I managed to whimper. The heat of his compelment built with the heat of my own lust-fuelled thoughts. I didn’t know if what I was thinking was real, or if Erebus was playing with my mind.
He breathed heavily, the warmth of his breath caressing my slightly parted lips. I could taste him. Raw. Dangerous.
“But a kiss is never enough, Athena. You’ll always want more. Always.” He trailed his mouth across my cheek, a whispered touch of his heated lips. If his compelment hadn’t held me in place, I was sure I would have grabbed him to stop myself from falling. He rested his cheek against mine, his stubble scratching me. “You’ll crave the strength of my body over the curves of your naked flesh. You’ll experience what it’s like to be loved completely. And after me, you’ll never want any other man—not a human nor another demon.”
His teeth nipped at my ear and jolted me back to reality. My skin felt like it was crawling with a thousand insects, and my throat burnt. Everything I had felt had been his compelment, but it had weakened, leaving me free to fight the remnants of its hold. I screwed my nose up in disgust.
“I wish you were dead,” I hissed, finding my voice.
He stepped backward, his eyes wide.
I hoped my stare conveyed all I was feeling—hate, contempt, and revulsion at his suggestion. He huffed, and then with no further words spoken, picked a lantern from the side of the doorway. He pulled a glove off and lit the candle with a small spark from his finger. “We’ll continue this conversation when I get back.”
When he pulled the door open, an icy blast of air flooded into the hall.
He didn’t close the door, and I clung to the edge of it, not finished with my insults. There was no need for us to discuss anything when he got back. I wanted him to know exactly how I felt about him right now.
“I hate you!” I yelled after him. “I hate everything about you!”
He didn’t turn to face me, just carried on walking, laughing as the darkness wrapped around him.
I slammed the door shut and reached for my cloak. Odin flew downstairs and perched on the end of the bannister.
“I’m leaving,” I said. “You coming with me?”
He ruffled his feathers and croaked.
I ran along the hallway and into the kitchen. Odin followed, and as I opened the back door, he flew outside. Together we headed to the stables.
“Stupid demon, stupid emotions, stupid darkness!”
How dare he compel me? I wouldn’t let any man, or demon, treat me like that.
Samael whinnied as I opened his stable door. “We’re going out. I promised you a ride several weeks ago. Tonight’s your lucky night.”
He stamped his foot several times and then waited patiently as I tacked him up.
“Good boy,” I said, rubbing his neck. “Now, I know I’m not Erebus. Just be patient with me. It’s been years since I’ve ridden.”
I ran through all the times I’d ridden the horses around the village—a slow trot, nothing more, and realised that I wouldn’t be trotting on Samael, we’d be galloping. Swallowing my apprehension and still running on adrenaline from my heated argument with Erebus, I moved a bale of straw to the side of Samael and stepped onto it. Securing my foot in the stirrup, I sprang up into the saddle. Samael shifted around the stable, and I leaned forward and stroked his neck. “Shhh . . . I’m sure I’m lighter than Erebus, but it’s okay.”
Once mounted on him, the times I’d ridden in the past came flooding back. I clicked my mouth and squeezed my legs against his side. He walked forward and out of the stable.
“Good boy,” I repeated, grasping the reins.
Odin was watching us from the fence just outside the stable, but took off into the sky as Samael turned and faced the forest. My smugness at managing to get Samael saddled and obeying my simple command to walk didn’t last long. As if sensing the freedom on offer, and that Erebus wasn’t controlling him, he took off. I straightened in the saddle, leaned backward, and pulled on the reins, but he carried on running. I was jostled in the seat as his trot turned into a cantor and then a gallop.
