Page 14 of Tear of Destiny

Yoru looks at me as if he understands every word, and I could swear I also see a flicker of reluctance. But then he turns around and disappears behind a building.

Noah takes my hand, pulls out his key, and opens a portal. I try to brace myself for the fall, and this time I actually manage to keep my balance instead of landing on my ass.

Inside the Odyss, Noah summons an old door made of dark, ornately carved wood, and we step through it. The forest stretches out before us, its tall trees towering into the sky. Shimmering lights whir through the canopy, bathing everything in a golden glow. We have to walk for a while to reach our destination, but then the little lake appears before us. The sight of it takes my breath away. Last time I had more important things to do than enjoy the scenery. Now I’m completely mesmerized by this idyll, the quiet, and the beautiful view.

“It’s so beautiful here.”

Noah nods. “Yeah, and not many people get to see this place.”

I recall him telling me that only Assembly members are allowed to come here. I assume that Noah’s officially allowed as the son of two members.

I go to the edge of the lake and look out across it. This brings back memories of the battle inside me and the pain I felt from the water. I really hope it won’t be like that today.

“Why is it forbidden to use the lake’s magic? You could have saved all of the fallen.”

“Remember how I told you that the water’s effect comes from the goddesses pouring some of their power into it? That power is finite. It would quickly be exhausted if we used it too often. And this lake is also linked to the Odyss, which feeds off the power in the sacred water and uses it to maintain this world. Everything is connected.”

I nod and study the side of Noah’s face. “And you still want to waste this power on me to stop me from transforming.”

He turns to face me. “I couldn’t just stand by and let that happen to you.” He tentatively takes my hand. When I don’t pull away, he rubs his fingers gently over mine. “I’m always here for you.”

I’m touched by his words, and I swallow hard, knowing he means every word. I know I can depend on him, and I’m so incredibly glad to have him. But then I can’t help thinking of Ayden, who said the same thing.

I smile at him and pull my hand away. I undress as quickly as possible and then slowly approach the water. I want this to be over so I can somehow move on and get my head straight. No more Noah, no more Ayden haunting the convolutions of my brain.

“Will it hurt this time?” I ask, peering into the deep blue water.

“No, don’t worry. You’re past the acute phase.”

I nod, inhale deeply, and take the first step into the water. It feels cold, very cold, and I get goosebumps all over. Every step takes willpower, but I keep going. I’m now standing up to my hips in the water and shivering.

“Man, is it cold in here,” I stutter, turning to look at Noah. “Do I have to keep going?”

He stands on the shore grinning, amused by my bellyaching. “Yeah, sorry. You have to go right under so the water touches every part of you.”

I raise my eyebrows in dismay and then look back at the bluedepths before me. I should just get this over with. I take a deep breath and dive under so that the water completely surrounds me. I suppress the urge to cry out in shock. It’s so icy! But within moments I’ve acclimatized, and it’s not so bad anymore. I come back up, spluttering, and paddle around a bit.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Noah watching me the whole time. He looks thoughtful and anxious.

After a while he says, “That should be enough. You can come out.”

I happily oblige and wrap a towel around myself.

“You’ll need to come back in a week or two. If your condition continues to improve, then we can increase the intervals.”

I nod and gaze out over the lake in silence. Noah’s still looking at me, and I sense that there’s something weighing on his mind. But I’m grateful to him for not bringing it up or quizzing me. He’s waiting for me to say something.

“It won’t happen again, I promise. I’m in no danger of transforming again.”

“It’s okay, Teresa. You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

My thoughts wander back to that night. I hate to think what it would have been like if I’d fully transformed. The Odyss would be my home, here among the Noctu. And then, I’m reminded of the retirement home and all the questions surrounding that.

“By the way – I know what Two Trees is,” I say. I tell Noah what I know.

“There are Noctu posted at a lot of retirement homes,” he says with a sigh. “But I don’t know if we have people there. I could try to find out…”

I can tell by his expression that he’s thinking about how to get his hands on that information and that it won’t be easy.

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