Page 22

Chapter 21

Sacrificial Lambs

Elder Welkin ushered us through the archway with a nod of acknowledgment, then stabbed his finger at a point on either side of the archway to show us where to stand before he dismissed us. His domineering arrogance extended to all the Neven within the Aedis as he strode down the aisle toward the dais in the center. It was how I imagined a high lord would deign to grace his subjects—as if nobody else existed unless he allowed it.

Only, he was no high lord. The ruling family line of our high lord had died with him centuries ago, and the elders had ruled in their place ever since. Elder Welkin had to share his throne. I’d seen the way it grated on him whenever one of his fellow elders took center stage. My groan as I realized it was his turn to host the ceremony tonight turned heads near me, even over the soaring notes of the novice choir. I hurriedly looked at the ground, cursing the heightened hearing of the Neven. I would have preferred any other elder, but that was not my luck.

“Head up,” mother whispered, as she discreetly touched my arm in reassurance, then left to sit with her consort at a table near the center.

As Elder Welkin reached the dais, he turned and raised his hands. The room hushed. There were few who would risk his wrath.

I glanced around and noted the finery of the noble families who lived in the citadel. They were sitting in all their splendor, artfully draped in silks, with glittering jewels nestled in their feathers. An aisle led from each of the arched entrances and separated the crowd into their respective wings.

The elders had graciously allowed the most prominent families from town into the Aedis tonight to watch the ceremony and envy the grandeur, although they were banished to the upper balcony running the perimeter of the room. They would leave to join the celebrations on the promenade as soon as the feast started, but I knew Mara’s parents would be up there somewhere for now. It struck me how cruel it was to remind them of their place while their daughter was giving up any hope for her own future to lift them beyond theirs.

And the thralls were nowhere to be seen.

We waited silently as the dais turned and Elder Welkin rose into the air. He was wearing his ceremonial robes, made from a heavy, dark-red fabric ornately embroidered with gold thread. A blazing circle with light-infused stitching featured on the center of his chest—a representation of our goddess and her gift. He also held a golden scepter with a lighted orb permanently hovering at the tip.

The scepter cast a line of light that dazzled my eyes as he waved it in a fast, sigil-like pattern around his head. A shimmer of tiny sparks rained over him, before he halted dramatically and banged the staff onto the dais. The echo reverberated through the stone and through my feet. In response, tiny sparkling orbs lit up in a spiral along the domed ceiling. The battle scenes looked fearsome lit up in this way, with the lights illuminating the carved forms yet also casting shadows. It brought the carvings to life. It was all very dramatic.

I wasn’t sure if it was designed to impress our goddess or us.

Elder Welkin paused to let us delight in the spectacle he had provided before he began his tribute, his voice amplified unnaturally throughout the hall.

“Tonight, we celebrate our goddess, Nur, and begin the Ostara Festival in her honor. On this day three hundred years ago, she bestowed her gifts upon us. A hundred years later to the day, she raised us into the safety of the sky. So tonight is an auspicious celebration. Yet, as time passes, we cannot become lulled into complacency. We must continue to ensure the goddess’s precious gift does not fall into the wrong hands, for the world below us is fraught with peril and becomes increasingly rapacious as the wraiths spread. Our enemies covet our gift and the cherished vessels who wield it. We must guard them closely. This is why being a consort is a grave responsibility, not to be taken lightly…”

I couldn’t pay attention to any of Elder Welkin’s tribute tonight. Now that my eyes were open, the lies spilling from his mouth about our goddess had anger bubbling within me. It wasn’t just the codex. The entire citadel was an empty pageant of lies, built one upon the other—designed to awe and distract its citizens from what was going on around them and from the dark stain beneath their feet. A pageant that centered and swirled around Elder Welkin. He thrived on it, but more than that, he elaborately built on the foundations laid hundreds of years ago for a purpose I couldn’t discern.

Was it pride that caused this elaborate, inordinately excessive display, or was there something else going on here? Were there more unseen horrors in the shadows cast by the dazzling display of lumis?