“Samael!” I screeched, but he still didn’t listen. He ran as if I wasn’t there. I tugged on the reins, but he still ignored my command. Needing more to hold on to than a leather strap, I wrapped my hands in the long hairs of his mane, leaning forward to keep my balance and to avoid the low hanging branches that threatened to knock me from the saddle. The wind whipped my face, and I called out several times, begging Samael to slow down as he headed deeper into the darkness of the forest. It was thick with restless evil, the stench of rotting flesh carried on the bitter wind. Maybe that was what had panicked Samael, but as he continued into the forest, and the unearthly howls of creatures I had no desire to face again rang out, I feared that he was running toward danger rather than away from it.
“Slow down, slow down.” I renewed my hold on his mane, fearing that I’d fall from the saddle and be left in the middle of the forest by myself. Samael changed direction, the shift so abrupt that my fear of falling nearly became a reality. But as he continued in this new direction, his pace slowed to a comfortable trot.
I gulped in air as a shakiness in my limbs developed. My adrenaline had spiked, and I was dealing with the result. My knuckles were white against the darkness of Samael’s mane, and I blinked rapidly, trying to make out the shapes around us. There was only a smattering of trees, not the thick forest we had just charged through. There was the sound of running water, and it increased in volume on each step that Samael took. After a short, calm walk, we arrived at a stream. Samael stopped, and I took the opportunity to dismount.
Standing on shaky legs, I looked around, seeking out any signs of danger, or anything familiar. I didn’t recognise anything. My heart thudded loudly in my ears, and my lips and chin trembled. I pulled my cloak around myself, shivering as a breeze hissed through the forest. I’d been so stupid.
Why had I fought with Erebus? Why had I angered him so much? And why had I run away?
“Where’ve you brought me?” I said, glancing at Samael who was still drinking from the stream, his tail flicking as if agitated. “Can you get us back home?”
Home.
How could one word create such a knot in my stomach?
Home . . . to Erebus.
A loud chorus of laughter disturbed the quietness of the forest and I turned my head in the direction of the joviality. Relief flooded through me when I spotted a twinkling light in the distance. Was there a house nearby? Were humans living there or another demon? If it was a demon’s house, did that mean we were near another village?
“Come on,” I said, grabbing Samael’s reins and pulling him away from the water. “Let’s see if we can get someone to take us back.”
I walked toward the light, my steps tentative and slow. But as I neared the hypnotic welcoming beam, the sound of many voices and general laughter swept my way. Was there a party going on? I halted my advance, and hid within the remaining trees as I assessed the situation. As I watched the house, a rider arrived. He jumped from his horse and tied it to a wooden rail at the side of the house. Another rider arrived shortly after and strode to the door before walking straight in. Moments later, a man left, swaying sideways as he made his way into the forest.
It was then that I realised this wasn’t a house; it was a tavern. My heart raced at the thought of entering such a place. Gran had told me they were always full of people enjoying themselves. There was always a friendly smile and a general atmosphere of wanting to help. The building certainly looked welcoming: flickering lights, smoke billowing from the chimney, and the sound of general merriment. Surely someone would be willing to help me get home.
When the man left on his horse, I hurried forward with Samael, desperate to feel the warmth of a roaring fire. I duly fastened Samael’s reins around the wooden bar. The two horses already there were smaller than him; they looked bedraggled and underfed. Samael was a large and proud black stallion, and even in the dimmed light coming fro
m the house, his coat shone like it was lit by tiny crystals.
“I won’t be long,” I said before adjusting my cloak and pulling the hood up. “Hopefully we’ll be leaving here soon. You’ll be back in your stable with fresh hay for the night.”
As if to remind me of the coldness of the April air, another breeze picked up and swirled around me. I pulled my cloak even tighter before entering the tavern.
THE HEAT FROM THE INTERIOR stung my eyes as the door swung shut behind me. I looked around the room, hoping for a kindly face, or a sympathetic smile. None were offered. In fact, no one even looked up as I crossed the room to the area where a tall female stood behind a counter.
There were no hanging lanterns in the tavern, and it appeared to only be lit by the ones the visitors had brought with them. It was gloomy and cheerless, and the air hung with a thick scent of unspent powers.
