Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1)

Chapter 30: Death is Only the Beginning

There was a moment when I knew my life was over. And then it passed. Or maybe I passed on. There was no pain anymore, no horrible ache in my chest or gashes on my head or the searing pain of my opened wound. It was like Abelie had healed me all over again. I was okay. More than okay. I was fantastic. Incredible. Whole.

It was silent. Ridiculously peaceful. I stood in a hallway. I stared down at my clothes. Where had this come from? I lifted the blue dress, draped over my body like smooth satin. The hall I stood in appeared infinite—the white walls, like silky curtains, seemed to go on forever. My bare feet moved over the soft, cloud-like ground. Was I in heaven? My heart didn't beat the normal pounding against my rib cage. It was just as quiet as this place. Realization hit.

Great, I'd kicked the bucket.

"I'm dead," I whispered to nobody.

"Not yet, beautiful angel."

I spun around excitedly, looking for the culprit to that earth-shattering voice. "Abelie?"

"Yes, sweetie. I'm here."

Again, I did a three-sixty as I searched for her face. I'd lost her twice, and now I could hear her voice. This was heaven; it had to be! "Where are you?"

"Right here." A warm hand touched my shoulder.

I whirled around. Abelie stared at me with bright green eyes. She barely had time to take a breath—if you even breathed in this place—before I hugged her. She returned my embrace just as fiercely.

"Where are we?" I asked. "Are we in heaven? Because I'm pretty sure this looks and feels like heaven."

She backed away and cradled my cheeks in her hands. She inspected my face as her eyes devoured every inch. "This is the place between," she said. "The Timeless Oblivion."

Her expression was full of motherly love, something I always saw with my adoptive mother, but this was different.

It was a Herculean effort for me to tear my eyes away from her, but I had to look at this place one more time. The amount of white was blinding. Once again, I glanced down at the ground. It could be clouds. The white fluffy surface was solid, but it squished between my toes, like the softest grains of warm sand.

Though I was thrilled—more than thrilled—to see Abelie, it was difficult to believe she was real. When she stayed silent, I asked, "And what is the Timeless Oblivion?"

"Between mortality and immortality—life and death." She laughed, the sound whimsical. She twirled away from me and danced around like a little girl. For the first time I noticed we wore identical dresses, except hers was a vivid red. With each twist it morphed into a different color. She was magnificent with her long, curly brown hair and her tall, slim body.

"I don't understand," I said, confused. "Am I dead or hallucinating?" I mean, it made sense—my being dead and all—considering I was hit with a spell...and a branch. Plus, the lack of my heartbeat was also a sign. 

"Dead." She smiled back at me.

So it was settled: I was dead. But I had things I needed to do, angels I needed save. How was I supposed to do that in the Timeless Oblivion? The peaceful feeling vanished.

Then:

Aiden, I lamented. Hadn't he lost enough for an eternity? And Andrew—this would crush him. And my family....

"Immortality doesn't come without consequences," Abelie said. She didn't seem worried about my state of...oblivion?

Abelie glanced at my bewildered expression, and her smile dissolved into a frown.