Iwasn’t ready at all. I gawked at the gilded doors, barred shut to all on the outside of it. On either side sat two great sunlions watching us as if we were trespassers.
“Wings high.” I bowed my head and wings to each. When I rose again, their starry eyes were shining.
“Star of the Age,” the largest on the right breathed. “You and the Wings of Namenthys have come to be Purified.”
I blinked, whipping my head towards Quazar. He was glowering at the sunlion as if the beast had just revealed some deep secret. Like I understood it. Namenthys was no longer an existing island. It was now Barrenrock. And for good reason. And what didWings of Namenthyseven mean? What did Quazar have to do with the island that was so special?
I watched Quazar with a funny look, staring between him and the sunlion. They seemed locked in a silent battle. One that the sunlion clearly just won. Quazar’s cheeks and neck burned hot. The inscription on his neck began to glow and move around. The same happened with his hands. I raised a brow, curious.
“Move your paws,” Quazar said out loud. “Or you’ll be dealing with Kaelthos breathing fire down your necks.”
The sunlions growled, baring their large teeth. I floated back, instantly clearing their personal space before my face was clawed off.
“ThatFaraseehas no business here,” the other sunlion spat.
“But Quazar is right,” I cut in, floating forward again. “We need to go through…whatever this Purification is. And in time for Titombwe. Please, may we pass?”
The sunlions blinked at me, at Quazar. Without another word, they rose to their great paws, unfurling beautiful ivory wings from their spines. They tilted their heads back and roared. Fire shot out of their maws like plumes, burning the shut doors. Once their flames touched the doors, sigils etched into the gold began coming alive. When every sigil was glowing with incandescent light, the doors opened on their own.
I remained still, unsure of what to do. Quazar stomped past me and walked through the doors.
“Wait,” I called, rushing after him. Once I was through the doors, they closed shut. When I saw what lay before me, I wanted to scream.
“No burning way.”
Quazar chuckled without mirth.
“Welcome to the Temple of Hèls. Whereeverythingis a test. Should’ve kept your wings intact. You’ll need them.”
I bared my teeth, lifting my wings into position to strike him.
“Safah Anathelle,”a deep voice rang out through the air.“You have participated in enough violence this dawn. You will not strike the Prince. Not in our presence.”
What in the Hèls was going on?
I looked around, unable to see who was speaking. Before us sprawled a long golden staircase that stretched out horizontally into the distance. On either side were endless billows of clouds. There wasn’t another spirit in sight. Yet the reprimand terrified me.
I lowered my wings, keeping them to myself.
Quazar slid his gaze to mine.
“So that’s what it takes to get you to stop being so…wing-stabby? A voice in the clouds?”
“Seriously,” I kissed my teeth. “Piss off.”
I pushed past him and began walking along the long stairs. Quazar followed, chuckling to himself. We walked the length of it in silence, until we walked out into an open courtyard with a large basin at the center full of…
“Am I losing my mind, or is that water iridescent?”
I ogled the pool, shocked.
“That’s weird,” Quazar said from behind me. “Where in all the Elledelle realms did this bleeding temple find iridescent water?”
“They didn’t.”
The female voice spoke out clearly as a figure slipped out. I dropped my eyes instantly.Lights. The angels who handled Purification weren’t the Farasees. They weren’t Seraphim at all. I took a peek, and saw even Quazar had his head lowered. I couldn’t believe we were in the presence of an Iris.
“What are the chances this Iris sings a prophecy of death over us and we both just drop dead like stones right here?”Quazar asked in my mind, slipping past the veil.
