Fury Read online

  I’d stopped drinking once my body stopped shaking, but it was all hitting me after the fact and I felt a little light headed when we finally headed towards my room.

  “So,” I started, walking next to him down the hall, “it’s over. How does it feel?”

  “I feel like I can finally relax. Thank you for everything, Nyx.”

  “Does this make me an honorary member of the Underworld?” I teased, grinning as I looked over at him.

  “That’s not a thing, but we can make it one, if you want.”

  I shook my head, “No, I’ll settle for being allowed back as long as you’re still okay with it.”

  “I am, though I feel it must be said that even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t deny your request. I’m finding it increasingly difficult to say no to you.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Liar. You know everything.”

  He chuckled and shook his head, “I wish that were true. Life would be a lot easier if it was the case.”

  Chapter 8

  It was harder to say my goodbyes then I thought it would be. I got dressed in the clothes I’d worn when Joshua had brought me here, Fitz curled around my wrist and after a lot of hugs and some tears—surprisingly coming from Charon—Salem and I walked out of the front door.

  “I thought I’d make good on my promise to let you see the grounds.” Salem explained.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  True to the myths, there was a river, but we didn’t cross it on a ferry. There was a perfectly modern bridge that got us across. But we did stop for a second so I could look at it.

  “I’ve never seen so many souls.” I said, looking down at it. “I don’t even feel sick.”

  “You wouldn’t. These souls died naturally. They weren’t pulled out before their time.”

  I winced and focused my attention back to the soft glow coming from the river.

  “You really do hate what you do.”

  “I do. I don’t think there’s been a single one that I didn’t apologize for. Furies and Oracles talk about like it’s natural, but I’ve never felt that way. It’ll kill Fitz eventually, and then I get to choose between becoming an Oracle or becoming a Watcher.”

  “No alternatives.”

  “Never.”

  He didn’t push me for more information, he simply stood there with me, watching the river.

  “Thank you, Salem.”

  “What for?”

  “You’re the first person I’ve ever been able to be this honest with.”

  He chuckled, “I don’t feel like that’s something to say thank you for, but whenever you need to talk honestly, I’ll be here for it.”

  I straightened, “We should go.”

  His hand moved to the small of my back for a brief second before he dropped it and we crossed the bridge.

  We followed the pathway to a small grove where a set of double doors sat backed up to cliffs. Vines and roots formed a sort of archway around the doors and when we approached, Salem stopped and turned to me.

  “Nyx, there is something you need to know.”

  “Okay,” My tone was wary. I didn’t know what was so pressing he needed to tell me now, but it had put an expression on his face I didn’t like. I waited for him to say something but instead I watched him swallow and he dropped his gaze from mine.

  “Time works differently here than it does in your world. We’ve never needed to calculate it before because Joshua and I are the only ones that ever leave and it doesn’t affect us.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’ve been here a week, but I’m not sure how much time has passed in your world. To be honest, none of us thought about it until Joshua brought it up last night while you were tucking Jane in.”

  “Are you thinking months? Years?”

  “I don’t know. I should have thought about it before I brought you here and if you still want to come back, I’ll have Tasha try and calculate it. I am sorry.”

  I started to panic. How long had I been gone? Had the Oracles come for Callie and Iris? We collected three souls a week, if they’d had to pick up the slack what kind of strain had been put on them and their vessels? They probably thought I was dead. What was I going back to?

  All those thoughts swarmed me and I felt Fitz move on my arm, reacting to my mental heart attack when I realized that Salem would have taken care of all that. He’d told me as much. He’d made sure my absence was accounted for. I started to calm down a little bit.

  “Did Callie and Iris have to take any extra souls while I was gone?”

  “No.”

  “And my absence was covered with the Oracles?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, well when we cross back over I can tell you how long a week here equals to in my world and you can give Tasha the information.”

  His eyes snapped up to meet mine, his brow was pinched and his head cocked to the side slightly.

  “You’re not mad?”

  “No. I was scared for a second, but you took care of things with the Callie, Iris and the Oracles. I’d be mad if you had kept it from me willfully, but you didn’t. There’s nothing we can do about it now anyway. Besides, it wouldn’t have changed my decision to stay and help, so we’re good.”

  “We’re good?”

  I smiled. I’d never seen Salem acting so unsure of a decision before. It was kind of adorable.

  “We’re good. Lead the way your highness.”

  Salem opened the door and we walked through.

  The heat hit me immediately, but it had died down a little. I knew it meant there was no way we were still in the hot summer months, but that was okay. I was not going to freak out. I was going to take it all in strides.

  I was home.

  I looked down at my wrist and saw that Fitz was back in his bracelet form, snoozing away until he was needed.

  I waited to feel something more. Relief and happiness at being back or some excitement to see Callie and Iris. There was a bit of the last one, but not as much as I was expecting. Instead, I felt a little empty.

  Salem and I walked in silence until the campus came into view.

  “What are you thinking?” Salem asked, and without looking I knew his eyes were on me.

