I was worried about my friends; what awaited them when they turned twenty-one? What life were the girls who’d already been sent away enduring? Were any of them worried about me, here, married to Paymon? I doubted that they’d give me a second thought. They’d already shunned me, decided I wasn’t one of them anymore. And what about Thomas? We’d been through so much together, and even though I’d never forgive him for his betrayal, I couldn’t hate him. I missed him. But I also questioned whether he’d ever loved me like he said, or was I just a convenience for him? Had he slept with other girls, not just Hannah? And Hannah, what would become of her at the Master’s—it didn’t sound good.
I pushed myself into a sitting position in the water, the depth still high on my chest. I couldn’t do this, punish myself with thoughts of what I’d left behind. It wasn’t as if I’d any choice in the matter. If I hadn’t married Paymon, I would be marrying the Master. My life in the village would have ended one way or another.
With my mind jumbled and my emotions swaying, I stayed in the bath for a long time. The water remained the same temperature, and it was only when my fingers and toes started to wrinkle that I moved from the comforting warmth. I dried myself in front of the fire with a large fluffy piece of cloth that had been hanging over the edge of the screen and marvelled at how absorbent it was, nothing like the rough linen we used in the village.
I crossed the room to the cupboard full of dresses to see if there was anything suitable for me to sleep in. I quickly flicked through the rail and stopped when I saw a dark red dress. Pulling it free from the others, I held it against myself. I marvelled at how soft the fabric was—a brushed, risen fabric. As I looked back to the row of dresses, there was a dark green one in exactly the same type of material. Paymon said they were mine, made especially for me. I had no choice but to wear these dresses or wander around naked. His claim of ownership, of the fact I was married to him, was gradually fitting into place. He was moulding me to be the wife he wanted.
But I wouldn’t be the victim in all this. Gran may have made the deal with Paymon, but neither of them knew how strong I could be. I’d never forget where I came from, and I would never stop hoping that one day the light would return to the world.
I slipped the dress back into the cupboard and pulled out a simple white tunic that hung on the end of the row of colourful dresses. It was the nearest thing to a nightgown, and I certainly wasn’t sleeping naked.
Yawning loudly, I settled myself in the centre of the bed, once again frowning at the luxury surrounding me. I should have felt like a princess, but I didn’t. I was under no illusion why I was here. Paymon had plans, ones I still didn’t know about. I wasn’t a princess—I was a prisoner.
The mouth-watering smell of fried bacon drifted under my nose.
Dreaming, I was still dreaming. Bacon was never allowed for breakfast.
I turned over and pulled the warm covers further up my body. I was comfortable and didn’t want to move.
An insistent scratching noise followed by a squawk had me wide awake.
“Odin?” I said, jumping out of bed and heading to the door.
His noise became louder as I turned the key in the lock.
“What are you doing here?” I said as I peered out into the dark corridor. He ruffled his feathers before bowing at me and moving toward the gap in the door.
“Hey,” I said, waving my foot around at him. “You shouldn’t come in here. You’ll make too much mess.”
He watched my foot as it stopped him from entering the room, but when he realised it wasn’t a game, he sprung forward and pecked my toe.
“Oww!” I shrieked and backed away from his sharp weapon. He took that moment to sneak into my room. I sighed in defeat and shut the door before turning to him. He’d already chosen his position—the top of the screen that divided the bathing area from the rest of the room. He chattered away, the noise rumbling in his throat making his feathers ruffle.
“Where were you yesterday?” I asked. He clicked his beak several times before turning to face one of the windows. Curious as to whether he was responding to me, I crossed the room and opened the curtains at the window he’d turned toward. I could just make out the glowing lanterns that lit the village.
“Didn’t Paymon want you around when he married me?” I said. He didn’t reply and walked sideways along the screen, his talons clicking on the wooden frame as he flapped his wings. “Guess not,” I said, noting his silence.
I wandered to the cupboard and pulled out the first dress I came across. I laid it out on the bed and stared at it. It was gorgeous, made from a soft risen material and deep red in colour. Was it suitable for today? Was it too grand?
Odin fluttered across the room and landed on the end of the bed. He looked at the dress and then at me before squawking loudly.
“This okay?”
He nibbled at the dress, pulling the ties that fastened it. I grinned, realising that the leather must look like worms to him.
“Turn away then,” I said to him. “Raven or not, you’re a male, and you shouldn’t watch a lady undress.”
I grinned as Odin took off across the room and landed on the screen again, although this time he faced away from me.
I watched him for a few moments, ensuring he didn’t turn around, before slipping out of my nightgown and putting the dress on. He only turned when I sat at the dressing table and brushed through my knotted hair. There were three jewelled hair clasps on the table. I picked each one up and decided to wear the one set with red glistening stones. With a few quick twists of segments of my hair, I secured it through the clasp and in a high ponytail.
“Will I do?” I said as I approached Odin, beginning to feel a little more confident around him.
Once again, he did his strange manoeuvre where he looked like he was going to topple forward.
“One day,” I laughed, “one day you will fall over.”
