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Memnon?

My queen, you’re awake, he says, surprised. He himself sounds highly alert, which makes me sit up, my blanket falling to my waist.

Where are you?I ask.

Coming for you.

I hear the scratch of unsheathed claws, and I remember that Ferox has been in the room this whole time. Embarrassment heats my cheeks, knowing what Memnon and I did while the big cat was in here with us.

Now I sense Ferox making his way to me. A moment later, the mattress dips as the panther hops onto the bed, moving to my side. He curls up next to me, and hesitantly, I pet his body, still getting used to his presence.

Across the room, the door opens, and I don’t need to see the figure’s face to recognize the staggering stature. My hands memorized him all through the night.

Memnon.

He murmurs something under his breath, and a burst of blue light ignites in his hand. He tosses the flare into the air, where it illuminates the room, casting Ferox and I in shades of blue.

“I leave for but a moment and already the panther has taken my place,” Memnon says, striding in.

A smile curves my lips.

I rest a hand on Ferox’s flank. “Don’t leave and maybe you won’t be replaced,” I say tartly.

“Oh, believe me,” he says, his eyes heated as he takes me in, “I have no intention of leaving your side ever.” He rounds the bed so he can clasp my face and kiss me.

It’s sweet but brief, over before it’s barely begun. “This place, however, is a different matter.”

I raise my eyebrows in question.

“We need to leave.”

CHAPTER 16

ROXILANA, 18 YEARS OLD

54 AD, Rome, Roman Empire

Someone triedto enter our room.

I’m seated on Memnon’s horse with my husband at my back, his men flanking us and the streets of Rome sweeping past us, when I learn of this. How someone with ill intentions tried to get to us and only Memnon’s ward prevented them from doing so.

I shiver now, thinking about what could’ve happened had the magic not been in place.

I don’t pretend to understand the treacherous ways of rulers, but it’s clear that with power comes danger. Whether Memnon’s magic wore off on the emperor is still a mystery, but the threat was real enough.

A horse-drawn cart rattles behind one of Memnon’s men as his horse pulls it through the otherwise-quiet streets of Rome. I lean around Memnon’s large frame to catch sight of the wagon. Resting inside it are supplies the men brought with them, along with a bored-looking Ferox, who idly watches the buildings go by as he’s pulled along. A subtle blue sheen coats the panther. It’s another of Memnon’s wards, this one a spell meant to protectthe panther from harm. There are more spells placed on all manner of items in Memnon’s care, and I yearn to understand this aspect of our magic.

For all the years I’ve had my power, I’ve only ever used it for simple things—to stitch faster, to mend a broken pot or remove a stain from a tunic. And, of course, to heal wounds.

How do you know so much about magic?I ask.

Memnon shifts in the saddle, the hand not steering his horse resting on my thigh.My father possesses power; he taught me about it long before I ever wielded it.

At least one of my parents must have had magic as well, but their knowledge is lost to time.

Cautiously, Memnon asks,Would you like me to teach you?

There’s no hesitation.Yes.