Fate's Demand (Twisted Fate, Book 3)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"May I help you?" the woman asked, her voice soft and every bit as misleading as her appearance.

"I'm, uh." My eyebrows knitted together, and I looked up and down the hallway, and then back to her and sighed. "I'm lost."

"You're new?"

"Oh, I'm not a student." I laughed and swiped my hand through the air. "My name is Alyssa Frank—Aly, actually—and I'm just here, um, visiting the Brothers. I can't seem to figure out the way back to my room though."

Her gaze changed, became scrutinizing like I imagined I appeared when I searched for truth. Whatever she was looking for wouldn't produce lies. I knew better than to try. So, I held her gaze, waiting, and then she jumped, like the realization that I was being honest shocked her.

A smile replaced her judgemental eye and she beckoned for me to come in. "Close the door behind you. I try to keep myself at a safe distance from the death surrounding the students out there, especially new arrivals." She looked over her shoulder at me and winked. "But you... You aren't dead at all." She waved her hand. "At least, not anymore."

"I'm sorry?"

"What?" She looked up as though surprised and then chuckled under her breath. "Nothing. Don't mind my rambling. Come in."

Okay, that wasn't weird at all. I lifted my eyebrow, darting my gaze between her and the door. Did I really want to be alone with this woman? She was obviously ancient or stressed beyond her years, and I assumed that I probably shouldn't take the way she behaved personally. She looked like the mean teacher from elementary school that always dragged misbehaving children to sit in the hall by their ears.

"Hurry, please."

The door began to close, pushing me out of the way. Any thought of retreating, or saying I suddenly remembered where to go, was stolen. Turning, I found her watching me and it felt like all the air had been sucked from the windowless room. Claustrophobia had never been my thing, but the woman had presence, her floral scent clogging my senses until it felt fused with my skin.

She ran her finger along the edge of the desk as she rounded to the other side, and I could see her watching me out of the corner of her eye with a smile. "So, you are lost, are you?"

"Yes, but I'm sure if you could just give me directions back to my room...?" I pointed over my shoulder, but my voice trailed as she sat, like I'd forgotten what to say.

"I know who you are, Alyssa Frank," she said. Gesturing to the chair across from her, she ignored me. "I knew the moment I saw you."

Confused, I sat down in the black leather chair that matched the one she used behind the large oak desk. I swallowed and leaned forward to rest my elbows on my knees, and asked, "Then how about sharing who you are so we can start on even ground?"

"My name is Lachesis."

Lachesis, Lachesis....

Why did the name sound familiar?

Tilting my head as I tried to recall, I looked around the room. Finally, the switch in my mind clicked onto clarity and my gaze fell back onto the woman. Or was she a Goddess? It was no wonder she looked so ancient! As I realized her identity, I understood her comment about death. When you were in the business of weaving life, Death would be hard to bear. Especially the guilt when that lifeline was snipped.

"So, you're, uh... A Sister of Fate?"

I wanted confirmation or when it came time for me to tell Suzie that I had met a Sister of Fate, she would say it was just who I imagined the woman to be. Transference. Like, because I needed to know why the things in my life happened, I was picturing myself talking to one of the only ones who could explain. Did Lachesis feel guilty over what they'd done to me? I leaned back and folded my arms over my stomach.