Iniquity (The Ascent Book 1)

by Melody Winter

  Olisha folded her arms across her chest and huffed. “Sometimes you sound like Narabus.”

  “I can live with that—just don’t you dare start acting like Kitra.”

  “So, we have the jewellery he gifted his daughters,” I said, desperate to bring the conversation back to the items Kitra mentioned. “I think the magic is in the gems. Look at how the colours swirl.” I held the necklace toward Erebus. “I think Narabus’s sword is one of the weapons. There’s a red jewel in the crossbar. I noticed it straight away when he arrived. What do you have, Erebus? And does Kitra say what you need to do with them to break the shield?” I spoke fast, impatient to know more.

  “I have a dagger. I never use it, but I’m sure it’ll be what Kitra’s referring to.” He turned his attention back to the diary and continued reading. “Valafar guards his own magic. But when together, they hold the power to destroy the shield.”

  “His own magic?” I caught my frustration at the half riddle. “Does she say what it is and what we need to do?”

  Erebus shook his head as he continued to read. “Nothing. She just goes on to list what she did with the human men.” His eyes widened before he frowned. “I think Zagam had more of an effect on her than we realised. She wasn’t just power crazy, she was barbaric and iniquitous.”

  He placed the book on the bed and stared at it.

  I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. “Where’s this dagger you mentioned? I’ve never seen it.” My initial excitement was dwindling. I knew where the magic was kept, split into five, but I had no idea what the fifth item was, the one Valafar guarded. And I had no idea what to do with them to destroy the shield.

  Erebus opened the drawer at his side of the bed and lifted out what looked like a dirty old rag.

  “I hardly ever use it. I have no need to, not when I can do all the damage I need with my hands.”

  He unwrapped the rag from around a leather sheath. Protruding from the cover was a silver handle, and he carefully drew the dagger free.

  The hilt of the dagger was carved in an intricate leaf pattern that matched both the design around my necklace and the one around the ring. Just below the hilt, swirls of silver held the amber jewel in place before merging into the blade. It was highly polished, like a mirror, and as Erebus lifted it in the air, the blade caught the flickering images of the lit candles around the room.

  “That’s where the magic is,” I said, pointing to the amber gem. I reached for my necklace and placed it next to the dagger. The swirling turquoise of the gem in my necklace glowed, as did the gem in the dagger.

  “Ring,” I said, snapping my gaze to Olisha who quickly pulled the ring free from her finger.

  When I placed it with the dagger and necklace, the gems in them all glowed brighter. The ring vibrated, dancing against the dagger handle. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the items. All beautiful in themselves, they were magnificent when together. And with Narabus’s sword, they were only one other item short of having the power to rid us of the darkness and return the light to this dreary world.

  “Kitra says these were gifted to you when you were born,” I said, puzzled.

  Erebus replaced the dagger in its sheath, and wrapped the rag around it. “Maybe they were, but our mother only gave them to us the day before we ascended.”

  Olisha nodded. “She said that they were gifts from our father, and we were to keep them safe.” Lost in a sea of memories, her eyes clouded.

  “Now we know why,” Erebus said, sliding the dagger into the drawer.

  I continued looking at the ring and the necklace. “But if he gave you these when you were born, how do they hold the magic to return the light? The light was still here when you were all born. It only disappeared when you ascended.” I scrunched my nose, something else didn’t make sense. “And how did Kitra know Valafar was your father? How did she make the connection?”

  I concentrated on Erebus, but Olisha answered. “Maybe she saw something during the time she lived at the Master’s? She always stuck her nose in where it wasn’t wanted, always interfering, always inquisitive.”

  Erebus straightened his back. “I think the magic was set many years ago. Remember, our ascent has been planned for hundreds of years. We’ve had failed attempts in the past, but none with our current Master. It would make sense for him to plan for the day when we ascended, particularly if he wanted his children to unknowingly guard the secret. I think the main source of the power and magic is the one that he guards. That will be the most powerful item, and the one that ultimately keeps the darkness in place.”

  “The item that we have no idea about?”

  “Yes.”

  I handed the ring back to Olisha. My mind was buzzing with information, and I tried to make sense of everything that we’d just discovered.

  “What else does she say?” Olisha nodded at the diary that Erebus was flicking through.

  “Is there anything else about the light or the shield?” I asked as I fastened the necklace around my neck.

  He continued reading. “I don’t think so. But it seems she had as deep a mistrust of vampires as I do. She’s rambling about killing them with the brightness when it’s restored.” Erebus ran his finger down the page and turned it over. “Ha! She even says how much she hates the darkness, that it’s no better than the depressing colours in Muspalta.” Erebus shook his head and chuckled as he read. “She really hated Livia. Glad to hear I’m not the only one who wants to rip her scrawny head off.”

