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Word count: 1657

~Faye

"Perfect."

My eyes are narrowed on T's back, unsure of his intentions. Sure, he's explained this to me, but I can hardly grasp the necessity of it. He asked for a space of clarity, that was open enough for him to get into his own head. I took him to an area my mother used to take me, when I had childlike energy I could waste in this endless field.

T settles in the grass. I wander over and sit in front of him, curious about what this process is. Essentially, he is attempting to contact Thought first hand. So we can figure out who is messing with my head.

"This environment is perfect," T murmurs, grasping my hands. "I should be able to channel him directly.

I nod. I'm curious to see how this will take place.

T's eyes settle closed, and his body seems to expel all air. Concentration seems to drape over him, slumping his shoulders, creasing the skin between his eyebrows. I don't dare say a word while this is happening. I don't even breathe for a few moments, not wanting to disturb the process.

And then, he straightens in one fluid motion. His eyes then open, but it's not T's eyes I'm staring at. The darkness in his eyes are still there, familiar as ever. But a brilliant metallic silver ring surrounds his irise.

Immediately, I knew that T was gone.

"Are you Thought?" I ask gently. He doesn't look malicious, his expression blank and impassive. He stares at me though, unrelenting.

"I've been waiting to speak to you for awhile," he says slowly.

I almost flinch hearing him talk. He sounds exactly like T, considering he's only inside his mind. But there is something cold and detached. I have to remember that T told me that Thought is the better of the two. But at the end of the day, he is still an immortal, and they are trickiest in existence. No one truly knows their intentions.

"We have a lot to talk about, don't we," I say. My voice quivers slightly. I wasn't expecting to speak to him. I thought T would be dealing with this.

"Indeed we do," he says gently. He is clearly trying not to scare me. "Where shall we start?"

Great question. I have a few ideas.

"Shall we start with why you're inside my mate's mind?" I question.

I had been wanting to ask T, but time had not been on our side. Hopefully Thought will be honest on me, and not twist events into my mind to make everything seem calmer than it is. I'm not even sure of the extent of his power. Not when he is trapped inside T's mind, anyway.

"Absolutely. I didn't ask for any of this. Time is using T's body to get close to Fate. Fate despises him, and since T is Fate's brother, he is the perfect subject. Since Time is my twin brother, the spell that cast him into T's mind dragged me in too. But there is something else. Time has gotten what he wants from Fate. But to escape, he has to regain the powers he had gifted to someone else for a small amount of time. However, I cannot speak of that to you," Thought tells me.

My jaw goes slack. "That's it? You're going to tell me that and not continue?"

He nods, suddenly leaning forward to grasp my hands. I try to flinch away, his skin ice cold and missing the spark that usually follows from T's touch. However, his grip on me is tight, his gaze never leaving mine.

"That's not important. Right now, we need to talk about who you are. What has been kept from you," Thought tells me desperately.

My forehead creases. "Okay, explain."

"We all know your mother and father did not murder your twin sister out of fear her sickness would spread to you. She was sacrificed. Fo you. You are special, and they needed that. They were selfish and disturbed, which everyone was aware of. Aside from you, of course," Thought tells me.

Of course I didn't know my parents. They are strangers to me now. I admired them both for my entire life, and after this news has arised, I have nothing but burning hatred from them.

"I'm not special. Yes, I speak to the Moon Goddess, or at least I used to. But other than that, there is nothing different about me," I tell him honestly. '

"Well, that's where you're wrong."

I don't say anything, waiting for him to continue. I've blocked out the entire environment around us, concentrating on the glittering ring around his eyes. Any second it could disappear, and I would lose all contact with Thought. I need as much out of him as I can possibly get.

"You see, you're one of us," he tells me. My eyes widen. "Perhaps not on the same tier of immortality as Fate, or me, for example. But you are part of the Seven Virtues."

Not many people know of the Seven Sins or the Seven Virtues. They keep to themselves, but their existence is the reason why mortals are the way they are. There names are something I'm not familiar with, which I am grateful for. The Sins, at least, are the most frightful of the few. The Virtues, I don't mind so much.

"I'm definitely not a Virtue. I am not the Moon's offspring," I tell him securely. I know that for a fact. If I was, I would know my other siblings.

"Yet you are. Your parents struck a bargain with the Moon. That gave you immortality in exchange for your sisters life. Unfortunately for them, they did not live long enough to see you make any difference. Well, aside from the small amount of power you play around with," Thought explains.

I shake my head dismissively. "The Moon Goddess gave me that."

"No. She was protecting you. You are Temperance. You might as well get used to it. You have come of age now. You cannot ignore the fact that your aging will cease from now on," Thought tells me securely.

I'm overwhelmed. No part of me can come to terms with me being a Virtue. Temperance. That's not me, it can't be. Shouldn't I be able to feel something different? Shouldn't have bigger powers, and a bigger influence over the entirety of all mortals?

"You need to explain this to me more," I tell him urgently. "I'm lost."

But he shakes his head. "I need to go. You will figure this out, I know you will. You're smart, and powerful. Everything will work out for you in the end.

"No!"

I reach for him, grabbing his hand. But the ring around his eyes vanishes, and warmth builds under his skin. And the sparks, they return. And I'm back with T again, Thought having slipped into the back of his mind.

T breathes in deeply, blinking a few times. "I did not expect that to happen."

"Could you hear what he was saying?" I ask him, still quivering slightly from the news I had received. "About me being Temperance? That was a lie, wasn't it."

T looks grim. "I'm not sure. I mean, it wouldn't surprise me. I know you have magic, and you are surely special. And don't look so worried. Thought knows what he is talking about, and has been wanting to relay information to you for awhile. I had no idea it would be something like that."

I fall back into the grass, letting all my limbs go weak. I'm lost in my own head. If he is true, my mother and father are crueler than I could have ever imagined. Not that I'm particularly surprised by this. I hate them both.

T comes to lay beside me, reaching out to grasp my hand. When he turns his head to look at me, I don't do the same. Instead, I stare up at the cloudless sky, admiring the blue through my thoughts.

"You're brave, my lovely mate," he breathes.

I close my eyes. "I don't know what to do anymore. Everything is going wrong. Alden surely hates me. Cal is out there somewhere. Someone in my head wants me dead. I'm apparently an immortal. And you have two immortals in your head who won't get out."

He brushes closer, until his shoulder is pressed against mine. "Faye, it's okay. You have me, your mate. I will make sure that nothing bad happens to you. Never."

Finally, I turn my head. We are closer than I thought, his lips impossibly close to mine without even touching them. He's patiently waiting for me to make the first move, and I do, reaching forward enough so our lips touch.

And it is so much better out of a dream.

They are softer than I remember. Warmer and even more gentle. His skillful precision with the movements of his lips is mesmerizing. How could I ever imagine pulling away? Luckily he isn't considering that, pulling me closer against his body. And I do the same, wrapping one arm around him, my other hand delving into the softness of his hair.

And just for those few blissful moments, the tender kiss of my mate blocks out the reality of what may come.

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~Midika 💜🐼