Iniquity (The Ascent Book 1)

by Melody Winter

  When I didn’t respond, he continued with his view on the situation. “Do you seriously think that the girls I allow to stay in the village have an easy life?”

  I nodded. Veronica had been allowed to stay. She’d had three children over the last four years. She seemed happy . . . well as happy as you could be. There was Sally. She had only recently given birth. How many children did she have? I ran through their faces in my head. Five—she had five children. And then there was Tracey before her, although she’d died whilst giving birth to her fourth child.

  Paymon raised his brow. “The Master doesn’t like us to keep the females away from him, he forgets that women need to stay in order to provide him with future generations to select from.”

  “So you’ll not let me stay?”

  He shook his head and lowered his gaze. “Not in the village.” He looked straight at me. “Athena, have you given any thought to what would happen if Thomas failed to impregnate you? And even if he did, you know that the risk of death in child-birth is high.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded, digesting what he said. I hadn’t thought about Thomas and me not being able to have children or about the danger of dying like Tracey.

  “Why are you saying all this?”

  “Because it’s what your life would become. Sex wouldn’t be pleasurable, it would be a chore, and it would be constant—several times a day. And every month you’d live with the question of ‘what if it doesn’t happen?’”

  “And . . . what if it didn’t?”

  “I’ve already told you. I’d have to intervene.”

  I screwed my nose up and clenched my hands around the base of the chair. “As in, you’d—”

  “No, no, no. You have me all wrong. I would not attempt to impregnate you. I would select a man from the village to do so.” He smirked. “It would most likely be the man who had the most children, the most virile amongst you. Who would that be, I wonder?”

  I gritted my teeth as I realised who it was Paymon would select. Hannah had six brothers. It would be her father. “You wouldn’t. He’s my best friend’s father.”

  Paymon grinned and straightened, folding his arms. “I would. I wouldn’t care who impregnated you, as long as someone did, and quickly. And Thomas would be killed. No point in him living if he can’t provide the future generation.”

  I closed my eyes and breathed steadily, calming myself as much as possible. The happy, smiling family life I’d always imagined was ripped from my mind. Paymon was right. I would become a breeding machine, the only concern being that I had children—girls. And when each of my daughters turned twenty-one they too would be summoned by Paymon and he would send them away or leave them with the same miserable life I’d faced.

  “And as soon as you’d given birth, I’d insist you were on your back and trying for another. You’d have no choice in the matter. You’d be constantly pregnant by any man who could successfully impregnate you. The Master needs females. His demand is insatiable.” Another sigh left him as he placed his hands palm down on the table. “I would like to marry you, uphold my end of the bargain to your grandmother. But I also want to save you from the miserable life the village would offer you, and save you from the Master. Living as his wife would grant you a life of luxury, but I fear it would not be one you would tolerate. Once his wife, you would be his property, and he would compel you to obey him.” He shook his head as if thinking and picking his words carefully. “He has no conscience, and he can be brutal.”

  “So what would the difference be being married to you?”

  “I am old, at the end of my days, and contrary to what you may think of me, I am not cruel unless provoked. If you marry me, I would not need to inflict pain or cause fear within the village ever again. You would keep me fed, just with your presence. If your own future holds no importance to you then maybe that of your fellow villagers should.”

  I studied his appearance for a few moments. Without the cloak he appeared normal, smart and distinguished.

  “What if I say no?”

  Paymon stood before answering me. “If you refuse to marry me, I will send you to the Master, with my recommendation that he marry you.”

  “So, either way, I’m forced to marry a demon?”

  “So it seems.” His black eyes met mine, and I shifted in my chair, uneasy in his gaze.

  “What about the other positions within the Master’s home?”

  He folded his arms across his chest, his eyebrows arched. “Those are not fit for you.”

  “I might want to be something else.” Anything was better than being married to a demon. A cook, a cleaner. Anything.

  Paymon stilled before eying me cautiously. “You don’t ever get the choice. I chose for you.”

  “But what do you select from?”

  He frowned at me. “Why do you want to know?”

  “There must be something else I can do for the Master. You selected Hannah as a feeder, why can’t I be the same as her?”

  Paymon widened his eyes and then smirked. “You will not be a feeder.”

  “Why not?”

  He unfolded his arms and rubbed his chin, seeming to observe my request with some amusement. “I’m not discussing this with you. Not now.”

  “But—”

  “No!” He held his hand up, the signal to match his word. “Now, either you marry me or you are sent away to become one of the many wives of the Master.”

  “Neither is acceptable,” I said, shooting him as fierce a stare as I could manage.

  “One of them is your future.”

  “I don’t want either.”

  Paymon scratched the side of his neck. “Think about it. What could you cope with? The Master will use you, break you and then dispose of you. He has no soul, no heart, and no sense of right and wrong.”

  “You mean other demons have a heart, a soul?”

  Paymon grinned before leaning against the mantelpiece, one elbow resting casually on the stone ledge. He laughed quietly.

  “We’re not all as bad as you seem to think.”

  “Do you have a soul?”

  Paymon grinned even more.

  “A heart?”

