Getting used to the normal, not blood-tinged, death-soaked air of the mortal realm—the basement—wasn't easy for Jessamine. She struggled to breathe it in at first, then the Guides had huddled around her and turned the air to ice, making it even harder. The atmosphere made her dizzy. The sensation of falling never stopped, giving her vertigo.

When she'd parted ways with Ada and collapsed head-first into a spinning, never-ending black ditch, she'd gotten it into her brain that the demons had tricked her, that she was in fact moving on to a worse dimension than theirs. Some kind of real hell where she'd be falling forever.

But when she stirred in Avery's arms, opened her eyes, took in his musk, captured his glorious, glowing blue eyes to memory, she knew she'd survived.

That instinct to survive remained as he half-carried her up the stairs, out of the basement. The stuffy air down there had gone from tolerable to impossible, with all the Guides and their angry energy concentrating in the small, confined space.

In truth, the farther from the formerly red door as she could get, the better. If she could put that entire experience behind her and move forward, she'd rest easier. Though a part of her wondered if she'd ever truly rest again.

As Avery led her down the hallway, she shuddered. Though there was something different about it, it engulfed her. Too many memories of this place; too many visions of that dreadful night when she'd shoved past Avery and Jamie, forced her way into the house, stomped down to the basement, to the door she'd been destined to open. Now she was doing the reverse trek; away from the door and all it represented. Away from all the suffering she'd caused, the trauma she'd been responsible for.

Her legs gave out halfway to the front door. Avery gasped, then guided her to the main stairs, letting her sit on the bottom step to catch her breath. "Need a minute?"

She nodded, biting her lower lip. "It's quite a difference between there and here," she said softly, lowering to set her chest against her thighs, her chin near her knees. "How long was I in there...?"

Avery grimaced. "To be fair, I lost track of time with everything going on up here... probably a few days?"

Jessamine brushed stray hairs from her face. Her hands were cold, frozen, even, sending goosebumps to line along her neck. "I'm guessing a few days up here is like an eternity down there. Time works differently in adjacent realms."

"Yeah," Avery sneered, "so I've been told. And so I've felt, too; did I tell you I was—"

"—in the demon realm?" She flinched at the word demon. Saying it out loud, out here, was almost like inviting a curse to fall upon her once more. "They told me, actually. When I... when we found you in the basement, I didn't realize that was where you'd come from. Neither did they. Or if they did, they didn't share it with me."

Avery knelt before her, his hand itching to touch her face. To caress her worries away, to soothe her. She wanted it, too, but not just yet. She needed a bit more time to adjust.

"I have to, um," he winced, "this is going to sound weird, but I have to go re-bury some bodies."

Jessamine's eyebrows raised, but she didn't question him. "After everything we've been through? That doesn't sound so weird."

"It has to do with Limbo and portals opening up in their realm, and... ah," he straightened up and flashed her a bright smile, "I'll be back. You relax."

She silently thanked him as he opened the door, allowing a film of sunlight to stream over her face. He shut it, though, and she was in darkness once more. But after the sepia-toned hell she'd thought she'd be stuck in forever, this darkness was welcome.

With her cheek resting on her knee, she closed her eyes. For the first time since she'd met Avery, she felt safe. Not comfortable—she was sitting on a dusty step, surrounded by cobwebs and ghosts—but secure enough to let herself breathe, at last. No demons pursuing her, whispering her name, calling to her soul. No blue-bodied beings belting out prophecies that would shape the rest of her life. The ghosts were still around, but they let her be, not disturbing her peace, however momentary it'd be.

A soft breeze wafted over her skin, making her shiver. She sat up, peered around, and came face-to-face with her former possessor, her former protector.

"Faz," she said with a shy smile, recognizing him immediately. "They let you out of the basement? I thought they were going to lock you up, or something. Maybe eat you."

The corners of Faz's lips twitched up, but he didn't return her smile. "They'll get over it. We've all had secrets, and Ada had the most. If they knew half the stuff I do... it wouldn't sit with them, at all."

He swerved to her other side and lowered beside her, as if sitting on the steps with her. His figure hovered over the steps, though, almost through them. Jessamine pulled her gaze away from the sight and instead focused on his eyes.

"Are you all right?" Faz's voice was genuine, tender. There'd always be a connection between them—he'd seen the deepest, darkest parts of her soul and never commented on them, never judged her. For years, he'd been inside her, witnessing what she witnessed, her quiet companion through all her ups and downs. If she'd known he was there, she'd have had an internal therapist, and it would have been quite welcome.

