“I see a great many parts. Any man who works this hard for the benefit of his people is more than redeemable and not a villain.” She smiled at him when he shook his head. “We will agree to disagree on this matter. For now, bring your spell and let’s find the Phoenixes.”

“Very well. But remember this. I am not worthy of you. A better man would not touch you, knowing this. But I am not a better man,” he said, reaching to caress her at the line of her jaw, “for I cannot help my desire to touch you.”

Viève flushed warmly in already warm places. She reached to grasp the wrist of the hand touching her face and drew his touch away from her.

“We will never leave this room if you do not stop doing so for the moment.”

He flashed a grimace, becoming infinitely more serious—if such a thing were possible from a man as serious as he was. He picked up the book with the spell in it and using his finger as a placeholder, he carried the book in one hand and reached out to her with the other. He cupped her elbow and turned her into step by his side. He opened the door and let her pass through before him.

Chapter 10

They found the Phoenixes with Marissa and Jackson in the kitchen. Both were in clothes, after a fashion. The female was dressed in a wispy sort of cocktail dress made of chiffon and drapes of fabric that ended at mid-thigh. The male had donned a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants and nothing else. He was bare chested, the play of muscles beneath his dark skin obvious for all to see. He was not a weak man by any stretch of the imagination, and Kamen suspected he was purposely showing that fact off. He wanted others to know just how strong he was. Either that or he was simply showing off his beauty. Like a bird might do. Preening his feathers about.

The female was no less beautiful, the midnight blue of her dress contrasting with the fiery red of her hair in a most attractive manner. Viève thought she was beautiful—just as Marissa was beautiful—and she began to feel self-conscious amongst such elegant specimens of femininity. Marissa was a redhead too, though hers was a more coppery red. She was tall and classy in a black pencil skirt that hugged her curvaceous hips and a pretty emerald colored blouse.

Viève tugged on one of her dull gray locks and bit her lip. She would bet any makeup she’d applied earlier was either long gone or in need of a touch-up. She looked at Kamen from beneath her lashes. What did he think when he saw her up against such beautiful, vibrantly colored women when she was as washed out as any colorless Wraith? Marissa had blue-green eyes that virtually shone from her face. The Phoenix’s were a fair lavender color. Her eyes were a flat, unexciting gray. With women like this to choose from, she would be picked last every time.

“We’ve found the spell I need,” Kamen said to Jackson.

“Explain this spell to me,” Jackson replied, placing his coffee cup down on the kitchen counter. “I want to know what you have planned before anyone risks taking part in it.”

“It’s a simple spell really,” Kamen explained. “It allows me to take one person into the memories of another person to ‘witness’ an occurrence firsthand, as if they were there experiencing the situation themselves. I plan to take the Phoenixes into your memories,” he said, nodding to both Jackson and Marissa in turn, “of what happened the last time we faced Apep.”

“It sounds simple enough,” Jackson said hesitantly. “But what’s the catch?”

“Catch?” Kamen echoed.

“There’s always a catch to these things.”

“Not always. It’s a pretty straightforward spell. The only catch would be…I don’t know how real it will feel to the watcher. They might experience every bit of the pain you felt in that situation.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Jackson said with a frown. He remembered the pain of that encounter all too well.

“I am not afraid of a little pain,” the male Phoenix scoffed.

“It wasn’t a little,” Jackson bit out.

Cordo scoffed again. “Take me into his memories,” he said. “Use your magic. I am not afraid.”

“And what of you?” Kamen asked, looking at the female Phoenix. “Marissa did not experience physical pain, but the emotional devastation was crippling.”

“I am hardly afraid of emotions,” she said with a laugh.

“You should be,” Marissa whispered softly. “I would never wish to relive that moment again if I had any choice in the matter.”

“Well, there’s your ‘catch,’ ” Kamen said. “You will relive all of your pain right along with them as they experience it in great detail.”

Marissa frowned and shuddered. “If it is what I have to do, then so be it.”

“Then let’s find somewhere comfortable to do this.”

“My rooms?” Jackson offered.

“Yes. A bed for our guests would be best and we can pull up chairs for you and Marissa. You need to be in physical contact with the vessel receiving your memory.”

They moved into Jackson and Marissa’s suite and the Phoenixes laid down on the freshly made bed, side by side. Jackson pulled up a chair to the left side of the bed where the male lay and Marissa to the right where the female lay.

“Take hands,” Kamen said, opening the book in his hands to the proper page. Jackson and Cordo clasped hands and Ceara and Marissa did likewise.

“Jackson, Marissa, take your minds back to that moment, just before Apep arrived on the grounds. Remember what you were doing.”

“I was gardening,” Marissa said.

“I was drinking a beer, sitting on the porch.”

“Good. Hold those images in your mind.” Kamen looked at Viève. “Step back a little. I don’t know how this is going to manifest.”

Viève obediently stepped away from the bed, walking backward until her back hit the wall. Then she stood and watched with rapacious curiosity.

Kamen cleared his throat and then began to recite the spell in perfect French.

Take us back to the time, make one’s memory mine, find me there, in the moment, to feel, to see, to witness all that came to pass as if it were my own.

Then Kamen reached out and touched the foot of first Cordo and then Ceara.