Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Nora's POV

I made my way following his lead as he led me through a well-known passage. I really wished that he would hide himself—I didn't want to be seen with him anywhere. But as it happened, soon enough it wasn't necessary because we came down to the basement.

"Basement. So much secrecy once again," I told myself as I started to make up my mind whether I wanted to continue this journey with him or not. I didn't really feel like it any longer; he was simply a bit too suspicious for my liking. But I was already here, giving myself the excuse that the basement was still part of the palace, even though it felt quite removed.

I followed, and soon enough I got to meet the priestess after going through what seemed like a maze. She was seated before a hearth of fire and looking straight at it as if trying to decipher what the flames were saying. I frowned at her—why was she acting like this now, and why couldn't she just act like a normal person?

She smiled at me. "I had to call you. Took quite a long while," she said.

"That's because he is a bit too annoying and cryptic," I told her in response. "I really don't like what's going on here between all of us," I continued. "Why don't you just reveal yourself to me entirely and let all this secrecy out the window?"

I frowned at her. "I know your name." She looked at me sharply. "Lola," I said once again, watching her expression carefully. By saying it immediately, I believed that I would catch her off guard, and if it actually wasn't her name, then I was going to read her expression.

She was frowning now. "I don't know why you would think so," she questioned with a calm expression.

I faced Tony in my anger as I turned to look at the guy that had called me out. My eyes blazed. He had his answer.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I don't know her name either. Trust me, I just needed to say anything to get you here."

I could hardly believe my ears, and as I looked at him, my eyes flashing, I realized he had indeed lied to me. I made up my mind that I would never come for these daily meetings again. Not any longer. I gained absolutely nothing from them in the first place, so why was I even bothering myself with coming here?

The priestess looked at me and laughed. "You are somehow cute when you are angry," she said to me.

I looked at her, my eyes flashing even more. Did she think this expression was cute? Because if she did, then I was really going to punch her in the face. However, she was a bit better for me to manage than the guy that she always sent to call me. I made up my mind that I could manage her for as long as I needed her. After all, she seemed to have some sort of interest in helping, and she said we could help each other.

"Do you want to know why you couldn't simply remember your way around?" she asked me. My eyes widened—how long had she known that I had this problem? And did she have a solution? If she had a solution, then why hadn't she told me in the first place?

"You're not supposed to be here, and it took a lot of trouble for you to be transported from all this distance," she said.

"So someone brought me here?" I asked her in disbelief.

"Anyway, what's the solution?" I continued, ignoring what she had said and deciding to focus on what I could gain from this.

"Yes," she said. "You would remember everything of the previous Nora, but it needs to be a ritual," she continued. "And there need to be a lot of tools to carry it out."

I frowned. "I'm not up for anything," I told her. "I have already been able to access some memories on my own."

"You could have a much better life if you let me help," she told me. "I can do the ritual for you, and all your memories will be intact. It'll be as if you never left. You'd have everything from your whole life, complete memory and practice, as if you just lived them yesterday," she told me.

"Like I told you, I'm not interested," I said, turning around rudely. I looked at the guy and then frowned at her. "If you ever send him to call me again, I'll have him thrown in the dungeon," I threatened before making my way out altogether.

It took me about another hour or so to get back to my room from the basement because the guy didn't follow me anymore to help guide my way. I was sure he didn't follow because I had threatened him, and I found it better to travel alone even though I was lost.

I climbed out of the basement finally, panting heavily after this tough exercise.

"Where have you been?" Alexander asked, walking up to me as if he had been waiting. He had a frown on his face as he looked at me.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked. "Where are you coming from? I've been looking for you."

"Why couldn't you send servants to look for me?" I asked in return, frowning at his words and wondering why he would be looking for me all over the place.

"I did," he said. "I just couldn't find you," he told me. I frowned but didn't say anything, waiting for him to tell me why he had been looking for me.

"We have a meeting," he said, eyeing me. "With the elders."

"Meeting with who? Where? How?" I asked him.

"Isn't that too many questions?" he said in response, clicking his tongue in irritation. "You will know when we get there. Just be ready," he said, turning up his nose in distaste at my appearance.

I frowned at him, not appreciating how he looked at me, but I decided not to take it too seriously because it was rather inconsequential. He was the Alpha, and if he wanted me ready for some kind of meeting, I would do what I needed to ensure that I was prepared when the time came.

"I'll be ready by five o'clock," I said. I didn't like the timing, and I didn't like the way he spoke to me because he just wasn't being nice, but I acquiesced as I was told, making up my mind that maybe it would pay off in the end.

I didn't know what the chances were, but I decided to trust that at the end of this, I would have more connections and memories to work with so that I could solidify my position here. Since that was my major goal now—people seemed to be starting to distrust me, and I couldn't blame them either. I was acting a bit too weird, so it was understandable that they would react in such a manner towards me.

In reaction, I simply needed to get my memories back and start acting like the previous Nora. However, I knew one thing for sure: the previous might be an easy task, but the latter I might not be able to follow through with. I thought about the deal I had made with the girl I could only call Lola, even though that wasn't her name. I had rejected it, but maybe it might have proven useful this time around.

What was it she said about me? Not crossing over smoothly, and which was why my memories weren't so intact? I tried to figure it out, but I really couldn't, for the life of me, understand. Maybe I should stop treating her like such an enemy and just get used to her methods so that I could progress quickly here, with all the tiny crises that always seemed to be taking place every single minute of the day with these people.

I contemplated that option carefully before deciding that I would simply go with the flow. However it happened, I would go with it until it was over, and hopefully it would end up well for me. But I wouldn't change towards her, and I would just keep on reacting to what happened to me in my most intuitive way. It was probably not the best idea—I should have a plan so that things would work out for me in the end, but it was too stressful for me.

I was still thinking when Alexander spoke, his voice sharp. "What are you still doing here? Why are you just standing and staring?" he questioned.

I snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice, looking at him in shock. Oh, I really was still here, just as he had accused me. Looking at the man who was glaring at me now like he would like to strangle me or something, especially after the scene in the basement, I knew that I was indeed stalling. I could understand his wrath if that was really the case.

I smiled sheepishly. "Of course, I'm going right now," I told him before making my way out, hoping he wouldn't remain annoyed at me. He was one ally that I shouldn't really get angry at me right now, not with how things could spiral out of control quickly.

He looked at me with a frown on his face as he spoke suddenly. "Where is your phone? I was calling you when I was looking for you," he said. "I didn't get a response."

I opened my mouth to say something, not sure what the excuse would be but trusting that I would come up with something tangible. But as it happened, the time didn't even have to come.

"Oh, just forget about it," he said. "Go and prepare. It's already late, and if you're not ready well... let's just say things will be rough and difficult."