Chapter 10
AFarasee mounted the marbled dais at the front of the large auditorium. I trailed his movement, floored by how good looking he was.
“He’s too sexy to be a Farasee,” Ellabeth whispered in my ear.
I chortled into my hand. This was why she and I were best friends. Our brains processed the world in the same way.
“I know,” I whispered back. “Look at those steel blue eyes.”
“And his shock of cropped, ivory hair?” Ellabeth quipped, biting her lip. Her eyes followed the Farasee as he floated to the center of the dais, looking out over the room.
“And his muscles. Burning stars.” I gave the Farasee a long once-over. His robes were loose, but still fit him in a way that highlighted all his best features. Unlike other male Farasees, instead of sandals, he wore golden boots. He looked more like a Legionnaire then a Farasee.
“I wouldn’t mind being held by those,” Isandra whispered underneath her breath. I looked her way and found her glaring at the Farasee’s muscular arms. I giggled.
“I know, right?”
“You do know there’s a name for this,” Daelun cut in, sticking his head between us.
“Oh?” Ellabeth quipped. “Enlighten us.”
“It’s called objectification.”
We all rolled our eyes.
“He should’ve thought about that before flying in here like a model,” I said, eyes back on the Farasee.
“Congratulations and welcome to Temple Efysis. Please, have a seat.”
We all obeyed, filing into the nearest cloudchairs we could find. I sat between Ellabeth and Omarion, crossing my legs underneath me, before looping my arm with Ellabeth’s.
“Of the seven thousand of you who began the Ascent, three thousand of you have successfully completed the Starfellien Ascent. Well done. However, don’t start celebrating yet. Let me be the first to say, the Ascent was only the beginning.”
Grumbling broke out across the Ascendants, as mutuals turned to each other, discomforted by the words. I kept quiet, hanging on to every word spoken. The Farasee continued unfazed.
“I am Farasee Davithius Solman. I’m here to welcome you and give you an overview of what happens next from here.”
Farasee Davithius crossed his arms. Ellabeth made a sound in her throat which made me laugh in silence.
“Thus far, you’ve unexpectedly met Farasee Asarah.
A living legend not only among all the temples across the empyrean, but a remarkable Farasee who has worked diligently to establish new protocols that will better equip you should you one dawn Ascend as a Farasee.
You’ve also met Farasees Esau and Kaelthos.
But these two are not the only ones you will meet in your first season in the temple. ”
I watched Tharic’s back stiffen when Farasee Davithius spoke highly of Granmanmi, but said nothing of consequence for Kaelthos. My lips curled into a smile. I hoped Davithius was my Presbitari.
“You’re all officially the newest Ascendants of Temple Efysis. Survive the first trial, and you will become Disciples.”
He paused to let his words sink in. After a moment, he continued.
“Your first season in the temple will be challenging. That’s on purpose. Every moment that pushes you, stretches you, develops you, is by intentional design. We will require much of you, and we will only accept the best of you into the Order.”
Farasee Davithius overlooked our group, as if searching for something. Those steel blue eyes beamed in the quiet while Granmanmi and Farasee Kaelthos waited for him to continue. Finally Davithius seemed to come to a decision.
“At this time, you will all be brought to our main cathedral for collective studies. You will be divvied up into the four Efysien Orders. You will also be given your designated Order Presbitaris and…”
He paused. He slid his gaze to Granmanmi. She nodded once, before her eyes came to land on me. I wrinkled my nose wondering what that exchange meant.
“This dawn all of you will be temple-mated.”
“We will what?” an angel from the front screamed. He shot out of his seat, his eyes bulging. He wasn’t the only one disturbed by this.
I surveyed the commotion. I looked at the Ascendants then at Granmanmi.
Then Davithius. The Farasees were unmoving.
Even Kaelthos looked placid, watching the Ascendants protest. He rolled his eyes as if he was listening to a youngling throw a tantrum.
Which…with how old Kaelthos was, he basically was listening to younglings throw tantrums.
Granmanmi observed me. She seemed pleased to see I hadn’t reacted. I couldn’t blame the Ascendants though. Bonding, at any level, was no small thing. Once a bond was sealed, breaking it could lead to potential death for both angels.
“Are you done whining?” Davithius barked.
