What about Manmi?
I’d asked her many questions she wouldn’t answer. What did she know?
Better yet.
What had shedone?
“Safah.” Ellabeth snapped her fingers before my eyes. “You’re not going to believe him.Him. Over TatiAmaryss’s honor?”
I took a deep breath. Once again I found myself in a place where all of the angels were staring at me and seeing what I would do.
I thought about Granmanmi. I thought about Manmi. I thought long and hard of how celebrated all the females in my family were. The list of accolades for all they’d done for the empyrean was a long one.
Would they receive all the praise if it had nothing to do with crushing the Fallenspawn? It was no secret the Fallenspawn were the bane of the empyrean, but they couldn’t simply be killed off or else the Fallen High King would invade with his Shadowlords and raise Hèls.
Azarath Academy was a way of culling the Fallenspawn. Papi made it clear, Azarath was a blood factory. Many angels went in, few came out. The majority were Fallenspawn. I didn’t put it past the Order to do what they could to slowly wipe the Fallenspawn out. I didn’t put it past the females of my lineage, either.
What was therealreason only Anathelle females were accepted into the Order?
I leaned back in my seat, taking a deep breath.
“Safah?” Ellabeth questioned, her eyes narrowing.
“Enough,” I snapped.
She flinched back, those eyes turning to thin slits.
“I…I need to think.”
I rose from my seat. Seventh Choir watched me intensely. I looked at Quazar, ignoring his table of Talons who continued studying me. How could I blame them, considering it was my Granmanmi that publicly drained their Prince like some rabid animal.
“I’m forced to be your temple-mate. Your bonded.”
I watched his face for any trace of lies. Of mockery. I had to see if he was playing with my mind. Or if I really had been lied toall my cycles of growing up, preparing to join this stars-forsaken temple.
“I must work with you, Prince Quazar.” I tilted my head. His eyes flashed. “But can I trust you? Trust your word?”
Shadows immediately slipped into my mind. Quazar shoved open the door to his side of the bond, bearing his shadows, his soul, to me. No one could see it, or feel it. But I did.
His gentle caress caused me to visibly sigh with relief. Somehow, I knew in my heart of hearts. Quazar was telling the truth.
Dakairi flicked a look at Quazar, as if trying to piece together what had just transpired between us. Dakairi wasn’t the only one who’d caught the shift. Ellabeth had, too. And so had Ivyana, who was now watching Quazar with fascinating curiosity, plainly written all over her face.
“Starling,” Quazar purred. The pet name dripped from his tongue like honey, making my toes curl in my sandals. “I’ll always tell you a joke. But I won’t ever waste my breath telling you a lie.”
I took a shuttering breath. Checked my hearts, my gut, once again to make sure what I felt was true. Was real.
Something deep inside me, something that refused to be lied to justknew. Quazar reallywastelling the truth. I couldn’t say how I knew, but there was something in his eyes. And something deep within myself. And the vulnerability of our bond.
Quazar Valoryen had not lied to me.
Which meant Manmi had.
Manmi was behind the birth of the Empràr’s Pass for the Fallenspawn to do annual crossings. Just like Granmanmi was behind the creation of the Blood Rites.
“Ellie, he isn’t lying,” I whispered.
It was hard to stand. The closest tables to us heard my words, and gasped. Others scoffed, as if they didn’t care. As if it was agoodthing for the Fallenspawn to go through an annual culling they were more than guaranteed to not survive.
