Claire's POV:
I stopped short and span to face him, "Excuse me?"
Oliver smirked at me and took a few steps closer, "Yeah, I heard. Gotta admit you're pretty good, I have no idea what half of that call meant. But I know you're not called Claire." I narrowed my eyes at him, "Just let me go Oliver." I turned and kept walking down the hall.
"Now why would I do that?" I could hear his footsteps as he followed me and inwardly rolled my eyes, "Because, if you don't let me leave, this town will be torn apart." His footsteps faltered and stopped, I knew he hadn't been expecting that, "Excuse me?"
I frowned and stopped walking, spinning to face him as I did, he was only a couple of feet behind me and I could see the confusion in his eyes, "There are bad people after me." Oliver rolled his eyes, "Because that's a rare occurrence." I growled at his sarcasm and moved closer. "Worse than Bishop. Worse than Magnus. If I don't leave, they're coming here. This town will be torn to shreds. Imagine that, everything you've all worked to defend. Gone. All because you wouldn't let me leave." His eyes were the size of saucers by the time I finished, "Why? Why are they after you?"
"I went against the leader." He waited, obviously expecting me to extend my answer. When I didn't say anything he nodded. I turned again and walked to the door.
I eyed it and ground my teeth, "You won't be able to open it. Like you said, it stood up against me and Myrnin." I glanced behind me and raised my eyebrows. I pulled of my ring and dropped it in my pocket. I heard Oliver's sharp intake of breath and knew he could see what I was now. My bracelet tightened on my left wrist before dropping off, I gritted my teeth against the pain, but it was gone after a second. I looked back at him again and noticed he was backing away, I turned properly and looked him in the eye. After a second of resistance he relaxed and was showing the telltale signs of being under my influence, I grinned and turned back to the door. One sharp tug on the door handle and it flew open.
I focused on the doorway and turned it into a portal, I turned to Oliver and held one finger up in front of my lips. He swayed then dropped to the floor in a bundle. I grinned and walked through the portal.
Eve's POV:
After Claire left Count Crackula looked away from the book, we all followed his gaze and looked over at Amelie. She looked round at us all before turning to face Oliver, "Oliver, go see what she's doing." Shane growled, idiot. "Why is he going?" Amelie turned her ice-cold onto him and glared, "Because Oliver knows what happens, he has no need to hear this. And unlike the rest of you, he won't let any feelings get in his way." Shane dropped his head and nodded. Oliver turned and left with a brief nod at Amelie.
I let out the breath I hadn't even known I'd been holding, and snuggled into Michaels hold. "Where did this all go wrong?" He looked down grimly at me, "I don't know Eve. I really don't know." I looked round and realised everyone was staring at us, I smiled and looked back at Myrnin waiting for him to start reading. "He folded his arms and leant against the door. He was in his usual good-guy disguise tonight: a tie-dyed T-shirt, battered cargo pants, his greyish, curling hair pulled back in a ponytail. He'd probably just closed up common grounds, she figured. He smelt like coffee. She wondered what Oliver wore on his days if when he wasn't trying to intimidate. Pyjamas? Fuzzy slippers?"
I snorted and Count Crackula looked like he was trying to hide a smile, "One thing she'd figured out about the vampires in Morganville, they were never exactly what they seemed to be, even the bad ones.
'Fine,' she said, and backed away from him until her heels hit the first step. She sat down. 'You tell me what I've done.'
'You've upset the balance of power in the town, and that's a terrible thing, little Claire. You see Amelie intended to be queen of this little kingdom. She thought I was safely dead when she did-'" Count Crack stopped reading and looked at Amelie, concern covering his features. Even Amelie's mask had a little crack of worry showing through. Michael didn't seem as concerned, whatever they'd heard was obviously far enough away that Michael could barely hear it. Crackula stood up and ran out the room, Michael and I shared a glance before leaping up and following him. We rounded the corner together and froze, Oliver was unconscious in a heap on the floor and the steel enforced door that we'd tried to break down yesterday was wide open.
