Becoming (31 page)

As they neared the circle, she glanced at
Gabriel.
Please let me speak first
, she thought. He released
her without a word of objection.

“Simon,” she said clearly as she entered the
circle. “I can’t thank you enough for your protection while I
resided on the human plane, as well as for your assistance as I
transitioned. I truly wouldn’t be here if not for you. To me, you
are surely all that the Gloresti strive to be. I am indebted to
you.”

The blond male before her looked positively
stunned. Then Gabriel took a step forward, and Simon’s slightly
widened eyes shifted to the Gloresti who governed him.

“Simon,” Gabriel said, his voice more
commanding than Amber had ever heard, “you have done everything in
your power to keep Amber’s Estilorian form safe, and you
successfully brought her over despite many believing it couldn’t be
done. You would have given your life for her. And to me, there is
simply no repayment for that. But I will begin by offering you a
highly valued position of authority under my command, as you have
demonstrated that you can be trusted to guard that which is most
important to me and our people.”

Another round of whispers flooded the
stadium. Simon’s face wavered between shock and elation. After a
moment of processing this turn of events, he went down to one knee
and crossed his right arm across his chest.

“I am honored,
archigos
Gabriel.”

“Please rise and join the ranks of your
fellow Gloresti,” Gabriel said. “We’ll discuss your new appointment
at a more appropriate time.”

Simon rose and gave a nod. He leaned forward
briefly so that only Gabriel and Amber could hear him. “I admit
that I am glad I did not mess up. When the symbol did not appear, I
had my doubts.” Then, with a wink, he turned and flew the short
distance to the Gloresti seats. His brethren offered him words of
congratulations as Gabriel turned back to Jabari.

“My apologies for causing such disruption
during this important ceremony.”

“We accept your apology, Gabriel,” Jabari
said, his good-humored eyes moving to Amber, “especially under the
circumstances.” Then he turned and walked to the center of the
stadium. “As I am already here, let us proceed with revealing
Olaya’s mark.”

“Um, Olivia, please,” she responded
shyly.

Raising an eyebrow, Jabari responded, “Very
well, Olivia.” He turned his head to glance over at Skye. “And
you?”

“I’d prefer to be called Skye, if it’s all
right with you.”

He paused thoughtfully, then said, “It does
seem fitting to bring your human names with you. Very well.” He
looked again in Olivia’s direction. “James, please proceed with the
Gloresti’s kiss.”

James bent down and touched his lips to
Olivia’s right shoulder. She flinched and her eyes glowed bright
green for a moment. Her hands curled into fists as she experienced
the same searing pain that Amber had. Still, she maintained a calm
expression and didn’t make a sound. Jabari approached her and
turned her so that her shoulder was visible to the other Elphresti.
A still-shimmering image of a curving green olive branch with
finely-detailed leaves had appeared.

“Let it be known that the Estilorian known as
Olivia now bears the mark of her father, Saraqael,” Jabari said in
his deep, resonating voice.

He walked over to Skye, who was almost
bouncing up and down in her enthusiasm. Jabari smiled at her.
“Caleb, please proceed with the Gloresti’s kiss.”

Skye looked over her shoulder with a small
smile and caught Caleb’s gaze as he bent toward her shoulder and
kissed her. When he stepped away, she gasped at the resulting pain.
Her blue eyes gleamed.

Once again, Jabari stepped forward, turning
Skye so that the brilliant blue swirls of her mark could be seen.
“Let it be known that the Estilorian known as Skye now bears the
mark of her father, Saraqael.”

A wash of noise covered the stadium.

“And now it is time for Saraqael’s identified
progeny to assume their powers.”

Grolkinei was in the middle of a bench press
weightlifting routine when Layla, who sat beside him doing free
weights, suddenly drew in a sharp breath. The dumbbell in her hand
fell free from her slack grip, landing with a heavy thud less than
an inch from her foot. She didn’t move. She sat and stared into
nothingness.

With excitement flowing through him, he reset
the barbell and slowly sat up on the bench, then sat as still as he
could and watched her. He knew that any abrupt sound or action
could disrupt her. Her lips moved faintly, her red eyes darkened
almost to maroon.

