I ran up the stairs, praying that he didn’t follow me.
Cruel, I’d been so cruel in the way I’d treated him. But what did he expect? That I’d fall at his feet and beg him to sleep with me? Had he believed that I was genuine, that I was attracted to him?
I strode to the window that I used to let Odin in and out of the house and lifted it open before leaning outside. The rain was still falling, odd flashes of lightning illuminating the surrounding forest. If I screwed my eyes half-shut, I could see the distant twinkle of the lanterns in the village. It seemed years since I’d left, not just weeks, and even though it had been a hard life, living with Erebus was proving to be just as tough, just in other ways. I ducked my head back into the room and waited for Odin to return. He wasn’t usually long when the window was open for him.
I startled when a soft knock sounded on my bedroom door.
“Athena?” It was Erebus. He didn’t shout, it was more of a question than a call for my attention. I headed to the door but didn’t open it.
“What do you want?” I said through the wooden barrier.
“Can I come in?”
I grinned but composed myself quickly. Since when did Erebus ask if he could come into my room?
“No,” I said, rushing my answer. “I’m just about to get in the tub. I’m naked.”
Odin chose that exact moment to flutter into the room, and I kept my eye on him as he landed on the screen and croaked his greeting.
“Are you okay?” Erebus asked.
“Yes . . . just tired.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.” I suppressed another grin. My acting skills were very good this evening. He seemed concerned, and my thought that he believed everything that had happened downstairs as genuine gave me renewed hope. “Good night, Erebus,” I said before wandering away from the door.
I was telling the truth when I said I was tired. Not physically, but mentally. I’d discovered why the light had been hidden, I’d discovered who’d hidden it, and I understood the reason for the vampires’ existence in our world. I also knew that Erebus hated vampires. Next, I needed to find out how the darkness had been put there. Did Erebus know how to get rid of it?
I HARDLY SLEPT. MY DREAMS had made me restless, and I’d woken many times during the night. Only this time, I’d not had nightmares. Erebus had featured in all my dreams, and each one had finished the same way—him and me together. All of them had replicated the events of the previous night, only I didn’t back away when I’d got what I wanted, I didn’t escape his company. I willingly pushed him further.
When I woke up properly, I was eager to wash and scrub every patch of skin to rid myself of the imaginary feel of his fingertips.
“Nightmares,” I muttered to myself as I sank below the surface of the water. “Stupid nightmares.” I ignored the coldness, desperate to be clean.
I took my time drying myself and getting dressed. I wasn’t in a hurry to see Erebus and deal with the fallout from last night. After filling several buckets of water and throwing them from my window, I faced the task of fetching more water from the well for my next bath.
I huffed and chuntered to myself as I made the trip to the well several times. At least Erebus wasn’t around, laughing at my repetitive journey. I assumed he had gone out for the day on Samael again, hunting more vampires, but as I approached the well for the tenth time, I heard the snort of a horse. The sound came from the stable, and welcoming a break from my laborious task, I changed direction.
I tiptoed toward the stable, not wanting to disturb Erebus when he was with Samael and not wanting him to know I was there. But there was no talking, no vigorous rubbing down of the horse after a run, just the agitated snorts of Samael. When I poked my head around the stable door, I was surprised to see him alone.
“Hi there,” I said as softly as possible. I didn’t want to frighten him, and I knew horses were easily scared.
His ears pricked up and turned forward. He snorted and stamped his hoof.
“It’s okay.” I said, remembering the times I’d tended to the few horses we used to have. They were well looked after as they were the only form of communication we had with other villages. But over the years, we’d lost the riders and the horses. They’d ride off with a message and never return. We never knew whether they’d reached their destination or perished along the way.
“I’ll bring you a carrot later,” I promised him as I slid the lock on the stable door.
Samael’s tail swished, and he stepped backward. I stayed at the stable door, letting him get used to my appearance and my scent. Horses were such nervy animals. I stayed where I was for several minutes, watching his movements, taking in the small signs of his gradual acceptance. I spoke calmly to him, chatting at a level tone, guessing what he got up to with Erebus. When one of his ears turned to the side and his head dropped from its upright position, I moved forward, my hand outstretched. Samael didn’t flinch when I touched the side of his head, and as my confidence grew, I stepped even closer. He whinnied and lifted and dropped his head but then stepped toward me knocking my arm. I stroked his nose, patted his neck and generally fussed over him, all the while talking nonsense so he became used to my voice. I stayed with him for a long time; he was good company, and his proximity calmed me in the same way that Odin’s did.
“I need to go,” I eventually said, nuzzling up to him before backing away. “I’ve got to get some more information from Erebus. See what else he’ll tell me.”
Samael snorted and stepped to the stable door.
“I can’t take you out for a ride,” I said. “And I’m sure Erebus will make sure you have a run at some point today.”
I glanced at the saddle and riding tack hanging on the far wall. I could remember how it all fit together, but I didn’t think Erebus would take kindly to me stealing his horse and taking off with it.
“Later,” I promised and unlocked the stable door before stepping outside and relocking it.
