72. A BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL LIGHT

Teraeth’s story

The Mother of Trees, the Manol

Not long after Tyentso’s departure

The throne room shook.

Shook was the wrong word for it. This didn’t feel like something had slammed into the section of tree where they currently resided. Rather, the entire tree had bowed as though greeting a passing monarch, and to hell with the city of people living on her branches. Everything—furniture, people, decorations—slid ten feet to one side and then immediately swung back the opposite way when the tree righted itself again.

It was loud too. One of the loudest noises that Teraeth could ever remember hearing. Not a single sound but the accumulation of groans, creaks, screams, and crashes as an entire city full of people began to tip over.

“What was that?” Janel called out.

The question on everyone’s mind, Teraeth suspected.

“Your Majesty!” A vané courtier—Teraeth hadn’t learned her name yet—came running into the throne room, so quickly that she had to have teleported. “There was an explosion in the Korthaen Blight. And a bright light. It was—” Words seemed to fail her.

“How big an explosion?” Valathea asked.

Next to Teraeth, Janel shook her head. “If it was big enough for a shock wave to move the queen sky tree…” Teraeth didn’t think anyone else heard her murmur.

“The whole … the whole Blight. The fireball is gigantic…” The woman looked like she was about to go into shock.

“There’s a viewing platform upstairs,” Khaeriel suggested, but with enough doubt in her voice to suggest she didn’t recommend using it.

Teraeth felt something warm on his hand and looked down to see that Janel had laced her fingers through his.

“It’s starting,” she said.

He picked up her hand and kissed it, then stood. “Find out what’s going on,” he ordered the room. Teraeth didn’t single anyone out. Let them figure out how to best follow the command.

Janel was probably right. It was starting. Kihrin had warned them that a fight with the other Guardians would be devastating.

The worst part was knowing that there was absolutely nothing any of them could do.