“I can’t see what I’m doing,” she said. “So, uh, please keep still.”
“Whatever you say. Just try not to cut too deep, all right? I’ll haunt you until eternity if I suffer an ignoble death bleeding out on the floor of a Candren prison.”
“At least we’ll still be together.”
Bree twisted her elbows so the sharp metal bit faced downward. Using her knee to hold his hand in place, she pushed the manacles against his palm as hard as she could. It didn’t draw blood at first, but then she dragged her arms along his skin. Kael cried out instinctively and pulled his hands from her lap.
“Sorry,” she said. “Did it go too deep?”
“We’re about to find out.”
The dark cell went quiet, not even of the sound of their breathing. Bree waited, wondering what exactly her brother intended.
Her answer came in the form of a sudden twinkling of light in the center of their cell, like a newly born star. The light was blinding, but Bree forced herself to stare at it. The glow dwindled down until it shone like pale white embers hovering atop Kael’s cut hand. In the pitch darkness, that somber glow was more than enough for them to see one another.
Bree winced at the sight of her brother’s hand. She’d only meant to scratch him lightly, but the jagged slice looked in danger of leaving a scar. Blood pooled across his hand, which he held palm upward, soft light shimmering and glowing across its surface.
“Well, so far I’m one for one,” he said, grinning. “Now for idea two. Bree, this will sound crazy, but I want you to put your hand in mine so you’re touching my blood.”
Bree frowned.
“Uh … gross?”
“Oh, so now you’re suddenly squeamish about a bit of blood?” Kael asked, and Bree felt her cheeks flush.
“Sorry,” she said. “Fine. I’ll do it. But what are you hoping to accomplish?”
“Just close your eyes and keep still. I’d rather not say in case I fail miserably.”
Bree put her hand in Kael’s, and she felt the warmth of his blood spread across her palm. Kael closed his eyes, his face scrunched in deep concentration. Bree watched, curious as to his plan. Was he hoping to make her float above the ground like the lightborn? His hand tightened around hers, and Bree heard a strange ringing sensation in the back of her mind. Was that part of what Kael …?
A memory returned to Bree, of the two of them playing in the backyard. Kael was “it,” and Bree fled from him through a fallow field, dodging and weaving whenever he lunged. The smell of dirt filled her nostrils, the sway of the grass a phantom kiss on her hands. The careless joy of those years flooded her chest, and she smiled despite the tears rolling down her face.
The memory vanished as rapidly as it came, returning her to the somber white light of their prison cell. Bree pulled her hand free and attempted to wipe away the blood on the stone floor. To her surprise, her hand was dry, the blood already flaking off her skin.
“Did you see anything?” Kael asked. She could hear his nervous optimism, and she laughed as she wiped away her tears.
“I saw us playing in the grass when we were seven,” she said.
Kael pumped his fist and grinned like a maniac, a celebratory whoop barely held in check.
“I knew it,” he said. “I just knew it.”
“How’d you do it?” Bree asked.
Kael glanced at his palm, and the slow trickle of blood from his cut.
“It’s … it’s a little like activating the ice prism in my gauntlet,” he said. “I can feel the connection, but instead of trying to shape ice into a sphere or cone, I’m focusing on a memory. After a moment, it just … flows. Does this make any sense?”
Bree nodded. It was similar to how it felt when she bathed her swords in flame.
“So this is your plan to convince Evereth?” she asked.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“What if you can only show people what they’ve already experienced? We were both there in the memory we shared. What of something only you have seen?”
Kael flexed his hand a few times, setting the blood to flow anew and brightening the cell further.
“I’ve got an idea,” he said. “Let’s try again. This time close your eyes, all right?”
Bree took his hand and obeyed. She kept her breathing steady and did her best to empty her mind. She didn’t know how difficult this was for Kael but she’d try to help in any way she could. A minute crawled by without vision or memory, setting Bree to worry.
“Kael?” she asked.
“There,” Kael whispered back. “There it is. Bree, open your eyes.”
