gurgling sound coming from her mouth. I'm guessing she has a punctured lung. This is not good. Not good at all. Dammit.

"What happened to you?" I ask.

Bedi squeezes my hand, gritting her teeth against Kaos' magic. His hands are glowing black like usual, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything yet.

---