Thyla - Kate Gordon [73]
‘Tessa, how can you do that?’ you sighed. ‘You’re just a girl.’
‘I’m not just a girl,’ I protested, my voice rising. ‘I’m Thyla. I’m powerful. I know things. I can do things. I can do this.’
You shook your head. ‘No, Tessa. I’m sorry. I know you have this thing. This … were-whatever thing, but you are still a little girl. And look, no matter what I say, no matter how hard I am finding all of this, I’m not going to leave you. I’m going to make sure you get the chance at a normal life, away from all this danger. You never got to have a normal life, did you? I want that for you. So you are staying at Cascade Falls. You are going to stay here, and you are going to study, and you are going to let Charlotte Lord look out for you, and you are going to be safe. Leave the police work up to me and Vinnie, okay?’
What could I say, Connolly? I couldn’t argue with you. You were my guardian. You were my saviour. You were all I had.
I remembered what Cat had said: ‘If she knew I was still alive, she’d send me right back to Cascade Falls. And I can’t just go back there.’
Cat was gone. And now you were protecting me. And so I had to stay here. I had to do it for you.
So I nodded. ‘Okay, I’ll stay,’ I said.
And I will, Connolly. I will stay here. And I will be friends with Charlotte, just as Isaac is friends with her father. I will watch her. I will learn from her. I will find out secrets that will help me find Rhiannah and Laurel.
And then, when the moon is full and Thyla blood is surging in my veins; when my fingers are aching to grow claws; when my legs are yearning to push back, then I will leap the walls, and I will join Isaac and Cat and Perrin, and we will be immortals together, and together we will find my friends. And we will defeat Lord.
‘I’ll stay,’ I said again.
‘Good,’ you said. You kissed me on the forehead and pushed yourself up from my bed. ‘Well, chook, I have to go and be a big, grown-up policewoman now, so I gotta leave you, okay? I’ve talked to Miss Bloom, and she said you should stay in bed just as long as you need to. Mrs Bush is acting principal …’ Your voice faltered and I could tell you were thinking of Ms Hindmarsh again. You cleared your throat and smiled, dimly. You were trying to be strong. For me. ‘The principal will arrive in the next couple of days, but until then, Mrs Bush said if you need anything, you just sing out, okay? She has organised Charlotte to be your runner if you need anything: food, drinks, Panadol, whatever. So, you’re all set. And you just call me whenever you need me, okay?’
I nodded again. ‘Okay.’
You smiled and moved towards the door. As you opened it, I saw a shadow moving to one side, a flicker of white-blonde hair.
Charlotte.
My blood froze.
Cat believed she didn’t know everything about her father – about the evil he did. I wasn’t so sure. Those pale blue eyes of hers seemed to contain so much that was cold and wicked. I could almost believe she knew it all.
But, like Isaac said, sometimes it’s good strategy to keep your enemies close.
Just before you left, you turned to me and said, ‘Have you been writing all of this down, Tessa?’
‘Yes. All of it,’ I said.
‘Keep it hidden,’ you said, your brow furrowing. ‘Just for now. For now. I think that would be safer. And …’ Your eyes drifted to my wrist. ‘Vinnie told me about the cuffs. About what they do. About how they let you be normal. Please wear it, Tess. All the time. Will you do that, for me?’
I told you I would wear the cuff always. I’m sorry for lying again, Connolly.
‘Good. Good, I’m glad,’ you said. ‘I just want you to be normal. I want you to be happy.’
‘I know,’ I said. ‘Thank you.’
Then you were gone. The door clicked shut behind you, and all that was left was me and silence and a head suddenly full of one hundred and sixty years of memories. It felt as though the memories were a huge jigsaw puzzle. Most of the pieces were in place now. A few more pieces