A vibrant blue sky spread before Bree when her eyelids parted. A sense of motion overcame her, wind blasting through her hair and swirling beneath her Seraphim wings. Sounds followed, the mighty roar of battle. Bree tried to look about, but her eyes were fixed ahead. She was part of a formation, her shoulders and back twisting to keep pace with her leader. Lightning crackled through the air, ice and stone a destructive rain plummeting to the ocean below.
Where am I? Bree wondered as her formation curled back around the edge of the battle to dive straight in. They fought against people of Galen, she realized. Her gaze shifted upward, and before her blazed a twin trail of fire. Bree’s heart caught in her throat. She saw from Kael’s eyes in Phoenix Squad, and before her was the Phoenix.
Bree watched this phantom version of herself dodge and weave through the chaos of battle, fire dripping off her blades. Time seemed to slow as she watched herself dip below stone and then soar above a plume of flame meant to char her flesh to the bone. Horror flooded Bree. She didn’t want to watch. Every attack showed how close to death she skirted. Every instinctual movement was now revealed to her, and it only frightened her further.
Then her eyes pulled away, and she was diving, turning, all her skill pushed to the limit to keep up with the madwoman that was the Phoenix. Dawning dread seeped through Bree’s mind. She knew when this was. She knew where it led. Scattered from the formation, the dead raining down, she caught sight of Galen’s weak, flickering Beam.
No, her mind shrieked. Not again. Never again. She tore her hand back, the vision rupturing as she broke contact. The comfortable darkness returned, lit by only the last flickering embers of Kael’s shimmering blood. Kael slumped before her, a guilty expression on his face. He knew the demons the vision had stirred in her memory, yet he’d done it anyway.
“Why?” Bree asked.
“I’m sorry,” Kael said. “But I had to know. I had to see if I could give a vision and have it inspire the same fear and confusion that I felt.”
Bree shivered, trying to stomp down the memories of collapsing nets full of villagers and crowds of people plummeting off the side of the doomed island.
“It did,” she said.
Kael reached out for her, and she instinctively pulled away. Catching herself, she paused, let him wrap his arm around her.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
Bree leaned against him, accepting his comfort.
“I know. Now let me rest for a bit.”
She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. The vision had left her body drained and her mind lit. Kael clenched his cut fist tight, ending the light.
“Think it’ll work?” Kael asked after a moment. His voice was a calm reassurance in the darkness.
“I’m not sure. The Archon might not be willing to touch your blood and wait. It’s a bit … strange.”
Kael actually laughed.
“We’re desperate, Bree, so we’re not exactly overflowing with options. I more meant if he does see a vision, will it convince him of the truth of our claims?”
Bree settled deeper into her brother’s lap, her tense muscles and tired bones relaxing.
“The Archon? Trust me, Kael. He won’t know what hit him.”
CHAPTER
9
Bree didn’t know how long she slept, only that when she woke, guards had come to escort them. The two left t
he cold, dark corridors surrounded by spears and shields and stepped into painfully bright hallways. Bree squinted, relying on the jostle of soldiers to keep her walking the right way. Through blurry eyes she saw both nobles and servants staring as their group passed. Bree tried not to be angry with them. Of course she and Kael were a sight to see. Here they were, heroes of Weshern, on their way to trial. Who wouldn’t stare?
The guards took them to the Archon’s grand throne room. The wide balconies were empty, the side tables seating only a few. Long curtains stitched into figures of war hung from the rafters. Archon Dayan sat in his gilded throne. His stone face revealed nothing. Beside him stood his royal advisor, arms crossed and mouth locked in a tight frown. On left side of a dais stood Rebecca, her fingers nervously tapping her clipboard. On the right waited two theotechs, their eyes wide with zealous fury.
“Leave us,” Evereth ordered the guards. They left Kael and Bree standing before the raised dais, and did not release their manacles. Evereth kept ramrod straight in his chair, staring at the two of them as if he could drill the truth out with his eyes.
“The theotechs of the Clay Cathedral have made damning claims against you Skyborn twins, claims that Rebecca Waller has not directly denied.”
