When we all sat down, he raised his hands, summoning a projection so vivid it looked real enough to touch. I pulled out my scroll and feather pen, prepared to take notes.
“Welcome to Sanctuary. This dawn, you will begin learning about the Realm Gates.”
“I’m sorry,” an angel called out from Bond Order.
She was a female.
Every male around her turned around and sneered. Stars. Thank the lights I hadn’t been sent to Bond Order. “What do you mean Gates, as in plural? I thought there was only the Seal Gate?”
“Maybe if you’d shut up and let him teach, you’d learn there arefourGates, imbecile.”
The male who spoke up was from Scroll Order.
Of course.
I refused to look over there. I ground my teeth, keeping my mouth shut. I would mind my business this dawn.I would mind. My business. This dawn.
“There’s no need to reprimand a fellow Disciple like that,” Davithius called out, frowning. “It was an innocent question.”
“Every male knows these preliminary details. Four Gates accessible by the Four Fallen Kings.Everyoneknows that,” Tharic said.
He was so smug. So full of pride. So full ofrot.
I was incensed for the female Disciple. The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
“You know Tharic, I’m not saying you’re the dumbest angel in all the realms, but you’d better pray for your sake that the dumbest angel doesn’t die.”
My voice carried out over the entire cathedral. Every head turned to me. Except for Quazar. He was too busy memorizing the stitching on his boots. But I caught the twitch of his lips, and the shake of his shoulders, as he played with a writhing ball of shadows in his palm.
“What was that, Anathelle?” Tharic snapped.
I turned and found him glaring, his eyes already alit with fire. Stars. I thought I had a temper.
“You might want to speak up if you want to sound like anything besides a bloodthorning goddess.”
My eyes widened. Ellabeth began pushing up out of her seat. I gripped her arm, pulling her back down. I gestured at Tharic, unimpressed by his attempt to intimidate me.
“See what I mean? Still dumb as a chest of seashells.” I bat my long lashes at him. “I said,you half-shaven baboon.” I tilted my head as Quazar snorted to my right. “There aren’t four Realm Gates.” I paused letting the words hang in the air a moment. “There arethree. Three Realm Gates. Each Realm Gate contains two portals within. And each of these portals leads to one of the six Hèls. Each of these Hèls have an overseeing Shadowlord. And these six Shadowlords all bow their knees tooneHigh King.” I slid my gaze to Quazar who’d stilled beside me. “Fallen High King Zemshaza Beliah.”
The cathedral was silent.
Then.
The majority of the males tilted their heads back and began cackling at the top of their lungs, their shoulders shaking. Mycheeks heated. I almost thought I was wrong. But then I noticed not a single Fallenspawn was laughing.
Tharic grinned wide like the pompous rotpot that he was. “What a load of absolute bullrot?—”
“She’s right.”
“She’swhat?”
Davithius’s baritone voice cut through the laughter, instantly silencing the angels. Everyone looked at Davithius, slowly turned to me, then back to Davithius. It was so quiet you could hear a feather drop.
“Disciple Safah is correct,” Davithius said again, crossing those big arms over that chiseled body beneath his fitted robes. “There arethreeGates, not four. And there are six Shadowlords but only one Fallen High King.”
I sat straighter, tucking my wings close. I lifted my chin like a shield against the subtle glares aimed my way from around the cathedral. Even from the females.
“You know how to keep a target on your back, don’t you?”
