Iniquity (The Ascent Book 1)

by Melody Winter

  I kicked at a stone as we walked, thinking through what I had seen tonight. “Is that why she reacted so fiercely to me, when you told her you’d have recommended me as a wife?”

  Paymon pulled his hood away from his face. “As his wife, you would give him everything she can’t. Her jealousy was quite entertaining until she threatened your life.”

  “She stopped when you threatened her. Why? What would you have done?”

  “Set her alight and watch her burn. I have no time for vampires. Not many demons tolerate them. Although I am told they make excellent lovers.” He smiled briefly and then sank into his more customary seriousness. As we continued walking, he stopped his pretend limp.

  “What were those creatures, the ones that took Hannah and Julie?”

  “They were the miscreants I told you about. The ones who would have found you if you’d ran away.”

  “They’d have come looking for me?”

  “Yes.” He squinted into the distance. “If you’d missed the Ascension Ceremony, they would have set about finding you.”

  I frowned. “But how would they know?”

  “What? That you were missing? I would have told Livia, and she would have told the Master. If he knew you were suitable as his wife, he would have sent them to find you immediately.”

  “So, if I’d been a feeder or a servant, he’d not have bothered?”

  Paymon chuckled. “Oh, he would have bothered, with the instruction for them to kill you. But as a potential wife, he would have urgently sought your deliverance unharmed . . . well, to a certain degree.”

  “What—?”

  “The miscreants are not known for their ability to keep people uninjured whilst travelling back to the Master. You saw them, once you are in their grasp, there is no escape until they choose to release you.”

  My shuddering fear from when they wrapped their arms around Hannah and Julie drifted through me, and I shook my head to rid myself of the vision that formed.

  “Now, are you glad you married me or would you rather have gone with them or risked running away with Thomas?” His eyebrows rose as he asked me a question that there was really only one answer for.

  “I made the right decision considering the limited options.” But how I would have loved another option, one that would have let me live as a free woman in the village with no demands to procreate.

  “Yes, you did.”

  Paymon’s eyes flickered toward the house, and he grinned. “I see Odin is waiting for us.”

  H was perched on the gate post. “Was he with the ones that flew in front of the carriage?”

  “No. He would never allow himself to fall to their level. He’s an intelligent bird. He used to get my attention by tapping on the door. He became quite a nuisance until I let him into the house. But I wouldn’t be without him now.” He nodded toward Odin. “He is most trustworthy, unlike Bia.”

  I inhaled deeply. My thoughts on the way he treated her were not ones I wanted to dwell on. Unfortunately, I didn’t trust her enough to befriend her in any way. Even though Paymon had compelled her not to attack me, I didn’t fancy testing the strength of his compelment.

  Odin flew toward us and settled silently on Paymon’s shoulder.

  “Are you hungry?” Paymon asked as he held the gate open for me. “Bia can prepare some supper for you.”

  I shook my head, unsure as to whether I’d keep any food down. The stench of the miscreants lingered in my nostrils, and I could still sense Livia’s cold fingers crawling over my skin. My warm and comfortable bed was too much of a temptation—a refuge to hide in, somewhere where I could crawl into a ball and let my fear run free. I doubted I’d get much sleep. I was sure the very real nightmare of what I’d witnessed wouldn’t leave me.

  Once we were inside, cloaks hung up, warmth surrounding us, Paymon sighed.

  “You’re tired,” he said.

  I nodded, stifling a yawn as he lit the sconces on the walls with his flying flames.

  “Go straight to bed. Hopefully you will be fully recovered in the morning. And don’t worry about Livia, she’ll not come near you now.” He held his hand up, showing me his marriage mark.

  I gazed at the back of my hand and nodded. I was protected from her, this was my protection—the mark of ownership, of marriage to a demon.

  “Bed,” Paymon repeated before turning away and heading to the lounge. “Good night, Athena.”

  I walked upstairs in a trance, slow and lethargic, as if all energy had been drained from me. By the time I reached my room, I was fighting to stay awake. Had Paymon compelled me? Had the miscreants done something to me? Had Livia’s touch poisoned me? I fought with my own personal demons, images of what I’d witnessed flashed through my mind as I fell onto the bed.

  That night I dreamed of beasts tearing me limb from limb, vampires sucking my blood, and miscreants wrapping their rotting bodies around me.

  OVER THE FOLLOWING WEEKS, PAYMON and I managed to slip into a tense but somewhat easy routine. He had many dark moments and excelled in rousing my emotions. Those moments were thought out, planned, and orchestrated to garner the strongest of emotions. Anger and fear were the ones he resorted to when he needed a quick fix, and he was getting sneaky in the way he instigated them. But he also looked after me, made sure I ate, and revelled in my company. He seemed content and happy, and whereas I was growing fond of him, I never allowed myself to forget he was a demon. I viewed him more as a father figure, a role that had been lacking in my life for many years. And as the days went by, I relaxed in his company, not fearing that he was my husband. True to his word, he expected nothing sexual from me; all he wanted was my company.

  There was a full moon three weeks after the Ascension Ceremony. We couldn’t see it through the dense clouds of darkness, but it signified the monthly feast in the village. Paymon was excited about the pending meal; I was nervous.

