I looked at him, seeing the anguish on his face. Seeing the memories of watching me be beaten and tortured in front of the entire Disciple Order while he could do nothing.
“I’ll do my best.” I took and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back before letting my hand go.
Then I summoned my starfire. With my powers present, and my chin lifted, I floated through the portal as a tendril of shadow brushed my spine and remained until I entered the next trial.
Chapter 41
The star gate spat me out onto a cold, marble floor. I yelped, landing hard on my side. My wings bent awkwardly, pinned beneath my body. I pushed to my knees and looked around. I found myself in an empty chamber, surrounded by glass, with no doors.
Refusing to panic, I waited. I paced around. Recited verses. Recounted everything that had happened and changed between Quazar and I. After what seemed like an eternity, out of the blue, a voice from behind me cried out.
“Help! Is there someone there? Help.Please.”
I spun around, finding three angels bound. Hand, foot, and wings. I frowned. What kind of Hèls was this…
The first angel was old. He wore the fine robes of a Farasee, his linens woven of the purest ivory with tassels hanging from the tunic that hung low over loose matching trousers.
Like the other two angels, his eyes were covered with a thick cloth tied around his head. When I looked closer, I saw the fabric had been sealed by ethèr.
“Is someone there?” the Farasee questioned. “Remove me from these shackles at once.”
“Help me, please,” came the whimper of the young female beside him.
When she jerked on her chains, her galactic skin—of varying shades of blue and white—shimmered under the bright light of the glass dome. Her five, feathered wing pairs tried breaking free of the wing manacles, but she couldn’t.
“I don’t understand what is going on. I’ve done nothing against the empyrean.Please.”
From her skin to her wing pairs, I could see she was from the Chronophim rank. But what was a Preserver doing here? She should be in the Hall of Accords with the classified records of the empyrean. Not used as bait for some temple trial.
A snort from her left made me notice the last angel.
I was so shocked at his condition I stumbled back on my feet, nearly tripping. He was so badly beaten I couldn’t tell who I was looking at.
It was obvious he had skin like pearl and beautiful, raven black hair. But there was so much blood dripping from his face, neck, hands. He hung his head low. Limp. As if it required too much energy to do anything else.
He had to be from Azarath. Was he from Xadari Legion? Or maybe Klubari?
I couldn’t tell. Not from this angle. And not with all these lights. I was about to reach for the bond and ask Quazar about him when horrifying snarls broke out across the chamber. I whipped around and froze with terror.
A hideous horde of demonic creatures were making their way forward. Most had their eyes on the angels behind me. All of them had somehow gotten inside of the glass chamber.
“Rot,” I hissed.
“Who dares use such foul language in our holy temple?” cried the Farasee.
The Legionnaire snorted, as if he’d heard something funny. I couldn’t help seeing all of his golden blood and thinking back to when I’d been rolling in my own the dawn Kaelthos let the Scourgers have their way with me. I summoned more of my starfire.
Whether a thousand fall at your side, even if you witness ten thousand die around you, evil will lay no finger on you.
The horde sauntered forward as a coordinated unit. I realized my task instantly. Keep the angels bound alive, until I could set them free. Well, that was going to be a huge challenge. I was completely outnumbered and I had no help. It was me and my starfire against this army of hèlborns.
They had decaying skin colored like ash, with soulless eyes—some obsidian, others lavender like mine—with teeth made for tearing. Their membranous wings had sharpened talons that concerned me. Clad in fitted black linens like skin, they marched forward, gazes hungry. I floated back, planting myself in front of the Hallowed. I kept my eyes on the demons.
No matter what it is you face out there, do not yield.
The first lines of the hèlborn screamed, then charged. In the same breath, I slammed my wings into the ground, pouring my power into the clap. I drew up a large shield of starfire, surrounding the bound angels.
The moment they were sealed, the hèlborn began colliding into the shield. As the hèlborns mindlessly screamed, frothing at the mouth, trying to satiate their thirst for blood, I shot into the air. A line of hèlborn followed after me. Mid-flight, Ifyused. The moment I took on my starry skin, I let my starfire explode in a rampage.