I fetched four more buckets of water from the well before deciding the tub held sufficient water for my next bath. Breakfast beckoned, and with my stomach rumbling loudly, I headed to the kitchen. After cooking some bacon and toast, I intended to head to the library to continue with the translation of the diary, but raised voices from the lounge waylaid me. I crept along the corridor, listening intently to the guttural demon language. Erebus and another man. The unknown voice was talking quietly, but I jumped when Erebus responded. As the sound of rustling clothes and jangling belts became louder, I backed up the corridor and hid under the arch of the stairway. But I couldn’t resist peeking out to see who the stranger was who was arguing with Erebus.
A tall man, with straight grey hair flowing from under a black hat, stepped into the hall. He sniffed the air and turned sharply my way. I ducked backward, completely out of view, praying he hadn’t seen me.
With only a few more strange words spoken, the front door opened and then slammed shut.
“You can come out now, Athena,” Erebus called. “Sebastian’s gone. He won’t be coming back.”
I shifted from my hiding place. Erebus was waiting outside the lounge.
“Come, come,” he said, beckoning me forward with a wave of his hand before moving into the room.
“Who was that?”
“Sebastian, an old friend. Well, he was a friend in the loosest of terms. Now, perhaps he is an enemy.”
“He’s a demon.”
Erebus settled himself on the chair at the desk and nodded. “It seems that word has got around about your intended categorisation for the Master. Like I told you before, there are not many females selected for that category. I still fail to see how Paymon thought you fit for him, but he must have seen something. Unfortunately, now others are finding out about it, they all want to meet you, or rather, take you to him.”
My legs weakened, and I fought a feeling of dizziness. “No!” I rushed over to him and placed my hands on the side of the desk. “You promised you’d not send
me to him. You promised.”
Erebus frowned and rubbed his chin. “Why are you panicking? I told Sebastian what he can do with his offer. I have no intention of letting you go to the Master or anyone else. I will keep my promise.”
I released a huge breath and threw my arms around him. “Thank you.” I pecked him on the cheek before backing away. My cheeks heated and I dipped my chin, unable to meet his gaze.
“Your gratitude is most welcome, but unnecessary.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn’t think of what to say.
Erebus tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips. “We are married, Athena, and whether the Master wants you or not, our marriage bond is unbreakable. If he wants you as his wife, he has to kill me.”
“He’d kill you?” My fear for myself was suddenly replaced with one for Erebus.
He scoffed. “He could try.”
“But . . . but . . .”
“But what, Athena?”
“You’re risking your life for me.”
He chuckled, but I didn’t see anything humorous about what he was saying.
“I see it more as I’m looking after what’s mine. Have you eaten this morning?”
I nodded, my relief and shock giving way to contempt as he stated his reason for not letting me go to the Master. I’d thought, just for a second, that he cared, that he wouldn’t let me go because he wanted me here with him. Everything that had happened last night blurred into a confusing memory. Who had been playing who?
I moved away from the desk and sat on the sofa. Erebus followed.
“Sebastian offered me my freedom,” he said as he sat beside me.
“Your freedom?”
“Well, the opportunity to return to my old way of life. Before I came here, I travelled a lot. I never stayed anywhere for long. I liked my life as it was, hunting vampires, no ties to anyone or anything. Sebastian has known me for years, our paths crossed regularly. He thinks he knows me, and he offered me my old life back. He was prepared to take on the village as his. But there was no disguising his real desire, which was to be here with you. And who knows whether he would have kept you or sent you to the Master and reaped the reward.”
“But wouldn’t he have to kill you first?”
Erebus shook his head. “Sebastian knows better than to threaten me. I could kill him easily. I’m powerful, Athena, more powerful than other demons. My gift is rare, only my brother and sisters possess the same power. We know of no others.”
I nodded, taking in another piece of new-found information.
“Now,” he said, patting my knee. “What shall we do for the rest of today?”
“Can you help me translate the diary?” I didn’t want him to know how desperate I was to uncover everything the woman had written, but it was impossible to hide my enthusiasm.
“Not today. I think we have other things to discuss.”
“Such as?” My shoulders dropped, and as I looked up at his all too knowing eyes, I feared his response.
“I want to know what happened last night. What was going through your mind when you attempted to seduce me?”
“I did not!” I was on my feet, leaving him alone on the sofa. “You must have compelled me.” How the lies flew easily from my lips.
“I can assure you I didn’t. I’m not complaining about any of it, but you need to be careful. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it could end in a way you don’t want. Don’t tease me, Athena, don’t try to get the better of me. It won’t work.”
I gritted my teeth, refusing to let him intimidate me with hidden threats. “I wasn’t teasing you. You must have compelled me.”
He shook his head, a grin pulling at his mouth. “Whatever.” He threw his arms in the air. “Go find a book you can read to me. Let’s have a quiet day today. A day to reflect on what’s happened, and a time to think about what’s still to come.”
I left the room without a second request. I needed to escape his overly confident gaze. He knew what I’d done last night. Damn and blast the stupid demon. But I wouldn’t let him win. I’d find out what I wanted to know one way or another. And at least he hadn’t second guessed why I was trying to seduce him. He hadn’t made the connection with me gaining information. I just needed to be extra careful about how I approached the subject of the dark and how the Master controlled it.
