At the end of the wing, beyond clusters of chatting supernaturals, a massive cauldron smokes. Next to it rests a pyramid of coupe glasses, all filled with the wafting brew.
Right, more booze to loosen my inhibitions and allow me to have a good time tonight. Maybe it’ll even make me forget that having a good time does nothing to quench my thirst for payback.
Sybil and I haven’t made it to the cauldron when I feel the brush of familiar magic on my bare back.
Empress…we have unfinished business…
I stop walking, and Sybil glances back at me.
“What is it?” she asks.
“Memnon.”
“Do you see him?” she asks. “Where is he?” She peers around me as though she might spot him.
I have the oddest urge to laugh at her. “Do you even know what he looks like?” I ask.
“No, but all assholes have a look to them. I’m sure I could pick him out of this crowd.”
Now I do laugh. “I can hear him,” I admit. I touch my temple. “In here.”
My friend’s brows rise. “Oh—oh. Right. You have freaky soul mate powers.”
I glance surreptitiously around us, but I don’t see Memnon. He’s clearly toying with me.
Worse, it’s working.
Fun is the absolute last thing on my mind right now. Instead, all my anger and resentment and shame and worry—all those ugly emotions rise in me, along with a few others, like excitement, hope, and a breathless, flighty feeling I won’t put a name to.
We reach the pyramid of booze, and the two of us grab glasses. But as I stare at the brew I hold, I scowl.
“I can’t do it,” I admit.
“Can’t do what?” Sybil asks as she takes a sip of her drink.
I can’t continue to drink and laugh and pretend. Goddess, I don’t want to pretend anymore.
“I need to find Memnon and deal with him.” As I speak the words, I feel the absolute truth of them. I hand my friend my drink. “Can you take this back to our table and save it for me?”
“But, Selene—”
“Please, Sybil.” I give her a beseeching look. “I’ll only be gone a moment.” I force out a smile. “Then we can have fun together. In earnest.”
She exhales but then nods. “Okay, yeah, fine. You deal with the loser and then find me.” My friend gives me a playful look. “But don’t take too long, or else I’ll drink your brew for you.”
This time, I give her a real smile. “Deal.”
Once Sybil leaves my sight, I prowl the aisles of plants, making my way around whispering couples. I pass them, threading through the conservatory until I reach a lonely corner of it that is clear of all guests.
The notes of some tragic song drifting in the air and the distant murmuring of voices are the only clues that a party is in full swing at the moment.
Where are you? I call to Memnon down our bond.
My hands fist a little, and already, my thirst for revenge is mounting. I’m vividly imagining getting a good swing at the sorcerer or maybe kneeing him in the balls. Magic is leaking from my hands at the prospect.
Around me, the air stirs; then a broad chest brushes against my back.
“Right here, little witch,” he breathes against my ear.
My pulse spikes at his voice and his nearness, and I spin to face him.
Now is my opening. If ever I wanted to get a move in while he’s unsuspecting, now would be it.
Instead, I hesitate, my vengeance taking a back seat to this breathless excitement I feel at the sight of him. A sobering thought comes to me then: no matter how much I rage against Memnon, he will always be the man my eyes search for in a room, and his features are the ones I’ll crave. The crush I had on Kane is nothing—absolutely nothing—compared to this.
Memnon’s own eyes drink me in. “You have never needed magic, est amage,” he murmurs, his roughened voice drawing out goose bumps on my arms. “You are entirely bewitching even without it.”
I lift my chin a little. “Were you hoping I’d be a mess tonight now that you burned my notebooks? That I’d be begging you to return my memories back to me?”
“Mmm…” The noise he makes sounds more like a growl than anything else. “I do like the idea of you begging, est amage. You always made such…convincing arguments.”
I don’t know if it’s a memory or my imagination, but for a split second, I have an image of myself on my knees before him, his cock in my mouth—
It disappears as quickly as it came, but it leaves me breathless and flushed.