“So, you guys heard that,” Alix said. “Once again we’re waiting for answers.”
Ben and Shay could both hear the frustration in her voice.
“I know this is driving you crazy my little control freak,” Shay said to Alix. “Since there doesn’t seem to be anything for us to do right now why don’t we go to the kitchen and you can bake me something. I mean bake us something.”
Alix had to laugh. Trust Shay to lighten the mood.
“Okay fine,” Alix said smiling. “What do you want me to make?”
“Brownies,” Ben said at the same time Shay said, “Cookies.”
Alix laughed again. “Why don’t we see if there’s a recipe for brownie cookies?”
“I’m on it,” Shay said getting out her phone.
Baking was just what Alix needed to relax. Once her mom and dad got home, she felt even better. The rest of the evening was spent watching TV and reading.
Chapter 36
Alix woke up gasping for air. She’d had the same dream as the night before except this time when she reached for the coin, she lost the ability to breathe underwater. She looked at the clock, it was the middle of the night. Since she wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep right away, she turned on her bedside light and checked her phone. There was a text from Ruth.
Ruth: Alix I’m at Fox Hollow with Gordon. No news on James or Lucie yet.
She was relieved that Ruth was alright, but her dream was bothering her. She decided to look at the pictures of the coin again. She got the folder off her desk and took it back to her bed. She sat cross-legged and started studying the pictures. Somehow the coin was the key to her dream, she just knew it.
Alix flipped through picture after picture but once again nothing was jumping out at her. They still couldn’t figure out if it was writing on the coin or just symbols. And the other side was completely different. She and Ben thought it looked like a map and Shay thought it was an island. Even if it were one of those, she didn’t know how it would help.
After another ten minutes, she put the pictures away back in her desk. She laid back down in bed but wasn’t tired at all. She knew she was going to pay for it in the morning, but she just couldn’t fall asleep, there was too much on her mind. Hoping reading would help she got her eReader and started a new book. Four chapters in there was a knock at the door.
“Alix, are you awake?” it was Ben
Alix went to the door and let him in.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“No, yes, I don’t know.”
“You’re not making any sense Ben.”
“I know. Let me try again,” he said taking a deep breath. “I had a dream. It was the most real dream that I’ve ever had. I was in the water, but not under it like you were. I was floating on the top and I couldn’t move. I heard you call my name. I could tell you were in trouble. I tried and tried to get to you, but my body was frozen. I was really glad when I woke up, it scared me.”
Alix reached out to hug him. “It’s okay. It was just a dream. Everything is alright.”
“I finally understand some of what you’ve been through with all of your dreams. They’re not much fun.”
“No, their not. But if I’ve learned anything from them it’s that they can act as a warning. We just have to figure out what they mean,” she told him.
“Were you awake when I knocked?”
“Yes. I had another dream but this time I woke up gasping for air. I always have trouble getting back to sleep after that, so I was reading.”
“Um … would it be okay if I stayed in here with you. I just need to you know you’re safe.”
“Uh, yeah sure,” Alix said blushing.
Ben had to smile at her. “I can sleep on the floor Alix.”
“Oh … uh … okay.”
“I’ll just run back to my room and get a couple blankets. Be right back,” he said leaving her room.
“This is just like at Fox Hollow, it’s no big deal,” Alix whispered trying to convince herself as she got back in bed.
Ben returned a minute later. He took his blankets and made a pallet next to her bed. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Yeah, it’s not like we haven’t slept in the same room before.”
“I know but that was before I was your boyfriend. I just want to make sure you’re comfortable with this.”
Alix realized she was being a little silly. “I’m fine, really. We should probably try to get some sleep. It’s really late.”
“Good night Alix,” Ben said.
“Good night.”
* * *
By the time Alix woke up the next morning Ben was awake and gone from his spot on the floor. She got ready and went downstairs. Ben and Shay were in the kitchen arguing about something.
“Morning,” Alix said getting the coffee going. “What’s the matter with you two?”
“Ben and I were just discussing what was better cookies or brownies,” Shay said.
“Discussing,” Alix snorted, “yeah right, I could hear you halfway down the hall. Anyway, both are good so there’s no need to argue, I mean discuss,” Alix said laughing.
“Fine,” Shay huffed. “You look tired, didn’t you sleep?”
Alix knew she blushed a little and hoped Shay would let it go.
“I had another dream and couldn’t get back to sleep,” Alix told her.
“So, did I,” Ben added.
“Should I feel left out?” Shay said smiling.
“No,” Ben said just a little too loud.
“You okay?” Shay asked him.
“Yeah, it was just too real, and I didn’t like it.” Ben filled her in on his dream.
“So that’s why you slept with Alix last night?” Shay asked grinning.
Alix’s cheeks went bright red. “He slept on the floor.”
Shay let out a loud laugh. “You should see the look on your face. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”
“Nothing happened Shay,” Ben said. “Quit giving her a hard time.”
“Fine, but it’s so much fun.”
“Time for school,” Alix said leaving the kitchen.
They had barely logged into the school system when Alix’s phone rang. It was Ruth so Alix put it on speaker so they could all hear.
