Forgotten (15 page)

“
But that’s…horrible,”
Kate whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. “Who would do
something like this? Who would want to make someone forget and fear
the person…” She cast a sidelong glance at Rone. “The person they
cared for most in the world?”

“
Two—a Dark Kindred who is
also the enemy of the entire Kindred race,” Rone said grimly. “We
thought for a while that he was dead but apparently he’s still out
there. He was the one that set this trap you fell into.”

“
But this trap was not
meant for you, Kate,” Sylvan said. “It was set for Emily, the
new
Khalla
of the
Temple of Becoming in the Holy Mountains of Rageron.”

“
We had tracked her there
and we attended her joining ceremony,” Rone told Kate, who looked
confused. “You became friends with her—you helped her plan the
ceremony. Afterwards, you sniffed the bouquet of flowers meant for
her and that was when you…” His voice faltered but he made himself
go on. “When you stopped knowing me. Right before you
disappeared.”

“
Okay,” Kate said slowly.
“I can see all that. But why was this Two guy after Emily in the
first place?”

“
We think that Two wanted
to keep Emily from mating with Tragar and thus stop her from
becoming the mother of the new race of Kindred that have been
foretold,” Sylvan said. “What better way than to make her forget
and fear him?”

“
But then why snatch her
away as soon as she sniffed the infected blossoms?” Rone objected.
“And why do it
after
their joining ceremony when they had already
bonded?”

Sylvan shrugged. “Maybe just for spite. Or
maybe from impaired judgment. The more I study Two’s actions, the
more convinced I am that he is almost certainly clinically insane.
Which is why we have a vested interest in tracking him and finding
out exactly what his next move may be.”

“
I’d like to find him
too—and tear him limb from limb,” Rone growled. “Unfortunately, I’m
just a tracker now. A good one, but unless I can catch his scent
somehow, that won’t be enough. Knowing where to start…that was
always Kate’s department.”

“
It…it was?” Kate asked
softly, looking at him.

Rone nodded. “We were a team. Your gift—your
Knowing—let us know where to start looking. Once we found the
scent, I was able to take over. We’ve recovered dozens of lost or
kidnapped people in the three years we’ve been together.”

“
Really?” Kate looked
surprised but not upset which was good. She didn’t seem to like him
talking about the past and yet, Rone couldn’t help it. It was the
only way he could still feel connected to her—talking about the way
things used to be.

“
Yes, really,” he said
softly. “You were amazing, baby. You always knew which direction to
point me in.”

“
I…I never thought of
using the Knowing like that,” she murmured.

Rone frowned. “Yes, you did. That’s how I
met you in the first place—you were helping the police find a
missing Kindred bride. I was called in to consult too and that was
where we met—in the downtown PD in Jacksonville, Mississippi.”

“
I was?” She put a hand to
her forehead. “I don’t remember that at all. I…there are a lot of
things I don’t remember,” she confessed, looking at
Sylvan.

“
That’s not surprising
considering the toxic mixture you inhaled,” he said gently. “There
are bound to be holes in your memory—I would not be surprised if
more than just your time with Rone was erased.”

“
I…think it has been,”
Kate admitted. “There are whole gaps of time I just…don’t
remember.”

“
Kate losing her memory is
a terrible blow,” Rone said tensely. “However, new memories may be
made. But not if Kate fears me. Not if she panics at my
touch.”

“
I don’t do it on
purpose,” Kate protested, crossing her arms over her breasts
protectively. “I just…can’t help it.”

“
Because of the fear
toxins that have invaded your entire system,” Sylvan said. “No one
is blaming you for that, Kate.”

“
Oh, no?” She shot a
glance at Rone which felt like a knife in his heart.

“
No, baby,” he said
quietly. “I know it’s not your fault.”

“
I didn’t ask for any of
this.” Kate looked down at her feet. “I’m completely lost
here.”

“
Which is why the two of
you need to find each other again,” Sylvan said. “Because until you
can reconcile, you’ll be unable to act as an effective tracking
team. Which is why the Kindred High Council has agreed to pay for
some very special and very expensive therapy for the both of
you.”

“
What—like couples
therapy? What good is that going to do?” Kate objected. “I don’t
even remember
being
part of a couple.”

“
This isn’t traditional
therapy, per se,” Sylvan said. “It’s a resort located in the B’rrin
system on Tegova’s second moon. It’s called—”

“
Flame and Frost.” Rone
raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re talking about, Flame and Frost,
right? You want to send us
there?”

“
Why? What’s there? What’s
wrong with it?” Kate was instantly alert and looking
nervous.

“
It’s very expensive for
one thing,” Rone said. “A place for the galaxy’s elite. And some of
the methods there are considered…controversial.”

“
Controversial how? What
do you mean?” Kate didn’t look a bit reassured. Rone couldn’t say
that he blamed her—he wasn’t too keen on the idea himself. The
resort had a very strange reputation. Depending on who you talked
to, it could be either the most wonderful place in the universe or
worse than the seventh level of the Hells.

“
It’s not necessarily the
therapeutic aspects we’re sending you for, although I do believe
you could benefit from a few sessions,” Sylvan remarked. “But Flame
and Frost also has a bio-chelation pool which is renowned for its
detoxifying properties.” He looked at Kate. “I believe that if the
two of you go there and receive the proper treatment, you may be
able to rid your system of the fear toxins.”

“
Okay,” she said slowly.
“So you want to send me to soak in a special pool and hope it can
suck all the bad ju-ju out of me, I get that. But, uh…” She looked
at Rone from the corner of her eye. “But why send Rone too? I mean,
if
I’m
the only
one affected—”

“
You think I’d let you go
to a place like that on your own?” Rone demanded, turning to her.
“Never!”