A suspicion grew that he wouldn’t let me go as easily as my mother hoped, even if nobody offered for me. His hatred of me was too entrenched and his almost maniacal need for attention too vast. Was my mother deluding herself, and was Mara right, or was I overthinking this? What if there was an even worse fate in store for me than being a vessel?

As his booming voice built into a crescendo, the trapped sensation from my bound wings spread. My breath sped up as a growing sense of panic built within me. It felt like the fates themselves were hovering over my shoulder, screaming at me to run. I tried to tell myself it was just nerves, but the feeling of something terrible rushing toward me only grew.

Mara’s name being called loudly jolted me back into the moment, and I looked toward where she was standing across the entrance arch from me. I hadn’t realized Elder Welkin had finished his tribute. Before I could impulsively reach out and tell her to stop, she dropped her cloak and stepped gracefully out of the shadows to glide down the walkway in front of us.

The lit spiral overhead dimmed, and a trail of orbs lit up above her, bathing her in light as she walked and the novices sang for her. It set off the jewels sewn into her gown and sprinkled in her hair so that she radiated sparkles. The lumis orbs hidden within her feathered wings made it appear as if they were lit from within, giving her a golden glow.

She truly looked as if the goddess herself had lent us an earthly body to be filled with her light.

I held my breath as she stepped onto the dais alongside Elder Welkin. He held out his arm to steady her, and she took it. I hadn’t realized he’d be remaining with us. Mother hadn’t mentioned that, and I wondered if that was unusual, or a tactic to keep me from worrying. If that was her purpose, it hadn’t worked.

Apart from a small jolt when the dais began to turn, Mara held steady. Despite my rising fear, I was inordinately proud of her. She looked serene, keeping her nerves well hidden.

When the dais stilled, Elder Welkin’s booming voice sounded again. “I present to you Potentiate Mara Broxe from the Welkin Wing. If you intend to offer, please stand one at a time and state your name now.” All the light and air in the room seemed to concentrate on Mara.

There was utter silence.

After several long moments, a rustling filled the air as people shifted in their chairs to glance around. Not every potentiate received an offer, but it was rare not to. When the whispers started, I was in agony as I watched Mara battle to keep her emotions from betraying her in front of the whole citadel. I didn’t know whether to be overjoyed or dismayed, but I hated this moment of rejection for her as she stood in the spotlight for them all to judge, a rare butterfly caught and pinned under the glare and still deemed unworthy.

All of it felt wrong. I’d known this was coming for both of us, but I hadn’t expected to have such a visceral reaction to it. My heart hammered in my chest like a call to arms. I wanted to run to her and drag her from the room, but there was nowhere to go, and I wasn’t sure she’d thank me for it.

Elder Welkin dragged the moment out, standing silently at her side as if enjoying her torment.

“Nobody?” he boomed, with a casual arrogance to his raised eyebrow and slight smirk. Had he orchestrated this?

An orb flared to light over the crowd as Haniel stood up, and my stomach dropped right through the void beneath our city. “I, Flight Leader Haniel Axton, offer for Potentiate Mara Broxe of the Welkin Wing.”

The whispers stopped, and all eyes returned to the dais as Mara’s fate was sealed. She hardly seemed to breathe, but I couldn’t tell if she was happy or not.

“I accept your nomination as an eligible male, Flight Leader Haniel Axton of the Welkin Wing. With no counteroffer, you are confirmed as an uncontested consort. If anyone objects, they will need to request a review within two days, or we will name you as her official consort at the final presentation.”

The dais slowly began its descent, and Haniel made his way toward it. The only thing that would stop Haniel becoming a consort now was if the elders voted against his offer during a review. I watched Mara as she was directed to take a seat next to the dais and Haniel came to sit alongside her. She held her head high as everyone gawked at them, but they didn’t look at each other. My heart bled for them that they had been put through this spectacle. I wasn’t sure if either of them wanted the future they now faced together.