“Hi, Ruth.”
“Alix, I have good and bad news. Lucie’s been found.”
“That’s great. So, what’s the bad news?”
“She doesn’t remember anything. She has complete and total amnesia. She has no idea who she is, that she’s Nykara, that she has a family, nothing.”
“Oh my God. What can we do?”
“Shelley is on her way here as we speak. She’s the best healer we know. We’re hoping she can reverse it.”
“Was it the Grynn?”
“We think so, but we don’t know for sure. She can’t answer any questions since she doesn’t remember.”
“I’m coming there,” Alix stated.
“It’s not safe for you to travel.”
“I won’t have to travel. I’ll just use the blue door in the room of rooms. I need to see her Ruth, it’s important.”
“Alright, but I want to talk to one of your parents first. Please send me their numbers.”
“Thank you, Ruth.”
“I’ll be in touch,” Ruth said and hung up.
Alix immediately sent her the phone numbers for both her mom and dad.
“Wow,” Shay said when Alix was done. “I can’t believe that Lucie has amnesia.”
“I know,” Alix said. “That’s scary. I hope we can find a way to help her.”
They went back to doing schoolwork, but Alix’s mind was on Lucie. She was also thinking about James. Would the same thing happen to him?
About fifteen minutes later her dad called.
“Hey, dad.”
“Hey, pumpkin. I got a call from Ruth. I want you to know that I told her it was okay with us if you went to try and help Lu
cie.”
“Thanks, dad.”
“That poor woman. I hope you can help her.”
“So, do I. Does mom know?”
“Ruth couldn’t get a hold of her, but I’ll talk to her when she gets home. Be safe honey.”
“I will. Love you, dad.”
“Love you too kiddo,” Alix said hanging up.
“Ruth talked to dad,” Alix told Ben and Shay. “Dad has no problem with me going. Ben, I think you should talk to your parents too.”
“What about me?” Shay asked.
“I think you should stay here, unless you can get a hold of your mom. I’m not going to get in trouble for taking you to London without her permission.”
“It’s not like we’re flying there again,” Shay protested.
“I don’t care. I’ve seen your mom mad and I don’t want that directed at me.”
“Okay fine, I’ll text her.”
Ben went to find his parents, Shay texted her mom and Alix went to her room to get the box with the extra special items in it. Alix decided that Shay had twenty minutes to hear back from her mom. She wanted to check on Lucie as soon as possible.
On her way back downstairs, Ruth called her back and said she’d spoken to her dad. Alix thanked her and told her they’d be there within the hour.
When homeschooling was first suggested Alix hated the idea but now, she was seeing the practical side of it. If she was in regular school she’d have to wait until the end of the day to even know what was happening.
Alix found Ben and Shay in the kitchen talking to Rick. They were telling him what they knew about Lucie.
“That’s terrible,” Rick said. “Of course, you can go and help Ben, just be careful.”
“Shay,” Alix said, “have you heard from your mom?”
“Not yet. Are you leaving right now?”
“No, I want to give her the chance to respond. Let’s give her another twenty minutes okay?”
“Sure. I don’t really want my mom to get mad at me either.”
Alix nervously paced the house for the next twenty minutes. They still hadn’t heard from Tami.
“Okay guys,” Shay said. “Go on. It sucks that I’m staying here but I actually have a lot of work still to do. Stay safe.” Shay hugged them both.
Chapter 37
Alix and Ben made their way to the room of rooms. Alix thought about Lucie and Fox Hollow then opened the blue door. One short hallway later they were in another room of rooms. They walked up the long, dimly lit passageway until they were at the fireplace in the foyer of the castle. Ben opened the secret door and they were suddenly in the warmth of the foyer.
“Hello?” Alix called out. “Gordon? Ruth? Logan?”
“Miss Alix. How good to see you again,” Gordon said coming around the corner.
“Hi, Gordon. I wish it was under better circumstances.”
“As do I Miss Alix. Master Ben,” Gordon said nodding to Ben.
“Hey Gordon,” Ben said. “So where is everyone?”
“Miss Ruth and Miss Shelley are with Miss Lucie in one of the rooms upstairs. Let me take you to them.”
They followed Gordon to one of the guest rooms on the second floor. Lucie looked like she was sleeping. Ruth was pacing the room and Shelley appeared to be examining Lucie with her magic. Alix waited until Shelley was done before speaking.
“Hey everyone. So, any news?”
“It was definitely the Grynn,” Shelley told them. “I can feel their energy in her, but I can’t pinpoint what it is. Everything seems relatively normal in her except for the trace amounts of the Grynn’s magic.”
“Mind if I have a look?” Alix asked.
“Please do,” Shelley told her.
“Is she sleeping?” Alix asked.
“No,” Shelley said. “We’ve used magic to make her rest. She was really agitated and scared.”
Alix nodded and went to stand beside the bed. Ben followed to stand behind her. Alix put one hand on Lucie’s head and one over her heart. She pushed her energy into Lucie and started searching. She swept her magic through Lucie’s entire body. She was also detecting a faint bit of Grynn magic but nothing major.