  “Wondering how much time has passed and trying to understand why it doesn’t feel like it should.”

  “You aren’t happy to be home?”

  “A little, but it’s not like I thought it would be.”

  “Well, when you see your roommates that will change.”

  The apartment was empty when we got there and I went to the calendar and saw it flipped to the 2nd of November.

  “Are you okay?”

  “They were okay without me for two and a half months.” I said, running my hands over the paper before shaking my head. “It’s so surreal. I never thought I’d escape life for so long. Thank you, Salem. I mean it.” I turned back to look at him and smiled. “It might have only felt like a week, but you got me out of months of soul duty.”

  “I take it from your reaction you’d still like to set up a time to come back?”

  When did I want to go back? Weeks seemed too soon, but months was going to feel like an eternity.

  “Follow me.” I said, heading for my room. Nothing in there had changed. My clothes I’d changed out of were still thrown haphazardly on the floor and I kicked them towards my hamper before picking up my chair that Joshua and I had knocked over. I got onto my computer and pulled up the calendar. I was going to count out ten weeks, but I paused at Christmas. It would be so cool to celebrate Christmas in the Underworld.

  “What about December 25th?” I said, turning in my chair. He was looking around my room, probably taking in the quiet chaos scattered everywhere. “Will you know when that is?”

  “We’ll manage, Nyx.”

  “Okay then. December 25th it is.”

  I stood, trying to figure out how to say good bye to him. A handshake? A hug
? The traditional thank you for kidnapping me? I was working up to a decision when I heard the front door and two familiar voices filled the apartment.

  I went to the door and the movement caught both of their attention.

  “Nyx!” Iris screamed, running over to me and tackling me into a hug. “You’re back!”

  Callie’s smile was huge as she followed suit, wrapping arms around both of us. “We missed you! Next time at least take your phone so we can call you!”

  “Sorry, I would have if I’d known I’d be gone so long.” I said, and turned to introduce them to Salem, but he was gone.

  “What are you looking at? Never mind, we have news!” Iris said, jumping up and down while holding onto my hand. “We were heading out for coffee. Let’s go. We’ll talk on the way.”

  “Sure.” I said absently, feeling a little like I’d been abandoned, which was ridiculous. Maybe Salem didn’t know how to say goodbye either.

  ✽✽✽

  Life resumed as normal.

  Thanksgiving came and went. We headed to Ms. Ivy’s over the long weekend and Iris woke me up at three in the morning to hit the Black Friday sales with her and Callie. I purchased gifts for Ms. Ivy and her new charges, Callie and Iris, but I included everyone in the Underworld on my shopping list as well. The Harry Potter series for Jane, a gaming console for Joshua, a silk Kimono robe for Tasha and a book of Greek myths for Charon.

  Salem’s gift I got stuck on and was still stuck on weeks later.

  What did you get the King of the Underworld?

  I now had two weeks before Christmas and I was still trying to answer that question, at the mall with Iris, who was finishing up last minute shopping of her own. Not for Christmas, for herself. Every season, she updated her closet. I was standing outside one of the stores while she paid for her purchases. I’d been to at least twenty stores today and still hadn’t managed to find a single thing for Salem.

  When Iris walked out of the store with two new bags, I decided she would dismiss my question as nothing more than theoretical, so I asked for advice.

  “Iris?”

  “Yeah?”

  “If I had to get a Christmas gift for Hades, what would you tell me to buy?”

  “The blue dude in Hercules? The one with the flaming hair?”

  “Yep.”

  She grinned, “A chill pill.”

  Both of us erupted into laughter before she thought more on it and asked, “If he were a real dude?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is he a hot dude?”

  Salem’s face appeared in my mind and I didn’t hesitate. “Definitely.”

  “Easy.” She said, wiggling her eye brows, “I’d tell you to give him you wrapped in a big, red bow.”

  I rolled my eyes, but my smile didn’t falter, “Of course you would.”

  “Hey, this is hypothetical and hypothetically, I’d tell you to tap a hot god of the Underworld. If that was off the table…” she paused as she stopped at another store and looked at the mannequins and I knew we’d be heading in there next. “I guess I’d get him a dog. Like the three headed one he has in the movie, except smaller and less mean.”

  She walked through the open doors and I followed, “You’re crazy.” I said, while she started pulling things off the racks and draping them over her arms.

  “I’m crazy? You’re the one talking about Christmas with Hercules.” She teased.

  Two more stores and then we stopped for pretzels and cheese. “I have one more store I want to check out.” She said, “You said you had to pick stuff up but you haven’t purchased anything. Where do you need to go?”

  “Honestly, I might just look around. I still don’t know what to get.”

  “All right,” she shrugged, “Meet at the Carousel in a half hour?”

  “Sounds good.”

  I had struck out at two stores when I walked passed an entertainment store and realized I knew exactly what to get Salem.

  Two days before Christmas I was cleaning up after dinner when Callie walked out of her room.

  “So, when do you leave?” She asked, taking a seat at one of the barstools.

