Page 44 of To Dwell in Shadows
“How was your day? Were you training in the Sanctum?” Lamia said.
"Yes," Sam replied. His ability to deliver vengeance was improving,but he evaded the question every time Borias asked when he was going to face Zaybris.
“The imps should be here soon with our meal,” Lamia said after a moment.
“Excellent.”
“The last time we did this you only drank juice. Do you drink wine now?”
“Yes. Though I prefer ale or mead.”
“So grown up,” Lamia said. “What was your favorite food in Aurelia?”
“I ate all manner of dishes, but the pies they prepared at Queen Thema’s were my favorite. I also spent time with a Harpy who was an excellent cook. Everything from her kitchen was delicious.”
“A Harpy? Was she your lover?”
Sam blinked at the boldness of her question. And the absurdity. “No, Brunie was… ” He stopped himself from sayingmother figure,for fear of upsetting Lamia, “Much older than me and mated to a Goblyn.”
“A Goblyn and a Harpy? How unusual.”
“Yes, but they are well matched,” Sam said. “I imagine your marriage to Father was also unusual. A demon king with an Aurelian queen must have been unprecedented.”
A trio of imps appeared above them. They swooped down to place trays of food before them.
Lamia poured them both a glass of wine. “We kept our relationship hidden, so no one ever questioned us. I was the one most surprised by our pairing.”
Sam took a sip of wine. It tasted of smoke and spice, much headier than the wines of Aurelia. “When did you become a demon?”
“Not long after Asmodeus brought me to this realm. The mystics locked me in the Turret of Whispers for thirteen days. There, I could ruminate on the virtues and vices of demonhood in complete darkness and silence. I took no water or sustenance for those days, until my flesh became weak and my mind grew addled. It wasa difficult process, especially since you were in my womb and I feared the ritual would cause you harm. But on the thirteenth day, my Goblyn body expired. Yet, I rose up, reborn. From Lilith to Lamia—mate to Asmodeus and Queen of the Night and the Underworld. Asmodeus claimed me as his mate and we held a coronation ceremony the next night.”
“Did you feel different?”
“Oh yes. More powerful and stronger. It was a glorious change. I felt more capable of ruling my new realm.”
“Do you ever miss Aurelia?”
For the briefest of moments, he saw sadness color his mother’s face. “Sometimes. I grieve that the Goblyns and vampires do not have a queen of their own. But Thema tells me they are faring well.”
They ate in silence for a few moments. Learning more about his family lore filled an ache inside Sam that he had endured for too long.
Eventually, Lamia asked, “How did you meet your human?”
Sam explained how had Selene come to Aurelia through a trap set by Queen Thema, and her plans to use Selene as bait to steal the traveler’s stone from Zaybris. Lamia listened without interruption, her features neutral at first. But when he shared how he started the claiming ritual in the cave, her expression shifted. She began to look suspicious. Skeptical.
Once Sam finished his story with how Selene had returned to him in Aurelia, Lamia didn’t speak for a moment. Then she bluntly asked, “Was Selene the first to share your bed?”
Sam’s face heated. “Yes.”
“Ah, I see.” Lamia flipped her long braid over her shoulder. “I think you should try bedding a few other demonesses while you are here. Vanthee is quite taken with you.”
Sam drew back, horrified. “Absolutely not.”
“How can you know Selene is your fated mate if she’s the only one you’ve ever known?”
“Because I just know.”
“How?”