“Want to go back home to your parentlings?” It got quiet.
“I didn’t think so. Now listen up, all of you will get up, file out in an orderly fashion, and follow the trail of stars until you get to the cathedral.
Then you’ll wait to be placed in your Orders, and be temple-mated, before you’re dismissed. Got it?”
“Awoui, Farasee Davithius!” we said collectively, slapping our wings together once in obeisance.
“Good. Wings high. File out!”
Ellabeth and I let go of each other, floating into the air along with all the other Ascendants. We all shuffled into a neat file, flying through the massive doors that opened to the right.
The ornate walls of the temple were covered in scrolls full of the holy verses.
They filled the walls between prayer shawls that hung like enormous curtains, from floor to ceiling.
Everything was gold or ivory. Golden floors and walls.
Ivory decor and furniture. This hallway was also lined on either side with high standing pillars of gold covered in burning, iridescent flames.
After flying across, we were led through gilded double doors that led to an outdoor courtyard. I gasped at the opulence. I thought where the Sifting towers were located was resplendent.
I was wrong.
The courtyard looked like one built for kings.
Marble white floors with golden trim covered every inch of space so far I couldn’t see where it ended in the distance.
There were a litany of lofty cathedrals, some in a long line of rows, and others tucked away in pockets, all finished at the top with expertly crafted spires.
Every cathedral held an open flame above it. All flames were iridescent or ivory.
Spotting the trail of stars, we collectively obeyed Farasee Davithius, flying along the trail as it wound us through the grounds of the temple.
As we flew, we reached a fountain that left me in awe.
Before I could ogle for too long, we were flying to the largest cathedral just ahead, perched at what had to be the very center of Temple Efysis.
Every Ascendant flew in silence. We were lost in the marvel of the temple. I’d never pictured this when Manmi told me stories about living here when she was Ascending.
Not a flower or shrub wasn’t perfectly trimmed. Not a glass window wasn’t clean to perfection. Every ethèrlamp was filled with magical light. There were more fountains, angelic statues, and endless billows curling through the differing cathedrals.
“Oh my stars,” Ellabeth breathed.
“Mhm.” I nodded, at a complete loss for words. “Whew.”
Milling throughout the temple grounds were a group of wingless figures covered from head to toe in russet gowns made entirely out of linked chains. They kept their eyes low and stayed out of the way of us angels as we passed. I recognized them immediately. The gods and goddesses.
I thought of Serafina, Natalie, and Caliana. My hearts twinged with sadness. I missed them already. They were slaves to the temple, but they’d started becoming more than just quiet strangers to me.
One female looked up. I caught her hazel eyes. My hearts nearly shattered at the sheer wells of sorrow I found in them.
I wanted to know her name. Her story.
I could just make out her long honey colored hair bound beneath the chains, the headdress wrapped around her head and down the length of her body.
I looked back. The goddess still watched me as I flew by. Her eyes burned with a fire. A fire I found myself wanting to ignite.
I looked away, following the mass of Ascendants. We flew through the open, gilded doors of the cathedral, past more pillars with endless burning fire, and into a colossal amphitheater chamber that took my breath away.
“Holy burning stars,” Daelun breathed. “Whoa.”
“Well,” Omarion exclaimed, floating close to me. “I never imagined…this.”
“I can’t believe this is our new home. Where we’ll have our classes,” Amayah whispered.
Kazemir said nothing, his honey eyes skimming the entire chamber as if he was hunting for all the ways he’d escape if he needed to.
“I for one can get used to this,” Isandra said, beaming at the opulence. “If we’re going to be bound to this temple until we Ascend as Apprenti, Rabbini, or Farasee, we may as well do it while living well.”
I snorted. That was one way to look at it.
I looked around, fighting tears.
Manmi was here. She Ascended here.
Ellabeth squeezed my hand. We looked at each other, squealing quietly.
“Feels surreal doesn’t it?” Her aquamarine eyes were glowing with excitement.
“This is going to be incredible. I can feel it.”
“Ascendants,” Davithius called out. “File in.”
To where exactly? It’s not like we knew where to go.
I scooted close to Ellabeth. Without a word, Daelun, Omarion, and Kazemir formed a half circle around us females.
I smiled at the thoughtful gesture, as more of the male Ascendants pressed in around us.
