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SERENAI

Luckily Jacobim’s receiving hall was carpeted in a thick, plush rug which kept the big half- Kindred from getting a head injury.

But he still went down like a sack of bricks.

Serenai tried to get to him but there was no way to do it in time.

And even if she could have, he probably would have just crushed her on his way down.

He was just too much bigger than her to catch, she thought in dismay as she knelt beside him.

“Brax?” she called, patting his cheek. “ Brax , are you all right? Please , talk to me!”

At last his pale eyes fluttered open and focused on her face. Serenai felt a rush of relief…but it was short lived. Because when he looked at her, she could see no recognition in his gaze—none at all.

“Brax?” she asked again. “ Are …are you all right?”

He frowned up at her as he reached to rub his head.

“Who are you, lady? And how do you know my name?”

Serenai’s heart dropped as panic overtook her. The worst had happened—breaking the awful curse had stolen his memory of their time together! But she tried not to show her emotions on her face.

“Brax, it’s me— Serenai . Your Mistress ,” she said. “ Don’t you remember me at all?”

He shook his head.

“No. I don’t have a Mistress — I have a Master called Maximus . Little short male who makes me fight in the Blood Circuit .” He sat up and looked around. “ Where is he? And what is this place?”

“This is the home of Jacobim O’Teribrux on Zantha — Yonnie Six’s fourth moon,” she explained.

“ We came here to ask for help breaking the curse on the bloodstone necklace I inherited from my mother. It killed her and I was called from the Convent to come take her place as a Yonnite Mistress . I bought you to protect me from the shadow creature with glowing red eyes that kept appearing in my bedroom at night, which was tied to the necklace. And then we…”

But she trailed off, because she could see the confusion on his face.

“I’m sorry, little one, but that all sounds crazy to me,” he said firmly. “ I don’t have a Mistress and I don’t know anything about any curse or bloodstones. I need to get back to my Master before he gets angry and punishes me for being gone from the Circuit .”

Serenai felt tears rising in her eyes but she tried to hold them back.

“You don’t have a Master anymore—you just have me ,” she protested. “ You …you told me you loved me! And you promised we’d go to the Kindred Mother Ship together. Don’t you remember any of that at all?”

Brax shook his head.

“I’m sorry to give you pain or grief, but I’ve never seen you before. I don’t know how you transported me here to…wherever this is.” He looked around Jacobim’s lavishly decorated reception hall. “ But I need to get back to my Master . I’m a slave and he’ll punish me if I’m gone too long.”

Now the tears were stinging her eyes but Serenai still fought to keep from crying. This was no use, she realized. He didn’t remember her and he didn’t seem interested in remembering either. It seemed their relationship was over, almost before it had begun.

I have to let him go, she thought. He doesn’t know me—our past is gone.

But she loved him too much to let him deliver himself back to his old Master who would only force him to keep fighting in the Blood Circuit .

“You’re not a slave anymore,” she said, her voice trembling as she spoke. “ I bought you, even if you can’t remember it. And now I’m going to set you free.”

Reaching up, she unfastened the thick black pain collar from around his neck. It was keyed to her touch, so only she could remove it.

When she pulled it off, Brax put a hand to his throat and his eyes went wide.

“You really did buy me,” he said, frowning. “ Otherwise you couldn’t have removed my collar.”

“Yes, I bought you…but you don’t have to stay with me,” Serenai told him. She would rather let him go find his own life now that he had forgotten what was between them, she thought. She couldn’t keep him against his will—she loved him too much for that.

Brax looked at her in amazement.

“You’re really setting me free?”

“Yes, really .” She tried to smile but somehow the corners of her mouth didn’t want to turn up.

“ I have a ship and I’ll give it to you.

Just take me home first—to Yonnie Six ,” she added, because she didn’t want to be stuck here with Jacobim .

He seemed like a nice enough male, but she had to get back to Opulex and her own life—even though it now seemed barren without the love she’d so recently had.

“I can pilot the ship,” Brax said, nodding. “ I don’t mind dropping you off on Yonnie Six .” His face broke into a grin. “ And then I can go anywhere I want to! I don’t have to fight in the Circuit anymore!”

“No, you don’t. You’re free now,” Serenai told him. She looked at Jacobim . “ Thank you so much for your help. What do I owe you?”

The little man looked sad. Clearly he understood what was happening and how much it hurt her.

“No charge my dear,” he said softly. “ You’ve paid too much in pain, I fear.”

“Thank you.” Serenai nodded. “ Would you at least keep the bloodstone necklace?” she asked. “ If it’s safe, I mean. I don’t…don’t want anything to do with it anymore.”

“Just leave it with me and go be free,” Jacobim agreed, nodding.

“Thank you.” She nodded again and looked at Brax . “ Well … I suppose we should get going.”

“Whatever you want, little Mistress .” He nodded agreeably but there was still no love in his eyes when he looked at her—not even any recognition.

It seemed their relationship really was over and after he dropped her off on Yonnie Six , she would never see him again.