Chapter Fourteen: Varn

This is crazy , Varn said. We would never forget our mate.

But we did, his dragon replied.

Varn tore his eyes from Carys and looked around the room at the people staring at them. Each had a mixture of worry and confusion on their faces, except Morwenna, who kept her resting expression of mild disapproval she usually wore. We must have.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we can't sense her. His dragon ground his teeth. He did not like this. Not one bit.

Because if we can forget her once, we can forget her twice, Varn said, recalling the moment all those years ago when he'd caught a fleeting sense of her.

Was that when it started?

His blood chilled in his veins. What if, during the years that followed, he and Carys had met again and then forgotten each other? How many times had they had their first meeting, only to go their separate ways as if nothing had happened?

There is nothing we can do to change the past . His dragon fought to stay calm. But we can stop history from repeating itself.

You're right, Varn agreed. Now that we are aware of whatever this is, we can make sure to never forget her again.

So, you're going to leave a note by the side of your bed each night? his dragon asked.

Now, that is not a bad idea, Varn replied.

"So, we're thinking this is a spell?" Flint placed a hand on Varn's shoulder, and he jerked his head up, suddenly aware of the people in the tavern once more.

"I'll gather the coven," Elsbeth said. "One way or another, we'll figure this out."

"Wait, someone cast a spell?" Carys asked. "On me?" She shook her head. "I don't understand. Why would anyone do that?"

"We don't know anything yet," Flint said, as the voice of reason. "It might be like Morwenna said…"

"Silly season?" Liselle asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Not exactly," Flint replied warily. "But it could be something simple. Carys and Varn might have…I don't know… But it might be something that happened when they were together yesterday."

"Like fairy dust," Elsbeth added, hopeful for a simple solution.

"I have an idea!" Harry stood up abruptly.

"We retrace the steps Carys and Varn took on their date yesterday," Stan said as he sipped his beer.

"Yes," Harry said, shooting Stan a look.

"That sounds like a great idea," Burt said eagerly.

"It might be," Carys said. "If we could remember what we did on our date."

"I think I do remember pieces." Varn frowned.

"I know what you did, don't worry," Flint said.

"You do?" Varn asked his friend.

"Yes, you told me all about it last night," Flint replied.

"I did?" Varn said in mild surprise. He was not usually one to share intimate details of his life.

"You don't remember the tea party at Elsbeth's?" Flint asked.

Elsbeth huffed. "I'll have you know my tea parties are very memorable, so that proves beyond doubt that something is wrong."

"I remember the party," Varn assured her. "I just don't recall the conversation with Flint."

"Of course you wouldn't," Morwenna said. "Because to remember that conversation, you would have to remember the subject of it. Your date with Carys."

"This is confusing." Carys sat down heavily in the nearest chair, shaking her head in confusion. "I just don't understand. Why can't Varn and I remember being together? It doesn't make any sense."

Varn kneeled beside her, taking her hand in his. A shock of recognition coursed through him. But this only confused him more.

How could he forget his mate when her mere presence, let alone her touch, moved him so deeply? If this was a spell or a curse, then it must be a powerful one.

No spell is going to keep us apart. Varn's dragon puffed, ready to smite anyone who had a hand in this.

"Like Elsbeth said, we'll figure this out," he promised his mate. "Somehow, some way, we'll get to the bottom of this. I swear it."

Flint stepped forward, clearing his throat. "I think retracing your steps is our best bet. And where better to start than at the beginning."

"Boating. In the park!" Harry exclaimed and then slid off his stool. "Let's go!"

"We can go alone," Varn blurted out. "Can't we?" He glanced at Carys.

"I guess," Carys said, but she didn't sound too sure.

Doesn't she trust us? Varn's dragon said.

We have only just met, Varn replied.

No, we have met before. And we're mates, his dragon insisted.

She doesn't feel it the same way we do , Varn reminded his dragon. And she's worried about what is happening to us.

"You need us." Burt downed his tea, screwing up his face before relaxing it and looking down into the empty mug. "This stuff if delicious…

"We can manage," Varn replied firmly.

