Fate's Demand (Twisted Fate, Book 3)

Chapter Forty

For two hours after waking, I waited for Mike and Gabe to return.

I paced, jogged in place, and sat on the floor in front of the door to the administrator's office until my bottom turned numb. Thoughts I couldn't turn off bombarded my mind. It wasn't just what they hadn't told me. Everyone who passed wanted to know what I was doing, and I had no idea what to say as every answer I had made me seem inadequate. Even those who didn't speak stared, their eyes filled with curiosity.

No matter what I did, time dragged.

Every question I fielded made it more apparent that I didn't know nearly enough.

Finally, once Gabe and Mike arrived, my fuse was lit and just a few ticks away from detonation. I wanted to jump up but struggled to my feet, my legs a pinprick away from being completely asleep after keeping them crossed for so long below the weight of my body.

"Why did you go to the Sisters and why didn't you tell me about the time difference?" I yelled the moment Mike and Gabe rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, and they looked up.

I didn't care that everyone heard and that those who couldn't see me ran to witness whatever bitch-out I had planned now. How dare Mike and Gabe be laughing? Were they having fun while I was waiting? Concocting a new way to hide information so that it wasn't lies? Their guilt was clear in their disappearing smiles and shadowed eyes full of veiled emotion. The truth is in the eyes.

"Aly, what are you doing here?" Mike asked.

"Waiting for you." I crossed my arms as they stopped a foot away from where I stood. Feeling began to return to my legs. "Answer the questions."

"Maybe we should go into the office?" Gabe suggested, looking past my shoulders to the gathering crowd.

"No." I shook my head and blocked the silent audience out. "Not unless you answer me."

"We planned on turning back the hours, Alyssa," he said. "There was no need to tell you."

"So, it's okay that my parents are going out of their minds worrying about me because you planned on turning back the hours?" I scoffed. "And the Sisters?" I persisted, glaring at Gabe for his half-answer. Didn't have to tell me? Huh! "Why did you go to them?"

"Aly—"

"No, Mike. I'm asking Gabe. He's in charge," I said and darted my eyes at him in warning before refocusing on Gabe. "Why did you go to the Sisters?"

Gabe shook his head and looked down to the floor. "Alyssa—"

"Why?" I shouted. "Why? Why? Why? Just tell me why!"

"We can't!" Mike burst, and then clamped his mouth shut.

"I'm sorry, Alyssa, but Mike's right," Gabe said softly. "We can't share why we went to the Sisters with you."

"Oh, shut up, Gabe. You're freaking angels! I'm pretty sure you can say whatever you want, and this is just an excuse you've concocted to keep me in the dark. I mean, you can't not hold something over me in order to keep me here, can you? Is it so hard to believe that if you were honest with me, I might want to stay?"

Neither of them said anything. I guessed that I should be happy with the fact that they couldn't lie. At least that meant they weren't outright denying they'd gone and that it had been for a reason. Still, they didn't know I had options and that Deryk presented an offer to help me escape the confines of this realm. Not only had he offered, he was waiting with the means to facilitate that promise.

Exhaling, I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. "Who's Renalda?" I asked, shifting my weight, and looked between them from below hooded lids.

"What?" Gabe and Mike asked in unison.