Chapter 21

It took Sam and Selene almost a week to reach Snowmelt. At first, they spoke only when necessary, usually on the topics of meals and campsite selections. Initially, this had irritated Selene—another example of Sam's problematic mood swings. But it wasn't until she noticed how he used any little remark she made to start a conversation that she understood. He wasn't being quiet out of spite. He was giving her space.

She was determined to embrace Aurelian Selene by kicking her old habit of faking a cheerful attitude, even when she didn't feel it. Surprisingly, Sam let her do so. He never whined or said things like, "You're not still mad, are you?" or "Stop being so dramatic." He never sulked because she wasn't paying him enough attention or tried to draw her out when she was feeling introspective. It was a new experience—being allowed to act how she felt. It made it easy to soften towards him and admit there was more to this demon than the ruthless creature she saw in Iriswood.

Yet the closer they came to Snowmelt, the more her anxiety about meeting his friends grew. Queen Thema had assured her she could trust Sam, but she had never vouched for his friends. What if they were violent too? It was common advice that if you wanted to know the true quality of a man, look at his friends. Would his friends present another red flag about Sam's character? Why did she care so much when she was going home soon?

Selene's aching back was making her grumpy when Sam stopped to point out Snowmelt in the distance. Her mood lifted as she peered over the cliffside to the little village nestled among acres of farmland below. Sam explained that Snowmelt's name originated because of its location between below a range of mountains. The run-off of melted snow created lush farmlands and filled the river running through the center of town. From their vantage point, Selene could see rows of thatched-roof buildings, each with late-season flowers bursting from window boxes. Cobblestone streets ran through the town, while a stone bridge arched over the river. It was the type of scene that would be at home on a jigsaw puzzle.

After trekking down the cliffside, they found the streets of Snowmelt quiet, but not deserted. A large stone fountain bubbled in the town square, surrounded by shops selling cozy things like books, tea, knitted goods, and honey tarts. A Lycah couple dressed in matching red coats flashed them a big smile as they passed, almost as if they expected to see two strangers in their village. A Malkina man tipped his felt hat and wished them a good evening, while a Nereid woman slipped into the fountain, fully clothed, as if it were a warm bath.

Selene glanced at Sam. He still had that same vigilant look he got when they traveled, but he seemed less anxious. He was more at ease than Selene had ever seen him.

"Do your friends live here in town?" she asked.

"They live on a farm outside the village," Sam said. "We'll be there soon. Are you warm enough?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, pulling her cloak closer around her shoulders. "Wait, I forgot to put on my Nereid cream—"

Sam stopped in the middle of the road, sniffing the air. A noise like a battle cry sounded from behind them. Footsteps approached, and she whipped around to see an elderly Goblyn man fly through the air and land on the top of Sam's backpack. His bat-like wings fluttered as he wrapped his small legs around the back of Sam's neck, gripping his horns with his hands. A green, Robin Hood-style hat was perched on his head.

Selene drew back, fearing she was about to see Sam destroy his attacker, but Sam said, "Is this how you greet all your guests?"

"Only the ones who think they can beat me at wrestling," the Goblyn cried, beating his heels against Sam's shoulders.

"I surrender," Sam said, holding up his palms.

Was that actual amusement Selene heard tinging his voice?

The Goblyn lifted off Sam's back to hover in the air. Sam turned, and they embraced. Right there in the road, a tiny Goblyn and a huge demon, hugging as if it were the most normal thing in the world. After a moment, the Goblyn dropped to the ground.

Sam turned to Selene. "This is my friend Eldridge. He and his mate Brunie will be hosting us tonight."

Eldridge pulled off his hat to reveal a shiny head dusted with wisps of white hair. "Selene, it's a pleasure to meet you. Sam has told us all about you in his letters."

"He has? It's nice to meet you too," she said. Eldridge's violet eyes twinkled. There was a roguish quality about him, like a friendly pirate. She liked him immediately.

"I know your kind greet by clasping hands, but may I welcome you with a hug?"

"Sure." She had to bend to meet the Goblyn's embrace since he only came up to her shoulder. He had a surprisingly strong grip and smelled of peppermint and tobacco. The white sideburns hugging his face were soft as they brushed against her neck, and his smile was warm as they pulled apart. He had pearlescent skin similar to Sam's, but with greenish undertones. Long pointed ears stuck out on either side of his head.

"You didn't have to meet us in town," Sam said. "We were planning to come out to the farm."

"Nonsense," Eldridge said. Brunie would have come too if she weren't busy cooking." He motioned for them to follow him toward a horse-drawn carriage parked nearby. It was black with a raised driver's seat at the front, and a padded bench in the back. The brown horse attached to it stamped the ground impatiently.

"Who wants to sit up front?" Eldridge asked.

"I will," Sam volunteered. "The back will be more comfortable for Selene."

After tossing in their packs, Sam held out a hand to help Selene onto the carriage step. She took it, and when their fingers met, heat licked up her arm. It surged through her veins to settle with a distracting dip of pleasure between her legs. She tried keeping her eyes downcast, so that he couldn't see the effect of his touch, but he caught her gaze. His eyes burned with intensity.

