Page 91 of Wraithwound

Ada reached across the table and placed a hand atop hers. “Visions are not set in stone, but it’s possible Lena might be the one to free her. She didn’t just disappear. Those of us in this room, we can give Lena a chance.”

“If all goes well, you may very well end up saving SecaTerr as well. Come, let’s have lunch, and we can tell you more about it,” Eduard said.

And then the image faded.

“You?” Taya asked.

Lena couldn’t see how it was possible either. But what Ada had said, “Those of us in this room, we can give her a chance.” The words clanged around in her head, her mind unable to make sense of them. Because that meant that Henry⁠—

“She’s not even trained. How can she be expected to free the Goddess?” Taya said looking around at the others.

“You understand Seering better than the rest of us,” Riley said gently. “Is it possible that your mo—she was mistaken?” Riley asked.

Taya’s face crumpled briefly, but she composed herself quickly.

“Like she said, visions are not set in stone, but historically speaking, it wasn’t often that her visions proved to be incorrect. It stands to reason that she could fail,” Taya said, jabbing her thumb towards Lena, but still addressing Riley, “but considering they went through so much trouble to orchestrate all of this, I have to think there must be a strong possibility that Lena could succeed.”

No one else spoke. The quiet snick of a door being shut was the only sound. Lena turned to see that Cross had exited the room, and she blinked. A sense of shock and disbelief settled upon her along with discovering a new ache in her chest. The initial sense of shock soon gave way to unfiltered panic.

She’d come for answers about Henry, how to save him, how to help him, and instead, she’d learned that everything was so much more complicated than she had ever imagined.

What was more, her mother and Henry had both known she would be attacked. They had known, and they had worked to help her survive it. She suspected her mother had developed the serum for her, and Henry had given up his existence for her. The weight of their sacrifices was devastating. And yet, the things she’d done, the lives she’d taken . . . Those had been a result of her own choices. Her family’s machinations made her no less a monster.

Lena blinked as she realized where she was standing. She hadn’t realized where she was headed until the prospect of knocking turned into an inevitability. Lena looked around and found Jade standing several feet behind her in the shadows. Seeing that Lena had made her way to Cross’s door, Jade gave Lena a small smile before she walked off, likely headed back to the study. Gathering the courage to knock, she rapped on the metal door once before reconsidering. Cross pulled the door open and stepped aside to let her in. His belongings were laid neatly on the small bed.

Well, that answered her question. He’d come here for information, likely to learn as much as he could about wraiths before he returned to duty.

“You’re leaving,” Lena said, the pit in her stomach growing bigger.

“You came here for answers. Now I need some of my own,” he said, tucking the last few items into his pack.

Lena’s heart sank. She’d known Cross didn’t have any reason to stay. It was surprising he’d stayed this long, but she couldn’t help but feel like he was abandoning her. She peered at the ground, willing the disappointment to shift into something neutral.

Cross tucked his finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. There was a softness in his bright blue eyes, and something like understanding. EverGods, he was handsome.

“I won’t be gone long. When I get back, we’ll talk,” he said, scanning her face.

She knew he saw it all, including the relief that washed over her as she realized he planned to return. Standing in front of Cross, exposed and vulnerable beneath his assessing gaze, she realized she wanted to talk to him. In a world where safety often hinged on the ability to keep secrets, to keep one’s identity hidden, she longed for someone she could open up to. She longed to be known.

“When will you be back?” she dared.

“If everything goes as planned, in two days’ time,” he said reassuringly as he released her chin. With one last glance, he grabbed his pack and walked out the door.

Chapter

Fifty

Jade came by to escort Lena to dinner sometime afterward, but she declined, opting instead to have a tray brought to her room. The eleuth arrived with it, evidently having terrorized the young man who had been tasked with bringing it. His voice shook and his eyes darted nervously between her and the furry creature as he opened the window in the door to pass her the tray. The eleuth squawked at him before squeezing in through the window, startling him further. Lena tried to hide her smirk as he stuttered over his words and excused himself promptly.

She was relieved to find that Dauen had requested a book be delivered to her. It would give her something to do while Cross was away. It was a monograph on creeping vines. Lena knew instantly why he’d sent it. He was hoping she would recognize the plant her mother had used to derive the serum. She was happy to skim through its pages while she ate a hearty dinner of braised beef and potatoes with a tin of mulled cider.

The eleuth sprawled in front of the fire, and from its round belly, Lena figured it had likely gone out to hunt after the meeting. She was happy to see it laying on its back, its range of motion unrestricted. That brought a smile to her face although the animal still wouldn’t let Lena check on the injured area.

She wondered where Cross might be and wanted to kick herself for not having asked where he was going before he left. But asking personal questions went against everything she’d been taught growing up. Even when evaluating patients, she had to be careful what types of questions she asked because asking personal questions could get you killed if they aroused enough suspicion.

Lena sighed and sent a silent prayer to the Goddess to keep Cross safe. She didn’t know if the Goddess would hear it but hoped she would. Lena had long since stopped believing in the Goddess after her grandfather’s death, but she found that in moments of hopelessness or helplessness, it was comforting to say a prayer. To believe the Goddess might heed her requests.

Despite the shocking news of the day’s events, Lena fell asleep quickly. The next morning, she was pleased to see Jade at her door.