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An ethereal glow surrounded the fe a slender woman who stood taller than me Lilies adorned the brown hair that had been piled atop her head in an intricate maze of braids A sheer white dress covered her body and left very little to the iination I felt I should look away but couldn’t She was almost painfully beautiful--unreal

A faint smile appeared "Hello, Aiden" Her voice was a symphony, and I started to bow, but she stopped me with a raised hand "That is not necessary Unlike my brothers and sisters, I do not have a taste for formalities"

It took me a few moments to find my voice "You’re one of the Moirae… one of the Fates"

"I am Clotho"

Fear formed a cold, hard ball in the center ofthe thread of huods could be saved or put to death I glanced over od-like creatures, too? I h was soft and melodious "I am not here to harm her, and even if I were, I cannot cut her thread Neither can Atropos"

Relieved by that piece of inforoddess "Why are you here?"

"I’ve been watching you and her" She stepped to the side Sunlight broke through the branches, cutting across her bare shoulder and over her dress The material shimmered "It pains you to see her like this, I know You love her so"

I saw no reason, no point, in lying to a goddess of Fate "More than anything in this world, and without her" Clearing my throat, I looked away I couldn’t finish the sentence, let alone the thought

"Going on would be like existing with a piece of you ain "Your threads are intertwined Not byNow I understood Alex’s frustration when she’d spoken to the oracle I openedslid over my skin like thick oil "She was Fated to be with Seth, wasn’t she?"

She looked at me and her smile faded "She was, but Fate has many plans for her"

"What will happen to her?" I asked before I could stopa Fate that kind of question equaled poor social skills

"You do not ask for yourself?"

Sure, curiosity was there, but my fate didn’t matter I shook my head

Her brows rose "Most would not pass up a chance to learn their fate, but I cannot tell you what lies in wait for your Alexandria Sos are even unknown to us"

Disappoint its way aroundI turned back to Alex She atching us, eyes wide and hands stilled over the petals

"It’s okay," I called out to her

Alex didn’t athered all her torn petals, tossing them one by one into the creek

Clotho watched Alex too "Their threads are intertwined closely--the First’s and hers"

My hands clenched "And there’s no way that can be undone?"

She tilted her head "No Just like yours cannot be undone Fate is fate, you see, but there is one thing we do not take into consideration e spin the threads of life, not even e cut it"

Part of me didn’t expect an answer, but I asked, "What is that?"

"Love We do not take love into consideration"

I looked at her "Seriously?"

She laughed and it carried on the breeze "Love is such a wild and reckless creature It cannot be planned or threaded It cannot be controlled Love can coexist with Fate, or it can undo it Love is the only thing more powerful than Fate"

The words were slow to sink in as I stared at the goddess Was this why the goddess had made such a surprise visit?

Her white eyes burned and hummed with electricity "You want to kno to break the connection?"

My breath caught "Yes"

Sy forward, she placed a sod or person who can break their connection, but there is still hope" She dropped her hand and stepped back, nodding "There is the heart, Aiden There is love, which means there is always hope"

Then Clotho shi as if my nerves were exposed, I stalked around the fallen branches and overturned trees Reaching Alex’s side, I realized I was holdinginside ether

Alex turned to old was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking I really looked into the the trust that had always been there, devotion and love buried deep inside her No bond--no connection--could fully extinguish that It hy she’d hadn’t destroyed the necklace I’d made her

There was still hope

Clotho had said that love was stronger than Fate Was that really the anse’d been searching for? Love--our love for one another?

Then I remembered what Alex had said to me "I won’t lose myself, because… well, how I feel about you, it would never let otten that I’d believed that she’d forgotten who she was, but in reality none of us, especiallyhope that saw people through the tough stuff Granted, this wasn’t the ordinary tough stuff that most couples faced

And what had I told her then? "I’d never let you forget who you are"

Lowering her lashes, she opened her hand and the rest of the petals fell froround like thin, torn pieces of paper "It’s beautiful here… and quiet Can we stay for a little while longer?"