Part 22 (1/2)

Thea smiled at him. And was so proud to see that even now, surrounded by people who must seem likefigures from some horrible legend to him, he could give her a wry half-smil e back.

”I have an idea,” she said to Gran and the Inner Circle. ”The Cup of Lethe.”

There was a silence. People looked at each other. Gran was startled.

”Not just for him,” Thea said. ”For me.”

Long breaths quietly drawn in the silence.

Gran shut her eyes.

”If I drank enough, I'd forget everything,” Thea forged on, talking to all the grave faces. ”Everything about the Night World. I wouldn't be a witch a nymore, because I wouldn't remember who I am.”

”You'd become a lost witch,” Aradia said. Her lovely face was calm, not app alled. ”Like the psychics who don't know their heritage. And lost witches c an live with humans.”

”And neither of us would remember about the Night World,” Thea said. ”S o how could we be breaking any laws?”

”The law would be satisfied,” Aradia said.

Eric's hand tightened on Thea's. ”But-”

She looked at him. ”It's the only way for us to be together.”

He shut his mouth.

This silence was very long.

Then Blaise, who had been standing with crossed arms, watching, said, ”Sh e told me they were soulmates.”

For an instant, Thea thought she was saying it spitefully, to harm.

But Gran was turning in surprise. ”Soulmates. That's a notion I haven't heard in a while.”

”An archaic myth,” Rhys said, s.h.i.+fting in his lab coat.

”Maybe not,” Mother Cybele said softly. ”Maybe the old powers are waking u p again. Maybe they're trying to tell us something.”

Gran looked down at the floor. When she looked back at Thea, there were tea rs in her fierce dark eyes. And for the first time since Thea had known her , those eyes looked truly old.

”If we did let you do this,” she said, ”if we let you renounce your heritage and walk away from us ... where would you go?”

It was Eric who answered. ”With me,” he said simply. ”My mom and my sister already love her. And my mom knows she's an orphan. If I tell her Thea ca n't stay here anymore-well, she'd take her in, no questions.”

”I see,” Gran said. Eric hadn't mentioned that his mom already thought The a was living in an unstable home with an unbalanced old lady, but Thea had the feeling Gran knew.

Another pause, as Gran looked around the Circle. Finally, she nodded and let out a breath. ”I think the girl's given us a way out,” she said. ”Does anyb ody disagree?”No one spoke. Most of the faces were pitying. They think it's a fate worse th an death, Thea realized.

Blaise said suddenly, ”I'll get the Cup.”

She clashed through the bead curtain.

Good. It's good to get it over with, Thea thought. Her heart was pounding wi ldly. She and Eric were holding hands so tightly that her burned fingers stu ng.

”It won't hurt,” she whispered to him. ”We'll be sort of confused ... but it should come back to us ... except anything about magic.”

”You can transfer into zoology,” he said. ”And go to Davis.” He was smiling, but his eyes were full.

Dani stepped forward. ”Can I ... I'd just like to say good-bye.” She got thr ough that much steadily. Then she choked and threw herself into Thea's arms.

Thea hugged back. ”I'm sorry I got you in trouble,” she whispered.

”You didn't-you told them it wasn't my fault. They're not going to do anythin g to me. But it's going to be so lonely at school without you . . .” Dani ste pped away, shaking her head, trying not to cry. ”Blessed be.”

Blaise was back, little bells ringing. She had a pewter chalice in one hand and a bottle in the other.

Just seeing the bottle sent a s.h.i.+ver through Thea. The gla.s.s was so dark wit h age she couldn't tell what color it had been originally, and so misshapen it was hard to know if it was meant to be round or square. There was wax ove r the cork and all sorts of seals and ribbons.

Gran broke through the seals, pulled off the ribbons. She tried to twist the c ork out of the wax, but Blaise had to help.

Then she tipped the bottle above the cup Blaise held.

Brownish liquid ran out. Gran poured until the cup was half full.

”When you drink this,” Gran said to Thea, ”you'll forget me. You won't know anyone here. But we won't forget you.” She spok e formally, an announcement before the Circle. ”Thea Sophia Harman, let t he record show that you are a true daughter of h.e.l.lewise.”

She shuffled forward and kissed Thea's cheek.

Thea hugged her, feeling the fragile old body for the last time. ”Good-bye, G ran. I love you.”

Then Blaise came, offering the cup in both hands. She looked wild and beauti ful, her hair a cataract of black tumbling around her, her hands pale around the chalice.

”Good-bye,” Thea said, and took it from her.

Blaise smiled.

Now, Thea told herself. Don't hesitate. Don't think about it.

She lifted the cup to her lips and drank.

And choked slightly on the first swallow. It was- it tasted like . . .Her eyes went to Blaise's.

Which were large and gray and luminous. They looked at her steadily. So ste adily that it was a warning.

Thea kept drinking.

Tea. Watered-down iced tea. That was what the Cup of Lethe tasted like.