I looked round at Michael wide-eyed, just as he opened his mouth to say something, Oliver groaned and stirred. I whipped round and moved over to him, "What happened?" Me and Oliver spoke at the same time, I frowned at him. "We were hoping you could tell us." He frowned back and started trying to sit up, I grabbed his arm and helped him prop himself against the wall. Amelie walked over to us, "Move child." I glared at her back but stood up and moved anyways. She grabbed Oliver's chin and kept him still, while she looked into his eyes. She sighed and drew away to look at us, not dropping her hold on him. "Someone tampered with his memory." Count Crazy raised his eyebrows, "Who on earth would have the power to do that? After us, Oliver has the strongest resistance to mind control I have come across." Amelie nodded and grimaced, before looking back at Oliver.
Her hands moved to the sides of his face and she looked him in the eyes again, he started to writhe and squirm. Before long Amelie was panting, she drew away and gestured for Crazy to come over. She moved out of his way and he took the same position Amelie had been in. Oliver screamed and I flinched, out of the corner of my eye I saw Richard and Hannah do the same. I looked back at the pair, Myrnin was breathing deeply and Oliver was still screaming. Amelie looked over at us, "Michael, go and get six bags of blood." Mike raised his eyebrows, but left at vamp speed anyway. He came back a minute later and handed Amelie the bags, she tore one open and drank it. Before moving over to Myrnin and Crazy.
Oliver's screaming cut off and Myrnin let go and promptly collapsed to the floor, the Ice-Queen threw three of the five bags at Michael, "Give them to Myrnin." He nodded and moved over to the collapsed vampire, meanwhile Amelie moved to Oliver with the other two bags. He took them and nodded at her before biting into the first and draining it. I swallowed and looked away, I may live in a town of vamps, but that is still gross. I looked back when couldn't hear anymore slurping and saw that Count Crack was looking better and so was Oliver.
"What happened?" Amelie glared at Oliver and he frowned, before pulling a face that looked like he was trying to remember, and looking down. Eventually he looked back up at us,
"Claire?"
"What happened to Claire?" I all but screamed at him, Amelie glared at me and I took a step back, raising my hands in surrender. "Nothing...I don't... Why does my head hurt?" Amelie frowned, "Someone removed your short-term memory, Myrnin tried to bring it back. Did if work?" Oliver glanced over at the scientist, who still looked like crap, before looking back at Amelie. "I-Kind of. It's fuzzy, I can't remember properly. I was listening to Claire on the phone, she was talking to someone called... Timmy? Thi-Thie-Thierry?" I frowned and noticed Amelie doing the same, she nodded at Oliver and he kept talking, "Then someone else, A-A... No I can't remember. Then she came out and went to her room, she-she came out with a bag, and I said...I said, 'Going somewhere Cr-Cr-Cry...' God! Why can't I remember?" He yelled at the end and hit the floor, I jumped and backed away, Hannah's hand moved to her belt and grabbed the butt of her gun.
Amelie waved our way and Hannah relaxed, "Whoever did this, is a very strong telepath. Stronger than Myrnin and I." Amelie looked grim and Oliver stood up, he walked over to Amelie and they started to talk.
A few minutes later I heard Oliver gasp, I looked up and he was holding the sides of his head. He gasped again but it turned to a scream and he fell to his knees. Amelie and Count Crack didn't look concerned, "Hey!" They turned to look at me, "What the hell is happening to him?" I gestured to Oliver who was still screaming on the floor, Amelie glanced at him, before returning her gaze to me, "It would seem, whoever took his memories is giving them back." I raised my eyebrows and looked back at Oliver, he stopped screaming and moved against the wall. He was panting heavily and looked like he'd been tortured. Amelie moved over and crouched in front of him, "Who did this?" She whispered and I could barely hear her.
Oliver looked up and glanced at us all in turn, he looked truly scared, but his answer was loud enough for us all to hear.
"Claire."