  As we stepped out of the house, I swallowed my apprehension. At the last feast, days before the Ascension Ceremony, I’d been scared by Paymon’s constant stare and his increased attention on me. Now I understood why he’d singled me out at the feasts—he was keeping an eye on his future wife.

  Tonight, Paymon carried the lantern to the village, his familiar limp when out of the house returned, and he hobbled beside me, grinning whenever I caught his gaze. Music and laughter rose from the village centre, and it didn’t quieten when we arrived. Myrtle stood in the doorway of her home, leaning on the frame for support, her face strained. Having not seen her for three weeks, she looked tired and paler than I remembered. She didn’t take her eyes off me as Paymon led the way to the logs set aside for us near the central fire.

  As soon as we were seated, others took their place on various logs or boulders. None of them sat near us.

  Mead flowed freely at these monthly occasions, and a pig or lamb was slaughtered for the feast. Vegetables and potatoes were cooked and shared with everyone who attended, and also sent to the ones who couldn’t or didn’t want to partake in the festivities. The whole village enjoyed what was the best monthly meal they ever ate.

  Paymon’s hood was pulled over his head, hiding his eyes in the darkness of its shadow, but he nodded at Sharon and Fiona when they presented him with food. I spoke my thanks, knowing how much time and effort went into providing the feast—I usually helped prepare it.

  Families huddled together, groups of teenagers spoke loudly whilst the elderly spoke in hushed whispers. I sought out Thomas, seated by himself as he stared at the flames of the fire. As if knowing my gaze was upon him, he lifted his head. There was no smile, no hint of an apology, just a vacant, accusing gaze that pinned me to the spot. I looked away quickly as Paymon moved his head next to mine.

  “Ignore him, Athena,” he said quietly. “The emotions he unleashes in you are not ones I wish to feed from.”

  I turned to Paymon, noting the large piece of meat he held in his hand.

  “Why are you eating?” I asked as he took a bite out of the
tender meat.

  “I don’t want to insult them. Tell me, Athena, when you lived in the village, what was the reason given for these feasts?”

  “To thank you for protecting us.”

  “So I would be insulting each and every person gathered around this fire if I refused.” His gaze travelled around the groups of men and women before settling on Thomas. “Although there are some who I’d take great pleasure in insulting. You must tell me if he’s bothering you.”

  “You mean Thomas?” He sat in a hunched position, poking the ground with a stick. “I think he’s miserable enough.” I looked away, still angry with the deceitful way he’d behaved.

  “Oh, I can make him even more miserable, trust me.” The glint I often saw in Paymon’s dark eyes returned for a split second, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

  “Leave him,” I said.

  Paymon slid his arm around my back and held my waist, pulling me toward him, reminding me who was in control. He laughed, although I suspected that I was the only person who heard it.

  I peered through the flames of the fire, seeking out the older girls in our village. Caroline and Emma were twins, only a year younger than me. Jet black hair swung around their shoulders, and their dull plain clothes hinted that they wanted nothing more than to disappear into the darkness around them. Their parents never let them out of their sight, even now they sat on either side of them, talking in whispered voices.

  “What’s wrong, Athena?” Paymon reached for my hand and squeezed it.

  I sighed. “I’m looking at the girls in the village, seeing who you’ll send to the Master next year.”

  “You say it as if I enjoy sending them to him. Remember, I have no choice.”

  “Some of them won’t cope.” I inclined my head toward Caroline and Emma.

  “They are not your responsibility, but it may satisfy you to know that neither of them will be going anyway. They’ll be staying here.”

  “But they don’t even have boyfriends. You’ll expect them to get pregnant.”

  He nodded. “I have already selected the man who will impregnate them.”

  “One man?”

  “Yes. One man is capable of impregnating the whole village if he is fertile enough.”

  I flinched and swallowed hard before questioning who the man would be. But I already knew—the most fertile man in the village. “Hannah’s father?”

  “No, he would have been suitable for you, not them.” He turned to face me, his mouth slightly raised at one side. “When I select a man for the women, I oversee the act of impregnation.” He sneered and narrowed his eyes at me. “I would have fed voraciously from your emotions when Hannah’s father took you. It would have brought every single one of them crashing to the surface. Imagine—your best friend’s father defiling you.”

  I recoiled and pressed my knees together. My hand came to my mouth as I fought the primitive urge to empty my stomach. Once again he was showing me the true demon that hid so close to the surface.

  “That’s disgusting.” I shifted further away from him, and pulled my cloak tighter around my neck. “How can you do that? Why? As if the act itself isn’t forced, vile and disgusting. You pick a man who you know would cause the most distress. And you’d watch!”

  He grinned widely. “I’d like to take part, not just watch, but we need human females to be born, not half-breeds that won’t survive for more than a few minutes. It would be a waste of a pregnancy and potentially kill the woman if I impregnated her. And the emotions you females release when making love are the pinnacle of emotions. I can’t even begin to explain what they feel like to a demon.” He licked his lips, and I shrank away from him once again.

