“I agree with Charon. Nyx likes it here and she obviously likes you. She might not be happy about staying but it will grow on her. We could try and go fix things in her world, make it clear to the Oracles and her sisters what happened.”
“No. This wasn’t her choice, Joshua.”
“I get it, but this is different.”
“It’s not. You and I will go get the things we need.”
“Sir,” Charon started, but he was cut off.
“No, Charon. I will fix this.”
“If I know her like I do,” Charon pleaded, “She won’t agree to it.”
“Then you won’t tell her. Either of you.”
I looked at Tasha, who shrugged and started to walk back that way we’d come, but that wasn’t my style.
I pushed the door open and asked, “Tell me what?”
All three men turned towards the door, but Salem spoke first.
“We found a way for you to be able to come and go between worlds again. It’ll take me a day or two to get the things we need, but it will work.”
“And this is why Joshua and Charon look like they’re about to throw up?”
Salem glanced their way before meeting my eyes, “There are some risks, but none to you.”
“Salem, I appreciate it, but if someone’s going to get hurt—”
“There is no physical threat to anyone. Magic is touchy and this kind hasn’t been practiced in a long time.”
He wasn’t telling me everything. Even if I hadn’t heard them, I would have known by the feel of the room. I could feel the discomfort and the three of them looked tense.
“Do you need my help?” Tasha asked.
“For the actual casting. Joshua and I are leaving now to get what we need. Charon will stay here.”
“Can I go?” I asked for various reasons. I could see more of this world than I had, I wanted to help and I was hoping if I went with them I could get Joshua alone and talking.
Salem looked from me to Joshua and Charon and then back, making up his mind about something before answering. “If you’d like.”
“If she’s going, you don’t need me.” Joshua said, “The less I’m a part of it, the better.”
“Joshua,” Salem warned, and Joshua sighed.
“Fine, but I still don’t like this.”
“What about Jane, sir?” Charon asked.
Salem clearly was still upset with her because he snapped, “Jane is staying in her room until Nyx can go back to her world.”
Everyone nodded. Except me.
“Salem, she’s young and she made a mistake. I don’t think she understood—”
“No, Nyx. She did understand. She stays in that room until I undo what she did. Go get dressed in something warm.”
“Is it cold?”
“It will be.”
✽✽✽
Motorcycles.
In my life, there had never been one instance I’d wanted to even consider entertaining the idea to ride one. I didn’t like them. They were loud, too fast and they terrified me. When Salem had pulled the sheet off of the one next to Joshua’s, I’d decided maybe waiting here was the better plan. He had two cars in the out building we had stood in and when I’d asked why we weren’t taking a safer form of travel, he shook his head and smiled.
The fact that I would have my arms wrapped around him the entire time almost made it worth it.
Almost.
Salem turned the key and the sport bike came to life, humming underneath us. My feet were positioned on the pegs behind his and he brought his feet up as he pulled back on the throttle and we surged forward.
I clung to Salem like my life depended on it—not a stretch considering my butt was nearly to the edge—as wind whipped my face and snatched the hood from my head. I buried my face between his shoulder blades, using his body to block the chill of the air which had grown fierce with our speed.
His hand covered mine and it was nice for the nanosecond before I realized that meant he was only steering with one hand.
I cinched tighter to him and we slowed a little as I heard him yell, “I need to breath, Nyx!”
I didn’t answer, but I did, reluctantly, loosen my hold a little.
We followed Joshua into a small city, but Joshua pulled over while Salem sped through the main street, continuing through until a smaller town came into view.
Unlike the city we’d blown through, this town reminded me of a town you’d see in an old western. The buildings were mostly wood, though a couple of them were made of stone. The road wasn’t paved and there weren’t many people about. Further on was nothing but farm land and the occasional house or paddock but he didn’t slow until we got to the end of the street, stopping at the second to last house.
“Why did Joshua get to stop sooner?” I asked, practically leaping off the bike as soon as he’d shut it off.
“He’s getting the things we need from the city but I need things from Kaylee and I thought you’d like to meet her.”
“Who’s Kaylee?”
“She was a friend of my mother’s.” He said, as we made our way up to the front door. “She was the one who taught Tasha about magic and she’ll have the rest of what we need.”
Salem knocked and I took in the house.
It was a decent size, built of a stone resembling limestone in texture, though the colors were of the rock were like a sunset. Deep pinks, oranges and some shimmery yellows stacked in no particular pattern. With the white wrap around porch and shutters, it was more a work of art than a simple home.
