Page 94 of To Dwell in Shadows
“Good. But Empusa is right—we need more time,” Sam said, each syllable an effort to form. “I’m in no shape to be coronated tonight. Everyone should be there, so you must give the demons in Gaia time to travel.”
Asmodeus inclined his head thoughtfully. “True. It takes at least two weeks for those who journey on thePurgatory.”
“So perhaps everything should occur in one moon cycle?” Queen Lamia asked, looking around the room. Blight and Empusa nodded enthusiastically though Mammon glowered like a child denied a toy.
“Then it’s settled,” Lamia said. “I’ll start making plans. Rest now, my son, and we will talk more tomorrow.”
Although Sam was bone-tired when he returned to his rooms, all the worries racing through his mind kept him awake.
He had asked Prickles for a report on what was happening in the maze, but the imp flatly refused to leave the palace grounds. That left Sam alone with his thoughts, haunted by what might be happening to Selene and how she might be changed by the experience. How would the spirits twist her, consume her, break her? When he saw her again, would she still look at him the same way? Or would he see fear in her eyes?
Now she would know the full extent of hisviolence. The unfiltered truth of who he was. The blood on his hands, the rage that had burned so hot inside him—she would witness it all.
He must have eventually succumbed to sleep, because he awoke face-down on the bed when he heard Selene open their chamber door. He sat up, focusing on her silhouette as she moved through the darkened parlor into their bedroom.
When the light fell across the strain in her face, he immediately knew his fears were justified.
“Hi,” he said tentatively. “H-how are you?”
Instead of sitting next to him on the bed, she lowered herself into an armchair.
“Tired.”
“What happened in there?”
Selene leaned her head on the back of the chair wearily. “The spirits swarmed me all at once. There were so many of them.”
The rawness of her voice was excruciating for Sam to hear. He didn’t say anything until she continued, “But then the hellhounds came. All of them. I don’t know how they knew, but they drove the spirits back so I could hear each of their stories. One by one.”
She patted a flat, rectangular shape in her pocket. “I wrote down all of their names and if they had a message for their families.”
“That was very clever. And generous,” Sam said slowly. He searched for the right words. “Do you want something to eat or drink?” The question sounded inadequate when what he really wanted to ask was,Do you still love me?
“No, thank you.”
For a moment, the only sound was the dripping tap in the bathroom. Then Sam, unable to stop himself, blurted out, “Do you want to leave me? I don’t blame you if you do.”
Selene sat up straighter to look at him. “No! Sam, I love you. Hearing those stories was hard, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you.” She bent to pull off her shoes and tossed them in a corner. Running a hand through her hair, she exhaled and said, “I’m just struggling. With this place. With everything.“
“Struggling in what way?” he asked carefully.
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m really the right person for you. Maybe you’d be happier living in the Underworld instead of Aurelia. If you were born to punish people and use your strength the way you did with those Aurelians, you shouldn’t have to bottle that all up just to be with me.”
Sam rose from the bed, even though he was still shaky on his feet. He dropped to his knees in front of her and placed his hands on her thighs. The scent of the maze still lingered on her clothes.
Before he could speak, she asked, “What if I’m just too… human for you?”
“No. Absolutely not. You are the right one for me. I hated doing all those things. And being here, delivering vengeance, it’s not all that I imagined it would be. I have loved seeing my parents, but I don’t like it here much more than you do.”
She placed her palm on his cheek, and he leaned into her touch. When their eyes met, he said, “Selene, I think we need to flee.”
“You mean… ” She touched her fingers to the traveler’s stone.
“Yes. My parents and the council have decided that they are crowning me as the Dark Sovereign. They’re making plans for my coronation.”
She sucked in a breath. “What? When?”
“In a month. They want all the demons in Gaia to come home to attend.”
