The name causes a sob to slip from me. I am both old and new all at once. I have been reborn.
“You should’ve never given me those memories back,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I was better off…and so were you.”
The door bursts open, and Politia officers storm the room.
Neither Memnon nor I pay them much mind.
“Est amage,” he says, his expression growing fevered, “we will figure it out. Together. I vow to fix all my wrongs. Whatever you want, you shall have. I am yours forever.”
He tries to pull me to him then, but I’m ripped from his hold.
An officer spins me around and cuffs my wrists, even as Nero growls at the intruders.
“Selene Bowers, you are under arrest…” They keep talking, and Nero keeps growling, but I am no longer aware of anything but Memnon.
I search his eyes. “What have I done?” I whisper.
I never should’ve woken Memnon from his sleep.
I have set a monster upon the world.
COMING SOON
Keep a lookout for the next novella in the Bewitched series:
A Curse that Binds
Coming Winter 2023
Keep a lookout for the next full-length book in the Bewitched series!
Coming Spring 2024
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Bewitched is the first time in four years that I’ve been able to share a new fictional world with you all, and I can’t tell you how exciting it is to get to introduce you to this one! Though, to be fair, Bewitched takes place in the same universe as my Bargainer and Unearthly series, so it’s more like returning to an old and beloved place, and discovering something new about it. I’ve been steadily working away on this series for years, and the magic of this world and Selene’s unfailing optimism and humor have been such a joy to write.
That being said, it took so much to get this idea out of my head and into your hands. A huge, huge shout out goes to two ladies in particular who really helped make that happen. My agent, Kimberly Brower, and my editor, Christa Désir, were the first two people to read my manuscript, and their support and guidance has made this such an incredible experience for me. I’ve been a lone wolf in publishing for so long, and both of these ladies have really shown me what it means to not go it all alone. Thank you both from the bottom of my heart for all you’ve done.
I want to also thank who has helped me clean up and polish Bewitched. Your feedback helped so much and I lived for the little asides you sprinkled throughout the manuscript.
To Pam, Katie, Madison, and the rest of the Bloom team, thank you all so much for all the love and enthusiasm you’ve put into this book. I’m honestly blown away that I get to work with all you amazing people.
K.D. Ritchie, thank you for the beautiful cover and all the associated art and graphics you’ve made for this book! I still remember seeing this cover, which had originally been made for one of the series’ novellas, and being adamant that this had to go on the cover of Bewitched. I’m still mesmerized by it.
Dan, thank you for being my real life love story and being proof that soulmates really do exist. Without, you know, all of the angst and conflict of the fictional ones I write. Astrid and Jude, thank you for the love and cuddles and reminding me every day to notice the magic that exists around us. I hope you never lose your wondrous perspective of the world.
To my readers, thank you for taking a chance on Bewitched. I’m always so humbled by the outpouring of love and excitement you all give my books, and this one is no different. Thank you for letting me share my words and worlds with you.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The Sarmatians were a real group of pastoral nomads that lived on the Pontic Steppe roughly 2000 years ago. I first became enamored with these nomads fifteen years ago when, back in college, I studied the grave sites of dozens of girls and young women who were buried with warrior’s accoutrements and whose remains showed signs of violence. It’s believed that these women were the real life inspiration for tales of the mythical Amazons, as Scythian and Sarmatian women would ride into battle.
Since first learning about these cultures’ existence, I’ve tried to research as much as I can about who they were and what their lives were like. Unfortunately, the Sarmatians have left behind no written record of their own lives, so the language Memnon and Selene spoke in Bewitched is made up—though I did try to incorporate the common linguistic sounds that I saw in the words that did survive.
While couldn’t find the original Sarmatian word for “queen” I instead used “Amage”, which was the name of an actual Sarmatian queen. Likewise, the name “Roxilana” is based on the Sarmatian word “Roxolani” which roughly means “blessed people”.
It should also be noted that I drew from other pastoral nomadic tribes—most notably the Scythians—to fill in gaps in the archaeological record, as the Sarmatians shared a great many cultural practices and ideologies with tribes that lived adjacent to them in time and space. An example of this is the word “xsaya”, which appears to be the Scythian word for “king” according to one Luwian inscription.
Some additional notable details I wanted to mention: Sarmatian men tattooed themselves, and Memnon’s tattoos in particular are heavily inspired by the tattoos found on the remains of a Pazyryk chieftain. Similarly, Memnon’s scar is a duplicate of a scar found on the body of a Scythian warrior. The skull chalice was based on true—if macabre—practices as well.
Though this book is a work of fiction, it’s been fun to bring to life bits of this culture that has held me in its grip for so long.