Page 89 of Salem's Fall
Forever Tethered.
I pause, heart skipping once. There’s a part of me that wants to believe it’s from her—a message I never saw, never needed until now. A quiet reminder that I’m not alone. That I never was. That I’m always tied to my mother, even if she’s no longer physically here.
But another part of me knows better. The words don’t feel like hers. And the locket… maybe it didn’t just come back on its own.
I let my fingers fall from the cool metal, suddenly aware of the way the air has shifted around me, subtly at first, then more insistently. It’s a prickling awareness that slides down the back of my neck. I pause, glancing over my shoulder. The light around me flickers again—and then I see him.
Damien.
He stands across the street, half-hidden in the shadows, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips. For a moment, I can’t move, caught in the intensity of his gaze. He’s as gorgeous and impossibly magnetic as ever, his presence charging the air around me like an approaching storm.
A gust of wind sweeps through me, cold and unnatural, and I pull my winter coat tighter. The Christmas lights on the nearby trees pulse, as though they’re bending under his influenceas he walks toward me. Every step is measured. Powerful. Smooth as a panther stalking his prey.
I find myself rooted to the spot as Damien stops directly in front of me. His eyes scan my face. The knowing smile that curves his lips is both thrilling and unnerving, a reminder that no matter how far I go, how much I try to convince myself I’m better off without him, he’s always there, woven into my life in ways I can’t escape.
“Hello, Counselor,” he says, his voice low, as if meant only for me.
My breath catches, heart hammering. “What are you doing here?”
He doesn’t answer right away, just tilts his head, watching me with that calm intensity that makes me feel like I’m the only person in his world.
“You didn’t really think I’d stay away for long, did you?” His eyes glint with amusement. “Someone has to make sure you’re staying out of trouble.”
“I’m safe now. You don’t have to worry about me,” I say, glancing around, hyper-aware of the holiday cheer surrounding us. It feels so at odds with his presence, the quiet threat he and the Veil bring just by existing.
He edges closer. “You think it’s all over because you left Salem’s Fall? You’re smarter than that, James.”
The holiday lights overhead cast his features in strange patterns, like he’s shifting between two realities—the wealthy, respectable businessman most of the world knows and the other Damien, someone darker, someone still dangerous.
“I left Blackthorn Manor to get space.” I swallow hard. “I need you to respect that.”
His gaze is searing, as if he knows exactly how torn I am.
“Iletyou leave Blackthorn Manor because I wanted you to see what life would be like without me.” He leans in so close, I can feel his cool breath against my cheek. “But now thatyou’ve had some time, you have a choice to make. I’m not going to wait around forever.”
My chest tightens, a war raging inside me. Damien’s words settle over me, threading through every doubt, every unspoken desire I’ve tried to bury. He’s giving me a choice, yes, but the weight of it feels crushing.
I think of the firm, of Quinn, of the life I fought so hard to protect. Quinn is the right choice. He’s thesafechoice—the one that means dinners at home, predictability, a life of certainty, a steady world not just for me, but for Maddie too.
I tell myself to make the smart decision, that I’m done with Salem’s Fall, with rituals and secrets and shadows. Damien is a mirror, a reminder of my own thirst for power and ambition, my own relentless pull toward darkness. Choosing Damien would mean surrendering to a life of secrets and shadows.
“Damien, I’m sorry. I can’t follow you into that world,” I whisper, even if the pull I feel toward him is undeniable. Even if, deep down, something in my heart whispers that I’ll never truly feel alive again without him by my side.
He searches my face, and I see the flicker of understanding in his eyes as I come to my decision. Then he nods, the barest movement, like he was expecting this answer.
“I know,” he says. “I wouldn’t have picked this life myself either if I’d been given the choice.”
“You wouldn’t?”
“No.” A small, almost amused smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “That’s why I’m leaving it behind.”
“You’rewhat?” I stare at him, open-mouthed. “Damien… you’re a Blackhollow. How can you leave?”
He steps closer, his voice quieter, intimate in a way that sends a shiver through me.
“I’ll still run Blackhollow Industries, of course. But the Veil—Lucien can have it. He always wanted it more than Idid. I only stayed because it was expected of me, it was my legacy. But you…” He shakes his head slightly, like I’ve somehow unraveled him. “You make me want something different. Something more. A new legacy.” His fingers trail down my arm before catching my hand, his grip warm and grounding. “I don’t want control. I don’t want power. I just wantyou.”
The wind howls around us, sending holiday lights swaying above. It feels like the world is shifting beneath my feet, like something ancient and immovable is finally breaking apart.
