Fate's Revenge (Twisted Fate, Book 4)

Chapter Sixteen

She hates me.

I opened my eyes not knowing how long I'd been asleep.

In the Mortal Realm, I'd have assumed it had been a day because the sun was shining just as bright as when I'd fallen asleep, but here... Well, it was always daylight in Heaven. Whatever amount of time had passed, I felt rested. Strong. Almost like I was ready to do exactly what Hailey had tried baiting me into. Would a workout make me feel better or worse? I could probably handle reading but didn't want to pick up my research into the Void and be lulled back to sleep.

She'll never forgive me.

Pausing, I held my breath and cocked my head at an angle, hoping what I heard was still just a part of a lingering dream. I recognized Suzie's voice but didn't see her face. A shadow crossed my peripheral vision and my gaze landed on the door. Still cracked open by no more than a foot, I could see the shadow cross one way, only to switch direction and cross again. She was here, barely ten feet away from me. Where were my friends? Hadn't everyone promised to keep her away?

How can I ever explain it?

There was no doubt she was pacing in the hall outside my room now, although I still couldn't tell if she was speaking or thinking—Suzie was the only voice at Glory Academy I could hear in my head without her needing to utter a word aloud. I'd assumed it was because she was the only other person alive, but then I'd heard Tyler at Hell's Fire.

Now, I was just confused.

The night of my eighteenth birthday I thought I'd understood how I did all the new and magical things I was capable of, but the rules seemed to have changed as soon as we'd arrived in Heaven. Even hearing Suzie was hit-and-miss, and she was somehow able to block my ability at times, though not without great effort. It was like trying to listen to your favorite radio station while driving through a tunnel. When you got the right frequency, it was spot on, loud and clear. If you didn't, you only got a word here and there, or nothing at all.

Aly's too nice to stay mad... She'll just yell and then forgive me. No. Of course she won't. I hate the rules!

What was she thinking? Rules? Forgiveness? The only thing Suzie seemed to understand correctly was that I would be mad. She'd always been self-absorbed, but I never truly thought she was this stupid. Did she seriously think I'd forgive her? For betraying me? Of all the people who should know better. Not only did Suzie have visions and was able to see who David was all along, she had been there when I was with David.

Suzie had comforted me when he'd died.

How could she even fathom that we could reconcile our differences? It wasn't like I was being catty over a boy. He was an angel! And if she could do this knowing how much it would destroy me, I didn't want to know what else she was capable of. I mean, fool me once, right?

She'll understand. She'll trust you again. I'll just go talk....

"Do not come in here," I said, my voice low but loud enough to be heard, and I knew she had.

Her thoughts cut off as soon as I spoke.

"Aly?"

Suzie knocked on the door and it swung wider. Her head began to peek around, and I grabbed the first thing my fingers grasped from my night table—an alarm clock of all things—and threw it. She closed the door slightly and the alarm clock shattered on impact to fall as pieces to the floor.

"Aly!"

"Go. Away!" I called, but the door began to inch wider again. "Now!"

"I need to talk to you. Just... let me explain. Please."

"Explain what? How you conned me into bringing you here or how you betrayed me with the one thing you knew mattered most to me?" I sighed. "Do not open that door! I can't stand to see your face."

"What do you need me to say?"

"Say?" I sat up and laughed, the sound hollow. "There's nothing you can say, Suzie. You're a sleaze. Deal with it."

I didn't mean for it to happen.

"You know, I thought I'd keep this to myself, but you know what I didn't mean to happen? Hanging out with Deryk. And guess what? He's cured. Your new boyfriend fixed him when he tried to kill him, and whoa! Without Darkness ruling his actions, he's pretty wow. Like hot."

She doesn't mean it. Deryk died.

"Oh, but he didn't. Not really. He's dead, sure, but he isn't gone. I just spent days—all the time I've been gone? —with him."

I hadn't meant to tell her, but I was just so... mad.

Shaking with the intensity of my fury, I didn't know how to shut it off. Saying everything that popped into my mind without thought wasn't my plan, nor was I trying to hurt her in return, just out of spite. Even after all the hurt she's caused, it felt wrong to pay her back this way. Had she done it on purpose or had Suzie and Mike simply fallen into their newfound feelings?

"Stop it, Aly."

"Then go away."

"We need to talk about this."

A dull throbbing began to ache behind my eyes.

I brought my hand to my temple and rubbed slow circles on both sides of my head with my pointer and middle fingers, hoping to relieve the building pressure. It didn't help. The room grew brighter, ringing sounded in my ears, and the pain forced me to close my eyes to try block everything from my senses. How had I ever compared her with Hailey? Suzie was so... Suzie. No matter what she said, even the sound of her voice was triggering my urge to scream.

"Aly—" The door opened wider.

"I said leave!"

A light exploded behind my eyes, taking the building pressure and pain away in an instant. The tension from within my head released outwards and a cool calm trickled through my veins. Clenching my stomach muscles, I continued to push as though it was something tangible that I could force away by sheer will. In response, the door inched shut. Suzie grunted like she was struggling against it, but I still couldn't see her to know for sure.

I pushed harder, hoping I wouldn't have to.

"Ow!"

The door slammed shut and I gasped for air, not realizing I'd been holding my breath. The barrier promised to keep Suzie from sight and by some miracle, eradicated her voice from my head. Finally. I lay back against the pillows and consciously slowed my breaths until I was no longer panting. It was quick, easy to relax, and I didn't feel at all tired.

I sat up.

How was that possible?

Pulling my legs in, I wrapped my arms around my knees and began to rock.

During the time leading to my eighteenth birthday, my burgeoning abilities had made me sick when they were used. Since leaving the Mortal Realm I'd thought them gone, and even at Hell's Fire, it hadn't been my gifts I'd used but my light, which was a part of my physical makeup rather than a mystical ability. After using my light, it had left me exhausted, not sick. I'd thought my other abilities only worked on humans.

Once again, the only sure thing I knew was that nothing was certain.

I didn't even know what I was capable of.

How did I use my gifts when I wanted rather than when I reacted?

The door clicked open and I snapped back to attention. I didn't know what had triggered the abilities or if I could replicate the occurrence, but I was sure ready to try. What was wrong with her? Couldn't Suzie take a hint?

"Go away!" I lifted my head to shout, but the rest of my body felt frozen, my breath stalled in exhale.

Fingers curled around the edge of my door, too thick to be Suzie's. Mike? Was he that stupid? Or just inconsiderate? Maybe they belonged together after all.

"Alyssa?"

My breath whooshed out of my lungs. "I... really don't feel like chatting right now, Gabe."