Page 47 of Tear of Destiny

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Max stiffen. She stares after me in disbelief, her hands shaking with fury. Kate follows me, and we continue on our way.

“Teresa, you bitch!” I hear Max say behind me, and all at once, something hits me in the back. A powerful gust of wind sweeps me off my feet, hurls me through the air and down the corridor, and I slam against a door with a crash. I slide down and just lie on the floor feeling dazed.

As I struggle to focus my eyes again, I feel a sharp pain, and my face contorts. My ribs, my right arm, and the back of my head seem to have received the brunt of the impact.

“Tess!” Kate shouts in horror as she hurries to me. “Are you okay?”

But I don’t have time to answer her because Max is already stomping toward me. She shoves Kate aside and shrieks at me, “You’re nothing but an outsider! You’ll never belong in this world, no matter how long you stay in school or how hard you train. You’re scum, a nobody! So don’t even talk to me. You always screw everything up, forcing your way into the limelight and drawing attention to yourself. Someday you’ll pay the price. You need to pull your head in, you got that? And never talk to me like that in front of people again!” She grabs my shirt and pulls me toward her, hissing in a strained voice, “I hope you got the message this time. Otherwise, you’ll get to know a whole new side of me.”

“Get lost!” Kate yells once she gets over the initial shock. She grabs Max by the arm and drags her away from me. “If you touch Teresa again,you’llget to know another side ofme. I stand by my friends. And if I have no other option, then I won’t hesitate to go to the principal. I’m pretty sure I know what he’ll have to say about this kind of behavior.”

“As if anyone could take you seriously,” she spits at Kate. Butshe turns on her heels and heads back to the cafeteria.

“I never figured she’d go that far,” Kate mutters as she watches Max stalk off and disappear around a corner.

“She’s completely lost the plot. Although, that was already clear after her stunt in Ayden’s room. But she’s taken it to a whole new level.”

I groan as I try to get back on my feet.

Kate offers me her hand, braces herself against the door frame, and slowly pulls me up.

“I’ll have a few bruises after this.” I carefully rotate my shoulder and wince in pain. I hope it’s not sprained. “Training is going to be great if everything already hurts before I even start.”

I look at Kate, who’s still holding my arm as if she’s afraid I might fall over.

“Kate?” I say when I notice her vacant expression.

She’s still holding the door frame with her other hand, staring at it. And then I realize what’s happening. She’s having a vision. I make sure to listen closely and memorize every word.

“An iron man with a fixed stare. His lance sharpened. He stands on guard there, guarding what must not be seen. Anguish shrouded in darkness. A past that must not be forgotten. Two beasts, ears pricked, claws sharp. Their empty eyes gaze upon death, watching as it goes about its macabre work. Death advances in secret. One after another. Their screams fade away in the gloom. Their rigid bodies found behind glinting metal. See the pain in their dull eyes, which gave up the ghost long ago.”

I hold my breath. She lets go of the door frame, lets her hand fall, and looks in my direction.

“A door,” she murmurs. “Dazzlingly bright.”

Exhausted, Kate puts a hand to her forehead, pulls a face, and slowly seems to come back to the present. I quickly put my arms around her.

“Are you okay?”

“I… I don’t know. Something… just happened. But I can’t remember what. Max was here… and then…”

“You recited another one of those prophecies,” I say gently.

Her head jerks up, and there’s fear in her eyes. “What?”

“I… I should probably write it down,” I mutter. I scribble down the words as I repeat them aloud to Kate. “Their rigid bodies found behind glinting metal. See the pain in their dull eyes, which gave up the ghost long ago.”

Kate seems to have foreseen something harrowing, and I have to admit I’m afraid that I may soon have to witness it or even experience it personally.

Chapter 20

Islip into the black dress. The dark sequins sparkle in the light like a thousand diamonds. I glance at myself in the mirror. Kate loaned it to me, and it’s beautiful. But I wish it was for some other occasion.

Tonight is the party where I’ll be introduced to the senior members of the Council. The most influential Tempes families will be there. And although I’m not looking forward to it, I’ll be glad when this event is behind me.

I wish Kate could come too, but tonight is solely about me presenting myself to the Council. At least that’s what was implied when I received the invitation and asked if I could bring someone.

And this party would probably be a welcome distraction for Kate because she’s been puzzling a lot over her last prophecy, trying really hard to force another premonition in the hope that it will reveal more clues. Because we only have a vague hunch about what Kate’s words may have referred to. A hunch that’s corroborated by the last part the prophecy about a door. There’s only one place I can think of: the Odyss. But that’s the problem – which door is it?

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