He straightened and flapped his wings before dropping onto the floor and leading me to the door.
I watched him with curious amusement and recalled what Paymon had said yesterday. He’d never known a raven take to a human as Odin had to me. Maybe we could be friends, but I could never see him as my bird—he belonged to Paymon. As I walked down the stairs, Odin flew into the air, and as if to confirm my earlier thought, he swooped low and onto the arm of Paymon, who stood waiting for me.
“Good morning, Athena,” he said. “I sent Odin to wake you. I assumed you would prefer him to rouse you from your sleep rather than myself.”
I was about to answer but stopped myself when his black eyes locked with mine. They momentarily shocked me. I’d got used to seeing his brown eyes yesterday, even though they were edged with the black rim.
“Don’t you look beautiful this morning.” He inclined his head to one side. “The colour red most definitely suits you.”
“Thank you.”
He waved Odin from his arm and held his hand toward me.
“I’ve organised some breakfast for you. I took the liberty of selecting bacon. It always smells divine and will go well with the fresh bread and eggs.”
“Seriously? Bacon, bread and eggs?” I near enough skipped at his side as he led me to a doorway across the hall from the lounge.
“It’s all for you,” he said, indicating with a tilt of his head to the steaming plate of food on the table. “I presume you must be hungry. Yesterday was quite a draining day for you.”
I nodded before sitting down to eat. Paymon sat on the chair beside me.
I picked my knife from the table and stabbed one of the eggs. The creamy yolk burst into a river of yellow as it snaked its way onto my plate and pooled next to the bacon. Cutting into the egg, I scooped a quarter of it onto my fork along with some of the thick cut bacon, the edges of which were crisp. I inhaled deeply, savouring the tingle of decent food about to unleash itself on my taste buds.
Just as I was about to place the first loaded fork of food into my mouth, I realised th
ere wasn’t a plate for Paymon.
“Are you not eating?” I asked, looking away from my feast and concentrating on his bemused expression.
He laughed, leaning back in his chair. “Athena. I feed constantly with you here.”
I frowned. “I meant proper food. Don’t you eat?”
He shook his head. “Demons have no need to eat. I can eat, but it serves no purpose.”
“Really? But bacon, you said it smelt divine. How can anyone resist eating it?”
He laughed even louder. “You smell divine to me as well, but I doubt you would like me to eat you.”
I grinned. “No, I don’t think I’d taste very nice.”
His laughter raised another notch, and he lifted his hand and rubbed his forehead. I quickly ate what I’d cut up, holding back a moan of pleasure as I chewed.
“You need to eat more than you did in the village. You’re underweight, and you’re too pale. It’s too easy these days for humans to become ill and not survive. I don’t want that happening to you.”
“I’m not sick very often. I’m pretty healthy, considering.”
Paymon lifted his hand. “Ah, that’s what I mean. There should be no need for you to add the ‘considering.’ You need to think about what your favourite meals are, and I shall make sure you eat them.” He leaned forward, his marked hand patting my arm. “I want to look after you. And as long as it is within my power, I will not deny you anything.”
I stopped eating, my fork poised in mid-air as Paymon’s eyes locked on mine.
I broke his stare, looking away and tearing a piece of bread from the loaf and shoving it in my mouth.
“It feels wrong, me eating whilst you just sit there,” I said, covering my mouth as I chewed.
Paymon straightened his back and tapped his fingers on the table. “I can assure you I am not just sitting here. Whilst you eat, I get fed.”
“My emotions?” I wiped a crust of bread through the yolk of the second egg.
He nodded. “You’re enjoying your food. You’re happy. It’s not as strong as other emotions, but it’s enough. You were very emotional last night after you went to your room.”
“I had a soak in the tub. It relaxed me.”
He frowned and cocked his head. “It was a strange emotion, are you sure you were just relaxing?”
I swallowed my food and nodded.
“I see you need lacing up.” He dipped his chin and raised his eyebrows as he caught sight of my bare back. “Finish your breakfast and then I’ll fasten it for you.”
I continued eating, trying to ignore his insistent stare. He seemed as intrigued by me as I was wary of him.
“So what would you like to do today?” he asked.
I had no idea what things a demon normally did or whether Paymon would limit my free time. Was I expected to be with him all day? “What can I do?”
“Anything you want, within reason. And you must stay in the house.”
I nodded, it was what I’d expected, what I’d considered last night. I was a prisoner here—this was my life now, confined to these impenetrable walls. My muscles tightened and I straightened my back. This wasn’t what I wanted. And, given time, I would find a way to leave. I refused to become anyone’s prisoner.
“I’ll need to leave you for a while this morning, but Odin will stay with you.” He looked briefly to the hallway where Odin sat preening himself.
“Where are you going?”
“Only to the village. I need to round up the girls for the Master.”
“What for?”
He rubbed his forehead and sighed. “I need to put them into a trance. It will calm them and ease their worry about the ceremony tonight.” He paused for a moment. “Can’t have them running off at the last minute with one of the boys from the village, can I?”
