Cleo睁开眼睛，她眯起眼睛，等她的眼睛适应光线。她四周看。

她在一个大房间里，一边是落地窗，另一边有三扇门。Cleo躺在一张四柱床上，像棉花糖一样软。下午的灯光从落地窗流过，在对面的墙壁上投下长长的阴影。

Cleo坐起来，然后注意到有人换了她的衣服。她穿着看起来太贵的丝绸睡衣。Cleo还注意到，有人擦掉了她身上的灰烬和灰尘。他们也治疗了她的烧伤。

抬头看着涂有星星的天花板，Cleo想起了学校的火。她死了吗？她为什么在这儿？这是人们死后去的地方吗？Cleo的脑袋里传来了一百万个问题，让她头疼。

这时，其中一扇门打开了。穿着深紫色礼服的女人走进来。她有琥珀色的眼睛，深棕色的头发，当她看到Cleo清醒醒来时，她笑了。

Bella你感觉怎么样？

Cleo无视她的问题。

Cleo我在哪里？这是你死的时后去的地方吗？

Bella我向你保证，你还活着。

Cleo我怎么到这儿来的？

那个女人笑了，虽然Cleo不确定什么那么有趣。

Bella我们先给你换个衣服。然后我们会解释。

* * *

那个女人，Bella，带着Cleo走下走廊。Bella给了Cleo一件褶边的粉色礼服。至少她还可以穿她的军靴。

Bella和Cleo走下走廊。Cleo穿裙子每走几步都绊一下。她宁可穿她的裤子，即使只有一条裤腿了。

她们走进一个华丽的起居室。天鹅绒沙发围着一张咖啡桌。它上面挂着一盏枝形吊灯。

躺在其中一张沙发上，是个男孩。

BellaCleo，这是我的儿子，Jax。Jax，这是Cleo。

这个男孩，Jax，抬起头。他正在看着他手中的一块玻璃 - 大概是一个iPad的大小。

Jax'Sup

他又低头看着他的那块玻璃。Cleo不知道一块玻璃有多么有趣。

Jax有琥珀色的眼睛，跟他妈妈一样，但他的头发更像是巧克力色。

Bella清了清嗓子。 Jax又抬起头来，有点恼火。

Jax什么？

Bella怒视他。

Bella告诉Cleo她在哪儿还有发生了什么。我有点事。

Bella走出房间，把Cleo留给了一个看起来很不舒服的Jax。

他放下了他手里那块玻璃。

Jax所以，我们在Everhearth，但你可能已经知道了。

CleoEverhearth是什么？

Jax你不知道Everhearth在哪里？真的吗？

Cleo你想告诉我吗？

JaxEverhearth，火demon的土地?你不知道吗?

英文翻译:

Cleo’s eyes fluttered open and she squinted as her eyes adjusted from the light. She looked around.

She was in a big room, with floor-to-ceiling windows on one side and three doors on the other. Cleo was lying on a four-poster bed, as soft as marshmallows. Afternoon light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows against the opposite wall.

Cleo sat up and noticed that someone had changed her clothes. She was wearing soft silk pajamas that looked way too expensive to just give out to her. Cleo also noticed that someone had scrubbed the dirt and groot off her body and that someone had treated her burns, including wrapping the burn on her calf.

Looking up at the ceiling, painted with stars, Cleo remembered the fire. She shivered. Is she dead? Why was she here? Is this where people go when they die? A million questions went through Cleo’s head, giving her a massive headache.

Just then, one of the doors opened. In stepped a woman wearing a midnight purple gown with a full skirt. She had amber eyes, dark brown hair that had a red tinge to it when you looked at it correctly, and full red lips that twisted into a smile when she saw Cleo awake.

“How are you feeling?” the woman asked.

Cleo gave a halfhearted shug. “Where am I? Is this where people go when they die?”

The lady frowned. “I assure you, you’re very much alive.”

“How did I get here?” Cleo asked.

The woman laughed, though Cleo wasn’t sure what was so funny. “Let’s get you dressed up first. Then we’ll explain.”

Cleo walked down the hall with the woman, Bella, who put her in a frilly pink gown that Cleo could not walk in. At least she got to keep her military boots.

Bella and Cleo walked down the hall, Cleo stumbling every few steps in her dress. Cleo wondered where her cargo pants were. She’d rather wear those than this gown, even with one missing pant leg.

They emerged in an ornate sitting room. There were plush velvet couches surrounding a simple coffee table. Above it hung a chandelier.

Lounging on one of the couches, was a boy.

Bella stepped forward. “Cleo, this is my son, Jax. Jax, this is Cleo.”

The boy, Jax, raised his head from a piece of glass - about the size of an iPad - in his hands. “‘Sup,” he said, before looking back down at his piece of glass.

Jax had amber eyes, just like his mom, but had tousled hair that was lighter and more of a chocolate brown.

Bella cleared her throat. Jax looked up again. “What?”

Bella clenched her jaw and said, “Would you like to tell Cleo what happened and where she is?”

Jax shook his head. “Not really.” Bella glared at him.

“Uh, yeah sure,” he amended.

Bella smiled, saying, “Great, I’ll leave you to it,” as she walked out of the room.

Jax cleared his throat and set down the glass. “We’re in Everhearth.”

When Cleo didn’t react, Jax frowned, “You don’t know where Everhearth is? Seriously?”

Cleo glared at him and Jax sighed. “Ugh. You know, Everhearth, land of the Fire demons?”

第五章