Following Mara, four more potentiates graced the dais, each greeted by initial silence, then increasing whispers as not a single offer was made. It was unheard of, and the crowd was becoming increasingly agitated as each potentiate was rejected. I didn’t know them, but I felt for each of them, knowing I was about to join their fate under the harsh spotlight.

Elder Welkin glared at individual males in the crowd, but they avoided making eye contact with him. His face turned redder as his anger rose each time the dais descended. My panic rose with it, but also my relief. Each of the potentiates were from high-ranking families with strong light-wielding abilities. If they were being rejected, I was surely safe, although I couldn’t figure out why it was happening. Something was at play, a sense of anticipation building within the room like a pressure against my skin, yet I was clueless as I stood in the shadows.

Finally, my name was called as the second round of potentiates for each wing began. I burrowed my hand deep within the fold of my skirts under the pretense of lifting it and clutched my shadow tightly, drawing comfort from its soft warmth as I stepped out.

There was an ominous silence, and dread filled me as I remembered my cloak. Shrugging it off quickly, gasps and murmurs echoed around the Aedis as it dropped to the floor and my highlighted wings were exposed. They haunted my steps as I made my way to the dais.

Elder Welkin glared at me, fury burning in his eyes. His arm was stiff as he held it out for me. My slight stumble as the dais started its turn led to him jostling me with his arm in annoyance. Barely keeping my footing, I focused my gaze on the archways at the back of the room, as my mother had suggested. With the glare of the orbs above us, I could only just make them out, along with the first few tables of nobles within the inner circle.

As a bead of sweat ran down the nape of my neck, I instinctively tried to flutter my wings at my back. Trying to move some air through my feathers to cool me down, forgetting they were bound. A small gasp escaped as the wire bit into me.

“Stop fidgeting,” Elder Welkin hissed without looking at me.

I couldn’t help it. The sheer number of people in the room and the lack of air circulation made it hot under the lumis. Elder Welkin had also smothered his wings in some kind of fragrant oil to make them shine under the lights. It was spicy and cloying, choking every breath I tried to take. My shadow stroked the palm of my hand, trying to reassure me, but my rising panic was beyond the help of the simple gesture.

Just get through this , I told myself. I only had to endure the stares for a few more minutes, then this would all be over, and I would go back to being ignored by the hundreds of nobles around me.

Flinching as Elder Welkin’s booming voice sounded from right beside me, I held my breath. “I present to you Potentiate Alula Fenix of the Welkin Wing. If you—“ Elder Welkin hadn’t even finished his introduction before a light flared and someone shot out of their chair. I didn’t catch their name as another light flared and another voice rang out, rapidly followed by several more. My name seemed to be echoing on repeat. I was stunned, my mind struggling to make sense of the growing noise around the room.

Elder Welkin’s arm sagged underneath my hand, and I twisted as I tried to spot who was standing under the lights springing up. Aeron Welkin was the only noble I recognized, and the only one from my wing. I counted at least thirteen lights across the five wings.

No, no, no, no. This wasn’t supposed to happen. My growing panic became a heated, stabbing pain that started in my chest.

The shadow in my hand began vibrating at a rapid pitch. Unable to tell if it was angry or excited, I tried to stuff it deeper into my skirt, terrified someone would notice, but it wrapped around my fingers insistently, forcing me to keep my hand hidden. I noticed Haniel had stood up too and was staring around the room with his fists clenched, while Mara’s eyes were wide, riveted on me.

People were no longer whispering as chaos erupted, everyone talking over the top of each other. Elder Welkin tried to seize back control of the room, but it was impossible to hear him over the din, even with his amplified voice. The look of horror on my mother’s face as I located her in the first tier seared itself into my brain. There was nothing she could do to help me now, and she knew it. She wrung her hands as her plans fell to dust around her. In that moment, I knew I was in deep, deep trouble.

“Silence,” Elder Welkin boomed one final time, and every orb in the room flared brightly, to the point of pain, almost blinding me. It left an afterglow I had to blink away, but it worked, even if the aftermath caused the lumis orbs to all start shedding shimmers.

