The Dance of the Keepers

Chapter 32 The Afternoon Party

"Did you know?"
I demanded without ceremony.

Kyle crossed his arms and gave me a look.

"Keep your voice down, the King may sleep sound but the guard outside the door tonight happens to have acute hearing. And did I know what exactly?"

"Did you know that I had memory serum used on me?"
I growled in a low tone.

Kyle stiffened, his eyes shifting away from me.

"How did you find out?"

"The Prince of all people put the pieces together."

"I didn't know for sure, but I had suspected it might the case for a while now. I was watching, waiting to see if more evidence might rear it's head."

I began to pace up and down the enclosed balcony behind the wall in the King's chambers.

"What does this even mean? Can it be undone?"

"The serum wasn't designed to be able to be removed any too easily. If there is a way to clear the effects completely, you'd have to talk to a scientist I'm afraid, not me."

"So what, am I just supposed to live with partial memories of two different lives?"

"You're supposed to keep moving forward. Whatever happened in your past is going to stay there, whether you understand it or not. So leave it be and focus on what's happening in the here and now."

"I can't live with unanswered questions."
I warned him.

"Sometimes you have no choice."
He replied bluntly.

It looked like Ranen was my only ally in unraveling the secrets of my past, an ironic turn of events really. I continued pacing, a million thoughts swirling in my head.

It was all so overwhelming, I had been a rebel, and apparently some kind of leader at that. I'd had friends, a boyfriend, all who I could barely remember. Then there was the matter of my mother. Two different versions of her seemed to be at war in my memories, the sweet, kind, gentle, one I had always known and the one that called me weak and demanded I kill those in my way. I shuddered to think that I might lose my mother all over again as my memories resurfaced. How long would it take for them to come back to me? Would the serum's effects ever completely fade, or would I forever have confusion on what the truth really was?

If only there was someone I might ask, someone who held the key to understanding the serum. I stopped in my tracks as a thought popped into mind. I did know one scientist, and I was willing to bet he would help me if he could.

****

"Hey Blue, how are you?"
Jasper asked, opening his door wider when he saw me.

"Hey Brainiac, can I come in?"

He motioned me inside his messy apartment and knocked a pile of papers off the couch so I could have a place to sit. I smiled wryly at the stacks of papers, dirty laundry, and used dishes that seemed to litter every available surface.

"You seem serious, is something the matter?"
Jasper plopped down in the leather armchair, having first moved a coffee mug and plate off the cushion.

"Well, I have a question for you, as a scientist and a future Keeper. You can't mention it to anyone else though, this stays between us."

Jasper leaned forward, obviously intrigued.

"What if I told you it was possible to tamper with the human mind? Edit someone's memories."

Jasper scratched his chin thoughtfully.