“What can I get ya?” the woman asked.
I shook my head, once again taking surreptitious glances at the occupants of the tables.
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the counter, and revealed the majority of her ample bosom. “You looking for someone or hiding from someone?”
I cleared my throat, which was suddenly dry. “Neither.”
“Really? We don’t get many of your kind calling on us.”
I glanced around the room again, spotting a few females, but the majority of people were male. “Are there any humans in here tonight?”
She smiled, and in doing so revealed two prominent fangs.
I took a step backward and swallowed loudly. My hand flew to my neck, covering the spot where Livia had bitten me. Turning my head toward the door, I resisted the urge to run from the room and never look back. If I ran, she could follow.
The woman twisted her fingers in her dark hair, surveying me with greedy eyes. “There’s no humans, ’cept you.”
“H-how do you know?”
“I can smell ya.”
I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs and curse everything about this frightening and miserable life. I didn’t want to be here, I wanted to be back home.
I needed to leave. No one had shown any interest in me so far, and if I was calm and slow with my movements, no one would notice.
The door to the tavern creaked open. “Where’s Erebus?” the man at the door shouted. “His horse is outside.”
Nobody responded.
My elbow was knocked as the newcomer stood next to me. “One mead please, Giselle.”
“My pleasure.” She selected a metal tankard, filled it with an amber coloured liquid and handed it to the man next to me. “So, Erebus’s horse is outside, but Erebus isn’t here.”
The man chuckled. “Maybe he’s out for a romantic walk with his new love.”
I stiffened.
“The man’s gone soft. I still can’t believe he refused my offer to free him from the responsibility of that damn village. It’s not like him, you know. Twenty years I’ve known him, and he looked me straight in the eye and told me to never cross his path again.”
“She must be special.” Giselle’s eyes wandered to me, and she grinned. “What’s her name?”
“Athena.”
“Well, maybe you should try and ask him again. See if he’ll change his mind. Maybe things aren’t as you think, Seb.”
“I doubt it.”
Giselle laughed. “Well, maybe you should ask her what she wants. Could be she ain’t happy with him.”
I slid further along the counter. I needed to get out of here.
The man guffawed. “It doesn’t matter what she wants. Erebus will have her nicely under his control. She’ll be completely under his compelment. I doubt she’ll even know her own mind by now. You know demon wives don’t last very long, not the human ones, and she certainly won’t. She looked weak.” He chuckled, but there was a sinister edge to the sound. “He’s one of the most ruthless demons I know.”
“You’ve met her?”
“Caught sight of her briefly. She’s nothing special.”
She leaned forward over the counter toward the man. My eyes darted around the tavern for another door that would lead me to safety. I pressed my elbows into my sides and tugged at the hood of my cloak. I wanted nothing more than to disappear and be back at the house waiting for Erebus to return. I didn’t care that he was a demon, not now. Hearing what Sebastian was saying made me realise that Erebus had treated me differently than others expected him to. I hadn’t lived under his constant compelment. I’d lived as free a life as I could expect, and he had shown me compassion. I’d just not allowed myself to acknowledge it. I’d fought him on everything since we’d been thrown together and only concerned myself with getting information that would help me uncover the truth about the darkness. I’d told myself again and again that I hated him, he was a demon, he was evil. And yet he’d done nothing to substantiate my thoughts. Even the marriage ceremony, which was the one thing I fiercely hated him for, was done for my protection. Life with him wasn’t all bad; when he was in a good mood he made me laugh; he talked to me and showed a general interest in me as a person. He’d cared for me when I was upset, ensured I was fed, and the fires in the house were always lit to keep me warm. He’d parted the darkness to light the rosebush—just for me. He’d not forced me to sleep with him. And how had I treated him? I’d teased him, led him on, played with his emotions without a thought for how I was making him feel. No wonder he’d exploded with rage tonight when I’d tried to kiss him. What had I done?