  “You’re talking about a woman’s emotions when she’s enjoying herself. I can assure you that no woman will enjoy being forced to have sex with any man.” I shot an accusing stare at him, but he didn’t react. “It’s nothing but organised rape, approved by you.”

  Paymon shook his head. “I only approve what is necessary to keep the Master happy.”

  I stared into the fire, confused by the man who sat next to me. One minute he seemed to revel in the suffering he caused, the next he seemed to only be following orders.

  “So who have you selected for Caroline and Emma?” My voice sounded distant, detached, as if it wasn’t my own.

  Paymon shifted on the log before angling his body toward mine. “Samson. He’s from a neighbouring village. He’s young, smart, and desperate to work with any demon.”

  “I bet he is if he gets free rein to have sex with everyone.”

  Paymon chuckled. “Would you like to meet him? He is most handsome. Perhaps I can arrange for a little private party between you both.”

  “No!” I attempted to jump to my feet, but Paymon had second guessed my intention and a wave of calmness swept through me. I remained where I was, unable to direct my limbs to do anything.

  “Calm yourself, Athena. I don’t mean it. I will not allow any man or demon to touch you now that you are my wife. If I’d wanted to see you with Samson, or any other man, I would have kept you in the village, wouldn’t I?”

  His compelment lifted, and my former panic returned for a brief moment before vanishing. He wouldn’t do that to me. He would keep his promise. Yet again, this had been a test, a play on words to enable him to feed from my emotions.

  “It may comfort you to know that I won’t invite Samson to the village and immediately expect him to perform. He will have a month to get to know the girls. He is a handsome and quite charming young man. I’m sure both of them will crave his attention when the time comes.”

  I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I didn’t think comforting me was the right phrase, but Paymon’s reassurance of time for them to get to know the man who would sleep with them was a welcome one.

  “Can you only have one wife?” I asked.

  “Demons tend not to marry. They are not usually faithful.” Paymon switched his gaze from the fire to me. “Many demons prefer the easy company of vampires.”

  “Like Livia?”

  Paymon nodded. “They are always keen to please us . . . but I hate them.” He looked around at the people feasting with us. Some of the men were already becoming merry, drunk on too much mead as they sang and danced. “Demons are strong creatures who often forget their own strength and power. A vampire can deal with the intensity of loving a demon. Humans, unfortunately, can die.”

  I wet my lips with my tongue and asked the question I needed to know the answer to. “Have . . . have you—”

  “No,” he said. “I’ve never killed a woman whilst having sex with her.” He smiled. “I prefer the warmth of a human rather than the deathly cold of a vampire. But I don’t have much of a track record with human females. Only one.”

  He took the last pork chop from the tray that was presented to him. I offered a half smile at Janine, a former friend, but she didn’t acknowledge my greeting and walked away.

  “So you didn’t force her?” I had to know. Somehow this conversation had taken on a different meaning. I wasn’t just finding out about his past, I was finding out about my possible future.

  “No, I didn’t. She was a willing participant.” He closed his eyes and smiled before taking a bite of the pork.

  “What happened?”

  He opened his eyes and frowned. “She died, but it wasn’t my doing.”

  I wanted to ask what happened, but didn’t. His complexion had taken on a grey tinge, as if the memory was painful. Had he really loved her? Was it even possible for a demon to love a human?

  “She was called Amber,” he said. “A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. I saw her for many months before the day we officially came above land.”

  “You mean you could come here before then? What about the light?” This didn’t fit with what I’d always assumed. The light would kill them, wouldn’t it?

  “The light?”

  I nodded, waving my hands around to aid my descriptions. “I
didn’t think you could stand the sun, the brightness it created. I presumed you hid the light because it harmed you.”

  Paymon chuckled and shook his head. “Athena, the light does not harm us in any way. If I’m completely honest with you, I much preferred this world when the sun was present. I miss the colours—bright reds, yellow, pinks, oranges. The heat was never an issue for me, but I saw how much happier people were in your summertime when the sun was shining.”

  “Bring it back then.”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  Surely he wasn’t the only demon who felt like that, others would miss it. “So why take it? Why leave us like this?”

  “The Master is the only one who can answer that question. He controls the darkness that surrounds us.”

  “It’s the one thing I’d change,” I said. “I’d bring the light back instantly if I could. I’d do whatever I had to for it to return.”

  “Even if it wasn’t pleasant?”

  I snapped from my day-dreaming and looked to Paymon before nodding.

  He chuckled before patting my hand. “Sometimes we all wish for things we can’t have.”

  “What do you wish for?” I asked, suddenly nervous about his reply.

  “The return of Amber. You remind me of her a little, perhaps that’s another reason why I was willing to strike a deal with your grandmother.”

  “There must have been others,” I said. I didn’t believe that a demon of his age had only ever had one lover. And I remembered the woman who had lived with him in the village—the one he killed.

  “When I came to land to live here, I met a demon.” His voice was quiet and tinged with sadness. “I thought I loved her. We appeared to be kindred spirits, like-minded souls.”

  I snorted, quite unladylike, and quite rude considering his upset. “There you go again, mentioning souls,” I said. “I’ve told you, I don’t believe demons have them.”

  He raised his brow and then frowned at me.