BooksBarbecue
Back Rosemarked Save as PDF
Chapters (58)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Part One
  5. Chapter One
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Chapter Four
  9. Chapter Five
  10. Part Two: Three Months Later
  11. Chapter Six
  12. Chapter Seven
  13. Chapter Eight
  14. Chapter Nine
  15. Chapter Ten
  16. Chapter Eleven
  17. Chapter Twelve
  18. Chapter Thirteen
  19. Chapter Fourteen
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-one
  27. Part Three
  28. Chapter Twenty-two
  29. Chapter Twenty-three
  30. Chapter Twenty-four
  31. Chapter Twenty-five
  32. Chapter Twenty-six
  33. Chapter Twenty-seven
  34. Chapter Twenty-eight
  35. Chapter Twenty-nine
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-one
  38. Chapter Thirty-two
  39. Chapter Thirty-three
  40. Chapter Thirty-four
  41. Chapter Thirty-five
  42. Chapter Thirty-six
  43. Chapter Thirty-seven
  44. Chapter Thirty-eight
  45. Chapter Thirty-nine
  46. Chapter Forty
  47. Chapter Forty-one
  48. Chapter Forty-two
  49. Chapter Forty-three
  50. Chapter Forty-four
  51. Chapter Forty-five
  52. Chapter Forty-six
  53. Chapter Forty-seven
  54. Chapter Forty-eight
  55. Epilogue
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. About the Author
  58. Keep Reading for a Sneak Peek at Umbertouched

I take a pitcher and pour water so it barely covers the stones. “This first potion I gave you, it buries everything up to this point. Any new memories formed after that are laid above the water level.” I drop a few rocks on top of the first layer of pebbles to symbolize new experiences. “After the first potion, you can remember everything above water—that is, everything that’s happened since you drank it.”

He furrows his brow but doesn’t say anything.

“The second potion I gave you was the temporary restoration. It sweeps the water to the side so you can see everything—both your old memories and your new ones. But eventually, the potion will wear off. The water flows back, and once again you can only see what’s not buried.”

Dineas stares at the basin, taking in my words. “And what about the things that happen while the water’s temporarily swept aside? Are those like new memories or old?”

“Good question. Those memories are somewhere in between. You might remember vague impressions after the rest of the old memories fade, but I don’t think you’ll be able to make sense of them.”

He frowns. “And you do have something that will dry up this ‘water’ for good?”

“Yes. That’s the permanent antidote. We’ll take it with us to the capital, and it will cure you when our mission is done. But I’d rather not erase your memory more times than I must. The first potion is the dangerous part. It might not turn out so well next time.”

He takes in my words, and sets his jaw. “Well then, let’s go to the capital.”

Chapter Eleven

Now I understand why they call that snake the soulstealer.

As I mend my clothes and sharpen my blades for our journey, I’m haunted by those short moments when Zivah took away my past, the blankness where my life should have been. I can’t shake the feeling that with her potion, Zivah’s taken something core to who I am. Before we parted that day, Zivah gave me several days’ worth of the draft to keep my memories from fading, and I take them more religiously than most priests take their prayers. I’ve agreed to this mission, and I won’t back down now. All the same, I’ll hold on to my soul for as long as I can.

Five days later, I journey back down to Zivah’s cottage under cover of darkness. Gatha’s the only one who comes to see me off. It’s a brisk night, with only a sliver of a moon. Through the healer’s shutters, the faint glow of lamplight tells me Zivah’s up and about. I send Preener off to fetch her.