Kazemir said nothing, his honey eyes skimming the entire chamber as if he was hunting for all the ways he’d escape if he needed to.
“I for one can get used to this,” Isandra said, beaming at the opulence. “If we’re going to be bound to this temple until we Ascend as Apprenti, Rabbini, or Farasee, we may as well do it while living well.”
I snorted. That was one way to look at it.
I looked around, fighting tears.
Manmi was here. She Ascendedhere.
Ellabeth squeezed my hand. We looked at each other, squealing quietly.
“Feels surreal doesn’t it?” Her aquamarine eyes were glowing with excitement.
“This is going to be incredible. I can feel it.”
“Ascendants,” Davithius called out. “File in.”
To where exactly? It’s not like we knew where to go. I scooted close to Ellabeth. Without a word, Daelun, Omarion, and Kazemir formed a half circle around us females. I smiled at the thoughtful gesture, as more of the male Ascendants pressed in around us. Then the doors of the Cathedral closed shut.
The elephantine chamber was jaw-dropping. Ironically, it looked like it could easily hold the seven thousand of us who began the Ascent.
There was a massive, circular platform at the center, of course made of gold, with a beaming pillar of light and fire shining from the floor to the open ceiling above. On either side of the platform were other elevated circular platforms covered in cloudchairs.
More platforms like this filled the chamber. And each had a circumference of light surrounding it. Along every wall, rising level after level, were endless rows of cloudchairs. They hovered off the ground behind desks made of the finest gold, overlaid with a thick crystal glass.
Farasee Davithius, along with Farasee Kaelthos, flew to the center of the dais. I noticed Granmanmi wasn’t with them. I tried looking for her but there were listless angels everywhere blocking my view.
“Ascendants, listen up,” Davithius said, amplifying his voice with his ethèr so we could all hear him without him shouting. “The Order is divided into the following: Incense Order, Scroll Order, Bond Order, and Manna Order. Now, lift your wings. All of you were tagged for your designated Order. Look around this amphitheater. There are four sections. Manna is the back left. Bond is across it to the back right. Scrolls are to the front left, and Incense is to the front right. You have exactly five wing claps to find your Orders section and sit down, or your entire Order will be relegated to cleaning the stalls of the Pegasi with the gods for the next month.”
The very thought made me want to vomit. Pegasi dung was the worst to clean up. Papi made me do it twice, both times out of punishment, and I’d hated the job since.
Quickly I spread my wings and felt a rush of burning flame course through my body. Then I smelled something eerily like… smoke. My wings itched for me to go to the right. A loud clap of wings thundered in the amphitheater.
“One.”
I snapped my head to the right, where all the seats for Incense Order were positioned. I began flying in its direction. Another clap of wings.
“Two.”
I flew quicker, finding the scent of smoke growing. I was definitely designated to Incense Order. Another clap.
“Three.”
I rushed over, hustling into one of the cloudchairs toward the bottom row that put me in better sight of the main platform. I rushed into a seat, my hearts racing. I whipped around looking for Ellabeth, just as she threw herself into the seat next to me. Thank the stars! We’d been designated to the same Order.
Another clap. Louder this time.
“Four!”
More and more Ascendants tossed themselves into cloudchairs, the billows swaying as the angels tumbled into them, rushing to sit before they were out of time. My grin stretched when I saw Isandra, Amayah, Omarion, Daelun, and Kazemir all file into seats close to Ellabeth and I.
The final clap.
“Five!”
We all turned to see three angels rushing over to Scroll Order. I scanned their section and found Tharic in that Order. My grin split my face in half.
“Looks like Zamarien is wiping Pegasi dung for the next month.”