It wasn't until Eldridge cleared his throat that Sam finally let her go of her hand. "Come now, we can't keep Brunie waiting, can we?" Eldridge said from the driver's seat. Sam climbed aboard, and they set off.

During the carriage ride from Snowmelt to the cottage, Eldridge chatted animatedly with Sam, and Selene luxuriated in being chauffeured to her next destination. Eventually, after passing by countless rolling hills, the carriage slowed.

"Welcome to Azuresong Pastures!" Eldridge called back to Selene.

The carriage stopped in front of a blue and white cottage tucked between two soaring trees. A chimney of mismatched stone puffed smoke out over a straw-thatched roof. Ivy chased up the north side of the house, while boxes of bright yellow flowers hung below each leaded window. A large blue barn sat behind the house.

Selene heard the sound of a door slam, followed by a high-pitched squeal. She sucked in a breath at the sight of a six-foot-tall Harpy in a turquoise dress half-running, half-flying down the stone path to meet them. Her taloned feet made scraping sounds against the ground until she launched herself up to wrap her thick arms around Sam.

The Harpy made little cooing sounds as she squeezed, and Sam awkwardly patted above her light blue feathered wings.

"Hello, Brunie," he said fondly.

The Harpy looked into his face. "We've missed you. How have you been?" Then she hugged him again and murmured, "You seem a bit thinner. Don't those Malkina feed you?"

"They do."

"Fish and mice, I bet! Or are they too busy chasing balls of string?"

"No one cooks as well as you," Sam said, then smiled.

It was a full smile, not the usual small tug at the corner of his mouth. The dimples Selene had seen hints of made a full appearance, while the lines of tension usually found around his eyes disappeared. The expression transformed his normally scowling face so completely, so gorgeously, that when Selene stood to get down from the carriage, her knees wobbled.

Eldridge seemed to notice her unsteadiness and came to help her. Then he called out, "Brunie, let the boy go! You're neglecting our guest."

Brunie squawked then used her wings to drop toward the ground. Turning toward Selene, she said, "Forgive me, dearest! I'm Brunie. Sam tells us you're on a quest to find a way home. We're so honored to meet you."

Brunie had bright amber-colored eyes, round and alert as an owl. Her gaze was bold but kind. Almost as if she were welcoming Selene to study the unusual planes of her face, knowing she would be helpless not to.

Selene's eyes traveled from the left side of Brunie's face, where the skin was smooth and pale, gently lined with age. The right side, however, was puckered and warped with scar tissue. It stretched from her hairline down to where her short neck disappeared under her collar, making her eye droop slightly and the corner of her mouth sag. It was clear Brunie must have suffered a terrible burn at some point.

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you too. You have a beautiful home," Selene said, gesturing toward the house.

Brunie gave a delighted hoot. "You must be hungry. Craving a hot bath after all this travel, I'd say."

"That would be wonderful."

"Come in. Supper will be ready soon."

Once inside, Selene was whisked past the wood-paneled living room and taken up a log staircase. Brunie led her into a small, neat room with a wrought-iron bed covered in quilts. After Brunie pointed out the bathroom down the hall, she called for Sam to take his "usual room" in the attic. This made Selene curious; how often had he come to visit this odd pair?

Once she was sure Selene was comfortable, Brunie bustled back into the kitchen. After unpacking a few things, Selene had enough time to brush her hair and wash her face before Brunie announced, "Supper's ready!"

As soon as Selene entered the main room, she gaped at the spread laid out for them. An enormous roast of some sort sat in the middle, along with a huge basket of rolls. There was also a plate of fish, a tray of sliced fruit, a teapot, and at least eight large bowls of sides.

"Now Selene, I've done a lot of reading and made all the food humans prefer," Brunie said with pride, pointing at each of the bowls, "We have porridge here, gingerbread, and that's plum pudding. Over there are peas, poison-free apples, beans taken straight from the stalk, and radishes."

"And the cakes, love. Tell her about the cakes!" Eldridge said, taking a seat across from Selene.

"And cakes! We know how your kind love cakes, so I made twelve."

"T-twelve?" Selene sputtered.

A concerned look crossed Brunie's face. "Should I have made more?"

"Oh no, I… "

Sam seemed to sense Selene"s reluctance and jumped in, "Humans don't eat as much as the legends say. But I'll finish off anything she can't."

Brunie made a sound like a goose honk, which Selene realized was a laugh. "Of course, you will! You always finished your plate, didn't you? Now let's sit down."

"Dearest, if there's anything left over, we can bring it to the Founder's Day party," Eldridge said. He looked to Sam, hopefully, "You are staying for that, aren't you? Tomorrow night? I'm singing and Brunie's baking."

Eldridge turned his attention across the table to Selene. His eyes shone as he asked, "Do you like dancing?"

"I love it," she said. "Although I haven't done it in a long time."

Sam turned to her. "Do you mind staying two nights?"

Now that she knew Sam's friends were more like Aurelia's cutest grandparents than a pair of bogeymen, the decision was easy. "Sure. I wouldn't mind another night to rest. If that's all right with—"

"We'll stay," Sam said quickly. Eldridge clapped, and Brunie beamed.

