38. Chapter Thirty-Eight
Iawoke to a world of ethereal hues and shimmering lights.
My senses felt heightened, and I realized I was no longer confined to the limitations of the physical realm. It was subtle at first, but as I sat up, I focused on the way the air around me pulsed with a gentle energy. The boundaries of reality seemed to blur as I embraced the surreal beauty of my surroundings.
As my awareness settled into this new state of being, I noticed a seamless transition from the familiar to the extraordinary. My consciousness, unburdened by the weight of my mortal heart, floated effortlessly in a realm that transcended the ordinary. I remembered the agony of the Underfae ripping through my mortal flesh, but it bothered me not.
Colors danced in kaleidoscopic patterns, and the very fabric of existence seemed to ripple with an otherworldly grace. I looked down, or rather, directed my focus to where my body would have been. Instead of limbs and flesh, I beheld a shimmering form of light and energy. It radiated from within, a manifestation of the essence that defined me beyond the corporeal shell I had once inhabited.
A soft, melodic hum echoed through the celestial plane, resonating with the harmonies of unseen forces. It was a symphony of the cosmos, a song that whispered secrets and truths only discernible in this transcendent state. I marveled at the beauty of the interwoven cosmic threats, connecting every celestial point in a grand tapestry of existence.
With newfound understanding, I realized I wasn’t alone. Beings of light, ephemeral and majestic, glided through the astral expanse. They emanated wisdom and ancient knowledge, their presence a testament to the vastness of the unseen realms. It was as if the very essence of the universe had congregated to welcome me to this mystical plane. They sang to me—of a beginning, an end, a new hope.
As I floated, weightless and liberated, a sense of purpose began to unfold. It was not just an escape from mortality; it was a journey into the depths of consciousness, an exploration of the boundless possibilities that awaited beyond the confines of the tangible world. The astral realm was a canvas of dreams, and I, a mere wanderer, ready to paint my destiny across its infinite landscapes.
But just as I smiled at the weightlessness, the speckled stars above faded into utter darkness. I was spiraling uncontrollably through this void until I smashed into an invisible wall.
I gasped, vision blurring as the darkness shifted into a figure of silvery hair and black, hollow eyes.
A woman.
She smiled at me. “Aurelie Cane,” she sang, spiraling around until floating to a halt in front of me. “It is time we met on unadulterated terms. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot.”
I gulped, lips parting as I lifted my hand. My skin was no more—I was a translucent bundle of soul and stars.
“My name is Myrthana, and I am your maker.”
That was when she recaptured my attention. “The mother of halflings.”
“The mother of all, really,” she said again in singsong. “Of blazing embers and stardust alike. You know that now, though, don’t you? After speaking to Elder Fayne.”
The mother of all. I shook my head, and although I knew I should feel hatred, my entire essence was numb. “You sound delusional.”
“Delusion is another way of accepting mediocrity, Aurelie. You’ve been through quite a fight,” she said and whirled around me once more. “Your body is fleeting. Not even this plane can save you from that.”
“I feel better than I ever have,” I said in a hushed whisper, forcing myself off the wall and flitting up into the air to grab hold of a star. It was warm—impossibly so. “You’re just trying to trick me.”
“What a mortal flaw…” Myrthana sighed as she followed me. I was transparent and hollow, but she existed within this plane as a full-blooded fae—skin and all. “But you can be saved if you listen to me.”
“Sacrifice for sustenance,” I said with a low tone. I hated the thought—it was something I’d never agree to.
“Sacrifices have been made,” Myrthana said and flitted closer. I could almost smell her herbal presence—could feel her cold gaze. “Your job is much more important than that.”
So I let go of the star and gave her my undivided attention. Even numbed, I had a hard time looking at Myrthana without scowling.
“When I touch your heart, I am bestowing you with the sort of magic that has laid dormant in your soul due to the negligence of your upbringing. It will save you—mortal heart, halfling blood. You will live to fight another day, but it will come at a cost.”
I shook my head and started to fly back, certain entering a deal with her would result terribly. But again, my back hit an invisible wall.
Myrthana beamed, grabbing hold of my shoulders. Her short nails turned to talons, and terror washed over me…even in mind-numbing, ethereal peace. “You defy my aid?”
“I defy you.”
Myrthana’s happiness faded. “You will wake in the Summer Court, Aurelie Cane. Reunited, you and Yenira will fulfill our destinies and restore balance to our broken world. Do you understand me? When we meet again, I will ask you if you desire my aid one final time. If my debt is not paid, then I will cut your pathetic thread of life.”
I choked on a gasp, but before I could refuse, her hand slipped to the place my heart should be—now nothing more than a cluster of stars—and magic bled through me. I felt the celestial clusters inside me turn to veins, veins to blood, blood to bone, muscle, skin—
The agony returned.
And just as Myrthana had promised, I woke in an unfamiliar cell, my clothes torn, abdomen stitched shut. I was chained at the neck, this time not by silver, but by rusted iron. I turned my head to a gated slit at the top of the wall, eyeing the warm light that bled into the dark dungeon.
Outside, music played.
Inside, I broke down—into tears, into tremors as pain ravished my body, and into despair at the idea of being so far from the only people I considered home.