I was still admiring the house when Salem’s hand took mine and before I could comment the door opened and a man filled the frame. Literally filled it, he was so tall and bulky. He was sun tanned, his head bald and he had warm brown eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled at Salem.
“Salem!” He said, clapping a beefy hand on Salem’s shoulder.
“Hey, Adam. How are you?”
“Fine as ever. Kaylee will be so happy you’re here.” Adam tipped his chin up and called out over his shoulder, “Darling? We have a visitor.”
He moved aside just as a woman rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, wiping her hands on an apron she had tied around her waist. She was petite. No taller than five feet with a beautiful head of dark blonde hair that she’d twisted elegantly on top of her head.
Cornflower blue eyes lit up as they landed on Salem and her pace picked up. Over a foot smaller than Salem, but she still managed to pull him in for a hug as she squealed over his presence.
“Oh, Salem, we’ve missed you!”
“Missed you too, Kaylee.” Salem said, pulling away and looking at both of them, “You know you could visit if you ever had a mind to.”
“We’ve been busy with the season.” Kaylee explained, her gaze flicking to me. “Who’s this you’ve brought with you?”
“This is Nyx.” Salem said, “Nyx, this is Kaylee and her husband, Adam.
I lifted my free hand and managed an awkward wave to both of them as I smiled and said, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well, darling girl.” Kaylee said, looking down at our hands and then to Adam. The two shared something in the look before Kaylee looked back at Salem and me. “Well come on in you two. Let’s catch up in the kitchen.”
We stepped over the threshold, Adam shutting the door behind us as we followed Kaylee back the way she’d come.
We walked into a cozy kitchen, filled with pictures and knickknacks. The kinds of things that made a house a home. Kaylee indicated us towards the table with a wave of her hand and I sat next to Salem as Kaylee began talking again, Adam sitting on the other side of the two of us.
“So, Salem, what brings you and Nyx all the way out here? Have you come to help with the harvest?”
“I’m afraid it’s partial business, Kaylee. I need some things I was hoping you had on hand for a spell.”
“Oh?”
He fished the list out of his pocket and leaned forw
ard, handing it to her.
She looked it over and then smiled, “I’ve got it all. I baked a pie and it’ll do Adam some good to share it this time while I get this together.”
Adam snorted, and leaned towards us, “I’ll have you know I don’t even know if I got an eighth of the last pie she baked. Where do you think she gets those hips of hers?”
A towel flew across the counter and table, hitting Adam in the shoulder. A laugh escaped as I watched the exchange and even Salem was smiling.
“Pie sounds great, Kaylee. Thank you.” He said, squeezing my hand I hadn’t realized he was still holding.
Kaylee started pulling plates and forks out, plating up four slices of pie as she talked, “So Nyx, are you living at the manor?”
“I’m just visiting for a while and then I’m going back.”
“Back?”
“She’s human,” Salem cut in, then smirked, “Well, to an extent. Nyx is a Fury.”
“Oh, how lovely. Are the Furies delivering the souls again?”
“No, we send the souls to the Oracles.”
Kaylee’s face hardened, “Uppity, pretentious, hags. I’m surprised the Furies haven’t rioted over their injustices. I remember when the Furies would make their deliveries, but those were different times. Decades of traditions gone because the Oracles discovered vessels and cut out the Furies involvement.”
“I didn’t know Furies used to deliver the souls.” I said, accepting the piece of pie she offered me and Kaylee’s brows rose in surprise before she looked at Salem.
“You didn’t tell her? How did you two meet then?”
“Nyx helped me with the demon.”
Her lips pursed and she gave a small nod. “We got your letter it had been taken care of. I’m so glad you figured out a way. Nasty business, demons.”
“That was the only downside to working the gates.” Adam agreed, picking up his fork from plate and digging into his slice.
The pie filling was wine colored, but the bits of fruit were oval shaped, and black, resembling an olive. I took a tentative bite, hoping it didn’t taste like an olive and was not disappointed. It was sweet, the texture similar to a berry but the flavor was incomparable to anything I’d had in my life.
“I still haven’t found a suitable replacement for you, Adam.” Salem was saying as I tuned back into the conversation.
“If I know you as well as I hope I do, it has less to do with finding someone who can do the job and more to avoid a repeat of what happened to Adam.”
Swallowing my third bite and forcing myself to take a breath I asked, “The gates to the other realms?”
“The same.” Adam confirmed.
“Adam used to guard them. Allowing entrance into the Underworld when emissaries came calling for their leaders.” Salem explained. “But there was a breach and Adam almost paid with his life.”