  “I most definitely have a heart,” he answered briskly, as if I’d offended him. “If I didn’t, I would be sending you to the Master and reaping the reward for finding you. I would have also whisked you away from the village when you were sixteen years old.”

  With a sinking feeling pulling deeper in my belly, I realised I had no escape from my forced categorisation. Paymon appeared the safest option, but his confidence ate away at my usual bravado. “So what exactly do you expect of me . . . if I agree to be your wife?”

  He straightened. “There is a ceremony I must conduct between us to seal our marriage, and it is necessary to protect you from the miscreants. I am sure it will not be pleasant for you, but, as I said, it’s necessary.”

  “Miscreants?” I asked, but he held his hand up like before, indicating my silence.

  “This ceremony will mark you as mine, every demon that comes near you will know that you are tied to me, and as such, you will be untouchable. And I will protect you from anyone and anything. No harm will ever come to you.”

  He smiled, satisfied with his assessment of my future. But I was still curious. Words were all well and good, but I had no knowledge of anything he was telling me. I knew it could all be lies.

  “I want to know what happens at this ceremony.”

  Paymon tapped his fingers on the mantelpiece. “Of course you do. But your decision needs to be made first.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “That’s hardly fair.”

  Paymon raised his brow. “Life isn’t fair, Athena. Not for humans and not even for demons. Now, as my wife you will need new clothes, you need to be dressed appropriately, not in those rags.”

  I glanced at my attire; I would hardly call them rags, but they were dirty, dull, with several holes in them. Paymon’s clothes were smart, clean, and his j
acket buttons shone as they caught the flicker of the candles.

  “And cleanliness. You will bathe every day.”

  I shivered. Although it was wonderful to feel clean, the cold water and the harsh soap we used in the village hardly made the experience pleasurable. I only bathed once a week, although I washed daily.

  “I will provide you with everything you need,” he continued. “If you require anything else, you will only need to ask me.”

  “And what do you get from all this?” He was too calm. I was waiting for the great revelation, the true meaning behind marriage to a demon.

  Once again, he smiled. “I get the pleasure of your company and your emotions.”

  My hand flew to my chest and my breath hitched. “And that’s all?”

  He nodded, chuckling quietly.

  “So, Athena, you need to make a decision. And that decision must be made before tomorrow evening. The day of the Ascension Ceremony will be too late. Whatever you decide, though, you will stay here tonight. You will also stay here tomorrow night. You may return to the village during the day, but you will be back here at the call of the raven.”

  I frowned. “So even though I’ve not made my decision, I still have to stay here? Why?”

  “Because I say so.” He resumed his pattern of tapping his fingers on the mantelpiece.

  “And what’s the call of the raven?”

  “It’s when Odin will come for you. He brought you the letter and the rose earlier today.”

  “I don’t like ravens,” I said. “And why the rose?”

  “Odin is my raven. He does as I command, I suggest you tolerate him and perhaps even get to know him. And the rose . . .” He sniffed the air. “Perhaps it reminded me of the scent you are wearing.”

  I gasped. All luxuries were taken away from us when we came to the village. “How did you know?”

  “I know everything about my villagers. Even you, hiding your mother’s perfume in an old sock in your chest of drawers.” He tutted and shook his head. “I decided to let you keep it. Perhaps it is an item you would like to bring with you. You can collect it tomorrow along with any other items of sentimental value. I promise not to dispose of anything you bring, unless it’s to remind you of Thomas.” He frowned, a challenge for me to select carefully. “And another thing. Your relationship with Thomas must cease to exist. Neither the Master nor I will be married to a whore. Do not seek him out.”

  I bit my lip, remembering the party he’d organised for me tonight.

  “I have no doubt that he will find you tomorrow, but you must not make any effort to find him. I will know if you do.” He straightened in his chair. “And I may retract my offer of marriage. The Master can have you as his wife.”

  “I don’t think you’ll do that.”

  I sat high in my chair, but my throat was bone dry when I went to swallow. I could see how much he wanted me to stay with him. He wouldn’t send me away.

  “Really?” His brow rose as he strode around the table toward me. “Don’t test me, Athena, or try to get the better of me. The fight you put up would be most dangerous for you and those you care about. And it would only increase my strength.”

  Any bravado I’d had seeped away with each step he took. The hairs on the back of my neck stiffened, and a warmth flooded through me. I tried to move, but couldn’t. My feet remained firmly fixed on the floor, and my arms rested unresponsive in my lap.

  Paymon stood behind me as I pointlessly fought against a paralysis that rendered me a prisoner in my own body.

  “Sweet, sweet Athena,” he said, running his fingers along the side of my face and under my chin. “I have waited a long time for you. I knew you were special when I first met you, but to be this close to you, to feel the strength you give me. It’s remarkable.”

  I desperately tried to shrug away from his presence. I whimpered as any remaining energy left me. Threads of colour binding me together frayed and split, diminishing, floating away—all collected by Paymon. As I became weak, he grew strong.

  “You are a beautiful woman. It would give me great pleasure to have you,” he whispered, nestling the side of his face against mine.

  From somewhere deep inside me came a force so powerful it left me breathless.

