Chapter 59
The world spun, tilting on its axis. I was unbalanced and didn’t know if I’d ever be right again. I shot to my feet, stumbled and crashed onto my knees. Evanae’s body tilted forward, then she fell face first to the floor. I rose to my feet again and stumbled to my knees once more.
The life had been sucked out of me. Unable to stand to my feet, tears streaming down my face, I crawled on my hands knees, making my way across the expansive Council Chamber to my little sister.
Her body was a broken, mangled thing. Endless cuts lined her arms. Her legs.
Her wings were pitiful displays of what they once were.
I couldn’t help but see the young, vibrant angel who loved to sing loud while bathing so the entire villa could hear.
The angel who liked to dance when it rained, swim in the ocean for hours, and stuff her face with fried plantain, even when she was full.
The angel who ate caramel-filled donuts then licked her fingers while cleverly prying secrets from you.
My sweet Evanae who’d heard I’d been punished by Scourgers and sent me bowls of cookies. Bowls Quazar consumed half of, becoming obsessed with her desserts. My bright-eyed sister who always believed in the happier things of the world.
Not a single Farasee looked on with pity outside of Davithius. He was disgusted and fuming. Crawling on my knees I made my way to Evanae.
“My sweet Vava,” I cried, my voice breaking. “My sweet, sweet, Vava.”
She lifted her head, her wide eyes still a beautiful mauve under the lights that shone through the glass windows.
“Sazu.” She coughed.
Blood spurted out of her mouth. Racking sobs took over my body. I began shaking, uncontrollably as she coughed more and more blood.
“You,” she tried again.
“Shh, don’t speak Little Seashell.”
I made it to her side, pulling her into my lap. I gently took her into my weakened arms and held her close. I lifted her head to me, brushing back her blood-soaked hair. I could hardly see the young female I knew for all the damage that had been done to her face.
“You are…” she continued anyway. “Everything. Suns, moons, stars.” She lifted her dirty hand to my face. Her nails were gone. Only bloody stumps remained. I could see the life fading from her eyes, as more blood pooled out of her dress, soaking my gown with its warmth.
“My Vava.”
I couldn’t stop my tears. Couldn’t stop my trembling shoulders.
“You are everything I hoped to become one dawn,” she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Manmi used to…to tell me to follow…follow you. I’m glad I…
listened.” She struggled to cling to life.
I lifted my hand to her cheek, beginning to fyuse.
If I had to drain every last drop of my starfire to keep her breathing, I would.
“I love you, Sazu.”
Evanae’s pretty purple eyes fell shut.
“No,” I sobbed, gently slapping her cheeks. “No, Vava. No. Wake up,” I cried, voice more tears than sound. I was mid-fyuse, ready to do what it took to save Evanae, when a tendril of starlight wrapped around Evanae’s body, yanking her from my arms.
“NO!” I screamed.
Burning stars, why couldn’t I stand? Why was my body choosing now to betray me?
“I don’t think so,” Asarah said.
In quick succession, she shoved her talons into Evanae’s spine three more times.
Then she threw my little sister’s body into the air, blasting her with a vortex of starlight morphed into deadly spears.
The volley of spears went up, piercing Evanae so decidedly, there wasn’t an inch of her that wasn’t stuck by the spears.
Then Asarah crushed her hands, yanking out the spears.
Evanae’s body tumbled back down. She fell to the marble.
Lifeless.
The chamber tipped to the side as I felt all seven of my hearts give out. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t make any sense of this world.
“Remember this dawn when you choose to rebel against this temple, against me, again,” Asarah purred. “Remember that you did this.”
She blasted Evanae with hardened starlight, then squeezed her fist. Evanae’s body began to burn as her spirit was choked out. My ears rang with cymbals. I could hear the sound of screaming in the distance, a voice shrieking at the top of their lungs, but the sound was far. Foreign.
My body moved on its own, leaping into the air to grab hold of Evanae’s spirit, tucking it to my chest, as I crumpled to the floor, watching her body burn.
My ears felt like they’d been stuffed with cloud balls.
I couldn’t hear a thing except for that ring.
Someone was screaming loudly at the top of their lungs.
And I was pretty sure that someone was me.
I snarled savagely when Asarah slipped forward as if she’d pry away my sister’s spirit, too. When she saw the gaze in my eyes, she stumbled back. After looking at me with utter disappointment, she turned away.
“Congratulations on completing your first level of Ascension, Disciple Safah. I’m not proud yet. But for now, your succession will suffice.” A brittle, vile chuckle. “You’re dismissed.”
Then she flew out of the chamber without a backwards glance, leaving me behind with Evanae’s spirit and her body’s ash.