All eyes turned to me. I had a feeling the Farasee was purposefully trying to get a rise out of me.
“Like Daelun said, they started it. Ellabeth is my best friend. As younglings we wereknownfor setting mangogo—and kakonut trees from our neighbors villas—on fire when their younglings tried bullying either of us.” I squared my shoulders. “I don’t care what the consequences are. I never expected anyone to…” I looked at the lifeless bodies. “Die. That notwithstanding, Ellie is my sister. I’d die defending her honor.”
Something unreadable flashed in Davithius’s eyes. Esau scowled like he’d been given rotten fruit to eat. Kaelthos glared, his fiery eyes churning mercilessly.
“All of you must go through Purification after such senseless death,” Davithius said into the quiet, finally.
“What was senseless was that ridiculous trial in the woods,” Isandra hissed.
“Withoutinstructions, might we add,” Amayah whispered.
The…woods?
I blinked, perplexed. Everyone had been sent to the woods whileIhad been sent to the Seal Gate? I looked around and found Kaelthos watching me with a keen eye. I looked away, refusing to give away anything. My mind was reeling.
Just what exactly was going on here? Why had Quazar and I been sent to the Seal Gate? And while it was abandoned, no less.
Fire exploded from the floor, shooting up into the room, drying out all breathable air. We began coughing, Talons included, as Farasee Esau slammed all of his wing pairs together seven separate times. When he was done, my ears were ringing.
“Let this be the last time you question the Farasee Order. If you can’t handle a simple trial,” he looked around. “Forfeit.”
I placed a hand over my chest as I tried breathing through the racing beats of my hearts.
“As I said,” Davithius jumped back in. “All of you.” He looked at the Fallenspawn, nodding at them. “You Talons included,mustgo through Purification. We will be having our first Titombwe service. It has been called by the Empràr, encouraged by Profèt Samael and High Farasee Manazzra, to welcome and celebrate all of our newestDisciples.”
Stars!
That’sright.
We all completed our first trial. We were no longer Ascendants. We were Disciples now. I frowned. We became Disciples at great cost.
Davithius’s eyes fell to the dead angels. “Those who survived anyway.” He looked back up. “Attenting Titombwe without being purified from the death you’ve just caused is forbidden.”
Davithius floated to the center of the great room, taking all of us in individually. His eyes flashed when they landed on me. The senseless deaths were a weight I’d have to carry. But my ragefor what Dakairi had put Ellabeth through still superseded any regret I had.
“You will all clean this messtogether.” Davithius was still looking at me, but I had the feeling he also had an eye on Quazar. “And you will get it done before Titombwe begins at twinight. If any of you are late to Titombwe, or miss it altogether,allof you will be tasked with cleaning the Scourgers chambers for a month.”
My jaw dropped.
No burning way.
There was a shadowy explosion in my mind. I winced. It felt like shadows were trickling into my thoughts and screaming. I railed against the outburst of emotion, knowing it was Quazar losing his mental temper.
I fought to push the shadows back to his side of the veil. When my starry light shoved his shadowy darkness back to his side, I used starfire to mentally thicken and widen the veil, sealing the Fallenspawnoutof my mind. I threw a glare at Quazar, whose face was contorted in a snarl in return.
I consideredfyusingagain.
But I was spent.
Davithius cleared his throat. I turned my attention to find him looking between me and Quazar. His steely blue eyes revealed nothing, but the vein in his hardened jawline was tight.
“Clean up this mess, together,now.”A look around the room. “Then make your way to the Purification Hall. Time is not on your side. Waste it and you’ll find yourself cleaning the Scourgers chambers. Take it from me, the Scourgers always like to practice new tricks on anyone who dares to be present.”
With that, Davithius and Esau wrapped their wings around themselves, and winked out. Farasee Kaelthos remained.
“Are you all deaf?” he barked. “This blood isn’t going to clean itself!”
Chapter 22
