giggled in the still room and wanted to kick her own ass. When she got nervous, she laughed, so not the thing to do. Drawing a deep breath of air, she controlled the impulse. “I’m sorry it’s just…well, Vivian and Lancelot? Really? Like the Arthurian legends of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake.”
The room grew cold as the silence thickened and pulled her nerves taut. Her eyes grew large as she studied the group around her. What kind of crazy people did she get mixed up with? “Look I get it and hey, live and let live is my motto. I’ll just leave you guys to your dinner. I’m not that hungry anyway.”
“You’re right, she has no idea.” Viviane shook her head in disgust. “She has been living her life happily clueless of who she is and what she wrought with her actions.”
Gwen frowned at the faces surrounding her. Animosity shifted into gear and revved up a notch higher. Wow, they really didn’t like her. She could deal with that. What she couldn’t deal with is why? She knew she never saw any of them before so there could be no way she offended any of them in the past.
She started backing toward the door, ready to turn and take a chance at freedom. Unfortunately, at the same moment Vivian sprang forward, her fingers clamped down on her upper arm like a steel vise, effectively thwarting her escape.
“Let me go,” Gwen demanded, fear spiking her pulse rate as her magic surged through her, making her skin tingle.
The petite woman moved in close, her eyes crackling with blue fire. “I think the time has come to remember what was lost, the consequences of your actions. You of all those who stand in this room should not be allowed such an easy out. Yes, it is time to remember.”
Before Gwen could pull away, the woman placed her other hand on her forehead and power shot through her skull. Blinding white agony splintered her, tearing her brain into tiny pieces. She may have screamed, voices and shouts came to her, but the words made no sense. Only the searing pain remained a constant. She was dying, knew it on a bone-deep level. Her thoughts dimmed as black spots swam before her eyes, swallowing her world as she fell into the beckoning darkness.
* * * *
The room exploded to life as Gwen dropped to the floor like a stone, curled in a fetal position, her body shaking uncontrollably. Small moans escaped her clenched teeth.
Arthur reached her first and glared his outrage at Viviane. “What the hell did you do, Viv?”
She shrugged one delicate shoulder. “I gave her back all the memories that were blocked.”
“Remind me not to piss you off.” Darius shook his head, a new wariness shining in his dark eyes.
“I believe this is called over dead.” Lancelot frowned.
“That’s overkill, dude.” Simon chuckled.
“Well, I for one must admit it makes things easier if she knows who she is.” Merci sighed.
“Yes, but it should have been done slowly, in stages. I have never seen you act so viciously, Viviane.” Drake frowned, his displeasure tangible by the tenseness of his posture.
“Look, it would hurt no matter what way it happened. You don’t pull off a band-aid in gradual stages. Besides, she deserves a bit of discomfort for what she put you all through with her betrayal.”
“Viviane, that was in the past. This is now, and I for one think she deserves a chance. No one should be condemned for something that happened lifetimes ago,” Juliet defended.
“Well, it’s done now and when she wakes up she will have all the memories that her aunt effectively blocked.” Viviane dismissed the unconscious woman on the floor.
Arthur pulled Gwen into his arms and lifted her to settle against his chest. With a sigh she stilled, her face nestled into his chest. “I’m taking her to her room. Someone should be with her when she awakes. It will be rough as the memories bombard her and no telling how well she will assimilate all the memories when they come at her all at once.”
“I’ll sit with
The room grew cold as the silence thickened and pulled her nerves taut. Her eyes grew large as she studied the group around her. What kind of crazy people did she get mixed up with? “Look I get it and hey, live and let live is my motto. I’ll just leave you guys to your dinner. I’m not that hungry anyway.”
“You’re right, she has no idea.” Viviane shook her head in disgust. “She has been living her life happily clueless of who she is and what she wrought with her actions.”
Gwen frowned at the faces surrounding her. Animosity shifted into gear and revved up a notch higher. Wow, they really didn’t like her. She could deal with that. What she couldn’t deal with is why? She knew she never saw any of them before so there could be no way she offended any of them in the past.
She started backing toward the door, ready to turn and take a chance at freedom. Unfortunately, at the same moment Vivian sprang forward, her fingers clamped down on her upper arm like a steel vise, effectively thwarting her escape.
“Let me go,” Gwen demanded, fear spiking her pulse rate as her magic surged through her, making her skin tingle.
The petite woman moved in close, her eyes crackling with blue fire. “I think the time has come to remember what was lost, the consequences of your actions. You of all those who stand in this room should not be allowed such an easy out. Yes, it is time to remember.”
Before Gwen could pull away, the woman placed her other hand on her forehead and power shot through her skull. Blinding white agony splintered her, tearing her brain into tiny pieces. She may have screamed, voices and shouts came to her, but the words made no sense. Only the searing pain remained a constant. She was dying, knew it on a bone-deep level. Her thoughts dimmed as black spots swam before her eyes, swallowing her world as she fell into the beckoning darkness.
* * * *
The room exploded to life as Gwen dropped to the floor like a stone, curled in a fetal position, her body shaking uncontrollably. Small moans escaped her clenched teeth.
Arthur reached her first and glared his outrage at Viviane. “What the hell did you do, Viv?”
She shrugged one delicate shoulder. “I gave her back all the memories that were blocked.”
“Remind me not to piss you off.” Darius shook his head, a new wariness shining in his dark eyes.
“I believe this is called over dead.” Lancelot frowned.
“That’s overkill, dude.” Simon chuckled.
“Well, I for one must admit it makes things easier if she knows who she is.” Merci sighed.
“Yes, but it should have been done slowly, in stages. I have never seen you act so viciously, Viviane.” Drake frowned, his displeasure tangible by the tenseness of his posture.
“Look, it would hurt no matter what way it happened. You don’t pull off a band-aid in gradual stages. Besides, she deserves a bit of discomfort for what she put you all through with her betrayal.”
“Viviane, that was in the past. This is now, and I for one think she deserves a chance. No one should be condemned for something that happened lifetimes ago,” Juliet defended.
“Well, it’s done now and when she wakes up she will have all the memories that her aunt effectively blocked.” Viviane dismissed the unconscious woman on the floor.
Arthur pulled Gwen into his arms and lifted her to settle against his chest. With a sigh she stilled, her face nestled into his chest. “I’m taking her to her room. Someone should be with her when she awakes. It will be rough as the memories bombard her and no telling how well she will assimilate all the memories when they come at her all at once.”
“I’ll sit with
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