Hunter

Chapter Thirty One

Melaine's POV

Sadness. That's what I felt coming from Titus before we walked out of the study. Why was he sad? Where was Kenji taking me? What was going on?

"I didn't want to tell you any of this." Kenji starts as we reach the basement door. He makes no move to open it. He just stands staring at it his back facing me.

"Tell me what?"

"I thought you not knowing would be better for you. Guess I picked up your dad and Xander's habit of hiding the truth from you in the name of keeping you safe." He chuckles bitterly. He turns around and faces me and gives me a sad smile.

"You're scaring me Kenji." I whisper taking a step towards him.

"Titus was right. Ugh, I hate that Titus was right." He laughs.

"Right about what?"

"You need to know the truth, about everything that's going on. It's the only way you'll be able to either move on or move forward. I'm really sorry birdie."

I don't say anything as he takes my hand and opens the door. I hear it then. A heartbeat. It was the one I detected before when I had woken up. I step forward first walking slowly down the stairs. When I reach the bottom and step more into the room I let out a gasp at what I see.

No. No I'm imagining it. I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming. He looks just like him. He looks just like him. Why does he look just like him? I want to step forward. I want to run to him. I want to hold him but I'm frozen still. Fear that this isn't real. That this isn't him. Fear that if I hold him he'll disappear from my arms. That the twisted game of cards I'm playing with life has dealt me some sick set. Like there's a joker hidden in my hand ready to show itself at laugh at me for being so foolish if I allow myself to hope that I'm going to win this game.

"Xander?" His name comes out shaky. It comes out broken. He finally meets my gaze and I know it's him but also not. Those are his eyes. But something is missing in the way he's looking at me.

"He doesn't remember." Kenji's words make me turn to face him. Make me acknowledge that he's in the room with me.

"What do you mean he doesn't remember? What's going on? He's real? I'm not imagining him?" I ask helplessly. My familiar, my best friend, looks at me with so much pain in his gaze. Like my questions are breaking his heart.

"When you and Lucian tried to bring him back, you hadn't failed. It had actually worked. But it just took longer than usual. Your magic was healing years' worth of damage done by Dardanos' spell. So he was in a death like coma. Until he crawled out of his grave and found himself in Rosemore."

"Ximena's other brother." I whispered as the pieces came together in my mind. "It wasn't Carlton."

"No. It wasn't." Kenji says.

The panic starts to sink in. The reality of the situation sinking in. He's been alive this whole time, working with my father. Working with his father. He doesn't remember. Hailey. Oh no, he killed Hailey. He doesn't remember. I need to get out of here.

"Mel?" Kenji questions taking a step towards me. I need air.

"I can't...I can't breathe..." I say feeling my chest cave in.

"Mel!" I hear Kenji shout before everything goes black.

.............................

I'm staring at the wall in my room repeating the conversation I had with Kenji when I came to. Everything he's pieced together. Everything Xerxes has told him. Xerxes. He remembers. But Xander doesn't. He had to watch what was happening knowing Xander would hate himself when he remembered. If he remembered. He had to have watched Xander killing his mother. That's what I can't wrap my head around. If Xerexes remembered, why did he let things go that far? Why didn't he allow Xander to get manipulated? At least I was hoping he got manipulated. Why would he stand back and do nothing?