The room returned to a tense silence so thick it felt like it was pressing on me. His words when he next spoke began through gritted teeth. “This is unprecedented. However, you are all eligible males, so please make your way to the dais. You are all now contested consorts for the next two weeks. You may arrange a time with your potentiate’s mother to meet with her, starting tomorrow. Our laws require a review be undertaken within the week so the elders can consider your offers.”

The dais began its descent, and I kept my eyes trained on the floor as I felt the burn of Elder Welkin’s furious glare. Rage rolled off him in waves so intense I could almost taste the danger, and my mouth dried. My only saving grace was the hundreds of eyes on us. When I reached the bottom, I faced a wall of males towering over me and watching me expectantly. Elder Welkin dropped his arm before he walked stiffly away to confer with the other elders who had also gathered. Not one elder appeared interested in intervening and helping me either.

My panic heightened, tightening my throat as they began to close in. Entitlement was clear in their postures and arrogant gazes as thirteen pairs of eyes devoured me. My near nakedness now didn’t feel so much like an illusion.

I wanted no part of what they were planning for me. They didn’t seem to care about that, though.

The sense of danger I had felt earlier sounded again, like a warning bell. A buzzing rose beneath my skin, my light begging to be let loose as surging anger overtook my panic, but I had no idea how to release it. Even if I did, a show of light-wielding here would only seal my fate. Nobody would ever let me leave—not alive, anyway.

My brother appeared and started shoving chests, forcing them all to move back, joined by members of his flight. There was enough respect within the citadel for my brother that they all reluctantly complied, yet none of the contested consorts moved more than a step or two away. Mara pulled me down into the seat next to her with Haniel still standing alongside her. She grabbed my hand in hers, anchoring me amidst the chaos and the drumbeat of my own blood.

I focused on the dais as it retreated down into the depths in preparation for the feast to come, avoiding the multitude of eyes trying to catch mine. I wondered, if I dove into the hole, could I possibly escape into the darkness below without causing myself injury? Even not knowing what lay at the bottom and with my wings bound, it seemed a safer option than remaining where I was.

“Don’t even think about it,” Kiran whispered as he joined me, noting the direction of my gaze. “We’ll figure this out.”

My contested consorts were an ominous huddle behind his spread wings as he tried in vain to shield me. When I looked up, I could see people in the viewing balcony leaning over the edges to watch us, as other people tried to push and shove to get a look too. The noise and the sheer volume of people looking at me was overwhelming. My panic rose to a fever pitch as I tried to flex my wings to pre-empt an escape, and couldn’t. The buzzing in my veins intensified as my breathing became erratic.

The shimmer from the lumis orbs above intensified as glittering sparks started falling into the crowd. Everything felt wrong. It was a battle to keep that buzzing within my body as it begged to be let out, to defend me. Darkness creeped into the edges of my vision.

Even if I could find enough calm to drop into that deep center of myself, the ember within me had become a raging torrent of lava threatening to erupt. I needed Nier to help control my surging light. He understood wielding something bigger than himself in a way no one else in this citadel could.

“What do I do?” I whispered in a choppy breath. I wasn’t sure who I was asking—my family, my friends, or the hovering fates.

“We get through tonight.” Near hysteria, my brother’s answer as he stepped further in front of me almost had me laughing. All our plans were ashes on the wind.

My mother joined us and snapped her fingers at my contested consorts to get their attention.

“I understand you are all expecting to dine with Alula, as is your right now that you have offered; however, this is an unprecedented situation. She is inexperienced with male company, and you are all overwhelming her. I will make appointments with you all now, and you can meet with her individually tomorrow. If one of you is going to be approved as her consort, it will need to be someone who is able to prove they can be diplomatic and care for her wellbeing. For now, she will dine with her family and the other offered potentiate. Do you all agree?”

My mother was a genius. She had publicly implied they would be unsuitable consorts if they disagreed. She’d underestimated their determination, though. The sheer number of opposing consort offers seemed to have stripped them of logic and decency. Many of them were still trying to catch my eye; a few of them were also trying to spread their wings out to look bigger, but there was no space.

