Iniquity (The Ascent Book 1)

by Melody Winter

  As I glanced over to his desk I noticed dust particles swirling in the air, the fire lighting their slow restless descent. I scratched my head. The light—did Erebus know anything about the light? Would he part with information about their rise from below? Would he discuss it with me? I blew into the air, and the dust particles rose and swirled before settling into their new random descent. Could I get him to tell me? Could I appeal to him, persuade him? Could I trick him,

  A tiny smile crept onto my lips. I knew the way to get information from him. I had to play my part well because if it all went wrong, I would be the one to suffer, and there would be no one to blame but myself.

  When Erebus descended the stairs in the evening, I was waiting for him. I was bathed—having endured the icy water in my tub—wearing a clean dress, and my hair was loose. I’d also squirted some of my mother’s perfume behind my ears, as well as pinched my cheeks to give them a healthy glow. Erebus looked like he’d given some attention to his appearance as well. A white smock shirt was tucked into a pair of black trousers. His shiny leather boots creaked as he walked. But he still looked ruffled. A dark waistcoat remained unbuttoned, and his hair was tied back, but not completely contained. His familiar dark stubble remained.

  I gave him as genuine a smile as I could manage, and he cocked his head when he caught it.

  “Dinner’s ready.” I nodded toward the open dining room door. “If you’d like to go through.”

  Erebus didn’t reply, and walked straight into the room. His musky scent drifted around me as he passed, but there was also the scent of something else. A hint of cologne?

  When he’d seated himself at the setting I’d arranged for him at the head of the table, I returned to the kitchen. The vegetable soup was simmering gently. Two chicken breasts were sizzling in the flat pan, and the carrots and potatoes were just coming to the boil. I spooned the soup into two waiting bowls and pulled two large chunks of bread from the freshly cooked loaf that Bessie had brought me.

  Bessie’s basket had also contained fresh eggs, butter, and cheese. The kitchen held every pot I needed to prepare whatever I was capable of cooking. In fact, there were far more pots than I’d ever need and, not for the first time, I wondered who had lived here before the demons ascended. The house was large and luxurious—there was the soft underfoot cushion of carpet in my bedroom, the large bed with posts to hold even more drapes, and the beautiful woven curtains at the windows. And the hall was stunning—polished floors, wood panelling lining every wall, and a dramatic sweeping staircase. The small square boxes on the walls amused me. How could a person just flick the switch on them and light fill the room? Gran called it electricity; to me, it was magic. But the demons wiped it out instantly when they rose from the depths. Strange then that Erebus’s power matched what I thought electricity would be like. His surge of power reminded me of lightning, and I realised that the buzz I could feel in the air in the house was the same as the one I felt before a storm. Myrtle was right about one thing then—he was powerful.

  Erebus stared at me as I placed the tray of food on the table. I positioned a bowl of soup and the bread in front of him before doing the same with mine.

  “What is it?” he asked as I sat at the side of the table.

  “Vegetable soup and bread.” I picked up my spoon, ready to eat.

  “Swap,” he said, lifting his bowl and waiting for me to do the same.

  I pushed my bowl toward him, wondering why he insisted on swapping them. He said he’d never eat with me, so why was this necessary? But I was hungry and didn’t want to start another argument where neither of us ended as the victor. After taking his bowl from him, I began to eat.

  Erebus leaned back in his chair, placing both hands behind his head.

  “It looks impressive, Athena.”

  “Thank you.” I swallowed another mouthful. The chunky vegetables were cooked just right—not soft and not hard. The stock was made from the bones of the chicken carcass.

  “You look quite pleasant tonight,” he said, watching me as I continued to eat. “I insist you don’t tie your hair away from your face when in my company.”

  “Paymon didn’t mind how I looked,” I said.

  “I’m sure he didn’t. But I’m not Paymon, am I?”

  I swallowed another spoonful of the velvety liquid, ignoring his piercing eyes.

