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“Do not touch me.” Marcus’ silenced fury catches my attention from my periphery, but I hold him in place. My eyes never leave the unearthly pale ones before me. “What did you do in Lambridge?”

“Mystical, but not particularly clever.” Aevus frowns and backs away slightly.

My head and heart are spinning too much for me to guess what I should have been able to deduce.

“All of the people Kirnon was looking for were one—me.” He steps back and shrinks into the form of an old woman. Dark magic. In another blink he becomes an average looking man with a dark beard. This isn’t possible, but didn’t the fake investigators say she could change form? There was so much going on that night, I’d forgotten. Seeing the change back to his original state brings it to the forefront of my mind. This might not even be his natural form. He could look like anyone. “I am the best thing that happened to those people. Who wouldn’t want a new chance at life? A fresh start without a shattered knee, without the ailments of old age, or the sad life of a whore.”

Richard was nearly right. It wasn’t a witch who took those people—it was whatever this person is. He shape-shifts and plays with time as if it’s a toy. Kirnon didn’t come in a foolish, suicidal attempt at all. This is more than we can hope to conquer.

“They helped me find something of mine, so I gave them new life. To be raised from infancy again, loved and cared for, is a gift.”

The babies in Brasport. Two boys and a girl, the same as our missing people from Lambridge. I’m such an idiot not to have seen it. Not that such magic could have ever occurred to me. “You turned back time for them? Could…”

His eyes sparkle. He looks so much younger than his words suggest he is. Logical if he can manipulate time and his form. “Do you have a request for me?”

It’s not a request. He wouldn’t do anything for me, but the question comes out anyway. I just want to know if it’s possible. “Can you bring someone back from the dead?”

“In the right circumstances.” He drums long fingers on his arm. “Not after any significant time has passed.” His glare takes a cruel edge. “Nor when the cause of death is magic.”

My heart jumps up to my throat. “You killed Jamys?”

“Not at all.”

As if I’d take his word for it. He may have murdered Jamys. There was no evidence of how he died… But Jamys is a lost cause. If I can learn anything about the situation with our people in Lambridge, this may still prove useful. “What did the people help you with before you rewound their lives?” Apparently, he has no issue with me knowing these secrets we’ve chased for months. If surprising me is enjoyable, I’ll let him keep doing it until I understand everything.

“No, this is where my stories end for you, Princess.”

Or not. “Fine. I don’t need to know why you’re attacking us to destroy you over it.”

“I’ve not attacked you.”

“You manipulated our powers.” I push Marcus’ hands up to ready him. At least that still works.

“Not at all.” The man arches an eyebrow. “Perhaps you’re losing your abilities.”

My eyes narrow at Aevus’ barb. My abilities brought me here to stop him, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I dissolve the shield around Marcus, who sneers as he says, “Let’s test that, shall we?” His hands flick out in front of him, but no water splashes anywhere. Has this man stopped Marcus from—

Pain sears through my lungs. I cry out, but it comes out as a gurgling wince. I pull air into the bottom of my lungs, and water comes pushing out in coughs.

“Ara!” Marcus rushes to grasp me as I double over. The pain subsides, and I heave breaths. “What did you do?” Marcus demands of Aevus who is now leaning casually across the far wall.

“No, what did you do?”

He springs to his feet. “I did that to you! Not her!”

“But what if I was never here?” He vanishes.

Marcus drops back down to me. “Are you all right?” He lays his hand on my back, and an odd prickling sensation spreads through my chest.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure all the water is out of your lungs.”

I look at him wide-eyed.

“I’m so sorry. It was aimed at him, but then where he seemed to be, you were instead. I don’t understand how it happened, but I am so, so sorry.”