Page 61 of Death

Chapter 14

Ari leads me down the beach and I grow more in awe with each step we take. This world looks similar to my own but it radiates with an other-worldly glow unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

The castle towers over us, taking my breath away. Ari stops us outside of a large, wooden door. He keeps his strong grip on my hand as he opens the door with the other and holds it open for me.

“After you,” he says.

I gladly step forward, eager to get a look inside. Ari stays with me, hands safely entwined, and closes the creaking door behind us. The sound echoes around me, bouncing off nothing in the empty entrance hall. The walls are shadowed and black, illuminated by lights so low they might as well be matchsticks. A grand staircase stretches upward in front of us, branching off in two directions halfway up.

I take a deep breath, letting it all in. Again, I’m overwhelmed with sympathy. This place doesn’t strike me as the home of a happy, fulfilled man. I look up into Ari’s nervous eyes and his loneliness gazes back at me. I smile, hoping to bring one to his face as well.

Ari doesn’t smile but his eyes twinge with amusement. “I have something to show you,” he says, gesturing upward with his eyes.

He walks on, taking me with him up the staircase. He takes the right path and I follow, allowing my eyes to memorize my new surroundings while my shoes sink into the thick carpets. We wander along the balcony at the top toward a lone door at the very end.

Ari pushes the door open and continues forward. My jaw drops at the gorgeous paintings along the walls of the hallway. Mostly landscapes with thick, black frames. The furniture is old in style but brand-new without a hint of dust or scratches.

I lose count of how many closed doors we pass by before we reach the end of the hallway. Again, the path briefly splits off, making room for two doors; one left and one right.

Ari halts in front of the door on the left and turns to face me. “Go ahead,” he says.

I pause, biting my cheek as I reach for the doorknob. Ari shifts out of the way but his eyes never leave my face as I look into the room.

The door opens on a bedroom — one fit for royalty, in my opinion. Two elegant couches make up a sitting area off to the left, positioned in front of a burning fireplace. A dozen bookcases line the walls, filled with books from top-to-bottom, built up on either side of a brilliant wooden writing desk. A large, four-poster canopy bed sits along the center wall. The linens and pillowcases are a deep sapphire blue — just like mine back home.

I step inside quickly and Ari shuffles to keep up with me as my feet carry me to the wide-open window along the back wall. The sky paints the view, full of bright clouds and an ever-flowing river of souls beneath it.

Ari squeezes my hand once. “This is your room,” he says.

I spin around. “It is?”

He looks into my shocked face and smirks. “Did you expect a dungeon of some sort?” he asks.

“Well, I…” I swallow. “No, but this… this is too much, Ari.”

“And here I thought it wouldn’t be enough.” He wraps a hand around my waist and draws me in. “You’ll find clothing that fits you in the drawers and closet. The bookshelves are stocked with books and entertainment I think you’d enjoy — as well as the library in the east wing.”

“Wait, a library?” I ask with excitement. “Seriously?”

“I do recall mentioning something about the entirety of the world’s knowledge being at your fingertips during our first date…” His eyes wander my face. “This home is yours as much as it is mine, Tannis. You’ll be free to go wherever you please.” He raises our clasped hands. “Without a chaperone.”

I shake my head, still unable to process this.

Ari chuckles. “What is it?” he asks.

“You…” I exhale. “You’re very prepared,” I say.

He nods. “I’ve had twenty years to learn how to love you,” he says. He raises my hand to his lips and he kisses my palm. “How am I doing so far?”

I laugh. I can’t help it. “Decent, I’d say.”

“Good.” He kisses my hand again before resting it against his chest. “Is there anywhere else you’d like to see?”

I lean into his embrace, my heart pounding like a drum. My body responds, quickly teeming with heat as his hands curl around me.

“Your room?” I request.

He smiles. “You’ve seen it already.”