Then the doors of the Cathedral closed shut.
The elephantine chamber was jaw-dropping. Ironically, it looked like it could easily hold the seven thousand of us who began the Ascent.
There was a massive, circular platform at the center, of course made of gold, with a beaming pillar of light and fire shining from the floor to the open ceiling above. On either side of the platform were other elevated circular platforms covered in cloudchairs.
More platforms like this filled the chamber. And each had a circumference of light surrounding it. Along every wall, rising level after level, were endless rows of cloudchairs. They hovered off the ground behind desks made of the finest gold, overlaid with a thick crystal glass.
Farasee Davithius, along with Farasee Kaelthos, flew to the center of the dais. I noticed Granmanmi wasn’t with them. I tried looking for her but there were listless angels everywhere blocking my view.
“Ascendants, listen up,” Davithius said, amplifying his voice with his ethèr so we could all hear him without him shouting.
“The Order is divided into the following: Incense Order, Scroll Order, Bond Order, and Manna Order. Now, lift your wings. All of you were tagged for your designated Order. Look around this amphitheater. There are four sections. Manna is the back left. Bond is across it to the back right. Scrolls are to the front left, and Incense is to the front right. You have exactly five wing claps to find your Orders section and sit down, or your entire Order will be relegated to cleaning the stalls of the Pegasi with the gods for the next month.”
The very thought made me want to vomit. Pegasi dung was the worst to clean up. Papi made me do it twice, both times out of punishment, and I’d hated the job since.
Quickly I spread my wings and felt a rush of burning flame course through my body. Then I smelled something eerily like… smoke. My wings itched for me to go to the right. A loud clap of wings thundered in the amphitheater.
“One.”
I snapped my head to the right, where all the seats for Incense Order were positioned. I began flying in its direction. Another clap of wings.
“Two.”
I flew quicker, finding the scent of smoke growing. I was definitely designated to Incense Order. Another clap.
“Three.”
I rushed over, hustling into one of the cloudchairs toward the bottom row that put me in better sight of the main platform.
I rushed into a seat, my hearts racing. I whipped around looking for Ellabeth, just as she threw herself into the seat next to me.
Thank the stars! We’d been designated to the same Order.
Another clap. Louder this time.
“Four!”
More and more Ascendants tossed themselves into cloudchairs, the billows swaying as the angels tumbled into them, rushing to sit before they were out of time. My grin stretched when I saw Isandra, Amayah, Omarion, Daelun, and Kazemir all file into seats close to Ellabeth and I.
The final clap.
“Five!”
We all turned to see three angels rushing over to Scroll Order. I scanned their section and found Tharic in that Order. My grin split my face in half.
“Looks like Zamarien is wiping Pegasi dung for the next month.”
Daelun snorted behind me. All around us, the angels started laughing.
As the three angels were about to enter Scroll Order’s section, Tharic shot into the air with two other angels.
The three of them drew their ethèr, and shot their powers into the angels before they crossed into Scroll Order’s section.
Within moments the three angels dropped dead.
I covered my mouth, gasping in horror. Without a second thought, Tharic and the two beasts siphoned the spirits of the dead angels from their bodies, pulled them into the air, wrapped the cords of their ethèr around the living spirits, and crushed them into nothing, permanently killing the three angels. My jaw hung.
“What the actual…” Isandra’s words trailed off.
I felt ill.
“Holy stars,” an angel a few rows behind me choked out. “Burning Tazuniels, Zamariens, and Branais. Beasts. All of them.”
While we all stared, Tharic and the other two angels smugly sat back down. So, these were the angels responsible for there being so few females who Ascended. I marked them, mentally noting my growing list of males to avoid in this temple.
The doors to the cathedral opened. Gods and goddesses filed in. I scanned them quickly. None of them were Serafina, Natalie, or Caliana. I frowned, watching them as they worked. They quickly grabbed the bodies, wrapped them in feathery linens, and dragged them out, shutting the doors behind them.
“Ascendants!”
I snapped my head to the main platform. Farasee Kaelthos floated to the front, beaming with cruel pride.
“Welcome to Temple Efysis. You will learn that nothing in the temple is given. It is earned. Including mercy.” He grinned. “Let your Ascension begin.”