Chapter 33 #2
Quazar was frozen in his seat as he watched me with unreadable eyes. He retracted his shadows, and his hand from my knee, as his face hardened. When I poked around our tethered bond, I found the veil sealed tight.
Great. There went the bit of progress we’d made.
I stood up.
“Do you accept to demonstrate, Disciple Safah?”
Like I had a burning choice. I nodded, bowing low.
“Yes, Scourger Jeroah. I accept.”
“Come, child.”
My wings twitched nervously as I floated to the ramp separating the isles and began walking down.
I could have flown, but I wanted some time to think.
I searched my brain recklessly, trying to see if this had anything to do with something Manmi had taught me and I’d forgotten.
But no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t think of a single lesson where she mentioned I’d be summoned by the Scourgers.
What did they mean this was an Anathelle tradition?
And where in the stars was Granmanmi?
When I reached the floor, I floated to a hover in front of Incense Order. The moment I looked at the Scourgers, a table surfaced. I looked down to find three Dragontail whips. Each was meant for shredding through bones, wings, and skin.
“I like where this is going,” Tharic commented loudly. “We should do illustrated lessons more often.”
I sniffed a trap and knew I was in the center of it.
My hearts slammed inside my chest, beating like drums. Without thinking, I reached down the bond with my starfire, brushing against the veiled door separating Quazar and I.
Without hesitation Quazar dropped the veil and let me in.
My starlit tendrils seeped into his pool of shadows.
It felt like being hugged. Like being held. It felt safe.
“Remember Disciples and Legionnaires”—Kaelthos glared at Quazar—“sacrifice is better than obedience. You cannot interrupt or intervene. Any angel who does, forfeits their Ascension. Their Legion.” A beat. “And their life.”
Gasps broke out across the cathedral.
“You cannot assist Disciple Safah. Nor can you assist those being judged.”
I looked at Kaelthos. The resounding hatred and triumph glittering in his eyes terrified me.
“What do you mean ‘those being judged’?”
Kaelthos beamed. “Turn around, Disciple.”
I did.
At first, I just looked back at Incense Order.
A sea of pearl, brown, and umber skinned angels all clad in Disciple gold or Legionnaire black, stared back at me.
Most were confused, unsure of what in the stars was going on.
I looked into Quazar’s eyes. They were glowing.
Wild. A growing rage seeped to their surface.
Then ten Marked came into view. Their hands, feet, and wings were shackled. They’d been bloodied and beaten, bodies already littered with visible bruises beneath their tattered clothing. When they looked at me, looked into my eyes, terror colored their faces grey.
“She’s an Anathelle,” one female whimpered. “We are so dead.”
“Please,” cried a male. “We haven’t done anything. Please.”
I looked at Quazar. He watched me behind that mask of neutrality.
I couldn’t get a solid read on him. I poked into our bond.
He’d let me stay in his shadows. He hadn’t shut me out.
I couldn’t place why, but that was probably the most comforting thing I could hold on to in this moment.
I took deeper steps into that well of shadows, sinking further, desperate for this moment to pass.
I squared my shoulders, still facing Incense Order with my chin raised.
“Farasee Kaelthos, I fail to understand what is going on here. This lesson is about righteous judgment. What are the Marked doing here? They’re not part of Xadari Legion.”
“Good observation, Disciple Safah.” Kaelthos’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “These Fallenspawn abominations have been caught in the Shaele, trafficking hèlborns into the Ouanaviel island.”
“It’s not true!” the first Marked cried. “We’ve done no such thing.”
“Silence!” Kaelthos snapped.
It was dead quiet in the Sanctuary. Many of the Disciples looked on, horrified. I’d always known Kaelthos was unhinged. But this was too far.
“Disciple Safah, your job is simple. These Fallenspawn have been accused and brought to me for sentencing. As part of the Farasee Order, I judge them guilty of treason. Their sentence is death.”
My ears were ringing. Death? Just how many lives was this stars-forsaken temple going to take?
I began slipping to a place far away in my mind. Shadows curled around my starfire silhouette and held me tight. The gesture was sweet. But it wasn’t going to be enough. I looked back at the table. At the three Dragontails.
We need the fire of the stars.
I pressed my lips together, letting my eyes fall shut as Farasee Kaelthos gave me the rest of my instructions with a sickening bounce in his voice.
“Disciple Safah, you will siphon the spirits of these ten Fallenspawn. You will use your starfire to drain them. You will then crush the spirits into nothing. When you’re done, you must set their carcasses on fire until every last one of them have completed their sentence. Death.”