Epilogue
I wake up under a soft, white blanket, as if surrounded by protective clouds. My head throbs.
I’m alive.
I smell the sweet scent of bay laurel in the air, white light warming my almond blossom-colored tent. Slowly, I sit up.
The ground is covered with bright green moss, and my hammock is stretched between two trees. It’s a large bed, supported by smaller roots to keep it from moving.
I hear footsteps and Lavian enters. A quiet sigh escapes my lips. It wasn’t a dream. I made it out.
The angel smiles and sits beside me on a chair made of roots. I pull the blanket tighter around myself.
“How do you feel?” he asks, and a tingling sensation overtakes me.
“It’s strange to see you like this,” I admit, “not in my mind, or trying to kill me.”
Lavian flashes his white teeth, and his smile is incredibly attractive.
“I’m glad you’re well. It will take some time for you to recover. After that, we can begin the ceremony.”
My mouth suddenly goes dry. The ceremony?
“To become an angel,” Lavian clarifies.
“Oh, of course,” I stammer, lowering my gaze.
“You’re still confused,” the angel says, and I look at him again. I let my eyes roam over his crossed, muscular arms, broad shoulders, and white wings, now folded behind him.
“Lotte…”
“Yes?”
“What you did in the cave… when you threatened that lunatic playing with the vines after you snatched the dagger. That was simply perfect!”
Lavian’s sparkling eyes cause a faint smile to form on my lips.
“What can I say?” I laugh timidly. “Men eat out of my hand.”
The angel laughs.
“I believe they do, yes,” he says, then clears his throat, as if he suddenly caught himself being friendly with me. I am confused by this sudden change of heart. “The point is, you’re alive. Your injuries will heal in a few days, and then I’ll come back for you.”
He walks towards the door.
“I’ll inform the Elders that you’ll be ready then.” He doesn’t ask; he states it. I nod slightly. Lavian gives me a soft smile, then, before stepping out, he suddenly turns back.
“Your bag is there,” he says, pointing to an oval marble table. “The dagger is with us, safe, but I thought you might need the rest, as they’re from your world.”
“Thank you.” I nod, and before the silence between us becomes awkward, Lavian leaves. His soft footsteps fade into the distance.
I get out of bed, grab my bag, and sit back down on the blanket. I clutch the only remaining relic of my human life.
I survived Darya. And now what?
I have to become an angel, but am I capable of it? Am I ready? I think of Sylla’s images, the joy and satisfaction I felt after my sins. Angelic blood flows in my veins, but how much has my demonic blood tainted it?
I reach into my large bag. The first thing I see is a note.
If you’ve woken up, don’t be afraid, you’re safe! I’ll be back soon. Until then, just get stronger so we can start the ceremony as soon as possible! Lavian
My throat tightens. I quickly crumple the paper and shove it deep into my bag. My hand catches on Pandora’s book, and I open it to the drawing of the girl.
Peace washes over me, as if I’m with her again. Pandora’s perfectly drawn features warm my heart. She wanted this too, for me to get out. That’s why she helped me. I stare at the text.
I still don’t understand everything, and a distant voice in my mind whispers again that I need to decipher them. I start flipping through the book, which I know from cover to cover. When I finish, I slam it shut. But before I put it back in my bag, my hand stops.
Something is wrong.
I know this book like the back of my hand.
I open it again, letting the uncomfortable feeling guide me. When I reach the end, a bitter taste fills my mouth.
With trembling hands, I look at the two pages that didn’t belong to the book before.
My Little Champion! I’m glad you’ve arrived in Herebu.
When you have a chance, please send a postcard!
(Nárs confirmed a few days ago that this is the custom in your world – whatever that means) I hope the herebias are slowly recovering; it would have been wiser if they had chosen the rivers under the cave.
I tortured Léthé to illness for you; she wouldn’t have been able to finish them off.
Not that I’m complaining that you distracted me…
Find what you’re looking for, but you know you won’t find it there. Forever yours, And you, mine, D
I gasp and immediately cover my mouth, but no one comes.
I slam the book shut and throw it to the end of the bed.
Nárs confirmed a few days ago…
Darya knew. He knew I would escape. I think of his satisfied look, how he laughed at my attempt to flee. I’ve never feared anything as much as that smile.
My body chills as, amid the panic, a memory flashes before my mind’s eye. Something he said when I sat on his throne. They can’t reach her unless we allow them to.
Darya allowed it. I didn’t divert his attention, but… Darya let me go. Why though? He said he would kill me if I stood on the side of the angels. Here I am, yet I live, though he could have taken my life. Why?
I should throw the book away. I should get rid of it. Burn it, soak its old pages, let it sink into the deep ocean.
But I can’t. Instead, I climb clumsily back onto the bed, clutching my injured arm. I open the book to Darya’s letter and freeze once more.
The parchment is blank. There’s no writing on it.
I stare at it for a while. I gasp as black dots gather on the yellowed page. The ink spreads on the thick paper until finally, the slanted characters form a sentence:
How do you like your angelic cage, my little champion? D