Page 64 of Descent

I wait until she’s letting her hair down, unwinding a bit.

“Who is Fiero Diamante, Circe?”

She stops dead as she enters the room. Her eyes widen a fraction before she checks her response.

“If you know that name, then Ananke must have told you something. He’s…you.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“What answer do you want?”

“The truth. Or as much of it as you have.”

“Look, Ero … we should call Ananke?—”

“No. Not until you tell me.”

“Tell you what? I get it. You’re figuring things out. Remembering things from our life. It happens to me all the time. Ever since my head injury?—”

“What head injury?” He perks up, taking a step towards me.

“I…it happened a couple of years ago?—”

“Then when were we married? When did we have kids?”

“I don’t know, Ero. Ananke promised me treatment to fix?—”

“When was I with my brothers? When did Alessandro go into hiding, then die?” I’m rambling, raging. The tidbits of the tapestry that I can see trying to cover the blank space between.

“We’ve been together for months, Ero. Before that, you were healing. For months. After my recovery, I started working for Ananke. I tracked you down and found you right before all of this.”

“That math doesn’t work. None of this makes sense. Why can’t I find any clues about my family? About yours?”

“I don’t know!” she screams, grabbing at her hair.

“Remember!” I yell, slamming my palms down on the table.

“I can’t!” Circe snarls, turning away. “I don’t want to!”

“Why not?!”

“Because ithurts. Because I like things the way that are between us. It’s easier that way.”

“Easier? Maybe. But not better. Not whole.”

“When have we ever been whole? I might not remember much, but I know who I am. I know who you are. We’ve done terrible things, Ero. Lived through terrible things. Can’t we just be together now and try to make a life?”

“What kind of life would it be?”

“One where we havesomeone.”

“Then let’s leave. Together.”

“We can’t. I can’t. I owe Ananke that much at least. To see this through.” Tears well at her eyes. I hate them and the pain behind them. “Please. I need you to have my back, Ero.”

“I do. But you don’t have mine. Youbelongto her.”

“We both do! Everything we have she gave us. We have to believe that it meant something.”

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