Fate's Return (Twisted Fate, Book 2)

Chapter Fifty

Reaching out, he grabbed my hand as I pushed it towards his face in an adolescent attempt to emphasize my point and twined our fingers. "Purity doesn't necessarily equate to perfection. Without flaws, you would be a Goddess—above all others. Your soul is true. You don't—or can't—lie. You see the truths and beauties of the world, and you embrace them. So, no. You aren't perfect. It makes you human. Your power and your strength to champion for what's right is what makes you the neutral power."

"What?"

"Okay, um, I'll try using the cliff notes version." He dropped our hands to his lap, refusing to let go even when he leaned forward. "Darkness tried to take you because you're human—that's what Brenan was doing. Even then, your inner light frightened him in its infancy. When Darkness knew about that, they needed you to accept it, and you did." He laughed, leaning back, and shook his head. "Nobody expected what happened, Aly. When you said yes, we thought it would be over, but you're too special to let that happen!"

"Um, thanks?" Special was overrated. I'd rather be normal so that nothing could find a reason to attack me again. Or my family.

He laughed again and squeezed my hand before continuing. "Your light is different. It wasn't created but born. It belongs to your pure soul and not Him. He can't diminish it." Letting go of our connection, he stood and then leaned down to help me up.

I looked at his hand and then tilted my head way back to find his eyes. He smiled and kissed my forehead, and I stared back ahead. "So, when the shadow possessed me, my light killed it? Why didn't it back off when it sensed it as Brenan did?"

"Your light, now that it's no longer shielded after you turned eighteen, hides within your heart. The shadow couldn't sense it until it was too late. Thankfully, it was alone. The other minions of Darkness won't know until it's too late. They all know you killed it with your light but when they don't see it, they'll assume it's gone."

"For what?"

I shifted away and stood, regarding him with suspicion, the memory of a past conversation sighing past my lips. It couldn't be. Yet I knew it was. The right decision at the right time in the right place.

He thought it was me.

"Then what happens next?" I asked before he answered, gesturing with my hands. I needed information in a trickling stream at this point, not a white rapid. Already it felt like too much. My mind just wasn't big enough to fit it all.

"Now, you wake up to where Suzie is waiting to talk. She can help you. If you let her, soon you won't have to dream to come here."

"Suzie?" My eyes widened and I leaned forward, both hands dropping to my side. Why would Suzie...? No.

He nodded. "Don't be so surprised, Aly. She can help you."

I took a step back, narrowing my eyes. "Alyssa."

"What?"

"You never called me Aly, always Alyssa," I told him. It wasn't the first time he'd said it, but the only time I noticed.

"Just keeping you on your toes." He kissed my forehead and stepped back.

Right. Okay. I was paranoid now. Nodding, I swallowed, forcing a smile as I looked up again. "Will I see you again?"

"If you dream of me."

"H-how do I do that?"

"The same as you've always done. You call and I answer." He grinned. "It's always been you who brought us together, even though you never realized it."

I couldn't keep up. I had a thousand more questions, and I hoped he'd answer at least in a direct way instead of making it sound like I already had it or had to 'look inside myself' for some sort of realization. I was seriously starting to feel like I was in some sort of Karate Kid remake. But as I opened my mouth to speak, the scene started to fade as my conscious began to wake up. I didn't have time to think of how I created our dream, and I completely forgot to thank him for saving me.

Blinking, I opened my eyes again to the maroon walls of my room. It comforted me with familiarity. Peace. Safety. Home. It wasn't where I fit in, though. I needed to find a way outside of my dreams back to the place inside them. Back to David and whatever responsibility that I was doomed to bear. I have so many questions.

Rolling over, I looked at my desk and saw Suzie in the chair. She was sleeping, curled into a ball with her hands tucked under her chin and her feet on the seat. Uncharacteristically, she was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt with her hair piled on her head. I squinted the sleep from my eyes and stared at her more closely. She looked devastated. Swollen eyes, messy hair... No make-up?

What happened with Deryk—how did I explain it?

How was she supposed to be able to explain things to me?

Slowly, keeping my eyes on Suzie in case she woke, I pushed the blankets down as soundlessly as I could and stood. Tip-toeing to my closet, I opened the door and gathered running clothes in my arms, and then tip-toed into the hall, casting a final look at Suzie to make sure I didn't wake her up. Eventually, we would have to talk. There was no way I could not talk to her now that she was the one who was supposed to provide answers.

First, I had to wrap my head around all that I'd learned.

Or, as it happened, remembered.