Memnon’s kisses, I’m coming to discover, are just as intense as every other part of him. His mouth moves over mine almost frantically. He kisses me like he may lose me at any moment.
“Little witch,” he says against my lips, “you cannot look at me like that and expect me to keep my mouth to myself.” The sentiment is punctuated by another devastating sweep of his mouth.
I eagerly meet each stroke of his lips with my own.
“You taste so fucking good, mate,” he says. “And you feel real like nothing else has since I woke.” He gathers me closer—
Off to the side of the bed, my phone buzzes, interrupting the moment. I bite back several colorful curses as I pull away.
Reluctantly, Memnon lets me go, but the look in his eyes makes it clear that he’s not done with me.
I trip out of bed, belatedly aware that I’m still only in a bra and undies and Memnon is getting an eyeful. I reach for last night’s bloody, shredded pants, where the sound of my phone is coming from. It’s only as I’m digging the phone out of my jeans that I realize I had it with me the entire time last night. Not that I had a spare moment to place a call between the witches and the clay creature.
“Hello?” I say, bringing the phone to my ear.
“Selene Bowers?” the voice on the other end says.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“This is Officer Howahkan. We had a meeting scheduled for a half hour ago, but you never showed.”
My stomach drops. “What meeting?” What does the Politia want with me?
There’s a pause on the line. “We wanted to follow up and ask you a few more questions regarding the death of Miss Evensen.”
I know Charlotte was killed, but—
“I’m sorry, but what does her death have to do with me?”
There’s another long stretch of silence, long enough for me to realize that whatever the officer is talking about, I should remember it.
“You discovered her body,” he finally says.
“What?” I nearly yell into the phone. I was the one who found Charlotte’s body?
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Memnon watching me like a hawk. I cross my arms over my chest and turn away from him, feeling like between my exposed flesh and this conversation, he’s seeing entirely too much of me.
There’s more tense silence on the other end of the line.
“I’m so sorry,” I apologize, staring down at the scuffed-up floorboards. “I… My magic eats my memories.” I draw in a long breath. “Did I really find a body?”
I glance over my shoulder at Memnon, but he wears an unreadable expression.
Another pause from the officer. “Yes.”
I almost don’t believe him. I know there’s been a string of killings recently—I do remember that—I even remember running with Sybil and seeing the crime scene tape for one such killing—but to hear I actually discovered one of the bodies? That seems like too big a memory for my magic to expunge.
I head over to my desk, where my planner is laid out. But I don’t even know what day to look at.
Why do I not know what day it is?
“What’s today’s date?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
“It’s October fifteenth.”
I find today’s date, and sure enough, there’s a 10:00 a.m. interview with the Politia written into it.
Hell’s fucking spells.
“Can I come over now?” I ask
“That’s fine.” The officer sounds like he’s beyond ready to end this call. “We’ll see you soon.”
I hang up the phone, still staring at my planner, a scowl on my face.
“Little witch, your memory…”
I glance over at Memnon, who’s now sitting up in my bed, looking completely at home and entirely out of place.
His eyes are exceedingly soft as they search mine. “It has left you defenseless.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “I am not defenseless.”
He scowls at me. “I have spent my entire life strategizing. I know a vulnerable position when I see one.”
I glare at him. “You don’t know anything about my life.”
“Not this one, no, but your last one…I have it memorized by heart.”
The look he’s giving me is too intense.
“I’m not Roxilana.” Of course, I remember that random name and not, you know, the dead body I apparently discovered some time ago.
Memnon doesn’t say anything to that, and his expression gives nothing away. I can’t say what his feelings are on the topic.