Fury

by Elizabeth Cole

  “Jane?” I called, but the hand didn’t move and my voice cracked when I screamed her name, “Jane!”

  I pushed the door open and my knees buckled as I took in her little body lying on the ground. She was in her nightgown. Her face was pale, her usual rosy cheeks void of color and her chest wasn’t moving.

  I put my ear to her chest and a small sob escaped when I was able to make out the faintest heartbeat. Hope squeezed at my heart and I put my hand under her nose where I felt a weak exhale.

  She was alive.

  I sucked in a shaky breath, the room spinning as I let that sink in.

  Salem’s voice cut through the panic, “She’s alive.”

  I looked up to see him standing just outside the doorway, his hands folded across his chest and one ankle crossed over the other. His eyes were focused on something down the hall and he seemed oddly detached from the situation.

  My heart was racing a mile a minute from seeing Jane lying there and he seemed indifferent to the entire encounter.

  “I’ll go get the others.” He added.

  Before I could say anything, he was gone, walking away as if nothing had happened. I noticed him lean down and retrieve something from the floor before continuing on.

  The scroll. He couldn’t be bothered with Jane’s state, but he remembered the scroll.

  Everyone else reacted the way I expected. Tasha nearly tripped over herself getting to Jane’s bed where I’d moved Jane after Salem had walked away. She asked what happened and I told her what little I knew. Joshua and Charon began spit firing ideas on what this could be and how to fix it but I couldn’t shake Salem’s reaction or the fact he hadn’t returned with the others.

  We tried everything we could think of, not leaving her side and not slowing down until well into the next day. When we finally slept, we all fell asleep in Jane’s room. Tasha and I on either side of her, Charon on the chair next to her door and Joshua across the couch.

  I woke up first, slipping from Jane’s side and heading down to the kitchens. When I walked in, the hustle and bustle ceased immediately and the servants stared. I had never come in here unaccompanied before but I offered up a small smile.

  “Hi, I was wondering if I could make some coffee.”

  A petite blonde stepped up and curtseyed, “I’ll make it, miss. Where would you like it brought?”

  “Could I take it in the library, please?”

  “Of course. Right away.”

  “Thank you.”

  I was on my second cup of coffee, my legs kicked up on the table and a book of illnesses in the Underworld on my lap when I heard the door open.

  I turned and saw Salem walking towards me.

  “Salem. Good morning.”

  “You never came out of Jane’s room.” He said, the words sounding more an accusation rather than observation.

  I swallowed down the anger that lurched up my throat and said, “Yeah. We all slept in there. We were worried.”

  “Were?”

  “Still are,” I amended, “but she’s alive and right now I’m focusing on finding what’s wrong with her.”

  I heard him pull out the chair next to me and sit, my body on alert at his close proximity. His reaction—or lack thereof—had broken something in me. Something he had cracked when he’d left me in the human world. Something I didn’t believe was reparable.

  His presence put me on edge enough I’d read the same line close to ten times before he spoke, his words forcing all my attention back to him.

  “It was a demon attack.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve seen that type of state before. Usually it kills the person. I’m assuming since she is a permanent resident here and cannot be killed by anyone except me that the demon did not succeed in his attempt.”

  “Demons are blocked from the Underworld. The door—”

  “Is locked, but not full proof. We used to have a guard but he was killed.”

  “You replaced him?” I asked, knowing that the last guard hadn’t been killed. He’d married Kaylee.

  But Salem shook his head. “No. We have had no guard since. An oversight on my part and I’m afraid it means the blame for Jane’s attack rests squarely on my shoulders.”

  But that wasn’t right. Adam was the last guard. They’d said as much. He hadn’t died and Salem knew that.

  My Salem knew that.

  A lump formed in my throat as I stared into his eyes. They were cold and unfeeling. Completely at odds with how relaxed he looked.

  “I’ll fix this,” he said, standing and taking a step towards the door as he added “Do you trust me?”

  No.

  I did not trust this Salem.

  I opened my mouth to say as much, but closed it again and nodded.

  He seemed to accept that, taking a few more steps but stopping again when I spoke.

  “Salem, when you had Charon come and kidnap me, I never thought I’d get to a point where I could say it.” I said, pausing and waiting for him to correct me but it never came. He just looked at me, waiting for me to continue. “But as crazy as it is I trust the King of the Underworld implicitly.”

  The real king, anyhow.

  Salem turned back to me, and the feeling of unease coursing through me didn’t waver when he smiled. If anything, it got worse. It was the first time I’d seen this Salem smile and it was not my smile.

  Not my Salem.

  Not Salem.

  I thought it, but the next thing out of his mouth confirmed it.

  “I’m glad, Nyx.” He responded, and those words gutted.

