“You have twenty minutes.” Samra pointed at Melissa’s head. “Go.”
Emily stared at her for a long moment, promising herself that she’d make Samra pay if Melissa was permanently damaged. Emily had enough experience with curses—and she’d read far too many books—to take any long-lasting curse lightly. The effects might seem humorous, but the long-term consequences could be disastrous for the victim. Emily had read about an obedience curse that had rendered the victim permanently servile, even after the spell had been removed. The victim had possessed almost no willpower of his own.
She leaned forward and touched Melissa’s forehead, closing her eyes. An image of Spock mind-melding with Kirk flashed through her mind, an image she ruthlessly suppressed as she sent her thoughts flowing towards Melissa. There was no point in confusing someone who’d never heard of television, let alone Star Trek. Melissa had never spoken to her about any of the images she might have picked up from Emily’s mind—Emily wasn’t sure if Melissa could open such a conversation or not—but she was sure Emily’s memories of Earth would be confusing. Alassa had found them confusing.
And we weren’t anything like so close when I touched Alassa’s mind, she thought. Blood magic allowed a mental link, but soul magic was far more intrusive. Or perhaps inclusive was the better word. She will have seen too much of me.
She slid into Melissa’s mind, feeling a dull throbbing resentment pulsing through her thoughts. It was a strong feeling, one that threatened to overwhelm Emily and drive her back into her own mind. Of course Melissa was unhappy. The curse was dangerous, even if Samra was sure she could extract it without harm. Emily felt another flash of respect, realizing—suddenly—that she could no longer dislike Melissa. The girl had grown into a young woman who’d earned respect.
Thank you, she thought.
She started, surprise flickering through her mind—both minds. That hadn’t been her thought ... had it? Melissa was picking up on her thoughts! Emily felt her mind recoil in shock before she forced herself to remain calm. Melissa couldn’t share whatever she saw in Emily’s mind with anyone, without permission. And yet, it felt as though she was being violated on a very basic level. She hadn’t volunteered for soul magic ...
The thought faded away as she thrust deeper into Melissa’s mind. Thoughts, emotions and images assailed her. Melissa owned a castle; no, a city; no, a spider-web that made up her innermost being. Everywhere Emily looked, there were memories and feelings and images that raged towards her, each one a distraction from her mission. And yet, Melissa wasn’t even trying to fight her. Emily hated to think what it would be like if Melissa wanted to throw her out.
She saw herself casting a spell. It was odd ... she’d been in first year, judging by her robes, but she hadn’t been that pretty. Or had she? She’d never thought of herself as attractive, even after she’d started dating. And yet ...how could she judge herself? She was seeing her body through Melissa’s eyes and it looked different ...
The memories grew stronger. Emily pushed them away as she worked her way down to the center of Melissa’s mind. She could see Melissa’s oaths—her marriage bond to Markus and the oath she’d sworn as a prospective healer—glowing in her mind, overshadowing her thoughts and feelings. A little of Markus’s magic was mingled into the marriage bond—a link that would be unbreakable, save by death—but the healer oath stood alone. She’d sworn it herself, with total conviction. Emily couldn’t help being awed. The oath wouldn’t have taken if Melissa had harbored any doubts about her vocation.
She opened her thoughts ... and saw the curse. It was black, reeking of evil ... it looked like a poisonous spider, squatting on its victim. Emily recoiled, feeling herself tumbling backwards over and over until she remembered that she was in someone’s mind. What she saw wasn’t real. And, more importantly, she wasn’t limited by her body. If she wanted to look like a bird—if she wanted to be a bird—there was nothing holding her back.
Bracing herself, she extended her mind towards the curse. It snapped and snarled at her, like a crab that didn’t want to be picked up. Her thought gave it shape. Claws and teeth manifested from nowhere, snapping threateningly at her. Emily fought down the urge to run, telling herself that it wasn’t real, that it couldn’t harm her. And yet, she knew it could harm her if she let it. The curse changed shape again as she caught hold, becoming a sticky mess that threatened to leak into Melissa’s mind. Emily tightened her grip, willing it to come free ...
... It snapped free, then lunged at her. Emily recoiled as something landed on her face, tearing away at her bare flesh. For a terrified moment, she was sure the curse was trying to fight its way through every orifice and into her brain. She couldn’t help thinking of a face hugger, trying to impregnate an unwilling victim. Her lips clamped shut, but something was trying to pry them open. Her thoughts had given it shape and form ...
... She concentrated, then opened her mouth and breathed fire. The curse spun away from her, too late. She saw it wither and vanish, an instant before the fire vanished too. Emily hung in the center of Melissa’s mind for a long moment, then pulled back hastily. The fire shouldn’t have hurt Melissa—it shouldn’t have been real to her—but there was no point in taking chances. She fled backwards ...
... And then she was in her own body, jerking back from Melissa.
“Well done,” Samra said. “You removed the curse.”
“Thank you,” Melissa said. She touched her throat, lightly. Her voice sounded odd, as if she’d been unwell. “That was ... not pleasant.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Emily said, sincerely.
“We have all been through worse,” Samra said, sounding like a fanatic. “Healers are often forced to put themselves in unfortunate positions. It is part of our calling.”
“Yeah,” Melissa said. “But does it have to be so unpleasant?”
Samra gave her a considering look. “There are few who would understand, outside the circle. They would not be sympathetic to our requests.”
Her lips quirked. “Just be grateful you didn’t have to have your arm broken, just so we could teach your fellow students how to mend it,” she said. “And to teach you to be empathic for those who are in need of your skills.”
Melissa stood up. “If you don’t mind, I have work to do,” she said. “Mistress?”
“You may go,” Samra said. “Inform me at once if you notice any lingering after-effects of the curse.”
Emily met Samra’s eyes as the tutor looked back at her. “Are there going to be any long-term effects?”
“There shouldn’t be,” Samra told her. “The curse was not designed to survive, once it was yanked out of her mind. I don’t believe that any remaining fragments would pose a danger to her. But in soul magic, it is impossible to be entirely sure.”