“May we hear those claims for ourselves?” Kael asked.
The older of the two theotechs stepped forward.
“You knowingly broke into the cathedral without either our or the Archon’s permission,” he said. “You killed three men and injured two more, putting all of Candren in jeopardy with your recklessness. The inner mechanics of the Beam are protected inside the cathedral, and I fear the damage you may have caused if you’d ventured deeper within.”
“You two were also present for Galen’s collapse,” said the other theotech. “I now wonder if that were merely coincidence.”
Bree bristled at the accusations. The theotechs were clearly lying, but their counterargument would involve insisting the lightborn existed within the cathedral … something the two theotechs were clearly betting on the Archon not entertaining in the slightest.
“These Weshern Seraphs are not on trial for Galen’s collapse,” Rebecca interjected, and she sounded none too pleased. “Would you like to blame the rain of demons from the sky on them as well?”
“Both of you, hold your tongues,” Evereth ordered. He leaned forward, gaze narrowing. “I have been within the inner workings of the Clay Cathedral,” he said. “I have been shown the complicated machinery that powers the Beam. I have seen the veritable river flowing through the pipes, filtered of salt and sent to our fountains and lakes. All this I was shown when I took my seat on this throne, but what I never saw was an angel keeping our island aloft.”
“That is because these children are deluded,” said the older theotech. “Given to fantasy and legend, and because of that, our own paid with their lives.”
“Of which you have no proof,” Rebecca said.
“What proof do we need?” the theotech snapped. “Kael Skyborn here demanded entrance into the Clay Cathedral and was denied. That night, two guards and a theotech inside the cathedral are then slain. Who else would have attempted such an act, plus possess the skill to kill our trained people?”
That was the biggest crux of the argument, and one they could not easily refute. Bree nudged Kael in the side. Best to not let the point linger, and instead turn the conversation onto the lies of the theotechs. Her brother shot her a wink and then stepped forward into a bow before the Archon.
“Might I speak now that others are done speaking for and against us?” he asked.
Evereth waved a hand, and he glared at the theotechs when they started to protest.
“You say you have seen the secrets of the theotechs within Candren,” he said. “So before I continue, I must ask, what if there were an angel hidden within the confines?”
Evereth frowned.
“Then it would mean I was lied to,” he said, glancing to his left. “And it would mean the nonsense you spoke of at dinner might be true.”
Kael lifted his bound hands. The rattle of metal echoed in the grand hall.
“I don’t need to make an argument,” he said. “I don’t need words. I have a gift, Archon. I will show you the angel, whose blood and sacrifice keeps your people safely above the Endless Ocean’s waters.”
Bree carefully watched the reactions to their planned gambit. Rebecca kept her face passive, but she clearly wasn’t pleased. The theotechs appeared nervous. They likely knew what Bree could do with her blood. Perhaps they had an inkling of what Kael could do as well? Evereth, meanwhile, looked mildly disgusted.
“I have no interest in petty tricks,” the Archon said.
“No trick,” Kael said. “Cut my palm, and touch the blood with your hand. You will see the truth.”
“And if I see nothing?”
Her brother didn’t miss a beat.
“Then we will confess our guilt before the court and accept whatever judgment you see fitting for our actions.”
Rebecca’s displeasure turned to full-blown shock. Even the theotechs appeared confused if they should be worried or pleased by the gambit. Bree held her breath, waiting for Evereth to make his decision.
“Kahlil,” he said. “Do as the boy asks.”
“Of course, my Archon,” he said, bowing low before descending the steps. The slender man drew out a knife from a pocket and held it above Kael’s open palm. “How deep shall I cut?”
“Just enough to draw blood.”
“Very well.”
The advisor sliced across the skin, and pocketed the dagger as quickly as he’d drawn it. Kael grimaced in pain but did not cry out. Bree tried to appear confident despite her worry. Their lives were in Kael’s hands, and in his ability to use a power they’d only recently discovered.
