Page 53 of As Above, So Below

Beating with excitement under the skin, muscle, and bone, it sets a steady pace that leaves me agape. By holding my breath, I’m able to hear a faint thrumming in my ears, a strong metered series of ticks.

Good gods, I have a beating heart.

Silence no longer exists in the center of my chest.

Mind reeling and heart fluttering, I race from the bed to the windows, the patter of my feet upon the floor following me. Pushing the curtains aside I discover a set of doors, and without hesitation I turn the handle and step into the sunlight.

The light washes over my entire being in less than a second, warming everywhere it touches. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the brightness, but as they do, a well-tended garden comes into view. It’s a space filled with trees, flowers, and curated stone paths.

Across the way, the rise of another building with identical windows tells me that this garden lies in the center of the Moon Temple. It’s a little, hidden space, tucked away from the prying eyes of the rest of Ollora—something I would have likely never seen as a Death Bringer bound to the hells.

As I lift my face toward the sky, I gasp.

It’s neither shrouded in gray like the veil, nor dark red like the hells. Instead, the sunlit sky is an incredible shade of blue. White clouds hang lazily high above, adding speckles against the vividexpanse.

Instinctively, I stretch, raising my arms above my head, and extend my wings outward as wide as I can muster. The light upon my feathers is nothing short of sinfully decadent; the feeling causes me to smile.

Melodic laughter bubbles from my throat as I soak in the warmth.

Every second of suffering, pain, and anxiety had been worth it.

All of it, forthis.

Still laughing, I lower my gaze to find a pair of deep brown eyes staring at me in amusement and curiosity. They’re set in the face of an older human woman whose graying brown hair frames her face in gentle curls.

“Artemise?” My brows furrow.

The woman’s smile broadens. “Welcome home, Vestaris,” she greets, her tone warm and inviting.

The crease between my brows vanishes as they shoot high.

I’ve never been greeted in such a way in the hells.

Never anything so kind and genuine. A mixture of emotions that I can’t quite name pull at me, tugging at my chest and stinging behind my eyes.

Home.

Could the living realm really be my home?

The hells had never been.

She steps forward, gesturing with an open hand and a nod of her head as she says, “Let’s get you back into your room before we shock too many others.” She gives me an amused grin as I stare at her in confusion. “We tend to be a little more prudent with regard to our bodies.”

Are my wings offensive?

I don’t understand.

A downward glance reveals that I am, in fact, standing out in the open completely nude.

Ah.

Things make more sense now.

My eyes dart past Artemise to find a few others in the garden standing frozen as they stare in our direction. A blend of humanmen and women and fae males and females, each with their own rendition of a surprised stare.

A burning sensation creeps up my chest and stings my cheeks.

In a brisk motion, I fold my wings in tightly against me and retreat into the bedroom. Artemise follows, closing the door behind us. She sweeps past me, headed for the wardrobe. Reaching it, she swings open the doors and withdraws several pieces of clothing.