Page 22 of To Dwell in Shadows
Evan had taken the news of her departure relatively well when Selene told the family she was moving out of Nashville to live “off the grid” in some obscure eco-village. But Cass could tell Selene’s cover story didn’t add up. It hurt to imagine her sister lying awake at night, wondering what had really happened.
Selene resolved that once their visit to the Underworld was over, she would return to Gaia and tell Cass everything. No more lies. No more secrets. Her sister deserved the truth—even if she wouldn’t believe it.
Chapter 12
Sam looked up at the sky from the Swamps of Sanctuary and exhaled deeply. His old fishing rod was in his hand and his father sat beside him on the bank. His eyes didn’t sting from the harsh rays of sunlight, and his neck didn’t ache from looking down at those smaller than him. The smell of wood moss and sulfur enveloped them.
I am home.
After so many years of pining for the Underworld, it still felt unreal to be there. So much of it was darker and grittier than he remembered, but there were still pockets of beauty.
The fishing rod King Asmodeus held jerked. He quickly reeled in the line. A glistening fish with two sets of razor-sharp teeth emerged from the water. The creature snarled and squirmed until the king grabbed it between his massive hands and exclaimed, “Aha! Our lunch!”
“Well done,” Sam said.
“Safe travels to the Afterworld, little fish,” the king said before removing the hook and dropping it into a bucket. He let out acontented sigh then slapped Sam on the back. “I’ve missed this, my son.”
“So have I.”
“I wish your uncle Lucifer was here to join us.”
“Where is he?”
“In Gaia. Getting into all types of mischief, I imagine. I’ll send word that you’re here.”
They sat in companionable silence for several moments, listening only to the croaking of spiny frogs clustered nearby. Finally, King Asmodeus tentatively asked, “Did you ever go fishing in Aurelia?”
Sam glanced at his father. They had been at the swamp for hours, and this was the first time their conversation had gone beyond pleasantries. “Sometimes.”
“Did Queen Thema teach you as a boy? I know her kind are partial to fish.”
“No. I actually didn’t meet Queen Thema until later in life—when I was an adult.”
King Asmodeus looked surprised. “I didn’t realize.”
Sam added, “A Goblyn and Harpy acted as parental figures to me, and we fished together occasionally.”
The king nodded, dropping his gaze to the ground. Then, gruffly, he said, “Good. That’s good that you… had ones like that. I’m glad. Grateful to them.” With a flick of his wrist, he cast the line back into the water, the bait making a soft splash as it disappeared beneath the surface.
Several moments passed before Asmodeus cleared his throat, the sound was abrupt in the stillness. “Samael, I… I want you to know that your mother and I spent years searching for you. We never stopped.” His voice cracked slightly, though he didn’t seem to notice. “You must believe that.”
Sam’s grip tightened on his own fishing rod. He swallowed, nervous about how deep their conversation was about to go. He watched a line of bubbles break through the water’s surface. “I always hoped you did.”
His father turned to face him fully, his expression drawn and raw. “You see, we didn’t know where you’d gone. One day, we tucked you into bed, and the next morning you were gone. Just gone! Not even a ransom note left.” He let out an anguished growl of grief and regret. “Do you have any idea how devastating that was for us?”
Sam opened his mouth to respond, but Asmodeus pushed forward. “Your mother suspected the vampire, Zaybris. I was convinced it was one of my enemies—someone trying to hurt me by taking you. I thought they’d taken you into Gaia or perhaps hidden you away in some obscure dimension like Atlantis.” He paused, scratching at one of his gnarled horns, his gaze faraway. “Aurelia never even crossed our minds. It seemed… impossible. A closed dimension, sealed off and tucked away. I deeply regret not considering it.”
Sam nodded slowly. “It makes sense you wouldn’t think to look there.”
“No,” Asmodeus said firmly. “We should have tried harder. We should have found you. You must’ve wondered… why we never came. Why we didn’t rescue you.” He looked away, jaw clenched. “I’m sorry.”
A death-raven launched from a branch overhead, soaring into the trees. The leaves rustled, then stilled, and silence settled between them again. Sam closed his eyes, words knotting in his throat.
Everything his father had said was true.
He had spent countless nights as a child wondering why no one came. Fearing that he wasn’t even missed. As a boy, Sam hadn’t understood the rules of interdimensional travel. He hadn’t known that even beings as powerful as his parents were bound by constraints beyond their control. It had carved deep scars.
“It was… difficult,” Sam admitted.
