Page 49 of Bedeviled

I slip the necklace on and say something I could never have a few months ago:

“Thanks, I’ll remember that.”

I’m cutting across the green lawn between Cauldron Hall and Ravensmeade when the hairs on the nape of my neck rise.

I glance around, my eyes drifting to the Everwoods that press in on all sides of campus.

Empresssss…

My gaze drops to the ground when I realize who’s addressing me. The Hungering Ones, the ancient entities that live beneath the earth, have made a habit of only speaking to me when my blood is spilled.

But now they’re calling to me.

They are sssspeaking of you…

I crouch down and place a hand to the earth, heedless of the fact that these beings nearly dragged me to my death a little over a week ago.

“Who?” I say softly. “Who are you talking about?”

Beware … they hunger… almost as much as we do…

“Who does?” I press. “Who’s hungering?” But already, I sense the Hungering Ones’ presence fading away.

“You know, you could spell it out. Then it would actually be helpful and not just ominous garbage.”

But even antagonizing them doesn’t draw them back.

With a sigh and a fresh sense of foreboding, I return to my residence hall.

When I step inside my room, yet another gift awaits me. I cross the room to my desk, where an innocuous silver key rests on its surface. Of course, with Memnon, nothing is ever really innocuous. My heart begins to speed up as I lift the accompanying note.

All that’s written on this one is an address—an unfamiliar one—and a simple message.

Come to me, my queen. I am yours forever.

I run my thumb over the command. It feels more like a plea, one that weakens my knees and coaxes me the same way Memnon’s magic first coaxed me to his tomb.

I’ve stayed away for too long.

I honestly don’t even know why when my heart now wants him. Maybe it’s simply that I don’t know how to want him and act on the urge when, before, I only—begrudgingly—needed him.

My eyes sweep over his previous presents, which I’ve lined up along the back of my desk. The daggers, the wax tablet, the spiced wine, the carnelian earrings and necklace, and finally, the car key.

Yes, it’s time I paid my villainous sorcerer a visit.

CHAPTER 11

The Mercedes purrs as I leave the gates of Henbane Coven behind and head out onto the open road. The night is dark, made even darker by the evergreens that rise up on either side of the street.

Next to me, Nero sits in the passenger seat, watching it all blur by.

I wear Memnon’s gifts—both the jewelry and the daggers. It feels only a little ridiculous, but I’m too infatuated with my new husband and his presents to care.

I glance at the phone, which rests in my cupholder, the GPS showing the way to the address Memnon gave me, the key to it sitting in my pocket. Whatever this place is, it’s definitely not Memnon’s house—at least, not the one I’m familiar with, but it is somewhat close.

Ahead of me, tendrils of fog slither out from between the pine trees, looking like spectral serpents. As soon as my car passes into it, the visibility cuts in half. The streetlamps here are nonexistent, so the only real light comes from the high beams the car flicks on.

I slow down to what feels like a safe speed. Even then, I’m still white knuckling the steering wheel.