Page 61 of As Above, So Below

Artemise stands in the door, her arms crossed over her chest as we approach. The disgruntled, unimpressed stare she gives the both of us reminds me of how Vaelyn would often look at Ylara.

“Day one and you’ve already earned a trip to Artemise’s office,”Eve says, her voice so low I barely hear her. “Welcome to the club, Vestaris. We’re going to get along fantastically.”

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Descending the temple stairs, I stop upon the step Celesta had stood on the night we’d met. She never stepped off of the stairs because this is where her ward ends.

Celesta is just as afraid of Netharis as I am.

Everything beyond this is outside of her protection, and aside from Netharis, the biggest threat to my freedom lies directly across the courtyard. Near the temple, the space is wide, open, and tiled with moonstone. But toward the center, a large fountain featuring yet another statue of my mother stands. Beyond that, small thickets of trees, flowers, and shrubs—all carefully tended by the looks of them—speckle the space.

They make the temple feel out of place.

The temple interrupts the natural wildness of Ollora. It’s too perfect, too pristine for its surroundings. Through the clusters of moss-trunked spruce and hemlock trees I can make out some of the castle wall, the castle gate, and the silver-armored guards standing duty. Past the fountain, the moonstone tile shifts to gray cobblestone, matching the rest of the city streets.

Lifting my gaze, I’m greeted with Castle Erus.

The home of the royal family.

It’s a profound structure, dwarfing the Moon Temple. The last time I’d been here, stood here, it had been at night and I didn’t get the chance to simplystare. Right now, in this daylight, the castle is an unbelievable sight.

Vines climb along the stone, a deep leafy green stark against the gray of the weathered stone. The towering spires reach skyward, trying to touch the heavens. Massive gates, adorned with golden gilded accents and black wrought iron fencing embrace the castle entrance.

Two fae guard clad in silver armor stand on either side, watchingdutifully. It’s hard to decipher from this distance, but I assume they’re watching us—seeing as they’re facing this direction.

Despite the beauty, the entire courtyard is empty. The sounds of the city float on the breeze, but this entire space is left deserted.

Why?

“Is it not beautiful?” Cora asks gently, stepping in beside me.

With a quick glance to my right, she greets me with a smile.

I’d gotten out of my lecture with Artemise relatively unscathed. Eve, on the other hand, remains in her office still. My ‘punishment’ for using my innate against a sister—mortals claiming other unrelated mortals as family strikes me as odd—is helping Cora with her daily tasks.

If Opal hadn’t robbed me of my emotions, I would have rebuked. But instead, like a gods damned fool, I simply remained silent and accepted the repercussions of my actions. Were Netharis ever to learn all it would take to control me is an emotional vampire, I’d be damned for eternity.

“It is,” I answer, returning my gaze to the spires of the castle. “But I wonder why such a space is empty. Do mortals not find it beautiful? Do they prefer other spaces over this one? Are they not permitted here?”

Cora laughs, her smile genuine. “No,peopleare welcome here. But out of respect for the Sovereign King, they do not frequent it.”

My face pinches with confusion. “You avoid your king?”

She laughs again, and I can’t help but notice the delicate band of freckles over her cheeks and nose.

“Yes and no,” she says, staring up at the castle. “We tend to give him the privacy he prefers when he’s here. In the castle that is. If he ventures out into the city, that’s an entirely different matter.”

All I can think of is the court of the hells anytime Netharis makes an appearance. The sycophantic smiles, the watchful stares, and false pleasantries. I hated every moment having to walk behind him and being subjected to those things.

A shiver crawls down my spine as a cooler breeze sweeps through.

“It looks like it may rain after all,” Cora says, sadness lacing her voice as she turns her sight upward. She catches me glimpsing ather in question. “Sunny days, like this morning, are rare here in Ollora. I hope you like rain, Vestaris, because we get plenty of it here.”

Darkened clouds have rolled in, hiding away the blue sky and sun. The gray of the clouds reminds me of the veil, and how the sky in the living realm appears through it. The air has become cooler, and I can feel the tingle of electricity on the breeze.

“Ves,” I say, craning my neck to look at the sky. The expression on her face becomes slightly concerned. “Only my father calls me Vestaris. Please call me Ves.”

One of the most beautiful smiles I’ve seen on a human spreads across her face. “I can do that, Ves.”