I dropped my fork on the table. “You knew?”
“Of course I knew. Don’t treat me like a fool.” He banged his fist on the table and jerked to his feet. The demon had returned. “I knew exactly what Thomas suggested, and believe me when I say you did the right thing in not running away with him. You wouldn’t have got far.”
I recoiled, and placed my hand to my chest. “We might have.”
“No, you wouldn’t!” Paymon paced the end of the room, glancing at me intermittently. “You’d have enjoyed one night of freedom. Last night would have been a celebration of your escape with your lover. He knows of the dangers out there yet he was willing to lead you into those dangers for his own selfish desires.”
“What dangers?” I turned in my chair to face him. He had all my attention. Maybe this was when I found out what had chased me all those years ago.
He returned to his chair and sat down. “The beasts that roam the land away from the village. There are many creatures eager to snatch a human and take them away to their lair and do unspeakable things to them. And there are just as many longing to tear them limb from limb and eat them.”
“What sort of creatures?”
“Wolves, bears, other demons . . .” He shook his head. “As your village demon, I keep these creatures away from the village. It’s surrounded by many charms and protective spells. Have you ever seen a wolf or a bear?”
“I haven’t, but the men who work in the fields have.”
“That’s because they step out of the area of my protection when they go to the fields.”
“So Thomas would have been risking his own life as well, not just mine.”
Paymon reached out and patted my shoulder.
“If you had missed the Ascension Ceremony, then the miscreants would have come looking for you.”
“What are they?”
He rose to his feet. “You really don’t want to know.”
I pushed my plate away, not willing to eat anymore. My appetite deserted me.
“Let me lace you up,” he said, gesturing with his hand for me to stand.
“The miscreants, what are they?” I repeated as sure hands tugged on the laces on the back of my dress.
“They work for the Master. He has them under his control. You’ll see them tonight at the ceremony.”
“Are they evil?”
“Evil?” He chuckled; his breath warmed my neck, and I fought the urge to shiver.
“Some say demons are evil, Athena. I’ll let you be the judge.” He stepped away from me, the dress fastened, and walked toward the door. “If you’ve finished breakfast, perhaps you’d like to see the library?”
I nodded, rushing to catch up with him.
“It’s the one room I tend to not let Odin enter,” he said as he crossed the hall. “He once destroyed a favourite book of mine, How to Tame a Wild Bird.” His ensuing laugh continued until he clicked the door handle. Stepping back, he allowed me to enter first.
I blinked several times at the darkness but didn’t flinch when Paymon shot flames across the room, lighting the strategically placed candles. It seemed I was already becoming used to his tricks.
All four walls had book shelves reaching from the floor to the ceiling, and each shelf was full. There were no spaces that I could see.
“What do you enjoy reading?” He walked into the middle of the room to a large desk piled high with even more books. “History, politics, inventions, gardening, mythology? What about fictional stories, the classics that humans fought so hard to hang on to? I have Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens.”
I stood open-mouthed as I turned on the spot. My feet bounced on the carpet, and I stifled a giggle. My mouth became dry, and I felt breathless. This was amazing.
Paymon was grinning so wide that he looked fit to burst. “I would have brought you in here earlier if I’d known it would make you feel like this,” he said, extending his arms toward me. “Look at you!”
I cleared my throat and stared at row upon row of books. “You mentioned that you’d like me to read to you,” I said, remembering Paymon’s declaration. “What do you have in mind?”
He chuckled. “My choice of reading mater
ial may not be suitable for you to read out loud. You select. I’m sure I will adore anything you read to me.”
“Tell me. What do you read?”
“I have many books depicting our rise to power. The plans that were put into operation thousands of years ago. Demons have a history as well as humans. I find it fascinating learning about my past, but I’m sure you won’t. And it’s written in my language, not yours.”
“You could teach me your language,” I said, stepping over to the desk. This was an opportunity I wasn’t going to miss. If I learnt to read demon language, I could read the books depicting their arrival and the book I kept hidden. Surely there’d be something in one of them about the light. There had to be. “I’d quite like to learn another language.”
“Then try French or German.”
I shook my head. “No, I want to learn your language. When will I ever get the chance to speak to a French or German person? But if I learn to read and speak your language, I’ll be able to talk to you.”
He pursed his lips. “That’s a very nice gesture, but I promise you, you have no need to learn my language.”
I huffed under my breath.
“Find a book, see what there is,” he said.
I dawdled to the first wall of books and set about trying to find one of his books.
He sat on the edge of the desk, watching me for several moments before saying, “What books have you read?”
“Just an old dictionary.” I ran my fingers across the spines of the books. It wasn’t just the books that I was in awe of, it was the smell of the room. Old paper, glue that bound the pages together, even the tang of leather from some of the older books.
“You’d like a fictional story then, something different, something to escape into.”
I shrugged. “I’d like to learn your language.”
“I assure you, it would not be of any interest to you even if you could read it. Why don’t you read about your history?”
Iniquity (The Ascent Book 1) Page 10