  He pointed at the dip between my breasts. “Why do you hide the necklace?”

  “I don’t hide it.” My hand immediately covered my chest. My skin felt hot to the touch as I ran my fingers along the chain.

  Erebus’s lips twitched. “I noticed it at our marriage ceremony. It’s not a normal necklace. You didn’t bring it with you from the village, did you?”

  I shook my head. “Paymon gave it to me.”

  “Hmmm . . . I thought as much.” He tapped his chin and sniffed. “And do I detect the smell of roses? Perfume?” He leaned forward in his chair, sniffing the air in my direction.

  I halted my eager consumption of the soup. “It was my mother’s perfume.”

  “Ahhh . . . yes. You like roses?”

  “I like the smell of them. It always reminds me of my mother.” I looked down, determined not to let my memories flood my mind.

  Erebus straightened up in his chair. “A rose is a very delicate flower, but has a strong, passionate scent. It suits you. You should always wear it.”

  A blush crept its way onto my face.

  He banged his hand on the table. I jumped so much that I dropped my spoon and held my hand to my chest.

  “That’s what the rosebush is all about, isn’t it?” he exclaimed.

  “What rosebush?” I picked my spoon from the table and cautiously slipped it back into the bowl.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t know. The rosebush in the courtyard.”

  “The dead one?” I said, scowling.

  Erebus chuckled. “Did Paymon light the rosebush?”

  I nodded.

  He leaned forward. “You should have told me that Paymon planted a rosebush and watched it grow whilst he waited for you.”

  “He didn’t. It was just there.”

  Erebus shook his head. “No, it wasn’t, Athena. That rosebush isn’t a normal one. It’s a betroth rosebush. They’re very rare, no thorns. Paymon must have planted it when he spotted you in the village.” He tutted. “How old were you when you came here?”

  “To the village?”

  “Yes,” he said before leaning forward and sniffing the soup.

  I placed my spoon on the table, my appetite deserting me. “I was eight.”

  He growled, a low vibration from his chest. “But he never touched you or made any untoward advances?”

  “No!”

  “Good.” He leaned backward and tapped his fingers on the chair arm before nodding toward my bowl of soup. “Eat, Athena. Enjoy your meal. It looks delicious.”

  I did as he instructed.

  Erebus didn’t talk to me any further throughout the meal, but he wore a stupid smile whenever I lifted my gaze to find him watching me. Only when I’d finished eating did he speak.

  “I suspect you have something on your mind. Something you want to ask me?” He rose from the table and swept his hand in front. “Shall we go into the living room, make ourselves more comfortable so you can discuss whatever it is that is bothering you?”

  “How do you know?” I asked as I left the table.

  He grinned. “I can sense that you are nervous, apprehensive even. More so than I have noticed before.”

  I walked past him, unable to stop myself breathing in the woody cologne he was wearing. He followed, too close, as always.

  I positioned myself on the edge of the sofa, placed my hands on my lap, and waited for him to sit in his usual chair.

  He walked to the fireplace.

  “So,” he said, turning to face me. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  This was where I put my plan into action. I’d thought about nothing else whils
t he was out, but now I had to try to placate him, be nice to him, I found myself unnaturally nervous. I took a sharp breath before exhaling.

  “I’d like to get to know you properly.”

  “Explain,” Erebus said, stepping toward me. He loomed over my seated position. His hands on his hips.

  I refused to curl away from him, and I straightened my back before looking him in the eye.

  “As you keep reminding me, I am your wife. I want to get to know you. I don’t want you to compel me. I’ll behave.”

  A deep frown pulled across his forehead, and he scratched the side of his face. “Am I missing something here?”

  “I won’t sleep with you at the moment,” I clarified, keeping my voice clear and strong. “But I’m hoping the idea won’t be so repulsive when I get to know the real Erebus.”

  His mouth widened into a broad smile that twitched at the corners. “What’s going on, Athena?”

