Page 40

AION

SERYN

E xhausted, my eyes blinked open as I looked up at the violet-tinged sky, sunrise already hooking into the clouds. My breath twirled above me in a glittering eddy. The corners of my lips curled.

Surrelia.

A bright glint prodded at my peripheral, demanding my attention. With effort, I sat up, squinting toward the blinding reflection.

My heart fluttered at the sight, the others strewn around me. As we stood, our breaths stirred the air, curling and sparkling around us, and the glow beneath the moss rippled under our feet.

A gleaming city lay ahead of us on the other side of a curving, obsidian coastal cliff.

An ocean of colossal towers climbed up the side of a gently sloping mountain.

At the summit, the largest citadel perched.

It was entirely gold with a halo of twinkling clouds revolving around the zenith.

White opal covered the rest of the semi-translucent edifices, mixing with shimmering, shifting spectral hues as the early light shifted over them.

Gold melted over the tip of each tapered spire as if they’d been dipped into the looming fortress at the heart of the city.

A curtain of gushing water spilled over the coastline, hugging the edge of the city and into the ocean far below.

Like the hands of a clock, gilded statues of the Horai circled the perimeter. I’d read about these females. They were the Ancients of Hours who guarded Aion, Surrelia’s capital.

I recalled an ink drawing of the beautiful celestials dancing in a circle around a globe, laughing and holding hands. They were the keepers of time. Of the passing seasons.

Kaden shuffled over to me, gently pushing on my chin until my gaping mouth closed. He chuckled and stared off into the distance.

“What have you got there?” His head bobbed to the black stone my fingers fidgeted with.

My eyebrows wiggled. “Melina’s ring. It might take her a while to find her way out of the Murk now.”

Breena smacked a kiss on my cheek. “You beautiful, devious wench.”

Shrugging, I smirked and tucked the ring into my belt satchel.

“Well played, Seryn.” Rhaegar came to Breena’s other side. “Incredible, isn’t it?” He shifted his battle axe on his back. “The first time I saw Aion, I nearly fainted.”

“I’d love to see that. You, a big pile of mush and muscles, falling over like a grymwood,” Breena snickered, slapping his shoulder while his head swayed from side to side.

Marek rolled his eyes, mouth pinching as his eyes flicked over the Surrelian capital.

“I couldn’t have imagined it,” I murmured, still in awe of the city’s ethereal exquisiteness. Gavrel stepped beside Kaden, his hand resting on his brother’s shoulder. He glanced at me, face impassive, and then to the city.

My shoulders dropped as I took in the endless metropolis. It beckoned to me, inviting me to explore the winding streets and nacreous buildings .

This was where the dead ended up. Where their astral bodies found solace throughout the rest of eternity.

At least that’s what scriptures proclaimed.

Unless Phobetor collected them and stole them away to the Nether Void.

I glanced at the raging waters below. Maybe the Insomnis Sea was caught between the two clashing realms. A churning threshold, restless and waiting for one of them to cross the line.

After all, the line between dream and nightmare was a thin thread, constantly ready to snap.

We made our way along the coast, the Larkin brothers flanking me.

The silence was tense, spongy earth squishing pleasantly under our soles the only sound.

The others were far ahead, Breena and Rhaegar’s repartee swallowed by the distance.

Marek trudged behind them, studying the rippling glow of the moss as they moved.

“All right. Say what you need to,” I said, breaking the quiet.

“You could’ve been—” Kaden was cut off as Gavrel rasped, “Ancients grant me strength with you, Little Star.”

Kaden cracked his neck from side to side. “You could’ve been killed, Ser.”

“But I wasn’t. And it bought us time.” I looked at Kaden, his jaw ticking. “I’m stronger now. My gift and I are one … and I know that now.” I focused on Gavrel. “And you can ask for all the strength you need, but you know I did what had to be done.”

Gavrel sighed. “I don’t doubt you can handle yourself.” He crushed his eyes closed for a moment, rubbing his palm over his chest. “I fear losing you.”

My shoulders softened as his lips sealed. He wouldn’t say anything more in front of his brother. With a deep exhale, I placed a hand on both of their forearms. “You aren’t losing me today.”

Gavrel’s muscles loosened, and Kaden’s tensed a bit before relaxing into my touch. My hands went to my sides, leaving the brothers to their thoughts.

Without any further conversation, we caught up to the others. Within an hour, we stood upon a massive, golden bridge. A gate made of curling aureate posts blocked the entrance. On our left, rushing water spilled under the bridge and into the cascading waterfalls surrounding the city’s borders.

As we neared the gates, they glowed white and swung open. No sign of the Horai were present other than their looming likenesses standing guard at the edges of the city.

A twinge of unease shuddered through me. Of course, the Ancients had vanished. This was nothing new. But to think the very Ancients of Time had abandoned us. Were we truly on the edge of destruction? Was Midst Fall’s time up?

