Chapter 16
The Surface
(Seraphine’s POV)
I awoke to the sound of birdsong and to the scents of a lush forest filling my nostrils. It was a stark contrast to the screaming of tortured souls and the odour of rotten meat that I was accustomed to. I had lived with those things for so long that I barely noticed them; it was only in their absence that I truly understood how dreadful my mornings were.
My body felt groggy and heavy as I moved it, dodging the low branches and the thorny bushes that had assumedly kept me hidden. I knew I was on the Surface, but it was so strikingly bright. I only saw the world through its gritty nightlife in the cities or at isolated crossroads at twilight. Deals with demons were rarely made at the break of dawn.
The dappled sunlight warmed my arms and I twis
