Forgotten Fates

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Alice

We all pile into Eli's SUV, Tristan driving since he knows the way, and Elijah in the passenger seat. Cole and Paige are in the very back in their own little world. And Finn, Tyler, and I take up the middle row. Them sandwiching me in on either side. All nice and cozy despite all the fighting and near death experiences that have happened today. At least I had Tyler with me now. Finn was nervous about leaving Zoey alone, but Tristan insisted that Ty needed to be with us when we went. Which I thought was weird, but when I asked him why, to no one's surprise I didn't get an answer.

"You'll just have to rely on your twin spidey sense for a few hours," Tristan tells him, "But Callie already attacked once today. I doubt she will try again so soon. Now that she is certain the siren call won't hold you, she will be looking for other ways to get to Alice," he adds in a rare gentle voice to try and ease Finn's worries.

I see Elijah turn in his seat to glare at Finn, and I know he hasn't forgotten the reason why my ex was able to resist being controlled. True love.

"I have a question," Finn says to me. "Why didn't you stop me, Alice?"

"I knew you could resist it," I shrug.

"But look at how much damage I did before that happened. You could have easily stopped me. So, why didn't you?"

"I couldn't hurt you," I say softly, "And I knew deep down that you wouldn't hurt me either.

"But you were wrong. Because I did."

"Except that I'm fine," I remind him. "You stopped yourself before you did any permeant damage."

"How far is this place?" Eli growls. He clearly wasn't loving the conversation Finn and I were having.

"About an hour north of here," Tristan replies.

"Won't that put us in Washington?" I ask, but the only response I get is a glance from him in the review mirror.

"It's going to be fine, Ali-cat," Tyler says. "Stop worrying so much."

"I'm not worried," I tell him.

"Tyler's right you need to stop worrying so much," Finn echoes, shocking me.

"How did you hear what he said?" I ask.

"I didn't," he smirks, "But based on the way you are peeling off a layer of skin from your bottom lip right now, and your response to him, it wasn't hard to guess."

Tyler starts laughing next to me, "He knows you too well, Alice."

"I don't like you two ganging up on me right now," I pout and cross my arms over my chest, which causes Finn to burst out laughing, too.

Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω

About an hour later, as promised, we are pulling up to

the little one story stone house with the blue door. We had to take a small one lane dirt path to get to it, and it is surrounded by tall trees on all sides, blocking it from any other homes or building that could be nearby.

"Yep, this is it!" Paige exclaims after Tyler moves his seat to let her out.

"Alice," Tristan say stopping me from joining the others, "It's not too late to go back."

"But you said this person is the only one who can break the bind. It's the only way to get back our memories and be at full power."

"Just let me and the others go, okay," he pleads, unable to meet my eyes, "You can wait in the car."

"What aren't you telling me?" I reach out to touch him, but he jumps back so fast he almost falls. "What the hell was that about?"

"Nothing. You just startled me is all."

"You were afraid I would accidently see something, weren't you? Something you are thinking about right now."

He comes up to grip both of my arms with his hands. "See. Nothing," he says. But I'm not buying it. I know he can just as easily control himself from accidently letting me in.

Stepping around him I head up the path that leads to the house, but he just teleports to stand in front of the door, blocking it from my view. "Really?"

He doesn't respond and instead moves to the side and knocks, but he never once takes his eyes off me. His face looks like he is scared or in pain. Possibly both. I feel my stomach sink, knowing that his expression is because of me. He is scared and in pain for me.

The door opens and a smiling, older woman with auburn hair and blue eyes smiles at us. But at soon has her eyes land on my face her smile is gone.

We both stare at each other saying nothing, and I feel like I am in shock Until I feel Elijah reach out to touch my shoulder. But I still don't remove my gaze from the witch.

"Alice? Do you know her?" he asks.

I gulp down the lump in my throat. "You could say that," I whisper.

"Who is this?" he asks cautiously.

"She's my mother."