Page 24 of To Dwell in Shadows
“Thank you, I-I’m grateful. Yet I still feel great regret,” Sam said, his tone barely above a whisper.
“It will pass,” Asmodeus said simply.
Sam picked at a moss-covered rock that jutted from the riverbank. He should be flooded with relief, but instead he felt unsettled. Confused. He had braced himself for more—shock in his father’s face, a swift condemnation, followed by the punishment he deserved.
Not the quick pardon of a favored son. It couldn’t be that easy.
Asmodeus reeled in his fishing line and rose to his feet. “Come, let us leave the swamps. I have other plans for you today.”
“What are they?”
“I want to take you to the Sanctum of Agonizing Rectitude. You can train with the other Vengeance demons to see how they pass judgment on souls and punish them accordingly. Would you like that?”
“Yes. Very much.”
“Good. I think you’ll find great satisfaction in fully using your powers.” Then, in a lighter tone he added, “Perhaps you can also shed some of this contrition you’ve picked up in Aurelia, eh?
“What do you mean?”
Asmodeus picked up the bucket of fish and said, “Too much mercy can be baneful to our kind. Remember that.”
Chapter 13
After eating the selection of dark breads and sour-flavored fruits Prickles had brought for breakfast, Selene got dressed and hesitantly stepped out of their chambers to explore.
The hallway was silent and chilled, the air heavy with the scent of old stone. She had no idea where she was in relation to the dining room, but it was obvious their suite was part of the royal wing. Everything around her screamed Underworld opulence—from the thick black carpet underfoot, to the elaborate carvings of skulls lining the walls grinning with gilded teeth.
She followed the trail of skulls, hoping they would lead somewhere interesting. The hem of her dress was slightly too long, so she had to be careful where she placed her feet. She wandered past a few empty rooms, occasionally pausing to peer through tall, arched windows. She stopped to run her fingers over the velvety texture of some flocked wallpaper, then paused to admire a painting of a demon perched on a sleeping woman. No one crossed her path, though the soft murmur of voices filtered from behind a few closed doors, reminding her she wasn’t entirely alone.
Then she turned a corner and saw Vanthee. She was arguing with another demon nearly twice her size who had goat-like legs.
“You mustn’t spurn this opportunity,” the demon hissed.
“I’m doing all that I can, Father!”
The demon loomed over Vanthee menacingly, jabbing his finger in her face until her wings wilted. “It’s not enough. You’re the only hope this family has to—” He paused, sniffed the air, then whipped his head around to look down the hall.
“Oh! Why, it’s Lady Selene herself,” the demon said in a falsely cheerful voice.
Everything in Selene’s body went cold when his eyes met hers. The demon looked like he’d stepped straight out of a horror movie—or worse, a nightmare.
He had horns as large as a water buffalo’s set into a triangle-shaped head. His smile was a jagged mess of pointed teeth, and his eyes seemed to twinkle with cruelty. He clicked his long fingernails over his bare, rounded belly, the sound like bones tapping together. On his back, he wore a fur coat made from a creature that must have died from a skin infection.
“Hello,” Selene said cautiously.
“Hello. I am Mammon.” The demon bowed dramatically, touching his horns to the ground. His cologne—a stomach-curdling mix of rotten fruit and asphalt—wafted toward her. “We’re honored to have such an esteemed guest walk among us. You’ve already met my daughter, Vanthee. We are your humble servants.”
“Nice to meet you,” Selene replied. Something primal stirred within her, making her feel like a mouse caught between two hungry cats.
Instinctively, her eyes darted around for an exit, but she was trapped in the hallway.
The multiple gold necklaces Mammon wore jangled as he rose from his bow. “And where are you off to on this fine day, Lady Selene? All alone, no less,” he crooned.
“I-I’m not really sure. I just thought I’d explore.”
Mammon shot a look at Vanthee. “You haven’t offered to give our good lady a tour?”
Vanthee went pale. “No, I?—”
