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SERENAI

“Well-a-day, well-a-day. And it’s cursed bloodstones, so you say?”

Jacobim O’Teribrux was an odd little man with gray-green skin and a shock of bright orange hair that rose straight up from the top of his head into a kind of swirly point.

He was wearing a jacket and trousers that seemed to be cut from some extremely fine satin or silk—it shone different colors as the lights in his living area hit it when he moved.

This made it impossible to say what color his clothes were, but Serenai didn’t really care about fashion at this point.

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” she said, motioning for Brax to hand him the box the necklace was in.

But Jacobim refused to accept the box.

“Just open it, if you please. I’m wary of the curse jumping to me,” he said to Brax , who nodded and opened the box.

Serenai wondered if he was speaking in some kind of rhyme on purpose but she didn’t dare to ask for fear of offending him.

“As you can see, it’s a very beautiful necklace but it comes with a curse—a red-eyed creature that appears to the owner of the bloodstones,” she told the little man.

“ I believe that it killed my mother—she had the necklace seven days before she died and, well…just read the prophecy,” she added, nodding at the parchment paper that was on top of the glittering necklace.

Jacobim O’Terabrux plucked the parchment from the box and unfolded it to read. He skimmed it silently, frowning.

“Ah yes, I see! That’s bad indeed,” he said at last.

“We’re not exactly sure what it means,” Brax rumbled.

“Especially the part about ‘forget your name or lose your life,” Serenai added.

“Well-a-day, it gives a hint, don’t you see? Of how from the curse you can break free,” Jacobim answered.

Serenai felt a rush of relief.

“So it’s possible to break the curse? Oh , thank the Goddess !”

“Don’t get too glad, my lady fair. The price is high, so have a care,” Jacobim cautioned her.

Serenai frowned in confusion.

“So…you have to pay a price to break the curse? But what do you pay? And how?”

“Does it have to do with the ‘lose your name’ part?” Brax asked.

“It does indeed, my warrior bold. You must give up what is foretold.” Jacobim shook the parchment with the prophecy written on it.

“But how do you lose your name?” Serenai asked, still perplexed. “ Does that mean you forget your own name?”

“You’re very close—the die is cast. You give your vow and forget your past.” The little man nodded.

“Forget your past? All of your past?” Brax frowned.

Jacobim shrugged, his swirl of orange hair waving with the gesture.

“As to that, who can say? Could be a year, could be a day.”

“So you’re telling us that in order to break the curse we have to have part of our memory erased?” Serenai didn’t like this idea at all! She needed her memories.

“Yes, my lady—that is true. But only one—not both of you,” Jacobim told her. “ One may pay for both, I’d say.”

“So one of us had to be willing to lose part of their past memories and we don’t know how much we’re going to lose or what part of our past we’ll be forgetting,” Brax said, clarifying.

Jacobim nodded.

“Yes indeed—now you see!”

“But what if we don’t want to do that?” Serenai asked.

The little man made a sorrowful face.

“Then after the seventh time you see, the curse will bring its death to thee.”

“But I’ve seen it six times already!” Serenai felt a lump of panic in her throat. “ So that means the next time it’s going to kill me! It’s going to stop my heart—like it stopped my mother’s heart!”

“No, baby—that’s not going to happen.” Brax shook his head. “ Because I’m going to break the curse.”

“What? But you’ll be giving up a piece of your past!” Serenai protested. “ And we don’t even how many memories you’ll lose!”

“I don’t care.” He looked grim. “ I’m older than you so I have more memories— I can afford to lose a few.

Why should I care if I lose some of the memories from the past ten years?

I’ve just been fighting in the Blood Circuit — I don’t need to remember all that pain and violence.

In fact, there’s a lot I’d like to forget. ”

“But what if…what if you forget me? What if you forget us?” Serenai could hardly get the words out. The thought of the big half- Kindred not knowing her was almost too awful to consider. But it was a possibility and she knew she couldn’t discount it.

“We have to hope that doesn’t happen,” Brax said. “ But there’s really no choice—we have to break this curse to keep you safe.” His voice softened and he cupped her cheek. “ Look at me baby—didn’t I swear I’d do anything in my power to keep you from being harmed?”

“Yes, but—” Serenai began.

“But nothing ,” he growled softly. “ I’m going to do this and afterwards we’re heading out to the Kindred Mother Ship to make a life together. Okay ?”

“Well…” Serenai didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to let him do this for her…but he was right about the fact that he was older and had more memories. If he lost a day or a year of his memories of fighting in the Blood Circuit , would it really be so bad?

But what if the memories he loses are the ones we made together? whispered a little voice in her head. What if ? —

“If the curse you wish to break, there is an oath that you must take,” Jacobim’s high, piping voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Tell it to me— I’ll take it,” Brax said.

“The oath is here—nothing to fear. Break the seal—the answer reveal!”

Jacobim waved his hand over the parchment and suddenly letters began to appear on the back of it, on the other side of the prophecy.

“Let me see, please.” Brax held out his hand and the little man handed him the parchment. Brax turned it over and began to read aloud.

“I’ve seen it now,

Those burning eyes

I’ve heard its secrets

Felt its lies.

And now I wish

The curse to break

I give permission

My past to take.

I sacrifice my yesterday

To break the curse

And save today.

To stem the tide

Of woe and strife

I give my name

To save my life.”

As he spoke the last word aloud, the shadowy apparition appeared before them, its red eyes blazing. It gave a sudden, hissing shriek so loud that Serenai clapped her hands over her ears and winced in pain.

Then, as they all watched, it seemed to explode. A huge puff of black smoke and shadow expanded to fill the room and for a moment everything went dark. But then it dissipated almost at once and there was nothing left but a faint burning smell in the air.

Serenai looked around cautiously.

“Is…is that it? The curse is broken?”

“It’s broken and gone—your life will be long!” Jacobim declared. He seemed very pleased by the result because he was grinning widely.

“That’s wonderful!” Serenai clasped her hands to her heart. But then she looked at Brax . “ Are you all right?” she asked the half- Kindred . His pearly gray skin had gone pale and he looked unsteady on his feet. “ What happened? What did you forget?”

“I… I don’t…” he began.

But then his eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed on the floor in front of her.