“Ana,” the Councilor said, “why did you tell the sylph to flee?” There was no fear in his voice, only calculating curiosity.
I stepped out from behind Sam. I didn’t need a human shield. What would I have done if he’d gotten shot? “It was the right thing to do.” My voice shook. I swallowed and tried again. “They hadn’t hurt anyone, and they were listening to me. I don’t know why.”
“So you took their side?” Deborl cocked his head.
“I didn’t take their side. I accomplished the same thing you were trying to do, but without trapping them inside eggs, and without anyone accidentally getting burned. They’ll go away now.” I hoped.
“Hmm. Perhaps.” Deborl reminded me of Meuric, the Council’s former Speaker, and the boy I’d killed inside the temple. They were both short and skinny, physically younger than me, and devoted to Janan—though Deborl’s devotion seemed to depend on the season, the phase of the moon, and whoever happened to be standing within earshot.
I hadn’t trusted Meuric; I didn’t trust Deborl, either.
I stood as tall as I could make myself, trying not to shiver in the evening breeze, and with the adrenaline fading from my system. “We’re going to leave now.” My voice trembled.
“Very well.” Deborl twisted his sylph egg to deactivate it, then pressed the cold object into my hands. “Try not to get into trouble between here and the Southern Arch. And”—his gaze flickered to Sam—“I expect to see both of you in the Council chamber in the morning. Tenth hour.”
“But we have—” Music practice, but Sam touched my hand and shook his head. “Fine.” I turned away to reclaim my SED, still determinedly playing the second movement of the Phoenix Symphony. Sand swished as Deborl, Merton, and the guards headed up the path.
“Are you all right?” Sam touched my shoulder, my cheek. “I can’t believe they threatened to shoot you.”
He wanted to know if I was all right because of Deborl and the guards. Not because of the sylph. The sylph, as crazy as it seemed, had been ready to protect me. From people.
Oh, how our lives had changed. “I’m all right.” I hugged Sam close, my cheek pressed against his chest so I could hear his racing heartbeat. “We’re both all right.” Because they’d pointed lasers at him, too.
Then, in silence, we packed what was left of our afternoon with friends and trudged toward Heart.
The huge outer wall blocked the sky as we drew near. Solar panels and antennae glimmered like needles in the moonlight. From the center of the city, the temple rose into the clouds, a shining beacon.
I kept my eyes on the Southern Arch, nearly big enough for a dragon to fly through, but the temple seemed to watch my approach no matter how I avoided looking at it.
Janan’s presence hung over the city as thick as ash. I imagined I could feel the heat of molten rock and boiling mud churning just beneath my feet. If Janan cared about his people at all, why had he built Heart over the most powerful volcano on the planet? Surely not even the temple would survive if Range erupted.
“What will we tell the Council?” Sam pressed his palm to the soul-scanner, and the gate swung open.
“I’m not sure.” I bit my lip, confused and frustrated and ready to collapse into bed. “They’ll think I like sylph now. Or that I’m like Menehem.”
One thing was for sure: I’d just made life for newsouls a lot worse.
10
QUESTIONS
IN THE MORNING, Sam and I headed to the Councilhouse, a firm plan in mind: deny. They would get nothing about the research Menehem had left to me, and even less about the lab east of Range.
I fidgeted with my notebook as we headed up South Avenue, wondering if I’d done a good enough job hiding the folders and diaries Menehem had left, and the books I’d stolen from the temple. I still hadn’t figured out how to read the temple books, though not for lack of trying.
“Let’s walk around the right side,” Sam said as we approached the market field.
I craned my neck to see why we were heading for a different doorway into the Councilhouse, but all I could see ahead were people walking, talking, sipping from cups of Armande’s coffee. “What’s going on?” I was too short to see over the crowd.
“Nothing,” Sam said too quickly, and winced when I eyed him askance. “One of Merton’s public rants. He’s on the steps getting people worked up.”
“Ugh.” Fortunately, there were more doors into the Councilhouse. After what happened yesterday, I really didn’t want to go anywhere near Merton.
“Just last night, the newsoul set sylph free by Midrange Lake,” Merton cried. “She controlled them. They did as she said. I was there. Janan forbid, but what if all newsouls have this power?”
Shouts rose up, sounding afraid, defiant, angry.
Merton roared louder. “Newsouls will rip Heart asunder! We’ve spent five thousand years perfecting our lifestyle and honing our talents, and now this.”
I sighed and stared at the cobblestones. “I’m sorry, Sam.”