Under the Burning Stars (29 page)

Ava had never been afraid to speak to her father. But as she stood before his door, chewing on her lip, her heart raced and she trembled. They hadn’t exchanged words in almost a day, and she needed to see him before he left. She had broken his heart and trust and she knew there was nothing she could do to take back what she did. Colden was a close friend of her father’s. Of everyone.

She took a deep breath and knocked.
Better to get it over with now than later.
A few seconds later, he opened the door. His face sobered as soon as he saw her, but then let out a sigh.

“Can we talk?” she asked.

“Of course.” He let her in.

S
he looked around at the masculine room and realized she had never been in there before. Her stomach dropped at the sight of his open suitcase on the bed. Ava didn’t want her father to leave, even though it was to keep him safe. She turned back to face him. His gray hair was tousled and he wore the face of a stressed man raising a teenage daughter alone. She knew it couldn’t have been easy raising her especially.

“Dad, I know you hate me, and I’m sorry for what I did. I never meant for anything like that to happen. I just wanted answers about Mom and my heritage.”

He shook his head. “Ava, let’s get one thing straight.” His eyes held a stern look and his voice reflected that. “No matter what, I will never hate you. You are my daughter and I love you regardless of what your decisions may be.”

She drew a shaky breath and her chin quivered.

“I know you didn’t do that on purpose, but you obviously weren’t thinking.
That’s
what I’m most disappointed about. You had to know that seeing a Necromancer was dangerous. You had to know what the consequences could have been.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Only what it could have done to me. I did a lot of research and Colden
told me how to find one. I thought that if he told me that, it couldn’t be so bad.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Colden told you where to find the Necromancer?”

“Yes.”

“You’re telling the truth?”

“Yes, I swear.”

“Why would he do that?”

“He said he felt sorry for me because Savina wouldn’t tell me the truth about Mom.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ava silently cursed. How could she possibly tell her father? Would he believe her? Why did she have to be the one to tell him? Her necklace warmed.

His eyes shifted to her pentacle. “What is it?”

“Dad, Mom was a.” She paused. There was no easy way to say it. “She was a Cimmerian.”

The blood from his f
ace drained, and she stiffened, waiting for the yelling.

“Why would you ever think your mother was such a thing?”

“It’s true, Dad. Colden told me.”

“Are you
lying?”

“No. I wish I was.” Her vision blurred.

Her father stared at her for what seemed like an eternity and then his eyes watered. “I don’t believe it. She would never have lied to me.”

“It’s true.”
Her heart faltered. She hated hurting her father’s feelings, but he needed to know. “Xavier told me she promised my soul to Havok. That’s why I went to the Necromancer. To talk to Mom to see if it was all true.”

Her father looked as if he would pass out and she helped him into a nearby chair. He grasped her hand tightly. “What-what did she say?”
He gave her a look that pleaded with her to tell him none of it was true.

A tear slid down Ava’s cheek. “She said it was my destiny.”

His face crumpled and she knew it broke his heart to learn that the only woman he had ever loved betrayed him. The woman he gave up his Ephemeral life for. The woman he shared a child with.

“Oh, Ava.” He
wrapped his arms around her. The last time she saw him cry was the day her mother died. His pain tugged at her heart and it weighed her down. She wished there was something she could do.

“There’s more, Dad.”

He looked up and wiped his eyes. “What else is there?”

“I killed Jonah and Drew. They attacked
me and I was just trying to make them stop and I killed them. The Cimmerians have been torturing Thomas, Gillian, and me. Thomas’s dad was a Cimmerian and they keep saying it’s our destiny and everything just got to me. I was obsessed with finding the truth and it got me in the worst trouble of my life.”

“
Oh, Ava.” He gave a look of horror. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

“I know it’s a lot to process.”

He stared at her as if he was studying her face. “I am sorry. I should’ve helped you through this more than I have. I know this is a lot to handle and they certainly don’t make it any easier.” He drew her into an embrace and she clutched onto her father with everything she had.

After an immeasurable amount of time, he pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “
When all of this is over, we’ll talk to Savina and get the truth. I have to be gone by tonight.”

“Where are you going?”

He stood and put the last remaining items into his suitcase and then zipped it up. “I don’t know and you can’t know. In case the Cimmerians get inside your head.”

“I’m working on that. I can change, Dad. I can be a better person. I won’t make any more stupid mistakes.”

He reached up and touched her cheek. He gave a small smile. “Yes, you will. We all will. But it’s okay as long as we learn from them. I love you, Ava.”

“I love you, too. I don’t want to say goodbye, Dad. What if I—.”

“No what ifs. Don’t think like that. Be strong. We will see each other when this is over.”

“How long will that be?”

He frowned. “I don’t know.” He pulled her against him and held her as long as he could.

T
hen when someone knocked on his door, Ava gripped him tighter and cried harder. She didn’t want to say goodbye to her father. She didn’t know the next time she would see him.

“I have to go, sweetie,” he said.

She nodded and let go. She looked up and locked eyes with Gabriel.

Her father kissed her forehead
and she closed her eyes. “I’m so proud of you, Ava. I love you.”

W
hen she opened her eyes to tell him she loved him, he was gone.

There was a hollow feeling in Ava’s heart all day during training. But she used all of her anger into practice. And when they were done for the day, Ava joined her friends in the library. They were tired and no one looked like they had slept well. She couldn’t even imagine how Link, Nicole, Seth, and Peter were feeling at the thought of going to war. Then again, none of them had ever been in a battle except for the older Enchanters.

