Bewitched Chapter 7: Resurrection and Mistaken Identity
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Selene touches the cheek of the dead warrior in the stone chamber, and his eyes snap open. He breathes, steps from the sarcophagus, and addresses her as “Roxilana,” convinced she is his queen. He is nearly naked, covered with stylized tattoos, and speaks an ancient language she inexplicably understands. Memnon kisses her passionately; Selene briefly returns the kiss before pulling away and insisting she is not Roxilana. He notices her modern clothing and questions whether he is dead. Reading the wall inscriptions, he realizes he was truly cursed. Believing Selene (as Roxilana) betrayed him, he becomes hostile, takes hold of her, and uses magic to put her to sleep, vowing revenge.
Key Events
- Selene’s touch reopens the dead warrior’s eyes, and he sits up.
- The warrior, Memnon, steps out of the sarcophagus, shedding armor and clothes.
- Memnon mistakes Selene for his lost queen, Roxilana, and speaks in an ancient tongue.
- He kisses Selene; she kisses back briefly then breaks away to correct his error.
- Memnon reads the curse on the walls and understands he was betrayed.
- He seizes Selene by the chin, accuses her of cursing him, and casts a sleeping spell.
- Selene loses consciousness as Memnon declares she will pay for her actions.
Character Development
Selene
Selene navigates a flood of disorientation. She is startled by her own understanding of an unknown language and unsettled by the intimate kiss she partly returns. Her insistence on her real name and her firm demand to be released show a growing capacity to assert boundaries even when faced with a powerful, naked immortal. The kiss reveals a physical attraction she does not fully understand or control.
Memnon
Memnon begins the chapter vulnerable and hopeful, speaking with longing. Once he grasps the reality of the curse, his demeanor hardens into cold fury. His quick shift from adoration to possessive threat shows a possessive and potentially vengeful side. He is willing to use magic to immobilize Selene, treating her as both a desired wife and an enemy.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Mistaken identity: Memnon repeatedly calls Selene “Roxilana,” forcing her to reject a past-life persona she has no memory of. The chapter hinges on this confusion.
- Resurrection and the curse: The wall inscriptions describe a god-like sleep with muted powers and forgotten memory. Memnon’s awakening breaks the curse, but he immediately suspects Selene is its author.
- Tattoos as a map of magic: The stylized animals and flowers that creep toward Memnon’s center suggest his power and identity are physically inscribed on his skin, slowly receding or covering him.
- Language as instinct: Selene speaks an ancient language without preparation, feeling “like a different person” when using it—hinting at deep, buried memories or a magical bond.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter delivers the first true confrontation between Selene and Memnon. It confirms that Memnon was cursed to an eternal sleep and that Selene’s touch triggered his return. Their interaction establishes the central conflict: Memnon believes Selene is his betrayer-queen, while Selene knows nothing of that life. The chapter also deepens the romantic tension through the charged kiss, setting up a fraught relationship that will likely oscillate between attraction and hostility. Finally, the use of an ancient language and the curse inscriptions broaden the world-building, grounding the story in a mythic past.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Memnon believe Selene is Roxilana, and how does Selene respond?
Memnon’s first sight upon waking is Selene’s face, and he assumes she is his lost queen because he has long called out to her in his sleep. He speaks to her in their shared language and kisses her possessively. Selene repeatedly says she is not Roxilana, gives her name as Selene, and tries to push him away, though she unconsciously understands his language and briefly kisses him back.
2. What does the wall inscription reveal about Memnon’s fate?
The inscriptions state that “Memnon the Cursed will sleep the sleep of gods,” bound to the room with muted powers and his memory cast from the minds of the living. He is forced to sleep, never aging and never dying. This confirms that a curse—not a natural death—has imprisoned him.
3. How does Memnon’s attitude shift in the course of the chapter?
He begins with raw hope and tenderness, calling Selene “my queen” and kissing her as if she is his salvation. After reading the curse, he hardens, accuses her of betrayal, and grips her chin aggressively. He casts a sleeping spell instead of continuing their romance, indicating a switch from love to vengeance.