Page 80 of The Last Kelpie

“I believe so.” Caelum held up his hand. “This will not stop the changes already made to the kelpie myth. We will have to continue fighting them through traditional means. But it should stop the lies from settling into Áedán, and that should slow down his fading.” He turned toward Agnes. “The box, if you please.”

Grim-faced, Agnes nodded and then headed toward the back of the Archive.

Julian looked relieved, and that calmed me. Breaking the spell wouldn't solve everything, but it would help Áedán. It would slow his fading until we could destroy the new kelpie stories. While we waited, I took one of the older books to Caelum.

“These are different. They have that spiral on the cover and the truth-sentence, but they tell good stories. “ I opened one of the older books and set it before him.

Caelum scanned a few pages, noted the sentence at the end of a story, and nodded. “I'm assuming this was the work of a group of individuals who passed their knowledge down to others who then continued the work. They began as benevolent guardians, but through the years, that must have changed.”

“Or maybe the group who once used the spiral and sentence died out, and this evil editor twisted their work.” Julian's gaze swept over the suitcases full of books. “At least it appears to have begun relatively recently.”

Looking at Caelum, I said, “You were right. This editor rewrote books from the past. They altered the folklorist's memories because they came into direct contact with him, but it didn't affect Moira because that would mean changing her entire life.” Then I remembered Ed's printer's proof again. “The red ink!”

“What red ink?” Julian asked.

“In Ed's book.” Áedán nodded. “It wasn't old. That printer's proof was faded, but the alterations weren't.”

“The editor made them recently.” Caelum frowned. “Perhaps they paid your friend a visit.”

A shiver ran down my back as the image of Ed and little Tommy came to mind. That someone had invaded their home and editted Ed's work, maybe even his memories, was terrifying. The editor hadn't just altered Áedán's memories. They'd altered Ed's too. And that meant . . . “The editor's magic works on humans.”

“Of course it does,” Julian said. “Magic can target anything. It's not limited to myths.”

“Oh, yes, I understand.” I felt like an idiot.

Áedán squeezed my hand, and I smiled sheepishly at him.

Agnes returned with a glass box about two feet across. Archaic symbols covered the glass panes, and silver framed them. A clasp at the top secured the lid. She set it down beside Caelum.

Caelum stood up and set the older book aside. “I'll read through the earlier manuscripts later. Right now, we need to focus on Áedán.”

Caelum opened the glass box and set Áedán's book inside. As he chanted something in a language I didn't recognize, he closed the lid. The silver frame began to glow. It brightened with every word Caelum spoke until I had to close my eyes against the glare. Then he went silent, and the light died.

I opened my eyes to find the box empty. Eyes wide and hopeful, I spun toward Áedán. “How do you feel?”

Áedán's gaze went distant for a moment, and then he smiled. “I remember saving those people. The false memories are gone!”

With a whoop, I pulled him into my arms. Áedán bent his head over mine and sighed. It wasn't over, but at least his mind was free of that terrible magic.

Then Caelum's voice drew us apart. “I want the reports from every failed Velasca mission.”

Áedán and I looked over to see Agnes nod once and head toward her desk. Julian followed her without being asked.

“How far do you think it goes back?” I asked. “There are only six other books.”

“That doesn't mean there aren't more. I have to be sure.”

Caelum picked up one of the modern books and turned it over in his hands. The broken spiral on the cover caught the light, the tail end severed as if someone had erased part of the pattern.

Áedán and I sat down and waited as Caelum skimmed the book. Several minutes later, Agnes and Julian returned carrying boxes, set them down, and left for more. They made two more trips. As they did, Caelum opened the first box. Inside were thick files. He removed one and went through it.

“What are we looking for?” I took a file out of the box.

“That.” Caelum pointed at the spiral on a book cover.

Áedán grabbed a file. We searched every photograph and sketch. By the time Julian and Agnes had finished bringing the rest of the boxes, Caelum had found the first file with a spiral inside. It was the same spiral with a separated tail. He showed it to us. It was small, scribbled in the margin of a page. The Velascan assigned to the case hadn't noticed it.

Agnes brought us magnifying glasses, and we all set to work. An hour later, we had found the myths from the modern books and four more. They had all faded within the last ten years.