“What?” Jael cried, tilting her head up at me. My brothers did the same. The look in their eyes made me question the joy that was flooding through my veins. They all looked…angry. But why?
“That’swhat she meant by bodies dropping,” Hosea grumbled. “No one makes it through that Ascent without shedding their blood.” His eyes burned. “Let me guess. Started with seven thousand and ended up with three?”
I pressed my lips together, my joy withering. My chest tightened. He wasn’t wrong. He was spot on. And the anger flashing in his purple eyes told me he knew more about the Ascent than even I did.
“I cannot believe you were thrown into a rotting culling,” Ezekiel spat. He turned his head to Granmanmi, the veins in his neck growing taut.
I lowered back into my seat with all the other Disciples as Granmanmi began a long, elaborate but eloquent speech about her love for the Infinite, Temple Efysis, and being a willing servant to the Saccrent.
I squirmed in my seat as Ezekiel consistently snuck glances at me, his eyes fuming. He wasnothappy to hear I’d had to fly the Starfellien Ascent. I bit my lower lip, trying to stay focused on Granmanmi’s words.
“We want to acknowledge all of our other guests present. The Shifters, Gods, and Faerèth. Thank you to all of you for joining this momentous occasion. Unfortunately, the Merriens were attacked once more by the Serène and couldn’t make it. We pray the Infinite will give them a sure victory over the sirens.”
“Arèmen!” We all chorused together.
“Now.” Granmanmi gestured to the large audience. “This cycle is also special, because the Infinite saw fit to challenge the Farasee Order in a new way. As a means to continue strengthening our defenses against Fallen attack, and breach of the Seal Gate, we launched a new initiative. The pairing of our Hallowed Disciples…” Granmanmi paused, letting her words hang in the air. Then. “With the Legionnaires of Azarath Academy.”
“Norottingway,” Uriah seethed. “Are they nuts?”
Ezekiel slowly swung his head my way. His eyes had lost all color, the hue becoming raven black. My spine began tingling. Stars. What was my brother trying to piece together?
Granmanmi was undeterred, speaking through all the hushed whispers that broke out.
“We have brought a small subset of the Azarath Legions into Temple Efysis.”
She took a moment to let it sink in. I knew the bomb she was about to drop before she did it.
“Including the Xadari Legion, which is made up entirely of Fallenspawn.”
A roar broke out, mainly over the angels, as bellows exploded at the mention of the Fallenspawn. Granmanmi spoke without shouting, using ethèr to amplify her voice over the millions of shouting angels. Ezekiel’s gaze burned into my skin as Granmanmi kept speaking.
“And yes, the Xadari Legion is led by none other than Quazar Valoryen. Fallen Prince—and heir—to the cursed, exiled, and Fallen angel, Zemshaza Beliah, High King of the Souls Court and ruler of the six, abominable, Hèls.”
Chapter 28
Isucked in a sharp breath at the revelation.
“You’re the WHAT?”I shouted down the bond at Quazar.
It went nowhere. He’d sealed the veil between us tight. No matter how hard I mentally slammed myself against it, the burning veil didn’t move.
I sank into my seat, wings twitching as Granmanmi continued. A sinister gleam filled her eyes as she spoke again, quieting the uproar.
“I’m sure you all remember the attack on the Seal Gate three hundred cycles ago, when the hèlborn—demons of the Fallen—crossed through the gate. They came as a coordinated hoard, destroying so many of our precious, Hallowed lives. But one of those lives broke me above all others.”
She grew quiet here, her eyes turning to me. To my siblings. Stars. She wasn’t about to bring that up here, was she? We all tensed. Jael and Evanae scooted closer to me. My brothers sat ramrod straight, eyes glued to the dais.
“What many may or may not know, is we had several Farasees commissioned to the Seal Gate to assist with that warfront. Among the Farasees was my precious fifi, Amaryss Anathelle.”
A pause. Granmanmi turned her gaze elsewhere. When I tracked where she was looking, I found her glaring at the long row of Fallenspawn sitting at the very front. And in front of them all, was Quazar, in that accursed, finely pressed suit, while all the other Fallenspawn were in black, fighting robes.
“That warm, bloody dawn, my fifi was slaughtered when a small group of fallen angels broke through the gate and killed her, among many others. Because, well.” Her eyes flashed. She smiled, sweet as poison, at Quazar. “They had help from a certainPrince.”
My eyes fluttered shut. I tuned out the noise of the angels erupting with rage. Evanae and I squeezed hands, holding onto each other for support.
My little sister still grieved deeply every cycle when it got close to Manmi’s birthdawn. I could feel her trembling, fighting not to break down with tears. Jael and my brothers sat stiff as boards. We were all power kegs waiting to explode.
“But! Death should always inspire ways to prolong life.”