"But what if you forget again?" Harry asked.

"We didn't forget yesterday," Varn reminded them.

"Varn's right," Carys said. "We both remembered each other until…" she paused.

"Until we went to bed." Varn clicked his fingers. "If I told Ash about Carys, then I must have forgotten after that, and all I did was sleep."

"Separately?" Stan asked.

"Yes," Carys said, color flushing her cheeks.

"I was just asking. Since you are mates," Stan reminded them. As if Varn needed any reminding.

Varn sighed heavily. "Yes, we went to bed separately last night. And when we woke up this morning, it seems the previous day had been erased from both our memories."

Carys looked up at Varn, her eyes troubled. "I wish I could remember it. Our first date, getting to know you. It feels like something precious was stolen from us."

"But the thing is," Harry said with a grin. "You get to do it all over again today."

"That's true," Morwenna said. "This is a first for The Lonely Tavern. You get a second first date…on the house."

Varn nodded, his jaw clenched as he mumbled, "There must be an explanation." He turned to the others. "Flint is right, though, retracing our steps is the logical place to start. If you all want to come as witnesses, so be it. But Carys and I need to do this alone, to see if it triggers any memories."

"You all go ahead." Liselle looked up at Flint. "I don't think going out in the cold for so long is going to be good for Koralyn."

"Perhaps you two could take Casper and Hazel to the toy maker to pick out some late gifts?" Flint suggested.

Liselle smiled back at him. "What a lovely idea. It's a shame you'll miss it, but I'm sure you'll have fun on this investigation you're all going on. Oh, and don't forget Ash and Leah's work party."

"Oh!" Morwenna exclaimed, before taking on an admonishing tone. "Flint, how could you forget you need to put out some extra baked treats for the imps so that they behave themselves? It's certainly a good thing that your wonderful wife is so organized."

"I think you were supposed to do that, Morwenna." Liselle giggled.

"Hm." Morwenna rubbed her chin. "You can't be mistaken, so I suppose it must be immutable truth."

"I do have a couple of things I need to have ready, but I've got a bit of time, so let's get to it." The group murmured their assent. Flint clapped Varn on the back. "At least we know what you did first."

"The boat trip!" Stan cried. "And I think for authenticity, it's important that you go out on a boat. And we should go on one, too…you know, to keep an eye on what's happening."

"I'll call Jerry and make a booking," Harry said.

"You don't have to…" Varn began, but Harry already had his phone to his ear as he headed for the front door.

"Enjoy your first date, you two." Morwenna gave them a wave as they headed for the front door.

***

"I don't think the boat is going to float on that," Carys said.

"Pity." Varn nodded as they stared at the frozen lake.

"How on earth did you two go on a romantic boat picnic on this?" Stan asked, looking along the row of small boats that were sitting in deep snow, having been pulled up shore before the frost.

"They can't remember how," Burt said. "Perhaps it wasn't frozen yesterday?"

"The weather wasn't any warmer yesterday," Harry mused. "Perhaps that's why they don't remember. They suffered from hypothermia."

"Then how do they not remember the tea party after?" Burt asked.

"Burt's right." Flint nodded. "With so many people in Elsbeth's house, all the cooking, and the hearth being lit, I don't even think the yeti in Morwenna's fridge could have kept cold."

"That still begs the question…" Harry walked up to a boat. "Wait, did you even use the boat?"

Varn and Carys glanced at one another.

"I'm pretty sure we did." Varn frowned. "I do remember there being on a boat. It was foggy?"

"Mm." Carys nodded. "I remember the fog."

"Perhaps a cursed fog?" Stan ventured.

"But it doesn't look like this boat has been moved." Harry sounded accusatory. "Did you use the wrong boat? I booked the Lily-pad."

"That one looks like it's been moved." Burt pointed to a boat farther up the shore and the three men walked over through the snow, murmuring amongst themselves.

Carys let out a long sigh. "This is not how I expected my day to go."

