My eyebrows rose to my hairline. Galactic light spilled out of the gates, as the travel portals swirled. I shared a look with Ellabeth.
“Guess it’s time for the real trial to start,” Daelun said, looking at the star gates.
My nostrils flared.
“So we just…go through them?” Ellabeth said, eyes glued to the star gates.
“Why are they even open? Did a Babephim come to say anything?” I asked.
“No Babephim.” Amayah shook her head. “But I’m pretty sure we are supposed to go through the star gates.”
“That’s obvious, but for what?” Omarion crossed his arms. “There’s no instructions. I’m not ending up like Fifth and Sixth.”
“Agreed.” I nodded.
“Only one way to find out.” Daelun floated towards the first gate. He stepped through. And was promptly spat back out. “What in the stars?”
“Getting rejected by a star gate is wild,” I said, my brows rising to my hairline.
“Maybe we need to go in by pairs.”
We all turned and looked at Kazemir. He shrugged, eyes on the star gates, a deep frown bowing his face.
“Definepairs.” I glared at him, not liking where this was going.
“We have new temple-mates, don’t we?” he whispered.
I glanced at Quazar. He was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes wild.
Oh no.
Hewantedus to go through together. Which meant we’d be alone. And he could hurt me, kill me, without consequence. “I don’t think?—”
“Daelun is right. We just have to find out.” Ellabeth lifted her chin, looking straight at Dakairi. She flew over to him, looking up into his jeweled, royal blue eyes.
“Can you handle testing the theory?”
“If you can handle not being a baboon’s rot.”
My jaw fell, unhinged. “Ellabeth, Iknowyou’re not going to let him talk to you like that.”
I lifted my wings, already feeling my starfire flood my palms. Ellabeth turned to me smiling.
“Let him.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder floating to a star gate. Then she looked at Dakairi, her eyes turning to raging oceans. “Talking is all he can do.”
I snorted, slow clapping. “Touché.”
Ellabeth stepped into the star gate. Dakairi followed, his eyes burning. Neither of them came back.
Blessed lights.
I turned to Quazar. He was positively beaming, hands swirling with shadows.
“After you,Starling.”
My hearts raced. I drew on more starfire. Turning to the central star gate, I drew on my courage and flew through. I could sense when Quazar flew in after me. I kept my wings close as the star gate shot me through a pool of endless stars. My stomach plummeted as I felt my insides clench and twist.
A burning sensation raced through me before an icy chill flooded every limb. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something inside of my body, inside of my spirit, was permanentlychanging.