After a long, intense moment, she blinked
rapidly, her breath leaving her in a dramatic whoosh. He lurched
off the bench and caught her before she fell off her seat.

“Now, now, lovely,” he said in his smoothest
tones as he sat beside her to prop her up. “Take a couple of deep
breaths. Good girl. I need you to tell me what you just
intercepted.”

She gasped in another breath as her body
reset itself after the intense subconscious intrusion. “It was
not,” she said breathlessly, “an interception. It was direct
contact.”

His eyebrows rising, he clarified, “An
Orculesti reached out to you?”

She nodded as she continued to focus on
stabilizing her breathing.

He rose, leaving Layla to support herself. He
began pacing. The Orculesti typically did everything in their power
to buffer their thoughts from the Mercesti. Because the Mercesti
class was formed of members from all other Estilorian classes who
had diverted from the path of what was considered “good,” there
were some Mercesti, such as Layla, who had once been Orculesti.
Thus, all Estilorians knew that some of the abilities that Layla
and other converted Orculesti innately had would have transferred
into their Mercesti selves. In an effort to keep the Mercesti from
intercepting Orculesti thoughts, specific protections had been put
in place. He couldn’t think of another time that an Orculesti had
overridden those protections to contact a Mercesti. Could it be a
trap of some kind?

“What did they say?” he asked sharply.

Having caught her breath as he paced, she
replied, “They gave me the location of the Becoming ceremony, which
is taking place right now.”

He stumbled to a halt. “What?”

Her eyes gleamed. “They are at Flavian’s
Coliseum.”

“But—that is not even ten leagues from here!”
He ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair as he considered
this. “Were you able to determine anything about the Orculesti who
sent it?”

“Not really,” she admitted, rubbing her
temples while her elbows were braced on her knees. “But the
broadcaster promised to get at least one of the sisters into an
unprotected location for us in short time. They said we have only
to move in and wait. And,” she looked up with a dark grin, “I did
easily sense the rage, hatred and jealousy that prompted it.”

And here, Grolkinei stilled. And smiled. “I
see. So be it. Go with Ryce and Angius and bring them back.
Saraqael’s daughter…

“…and our new brother or sister.”

The noise in the stadium swelled and ebbed as
Jabari made the announcement to complete the Becoming ceremony.
Gabriel instinctively reached out and took Amber by the shoulders.
She leaned back into him and looked up to catch his gaze with a
smile. He knew that she would never have done the same with anyone
else. It was a knowledge that made him feel both powerful and
extraordinary.

“Amber, Olivia and Skye,” Jabari said loud
enough to carry, “Please join me in the middle of the stadium.”

You’ll be magnificent. Just remember the
little people when you’ve fully assumed your powers, okay?

A corner of her mouth rose.
I’ll make
every effort to fit you in between the glamorous parties and my
many television appearances.

He grinned, then gave her a gentle push
toward the center of the stadium where Olivia and Skye already
stood with Jabari. As his hands left her bare skin, he couldn’t
prevent the less than gentlemanly thoughts that flashed through his
mind. She glanced at him over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow as
she walked.

Hey, I’m still a guy. And you look
amazing.

She snorted inelegantly and shook her head at
him as she joined Jabari and her sisters, but he saw her smile. The
lights settled into focus on the new central location as she
stopped a few feet from Jabari. She eyed Aurora, who still sat in
the center of Olivia’s ring not far away, with notable suspicion.
And then, with a flick of Jabari’s wrist, an image started to form
between the three girls of a round, waist-high table made of light
gray stone. Gabriel sensed Amber’s amazement as the image
solidified, and was impressed by her unaffected stance and
expression. Olivia started visibly when the table settled into
place with an audible thud, though curiosity soon filled her gaze.
Skye looked positively enraptured.

“Please join hands around the table,” Jabari
instructed.

Sensing Amber’s hesitation, Gabriel
thought
, Don’t worry. You’ll react differently here.
She
gave an almost imperceptible nod, squared her shoulders, stepped
closer to the table and reached for her sisters’ hands.