  He didn’t know Joshua had been the one to come and get me. He didn’t know Adam wasn’t dead. He hadn’t recognized the journals. He’d called me Onyx.

  Oh. My. SOULS.

  How had I not seen this?

  How had it taken me so long to notice this man, this thing, was not my Salem. Briella’s words from the book shop my first day back rushed into my head.

  “I think you’ll find this version of our King is a much better one.” She’d said.

  This version.

  “Nyx? Is something wrong?” Fake Salem asked me and I shook my head.

  “No,” I said, trying to cover up my epiphany with a shake of my head. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve seen you smile.”

  This was true, and was still true. I hadn’t seen my Salem smile in a long, long time.

  “I’ll have to do it more for you then.”

  I gave him a small smile in return and then he was gone.

  Salem’s reaction to finding Jane’s body should have given him away. Salem was not cold and he wasn’t cruel. He was strong, but seeing Jane lying unresponsive would have broken my Salem. Everything he’d done, everything he’d said, now seemed so off and twisted. I felt like an idiot. The day when I’d brought up Fenris, he’s acted as if Fenris was beneath him.

  An upstart he’d called him.

  Salem was wary of the fae, but him and Fenris had been friends regardless, and I wondered what Fenris knew.

  If he knew.

  With Salem’s reaction to him, if he didn’t know, he’d at least had suspicions.

  No. In my limited experience with them, I was sure that the fae suspected little, and knew much.

  Fenris knew.

  Once I was sure fake Salem was gone, I left the library and ran back up to Jane’s room. I needed to talk to everyone. I needed to explain what was going on and I needed to find Fenris.

  I woke them all and then I flew into a frenzied explanation, watching their eyes go from disbelief to horror as I told them everything.

  It didn’t take much convincing.

  “We have to find him.” Charon said, shaking his head.

  “I can go find Fenris.” Joshua said. “I think you’re right. If Fenris knew something, he’d speak out. Salem has always respected the fae.”

  “How did we not see this?” Tasha asked, shaking her head.

  “He’s very good.” I ground out, my
stomach churning as I remembered the kiss I’d shared with fake Salem. My body had reacted, I’d felt—ugh, I couldn’t even think it unless I wanted to throw up all over Jane’s bedroom. “And now we need to be just as good, because he can still sense lies. He has some of Salem’s power, but not all.”

  All three of them looked at one another and then Charon looked at me.

  “Nyx, do you still have that ring Salem gave you for Christmas?”

  “Yes, can it help?” I asked, pulling the necklace from under my shirt. It had stayed on since I’d gotten here, just hidden. I hadn’t wanted Salem to see it and assume he hadn’t screwed up.

  “No, but something soul touched would be of value and power. Keep it hidden.”

  I nodded, putting it back under my shirt as Joshua spoke up.

  “I’m going to go find Fenris, I’ll be back in a while.”

  “I’ll stay in here to keep an eye on Jane.” Tasha said, and Joshua took a step towards her, thought against whatever he was about to do and took a step back.

  “I’ll be back soon.” He muttered, then he turned and walked out.

  With Joshua gone and Tasha and Fitz watching over Jane, I found myself dodging fake Salem. Going as far as slipping into a door that appeared when I heard him talking to someone down the hall. Like the first time, I was grateful the house liked me enough to allow me to do it, especially now.

  When he came to my room, I made my mind up to shower before I answered the door and then told him I was about to shower. He asked me if I wanted to join him in this study after and I had to concede, and spent the better part of an hour mindlessly flipping through books for Jane.

  After I couldn’t take it anymore, I told Salem I hadn’t gotten much sleep last night and that I was going to try for more tonight. He nodded and said he was going to check on Jane in a little while and then turn in.

  I did go to my room, then I went to Jane’s and found Charon and Tasha inside.

  “Is Joshua back yet?” I asked, as soon as I’d closed Jane’s door.

  “Not yet.”

  “Should it be taking this long?”

  Charon shrugged, “The fae know who Joshua is to Salem. They won’t do anything to hurt him.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, feeling antsy.

  “The fae are everything but predictable. But Joshua is smart and he’s careful. I won’t start worry until the sun sets.” Tasha said, and I nodded.

  “Okay. I’ll be in my room. I told—”

  The door opened and I turned to see not Joshua, but Salem.

  “Charon, I was—oh, is everything all right? I thought you were tired, Nyx.”

  I plastered a smile on my face, “You caught me,” I said, “I needed to discuss something with Charon. You’ve been under so much stress with everything and I wanted to do something about it.”

  I was careful with my words. Fake Salem had been stressed and I did want to do something about it. The words were true enough, they just didn’t coincide with one another. Then, I decided on my next course of action so I could state it with truth.

