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Drummond shrugged. “Think about it. Hasn’t there been some awful trauma, some horrible thing that happened to you, that you’d rather forget about entirely?”
Cassie could think of such things, but she didn’t know that she would want to forget them. They were part of who she was.
“Or you can make people forget things you want them to forget,” Drummond added. “Tactically very useful for things like crimes and espionage. For people who want to have affairs and then make their lovers forget about them. For everything from the mundane to the malicious.”
Cassie shook her head. “I don’t see how it helps us with Dr. Barbary.”
Drummond sighed. “It doesn’t,” he admitted. “But it helps Izzy.”
He looked at Izzy and Cassie followed his gaze. Izzy continued to stare at the book in her hands and Cassie now saw that Izzy’s face was lit up by the lights that were emanating from it, a swirling dance of deep reds and blues.
“I feel funny,” Izzy said.
“Yes,” Drummond said softly. “You will.”
“What are you doing to her?” Cassie demanded, alarmed. She moved closer to Izzy and put a hand on her arm.
Izzy lifted her head—with some considerable effort, it seemed—and settled her eyes on Drummond.
“What’s happening?” she asked.
“You are going to be fine,” Drummond said, his voice gentle. Izzy was watching him as if trapped in his gaze. “I promise no harm will come to you. What I am doing, it is to protect you. You are holding the Book of Memories. I gave it to you, to help you forget.”
“Forget what?” Cassie demanded, her thoughts racing. Panic was surging like a wave within her.
“The best thing that could happen to Izzy right now is for her to forget all about the Book of Doors.”
Cassie looked down at the book Izzy was gripping, the colors it produced curling and swirling around it like smoke.
“It feels heavy,” Izzy murmured. “The book feels heavy and warm.” Her voice was like a child’s as she turned her face to Cassie. “I don’t feel right.”
“You’re fine, Izzy,” Drummond said. “This is for your own protection.”
“What is happening?” Izzy pleaded.
“When you let go of the book,” Drummond explained, “you will forget about the Book of Doors, about everything that has happened over the last few days. The Book of Doors will be clouded and hidden in your mind.”
“You can’t do that,” Cassie said, shoving Drummond roughly on the shoulder. “You don’t have the right! Make it stop!”
“It’s already done,” Drummond said. “I’m so sorry, but I have to protect Izzy.”
“I don’t want to forget!” Izzy said, pleading to Cassie. “I don’t like him changing my memories!”
“It’s done,” Drummond said again. “People like Dr. Barbary will keep coming. People worse than him. The only way to protect you is for you to know nothing about it.”
“But he saw us together,” Cassie exclaimed, not understanding how Drummond failed to see how important Izzy was to her. “He knows that Izzy knows.”
“Yes,” Drummond said. “But he saw me with you as well, and he’s much more interested in me. It’s me he will look for, not Izzy. And if he does find Izzy, he will see easily enough that she can’t tell him anything. He will work out what I’ve done.”
Izzy was crying now, but trying not to, gripping the book so firmly her knuckles were white. “What happens if I don’t let go?” she asked.
“You will,” Drummond said, speaking with the certainty of a man who had had similar discussions before. “You must. Eventually. You can’t live your life holding a book. And the book will grow heavier and heavier and hotter and hotter as it takes more and more of your memories. You won’t be able to hold on forever. Best to just let it happen.”
Cassie was watching Izzy, hating the hurt in her expression, her own mind racing as she tried to contemplate navigating this new and dangerous world without her.
“You can’t do this,” she pleaded to Drummond, her voice a whine. “Please, Drummond.”
Tears were in her eyes, she realized, and she hated looking weak in front of this man, but she couldn’t stop them.
