He curls a finger under my chin and lifts my eyes to meet his. “It is not up to you to save me, but I will protect Ari.”
I swallow thickly, wiping away my tears. “Have you seen your mom yet? Your sisters?”
He nods, then averts his eyes. “They’re beside themselves because they think I can win.” He pauses and glances at the front door of my house. “We both know the elders will never allow me to become one of them.”
“Death freed you,” I state.
“At your request, although he didn’t seem pleased about it.”
“No.” I lower my eyes to the ground. “He did that to punish me.”
“What did you say to him?”
“Nothing.” He arches a brow, and I roll my eyes. “Fine, I did, but I had no choice. He tried to kill me.”
“What?”
“He didn’t succeed, obviously,” I reply dryly as his eyes bulge.
He shakes his head. “So, he discovered you hold his ethereal power.”
I nod, but it isn’t the entire truth. I’m in no mood to discuss prophecies now. Tonight, they’ll leave for Tenenocti, and we’re running out of time.
“My point was that the elders don’t know why he freed you. They may be our leaders, but they answer to the gods. That’s what our government is built upon. If you win, they’ll be forced to accept you.”
“If I win, that means Ari loses.”
“No.” I swallow hard. “I mean, I know, but I’m not going to let that happen.” I pause. “I hate Death for doing this. I’m going to make him pay for it.”
“I don’t doubt it, Wildflower.” He rubs his fingers over mine. “But for my sanity, please don’t. I’d rather not go to Tenenocti imagining you in a fight with the God of Death.”
“I can destroy him,” I whisper, thinking about the mysterious prophecy. “It cannot be an accident that I hold his ethereal power.”
He lifts my hand over his chest, his heart racing to my touch. My heart jolts when Arabella clears her throat.
I didn’t even see her coming. I pull my hand away from Drake and turn to face her.
She sighs. “I’m going to lie down.”
I purse my lips when I notice the dark circles under her eyes and red blotches on her cheeks. “You can’t. There’s not much time before you leave.”
Drake chimes in. “Cali’s right. We need to come up with a plan.”
“Okay,” she says, her voice waning.
I notice her peach-colored dress, embroidered with gold flowers up the sides. I’m only glad to see the red robes gone, although she’ll be back in them in a few hours.
“Let’s go.” They follow me into the house. As we pass a maid, who bows her head respectfully at us, we hurry through the door and into the library. Tomes of yellowing books spill from the tall shelves encompassing the large room. I glide my fingers over the grains in the ash wood, then across the leather spines of a collection envied by most, filled with our history, religion and fables.
I’m drawn toward the crackling of a fire, burning the logs to embers in the stone fireplace, taking up the only free space of the wall. We sit around a short table, and I lean over the stack of parchment on it to breathe in the comforting scent of old books mixed with the smoked woody aroma from the fire. Grounding myself is easier than I expect, but I am reminded that the effects of the calming magic still linger in my veins.
I grab a quill and sink its nib into the black ink. My wrist flicks as I write the names of the Chosen down onto the parchment, counting them all in my head.
Arabella, Drake, Edwardo, Elenore, Alaric, Isolda, Marsilia, Rourne, Cain, Tulia, Briar, and Cordelia.
“There. That’s the twelve,” I breathe out. “Do we know who belongs to which coven?”
Arabella nods. “Edwardo is in our coven and Elenore is in Astraea’s. Cordelia and Briar are in Azkiel’s coven. They had his sigil tattooed on them at the Choosing.”
Ink veins through the paper around Azkiel’s name, and I almost break the nib of the quill on writing it.
Arabella and Drake peer over the table. My sister shakes her head, then turns away, her footsteps pacing to the other side of the library, then leans against a rolling ladder.
Drake’s low voice carries into my ears. “Marsilia is a threader,” he states, then pauses. But I already knew that. We all attended the same academy. “And I heard rumors that Alaric has compulsion magic,” he explains. “They’ll be the biggest threats. Marsilia can see attacks coming. Then there’s Rourne. He’s rumored to be a Sight Seeker. He will know where anyone was and what they discussed just by touching the abandoned buildings on the island.”
I nod, then hover my finger over Briar’s name. “What about him?”
“I’m not sure, but from what I saw at the Choosing, I think he’s a Shadow Manipulator. If he is, then he’ll be deadly in the dark, but vulnerable in the daytime.”
“You can hunt him in the day,” I state.
He nods. “Edwardo could be a healer or possess nature enhancement. Let’s hope he’s a healer, so he’s not a threat.” Arabella clears her throat, and Drake licks his lips, then says, “That’s not to say healing magic isn’t important. If he is, then he can heal himself from non-fatal wounds. Then there’s Cordelia. I don’t know what power she has. Possible shadow manipulation too, or fear induction. I doubt she has light absorption.”
I nod. “It is rare. If she has absorption, then she won’t pose a threat. She can’t absorb sunlight.”
Arabella paces her way back to us. “But if she is, then she can absorb candlelight and firelight. What if we make a fire and she puts it out so we can’t see?”
My stomach knots as Drake and I glance at each other, then at Arabella. Drake explains before I can. “We won’t be lighting any fires, Ari. We can’t do anything that’ll attract attention to us.”
