Fate and Destiny (The Fated Series, #2)

Chapter 37 - Darius - The Soulless Man

"He took her memory again two days ago. She doesn't remember any of you. She doesn't even remember her own name."

Again and again, Hira's words echo in my head. I pull them apart and then put them back together, trying to understand what all of this means.

Nothing.

This means nothing. We're still going to save her. We're going to get her back and we're going to find a way to undo what has been done. Clare was the one who taught me how to hope – how to really hope – and so I'll hope that there's still a small piece of her in there. I'll hope that she's not gone and that she hasn't forgotten everything as Hira says. Hira may be a Sitara, but she's no Siscilla. We'll get Clare to Siscilla, and then we'll go from there. I'm not going to give up on her, not when I've just gotten so close to getting her back.

"Where is she now?" Hira looks at me like I completely missed the part where she tried telling me that Clare wasn't worth saving.

"She-she's in her cell, but I can't take you there. There are too many people between my cell and hers-"

"Not to mention that Xaxias will likely sense anyone who gets close enough to her," Gretel adds.

"I don't want to save her today. I know the risks, I know what traps could be laid out for us. I just want to know where she is, how many people surround her, and anything else that might help us in figuring out a way to get her out."

"Darius-"

"You of all people should know how much planning needs to go into this for it to work," I say, standing and turning to face Arthur.

"I do. Which is why we need to leave."

"What?" We all say at the same time.

"Gretel is right. Xaxias wouldn't let anyone get close enough to get her back without him knowing about it. As much as I trust Víđarr – who isn't here right now-"

"He's with her."

"What?" I turn back around to Hira who's still sitting on the ground with the wolf's head in her lap. The comfort between both of them is amazing to me. She points to the ground in front of her, and I read the message made of water.

Víđarr is the only one who can relieve her of her pain.

She's safe.

"Happy as I am to hear it," Arthur responds. "That still doesn't dismiss the fact that Xaxias could very well sense us down here if he hasn't already. We should go before he can get the chance to."

"But-"

"He's right," Aracely agrees, cutting off Hira. "You should get back before they realize you're gone."

"We'll only send one person to meet with you from now on, that way there will be less of a chance that he finds out," Arthur decides, his eyes gleaming in the way that tells me he's already putting together a plan. That means that one person won't be me. He's bound to feel my power if I'm too close.

"How will you know when to meet me?" Hira asks. "Kallisté says that Víđarr won't be leaving your Waterlily alone until she's out and somewhere safe." I try not to flinch at the name, but my body betrays me. Hira said that Clare told her everything about us so that she wouldn't forget again, I just didn't expect that.

"Then we'll have people taking turns staying down here to keep each other updated. I'll see what I can do about keeping you all from being detected," Aracely says to the rest of them.

Hira's brows divet toward their center in confusion. "What do you mean? How can you keep them from being detected?"

"That's a long story that we don't have the time to tell," Alex answers gently.