Page 41 of Bedeviled

More of his magic cascades from him. “She killed my mother and my sister. She killed you.” His voice breaks over the word, and now the glow of his power burns in his eyes.

It’s a strange thought, but technically, I did die as Roxilana, and it was Eislyn’s blade that delivered the killing blow.

“And still she exists, unpunished, likely plotting our downfall.” His voice deepens with his power. “She is the one threat I place above all others.”

It’s clear he can’t keep his power at bay. His hair ripples with it, and his eyes are illuminated by it. When Memnon mentioned he was concerned about his magic slipping, I hadn’t realized it would happen quite so quickly.

I prop myself up on my forearm, my heart beating a little faster at Memnon’s altered appearance. I don’t know how rational he is at the moment. Our connection isn’t telling me much about his state of mind, other than his rage and protectiveness toward me are growing.

I reach out and stroke his face, marveling when, even in this state, he leans into my touch. “I did a little research on her today.” When I imagined telling this to Memnon, I hadn’t envisioned the situation unfolding like this. “Did you know Eislyn was a princess?” I say softly.

He doesn’t respond for several seconds.

Just when I assume he won’t, he gives his head a slight shake, his hair brushing against my hand as it continues to blow in some nonexistent breeze.

“She tried to overthrow her father,” I explain, “but it didn’t work, so she was banished to Earth.” I wet my lips. “Our palace—the one you were entombed in—that was hers.”

He sits up, the muscles of his torso rippling with the movement. When I meet his eerie, glowing gaze, his eyes seem to peer right through me, and yet I sense his bladelike focus fixed on me.

“My brilliant wife,” he murmurs, his voice still unnervingly low, “you’re certain of this?”

My heart thunders at having Memnon’s full attention in this state. Tendrils of his magic caress my skin; I’ve seen this very power squeeze men alive while he’s under its influence. “I am.”

“Then it’s time we paid a visit to the place where our lives were first destroyed.”

CHAPTER 9

The rainforest looks exactly how I remember it, verdant and wet. The muddy earth sticks to my Chucks as we step off the ley line, Nero in tow. My familiar raises his head and sniffs the air, his ears and tail twitching as he takes in the various animal calls. I assumed he’d bound off, now that he’s back in his home, but instead he sticks close.

I shiver as I take in our surroundings. I have many memories of this place, and only a few of them are pleasant.

I shift my gaze from the plants around me and focus instead on the space in between them, looking for any wards or enchantments we might run into.

Last time I was here, the spells that cloaked the palace were old, almost petrified by how long they’d sat in place. And when I touched them, they disintegrated entirely. But if Eislyn has come back since then, perhaps⁠—

I exhale sharply when I spot the barest shimmer of a ward. A new one by the looks of it. It’s nearly translucent, save for a few iridescent lines that hang in the hair like a spider’s silk.

Now there isn’t a doubt in my mind. “She’s been here.” I don’t remember much of Eislyn’s magic, but most fae have iridescent or multicolored magical signatures.

Memnon scowls when he catches sight of the spell hanging in the air, but there’s an edge of excitement I sense to his anger. He lifts a hand and releases his power.

The indigo plumes of it fan out: “Reveal what has been hidden, break what has been formed.”

A few of the threads that make up the ward warp a little, but nothing more happens.

Memnon and I exchange a look. I lift my own hand and give it a shot. “Reveal what has been hidden, break what has been formed.”

The fibers of the ward warp a little more, but that’s it.

It ends up taking three more tries between the two of us before the spell finally dissolves away, each bit of it shimmering in the air for a moment before it vanishes.

As the ward disappears, our surroundings alter, the foliage seeming to part.

I suck in a breath at the sight before me.

Last time I was here, the palace was nothing but ruins.

Now, however, it’s been partially remade.