"I will be, in time." Jessamine ground her teeth, not believing her own words. "Faz, look... this is all my fault, so if you're in trouble, I can talk to them—"

"—all your fault?" Faz quirked an eyebrow. He had the features of a teenage boy, though his presence was ancient, wise, his voice deep with concern. "No, Jessamine. No, it's not."

"But it is." She wished she could take his hand and squeeze it, infer all her sorrow and guilt into his grasp, make him understand how truly sorry she was. "I never should have been so reckless. Never should have let you out of me."

Faz shook his head. "It was destiny, and there was nothing you, or Avery, or Ada, or I could have done about it."

"I could have listened to you," said Jessamine, lowering her legs, stretching them out. "If I hadn't been so adamant on ignoring you, on looking at the house, on obeying my stupid curiosity..."

"And then what?" Faz used his power to twist her neck, to make her look at him. His eyes were usually blue, the same shade as his body; but now they were navy, riddled with worry. "We'd all wait for another prophecy to pass? Ada was under the impression there were several, and hers was only one of many."

Jessamine's jaw tightened as she stopped herself from spilling out the truth: that she agreed with Ada.

The reaper implied this, but I don't think I should bring that creature up in the conversation yet.

There'd be plenty of time to describe all the horrors she'd seen in the demonic realm, when—if—she was ready.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Avery's voice shot through the room. Jessamine snapped to him, finding him standing in the doorway, blocking the sunlight from splashing over her. She hadn't heard the door open, hadn't detected his return or sensed the light. Now, she shaded her face as he closed the door and turned back to her. "Great, so we're not done with any of this, are we?" Sweat gathered over his forehead, and glistened on his arms; he'd rolled up his sleeves. He walked over to them, nudging Faz out of the way so he could sit by Jessamine.

Faz swept away from the stairs, looming in front of the two of them, his gaze fixed on Avery. "I'm sorry. More of her secrets, yes; more things she shared with me and swore me to secrecy on."

Jessamine wondered what the Guides would swear on; humans? The universe? They had no god to bind their vows, no supernatural being they responded to, or so she'd come to understand. The demons had clarified the lack of beings governing the world, as most mortals tended to think. It was the one thing Jessamine agreed with them on; for the longest time, she'd started to consider herself an atheist.

"Well, at least it's out in the open now," said Avery, swiping a hand over his forehead. "And I apparently didn't have to bury any bodies, because they all magically hopped back into their spots?" He blinked at Faz. "The dirt was over their holes, untouched. As if I'd never dug them up."

Faz winked. "We Guides can do physical labor, as you might have noticed from the house we rebuilt."

Jessamine started. "What?" She took better notice of her surroundings, realizing the staircase was different; polished, silvery, almost marblesque in nature. The interior wasn't the same as the original house, either. The crown moldings were more modern, the floor less covered in debris, fewer stains on the walls.

"It's a new building, ready for fresh adventures," said Faz, rising towards the ceiling. He paused, swooped down, and squinted at the hallway to Jessamine's right. "Ah, if you'll excuse me for a moment... the ghost portal is activating, and I need to learn how to control it. It appears I'm next in line, with Ada gone."

He zipped away, and the energy grew heavy for a few moments. Jessamine side-glanced at Avery, then pulled herself to her feet... and collapsed in front of him. She hung her head, searching for the words, the strength, the courage.

"What the—" He made to get up, to grab her, but she wagged a finger, assuring him she was fine; she hadn't fainted or lost control of herself. "Huh? Are you okay?"

"I need to apologize to you." Guilt crashed over her in intense waves, and tears gathered at her lash-line. She heaved her chin back up to look at him. "For what I did, for... for Jamie. I can't say enough to express how deeply, truly, insanely sorry I am, for—"

Avery grabbed her chin, steadying it. He plunged his eyes into hers, digging into the depths of her, quieting her.

Ada had assured her Avery had forgiven her, but this look, this violent connection between them now didn't appear like forgiveness, to her. It was ruthless, scrutinizing. It shredded through her soul and tore it to pieces. Avery's gaze, so watery, so loaded with unspoken rage, with unbridled disappointment, told her enough. Ada was wrong.

