Page 68 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
"Are you free of the triggers in your head? Did you have a witch help you remove them?"
Both shook their heads, but Nova spoke. "We used a powerful amnesic drug that erased everything."
"Chemical lobotomy?" Madeline whispered in horror and took a step backward. "You remember nothing of your previous life? Not your home, your family, your origin?"
Vivi’s lips trembled. Her lashes hid her eyes. She shook her head. Her voice cracked as she said, "It’s gone. We’re relearning things like our elemental abilities. I can remember languages and technical skills, but the memories of anything that happened prior to a few months ago is gone. The harder we try to remember, the worse the pain is."
Madeline stepped forward and took Nova’s hand. She uttered a reveal spell.
Nova yanked her hand from hers. "What’d you do?"
Madeline waved at her. "You’re bathed in a protective spell from your mother. She must have loved you very much. As a parent I would be devastated to know my children were forced to erase me. Are you at peace with remembering nothing of your past or do you want to see something you no longer remember? Maybe at least your parents?"
Vivi swiped at her eyes. "It’s impossible."
Nova put an arm around her sister. "If you’re picking a weakness and exploiting it, it won’t work."
"Hold on. Let me show you." She put her backpack on the side table, unzipped and searched through her stone collection to find a small amber one. With it in her hand, she faced the women. "Do you want to see them? Your parents? I can help you do that."
"The mage, Dom, said there was nothing left. It wasn’t possible."
She tried not to laugh. "Oh, Dom. Of course, he’d say that. He can only see what’s left in your head. I can’t believe he didn’t steer you toward a witch. Magic can do so much beyond that."
"I want to see them." Vivi grabbed Nova’s hand. "Please, let her. I need to see something…anything."
"We shouldn’t." Nova pulled her away from Madeline. "It could activate the words they implanted. We’d go all robo-killer."
"Why would you erase your memories when witches like me might be able to help you find the things they did to your head and erase them? It would take a lot of work, probably multiple sessions over a few weeks, but it’s possible. Forget about that for now. Let me help you see your parents. That was before you were in there and can’t hurt you."
"How would we know what you show us is real and not something made up since we don’t remember?" Nova scowled.
"Is there any scrap of information that you remember that I’d know nothing about?"
Nova lit up. "Show me Gary."
"Yes. Gary!" Vivi grinned.
This was a test. Fine. She could handle it. "Both of you hold your hands together as one bowl. I’m going to be the third side of the bowl. In the center we’ll put this stone." The three of them stood there with the small stone. Madeline intoned, "I seek the truth here not yet found,
For underneath the fog there lies new possibilities,
So let this night be unlike others,
Let the noble show their colors,
Let the meek and cowards run,
For now the moon seeks out her sun.
And by the power that is three, so as I will it, so mote it be.
Show us Gary."
The stone rotated and levitated. A bubble formed above their hands with an image of an overweight Siamese cat lounging in a window.
"That could be Gary," Nova said in an awed tone. "I’ve never seen him, but Vivi mentioned him before she took the drug to erase her memories. Said he was a fat Siamese. He looks sweet." Then skeptically she said, "This could be a trick to use what we want to see."
"I want a new cat," Vivi said.