  The question caught me off guard and I dropped the pan I’d been scrubbing into the sink, splashing sudsy water all over the shirt I’d just put on.

  How did she know? I hadn’t said anything.

  “Leave?” I repeated, my voice an octave higher than normal.

  “Your trip? I’m bummed you aren’t going to be here for Christmas, but Iris and I decided we’ll just celebrate when you get back.” She said, snagging one of the frosted sugar cookies she baked earlier off of the plate and smiled when she caught my dumfounded expression. “Don’t look so shocked. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without you.”

  “I feel the same.” I managed to respond, despite my brain short circuiting while it tried to figure out how she’d figured it out.

  She eyed me, raising a perfectly shaped brow, “You feeling okay?”

  I needed to get it together. “Yeah, sorry.” I shook my head and looked down at my soaked shirt. “I’m just going to go change.”

  “I’ll finish the dishes tomorrow. I made the mess.”

  “Yeah, but I’m the one who’s going to eat most of these cookies.” I said, grabbing one before heading to my room.

  I pulled off my shirt as I shut the door and threw it in the general direction of my hamper. Had she found the gifts I’d bought for everyone in the Underworld? Did I start talking in my sleep? Had I let something slip? I thought about all the conversations we’d had over the last month and dismissed them just as rapidly as I’d thought them up.

  I’d been careful. Not because I didn’t want to tell them the truth, but because I wanted them to have plausible deniability if the Oracles ever found out. I hated lying and I hadn’t gotten any better at it, but I had discovered I could get around it by changing the subject when it got to close to my time away.

  I grabbed a t-shirt from my closet and put the cookie between my teeth so I could get my arms through first. I took a bite before I retrieved the cookie and just as I went to pull the shirt over my head, something caught my eye.

  It was his hand I saw first, the light from my closet catching it and drawing my attention to the man sitting in my chair, holding my discarded shirt.

  Salem.

  I couldn’t stop the surprised gasp that escaped, which had me sucking bits of cookie down my wind pipe.

  The cough was instant and didn’t stop until I had tears streaming down my face.

  He’d started over to me as soon as I started choking, but I’d waved him off until I could get myself under control.

  “You scared me.” I rasped through the last of my coughing.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He didn’t sound sorry. He sounded amused.

  I was about to comment on it when Callie’s behavior and his presence registered.

  “You played in their brains?”

  He winced. I guess he didn’t like the way I’d said that, but he answered regardless. “While you showered.”

  “That means you’ve been here for over an hour.”

  He nodded, leaning back against my desk as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I was finishing up with Iris when you got out and thought I’d wait in here.”

  “Because you wanted to try your hand at death by cookie?”

  “When your friend started asking questions I assumed you’d conclude I was here.”

  “I wasn’t expecting you for two more days.”

  “I timed it as best I could. I could always come back another day.”

  “No!” The word flew out of my mouth with a little too much enthusiasm so I composed myself and tried again. “No. Now is fine.”

  He nodded. “I thought we’d leave when you were ready. I didn’t expect you to walk in and start undressing.” He tilted his head in my direction and I followed his gaze. It was only then I remembe
red my shirt had never made it over my head. It was on my arms, the fabric pulled against my chest in a way it covered the important bits. I was a few articles of clothing away from Iris’ first idea for his Christmas present.

  I walked over to him and handed him the cookie before turning around and pulling my shirt on all the way.

  “Is this cookie payback for scaring you?” He asked, as I grabbed some socks from my drawer.

  “You are holding one of Callie’s sugar cookies.” I stated, pulling on my socks and following with my shoes. “They’re amazing, try it.”

  “After your response, I’m not sure that would be wise.” He teased and I narrowed my eyes.

  “Just try it, Salem.” He bit into it and I watched him chew as I tied my shoes, waiting for a reaction.

  He shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth and I smiled as I stood up and shook my head. “Leave it to you to make a cookie complicated.”

  Saying my goodbyes to Callie and Iris was easier than I wanted to admit, which spawned a decent amount of my constant companion—guilt. I loved them, but I was excited to get back to the Underworld. I wished I could take them with me, but even if I thought Salem could make that happen I didn’t want to keep asking for favors. Still, my want to connect them with the people I’d befriended had been on my mind. I just needed to come up with a feasible plan.

  I did make Salem wait while the three of us exchanged gifts. I told them I didn’t want to wait until I got back and they were more than happy with that decision.

  Callie got one of the holiday make up collections she’d wanted and Iris got the cashmere sweater she’d gushed over, but put back for a new hand bag. I also got them a gift certificate for a day at the spa, complete with a mani-pedi and a one-hour massage for both of them.

  Iris gave me clothes and a new pair of Chuck Taylor’s, stating that mine were falling apart. Callie gave me an entire batch of cookies, “to eat on the plane,” and a new pair of earrings. Onyx stones surrounded by diamonds.

  With promises that they’d send my gifts to Ms. Ivy and the girls, I hugged them both one more time and walked out. Salem was waiting for me at the front of the building and we headed off campus and down the same road we’d walked when he’d brought me back.