Alix focused her energy on Lucie’s brain. She thought about when she gave Ben and Shay their memories of Stonehenge back and hoped that might work on Lucie. She put both hands-on Lucie’s head and searched for her memory center. Alix went through all of the brain, but couldn’t find the memory center. She pulled back her magic and walked away from the bed.
“It’s like the memory part of her brain is missing,” Alix announced to the room. “Not that she’s forgotten, but that it’s just not there.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Ruth said.
“I know, but I can’t find it.”
“Do you actually know what you’re looking for?” Shelley asked her.
“Yes,” Alix replied. “I had to help Ben remember something that he kept forgetting. I know what the memory part of the brain feels like.”
“Alix,” Ben said, “Maybe you should try what you did with Shay in Rio.”
“Good idea.” Alix reached in her pocket and felt for the pearl. She curled her fingers around it and went back over to Lucie. She accessed the healing part of her that the pearl amplified and concentrated on Lucie’s brain. The pearl helped her scan it much faster. She focused on the part she knew should contain Lucie’s memories. With the help of the pearl, she could actually see the void in Lucie’s brain. All of her memories had been completely taken from her. Her memory center was missing, like a hole in a blanket that couldn’t be patched. Alix tried searching for any hint that even one memory remained but there was nothing.
She let the magic go and stepped back. There were tears making their way down her cheeks. She turned around and buried her face in Ben’s chest.
“Alix, what’s wrong?” he said wrapping his arms around her.
“They’ve taken all of her memories. Every single one and destroyed the part of her brain that keeps them. She’ll never be able to make another memory again.”
She’d said it loud enough for Ruth and Shelley to hear but just barely. She felt a tremendous sadness for Lucie. They’d taken who she was and she’d never get that back. Alix let herself cry on Ben’s chest for a couple of minutes before drying her tears.
“Lucie will never be able to have a normal life again,” Alix said when she let go of Ben. “The Grynn have taken everything from her that made her who she was. This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen happen to a person. She won’t ever know who she was or is. Who her family is, her friends, the Council, nothing. And she won’t be able to make any new memories either. That part of her is gone forever. This is beyond cruel.”
“Let’s move this discussion somewhere else,” Ruth said leaving the room.
Everyone followed her to the kitchen. They sat at the table while Merideth made tea. Ruth told Gordon and Merideth what Alix had learned.
“This has to stop,” Gordon said with anger in his voice. It was the first time Alix had ever heard that coming from him. “We must find a way to recover James. We can’t let this happen again.”
“I tried searching for James,” Alix said. “I thought that since I was able to find Sonya in Brazil, I’d do the same thing for James, but it didn’t work, I couldn’t find him.”
“Do you think you were too far away?” Shelley asked.
“I don’t know. I was able to sense other Nykara, just not him.”
“He could have been taken someplace far away from where he was,” Shelley suggested.
“It’s possible. Where was Lucie found?” Alix asked.
“Wandering a few blocks from her house. A neighbor recognized her and got in touch with us,” Ruth told them.
Alix thought about that for a moment. Lucie had been missing for over three days and then just suddenly appeared back close to where she lived.
“Why? Why release Lucie at all?” Alix asked. “What is the point of taking
her, destroying her memories and then allowing us to find her again?”
“I might know,” Logan said from the doorway.
“How long have you been standing there?” Ruth asked.
“Long enough to know what happened to Lucie. Sorry, I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose. I just came to get a snack and stopped when I heard what you were talking about. Hey Alix. Hey Ben,” Logan said waving to them.
“Logan,” Ruth said, “You said you might know why the Grynn did what they did, please elaborate.”
“They're taunting you. Showing you what they can do to someone and you can’t stop them. It’s like the act of a defiant child.”
“Are all the rest of the Council members still accounted for?” Alix asked.
“Yes,” Ruth said. “I have them check in with me every couple of hours. Why?”
“I think Logan is right. François has a seriously bad temper and doesn’t care about anyone other than Victor as far as I can tell. I mean he killed two guards just because I got out of my cell. I could see him thinking this was funny or something. He’s a very sick man.”
“So, what are we going to do?” Ben asked with a sharp laugh. “It seems like that’s all I’ve been asking lately.”
“We stop them,” Alix said simply. “I don’t know how, or when, but we stop them. We have to find a way to get to François and Victor. Without them, the Grynn have no leader. They’re the key.”
“I admire your conviction Alix,” Ruth said, “but we know nothing about them. Where they are, how many they have on their side and where they are keeping James.”
“I know that,” Alix said, “but it really doesn’t matter. We figure out where they are and stop them. I know I make it sound simple and I realize that it’ll be anything but that. The first thing we have to do is make sure the rest of the Council stays safe. Then we find James. We’ll deal with everything else after that.”
“I have a thought,” Ben said. “I think James is being held somewhere with a lot of water.”
As soon as he said that Alix knew he was right. “Of course,” she said, “Why didn’t I think of that sooner?”
“Please explain what you two are talking about,” Ruth said to them.
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