Page 56 of As Above, So Below

The human woman, Cora, pushes a wooden bowl filled with a pale grayish matter across the table in my direction. The ice-blue eyed female beside her, Eve, watches my every movement closely.

“Are you hungry?” Cora asks, her voice soft. “I pulled this from breakfast service before it was put away. It’s yours should you want it.”

Lifting my eyes from the bowl to her face, her wavy chestnut brown hair falls to her shoulders, half of it pulled back out of her wide set blue eyes. She smiles, revealing even, human teeth.

The dark skinned fae female on her right, leans close, keeping her ice blue eyes pinned on me. “Does she even eat, Cor?” she asks, her voice low.

Cora nudges the female with her elbow. “Of course she does. What living creature doesn’t eat?”

Returning my attention to the bowl, the smell hits me—a strangeconcoction of sweet and earthy. My stomach twists and makes a sharp growling sound, and my face pinches with confusion.

Soft laughter rises from the table.

“I suppose that answers that,” the female smiles, leaning back in her seat.

“Your body will tell you when you need to eat.” Artemise explains pulling the bowl the rest of the way across the table and setting it before me. “Meals are served thrice daily. Breakfast at seven, lunch at one, dinner at seven.”

“We served oats with walnuts and honey this morning,” Cora smiles.

I stare at the gelatinous appearing substance. The handle of a silver spoon protrudes from the mass. I never ate in the hells. It’s not required. Eating and drinking in the hells is simply a gluttonous display of wealth and power and status—of which I had none.

“Thank you.” I find my voice as I cup the bowl in my hands.

Its warmth radiates through my palms.

Placing a spoonful of the matter in my mouth, my brows shoot high in surprise. It’s sweet, oaky, and mild with a mush-like texture that emphasizes the presence of the walnuts mixed throughout. I don’t know what I’d expected, but it didn’t look as delicious as it tastes.

“Should you have any questions about life here at the temple, Eve and Cora have agreed to be your liaisons,” Artemise says, braiding her fingers together on the table.

My eyes race to the human woman and the ice blue eyes of the fae female next to her. A small vibration tingles in my chest, stemming from my innate, but I shove it aside. My innate is going to taunt and tease me at every turn, I feel.

“I never would have thought Netharis would agree to give Celesta her daughter,” one of the other fae females says, drawing my attention to the right.

A heart-shaped face brown, almond-shaped eyes framed with blond hair stares at me. Opal, I think Artemise had said.

“A testament to the influence of our goddess.” The female on Opal’s left, Aenwyn, smiles, revealing pearly white fangs as her moss green eyes gleam with reverence.

Smothering the grimace at her open devotion to my mother, I bury the spoon into what remains of the oats and shake my head.

“Netharis did not send me,” I say, my voice quiet. “Myescapefrom the hells was not a sanctioned endeavor.”

Shocked faces line the table.

“You may not want me here.” I stare at my hands, holding the spoon, holding the bowl. I can’t bring myself to look at them.

I shouldn’t tell them this. I should simply take advantage of the safety and protection they’re offering me silently. But, damning others, making them targets of Netharis—it doesn’t sit right. Associating with me comes with risks, and if they decide otherwise, so be it.

“Does he know you’ve come here?” Artemise asks in hushed tones.

I shake my head. “No. I made mention of Lightvale and Elias to the heir of the hells—a lie. But I don’t think it will take him long to figure out I hide under Celesta.”

Artemise purses her lips into a tight line. “No. It won’t.” She sighs.

“What if we bring her into the fold officially?” Aenwyn leans on her forearms against the table. “The gods cannot take mortals sworn to another god.”

“You want me,” I point to myself, “to swear loyalty to Celesta? To serve her?”

I’m met with silent stares.