I fumed, bouncing my leg like Isandra, wantingoutof this suffocating cathedral. Next to me, the devil called a prince growled below his breath, equally in a tizzy of rage.
“You each have your scrollmaps,” Farasee Esau announced. “Use them. Find your wingtowers. Get acquainted with your new home…and your newblendedOrder.”
Snarls and hisses broke out at this. One thing was evident. The holiest place in the empyrean was about to turn us into the most decrepit beings alive. Blood would be shed this dawn. Enough to start a war.
“Dismissed!”
Farasee Esau clapped his wings like thunder. Then he whipped his wings around himself, spun around, and disappeared.
“The Saccrent tells us, “Angels do not live by Manna alone, but by all the written words that come from the Infinite himself.” If you choose to live by your stomach, we’re given no other choice. We will choose to let you die by it.”
Accords of the Farasees, Scroll of Mitari 4:4, Fifth Age
Chapter 14
The seven suns beamed high in the sky across the Efysis islet. Beyond the peaks of the Temple, I could see small bits and pieces of the Citadel. I was thankful to be out of Sanctuary and have the rest of the dawn to myself. I needed time to process and heal.
“So we need to head to the front building and then turn, right?” Daelun asked, squinting at his scrollmap.
“No,” Isandra said, snatching it from him. “Follow the feathers. See?” She pointed at the center of the map. “The feathers are dancing along this line.”
I peered over her shoulder and looked as a golden feather flew through an exact, realistic, replica of the temple grounds.
“Then let’s go,” Ellabeth said, grumbling. “After that Sanctuary my soul needs a bath.”
“That is the truth.” I nodded.
Seventh Choir floated into the air and began flying.
“You imbeciles know we’re coming, too. Right?”
We all stopped flying and turned around. The female Xadarien who spoke looked eerily like the Fallen Prince, Quazar. She had his same black hair, bright emerald eyes, sun-kissed skin, and six pairs of black wings fading to emerald at their tips.
Then there was her Fallenspawn mark. Thorns crawling up the right side of her neck, down her right arm all the way to her hand. I blinked at her before looking at the rest of Seventh Choir.
Isandra narrowed her eyes. “Comingwhere? Cause it sure as the stars isn’t with us.”
Kazemir and Omarion crossed their arms, spreading their legs in a wide stance. Ellabeth’s hands were beginning to fill with water bolts.
My chest twinged. I could feel it. An itch to fight. The need to go at the Prince’s throat again. But what was done, was done. We’d been temple-mated to the Fallenspawn. At worst, we had to tolerate them.
“Guys,” I cut in before another fight broke out. “The poison-eyed one is right.”
I gingerly touched my face where it had been slammed into the desk. I could feel it swelling up but I tried not to focus on it.
“We’re all stuck together until our final Ascension. Pretty sure that includes the same wingtower.”
“Stars,” Daelun grumbled, eyes burning at the Fallenspawn.
“My name is Ivyana,” the female spat, curling her lip.
I rolled my eyes. “I was close enough.” I groaned as one of my nerves pinched, sending a rush of pain through my upper body. “Holystars,” I huffed, rubbing my neck.
The Fallenspawn watched me with small, victorious grins. I’d gotten my hide handed to me by their Prince and they were proud of it. Omarion was instantly at my side.
“Safah?”
“I’m okay. I…” The rush crawled through my shoulders again. I pressed my lips together trying to hold back my cry. I grunted through the pain doing my best not to whimper.