"Me neither." Varn turned to her, his voice low. "And it's not how I expected the first meeting with my mate to go."

"We're really mates?" Carys looked up at him. "I mean, we both sort of remember the boat. But could we really forget a wonderful first date, huh?"

Varn's shoulders slumped. "It certainly seems that way."

"Hey." Carys touched his hand, making Varn jump, and he lifted his eyes to look into hers. He almost lost himself in those wells of compassion. "We can always do a second or third first date."

She might not sense the mating bond in the same way as a shifter or feel the loss so keenly if they were torn apart, but Carys empathized with how he felt. He knew at that moment that she would be there for him no matter what, even after only knowing each other for such a brief time.

As long as she doesn't forget us again, his dragon said in warning.

Varn tried not to let himself get too choked up at that thought. "Yeah. A second first date sounds perfect. Although maybe we leave the boat trip until spring."

"Perhaps ice skating would be more suitable."

"It would be but…"

"But what?" Carys asked lightly.

"I've never ice skated before."

"Really?" Carys asked. "I thought it was something everyone did."

Varn shook his head. "Never."

"Not even as a child?" Carys asked.

Varn's expression clouded. "My childhood had little time for such frivolous activities , as my father called them."

Carys's smile turned a little sad before it brightened again. "Well, that just means that you get to experience all those frivolous things with me, I suppose."

It was Varn's turn to smile. "I would like that very much."

"All right." Burt clapped his hands together as he and the other Regulars trudged back to them. "I think we've investigated the boats thoroughly enough that we can say they're probably not cursed."

"Wonderful," Carys said wryly, before glancing at Varn and smirking. "Perhaps the picnic we supposedly had was cursed instead."

Harry gulped. "Erm, well, probably not, as we ate the leftovers that went into creating your perfect picnic."

"And let's just say that if the food was cursed, each of us would have eaten enough curse for the both of you," Burt said, tipping forward onto his toes and hiking his thumbs into his belt.

There was a crack and splash sound that made them all turn.

"Woah!" Flint stepped back from a newly formed hole in the ice.

"You all right there, chap?" Stan asked.

"The ice is really thin here. It looks like it's only just frozen over." Flint grimaced as he shook water from his now wet boot.

Harry perked up. "So, you're saying they might have used the boat?"

Flint grumbled as he emptied water from his boot.

"Regardless," Varn said a little sharply, increasingly agitated that he wasn't able to spend time alone with his mate. "I don't think there's anything for us to learn here."

"Okay, well, where did you two go next?" Burt asked.

Varn and Carys looked at each other before shrugging.

What else could we be forgetting? His dragon roared, So many precious moments in time, lost because of this.

We've got a lifetime of moments together to look forward to now, Varn said as he watched Carys.

"Varn, yesterday you said that you stopped by a market on the way to Elsbeth's," Flint reminded him.

Not that his reminder helped. "Did I?"

"Yes." Flint nodded then glanced at his watch. "Oh, I've got to run, Ash and Leah are hosting a business, Christmas…thing at the tavern tonight, and I don't think they trust Morwenna enough to not scare off some of the guests."

"I thought you were still on leave?" Harry asked.

Flint shrugged. "When you love your work…"

"I really would never have believed you would love it there. You know, Morwenna and all." Varn chuckled and shook his head. "But I'm happy that you do. Now, about this market."

"It must be the enchanted Christmas market they host every year near the town square." Stan was almost jumping up and down at the prospect of being able to visit.

"I suppose we have our next destination." Carys sighed. "If we really want to continue. I mean, do we have time for this?"

"Of course we do," Stan said as he set off toward town.

"But there are plenty of other things I'd rather be filling our time with now that Carys and I have met," Varn said.

Sure, it was important to find out what had happened to them, but he was struggling to fight the urge to shift and fly off with Carys to somewhere they could be alone.

"Yeah." Carys's gaze grew distant, and Varn got the feeling that there was something more troubling her, as though they really were running out of time to make their second, or rather third, chance work.