“Two weeks?” I gasped. “Stars. Alright, you can all leave me now. I’ll meet you in the great hall in a little bit.”
Chapter 53
Floating at the center of Seventh Choir, I looked up into Granmanmi’s unforgiving, mauve eyes. We floated in silence as the Farasee Council looked down at us. Granmanmi Asarah was joined by Presbitari Davithius, Farasee Esau, and three Iris. There were other Farasees I didn’t recognize except for the final male whose name I didn’t know. The Farasee from my trial. I knew he was glaring at me, but I only had eyes for Granmanmi.
“Nothing in this temple is given. It is earned,” Granmanmi began. “Incense Order, First Dominion, Seventh Choir has proven themselves to be an embarrassment to the Farasee Order.”
“Because we?—”
I snatched Ellabeth’s arm, squeezing her hard before she said anything else. Granmanmi knew us as if she’d given birth to us herself. I knew the look I saw in my Granmanmi’s eyes now. She was using flowery language to bait us. I wouldn’t fall for it. I wouldn’t let Ellabeth get trapped either.
“You’ll have to forgive Disciple Ellabeth, Farasee Asarah,” I said, giving a mock bow, bending low, and tilting my head. WhenI straightened, I smiled at Granmanmi. Her eyes flashed, but she said nothing.
“She has spent endless dawns and twinights attending to my near fatal wounds since the dawn you allowed me to be butchered like an animal for sport in front of the empyrean.”
Granmanmi flinched.
My smile stretched.
“You can understand that she is a bit tired, which caused her to speak out of turn. Please, continue.”
The males of Seventh Choir grinned, crossing their arms, lifting their chins. The females politely clasped their hands together, but I saw the subtle shifts. Every angel of Seventh Choir had straightened their spines. Lifted their chins. Whatever our punishment would be, we’d receive it with our pride intact.
Granmanmi remained silent a long time. So long I wondered if she’d skip all the pleasantries and just kill me outright. I was surprised she hadn’t dragged Farasee Kaelthos into this little show. He’d have loved to be here now, gloating about the failure of the Anathelle line. About how he’d been right this whole time. That females were unfit to be in the Order.
“This Choir has shamed our Order,” Granmanmi continued, her eyes storms of fury. “Shamed this holy temple. Shamed even the Empràr! But no matter.” She blinked her eyes at me, then looked at each of us in turn. “We are not charitable with leniency but we are merciful. All of you will remain Disciples of Temple Efysis. Your Ascension will not be forfeit.”
My knees buckled. I almost stumbled with my relief. Ellabeth’s shoulders visibly sagged. So had Omarion and Kazemir’s. We’d been ready to be expelled, but it didn’t mean we weren’t grateful that we weren’t. Thank the living stars.
“You are all still our top students, even if you are the most stubborn,” Farasee Esau chimed in. “Despite your streaks ofrebellion, Farasee Davithius gained the strongest Choir with you seven in his Order.”
Presbitari Davithius’s lips curled upwards, his only sign of approval. When I slid my gaze to his, there was a message there for me. But I couldn’t tell what the Presbitari was trying to tell me. It felt like he wanted to warn me about something, but I couldn’t tell what.
“We will not lose some of our best Disciples simply because you haven’t been broken into submission yet. But we have already spoken with Farasee Davithius,” Granmanmi continued. “All of you will learn.”
I looked at our Presbitari again. He was still smiling, but his eyes told a different tale. A steel storm churned in his eyes, his stark white hair framing his hardened face. If someone needed to be at the Seal Gate, it washim.
“Because we will not allow you to simply receive a slap on the hand and restore you to your Order, all of you will be sent into a final trial. It is a test of your loyalty. We will see, and determine, where your allegiance lies. It should be to the Empràr. To the Farasee Order. To the Infinite himself. But this trial will prove if there is hope for you yet.”
“And our temple-mates?” I blurted out. All heads turned to me. “What about them?”
“Concerned about the Fallen Prince are we?” Farasee Esau asked. There was a cruel underlining to his tone that made me shudder.
“Youall are the ones who bonded us. I have a right to be concerned about the well-being and presence of my temple-mate,” I snapped.
“Agreed,” Omarion said, folding his arms. “If we are to be restored, they must be, too. If you break our bonds now, how do you expect us to survive and carry on through Ascension? Itis impossibly rare for an angel to survive a broken bond, even a simple one such as the temple bond.”
“Your temple-mates have not been removed from Temple Efysis, nor will they be,” Granmanmi Asarah assured us. I wasn’t so quick to believe her. “They have their own loyalty to prove, but you all will remain temple-mates until you Ascend into the Farasee Order. Should you make it so far.”
She snapped her wrists, thrusting out her palms facing skyward. Her starfire burst free over our heads. I flinched, instantly shielding myself with my wings. Above us, the gilded ceiling covered in intricate, and elaborate art of the angels through Ages past, began splintering open.
“Can light coexist with darkness?” Granmanmi began reciting. “But you choose to let your goodness ensnare itself with what is wicked. Such sins will not stand. Not in the Temple. Never in this realm. Accords of the Farasees, Second Scroll of Paelithis 6:14, Korinti Isles, Fifth Age.”
She looked over us all from the gilded throne she was perched in. Like the other angels, her wings hung over the back of the cloudchair. Overhead, the ceiling opened up to a whirlpool of starry light. Galactic space illuminated above us. I watched as stars and planets orbited past, their cosmic light overwhelming my senses.
“Traitors have been found among our temple. Dissenters who would try to tear apart everything that has been established for the sanctity of the empyrean. You must search diligently, and find the dissenters amongst us, and bring them back with you. Once you’ve done so, your trial will end, and you can return to your duties as Disciples.”
Granmanmi watched me, knowingly.
