Page 58 of As Above, So Below

“Not because I’m demon?” I ask, arching a brow.

“A Sovereign King marrying a demon won’t give him the High Throne,” Eve laughs. “And it’s not justourSovereign King you have to worry about. It’s all eight of them. Ours just happens to know you exist because of the Ascension ritual.”

I blink. A few times, trying to process what Eve had just said.

“You’re telling me I have to contend witheightfae kings to retain my freedom?” My pitch rises along with my bewilderment.

“You don’t know about any of this?” Cora asks.

“No. Mortal traditions and cultures aren’t something I needed to understand,” I answer honestly, fighting against the rising panic in my chest.

In the hells, Netharis was my largest obstacle.

A god, but simply one entity—a known entity I could handle. Mostly. Alright, avoid. My lips work themselves into a fine line. I’m beginning to realize I’ve stepped into a world where I have many more enemies than I ever did in the hells.

What in the nine hells have I done?

CHAPTER TWELVE

Pacing under thecanopy of a large tree in the gardens, a fingernail finds its way between my teeth.

I need to have a decision made by dinner.

And right now, my instincts are telling me torun.

But run where?

Escape into the wilds of Eldoterra and face down who knows how many creatures stalking the night? Vampires, undead, wraiths, werewolves? And gods know what else. Here… here I have the temple, its protections, its sanctuary. Surely I’m capable of hiding fromoneSovereign King while here.

But staying means joining Celesta’s devoted.

The only creature I’m devoted to is myself.

Eve and Cora sit on a blanket together, Cora resting against Eve, Eve’s arm wrapped around her shoulders. A pair, it seems. They chat quietly, Eve showering Cora with small affections. A brush of the hair here, a kiss against the brow there.

I have to admit, it’s heartwarming.

Though seeing them brings questions I don’t know how to ask regarding the nature of things between fae and humans. Thankfully, neither Eve nor Cora took offense when I asked on the matter earlier. I learned humans and fae live in Erus peacefully and have since the Dividing War. Apparently, the Sovereign King is a supporter of equality between the two species.

Something I didn’t expect coming from a fae.

The living realm is nothing short of stupefying.

I’m overwhelmed.

It’s as if a fog has been lifted from my mind and everythingis crisper, clearer, more intense. I hear things at a distance I shouldn’t, colors are almost too vivid, and scents—

Good gods, the scents.

When the breeze blows through, I can smell warm bread from nearby bakeries, the briney waters of Kevus Lake, moss clinging to the stone of buildings, and a cornucopia of flowers. It’s jarring and I’m struggling to navigate the onslaught of sensations. Eve offered the potential explanation of it being due, in part, to my fae lineage.

While my emotions had always been somewhat of a challenge to control in the hells, here I find them even more easily evoked. In the hour it took for Eve and Cora to show me the first floor of the temple grounds, I was moved to tears no less thanthree times.

Why?

Because I got to see nightshade, my favorite flower, with these cursed fae eyes. Because I could hear the call of a nearby unkindness with these cursed fae ears. And because I got to taste chocolate for the first time with this cursed fae tongue.

Adapting to life is going to be harder than I anticipated.