The look in the few eyes I caught had also shifted from possessive to something darker. There was a fervor, almost a desperation, in many of them. The only one who remained calm stood in the center of them all. Aeron Welkin had his eyes locked on me, ignoring my mother and the other posturing males around him.

They’re just males , I tried to tell myself, like my brother . It didn’t work. Who was I to incite this reaction? It made no sense, not after being ignored my whole life.

Shoving started between some of the contested consorts, and harsh words escalated in pitch. The lumis orbs far above us seemed to dim, but nobody else noticed.

“Are you okay?” Kiran crouched down in front of me, blocking everyone’s view with his wings spread wide, as my mother and her consort tried to get control again. “Just stay put. I won’t let anyone harm you.”

“No,” Mara hissed. “Something’s wrong with her, Kiran. Her skin’s heating up, and she’s vibrating weirdly. She needs to get out of here now .”

She turned to me and grabbed my face as if looking at my pupils. “Hold your breath. Pretend to faint, and Kiran can carry you out. Whatever is happening cannot happen here. You’re too much of a threat now. Any slip from you is only going to set a spark to this bonfire.”

I could have hugged her for finally stepping up and trying to help me. I was desperate enough to try anything if it got me out of here as the fates, or my intuition, screamed at me to get out.

My brother grabbed my arm to feel my skin, and his eyes widened. The panic in my eyes seemed to catch him in a chokehold too, and he nodded at me. “New plan. Do it.”

I held my breath as Kiran called out loudly, “Just breathe, Lulu.”

There was no need to pretend; I stopped fighting the dimness creeping over my vision, then went limp. He grabbed me and picked me up.

“She’s passed out. I’m taking her to her room. Everyone, clear a path.” Aeron stood his ground for a moment before he let Kiran and I pass with a sweeping bow. Kiran had to shove, struggling to get through the throng blocking our way, until his flight aggressively cleared a path for him.

“Kiran, guard her until we can meet you there,” my mother called out.

“No,” I heard Elder Welkin bellow in a frenzy somewhere far too close. Something cold and hard brushed my arm, and his hands tried to gain purchase as shimmers dropped all around us. I got one glimpse of the enraged elder, but it was enough to catch his mottled face and the madness in his eyes as my vision tunneled and sharpened. Something coiled within me as the buzzing within my veins homed in on the threat.

Cursing this dress, I realized I didn’t even have Nier’s knife to protect myself. It was hidden back in my room.

“Move, Kiran,” I hissed, as the universe screamed at me.

Flying inside the Aedis was forbidden, but my brother surged his powerful wings, knocking people out of the way as he lifted enough to raise me above grasping hands. My mother and friends closed in behind us, blocking the elder and anyone else trying to reach me. Suddenly, my mother dropped and made a gesture on the stone beneath their feet, which seemed to ripple, knocking people sideways. Elder Welkin narrowed his furious glare on her, and I knew he’d caught it. It was the last thing I saw before we were through the archway and Kiran’s flight blocked it behind us. My brother didn’t mess around once he had a plan of action.

Even when we were clear of the Aedis, the buzzing in my veins refused to subside, expecting an attack at any moment. We’d passed the grand foyer and were halfway to my mother’s suite when it finally started to ease enough that I could breathe easier and my vision cleared. “I can walk now,” I said to him.

“No way. We’re not out of danger yet.”

He only put me down when we finally got back to the suite and he’d kicked the door shut behind us. He lowered me gently onto the couch and bent to take off my heeled sandals. I was grateful, as my hands still felt too shaky to deal with the ribbons. The lumis orbs scattered around the room had lit up as we’d entered, but I flicked my hand, and they all died down until only one remained. It was one I’d created during one of my many early training sessions. I could feel my energy mingled with the light within it, and I knew it didn’t contain any additional workings. Nobody would be spying on us through it.

It was strange though, because I’d never been able to identify my own energy before. Most vessels couldn’t once they’d wielded it and imbued it into an object.