  I shuddered when he mentioned Livia. Her wild, grinning face regularly appeared in my nightmares. I prayed that I’d never actually see her again.

  “Are vampires easy to kill?” I asked. “I mean, you told me they can’t be in sunlight. Why? What happens to them?”

  “They combust.” Erebus’s whole face lit up in a huge grin. “And they’re not too good with fire either. They’re pretty flammable.”

  I pursed my lips. “So I could kill Livia?”

  Erebus closed the diary and placed it on the bed. “Yes, I think you could, with some training, and if you had some sort of flame or fire to throw at her.” He placed his hand over mine. “But you also need to learn how to protect yourself. Perhaps when we’ve left here and find a safe place to settle I can train you to use my dagger.”

  “I’ll help,” Olisha said.

  “Not that you’ll need to fight.” Erebus tightened his hold on my hand. “Both of us will blast anyone that comes near you.”

  “Including Narabus?” I had to ask the question. I was certain that he would be leading the army that would come after us.

  “Including Narabus,” Erebus said as he leaned toward me and kissed my cheek.

  “I’ll leave you two alone.” Olisha reached for the diary, but Erebus placed his hand over it. She stared at his hand as if willing it to disappear, but after a few moments she straightened her back and left the room, closing the door with a soft click.

  With Olisha gone, Erebus threw himself backward on the bed. He placed his hands over his eyes and sucked in a large breath of air.

  “I can’t believe that Valafar is my father. All these years . . .”

  “Have you never tried to find him? Did you never ask your mother?”

  Erebus removed his hands from his face and rubbed my arm. “We all asked, many times. She refused to tell us who he was, only letting us know that we all had the same father.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “What for?” Erebus shifted into a sitting position.

  “That you’ve never known who your father was? It must have been hard for you when you were growing up.”

  Erebus shook his head. “Not really. And can you imagine what life would have been like if we’d known who he was?”

  I frowned, not sure whether Erebus’s easy dismissal was the truth. Did he really not care?

  “Come here,” he said, opening his arms to me. “Let’s enjoy our time together before we have to leave.”

  I shuffle
d across the bed before lying next to him.

  “It’s not going to be easy keeping one step ahead of Narabus. I think the safest places to go will be the old cities.”

  “But don’t infernals live there?”

  “Yes. And the renegades will also be there. But if we can get them onto our side, it will confuse Narabus and the army he brings with them.” He kissed the top of my head. “I’ll keep you safe, don’t worry.”

  This house had become my home, this room my sanctuary, and I never felt safer than when I was in Erebus’s arms. But as his grip on me tightened, my worry tumbled through my mind. We were going to be running away and hiding from an army of demons. How did Erebus expect us to keep ahead of them? We were going to be heading into cities, ones like the one I’d lived in. We’d face infernals like Bia, and the unknown renegades—humans, warriors, that had stayed in the cities. How long did he think we could survive?

  I hid my face against his chest, and tried to stop the unwanted tears slipping from my eyes. I was stronger than this—I was a survivor and a fighter.

  Even if Narabus found us, I wouldn’t let him steal me away from Erebus. And I certainly wouldn’t be going to the Master’s to become his next wife.

  We left the house later that morning with our few personal belongings tucked securely into two strong bags. I wore my boots and a pair of Olisha’s trousers, as well as a long woollen tunic that belonged to her. Erebus had wrapped me in his spare jacket, and I pulled Paymon’s old cloak over the top.

  The horses were saddled, and within minutes, we were ready to go. I was on Samael with Erebus, Olisha was on her own horse, Malachi. I wrapped my arms around Erebus’s waist as he encouraged Samael to trot out of the stables. Looking skyward, I caught site of Odin circling above us. The darkness swallowed him every so often, but his white breast feather helped me keep track of him. I hoped he’d follow us, just as he did when Erebus and I went to the coast.

  “Remember to hold tight,” Erebus said. “We’ll be travelling a lot faster than when we last rode Samael.”

  I did as instructed, leaning into the warmth of his back.

  Olisha pulled up beside us on her matching black stallion. Samael’s ears twitched and Erebus sighed, dipping his head.

  Olisha reached her gloved hand out to him and patted his arm. “You know Narabus’s ties to the Master have always been strong. He seeks his approval no matter what the cost.”

  “He is ultimately betraying me because of my love for Athena. He would betray my strength, of which I have no desire to act upon, to the Master. And now, he himself seeks her. He is no brother of mine. Not anymore.”