  “Stop!” I shouted, springing to my feet. I breathed heavily as Paymon remained standing behind the chair, staring at me with black eyes even wider than before.

  “What did you just do to me?”

  He smiled and nodded.

  “So strong,” he said. “So very strong.”

  His gaze drifted to the back of my vacated chair, and he ran his finger across the top of it as if removing imaginary dust.

  “I compelled you to stay still,” he said, lifting his blackened eyes to mine.

  “You compelled me? Why?”

  “I wanted to be close to you without feeling your unease. It worked, for a moment. Tell me, how did you break free?”

  I shrugged, frowning.

  He sniffed, patting the back of my chair. A silent standoff developed. Both of us watched the other, assessing the next move. I wanted to flee the room, run straight to the front door and back to the village and to Thomas. But I knew I couldn’t. Paymon would compel me to stay if I tried to leave.

  Paymon cocked his head, his jaw twitching. “Seems we have nothing more to say to each other.”

  I had plenty to say, and a mountain of questions to ask, but now was not the time.

  “I’m tired,” I said, looking to the door.

  “Then I shall show you to your room.”

  “My room?”

  “Yes, or do you want to stay in my room?”

  “I . . . I . . .” After everything he’d said, I’d presumed I would be in his room, in his bed. Was this a temporary measure—one that would change if we married?

  Paymon laughed, a sound I was becoming quickly used to. It wasn’t like the laugh of a normal person—it sounded distant, as though someone else was laughing inside of him and Paymon only acted the accompanying actions.

  “Athena, I jest with you. I shall sense your presence, your emotions. It is all I ask. It is how it shall be if we marry. The room you stay in tonight will be yours permanently.”

  “I really don’t want to stay the night. I was—”

  “Going to meet Thomas. Tell him of our chat?”

  I narrowed my lips before nodding.

  “You can tell him in the morning. I have no issues with you telling him what we have discussed. Find Hannah if you must, but be careful what you say to her. She has a nasty side; one you could well fall foul of.”

  My frown deepened.

  “In time it will all become clear. As my wife, I will be willing to discuss anything with you. I rather enjoy intelligent conversation. It’s something that can’t be replaced by a raven.” He smiled again, the gesture appearing more natural than when I first saw him smile. “Would you like some food, a drink, before you sleep?”

  “No, I’ll be fine.” I’d not be able to keep anything down. When Paymon left me alone, I knew I would be attacked by every perceivable emotion known to mankind. I fought to keep from screaming—or bursting into tears. Once I was alone, the enormity of my situation, of my decision, would consume me.

  “There’s fresh water in your room to drink if you change your mind. And if you’d like to bathe—”

  “No,” I interrupted him. I would not be undressing while I was here.

  “Athena, I will give you the key to your room. You can lock me out if you so wish. I will not stay where I am not welcome.”

  I breathed deeply, prepared to verbally attack his reasoning, but he looked away, and I momentarily caught a glimmer of something I struggled to place—sadness, regret?

  “I shall show you to your room,” he said, and instantly the look disappeared.

  Traipsing after him, I kept quiet, not wanting to annoy or aggravate him further.

  As Paymon approached the bottom of the staircase, the raven cawed loudly.
It flapped its wings several times before jumping into the air. With several hard beats of its black feathers, it flew in front of Paymon.

  “Follow Odin,” Paymon said. “He wishes to show you the way. It seems he has taken quite a shine to you.”

  “Is he feeding off my emotions as well?” I snapped before walking up the dimly lit stairs.

  “I doubt it. He much prefers scavenging for scraps of food in the forest, although he is rather fond of cheese.”

  Odin landed on the floor at the top of the stairs and ruffled his feathers before strutting along the corridor. Tiny balls of fire flew past me as Paymon lit the sconces on the walls.

  Odin stopped in front of a door, turning to face it.

  “No, Odin,” Paymon said, shaking his head. “Not my room. Show Athena to her room.”

  He tipped his head sideways, and then fluttered to the next door along the corridor.

  Taking a candle from the sconce outside this room, Paymon handed it to me before opening the door.

  “Your room, Athena.”

  I lifted the candle high, trying to light the hidden corners of the room. It was five, six, maybe seven times the size of my house in the village. Beautiful heavy curtains hung at the window, and a large four-poster bed dominated one wall.

  “This is mine?” I asked, my mouth dropping open. I stepped further into the room, ignoring the flights of fire as Paymon lit the candles dotted around the surfaces.

  “Carpet,” I murmured and handed the candle back to Paymon before sinking to my knees. I ran my hands over the rich softness, and a huge smile spread across my face.

  “I trust you will be comfortable. If you need anything, just ask, you have seen where my room is. Do not hesitate to come and get me.”

  I nodded, too in awe of my surroundings to verbally respond. After everything I’d heard and now this, I was shocked into silence.

  Paymon stood in the doorway, hovering.

  “Good night,” I managed to say, looking his way, hopeful he would take the hint.

  His eyes darkened, and a wide smile pulled across his face.

  “Good night, Athena, sleep well. Remember, none of the other girls were given a choice in what happened to them when they turned twenty-one,” he said, each word sounding as if it were selected carefully. “You have been given one. Choose wisely.”