Bree rolled her eyes, realizing how ridiculous her feelings were. Was this any different from Kael entrusting her flaming blades after she’d spent an entire year overwhelmingly incompetent with her fire?
“I am ready,” Kael said, looking to the Archon.
“Not me,” Evereth said. “Kahlil shall witness while I watch for tricks and lies.”
Kael tried, and failed, to hide his initial disappointment. Turning to the advisor, he offered his hand. When the man accepted, his palm sliding into Kael’s bloody palm, Kael ordered him to close his eyes. Kahlil shuffled foot to foot, looking awkward and impatient as he obeyed. Time slowly ticked away, with the theotechs appearing more relieved with each passing second. Bree waited, trusting her brother. He’d shown her two visions. He could manage this third.
Kael suddenly relaxed, and a look of peace washed over his face.
“Open your eyes,” he said.
To Bree’s surprise, Khalil’s eyes stayed shut. His entire body locked tight, and his mouth dropped open in awe. A few words strayed off his tongue, too soft to be heard. The advisor’s legs weakened. He dropped to his knees. Kael held on to his hand, calm before the advisor’s fright, steady before the advisor’s trembling. It took only a moment before Khalil broke free, but in that span the entire room had been shocked silent.
Khalil turned to the Archon as he slowly rose to his feet.
“Well?” Evereth asked. He sounded angry that he didn’t know what was happening.
“My Archon,” a winded Khalil said. “I beg of you, accept this man’s hand.”
“This is merely a trick,” one theotech said. “A false power of the demons. Do not fall for the illusion.”
“Be silent,” Evereth said as he descended the steps. “I have trusted you since the day of my coronation. I will spare this young man a moment of that same trust.”
Kael offered his bleeding hand, and the Archon placed his bare fingers into the blood. He closed his eyes without needing told, and Kael did likewise. Her brother’s face became one of concentration, searching for the connection.
It took far less time than it did for the advisor. Kael’s face relaxed, his eyelids fluttering.
“Open your eyes,” he told the Archon. “Behold his majesty.”
The Archon’s body locked tight. His jaw trembled. His knees shook. Bree knew what he was showing him. They’d discussed it before sleep had overcome them. Kael would share the memory of that first moment they stepped into A’resh’s grand chamber. They would share the emotions of peace and awe. With borrowed eyes, the Archon would stare into the face of a lightborn, and who could deny their existence after such a sight?
The Archon slowly lowered to one knee. The throne room remained awkwardly silent, the only noise Evereth’s labored breathing. The vision lasted a full minute before Kael pulled away. The Archon’s eyes snapped open, and Bree saw tears in them.
“God in heaven, forgive me,” he said, rising to his feet. His voice firmed, and a flood of anger overwhelmed him as he turned to the theotechs.
“Guards, arrest them both,” he shouted and pointed at the theotechs. “And send word to General Viker. I must speak with him immediately.”
Guards hidden behind curtains and disguised doors burst forth, surrounding the theotechs.
“It is a lie,” the older theotech shouted. “A lie they have fed you, a tool of the demons to destroy our unity and threaten our islands. Do not believe, Archon, do not believe!”
Evereth never even looked at him. He motioned for a guard and ordered Kael and Bree to be freed.
“I have seen a great many things in my life,” he said. “But that is a sight nothing has prepared me for. I shall meet with A’resh myself. Such a being shall not suffer in our stead without our praise and thanks.”
Kael couldn’t contain his smug grin.
“So you’re saying we’re not to be executed?” he asked.
Evereth cracked a smile.
“No, Skyborn children. You aren’t to be executed. You’ll go home with the rest of your Seraphim, and you’ll go with my heartfelt blessings.”
CHAPTER
10
The Speaker walked through the enormous grass fields along the eastern side of the holy island. Soldiers bowed their heads and raised their spears, their number in the thousands. They stood in five-by-five blocks atop wooden platforms, eagerly awaiting the ferrymen to come and carry them across the Endless Ocean. Their polished gold armor shone in the warm morning sun.
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