  Olisha shot her gaze to me. “We’ll keep you safe. Both of us.”

  “I’ll die before they take you to the Master,” Erebus said.

  I nodded my understanding of his ultimate commitment. “I know. But let’s all try to keep living.”

  “Indeed.”

  With a sharp kick of his heels, Erebus encouraged Samael to move. Once we were away from the stables Samael charged forward—a demanding pace that never diminished. I closed my eyes, ignoring the bitter sting of the rain, and clung to Erebus, the demon who had managed to steal my heart in a way I’d never thought possible.

  We were heading to a city, one where infernals and renegades lived. The Master’s army would be looking for us, aiming to steal me away from Erebus.

  The future appeared grim, but for the first time in my life, I had hope—more than hope. There was something else, something so strong that my own bravado frightened me. I knew where the magic was hidden to break the shield of darkness. I had access to three of the sources already, and I knew where another was—Narabus’s sword. I only had one more to find.

  I’d eventually destroy the shield and make sure we saw the sun again. I’d never give up. I’d do whatever I had to do to restore the light to this world.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading.

  I really hope you enjoyed reading INIQUITY. It was a story that wouldn’t stop talking to me—the characters demanded I tell their story, and we still have another book or two of this dark world to discover.

  If you have a minute to spare, please leave a short review on the retail site where you purchased the book. Reviews are incredibly important to authors because they help more people discover our books.

  It’s taken many people to help shape INIQUITY into the growling beast it now is. As my first self-published novel I’ve reached out to many new contacts including cover designers, formatters, editors, and writing friends who have spent their precious time reading/making suggestions/screaming at me/proof-reading.

  Amalia Chitulescu, cover designer. You took my brief idea and once we selected the figure of Athena you delivered what I think is a truly beautiful cover. It captures the story so perfectly, hinting at the fantasy and darkness within. And I LOVE Odin!

  Stacey Blake, formatter at Champagne Formats. You took the stress out of formatting for me. You made INIQUITY look amazing on the inside.

  Katelyn Stark, editor and old friend, at Stark Contrast Editing. We have known each other for years, when we were both dipping our toes into the world of writing for the first time. We formed a great friendship across the miles back then, and recently it’s been wonderful to pick up where we left off. You ‘got’ INIQUITY, and through your development notes and fantastic editing we’ve arrived with a monster of a book. I’m looking forward to throwing ADVERSITY at you, and have every faith that we’ll whip the second and third books in the series into something just as great as the first.

  There have been four special friends who have held my hand during INIQUITY’s journey. Denise Hall and Barbara Reichwein have been by my side since the very first glimmer of the story appeared in my fuzzy brain. We grew the story together, twisted and turned it, pulled it in every direction to end up with the first draft. And then we attacked it again. When the story was as complete as I could get it I entrusted Michelle Hoehn and Kathleen Palm with my words. They have worked so hard to help iron out the kinks: alert me to word choices that were suspect (to say the least), pointed out repetition of words, and highlighted paragraphs that needed more oomph! They were all there, and you spotted them. Your support has been amazing. You are wonderful people, and INIQUITY would not be what it is now without your help. Thank you all so, so much.

  There are always other people, those who silently cheer you on from the side, and I’d like to thank those people for their seemingly never-ending support: Nicki Tailby, Claire Davies, Lorna Jones, Tammy Farrell (and Finn Farrell because his cute little face always makes me smile), Julie Hutchings, Katie Teller, Ashley Hudson, and Emma Adams.

  My family still put up with my random need to shut myself away whenever I’m ‘in the zone’. Cups of tea, Baileys, wine, and many, many gin and tonics are kindly provided by my husband, Pete, when I plant myself at my desk. My teenage children, Joe and Matt, still humour me when I throw random questions at them about the world I’ve created. My mum and dad still enjoy telling their friends that I’ve written a book (or two), and I’m eternally grateful that when I was young, they never tried to quash my imagination. Thank you all.

  Growing up, Melody showed a natural ability in art, a head for maths, and a tendency to write too long English essays. Difficult to place in the world when she graduated, she pursued a career in teaching, but ended up working in finance. Melody is convinced the methodical times she spends working with numbers fuel her desire to drift into dream worlds and write about the illusory characters in her head.

  Melody Winter lives in York, North Yorkshire, England with her husband and two sons. When not dealing with football, rugby, and a whole plethora of ‘boy’ activities, she will be found scribbling notes for her stories, or preparing for another trip to the nearby beaches at Scarborough and Whitby. With an obsession for anything mythical, Melody revels in reading and writing about such creatures, and creating her own.

  Website: www.melodywinter.com

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