She gasps, staring at the ring. “Korithax… It's beautiful.”
“Yes. It’s yours now. Put it on. We leave immediately.”
She slides the ring onto her finger, and I can’t help but stare, for one dangerous heartbeat, at how perfectly it fits her. Hersmall, delicate hands wear the ring so perfectly, it almost takes my breath away.
My Queen.
Gods help me.
Chapter 25
Daisy
Korithax looks every inch the demon king.
He stands tall and menacing in a tailored black jacket that fits his broad shoulders perfectly, the collar lined in crimson velvet. His obsidian horns curve back from his head like a crown of living stone, his black silken hair falling in loose waves over his shoulders. His dark trousers tuck into boots that are polished to a subtle shine. His presence feels almost too large for the room, power thrumming from him like a living thing.
He stares at the slightly shaking hand I’ve slid the ring onto. It’s absolutely breathtaking, the oversized ruby in the centre glinting in the sun that shines in from the large windows of my room.
“Come,” he says, holding out his arm.
I step into his embrace without a moment of hesitation. His hands tighten around my waist, and a heartbeat later, with no further warning, the world lurches. The dizzying pull of teleportation grips me, making my stomach churn. The delicious breakfast of pyreloaf and emberfruit preserve almostcomes straight back up out of me as everything whips and whirls around. Lyvia had brought it to me this morning with a beaming smile. The pyreloaf was a thickly sliced bread with a blackened crust, with small ashberries baked in. Lyvia said that they were small berries that grew near Hell’s lava. It had a thick, sticky substance on top called emberfruit preserve, which was a rich honey colour and made from crushed emberfruit that gets cooked down into a sticky jam. It was sweet and delicious with a slight spice aftertaste, mixing beautifully with the sweet taste of the loaf. I practically groaned when I took a bite. Lyvia had described each part of the breakfast in incredible detail as I devoured it. Now, however, I was deeply regretting it.
When the ground steadies beneath my feet, I blink into a dream. We stand on a small stone landing platform, suspended in the middle of an endless sky. Floating islands drift lazily around us, interconnected by shimmering rainbow bridges that glitter and seem to ripple like water. Soft mist clings to everything, turning the air cool and making the skin on my arms pebble with goosebumps. Floating just above our heads, close enough to touch, clouds of silver and white dance across the endless blue sky. Waterfalls spill off the edges of the islands, their tinkling sounds filling the air like a symphony of bells. Flowers bloom in impossibly bright colours along the edges of the bridges, looking like peonies—but much more delicate and breathtaking.
“Welcome to Fjellheim Heights,” Korithax says, his voice laced with amusement.
I gape openly, turning in a slow circle to take it all in. If Heaven were real, this is truly how I imagined it would appear.
“This realm,” he continues, “is the realm of rain and mist. It’s here that your world’s rain and mists are born. Virena, otherwise known as the Mother of Mists, rules here.”
I listen, utterly breathless as we begin the walk across one of the rainbow bridges. Korithax points toward a distant shimmering palace that appears to be carved from glass and mist itself.
“Virena is an ancient being,” Korithax says. “When she cries, it floods down in the lower realms. When she sings, clouds bloom, fluffy and white. Children born during a lightning storm here are considered to be her chosen ones.” He glances at me. “Tread carefully around her.”
As we walk through the dreamy realm, mythical creatures move all around us. Enormous stags that look like they’re made of cloud, bound between the floating islands, leaving trails of mist behind them as they gallop along. Serpentine water creatures swim beneath the rainbow bridges like fish, their scales iridescent, catching the sun like beautiful opals. The people of this realm have skin that’s comparable to liquid silver, shimmering under the light like they’ve been doused in the world’s brightest highlighter, their eyes glowing faintly in a variety of pale colours. Their clothing flows around them like pieces of clouds themselves, looking like one gust of wind will disintegrate the intricate clothing instantly.
“Hell trades with Fjhellheim Heights,” Korithax adds. “We provide weapons imbued with flame. It’s not as strong as Hell’s weaponry, but strong enough to defend this realm against outside threats. In return, we receive rare mists and elemental waters for rituals, magic, and help with the growth of our crops.”
I nod absentmindedly, trying to memorise every sound, every smell. The earthy, musky scent smells like a spring shower. Is this what it felt like to take psychedelics? Because I genuinely felt like I was tripping right now.
We near the citadel, a grand palace of transparent towers and flowing waterfalls. Guards stand at the entrance—tall beings with translucent skin, armoured in pale silver plates etched withwhat Korithax has told me are water runes. Their weapons are long, elegant spears that end in a sharp point that looks like a glimmering diamond.
One steps forward. “His Majesty Korithax,” he says with a formal bow. “Her Grace, Virena, awaits you.”
We followthe guard through the vast hallways of intricate carved glass that shimmers in the light until we reach an enormous chamber where Virena sits upon her throne. It’s a large seat that looks like it’s been carved from diamond and opal, and drifting clouds surround the base of the beautiful chair.
“Ah, Korithax,” Virena says, her voice like a sigh of wind. “It has been a while.”
“Virena.” Korithax nods stiffly, hands clasped at his front.
Virena’s eyes shift to me, one storm-grey, the other opal-white, surrounded by pale blue lashes. “And who is this beautiful woman beside you?”
Blushing furiously, I drop into a curtsy. “My name is Daisy, Your Highness.”
“My soon-to-be queen,” Korithax adds, his voice a low rumble that seems so out of place in a palace with such serenity.
Virena smiles, the sight of it making me uncomfortable. It looks almost predatory as she says, “Ah, Daisy. Please. One queen does not bow to another.”
