Total pages in book: 209
Estimated words: 196141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 981(@200wpm)___ 785(@250wpm)___ 654(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 196141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 981(@200wpm)___ 785(@250wpm)___ 654(@300wpm)
He wishes he could meet his own angel again.
After setting the book aside, eyes too tired to read another chapter, he is reminded of a note left on his nightstand. With a smile, he takes it and skims over the words. It’s Raya, explaining she will be gone on an errand with Tristan tonight—“another insufferable one, to be precise”—and hopes to visit Kaleb when she returns, hopefully before the sun has risen. She can’t wait to hear his music, as it is the only thing lately that brings her joy.
Kaleb can’t wait, either.
Deciding to stay up late tonight for her, he gets dressed in a nice shirt and comfortable pants, then takes his wineglass and lets himself out of the room. The hallways are quiet at this hour with few passersby, so it is alone that he goes for a stroll. He hasn’t explored too much beyond the sitting and dining areas outside his room, afraid to get lost. This place is reprehensibly big, and after the difficult time he had with Nico and the others attempting to navigate its lower halls, Kaleb has no desire to become lost in its maze again. As he comforts himself with an occasional sip of wine, he strolls down the uninhabited halls, past the large main bay window, past the sitting area with tiny tables and cushy armchairs, and stops at the banister next to a set of stairs that curve down to a lower level. His curiosity gets the best of him, or perhaps the wine gives him courage, so he decides to take the stairs down.
The base of the stairs opens to a large banquet hall, tables dressed in red tablecloths completed with tall floral centerpieces, spread out in all directions. He walks along the perimeter of the room, curious, passing under sconces of golden light along the walls. In the center of the room is a large circular stage, empty, but ready for some grand guest. He smiles at it, lifts his glass as if in a cheer, giggles, then continues through the room.
An archway to the side leads him into a narrow hall, warmer in hue, with several doors lining both sides. He takes another sip, feeling as light as a feather, as he turns another corner.
Suddenly the hall opens to an enormous forest. Kaleb comes to a stop, nearly spilling his wine, startled by the abrupt change in atmosphere. He peers over his shoulder to check that the hallway still exists behind him. It does. Ahead, he sees lush, beautiful trees ten times his size, forming a canopy over the path, which changes smoothly somehow from carpet to colorful cobblestone. Kaleb lets out a small laugh of disbelief, amazed as he proceeds into the vibrant forest. He notices with a start that high above him, the ceiling is a glass dome. Overhead, translucent butterflies in every color imaginable flutter among the trees, bathed in light. What light? Is it moonlight, sunlight, or some kind of magical light sent by the gods? He laughs again, then draws silent, grin still spilling over his face as he lets his eyes drink in the wonders all around.
The forest seems to go on in all directions, too. The pathway splits so many times, it isn’t long before Kaleb becomes turned around with no idea how to get back to his room. Somehow, he experiences none of the panic he did in the lower levels when he became lost with his friends. He wishes they could all be with him right now. They would finally understand, just by virtue of the breathtaking sights he’s witnessing now, how incredibly wonderful these gods and goddesses are.
That’s when he spots a clearing at a large intersection of the cobblestone paths, which fork out in a dozen directions. He stands right in the middle and stares up where there are no trees. There is a full moon shining through the glass ceiling like a spotlight. He can’t close his mouth, awed by the beautiful scene.
“It is a lovely view, is it not?”
Startled by the voice, the wineglass slips from Kaleb’s hand, crashes onto the cobblestone by his feet. He gasps. “Oh, no.”
“It is fine.”
Kaleb turns. For a second, he doesn’t even see her.
Until she moves, and the green of her dress separates from the green of the forest. It’s Ashara. Her heels softly click upon the path. She stops some distance from him, peers upward. “I regret to say it is not an actual view of the moon. Like so many parts of this house, it is illusion, a mere imitation of the night sky.”
Kaleb wonders if she was joking earlier when asking about the lovely view. “It is still lovely, ma’am,” he decides to answer. “Any view is worth enjoying. I … I haven’t enjoyed any sort of view … in years.”