“Well, well, well.”
I held back a cry as I was tapped on the shoulder and then held firmly by a hand. I was spun around and my hood pushed away from my face.
The man grinned as I was revealed to him. “Athena!”
I recognised him instantly from his tall hat and his long grey hair.
“Sebastian.” His name slipped from my lips as a rush of air.
He slipped his hand into mine and held it with a firm grasp. “What are you doing here?” He looked around me, peering into the background of the tavern. “Is he around?”
“It’s just her.” Giselle beamed at me and then Sebastian. “You owe me, Seb. Don’t disappoint.” She wandered away from the bar, shooting him a flirtatious smile over her shoulder.
“Just us then,” Sebastian said. His lips were shaped like those of a woman, too perfect a pout for a man. His skin was smooth, pale, as if never exposed to anything but the darkness. And he smiled, sickeningly so.
I tried to pull my hand away from his, but he only tightened his hold. He sidled next to me so his body was touching mine. I could feel the heat of his body through our clothes, and I shifted away, jerking my head backward.
“He’ll be here soon,” I said, hoping that somehow Erebus would find me. I didn’t allow myself to think that he was still at the village and didn’t even know I’d run away.
“Really? Well then, I think we need to get moving pretty quickly.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
My raised voice caught the attention of other demons in the tavern, and several of them looked my way.
Sebastian sniffed and then leaned toward me. “You’ll do as I say. Now, I have no idea why you are here without Erebus, how you managed to escape his compelment, but I do know that it’s not safe for you to be alone. I’ll look after you.”
“Until Erebus arrives?”
He sniffed again, grabbed my arm with his free hand and, whilst still holding me in a tight grip, twisted my wrist.
I gasped as pain shot up my arm.
“I’m not like Erebus,” he said, giving my arm another sharp twist. “I don’t go all lovesick when I meet a human. I don’t tolerate disobedience.” He bent his head to my level and stared into my eyes. I looked away, quietly satisfied that they weren’t black—I wasn’t feeding him anymore than I did Erebus. “But I’m curious about you. What’s so special that it’s got him putting you before anything and everything else, huh?”
I cocked
my head to the side, my bravado winning through in a moment when my head was telling me to be quiet. “That’s for me and him to know. Not you.”
Before I had chance to even recognise that he had released his tight grip, the hard palm of his hand met my face. I was knocked sideways and stumbled to the floor.
“Hey!” One of the other demons in the tavern sprung from his chair and came to my assistance. “What’s your problem?”
“Back off, Cresil.” Sebastian stepped over to me and bent down. He gripped my chin, and I scrambled to my feet as he lifted me from the floor. Other demons were showing more interest in the unfolding events, but I didn’t see any of them as my means to escape.
Sebastian must have also noticed their attention. “Do any of you know who this is?”
A sickening feeling churned in my stomach. What would their reaction be when they knew? Erebus had told me that news had spread about me being intended as a wife for the Master. Was I about to see what that meant to them?
“Seems Erebus, the mighty demon, can’t control his wife!”
The pub fell silent. Every demon and vampire turned my way and greedy sets of darkened eyes and crimson ones surveyed me.
“Yes.” Sebastian gloated as he twisted my arm behind my back and forced me to face the shocked and more than interested demons. “This is the woman who should have been sent to our Master. She was categorised as a wife for him.”
The demons chatted to each other, disapproving noises, ones of excitement, whispered words behind raised hands. But it was hard to tell their overall reaction—it was too mixed. I tensed in Sebastian’s hold, and swallowed the sour taste in my mouth. What would they do, what would they say? I shut my eyes to block out the unwanted stares, and silently screamed for Erebus. I needed him. I wanted him, no one else. Where was he?
“Erebus didn’t want her to go to our Master, so he married her himself.”
Iniquity (The Ascent Book 1) Page 25
