Page 113 of Bedeviled

He lifts me into his arms, and this time, I don’t protest at the manhandling. I’m not sure my legs would keep me upright at the moment anyway.

The two of us are quiet as Memnon weaves through the Everwoods, Nero trailing us like a shadow.

Finally, the sorcerer breaks the silence. “It has been two thousand years, but I am making the same mistakes,” he confesses softly.

I glance up at him.

“This empire I have taken over is my new Rome. I am culling enemies left and right, but they are fighting back, and they are attacking the one thing I cannot afford to lose—you.” His voice breaks on that final word.

The hairs along my arms rise. I hadn’t seen the similarities to our past life and Memnon’s long ago fight against Rome, but now that he’s pointed it out, there are very obvious parallels.

I place a hand on his cheek, a response on the tip of my tongue, when screams start up in the distance.

What in the bloody hellfire is going on now?

Memnon looks to the distance before glancing back down at me, a brow arched.

We could just leave it be, he says across our bond.

You, leaving something alone? I guffaw. That will be the day.

More screams join in, until there is an awful chorus of them.

The two of us exchange another look, and then I’m slipping from Memnon’s arms and dashing through the woods, Nero and Memnon on my heels.

It’s a shock that my legs are even keeping me upright. I still feel like absolute shit, and two dozen or so paces in I pause to retch.

As soon as I bend over, Memnon is right there with me, his hands pulling my hair back from my face.

“Stay here and recover,” he says, his low voice drawing out goose bumps. “I will handle whatever’s happening.”

I give my head a shake, catching my breath, while those haunting screams still fill the night air. They’re coming from somewhere in the Everwoods.

Considering the sorts of action this forest has seen tonight, it likely has something to do with us.

“I’m coming with you,” I insist, pushing away from the tree.

Light flickers in his eyes, the only warning that his power is close to consuming him. It’s depressing that I’m actually surprised he’s managed to control it as well as he has this evening.

I can sense Memnon wants to leave me here where I’m out of harm’s way, and I’m expecting some spell to keep me in place when his hand moves to my midsection.

“Settle your stomach. Remove your discomfort,” he incants.

The relief is instant.

“You’re not going to try to stop me?”

“And risk your wrath later?” he says, his eyes still flickering. He tilts his head back and forth like he’s weighing the options. “Actually, now that I think about it…”

I laugh weakly, and giving him a playful shove, I straighten back up, and then I begin running again.

As Memnon, Nero, and I close in on the shrieks, I realize they’re coming from Slain Maiden’s Meadow.

Up ahead, between the dark boughs of the soaring evergreens, I can see flickering torchlight and the soft glow of many floating witch orbs.

Oh Goddess.

There was supposed to be a celebration here in honor of the full moon, one I’d even considered going to earlier this evening.