“Kaylee almost lost me which coupled with everything that was going on…” Adam shook his head and sighed, “We’d seen too much. We might be titled, but simple works better for us. We like it out here.”
“I know. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Salem quipped, taking his first bite of pie.
Kaylee snorted, drawing my attention back to her. She held the list in her hand and was packing up several vials filled with various ingredients into a box.
“You’re as stubborn as the day you were born, sweets.” She said, shaking her head.
Salem’s cheeks, to my surprise, pinked up.
I said nothing, but couldn’t hide my smile.
“I see that doesn’t surprise your woman, Salem.” Adam said, already scraping an empty plate. “What have you been putting her through at the manor?”
“I haven’t put her through anything. Nyx is more than capable of handling herself.”
“She’d have to be in order to put up with you.” Adam said, winking at me.
“Hush, Adam. You’ll scare her off.” Kaylee staged whispered.
I tried to stop my laugh but failed miserably as I looked at Salem, “It would take a lot more than Salem’s attitude to scare me off. I’m not sure there’s much else he could do at this point.”
“I am terrifying.” Salem stated, setting down his fork and fixing me with a glare.
“Oh, yes. Absolutely terrifying. Especially with the pie filling just here.” I tapped my finger to the corner of my mouth and grinned at him.
His tongue snaked out, wiping the offending substance from his lips and when I looked back to Adam I saw he was staring at us, amusement in his eyes.
“Sorry.” I said, realizing I might have come across rude. “I don’t talk to him like I probably should.”
“No.” Kaylee said, finally joining us at the table. “You talk to him like I hoped someone would.”
Salem took over the conversation then, asking the two of them what they’d been up to and when we could expect a visit from them. They promised they’d drop by for a few days after the harvest season and both of them asked if I’d be there. Salem answered before I could.
“She’ll be there.”
When we left I got hugs from both Adam and Kaylee, as did Salem, and I was in such a good mood as we walked down the steps I forgot what was waiting for us on the road.
“How long will it take me to walk back to the manor?” I asked, eyeing the bike with utter loathing and distrust.
“Too long.” Salem said, securing the box Kaylee had given him in the bag on the tank. “Besides, you’re a great passenger. You lean when I do, you don’t make jerky movements.
“I don’t have the opportunity to since I basically plaster my body to yours.”
“Just another benefit.”
The bike ride was the metaphorical slap I needed to get a grip on my emotions. Terror was better than being doused in ice water.
Joshua wasn’t at the meeting spot, so Salem and I walked along the street while we waited.
“I wish you were experiencing a trip here on better terms. Jane had planned a trip for you both during your visit but now…” Salem trailed off, his voice straining when he said her name.
“It’s nice to see regardless of the situation, Salem. I was wondering what shopping consisted of in your world. I’d like to visit all the shops. I might have to ask you to convert dollars into whatever kind of money you use here.”
“The people use pegants, but you wouldn’t need money.”
“Oh, stealing is legal here?”
“No. Any money I receive goes into a trust that is distributed back to the people. I don’t have a single pegant to my name and neither does Tasha, Jane or Joshua. We pick up what we need and I make sure it’s reimbursed.”
I smiled, “I bet Jane could keep the bookstore stocked on her own.”
Salem chuckled, a low, deep sound that rumbled in his chest, but then a switch seemed to flip in his mood. A line formed between his brows and the corners of his mouth tipped down.
“I know you’re mad at her, Salem. But I don’t think she meant to cause this much harm. She isn’t an evil, diabolical genius. She’s a child. She wanted something, something she knew I wanted too and thought she had a solution.”
“You wanted to stay here permanently?”
“Not to the extent of never seeing Callie and Iris again, but I don’t ever want to leave for good. The Underworld means something to me.” You mean something to me, I wanted to say, but reminded myself that I had gotten a grip and I needed to keep it. “You all mean something to me.” I said instead, “Just as much as my life with Callie and Iris do.”
“You truly feel that way.”
It wasn’t a question. He knew I was telling him the truth, but I answered him regardless. “I do.”
He let that sink in and then he took my hand in his, “Come on. We’ll cross this one off your list.”
He’d turned towards an antique shop and opened the door and led me inside, a soft bell called attention to our entrance. It smelled like a library. Books and dust. It was oddly comforting,
especially with the warm lighting and calm ambiance.
“Be right with you.” A man called, his voice hoarse with age.
“No rush, Duncan.” Salem called, “We’ll just be browsing.”
He let go of my hand, his hand moving instead to the small of my back as he led me further into the shop. “Look around, Nyx. If you find something you like, pick it up and I’ll make arrangements.”
Fury Page 15