BORDER

Chapter Five

NERISSA

I rush forward from the darkness of slumber with my heart thundering in my chest. The first thing that hits my senses is this familiar scent. I look around the cabin of a old carriage. The only window is blocked out but I peel at it just enough to see the absence of sunlight. It is dark, gloomy, and a terrible looking place to be in.

Where is Mother Nature's call? There is no sunlight. There is no joy or life here. I glance around as bumps arise on my skin out of coldness. It is so horrifically frosty. I begin shaking. From fear or the cold I can not tell, I just know that I need to get out of here.

My fists pound on the back of the door. "Help! Somebody help me, please!"

However, my prayers are far from answered and I am more than petrified and do not think anyone is coming to my aid. I pound on it until my hands begin to bruise and the sobbing starts. The carriage comes to a stop. "Oh great Phanes, thank you. Thank you!"

The door rips open like it had been sealed shut. I go to thank the man once again but he does not allow me to. He grabs me by my hair and throws me onto the ground. One scattered look around tells me exactly where I am.

No. I couldn't be.

How could I possibly be in Gehena? The land of the Fallen.

"Sir, please," I reach forward for his aid, "why am I here?" A sharp smack comes across my cheek so hard I see stars.

We are on the edge of the border, over the line, but below is the land of the fallen. I can recognize it from my history books. Hands wrap around my body and I fight as dread hits my stomach hard. I almost throw up from the feeling. I claw at him, afraid of what he is about to do.

"Stop it you bitch!"

"Please! Please don't do this! Please!"

"May Phanes bless your soul." He snarls and without a moment of hesitation, he propels my body forward.

I can fly. I was taught a long time ago, but I have never used that ability in all these years. My wings have always been for show, have always been an accessory, but not a necessity. So when he throws me from the cliff, I do not think to spread out my wings so they can catch the wind. I only think about the fact that I am falling from grace.

My screams rip from me in a way I have never known me to scream. The air traps me in a state of shock, one hand reaching forward, towards Lani, towards home, as gravity drags me down to Gehena. It feels like an eternity, the fall.

The fear crowds my mind and I have only ten seconds before I hit the ground when I remember my wings. When I remember I am an angel made by Phanes. I spread them wide, and they slow the descent, then out of instinct they wrap around my body like a shield. When my back hits the ground I feel everything in me gasp for air.

I do not move for a long time, feeling my body attempt to repair any bruises and broken bones. When I can finally breathe without it feeling like my chest has a griffin sitting on it, I unfurl my wings from around my body.

I take a good look around, there is nothing besides snow on the ground. My skin is freezing, my toes are now purple, and it feels almost like I am about to break in half. It hurt to move but I force myself to rub my hands up and down my beautiful golden skin — trying to get some resemblance of warmth. Licking my bottom lip, I search for any sort of comfort that will not end up hurting me. I need something, anything. The scent of the air makes me queasy. I need the sweet, fruity scent I am used to. This isn't home. This had to be someone's Russa. My Russa.

I can't do this.

I can't but I will. I search high and low but the air is whipping and frigid against my face so much that I can not focus. My knees are shaking, my hands frozen. It is too cold. I need to figure out where to go or what to do because I can not stay here and survive. I need to get out. First things first, find some shelter and a warm blanket. There are no houses, though. There is nobody in sight. It almost feels surreal like I am trapped in a dream.