My brother looked confused, but I shook my head. “It’s too bright,” I said. I didn’t feel like explaining that I didn’t trust the other orbs right now. “What in the darkness happened back there?” I asked, not expecting him to have an answer. But it needed to be asked, and he was the only one here. I curled onto my side and grabbed a cushion, cuddling it between my arms, trying to anchor myself with something. I felt thin, like I might float away.

“I don’t know, but I’m probably not the best person to ask, being your brother.”

“What does that have to do with it?” I looked up at him sharply. His reply confused me.

He glanced at me and away again as he shifted awkwardly on his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. “Lulu, you’re a beautiful woman and almost an exact representation of the goddess. Men covet you. I’ve had to reprimand more than one guardian when I’ve overheard them whispering about you in the barracks.”

My face heated. “Okay, stop. That makes no sense. I’ve been wandering around this citadel unchaperoned for days, and while plenty of people have stared, nobody has spoken a word to me.”

He shrugged. “Talking to a beautiful woman is intimidating. It’s easier to stare.”

I shook my head. “No. Seriously, stop. Something else has to be going on. Some kind of power play we don’t understand. It can’t be Elder Welkin behind it—he looked furious, and I don’t know what he could possibly get out of it.”

“He looked unhinged. He was trying to slip a chain on you as we left. I doubt he was expecting that outcome, or was involved. It’s not a guardian thing either, because not all your offers were from guardians. I think it’s a vessel thing.” He looked genuinely confused. He reached out as he sat down next to me and ran a hand along my arm tentatively. “More importantly right now, what in the light was that hot vibration you had going on?”

“I don’t know.” He raised one eyebrow like he didn’t believe me, which hurt a little. I’d never kept secrets from him. Not big ones, anyway. Or at least, not before the last few days. “Honestly, Kiran. I’ve never felt it before.”

A sudden, piercing alarm broke the silence. We scrambled to our feet, our adrenaline still high.

“Darkness take us, that’s the breach alarm.” Kiran looked at me, then at the room around us as he stepped closer, his eyes wild. “I have to go, but I can’t leave you unprotected. This damn suite doesn’t even have windows we can close. Anyone could fly in here.”

“Kiran, go.” I pushed him toward the door. He protested, but I wasn’t having it. I didn’t know how weak our defenses truly were if Nier had been snooping about for days and nobody had spotted him, but I knew they’d be weaker still without my brother. “You’re our wing commander. Our wing needs you, and you can protect me better from out there. Go.”

He nodded jerkily, not happy, but left me with one last pointed look as the alarm blared a second time. “ Do not leave this suite. I mean it, Alula Dawn Fenix.”

I rolled my eyes. He always busted out my full name when he was getting overprotective. I wouldn’t push him now, though. I could see how torn he was about leaving me alone. “Mother will be back any moment, I’m sure. Until then, I’ll ward the door and windows to keep people out this time. I’m not defenseless. Now go, please.”

The narrowed look he gave me told me we were going to be having a conversation about that too very soon.

Kiran slammed the door hard behind him, making the hinges rattle, taking his frustration out on it when he couldn’t find another outlet.

I licked my dry lips. For all my bravado to get him out the door, I wasn’t confident about my ability to recreate that ward. I didn’t have a history of consistent light-wielding, especially not when my emotions were spiraling. I also didn’t know what would happen if someone crossed it. Was it worth the risk? What if my mother’s consort came back with her and saw it? Nothing good would come from that.

One hand rested on the wooden door as I hesitated, the other stroking the shadow still clinging to my hand. It had gone unnoticed in the melee. As I forced the last of my swirling panic down, I tried to think through my options. My brother had demanded I stay, but I hadn’t promised I would. Maybe here wasn’t the best place for me? It’s where an entire Aedis full of Neven expected me to be, including my contested consorts. I feared them and whatever ill intent had been building in that room more than I feared the Fallen right now. The likelihood that all Fallen males were like Nier was slim, but if I had the choice, I’d take my chances with the unknown.

I stilled, my heart skipping a beat as the air stirred behind me and a dark presence coalesced at my back.

“What makes you think your ward can keep me out?”