Neither Gods Nor Devils ~ a WyrderWorld Short Story Collection

A Lost Pack - Part 3

We are sitting in a café, bitter coffee scent and sweet autumn spices fill my lungs with warmth like a friendly puppy. Mr E sips his tea, poorly brewed in the barista's machine but, he declared, better than the "crime against café culture" that I'd chosen.

He is outlining the process, it is simple, really. We just uncover the spell I cast and reverse it. Just. I can't concentrate, my life has been a lie from that moment to now, why?

Back in his shop, sign turned to closed. He indicates a couch, draped in sapphire blue so dark I had thought it was black. I tease.

"Couldn't get one to match the door?"

"I know, it's a bit bright for my liking," he appears perfectly serious. "but it was a gift from my grandfather, steeped in dream magic. Which we'll be using now. Lay down."

For a moment I wonder if I'm taking too big a risk, being alone with this man I've never met before.

"Don't worry," he says, catching the concern across my face, "I won't touch you."

I lay down and immediately my eyelids grow heavy and I can't stay awake. I'm falling. Down and down. And Evan Evan's voice follows me, so soft...

"Deeper and deeper you go." it says, "hold that desire to know what happened. Allow it to pull you deeper and deeper until you find yourself nearing a bright light. Go to it. Dive into the light of your hidden memory."

There is a light below me.

I'm falling.

It engulfs me like sun-warmed water and I...

"I can't believe you!" the fae shouts. We're fighting, in a park, my three sisters and I. "We're a Coven, a team! You can't leave us!"

"I have to." the death-witch says, her name, Anna, rises in my memory, "no where else offers the scholarship and ancient scandinavian studies and"

"and your precious studies are more important than us, we know." Our goth-girl ("call me Dru") rolls her eyes.

"You know that's not it." Anna sighs. We do know, but it still hurts.

Seren is crying. Welsh Fae, I remember...

"Yes yes, you have to find him." I hear my own voice, "there's always a him."

"But this time it's different, Gefyn, you know that. He's family."

"And so are we!" I turn on her, "We promised to protect each other, we swore an oath! He chose to walk away, into the past. You go too, we may as well all forget what we have!"

As the words fall from my lips I feel the power rise, answering the vehemence in my statement. My eyes go wide and I clamp my hands over my mouth, trying to force the spell back...

"No, no no..."

It's too late.

A moment later, we look at each other, confused, not sure who we're seeing, not sure why we're upset. Catching each others' eyes and nodding in apology at crossing paths with a stranger as we each walk away.

Anna, Dru, Seren, and me. A pack no longer. A coven forgotten. 

But I remember now why Seren was so scared about Anna leaving. As a changeling, as fae, she was such a long way from home and she relied on our magic together to not fade, and not be caught. We'd promised to help her stay, to not return to the land of illusion. If I'd forgotten what I was, well, then there was every chance that she had forgotten to hide herself, and her King would be on his way to fetch her home.