“How’s your dad?” Melissa asked.

“I don’t know. I can’t talk to him or see him.”

“That really sucks. Every bit of this sucks.”

Thomas gnawed on his fingernails. “You can say that again.”

“Do you really have to do that?” Melissa rolled her eyes.

“Yes,” he said.

“This is so weird.” Lance shook his head. “It’s like we’re just sitting here waiting.”

Ava nodded. “We are.”

Link pulled a chair closer to their table and sat in it backwards. “Yeah, well this is getting old. Instead of just sitting here and waiting, why can’t we just attack them? They’ll never see it coming.”

“Thank you,” Thomas said. “I’ve been wondering the same for days. I swear, I know Savina is all strong and whatnot, but sometimes I really wonder how smart she is.”

“Colden said she used to be a little naïve,” Ava said.

“Used to be? I mean, no offense but come on. You just tell your entire coven to just sit back and wait. Oh, and you and another Elder have to leave to go find some random flower?”

“I don’t think Savina wants to admit the truth.”

“Why are you guys being so harsh on Savina?” Peter asked.

Ava sighed. “I guess I’m just frustrated with her.
We’re sick of waiting.” She looked around the room to see if she could find Gabriel or Joss. “Where are Gillian and Jeremy?”

“
Gillian’s been hiding,” Melissa said. “I don’t know. She hasn’t really said much or been herself since learning her dad is really her stepdad and her real dad was a Cimmerian.”

“
Wait, what? How did she find out?”

“She went back and talked to Marcel while you all went to the club.”

Ava must have been so focused on seeing the Necromancer that she didn’t realize Gillian and Jeremy didn’t come.

“No offense, but so was my dad and Ava’s mom,” Thomas said. “I think she just needs to grow some balls. I gotta say though, that was pretty damn bal
lsy of you, Ava.”

“Thomas,” she warned.

“What? I’m serious.” He leaned closer. “I gotta know though. What was it like?”

Melissa punched his arm. “Thomas!”

“I’m just curious.”

“Nothing you ever want to experience,” Ava said, and then looked up to see Natalia walking toward their table with a hateful expression on her face.

Her hazel eyes felt like daggers. “Colden has been asking for you.” It was almost like she shouted at her.

Ava felt relieved yet fearful. What did he want to say to her? At least he wanted to talk. That was more than she could have asked for.

“Okay.” She got to her feet and slid her body between the back of Seth’s chair and another table and followed Natalia.

Natalia stopped right outside Colden’s door and turned to her. “I will be outside this door the whole time. Don’t even
think
about hurting him.”

“I’m not going to hurt him. I never meant to.”

“Whatever.” She opened the door and Ava walked inside.

“Hello, Ava.” He smiled.
His skin was a sickly white and sweat beaded his face. Tears clouded her vision. How could he be so friendly toward her? She had almost killed him.

“
Colden, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Don’t apologize.
Come sit.” He offered the chair next to his bed.

She hesitantly crossed the room and took the seat.
“Why aren’t you upset with me?”

“Anger solves nothing.
”

“Most of them hate me.”

He shook his head. “No, dear. A little angry, but they won’t stay mad at you forever.”

“It was stupid of me to even think about going
. I just wanted to talk to her one last time and find out if she really did that.” Ava wanted to know more, but didn’t have much time with her mother.

“
Did you find the answers you were looking for?”

“Some. I’m part Cimmerian and I have to give myself to Havok. But I won’t.”

Colden sucked in a breath and grabbed his side.

“Can’t I heal you?”

After a few seconds, Colden relaxed. “No. You’ve already given me more than I could have ever imagined.”

“
Like what?”

“
Ava, I’ve been suffering for so long and I’m ready to die.”

“What? No. You can’t be. Savina will be back soon with the cure.”

“We didn’t want to tell anyone. But I am so glad that I got the chance to know you and see you grow into such a beautiful young woman. So strong, so proud.”

Ava shook her head and her eyes watered. “No. Stop saying your goodbyes.”

He took her hand. “Don’t cry. This is a good thing.”

“No it isn’t. I can’t lose you. I’ve already lost so much.”

“I won’t be suffering any longer. I want you to know that your mother loved you so much. I only knew her briefly, but she was fiercely protective of you. She died to protect you and your father.”

“What? How do you know this? Why did she do it?”

“Only Savina knows.”

“She won’t tell me.”

“She will.”

“Will they banish me? I can’t do this without you.”

“Yes, you can. And you will. No, they will not banish you, my dear. You did not worsen my situation. You healed me temporarily. The illness is much too strong and I have suffered from it for years. It is deteriorating my body and soul.”

“
If you’re ready to give up, then why did Savina leave us?”

“I’m not giving up. I’m just ready. Savina is very stubborn and insistent in finding a cure. I tried to tell her to stay, but she refused.”

“I don’t want to say goodbye, Colden.”

“No one is ever ready for such things. You can never prepare enough. But just know that I love you very much and you have been like a daughter to me.”

He clenched his eyes shut and ground his teeth. He clutched the sheets on the bed and Ava got to her feet. She didn’t know what to do. His body began thrashing violently. She fumbled to get the door open.

“Natalia,” she
cried and Natalia and Alena quickly went inside the room, leaving Ava outside.

How could she possibly think about war when Colden was dying?