After Brunie carved up the roast and filled everyone's plate, Selene took small portions of each dish as it was passed around. Although random, everything was delicious.

"How did you research these foods, Brunie?" Selene asked.

"From stories about your kind that the Queens have brought back. Books and songs sacred to your people."

"What stories?"

"Oh, there's one about a little girl and some bears, one about a lass with very long hair, another about some lost children and a house made of sweets."

Selene suppressed a giggle, as the assortment suddenly made sense. She supposed she should be grateful Brunie hadn't served her four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.

Eldridge wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "So, tell us all about what sort of adventures you two have had on your journey."

Selene's amusement disappeared as she recalled their most recent "adventure" in Iriswood. Sam shifted in his seat. Their mutual silence made the air taut.

Eldridge's face clouded. "What happened?"

Sam set down his fork. "Overall, we have had fine weather and good fortune on this journey. After leaving Queen Thema's, we journeyed through forests and meadows, passing through one of the Padu's stops and then Iriswood. Selene outwitted a Harpy outside of Iriswood who tried to steal from us."

Brunie stopped chewing, "Pydiana?"

"Yes," Sam said. "Selene sang her a song and she flew away to let us pass."

Brunie looked at Selene. "You freed Pydiana?"

Fear gripped Selene. "Is that bad?"

"Not at all," Brunie clucked. "The poor creature was being punished by Queen Aello, for trying to sneak into your world and cause a ruckus. If she let you pass and flew away, then she's free!"

"Well done, Selene," Eldridge cried. "You'll be favored among the Harpies, that's for sure."

Selene shrugged, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, this is so exciting. Tell us more about your journey," Brunie urged.

Sam cleared his throat. "It wasn't all favorable. Several nights ago, I made a mistake and attacked a Lycah who was harassing Selene in a tavern."

Selene nearly choked on her bite of bread. She hadn't dreamed of bringing that up in front of Brunie and Eldridge, and was floored that he would do so.

"Oh, Samael, you didn't," Brunie said.

"What happened?" Eldridge asked.

"A Lycah grabbed at Selene. So I strangled him, then broke both his arms and legs. I may have injured his head as well," Sam said.

"Samael! You must have scared Selene terribly," Brunie said.

Eldridge made a grunt of disappointment. Selene was surprised that they both seemed very familiar with Sam's temper.

"Have you been practicing your breathing, lad?" Eldridge asked.

"Yes, but on this occasion, it wasn't enough."

"Selene, were you hurt by the Lycah?" Brunie asked.

"No, just… startled," she mumbled.

Sam's voice was tight as he said, "The Lycah struck her, then pulled her into his lap. I couldn't have stood by and done nothing."

"That may be, but was violence truly called for?" Eldridge asked. "How else do you think you could have responded?"

A crease appeared between Sam's brows.

Counting off on his long fingers, Eldridge said, "One—you could have pulled Selene to safety, then asked the Lycah to leave the tavern. Two—you could have just frightened him. Never touched him at all, but used your size and demonic presence to stop his behavior. Three—you could have called upon the tavern owners to deal with the situation. Surely they have a process in place for when guests become rowdy—"

"Or if none of those worked, you could have broken only one bone," Brunie interrupted. "Four is excessive."

Sam looked thoughtful. It was almost as though Selene could see the gears turning in his mind.

"What stopped you from killing the brute?" Brunie asked.

"Selene did," Sam said. "She approached and was able to calm me. Just as she did when I felt unsteady in Padu. She has many gifts, but her ability to soothe others is the one that I… I admire deeply."

Selene blinked. Wait—was that what was going on with him in Padu? She had suspected something intense was happening, but knowing the extent of how it could have escalated was a surprise.

Brunie puffed with indignation. "It's not Selene's responsibility to manage your instincts! Don't put that on her."

"I didn't do anything special," Selene protested.

Sam plucked at the edge of the tablecloth "I won't make any excuses for how I behaved, but I wanted you both to know. And for Selene to hear again that I am sorry."

The room was silent until Eldridge spoke. "Well, I'm sorry to hear it happened, but you did well to stop before it was too late." He patted Sam on the back.

"Thank you for the advice on how I could have handled it differently," Sam said.

Brunie stood, then gave Sam a quick kiss on the forehead. "You're a good boy for always trying to do better. Now, let's speak of more pleasant things. Who's ready for cake?"

The room filled with the sounds of Sam and Eldridge cleaning their plates as Brunie disappeared into the kitchen. Selene finished her last bite of porridge and snuck a glance at Sam across the table.

Who knew that a man admitting to his mistakes could be so attractive? Although Sam's slip-ups were a far cry from the time Kevin lied about denting her car, his confession impressed her. He hadn't minimized what happened or made her feel like she was overreacting. He obviously placed great stock in Brunie and Eldridge's advice, and in turn, they wanted what was best for him. Seeing how much these gentle creatures cared for Sam brought up all sorts of feelings within her. Mainly warm and squishy ones.

He wasn't a monster. He had issues, that was certain, but he was working on them. Both Aurelian Selene and Ordinary Selene could appreciate that.