Page 21 of To Dwell in Shadows
Once, during a Thanksgiving visit to her ex-boyfriend’s family, she’d accidentally slept in until 9:30 a.m.—a grave offense to his grandmother, who expected her to rise by six to help with the cooking. The resulting nickname,Lazybones,had stuck for the remainder of the visit. Selene could only imagine how Sam’s mother might react to an even more egregious faux pas.
Selene slipped out of bed and opened the balcony doors to take her first real look at the Underworld. The orange sky was streaked with purple and pink, like a watercolor painting. A range of ominous black mountains rose in the distance, surrounded by jagged peaks and ridges. A river snaked through the land below, but there were no trees, plants, or vegetation to speak of. This was truly a realm of stone and shadow.
Judging by the clusters of turrets and spires visible below, their suite sat high within the palace. The sound of a door opening drew Selene’s attention away from the view. An imp hovered in the parlor, staring at her with an inscrutable expression. The creature was about the size of a two-year-old child. Its ears were long and pointed, and the pinkness of its skin looked more like an infected wound than a spring flower. Its pear-shaped body gave Selene the impression it might be female, though she had no idea whether imps even had genders.
“Awake,” the imp croaked, flapping wings that resembled peeling leather.
“Yes, I’m awake. Are you here to help me?”
The imp nodded once.
“I’m Selene. What’s your name?”
“Prickles.” The imp gestured impatiently to a pile of dresses spread across the couch beside a tray of food.
“Is all that for me?”
Prickles nodded again.
“Thank you,” Selene said, sitting on the couch. She glanced at the imp, who hovered in place, peering at her.
Selene frowned. Was this imp something like a lady-in-waiting? Or simply a servant delivering her breakfast? “Prickles, what is your role here?”
“Imp.”
“Yes, but what are your duties?”
“To serve.”
“Just me? Or do you serve others, too?”
Prickles blinked then said, “Guests.”
“I see. Thank you.” Selene took a drink from the mug on the tray and immediately coughed. It tasted like the bitterest of coffee mixed with a hefty glug of hot sauce. “Whatisthis?”
“Morning drink.”
“Okay, wow. That’ll certainly wake you up.” She sputtered again and asked, “Do you know if there’s anything I’m supposed to be doing today? Any appointments I’m expected at?”
The imp cocked her head, looking confused.
Selene tried rephrasing. “Are the king and queen expecting to see me today? To share a meal, or talk, or anything like that?”
“King is fishing. Queen is with sister. No one mention you.”
“Got it,” Selene said, feeling half relieved and half stung by the rebuff. “Is it all right if I explore the castle on my own then? I mean, is it safe?”
Prickles shrugged. After a few seconds of silent staring, the imp asked, “Dismissed?”
“Of course. You’re dismissed. Thank you for helping me, Prickles.”
The imp flew off, leaving Selene alone once more. She looked through each of the dresses, all of which resembled something a wicked sorceress might wear. Finally, she settled on a wine-colored velvet number with lace panels across the bodice.
Selene smoothed the velvet and smiled wistfully. The dress reminded her of the costume her sister Cass had worn as a vampire queen for her third-grade Halloween parade. Cass’s twin, Evan, had dressed as Dracula and the two of them had been absolutely adorable together.
If only Cass could see me now.
The grief and regret Selene always felt when thinking of her sister were magnified in that moment. It wasn’t just the ache of missing Cass—it was the weight of everything she couldn’t share. In moments like this, she longed for her sister’s presence to laugh with, to vent to, to marvel with at how completely insane her life hadbecome. Cass would’ve had some snarky, perfectly timed, snarky comment about the Underworld’s formal dinners that would’ve made it all feel a little more manageable.