  I’d practised my words this afternoon, speaking them to myself in front of the mirror, but now my nerves threatened to overpower me. I twisted the cuff on my sleeve and took a deep breath.

  “We’re stuck with each other. It’s something neither of us want.”

  “At least we agree on one thing.”

  I stared at my hands. “We need to make the best of the situation. I’m going to try and make you happy. I’ll do everything you ask. But in return, I’d like you to stop threatening me, and stop torturing the villagers.”

  He sank onto the sofa next to me and sighed. “I need to go to the village to feed. You really don’t feed me as much as I need you to. Your emotions are weak. I only wish it was different.”

  I lifted my gaze. His eyes were golden amber, no sign of darkness clouding their surface. He was telling the truth. I really didn’t feed him with my emotions.

  He grinned and patted my knee. “But, I quite like having you around, so I promise not to send you to the Master.”

  The threat that I’d had hanging over me since Erebus’s arrival lifted. A lightness flooded through me, and I released a huge breath, dispersing the fear and worry that had trapped me. Maybe he did have some kindness in his heart. The thought gave me hope. Maybe my plan to get information from him would work after all.

  “What about the villagers?”

  He pinched his nose with his fingers and closed his eyes. “I can see it means a lot to you, although I fail to see why.”

  “They’re my family.”

  He shook his head. “No, they’re not. The whole village has disowned you. Your lover has deceived you in the worst possible way, and yet you still want to protect them from me. Why?”

  My attention drifted to the fire as Erebus’s words sank in. I stared at the flames. He was right. Why was I trying to save them from him? I needed to save myself, not them.

  “You need emotions to feed,” I said. “I get that, I really do. And if mine are too weak for you then I understand you need to go to the village. But I’m asking you not to torture them. Your arrival will scare them enough to provide you with emotions. Isn’t fear the strongest?”

  I caught the grin that pulled at his mouth. “It’s strong, but not the strongest. And you have chosen to deny me the only emotion of yours that I know would keep me a very full and well-fed demon.”

  I narrowed my eyes and turned to face him. I knew exactly what he was referring to. Even Paymon had mentioned the heightened emotions that flooded from a woman when she was making love. But that wasn’t an option with Erebus. I had no intention of ever becoming physical with him, regardless of the open-ended promise I’d made.

  “I can be awkward,” I said. “I can fight you all the way, but it would be exhausting for both of us. Like I said earlier, we’re stuck with each other.”

  “For a very long time,” he added.

  He sprung to his feet and wandered to the fire. His shoulders lifted and fell and then he chuckled.

  “I’ve just realised . . . you’re trying to make a deal with me.”

  I fixed him with my gaze. “No, I’m not. I’m trying to make both our lives easier.”

  “Both of our lives or just yours?”

  “Both.” I pushed my shoulders back, confident in my statement.

  He strolled back to the sofa and stood in front of me. Crossing his arms over his chest, he surveyed me for a few moments.

  “I’ve never intended to kill anyone in the village, but I will when I find out who killed Paymon. That, you have to accept, but it will be the one and only time I will kill.”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but he held his hand up.

  “I actually think I’m getting the better deal, even though you say it isn’t one. You say you’ll be nice to me, not argue, do as I tell you.” His brow rose. “I may even like living with you, Athena, if what you’re promising begins to happen. But I warn you now, if you do not do as I say, if you argue with me, if you annoy me in any way, I will have no hesitation in compelling you. I may do so just to entertain myself. Understand?”

  I nodded. I’d expected him to make demands in return—sexual ones—ones where he would get what he wanted. My back prickled and I shrugged my shoulders in an effort to ease the uncomfortable reaction. Erebus hadn’t dismissed my suggestion. He thought he’d got more to gain. But I knew I had more. It would take time for him to trust me, but that was what I needed to work on. I’d gradually earn his trust, and then he would start talking to me about his kind. Eventually I’d find out about the light, and my dreams about returning it would become a reality.

