Page 28 of The Thief

Atticus wasn’t fazed by my confession, and I knew he’d heard me. Vampires could hear an ant parade.

“Can you give it back to me?” I asked.

He turned on his heel, a book in his hand. “A Vampire can’t undo another Vampire’s magic. Some invent a phrase that can reverse the wipe, but it only works when spoken by the person who charmed you. Without knowing who did this, you’ll never recover your memories. Not unless this Argento knows something about it.”

“Can you give us a minute?” Bear asked, but it sounded more like a command.

Atticus set the book on his desk. “You have my discretion.”

“We appreciate your expertise, but this other matter is private.”

Atticus inclined his head. “Do you need me for anything else?”

“We’re good,” Bear replied. “Thank you kindly.”

“Certainly.” While drifting to the door, he said, “I can’t help but have overheard your stomachs growling. My keen hearing and all.” He tapped his finger against his ear. “I’ll have an intimate table cleared for you in the corner. Your Packmaster is paying for this consultation, so dinner’s on me.” Once at the door, he canted his head. “My sympathies for your lost memories, little miss. For what it’s worth, you’re one of the saner people I’ve met with this affliction. Most of them go mad.” He held the doorknob for a beat. “Time is only lost if you’re looking for it. Good evening.”

After he vacated the room, I stared absently at the other couch. “I’m in a pickle.”

“We’ll figure this out,” Bear promised me. “You killed someone?”

I nodded.

“Did he have it coming?”

I scoffed. “Do I look like a serial killer?” I jumped to my feet and paced around. “When I first came here, I told Tak that my scooter was impounded for illegal parking, but that’s not the whole reason I was a day late.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

“I lived in Dallas for a spell. When Tak posted that ad, it filled me with hope. Maybe I could have a family and a place to call home. So I packed my things in storage and planned to drive to Collin County. That’s where the bus was stopping. First I had to close my account with my banker, and he lives in Lower Greenville. That’s where people like to go drinking. It was late, and there wasn’t a place to park on his street. I left Daisy around the corner, praying someone wouldn’t steal her. Anyhow, my banker lives with two other financial advisors, and they were busy that night.” I flopped down on the opposite sofa with my right foot on the floor.

“Go on,” Bear said, his words softening around the edges. “I’m not here to judge. You can tell me anything.”

Lying on my back, I said, “People like to make deposits and withdrawals on weekends, especially business owners. He has a makeshift waiting room downstairs. A man walked in and caught my eye because he had the same color hair as me. No big deal, but you have to understand something—I wasn’t born with this hair color, and I have no idea where it came from.”

Bear crossed over to my sofa. When he sat next to my foot, he stretched his arm over the back of the couch and gave me a soft look. “What color was your hair?”

“Brown,” I said glumly. “It made more sense to tell you I was born with it. Eventually you’d wonder why I never had roots showing or bought hair dye.”

“The other man had silver hair too?”

I sat up and curled my leg beneath me. “Exactly like mine. The same shade. I took notice and looked away. But then he called out my name! He said they’d been looking for me. I told him he had me confused with someone else, but… that couldn’t be right. Especially if he knew my name.”

“What did he want?”

I thought back to the chaotic moments before the attack. “He kept going on about how I’d stolen something and how his Creator was furious with me. When he grabbed my arm and said he was taking me with him, I flew out the door. He flashed after me, gripped my wrist, and threatened me. As far as I was concerned, this guy was a raving lunatic. He wouldn’t let go, and he was stronger. There wasn’t anyone around, and I was afraid to scream.”

Bear took a deep breath and released it slowly. Did he blame me for not screaming? How could I have risked it? What if that Mage had blasted me with enough light to kill me? Shifting wasn’t an option. We were in the Breed district, and my wolf could have gotten in trouble or been shot by neighbors.

“What happened next?” Bear asked, pushing me to finish.

“I warned him to let go. I was scared he would put me in his trunk and that would be the end of me.”

Bear rubbed his forehead, his eyes closed.

“I used to wear a special necklace for defense. The kind with a hidden weapon. After two years of not knowing who I was, it was impossible to trust anyone. I only had a few discreet self-defense weapons but no stunner. They’re hard to get and expensive. Otherwise, I would have stuck him with it. All I had was that necklace.”

“What kind of necklace?”

---