CHAPTER

9

Bree didn’t know how long she slept, only that when she woke, guards had come to escort them. The two left the 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.”