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“If you tell the wrong shifter, and they tell someone else involved with the Fortunas, then I will be exposed,” he says. “And ifI’mexposed, a lot of people will die.” Memnon doesn’tclarify that he’s the one who will be doing the killing, but I’m aware of it. “That will be blood onyourheads.”

The growls ratchet up at the accusation.

Memnon continues. “Selene wants to bring the murderers to justice, and I am oath bound to make sure that happens,” he says. “I believe that’s what you want too. So make an exception, and keep this information classified. Otherwise, you’re simply in my way.”

Vincent’s eyes move between me and the sorcerer, debating, debating.

Finally, he says, “If you keep us informed, we will keep this confidential.”

The sorcerer dips his head, and his magic moves from the door. “Then we have an arrangement.” He grabs the knob and pulls the door open for me. To the rest of the room, he says, “We’ll see you soon.”

CHAPTER 32

Livingwith Memnon is going to prove to be my doom.

That’s all I can think the next day, after another raging night of sex. I’m pretty sure the sorcerer’s goal is to screw me into loving him, and it’s working. Or at least I think I’m developing an unhealthy addiction to it.

I don’t even try to leave his bed until he’s called away to meet with Juliana.

I shower, change, then I pack my messenger bag, eager to get some work done back on campus. Nero comes up to me, clearly interested in going wherever I’m going.

I kneel down in front of him and pet his head. “I can’t take you with me today,” I say, the words cleaving my heart in two.

Nero stares up at me, and for once, he doesn’t look like a panther annoyed with my very existence. He looks like a loyal friend who knows he’s getting left behind.

“I’m sorry,” I say softly. I don’t want to leave him, but I haven’t worked up the courage to let the panther back into the Everwoods.

The way Nero nudges his head into my chest, as though he’s insistent on staying close to me, makes me want to cry.

“I know it’s supremely unfair,” I say, “but I can’t risk you getting hurt—not after what happened. At least here, you can wander and hunt in the woods without fear of someone attacking you.”

He doesn’t look like he cares about that, but he’s also done begging. Nero turns from me, whacking my cheek with a flick of his tail before heading toward an open window at the back of the living room.

Without giving me another glance, he hops through it and heads out for the woods beyond.

I stay kneeling there for another second, torn. I could just stay in Memnon’s empty house. It is the weekend after all. I could busy myself inspecting every corner of this place, then read the books he’s stocked his bookshelf with. I could wait—for Memnon to return, for Nero to come back, for the weekend to end and classes to start up again.

But I have assignments that require the use of my house’s spell kitchen, and perhaps more importantly, I need to work on that birth control potion or else find out if the house keeps any on hand. I haven’t taken anything since the day after Samhain, and we’ve had rounds of sex since then.

So even feeling like the world’s worst pet owner, I leave Memnon’s house, using his car to return to Henbane.

And then I get to work.

By the end of the day, my assignments are done and I’ve even brewed a contraceptive potion. Or at least, I tried.

I hold the beaker of potion up, worrying my lower lip. It’s a murky brownish purple, rather than the deep blue I remember from after Samhain.

To drink it or not to drink it?

Will it evenwork?

A group of witches pass by the spell kitchen, and I glance up, momentarily distracted as they pass the doorway. Part of me is still bracing to see Yasmin or the other girl I recognized the night they attacked Nero, but I haven’t seen them in the days since the attack, and I don’t see them now.

I return my attention to the potion I brewed. There’s no way I’m drinking this. I dump the thing down the sink.

I’ll try again tomorrow. Until then, I should find Sybil and see if she has any contraceptive potion I can use until I sort myself out.

Briskly, I clean up my things, then head out of the kitchen and up the stairs, ignoring the faint scents of dinner.