The moment the girls were all connected, a
blaze of energy seared through them. It was so powerful and intense
that it brought Gabriel to one knee as he struggled to somehow
buffer his connection with Amber. He kept his gaze centered on her.
The girls’ eyes gleamed like they were backlit. They all stood
rigid and unmoving as the energy swirled faster and faster, like an
invisible riptide that could whisk them all out to open sea.

Aurora suddenly let out a sound that made
everyone glance around warily. She had risen from her haunches and
now looked poised to pounce. Gabriel assumed she was seeking to
defend Olivia, as he also felt that danger was imminent. The urge
to protect soared through him.

When a powerful eddy of wind whipped through
the stadium, he knew he was right. He forced himself back to his
feet.

Amber, you have to focus. You’re losing
control. All of you have to focus!

She was unresponsive. The wind picked up in
speed, making him blink against the sand that it swept up from the
ground. The ground rumbled. Behind Skye, an image suddenly blinked
into appearance. He watched the silvery, transparent figure of who
he guessed was Sky Tomaganuk stride toward his namesake. Aurora
studied the image with frighteningly intelligent green eyes and
then sprang closer to Olivia. Gabriel followed their lead and
stepped out of Amber’s circle to approach her.

“None of you must interfere,” Jabari called
out above the wind. “They must assume their powers on their own, or
they will lose their abilities forever.”

Coming to a halt about ten feet from Amber,
Gabriel held his hands in fists at his sides.
Come on, Amber. I
know you can do this! You’re the strongest person I know.

And then, he felt the pressure of the
monstrous energy he was unconsciously siphoning from her begin to
ease. The ground slowly settled. Moving to the side as the wind
continued to blast through the stadium and Aurora let out another
terrifying panther call, he positioned himself where he could see
Amber’s eyes. The bright light in them was slowly ebbing. He
noticed the pressure he had been feeling seemed to ease in
synchronicity with her calming eye color. And then she was blinking
as if to bring her vision back into focus. She saw that she was
still gripping Olivia’s and Skye’ hands. When she looked at her
sisters and then glanced around, she seemed to realize that things
had taken a bad turn.

Then she closed her eyes in concentration.
Her grip on her sisters’ hands grew tighter as she did what she
could to help them find the strength to take possession of their
powers.

Aurora slowly backed away and sat quietly on
her haunches. The wind slowed, then died out. The color of Olivia’s
eyes softened to spring green and Skye’s to light blue. Not a
single sound or movement could be detected throughout the stadium.
Jabari stepped forward.

“Congratulations, Amber, Olivia and Skye. You
have Become.”

Flashes of color appeared around the seats.
Within seconds, the sisters were surrounded by Jabari, Gabriel and
six other Estilorians, all with different colored wings. Jabari’s
glimmering black wings appeared. He then turned pointedly to
Gabriel. With a thought, Gabriel’s wings emerged. There was a
moment of stunned silence as everyone absorbed the changes in his
wings. First, of course, they had changed from the midnight blue of
the Gloresti to the same blue-gray as his eyes. Now, the blue-gray
contained intricate gold markings.

Beautiful.

He caught Amber’s gaze as her thought entered
his mind. Her amazing golden eyes were transfixed on his wings.
When he saw the other Estilorian elders step forward, he did the
same. His left wing touched Jabari’s right, and his right wing
touched Knorbis’ left wing. Once they were all connected, another
wave of energy flooded the atmosphere around the girls, who
continued to hold hands in a circle around the table.

“Daughters of Saraqael, we are proud and
honored to have you now among us. I am Jabari, eldest of the
Elphresti. We will guide you with a focus on wisdom and
learning.”

Next to Jabari stood Ini-herit, his fluid
silver wings rippling calmly. “I am Ini-herit, eldest of the
Corgloresti. We will guide you with a focus on spirituality and
faith.”

“I am Malukali, eldest of the Orculesti,”
said the brunette woman next to Ini-herit. Even with dark green
eyes, she looked like a native island dancer who would have been at
home in a grass skirt. Her serene voice continued, “We will guide
you with a focus on meditation and internal centeredness.”