His fingers anchored into her skin, holding her in place as her body waited to shrink. "No," he said, his lips pressed in a hard line. "There's nothing to forgive, Jessamine. You didn't do it, understand?" He approached his nose to hers, their tips gently touching. "The demons controlled you. Trust me, I've felt possession myself—Ada got into me a few times, and I get it, I do. When those things take over... they take over. You become a figment of yourself, a fragment in the confines of your mind. You," he tipped his forehead against hers, "did not kill Jamie. The demons did, and I consider them now punished. And they can no longer harm us, any of them."

She felt his lips trembling near hers, beckoning, asking for permission. And she would have caved, so desperate for human touch, for his touch; but an energy loaded with loathing filled the air, pulling them apart.

A group of Guides had appeared, coming up from the basement. They soared into the space before Avery and Jessamine, their gazes like stone, their mouths tight. There was a subtle fury in their demeanors, causing Jessamine to scramble onto the stairs, behind Avery.

Avery stood up, hands raised in surrender. "What is it?"

Faz zoomed over just in time—he got in front of Avery, hands on his hips. "What's going on?"

"Move," said a female Guide, her voice slick with rage. "We need to speak with these humans."

Faz didn't move, but was shot sideways by other Guides when he wouldn't budge. He groaned, brushing himself off, and winced as the Guides got closer to Avery and Jessamine.

Jessamine muffled a whimper.

Are they going to kill us, seconds after their leader rescued me?

"There's been too much turmoil in this place," said the female, her eyes stuck on Jessamine. "Turmoil caused by your existence."

"Hey," Faz whooshed over, though he couldn't nudge the Guide away, "she's not responsible for any of this."

"You may have replaced our leader," said another Guide; one whose gender couldn't be identified, and whose features were neutral, albeit inflamed with irritation. "But you won't interfere with this, Faz. Step aside, and let us say what we have voted on."

"V-voted?" Jessamine's saliva gathered in her throat, constricting her breathing. Had she escaped hell only to die in the place she'd once considered close enough to heaven?

"Ada sacrificed herself for you." The neutral Guide's gaze swung from Jessamine, to Avery, then narrowed again on Jessamine. "You nearly ruined the world, and your entire existence shifted realms that were never to be opened. Unearthed secrets that mortals were never to uncover. We must now find ways to erase their memories, to fix what your presence, your life, has caused. And though some of us were inclined to punish you for that," they side-glared at several Guides, who hunched, dropping their chins, "we came to an agreement."

"Killing you would do nothing to fix the errors of Ada's prophecy," said the female, sidling up to the neutral Guide. "It would mean Ada's sacrifice was in vain, and we'd rather honor her memory instead of tarnish it."

"So you're to leave, now, and never come back." The agender Guide's nostrils flared. "Either of you, ever, for no reason at all. If you set another foot on this property, within the determined lines of our forest, we will not hesitate. And you both know Guides can kill, under the right circumstances. Ada is no longer here to protect you."

Faz growled, spinning to his fellow Guides. "You seek to honor her memory, but you threaten those she protected with her existence? That's far from honorable, friends. Perhaps you should rethink your very permanent actions and allow these two some grace. They were swept up in all this, like us. To hold them accountable is unfair."

"What's unfair is that you would receive Ada's mantle," said the female, her tone pinched, her words daggers. "If we're to be your underlings, whatever; but we'd ask that no living mortal ever encroach our territory again. No more prophecies, no more lies."

Avery stretched his arms out and cautiously stepped down from the stairs. "Fine." The Guides moved out of the way, letting him pass. Jessamine cowered behind him, grabbing onto his shirt, a flimsy voice in her head telling her the Guides might try to attack her if she wasn't careful.

They loathed her, every fiber of her. No matter that she wasn't in control of herself, that she hadn't asked for this fate, the Guides didn't care. They wanted her gone.

"We'll leave, but can we have some time to rest, get ourselves prepared for the drive?" Avery kept his arms up, but slowed his strides. "It's been a long, long couple of days. Weeks? I don't even know."

Jessamine collided into his back, cursed under her breath, and released his shirt.

"No." The female Guide dashed to the door and wrenched it open with her energy. "Like we said, we won't kill you, but we won't wait. It's none of our concern if you need to sleep, if you're hungry or thirsty. When you die and come to us, you'll be our problem, and we'll treat you fairly. But for now," she gestured outside, into the sunlight, "you must go, and never return. Forget this place ever existed."

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