My chest burns from the fire-orbs, but I won’t be the only one in pain. I throw fire-bolt after fire-bolt as I rise and they all explode in the air as Emil keeps countering with his own attacks. It takes so much agonizing soul-searching for Emil to justify fighting actual enemies, but now that it’s me he has no problem being so aggressive. He can’t dominate me like this, not with his one set of powers. I dash in a zigzag, dodging his fire-orbs, and I’m so close that I’m about to uppercut him with a flaming fist when Prudencia telekinetically shoves me back across the library.
“Stay out of this!” I shout.
“No! I’ve been with you both since the start and I’m seeing this through to the end,” Prudencia says.
“You’re supposed to be on my side.”
She shakes her head. “You’re supposed to convince me that your side is worth taking. I’ve never worried about Emil abusing his powers, but I can’t say the same for you.”
“So what, you preferred me when I was powerless?”
“You’re the same person, Brighton. The powers only shone a light on how much of a dangerous egomaniac you are.”
Something inside me is cracking, and instead of giving in to the heartache, I retaliate: “You don’t deserve to be with someone great like me. Go run back to your pathetic ex.”
Prudencia grins like I’ve told some joke. “You really think I’m so weak to be heartbroken by that. Your pride is wounded and always gets in your way of admitting when you’re wrong. Get yourself under control now so you don’t have to live a lonely life.”
“I have millions of people who love me—”
“Your followers don’t know the real you! Your fake persona is why I’ve never been able to trust myself to fall in love with you.”
“I can’t save the world with your love. Keep it.”
Prudencia turns her back on me as Ma takes hold of her hand.
Wyatt returns to the library, and Ness takes the potion from him. He squeezes the blood from my flesh into the vial and begins shaking it. My arm still hasn’t healed. Emil’s phoenix powers are stronger than mine, even I have to admit it. Stronger fire, self-healing, flying, retrocycling.
That can change.
We’ve attracted the attention of Iris, Eva, Wesley, and Ruth. They’re all staring at me like these divided lines aren’t surprising. Since the jump I’ve been treated unfairly.
Emil takes the potion from Ness. “I know you want to do the right thing, Bright. We all love you and we can put this all behind us if you end this now.”
I’ve been overpowered and wounded. I’m outnumbered and exhausted. I am ready to end this. I meet Emil in the middle of the library. I grab the Starstifler, appreciating how something so small can bind someone so powerful. I uncork the vial and it smells like a park after a rainstorm. I breathe it in as my heart races. I smile at him, and by the time he sees my eyes burning, I’ve already phased right through him and wrapped my arm around his neck. I shove the Starstifler between his lips, holding back his head to make him swallow. This may not work since it’s not his blood, but I hope it can make him weaker and give me the upper hand in every fight moving forward.
The Starstifler flies out of my hand, smashing against the wall and staining it.
Prudencia tries wrenching me off of him and the others are charging me, but I phase through the floor with Emil and we land right into the courtyard. I keep his mouth covered, sealing his nostrils too so he’ll be forced to swallow what little of the Starstifler he did drink. He begins burning my hands, but I shout through the pain and don’t let go. He’s got to be running out of air and he’ll have to choose between taking a breath and swallowing the potion or passing out.
Gold and gray wings burst, blasting me backward. My entire body feels like it’s on fire as Emil is knelt over, spitting out the potion. He holds up his hand, ready to defend himself if I attack.
“Why couldn’t you just trust me, Emil? I supported you like a good brother!”
“I wasn’t killing people!”
“You know I don’t want to die!”
“If you go down this path, Brighton, you’re not going to become some iconic Infinity Savior. This world will hate you and fear you so much that you’ll never feel safe until you’re standing alone in this world.”
“If anyone comes for my life, I will send them to their graves.”
We stare each other down, this threat and promise breaking up the Reys of Light, the Infinity Kings. No fist bump and whistle is going to save us this time.
The others are running across the courtyard and I’m smart enough to turn the other way, dashing out of the Sanctuary, across the bridge, through the trees, and keeping clear of the road in case they come chasing me. I can’t outrun Wesley or the phoenixes, but this head start is everything I need to set myself up for success.
I’m going to prove everyone wrong.
I’m the weapon this war has been missing the entire time, and like a reaper’s scythe, I will cut through those who stand in the way of a better world.
But I’m going to need an army.
I pull out my phone and study my reflection in my camera—dark circles under my reddened eyes, face flushed from the heat of Emil’s wings, bruising from all the fights. I open Instagram and go live, letting everyone take in my appearance and the sounds of the river flowing alongside me as I begin my journey back to the city without a car or wings of my own.
“Hey, Brightsiders. I’m not sure where to start,” I say as hundreds of thousands of people join the live. Some of the comments are already hateful while others are asking to hear me out. “There have been a lot
