Page 225 of Vasmora

“This isn’t real.”

The smile on her face twisted to a terrifying scowl. “Stubborn, ungrateful wretch! You have no choice.” She threw out her palm, and a shooting pain zipped through my muscles, my arm moving toward my face as if by its own will.

Despite my mind’s command to remain still, my palm slapped over my mouth, the rosehip falling onto my tongue. A bittersweet flavor filled my mouth, my jaw defiantly gnashing the fruit that I refused to chew.

“You will remain here, while I rejoice inside your body. There is no escape for you now.”

I coughed as I fought against swallowing it, but to no avail. It sank down my throat, and a deep, searing burn bloomed in my chest. My pulse quickened. Whatever invisible hold had gripped me moments before relented, and I collapsed to my knees, pressing my hand to my heart.

Thick, black vomit poured from my mouth, spilling onto the ground where it sizzled against the underbrush. A nauseating tickle in my stomach had me pressing the back of my palm to my lips, stifling another round of vomit. When I lifted my gaze, the surrounding trees had disappeared. In their place was a field of white flowers, bathed in a soft mist.

Asphodels.

I turned to see Morsana was no longer present.

The pain in my leg had subsided, the bruises faded.

An echo of laughter drew me to my feet, and in the distance, just as in my dreams, I watched a twin of myself, dancing and twirling amongst the flowers, her white, flowy dress billowing around her.

Am I dreaming?

“Hello!” I called out to her, and she stopped abruptly, her brows pulled tight as she stared across the field toward me.

“What have you done?” Lifting the hem of her dress, she stormed toward me. “You can’t stay here. This is my life!”

“What do you mean?” I glanced around again. “This is a dream.”

My twin shook her head. “No. This is my reality. My world! You can’t be here!”

Confusion clouded my thoughts, the haze lingering in my mind, and I pressed my fingers to my temple, massaging the ache. “Are you a twin? Do we share the same mother?”

The anger from before seemed to wither, and she plucked one of the asphodels, twirling it in her fingers. “I am you in an alternate realm. Much like this field of flowers, there are multiple versions of your fate. You and I are two.”

My blood turned cold. “An alternate realm?”

“Mortals are destined to be reborn. For now, I remain in Caligorya.”

A figure emerged from the distant trees. Dark, mid-length hair, muscled physique, piercing blue eyes, and a sharp jawline. Almost unrecognizable without the black veins and blazing eyes.

“Zevander?” I shook my head. “What is this?”

“I told you. Another thread of fate.”

“But you don’t exist. This is Caligorya, is it not?”

“It is. And I am as real as you are.” She lifted her gaze toward the moons overhead, their crescent shapes giving the appearance of a silver X in the sky as they seemed closer together than before. “You have until the moons merge into one. That is when Morsana will ascend into your body, and once she inhabits it, the essence of you will remain in Caligorya.” When she lowered her head, a look of concern claimed her expression. “I will be no more.”

“She told me there’s no escape. No means of returning.”

“Of course she did. She doesn’t want you to escape.” My twin tossed away the asphodel and crossed her arms. “Morsana takes what she wants. She’s ascended vessels for thousands of years. Yanking your soul would be as easy for her as blowing out a candle, and yet, you’re here. Hanging between worlds by a thread. Why do you suppose that is?”

“I don’t have a clue.”

“Well, that is what you must find out. Perhaps you are different from the other vessels. But the longer you stay in Caligorya, the harder it’ll be to return.” Her gaze drifted skyward again. “She’s betting on that.”

How could I possibly discover a goddess’s secrets in the short stretch of time I imagined those moons would afford me?

I ran my hand through my hair and paced. “I’m adrift here. No books. No references. No way to understand her motives.”