The walk down from the high cliff was quiet. The only sound was the wind. The wind in Pandemonium did not feel like the wind in Aetheria. In the sky kingdom, the wind was thin and smelled like ice. Here, the air was thick. It smelled like warm earth and smoke. It felt heavy on Celeste's skin.
Athan walked in front of her. He did not look back to see if she was following. He did not need to. He still held her hand in a tight grip. His metal rings felt cold against her palm, but his skin was like a heater. Celeste had to take two steps for every one of his. He was so tall, and his stride was long.
They reached a flat area at the base of the mountain. The Demon Army was still there, but they had moved back to make a path. The soldiers stood tall. They did not whisper or giggle like the angels did. They stayed silent. Their glowing eyes followed Celeste as she passed. She felt like a small white rabbit walking through a forest of wolves.
In the middle of the path, a demon soldier held the reins of two horses.
The first horse was huge. It was a beast made of muscle and shadow. Its coat was so black it looked blue. It had red eyes that seemed to burn. This was Athan's horse. It snorted when it saw him and stomped a heavy hoof on the dark stone.
The second horse was smaller, but it was still terrifying. It was a mare. She was as black as the night. Her mane looked like silk, and her eyes were a soft, dark purple. She did not have a carriage attached to her. She did not have a soft seat. She only had a simple leather saddle.
Athan stopped. He let go of Celeste's hand. The loss of his heat made her shiver.
"This is yours," Athan said. He looked at the black mare, then at Celeste.
Celeste looked at the horse. She felt her stomach drop. In Aetheria, princesses did not ride horses. They sat in gold carriages with silk pillows. They were carried by others. Celeste had never even touched a horse before.
"I... I cannot," Celeste whispered. She backed away a step. "I have never been on a horse. I do not know how to do this."
Athan did not look annoyed. He did not roll his eyes. He just stood there like a wall of shadow. "There are no carriages in the wastes. You ride, or you walk. Choose."
Celeste looked at the long, rocky path ahead. The ground was jagged. She was barefoot. Her feet were already sore from the walk down the cliff. She looked at the mare again. The horse tilted its head and huffed a warm breath against Celeste's shoulder.
"She will not hurt you," Athan said. His voice was short. He did not try to be sweet. He was just stating a fact.
He walked over to the horse. He grabbed Celeste by the waist. He did not wait for her to agree. He lifted her up easily. He was so strong it felt like he was lifting a feather. He placed her onto the saddle.
Celeste gasped. She felt very high up. The leather was slippery. She reached out and grabbed the horse's mane with both hands. She squeezed her eyes shut. She felt like she was going to fall and break her neck.
"Open your eyes," Athan commanded.
Celeste opened one eye. She saw Athan standing right next to her leg. He was so tall that even while she was sitting on the horse, he was still close to her eye level.
"Sit straight," he said. He reached up and adjusted her posture. His large hand pressed against her lower back. It was firm. "The horse follows your body. If you are afraid, she is afraid. Grip with your legs."
Celeste tried to do what he said. She squeezed her legs against the horse's sides. The black leather of her dress rubbed against the saddle. It made a creaking sound.
Athan handed her the reins. "Hold these. Do not pull hard. Just hold them."
Celeste took the leather straps. Her hands were shaking. Athan watched her for a moment. His gold eyes moved over her face. He seemed to be looking for something. After a few seconds, he turned away. He walked to his own massive horse and jumped into the saddle in one smooth motion. He looked natural on the beast. He looked like he was born to lead a charge into a fire.
"Move out," Athan told his men.
The army began to walk. Athan's horse started to move forward. The black mare followed him immediately. Celeste felt the horse move beneath her. It was a strange, rolling feeling. Every step the mare took made Celeste's body sway.
At first, she was stiff. She held the reins so tight her knuckles turned white. She was sure she would fall. She kept looking at the ground, watching the dark rocks pass by.
"Look up," Athan said. He was riding right beside her. He was so close that his horse's shoulder almost touched hers.
Celeste looked up. She looked at the back of Athan's head, then at the horizon. The sky was a deep, dark violet. There were no stars, but there were glowing clouds of red gas high in the air. It was beautiful in a strange, scary way.
"The horse knows the path," Athan said. He did not look at her while he spoke. He kept his eyes on the road. "Trust the animal."
Celeste took a deep breath. She tried to relax her shoulders. She watched how Athan moved. He did not fight the horse. He moved with it. He looked like he was part of the animal. She tried to copy him. She let her body go a little bit loose.
The mare seemed to feel the change. She stopped tossing her head. She walked with a steady, rhythmic beat.
They rode for hours. The sun did not come up. In Pandemonium, the light stayed the same. It was a world of eternal evening. The heat did not go away, but a cool breeze began to blow from the mountains. It felt good on Celeste's face.
As they rode, the landscape changed. They left the rocky mountains and entered a forest. But it was not like the forests Celeste knew. The trees had no leaves. Their branches were white and looked like bones. The ground was covered in soft, black moss.
Every now and then, Celeste would slip. Her balance was not perfect. One time, the mare stepped on a loose stone and stumbled. Celeste screamed and tipped to the side. She was sure she was going to hit the dirt.
Suddenly, a heavy hand caught her. Athan had reached out without even looking. He grabbed her arm and shoved her back into the center of the saddle. He held her there for a few seconds until she was steady.
"Eyes on the path," he said coldly.
He did not ask if she was okay. He did not check to see if she was scared. He just made sure she did not fall. He stayed that close for the rest of the hour. His horse was so near that his knee occasionally brushed against hers. The contact was brief, but it sent a jolt of heat through her.
Celeste began to realize something. In Aetheria, if she fell, people would laugh. Her brother would call her clumsy. Her father would look away in shame. But here, Athan just caught her. He did not judge her. He just kept her on the horse.
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He looked like a statue of black iron. His obsidian wings were folded tightly against his back. They looked sharp enough to cut stone. He was the most terrifying man she had ever seen. He was a monster who had bought her with blood.
But as the forest grew darker and the sounds of strange animals echoed through the bone-white trees, Celeste did not feel like she was in a cage. For the first time in her life, she was out in the world. She was on a horse. She was moving toward a new life.
Athan looked over at her. His gold eyes caught the faint red light of the sky.
"Hungry?" he asked. It was a short question.
"A little," Celeste whispered.
Athan reached into a bag on his saddle. He pulled out a piece of dried meat and a small fruit that looked like a dark plum. He held them out to her. Celeste took them. Her fingers brushed his palm. Again, that spark of black fire flickered between them.
Athan's eyes narrowed, but he did not pull away. He watched her eat.
"Eat all of it," he said. "The road is long. We do not stop for the weak."
Celeste nodded and ate. The fruit was sweet and tasted like honey and smoke. It gave her strength.
As they rode deeper into the heart of the Demon Kingdom, Celeste felt the weight of her old life falling away. She was still timid. She was still scared of the man beside her. But she was not looking at the ground anymore. She was looking at the purple sky. She was looking at the dark King.
She was riding into the shadow and felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.