A gentle swirl of twinkling air spun away from me as I exhaled. Subtler than in the Reverie Weald, but just as mesmerizing.

We wandered through the streets. Lush, glit-leafed trees were scattered about the opalescent cobblestone and buildings. With each shift of sunlight, fragmented hues danced through the opaque surfaces as if the sunrise was caught in the milky moonlit stone.

A pleasant, sweet-smelling breeze teased my senses. I couldn’t quite place the scent, but it was nostalgic. Cozy. Like when I used to smell the flowers at home when I ran through hanging lines of freshly washed clothing.

Countless residents went about their business—walking, laughing, chatting, and tending their homes behind round-paned windows. Contentment permeated the air.

Gavrel lifted his chin. “We should find a place to rest.”

“And make a plan to sneak into Morpheus’ dungeon,” I added.

A young female with short, ashen hair approached us. Her voice was welcoming and melodic. “Are you lost? How can I help?”

My breath caught as a set of white wings, with feathers tipped in gold, shifted behind her. They hung delicately from her shoulder blades to her ankles. Her pale robes fluttered about her .

“How’d you know?” Kaden’s dimple peeked out as one corner of his mouth curved. He was entirely unbothered by her wings.

Warmth fluttered in my chest. Maybe he truly had moved on. Had forgiven me.

She gave him a sympathetic look, completely oblivious to his charm. “Well, it’s my job as an astral guide and all. But new astrals have a look about them. Confused, lost children. The lot of you.”

Kaden’s mouth fell, and he coughed. “Ah, yes. Well, we’re looking for lodgings for the night.”

She giggled, her image flickering like a translucent mirage. My eyebrows rose. “For the night? I’ll do you one better. How about forever? You fresh ones slay me. Come this way. My name’s Wren, by the way.”

As the guide turned, I tucked my lips inward, suppressing my humor, and shared an amused look with Breena. She grinned, holding her finger to her lips.

No one bothered to tell our guide that we weren’t deceased yet.

“Nice try,” I teased, bumping my shoulder into Kaden.

He gave me a halfhearted smile. “Bit rusty, I guess.”

I gave him a side hug, and he tensed. My arm dropped, letting the awkward silence creep between us as we walked.

Wren led us to a tucked-away courtyard nestled between a circle of buildings. “This is a community space, so feel free to enjoy it whenever you please.”

She waved her hand to the back corner where a wide, golden table overflowed with colorful foods and drinks. “Eat if you wish. Most astrals still enjoy mortal comforts. And why not, I say.”

My gaze roamed over the dream-like space, a gentle peace settling over my shoulders. Was Yaya here? “Excuse me, but have you heard of a woman named Neoma Nightshade arriving in the last days?”

Marek stepped forward, head tilting and tongue running over his teeth. Wren looked up at the sparkling, clear sky. “No, I don’t believe so. If I hear any news of her, I will let you know. Family?”

My hands fisted. “Yes.” If Yaya wasn’t here, there was still hope that she hadn’t been executed .

Stay strong, grandmother .

With a kind smile, she crooked her finger at a young male with wings, standing by the food table. He straightened instantly and hurried over, placing six gold decagon-shaped coins in her palm. She smiled, and his cheeks flushed as he bowed and went back to his post.

“Here are your room keys. Just slip them in the door and in you go.” She pointed to the building to our left and then placed the metal, engraved with a number, in each of our hands. Gavrel’s room was next to mine.

“If the rain doesn’t bother you, there’s a beautiful ceremony tonight at Morpheus’ citadel celebrating Selene and the Budding Moon. She did so love the rain. Said it reminded her of renewal and new beginnings.” Wren sighed.

“You knew the Moon Ancient?” Rhaegar asked, his tone full of wonder.

“Of course. The Ancients used to visit Aion regularly.”

My eyes widened. “They don’t any longer?”

“No.” Our guide paused, eyes narrowing. “But it’s widely believed that they went into hiding and are staying close to their realms or sources of ember as a way to preserve themselves.

When the mortal realm was cursed, more and more mortals stopped believing or died off.

And without acolytes to worship them”—she snapped her fingers, her body flickering between solid and see-through—“Ancients cease to exist.”

“I’ve heard that Ancients can’t wander for very long away from their ember source. What would happen if, let’s say, a mortal were trapped in Surrelia … in their physical form?”

Wren’s eyes rounded, her pert nose crinkled. “What an odd one you are. Luckily for you, that isn’t an issue. Because if you were here in your physical form … well, you’d have about a month before the aether claimed you. Kosmos has its limits, and neither mortals nor Ancients can outwit it.”

I guessed as much from what Phantasos had said. We’d have to find a way out of here before Khaos destroyed us all.