  He crossed the room to the untidy desk. Rummaging through the drawers, he pulled out his usual notebook and a pen. It seemed that the conversation was over.

  “What are you writing?” I asked, sidling up behind him.

  “Notes.” His tone was sharp, dismissive.

  “Notes on what?”

  He sighed.

  “This is exactly the sort of thing I want to know.”

  “It’s long and complicated and written in a language you have no knowledge of.”

  “Demon language?” I peered over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of the writing. “Teach me to read it.”

  He sucked in a quick breath. “I’m not going to teach you to read my language.”

  “Why not? I’m a quick learner. It can’t be that difficult.”

  “You have no need to learn demon language.” He continued writing with his illegible scrawl.

  “I’d like to, and maybe I could help you with whatever it is you’re doing.” I reached for a sheet of paper he’d scrawled notes on.

  He leaned back in the chair and sighed again. “Basically, I’m hunting vampires.”

  I jerked my head back and gasped. “Vampires?”

  “Yes, ones like Livia, although, unfortunately, she’s untouchable because she works for the Master. Such a pity.”

  I picked another sheet of paper from the desk. “So how do you hunt them, and why?” I asked, ignoring his scowl.

  “Why is probably the easiest question to answer.” He plonked his notebook in front of me. “I’ve never liked them or their feeding habits.”

  “Well, I’m not so keen on yours.” How could he preach about vampires’ feeding habits when he tortured people for their emotions?

  “I don’t kill, not unless I have to,” he snapped. “They kill for fun.” He slid the notebook away from me, and scratched the back of his head. “A vampire killed my mother shortly before we ascended.”

  I closed my eyes and inwardly berated myself for my insensitivity. “I’m sorry your mother was killed.”

  He nodded then ran his finger down a list of words written in demon language. “These are all the known places of unregulated covens. I’m working through them one by one.”

  “Working through them?” I bent over the desk, trying to decipher the words.

  “Exterminating them.” There was no remorse in his voice. The irony was that he was treating vampires no better than the demons treated humans, although I wasn’
t about to mention that I disagreed with him killing vampires. I felt like patting him on the back and congratulating him for his efforts to eradicate them from the world.

  Erebus shifted sideways in the chair and patted the half empty space. I hesitated for a few moments but decided to sit next to him. He was working on something he was passionate about, and I’d asked to see it. Sitting next to him now held no ulterior motive as far as I could tell.

  Several of the names had crosses against them and then a few words in demon writing.

  “What does this say?” I pointed at words next to a cross.

  “One member escaped.” He tapped the paper, sliding his finger further down the page. “This says, ‘whole coven killed, no survivors.’”

  I viewed the words slowly, trying to remember letters from the demon text as letters that were the same in our language. “So a ‘D’ in demon language is also a ‘D’ in English? And an ‘L’ is an ‘E’?”

  Erebus cocked his head sideward. “Why the interest in demon language?”

  I shrugged, slipping away from my seated position next to him, but decided to push him a little. “So your name in demon language begins with an ‘L’?”

  He nodded. “My name would be spelt L-G-L-F-P-I. But the pronunciation is very different.”

  “Go on.”

  “It’s pronounced El-gee-el-ef-pee-i.”

  I giggled, and Erebus grinned.

  “What’s my name?”

  “Em-hu-rur-el-jem. Maybe I should call you Gem for short?” He flashed me what looked like a genuine smile and then placed his pen on the desk. “Seriously, why all the questions?”

  “I’m interested. I’ve always been curious about anything to do with your kind. Not just your language, but where you’re from, why you’re here.”

  Erebus sprung to his feet. “Come with me.” He grabbed my hand and marched me into the library. He indicated with a nod of his head for me to sit at the central table. Picking a candle from the smooth surface, he rushed along one side of ceiling high books. The multitude of coloured spines glistened in the candlelight as he searched. He mumbled as he ran his finger along the books. I’d never seen him so animated and enthusiastic.