Aolani and I were in the house when Eric came in. The others
were out getting ready for the new adventures and giving us time to talk to
Eric. We had met with Niall Brigante and the Britlingen, Batanya and Clovach. What
they had to say was not good.
The gist of it was, Fairy was in danger in this world, being
able to read Vampire minds and all and Lina and Linzy were in trouble because
when they hooked up with Eric, they broke some sort of law in the strict
Britlingen world in Tir Na Mban, and that is where they had been taken. We had
to break this to Eric of course and he was not going to be a happy camper. I
had called our other Vampires to give them the heads up and to tell them to
stay away. Of course Bill was not happy to do this, he was worried what Eric’s
reaction might be.
The worst thing about all this was Eric never had the chance
to say goodbye. Niall and Batanya and Clovach had insisted they go right now,
Fairy to faerie where she would be accepted as a member of the tribe of sky
people and Lina and Linzy would be off back to Tir Na Mban. There was of course
the resistance, but Niall and the Britlingens used whatever powers they had and
they erased their memories of the time they spent with their Viking. They would
never remember how they had loved him and how he had loved them. Eric however
would, unless Aolani and I could do something about that.
Using magik against a magikal creature, and Vampires were
indeed magik, was tricky and what with Eric’s experiences with the witches in
the last adventures and his adventures this winter, he was a little scared of
witches and their powers. He should be, they had done a number on him. So
Aolani and I called on the Ancient Pythoness and she sent us something that
might help us. The Waters of Lethe, the waters of forgetfulness. Now Vampires
can’t drink anything but blood, but we could wipe his face down with the water
and it would destroy his memories of his supernatural wives.
We had everything ready when the Viking came in. “Where is
everyone?”
“They are out, running errands for us. Sit down Eric, Aolani
and I have to talk to you,” I said.
“Is everything well, is there anything wrong?” he asked.
“We have to tell you something, about Fairy and Linzy and
Lina,” I said.
“Are they hurt, I have not been able to contact them,” said
Eric.
“No, they are very safe,” said Aolani.
“What is wrong, tell me now,” he said, his voice was sharp
and terse.
“We need you to be really really calm and listen to us,”
said Aolani.
“Tell me,” he said, looking at me. He was trying to lay down
his whammy but I was pushing him out of my head.
“You don’t have to glamour me, Eric, I will tell you,” I
said. “Fairy has gone to faerie with Niall.”
“Good, she should know about her people,” said Eric.
“And Lina and Linzy are gone to Tir Na Mban,” said Aolani.
“They did not tell me they were going to Tir Na Mban,” he
said.
“Eric, they aren’t coming back,” I said. Eric turned and
looked at me sharply.
“What do you mean?” he growled.
“Calm down,” I said. “Please Eric, be calm.”
“Tell me!!!” he said bellowing out the two words.
“Niall decided that since Fairy could not only read the
minds of humans but of Vampires, she should not stay here, on this plane, that
she should go to faerie to live. He said it would safer for her,” I said.
“And Lina and Linzy were sent back to Tir Na Mban because
they broke some serious rules when they got involved with you. Apparently,
Britlingen cannot make love bonds with Vampires, even though their blood is
essentially human,” said Aolani.
“But…I did not get to say good bye to them, to hold them, to
kiss them,” said Eric. “They must be so hurt.”
“Eric, they aren’t going to remember you, or their time on
this plane or any of us,” said Aolani. Eric stood up.
“You have to open a portal, I have to go for Fairy,” said
Eric.
“No, Niall will not allow you or any Vampire in faerie,” I
said. “It would be dangerous for you and dangerous for them, they would not
know you, they would attack you.”
Eric was enraged, and you didn’t need to be an empath to
feel that. He screamed in a way that chilled my blood but not in a fearful way,
but in a way that was full of pain. Red tears ran down his face and he sobbed
aloud. Aolani went to him and embraced him. “It is okay,” she said, soothingly.
“How can you say that Aolani, they are gone, they don’t
remember me, they don’t remember you,” he said.
“Eric, Aslinn and I can help you forget as well,” she
offered. “If you will let us. It will be better if you let us do it, but we
plan to do it against your will. Anything to end the pain you feel.”
“No, you can’t take my memories,” he said.
“Very well, you are forcing us to do this,” I said. Aolani
and I stood and began to chant the binding spell. Eric was upset he could not
get up fast enough to escape us and he was bound where he sat.
“Please, don’t take my memories away,” he said, crying. “Please,
they are all I have.”
“We have to, you won’t even remember we did this to you,” I
said, stroking his hair.
“They all know don’t they?” asked Eric. “That is why they
are not here.”
“Yes, they all know,” I said. Aolani went and got the bowl
of Lethe and our clean cloths and we wet them in the bowl. “It won’t hurt Eric,
we promise, you will be okay.”
“Please don’t,” he whispered.
“It is for your own good, Viking,” I said. Aolani and began
to wipe his face, first wiping away the tears then just anointing his face. We
chanted a spell for peace and calm and Eric’s face became smooth and relaxed.
Finally his eyes closed.
“When you open your eyes, Eric, you won’t remember a thing,”
said Aolani.
“I am glad that is over,” I said.
“Yeah, I am glad it worked for the others as well. At least
the waters were undetected when we gave them their drinks today,” she said. "Doing this on the other Vampires was tricky though, at least they won't remember us doing it."
“Well, I guess we need to do the same thing, then,” I said.
We got up and went into the kitchen. Aolani poured us each a shot glass of
Lethe.
“To absent friends,” I said.
“And new beginnings,” said Aolani.
