The rawness in his voice actually brought tears to my eyes.
He cleared his throat. “Anyway, once the vision dissipated, all I saw was the Ollephest, gnawing on her limbs. Blood coming down his teeth. Her head was…” He fell silent, and I looked out the window. “Sorry, I’m a bit of a downer. Anyway, that was almost two hundred years ago, and I’m not quite over it.”
“I’m sorry,” I said again.
Better not to have a mate, really, if you risked losing your mind.
His birds swooped around the front seat. “I’ve done things since then, passed the time. I can make ocean waves. Slept with a lot of women. That kind of thing.”
“Wait, ocean waves? You have true sea magic?” I tried to ignore the raging jealousy crashing through my chest.
“I can make a wave. That’s it. I could drown a fishing village. I wouldn’t, mind you. That’d be mean, and I haven’t got anything against fishermen.”
I could hardly breathe for all the weed smoke in the car.
“Can you tell me where we’re going?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
He blew out circles of smoke. “We drive to the devil’s house in Jerusalem. He’ll interrogate you there. Then you have to pass a magical test or he’ll probably kill you.”
Revenge. Against me. I needed to know why.
“Do you know anything about the Fomorians?” I asked.
“The Fomorians? Yeah,” he said. “Extinct.”
“So I keep hearing, and yet… you’ve never heard Salem talk about them?”
“Look, Aenor, I don’t really know his secrets. And if I did, I wouldn’t share them with you.” He turned up the music. “I like this song.”
I kicked off my shoes, leaning back in my seat. He’d stocked the car with drinks, including mini bottles of wine. I pulled out a bottle of French Wine and unscrewed it, drinking straight from the bottle. Not the best, but drinkable.
I stared out the window at the dark highway. “Let’s go back to this revenge idea—”
“No, Aenor. I can’t tell you all that.”
“I thought we were getting to know each other so well. Ice cream and heartbreak and all that.”
“I’m starting to think this ride might better if you went to sleep.”
I snorted. “I’m not going to sl—”
A magical wave of slumber washed over me before I could finish my sentence, and I dreamt of floating on a soft bed in a lake of glittering water.
8
Aenor
When I woke, I was staring up into Ossian’s face. He blinked and pushed a blond curl out of his eyes. His colorful birds fluttered around his head.
What had just happened? I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear the dreams from my mind. Slowly, it dawned on me that I was lying on a cold tile floor. Barrel-vaulted sandstone ceilings arched over me.
So this must be Salem’s digs.
“She’s awake now,” Ossian called out.
I pushed up onto my elbows, looking around. I was lying in the middle of a large hall. Alcoves set into the walls displayed vases and urns decorated with ancient alphabets. Lanterns cast golden light over rows of leather-bound books on one wall.
Not far from me, three towering windows overlooked an enclosed garden, bathed in moonlight. A mahogany desk stood against the windows, crystal decanters on its surface.
Apparently, Salem had very good taste. This looked like a palace, one with a seamless blend of the old and the new. But where was the old bastard?
A movement in the shadows caught my eye, but it was only a black cat. She pranced over then rubbed against me, her eyes beaming with gold. A gold star hung from a silky collar around her neck. As I leaned down to stroke her, she purred loudly. She was powerfully built, muscular for a cat. For one insane moment, I thought she might transform into Salem.
Footfalls turned my head.
He stalked into the room, shadows sweeping behind him like wings. I felt his power from here, malign and ancient, pounding through my blood.
Anticipation danced up my spine at the sight of him, and I rose to stand. My still-damp clothes clung to my body, and I folded my arms in front of my chest.
His dark beauty was like a blade in my heart, the warm light sculpting sharp cheekbones. He smiled, slow and sensual, but there was no warmth in it.
Over his expensive charcoal-colored clothing, he wore a sword slung around his waist, the hilt a beautiful obsidian. And his suit clothed a powerful, muscular body.
The black cat rushed to him, weaving between his legs as he walked. Her purring grew louder.
“Aenor. How good of you to come.” As Salem drew closer, I realized now that, like the sunset itself, his eyes changed colors—shifting from a serene, dusky blue to lurid fire. Mesmerizing, really.
His hot magic skimmed over my body, warming me. And yet the malice he exuded made my blood run cold all the same.
I shifted, trying to look relaxed as he closed the distance between us, peering down at me. His eyes twinkled. I delighted him somehow.
Then he crossed past me, heading for his desk. He leaned against it, smiling faintly. A pulse of dark power radiated off his muscled body—a warning. It felt evil, tinged with an undercurrent of pain and sadness.
It took me a moment to realize Ossian had left the room altogether. That made me a little nervous. Ossian had felt vaguely like an ally.
“Why am I here?” I began. “I hear you’re the devil. Flattering that you’ve taken such an interest in me. Shouldn’t you be jabbing your pitchfork into people instead? You must be very busy.”
“You’re mistaken.” His eyes danced with fire, but his body looked completely relaxed—a louche king in his domain. “It’s a trident, not a pitchfork, and I already filled my quota for the day. There’s something you must understand, now. You are in my control.” That delight again, twinkling in his eyes. “Last time we met, you were able to enchant me. I’ve taken pains to ensure you can’t wield the same power over me again. I control you now. Understood? Mind and body. You are now my little pet.”
My lip curled. “Your what?”
“That’s what you are, isn’t it? Mine.” A dark edge imbued the last word.
My blood roared. Let him think he was in control. I’d find a way to fight back. I always did. And while I figured things out, I’d keep quiet.
He rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing tattoos on his arms. One of them was a winged woman, her figure curved. A star shone above her head. A goddess, maybe?
“Now, little pet,” he murmured. “Tell me all about a crime you committed long ago.”
This was where I’d find out what I did to him, I supposed. “I’ve been killing bad guys for over a century. I’ve cut out thousands of hearts. You’ll have to be more specific.”
He cocked his head, his eyes now blazing. “How charming. Now cast your mind back to the day you drowned a powerful fae somewhere in the seas. A fae as powerful as I am.” The quiet way he spoke disturbed me, like he was trying to force me to move closer to hear him.
It also felt like the calm before a storm.
“You used your power to bury someone under the sea long ago,” he added.