Free Redeemed In Shadows by Tigris Eden Page A

clothed and being treated to what her doctor had deemed necessary rehabilitation, she only saw her unending doom. The limitless torture that was her life if she didn’t free herself.
    She’d struggled with the knowledge while she lay there on the cold slab of metal knowing her time was coming to an end when a voice whispered in her head.
    Slow your breathing to match mine. Low, deep the voice soothing had spoken to her in the dark. It didn’t scare her. She heard voices all the time. It was why she’d been institutionalized in the first place.
    That’s right, now when he approaches the table. I want you to let me take over. Let me drive. Let me in.
    Xee hadn’t said a word, but she did retreat inside herself. She’d drawn so deep inside herself that when she’d come to, her memory was skewed. The good doctor was gone. The walls, the ceiling, and even the crack underneath the door was covered in blood, and the only thing that was discernable about her tormentor was his gray hair that was soaked in his blood, turning it a burnished brown. She was the only thing in the filthy room that remained untouched by the carnage that lay before her. “ Snap back to reality, we’re here.”
    So Micah wasn’t asleep.
    Gabe stopped in front of a large bronze door that was carved with detailed imaging that looked just like Aguste Rodin’s, The Gates of Hell.
    “Is this some sick joke?”
    He turned again looking down at her with a quizzical stare. The door depicted ones journey into the fiery pit. Supposedly, it depicted a scene from The Inferno. The first section of Dante’s Alighieri’s the Divine Comedy. There were slight differences between this door and the ones she’d seen in books. The Thinker was no thinker at all, but a man tormented, he had wings on his back that were draped over his sitting frame as if they were a cloak of protection. She also noticed the famed Kiss was a male Angel with wings that looked broken as he intimately embraced and kissed a woman who was lying half her upper body across the Angels legs.
    “This is the original of twelve. There are twelve gates scattered around the world, guarded by those who have been deemed Watchers, they are not at all like Dietrich’s people. Each gate represents an hour of the night.”
    “I thought there were thirteen hours in the night.” Xee remarked.
    “Smart. There are, but the thirteenth gate takes you to a whole new level of gates. Think otherworld planets. Planes of existence, hell, realms if it makes it easier for you to grasp.”
    Like she was some novice historian with no experience at all.
    “The H.I.V.E houses the eleventh hour. I’ll introduce you to the keeper another time. He tends to be grumpy.”
    The door smoothly slid open and they passed through without incident. The air was moist and a fine mist coated her skin as they descended a set of stone stairs. Darkness surrounded her on all sides. Xee could see nothing as she tried to navigate the void. She didn’t want to ask the Angel for help. There was a time she had to sleep with the lights on, but now she battled back the fear, kicked it to the curb, and fought for her calm as they made their way in the dark.
    Gabe stopped and Xee tripped, tumbling into him. Or would have had she known that in front of her was a straight drop hurtling her into a dark abyss. She was falling, plummeting into nothing. She tried to grab air but couldn’t scream because the breath she was trying to release was at the bottom of her feet. Her stomach threatened to empty her breakfast and her ears felt full of cotton. Strong arms wrapped around her waist as another gust of wind enfolded her into Gabe’s arms. It knocked what little air she had left out of chest, causing her to cough. Everywhere he touched, her skin tingled. She hissed and gritted her teeth in aggravation as she held on tight. How close had she’d come to falling to her death? All because she couldn’t see in the dark. There had to be lights. The