“Quazar!” one of the Fallenspawn yelled.
I swung again. The Prince flexed his hands. Shadows pooled from his palms, as his emerald eyes grew brighter still. He looked feral, like a crazed dog. I threw up a star shield around me as Ellabeth screamed something I couldn’t hear.
I shielded myself too late.
A large shadow encircled me. It was tall, with slender curves, long hair, and seven sets of wings. I stared at it, finding the shadow eerily familiar.
“Wait a second,” I breathed. It took me too long to realize the shadowy silhouette wasme.
Blessed lights.
I swung my starry sword and found myself tumbling in growing darkness that spread across the entire Sanctuary.
“What in the fresh Hèls is this?” someone cried.
The shadows grew, flooding the Sanctuary as the Prince snuffed out every inch of light. Then he grabbed hold of my shadow. One moment I was flying into the air, making to swing for his head. The next, I was moving involuntarily. My arms bent at awkward angles. My legs wouldn’t respond. I jerked my body,but I couldn’t move. I screamed when I felt a bone snap. Then another.
Focus, Safah! I chided myself.Bend, but do not break. Burn, but never bleed.
I breathed through the pain of my broken bones. Then I tumbled into myself—into my spirit—letting anger consume me. Starfire burned wildly throughout my body. I imagined getting a grip on my shadow, pulling it back to me, and taking control of myself.
Then I erupted. I spun around and slammed my wings, talons first, into the Prince’s chest. Like windmills, I whipped my wings in rapid succession, beating him again and again.
While he pulled back to deflect, I jerked, spiraled, and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying across the amphitheater. Without taking a breath, I lunged after him. When I reached him, I punched him in the face. His head snapped back with a satisfying crack.
Manmi was dead because ofhim. Rage boiled my blood. Before he could recover, I swung again. This time, he was ready. A blast of shadows collided into my chest, sending me flying back into the desk. As I rolled, he grabbed hold of my ankle with a strand of shadow and yanked. Hard. I screamed as I was jerked into the air. The Prince grabbed my arm, jerked me around, pinned both arms behind my back between my wings, and slammed me down onto the glass. Face first.
I snapped my head back, head-butting him in his face. I heard the crack at his forehead. Felt the drip of his hot blood onto my neck, but he wouldn’t let go. I let my starfire heat my body, turning me into an open flame as I thrashed in his grip.
Shadows began pouring into my ears. My eyes. Darkness filled every crevice. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of black without any surface or pit.
“Getoff,” I screamed.
“No,” Quazar seethed, his voice—deep, rich, and a little crazed—breathing closer to my ear than I liked. “There’s a long list of sins your Matriarchs purchased thatyouwill pay for by the time I’m through with you.”
Fear. That was unadulterated fear snaking through my chest and growing by the second. He was too big. Too strong. I struggled against him but the Fallen Prince had me beat. And he knew it.
“Enough!”
Quazar and I were ripped apart by fiery tendrils, before we were slapped down into the desk that had been put back in its place. I was forced tofyuseback to my Seraphim skin. Before blood could trickle down my temple, I drew on starfire, stitching myself together.
I didn’t look at the creature beside me. I wouldn’t focus on how he was the spawn of the Hèls but had the face of a god. Or how he fought like a tyrant at war and yet I could tell he was holding back. Being gentle even. Which made no sense.
I didn’t want to think about how he smelled like mint and sandalwood, and a hint of ash. I wouldn’t give him any time by acknowledging his existence. This temple would crumble into nothing before I stooped so low.
“Now that you all have your temple-mates, your Ascension can truly begin.”
The tension in the room was our oxygen. There wasn’t an angel—outside of the Farasee Order—who didn’t look like they were ready to rip heads and shred feathers.
I glanced at Scroll Order to see who Tharic got paired with. When I found him, I smirked. At least Tharic Zamarien had been given what he deserved. He was temple-mated to some female from Hartari Order who looked like she was a breath away from ripping out his eyes and feeding them to her dragon.
“Before we began our Ascent,” I whispered, leaning over to Ellabeth who was glaring past me at the Fallen Prince. “What was it you said? That this would be some special kind of Hèls?”
A snort rang out behind me. “This is a special kind of Hèls alright,” Daelun seethed. “Theworstkind.”
“I just knew I should have stayed home,” Amayah hissed from somewhere to our right. Isandra was bouncing her leg with an energy that matched the fury coloring her face. Stars. How were we supposed to actually get through the season like this?
Against our will, every Ascendant in this Sanctuary had been temple-mated to a Legionnaire from Azarath Academy. And every last one of us hated it.
