Chapter Five
SALEM
SONG:DEVIL’S RESTING PLACE BY LAURA MARLING
Iwake in a bed lined with silk sheets that caress my skin. My head is pounding, and my eyes have crusted in the corners with sleep. The stench of burning permeates the air sending me into a coughing fit. My hands rub at my eyes, clearing my vision.
Where am I?
Tapestries hang on black painted walls, depicting torture scenes surrounded by fire. The bed I’m in is covered in a red see through canopy that drapes along the top, gathering in a bow around the posts that jut up into the air. I groan remembering a flicker of what happened before I was knocked out.
“You’re awake.” I jump at Walker’s gravelly voice.
“Jesus.” I clutch my chest, trying to calm my rapidly increasing heart rate.
“No, Walker.” He points at his chest.
I let out a small laugh that quickly turns into a cough. He strides over to me in two long steps, sitting next to me and rubbing my back. I can feel his callouses through the thin cotton top I’m wearing.
Once I’ve collected myself, I look up into his concerned whiskey-colored eyes. “What the fuck happened?”
His hand stops rubbing my back. “Well, it looks like you were possessed with a demon that started controlling all of us. We were all led to the beach, to the opening of the veil- by “you”. You ended up being pushed in and then Emmet, Garrison and I were all sucked in. I think the others are still at Kildale, but we’re in Hades’ Castle. When we went through the veil, it must have ripped out the demons that were inside all of us. They were taken to a holding cell, and we were taken here. I accidentally smashed into you and knocked you out when I got pulled in.” He grips my hand and rubs his thumb along the top while he uses his free hand to tuck a wild chunk of hair behind my ear. His touch makes me wince as I feel the goose egg sized lump. “You’ve been out for two days, but I’m told that time works differently here.”
It takes me a minute to comprehend exactly what he’s saying. I blink slowly, looking around the room feeling a lump of emotion grab my throat. This is all too much. Seeing my father again, finding out I was possessed.
“I was- I was possessed?” I feel my eyes widen and my palms become slick with sweat. He nods at me.
Moments flicker in my memory. A dark sinister feeling that accompanied me, simmering in the corners of my consciousness. Things I had brushed off as getting accustomed to my magic, are now so glaringly obvious to me. I reach for my magic, but only find a small flicker of its existence. A loud bang of the doors opening jolts me from my spiraling thoughts.
“Ah! She’s awake.” My father’s booming voice ricochets off the high vaulted ceiling like a bullet searching for its target. I gather my blanket up and cover my chest. I feel Walker edging himself closer to me as we see the God of the Underworld stride into the bedroom in all his glory.
“Are you going to explain what’s going on?” I ask, staring him down, trying to channel my inner bad bitch, even though she feels fucking shell shocked right now. It’s unnerving to see some of my features mirrored back at me. His high cheekbones and dark raven hair match mine. But where my eyes are a mossy emerald green, his are an icy blue as clear as a bright summer’s day.
“Well, my dear, you’re finally home where you belong.” He flashes a smile at me, but I sense a hint of nervousness swirling around him. Who would have thought that Hades could be fucking nervous?
My stomach clenches at his statement that I’m home and I feel Walker’s fingers lace through mine with a reassuring squeeze.
“I took the liberty of putting together a gathering in your honor, and now that you’re awake we can finally celebrate. Father and daughter reunited at long last.”
“About that…” I begin.
“Yes, well. I have to attend to a pressing matter, but I’ll answer all of your questions tonight.” He swivels out of the room before I can call after him.
“What the fuck?” I turn to Walker, but we’re interrupted again by several horned women dressed in long black flowing dresses that drag along the red and black marbled floor. Their gray skin seems to suck up all the light as they move gracefully into the chamber.
They each bow, stunning the shit out of me, before they flit about me, dragging in a tray of food, another with a change of clothes and another who begins to usher Walker out of the room.
“He stays.” I demand, hoping I hold some sway.
“As you wish, my lady.”
My eyes go wide as I see Walker mouth, “My lady.” At me with a smirk to his lips.
I raise my middle finger at him, which the three women pretend not to see. I’m sure a place such as this has seen much more scandalous things than a middle finger.
I get dressed in the garments they provide, needing help with the corset style back and layers of fabric that make up the outfit. Walker is fitted with his own suit that’s too tight across his broad shoulders. It feels weird to have people dotting on me. I prefer my independence, but I guess when in Rome. I don’t trust the sudden change in events and my gut is telling me to go with the charade for now. If they want to treat me like a long-lost princess, I can use that to my advantage. Maybe I can figure out what happened to Pierce.
If someone would have asked me what people wear in hell, I would never have thought of the elaborate clothes we were wearing now. Although, I could make a case for this corset. Definitely an instrument of torture.
