Alice awoke from another restless sleep. The cabin that the council provided her was dim and murky. A sense of dread overwhelmed her. She headed to a window that overlooked the courtyard. The man she’d seen earlier was nowhere to be found.

I hope he’s okay. It’s strange, but I feel the need to connect with him. Do I know him? Argh, I wish I could remember.

Alice was about to return to the bed when she saw something that chilled her. A sticky black substance had spilled in front of the door. She touched the stain. It had a ruddy, viscous texture. She moved to the dying light of the fireplace to get a better look at the residue.

Is that blood?

As she ignited the lantern that was near the fireplace, an overwhelming compulsion to examine herself took hold. She didn’t recognize the woman in the mirror. It was the face she recognized, camouflaged in the same ruddy tar substance that she encountered by the door. Backing away, her bare foot touched something sharp. As she examined the floor, looking for the item that stabbed her, a flash of memory invaded her thoughts. The man’s touch held her with joy.

I know him!

A dagger was near a crumpled note. As she picked up the paper, another series of images filled her mind’s eye. The stranger was grasping his neck as he collapsed. Blood oozed from his throat and coursed through his fingers. A look of betrayal on his face. Alice’s vision blurred as tears formed in her eyes.

What have I done?

The door opened, and a woman she recognized came toward her.

“The council needs to discuss the consequences of your actions this evening. Get dressed. I will wait for you outside,” Silvia said as she left.

Moments later, Alice followed the woman into the courtyard. She stopped to closely examine the X-shaped pyre the guards had tied the man to. A pole in its center supported it. A green emerald was atop the beam, and it was glowing.

“Are you coming, Peregrine?” Silvia asked.

“How long has that gem been shining?” Alice asked.

“I don’t know, but I think it started after…”

“After what?”

The guard gave her a sad look.

“It will all become clear tonight.”

Alice followed the woman to another tent high on a ridge.

“Where are you going?” Alice asked.

“The spirit tent; the Crone must meditate on a great many things.”

It took some time to make the climb, and she was treated to an impressive view of the valley. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed smoke from Stone Mountain.

“What’s that?” Alice said, pointing to the smoke.

“Dieark and his raiders prepare for battle and we must be ready. Only the strongest of us will survive,” Silvia said.

Moments later, Alice found herself in the center of a tent, which reminded her of a Native American teepee. A pit with a smoldering fire permeated the room with ash, and Goeh sat cross-legged on the other side of the dying flame.

The guard motioned Alice to sit facing Goeh. The campfire was between them.

“Peregrine, I hope you realize you are like a daughter to me,” Goeh said.

This old Crone thinks everyone is her child. Is she unhappy with me?

“I know, old mother.”

“Make me understand why you murdered the man who seemed to recognize you. Was that your ultimate plan?”

What?

“I… didn’t kill,” Alice said.

Her lips quivered. She raised her hands to the light. She hadn’t had time to wash. Alice was covered in Jamie’s lifeblood. A fragment of memory overwhelmed her. It was only one image, but it haunted her. She’d kissed Jamie. Moments later, he coughed up blood and gave her a regretful look.

“Your actions tell all. I’m so very sorry for your loss.”

A flash of memory filled her vision. Making love to the familiar stranger was the most pleasant. It ended with blood flowing down his naked chest.

“I don’t know what happened.”

Another woman whom Alice knew as Latavia entered.

“Is she ready?” Latavia asked.

“I believe she is, but she still lacks control.”

“We cannot wait any longer. The gemstones are lighting the forest.”

“What gems?” Alice asked in a confused tone.

“The Shrew has activated the machine,” Goeh said, ignoring Alice’s question.

“It attracted the raiders to its power.”

“Yes, and Peregrine must be ready to lead us into battle.”

“This will help you remember,” Latavia said as she handed Alice something.

She examined the small vial of a purple liquid in her hand.

Goeh added a log and stoked the flames, which cast sinister shadows.

“You have a condition that is common among skilled warriors. The liquid in this sacred vial will unlock those abilities, but there is a price you need to pay,” Goeh said.

“Price?”

“You gain the insight and wisdom of all previous lives. It may be painful to experience, but you must be strong to lead.”

Alice stared at the liquid in the vial, and a sense of dread overcame her. Latavia threw a green, rope-like substance into the flame. A sweet smell of something familiar enveloped her. Her eyes glazed over as another memory surfaced.

“Alice, you’ve done it. You killed the bot army with that EMP,” a woman’s voice said.

A woman in her twenties appeared from a shadowy mist. Despite a scar that ran across her lower face, the woman was pretty. The vision faded.

“So, drinking this will make me remember?”

“You shall have all answers after drinking.”

I want to be whole again. I need to remember all actions from any demon that may haunt my soul.

Alice closed her eyes as she drank the thick, purple liquid. It tasted bittersweet. She closed her eyes and breathed in the aroma of the burning green rope. She didn’t know how long she needed to wait before the visions would come, but she cleared her mind as she waited for the flood of memory to begin. It didn’t take long.

Alice stood atop an enormous platform. She bathed in the radiance of several bright lights. She played a musical instrument. Alice couldn’t think of its name, but she thought guitar was the correct word. She watched herself finish a tune. Some mechanical men with violins, drums, and cellos came into view, and they played, and then without warning all collapsed into a heap of metal. The vision faded. She opened her eyes. Goeh and Latavia sat with their legs crossed just before her.

“Focus on breathing; the rest will come,” Goeh said.

Alice closed her eyes, then drew in a breath, holding it for a moment before exhaling. She thought of it as breathing in the goodness of the world and exhaling the bad. Another memory took hold. She was entering a room with the strange fellow.

“We did it. The school will have to reconsider using the bots now,” the man said.

“The army of bots that MuseFam has created will die. Let the war against the robots commence,” she heard herself say.

Another vision came. She climbed a tower and faced an enormous dome. She was fiddling with a machine. An explosion of energy enveloped the area, then people-like machines playing various musical instruments started collapsing. A vision of a cybernetic female singer appeared. Her lovely voice turned shrill as her synthetic skin melted from her metal frame. Each additional memory became more intense as the imagery combined into a kaleidoscope of visions. The last memory she had before passing out was the murder of an old friend. She watched as the blood oozed from his throat and onto her pale arms, and the man fell. Her heart sank as the thought surfaced. Once Jamie had expired, she watched herself rummage through his pockets until she found a note written in simple handwriting. She could make out one line before her dream faded: My Dear Alice.