“
Why not? What’s so bad
about it?” she demanded. “You’re making me think I shouldn’t go
there at
all.”

“
If you don’t, I fear
you’ll never get your memory back,” Sylvan said softly. “I’m sorry,
Kate, but in my professional opinion, this is your only hope. And
you
do
want back
the years you lost, don’t you?”

Kate bit her lush lower lip and Rone had to
look away. He was trying not to think of all the times he had
nibbled or kissed her soft mouth. Trying not to think of all the
times he had licked and kissed her lower too…

“
Yes,” she said at last.
“Yes, of course I want back my lost time. But you’re scaring me.
What’s the deal with this place, anyway?”

“
Flame and Frost has…a
very mixed reputation,” Sylvan said carefully. “But I wouldn’t send
you if I didn’t believe it to be safe. Having said that, however,
you have to have Rone with you. It is mainly for couples and
triads. Single participants are not welcome there. And besides, I
have already spoken to Mistress Light about the two of you. She
knows your entire history and why you are coming to see
her.”

“
Mistress Light, huh?”
Rone frowned. “Is she the director of the resort?”

“
One of them,” Sylvan
nodded.

“
So…we’ll go there, I’ll
take a dip in the pool, and we’re back here lickety-split?” Kate
looked at Sylvan hopefully. “That doesn’t sound so
hard.”

He looked troubled. “There may be a bit more
to it than that, although I hope not. We need the two of you
working as a team again to track down Two. We don’t know where he
went when he left the Scourge Fathership—he could be anywhere. And
if he truly is insane, his actions will be completely
unpredictable. I need both of you together to find him. Will you
help us?” He looked at Kate first.

“
Fine.” She nodded
decisively. “But only because I don’t like having huge gaps in my
memory. And I’d like to find the bastard that did this to me and
see him punished.”

“
Rone?” Sylvan looked at
him.

“
You know my answer
already,” Rone said hoarsely. “I’ll go anywhere and do anything
that’s necessary.” He cast a sidelong look at Kate but she was
staring down at the floor, studiously not looking at
him.

“
Very good.” Sylvan
clapped his hands. “Then we’ll have your ship outfitted and ready
to go by this afternoon. As soon as you’re aboard, we can fold
space for you. Mistress Light is expecting you.”

“
Thank you. Thank you for
doing everything in your power for us.” Rone rose and offered him
his hand. Sylvan took it in a warrior’s clasp and squeezed his
forearm tight.

“
Be well, Brother,” he
said softly. “You and your bride, both. We need you—both of
you.”

“
You’ll have us,” Rone
swore. He looked at Kate who was staring at him and Sylvan
uncertainly. “I swear by the Goddess. If it be her will, Kate and I
will be back and tracking Two within a solar week.”

“
Let us hope she wills it
shall be so,” the Kindred commander said. “I know she does not
lightly see the sacred bonds between the ones she has brought
together broken. I will be praying for the both of you.”

“
Thank you.” Kate smiled
though Rone thought the expression didn’t quite reach her big,
green eyes which were still shadowed with worry and fear. “That’s
very sweet of you, Commander Sylvan.”

“
I am not expressing an
empty sentiment, Kate,” Sylvan returned quietly. “The Goddess is as
real as you or me and she
does
care for her children—she cares for
you.
I believe she will
see this situation rectified one way or another.”

“
I hope you’re right,”
Rone said. “But now we must get ready to go.”

“
I’d better go see if I
can find out what happened to my bag,” Kate stood also, smoothing
down her blouse.

“
Before you pack, Kate,
there is someone here to see you.” Sylvan smiled at her. “Someone
who has come a very long way just for you.”

“
Really?” Kate looked at
him doubtfully. “Who?”

“
Come with me.” Sylvan
nodded to her. “And you’ll find out.”

* * * * *

“
Oh, Kate! I’m so glad to
see you again!”

A tall girl with golden eyes and curly,
black hair ran up and gave her a hug as soon as Sylvan ushered her
into the conference room. There was a tall Kindred male standing
behind her with his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest. He,
too, had long black hair and golden eyes.

Kate couldn’t remember ever seeing either
one of them in her life.

“
Um…hi,” she said,
tentatively returning the hug. “It’s…uh, nice to meet
you.”

“
Nice to meet me?” The
tall girl drew back and frowned down at her. “It’s me,
Kate—it’s
Emily
.
You and Rone helped Tragar and I get together. You even helped me
plan my wedding! My Joining Ceremony, I mean. We’re friends—really
good friends. Do you honestly not remember me at
all?”

“
Um…well…” Kate hated to
disappoint her but she couldn’t lie either. “Not really,” she
admitted. “Sorry.”

“
Take it easy on her,
my
Khalla,”
the
big Kindred behind her rumbled. “Commander Sylvan
did
tell us that her
memory had been wiped clean by the substance on the Dream Blooms.
She cannot even remember her mate and he knew her longer and much
more intimately than she knew either of us.”

“
Is that true?” Emily
peered down at her anxiously. “Have you really forgotten
Rone?”

“
I’m afraid so,” Kate said
uncomfortably. She was glad that the male in question was back at
their suite packing up. She didn’t think she could bear to see the
hurt in his eyes when he heard her admit yet again that she had no
memory of him.

“
Oh, no…” Emily’s golden
eyes filled with tears. “I feel so bad about this, Kate! That
poison bouquet was meant for
me.
And you never would have sniffed the flowers if I
hadn’t told you to.”

“
You didn’t know the
blossoms were a trap,” Tragar pointed out.

“
That doesn’t change the
fact that she’s in this mess because of me.” The tears overflowed
down her smooth cheeks. Kate felt bad for her, even though she
still didn’t really know her.

“
Hey, now, don’t cry,” she
said, patting Emily’s arm. “I’m fine as frog’s hair.”