My first month living as Erebus’s wife was full of surprises. Whereas I’d fit into an easy routine with Paymon, with Erebus, I never knew what he’d do or say next. He’d kept his word about not torturing the villagers, or so he said. Sometimes I’d watch from my bedroom window, squinting through the darkness to try and see if there were any familiar sparks lighting the sky. There never was. But other times, I used his absence to visit Samael.
Erebus often left me alone for the day, pursuing his obsession with catching and killing vampires, and I began to be able to read his mood when he returned. If he’d killed even one vampire, his mood was light, almost carefree, and he was quite pleasant to be around. They were the times when I questioned him, allowed myself to relax a little in his company. They were the times it was easy to forget he was a demon. We often found ourselves laughing at the same things, but one of us was always quick to change the subject and halt the merriment. Neither of us could forget the situation we were in. Neither of us wanted to be here.
By contrast, when he’d had an unsuccessful day, found no vampires to kill, he’d be moody and sarcastic. He’d throw things around, sometime shooting his power at them so they exploded in the air, before settling at the desk and writing. I’d learnt not to question him when he came home on these days. But I couldn’t escape to my room. He wanted me in the room with him, ready to taunt and belittle me if the mood so took him. At those times I didn’t need to be reminded that he was a demon. And at those times my hate for him grew.
Whenever he was out riding Samael, I took the opportunity to translate the diary and search through the library for books that could tell me anything about the Master and the darkness. But I never found anything of any use, and the translation of the diary, one line at a time, still with lots of guesswork, was a long drawn out task. When Erebus was in a good mood, he promised to help me with the diary, and when he was in a bad mood, he threatened to burn it. And so now I kept it hidden in my room, under the deep mattress on my bed, the same hiding place as when I lived in the village.
The end of the first month of living with Erebus also marked the night of the village feast. But I couldn’t settle. I’d read the same page of my book several times. I fiddled with my hair, drawing out the long strands between my fingers. I smoothed and rearranged my dress, fidgeting on the sofa to get comfy. Erebus ignored me, he was too busy chuntering and swearing as he wrote notes.
“It’s the village feast tonight,” I said, looking up from my book.
“And?”
“You should be there.”
“Why? So one of them can poison me?” He carried on writing, not showing any interest in moving.
“It’s their chance to thank you for providing the light over the fields and protecting them from the beasts in the forest.” I shuddered, my nostrils flaring as I remembered the vile heated breath of the creature I’d faced. I lifted a trembling hand to cover my nose, and squeezed my eyes shut, blocking out the terror induced scent and memory of when I’d faced one of them.
“I don’t need to go every month, surely? Wasn’t that something Paymon did? He set the monthly occasion. Strange really, I never viewed him as a demon who liked to party.”
I fixed him with a withering gaze, angry for so many reasons. “They’ll have killed a pig, cooked all day. All of it’s for you.”
“Athena.” Erebus laid his pen on the desk and swung around in his chair to face me. “They can still enjoy all their hard work. They can eat the food they’ve prepared. I actually think they’ll enjoy themselves a lot more with me not there.”
“You should still go.”
He chuc
kled before turning back to his desk. “I’m beginning to think you want them to poison me. You go if you want. I’ll not stop you.”
I curled my legs up underneath me. “I don’t want to go by myself.” It would feel weird going back to village when I’d not been there for over four weeks, never mind traipsing out into the cold that seemed to have grown in intensity over the last couple of days.
“Then you’ll have to stay here, with me.” He shot me an amused smile and then continued writing.
“I’d go if I could see the moon,” I said, risking an attempt at small talk.
“The moon? Why the moon? It doesn’t protect you from anything, regardless of what the old hag in the village says.”
“Myrtle,” I corrected him.
“Whatever.”
“I’d just like to see its white glow through the darkness that the Master put there. Do you like the darkness?”
“Not particularly.” He placed his pen on the desk and stood up, rubbing the back of his neck.
“So get rid of it.”
He laughed, the sound loud to my ears. “I don’t know how, not that it’s an option. It was the Master who created the shield of darkness that covers the land.”
“A shield? He can do that?” I uncurled my legs, straightened my back and angled myself toward him.
Erebus nodded and walked across the room to his usual chair.
“But how does he keep it there?”
“He’ll have used ancient and powerful spells that upset the balance of the world we both now live on. Demon magic is strong, Athena, and the Master is the strongest demon in the world.”
He leaned back and closed his eyes. He looked tired, the darkness under his eyes seemed to be deepening every day.
“You said you were powerful.” I leaned forward. “Can’t you fire your power at the shield and break it?”
He ran his hands over the arms of the chair before opening his eyes and laughing. “I never knew you were so bothered about the light. Do you seriously want me to part the sky so you can see the moon?”
I nodded but gritted my teeth. I hated that he was laughing at me, belittling my hopes and dreams.
Iniquity (The Ascent Book 1) Page 23