  “I was just thinking of having a nice dinner.” I said, “Just you and me. I need to put in an order with Charon to do it. Tomorrow, if you have the time, or the day after?”

  Salem smiled, and I ignored the icky feeling that washed over me as I watched it twist his features.

  “That sounds good.”

  “Now you’ve gone and ruined the surprise so I can ask you about your favorite appetizer. I don’t know it, but I’m going to surprise you with dessert.”

  “I don’t have favorites. I’m sure whatever you decide will be perfect. Charon, once you’re done with Nyx, may I see you in my study?”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Fake Salem leaned toward me and kissed my cheek, causing me to shiver.

  He assumed it was from enjoyment and grinned, and then he left.

  “Holy souls.” Tasha muttered, making use of my catchphrase, “That was the most amazing display of not lying I’ve ever seen.”

  “That was exhausting.” I replied, walking over to sit next to her.

  “Charon, if he asks, which he might because he is as nosy as my Salem, tell him I planned bruschetta on a toasted, sliced baguette, a salad with walnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette, braised beef with steamed vegetables and a chocolate cake with fresh strawberries in the middle.”

  Charon chuckled as he scribbled down what I’d said in a small notebook he’d pulled from his breast pocket and Tasha’s mouth dropped open.

  “That sounds delicious, miss.” Charon said, “You had that planned?”

  I shook my head, “Iris loves bruschetta and that salad, Callie likes the meat and veggies. I like chocolate cake with strawberries. They’re our birthday meals and some of the only things I’ve learned to make over the years.

  “Well, it will have to be our celebratory dinner once all this is settled.”

  “Seconded.” Tasha muttered.

  Hopefully it got that far, but first, we needed to save Salem.

  Chapter 16

  Joshua knocked on my door an hour or so after I’d returned to it, interrupting my pacing.

  All the time alone today had given me time to think and time to think had given me time to worry. How long ago had this happened? Before Joshua had come to get me, I was sure, but was it since the last time I’d seen Salem? Somewhere in between? Along with the worry came blame the size of an elephant, because I hadn’t noticed.

  Now I knew Salem wasn’t Salem, it was too obvious, but it had taken all this time before I had. I proclaimed to love him, but I hadn’t noticed. I hadn’t done anything aside from help fake Salem and make excuses. Up until his reaction to Jane I had been scared to rock the boat. Scared if I didn’t adapt to his new personality, he’d kick me out and then I’d have an entire mess to deal with Callie, Iris and the Oracles. Not to mention going through losing him all over again.

  I’d let fear of losing him prevent me from protecting him.

  I’d been stupid.

  I pushed all my thoughts down when I pulled my bedroom door open however, clearing my mind and focusing now on helping Salem.

  “Fenris is here, but he won’t talk to me.” Joshua said, sounded very put out about it, “He said he’ll talk to you but he doesn’t want to be in the manor. He can’t risk his clan or the dupe here seeing him. He’s waiting hidden by the side doors outside.”

  “He does know?”

  “Yes.”

  “Great, then let’s go.”

  I hadn’t taken a step before he held up his hands. “Wait, fake Salem caught me on the way in. He wants to talk to me about something. I can’t go with you.”

  “Needs you for what?”

  “He didn’t say.”

  “Okay, then I’ll go alone. Fenris gave his word to Salem he wouldn’t hurt me. It doesn’t mean I want to invite him to a sleepover and gossip while we braid each other’s hair, but I trust him to keep his word.”

  “Get dressed, something warm. There’s a chill in the air. I told Salem I wanted to clean up, and need to do it.”

  I nodded and turned to go towards the closet before I stopped, “Wait, Joshua?”

  “Yeah?”

  I lifted my wrist so that I was eye to eye with Fitz.

  “Hey, buddy. I need to leave you here.”

  His body tightened around my wrist and he didn’t move.

  I couldn’t take him. Not this time. Not when I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I wanted Fitz here, out of harm’s way, but I wanted him with someone. Joshua or Tasha, just in case.

  “I need you here to help watch over Jane.”

  He blinked at me, but still didn’t release his hold.

  “Fitz, please?”

  He looked at me like he knew I was lying, but he relented. He loosened his hold and I passed him to Joshua. “Keep him with you or Tasha. I don’t think Charon will appreciate carting a snake around the house.”

  “I will. We will keep him
safe.”

  I smiled, and then he left and I hurried to get dressed.

  My heart pounded as I hurried down the stairs and towards the side entrance. The house was silent, as if it knew we needed to be careful and refused to allow a single creak to draw any attention.

  I needn’t have worried. Nobody stopped me as I opened the door and nobody appeared as I stepped out into the cool night air.

  “Fenris?” I whispered, worried I’d taken too long when I didn’t see him. I walked down the few stairs and waited to hear a response, but none came.