Page 53 of To Dwell in Shadows
“I know what you meant,” Asmodeus said. He leaned down, putting his face right in front of Mammon’s. “You were trying to undermine me.”
“I wasn’t!” Mammon protested.
“You’d better not be,” he said in a voice that sent a chill downSelene’s spine. “I’ll deal with you later. My queen, will you finish hosting our guests?”
“Of course,” Lamia said.
Sam gave Selene’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze as he passed behind her. Although a flesh-eating fungus sounded serious, watching him leave the room made her stomach sink.
Once they were gone, Empusa leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile curling her lips. Queen Lamia sipped her wine as Selene pushed around the food on her plate. For several moments, only the sound of Mammon gnawing on a bone filled the room.
Then Empusa fixed her one eye on Selene and said, “Human woman! Tell me of yourself. What interesting vices of ruin do you possess?”
Selene laughed nervously. “Vices? I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Are you prone to gossip, jealousy, or hatred?”
“I try not to be.”
“Do you slander others or indulge in excessive laziness?”
“No, not purposefully.”
“Oh.” Empusa puffed out a breath. “How dull.”
“What’s the most ruthless way you’ve sought revenge against your enemies?” Blight asked.
“Well, I… ” Selene started to say she’d never had enemies, but stopped herself. Her instinct had always been to be sweet and agreeable, molding herself into whoever others wanted her to be to keep the peace and win their approval. But here, in this place… it was a whole new ballgame.
And besides, saying she had no enemies wasn’t even true.
C’mon, Selene. This is your chance to impress your mother-in-law.
“I killed a vampire once. Staked her right in the heart,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Does that count as a vice of ruin?”
Chapter 26
The moment they realized they were dining beside a vampire-killer, both Empusa and Blight’s eyes lit up.
“Oh ho, that definitely counts as a vice of ruin!” Empusa cried excitedly. “Give us all a bit of sustenance. Spare no detail.”
Slowly, and as gruesomely as she could, Selene described the encounter with Margery. How she and Sam were tricked. How Sam was injured. How Margery tried to bite her. And how Selene’s rage summoned shadows to her aid.
Blight gasped. “But how could a human have the gift of shadow manipulation?”
“From her mate, you simpleton.” Empusa scoffed. “Didn’t you see her tame that hydra at the banquet?”
“But I didn’t know Prince Samael was my mate at the time,” Selene added. She could feel Lamia’s eyes on her, so she continued, “He had fond memories of learning the shadows from Queen Lamia, and I was grateful even a sliver of that power transferred to me. It saved my life.”
“Or perhaps Sam sent them to protect you,” Lamia said sweetly.
Selene gritted her teeth. “He was unconscious, but that’s a lovely thought.”
“What did it feel like sinking the stake in?” Blight asked, rubbing his bony palms together. “Did you do it quick and neat? Or slow and languorous?”
“How much blood was there?” Empusa asked, vying for Selene’s attention. “Did the vampire expel the life fluid of all those she had consumed?”
The moment she had killed Margery had replayed in Selene’s dreams many times. “There was no blood. What I remember most is how her face changed. When the stake went in, Margery’s expression was surprised. Then confused. Then at peace. I wasn’t sure what had happened at first. But when she stopped moving, I knew. She was truly dead.”
