“That is its two-dimensional shape. What else do you see?” he asks me.
I see a few possible shapes: icosahedron, dodecahedron, octahedron, hexahedron, and star tetrahedron. “Your house is the shape of Metatron’s Cube—seventy-eight possible lines connecting the thirteen circular spires.”
“I knew there was so much about you to like,” he murmurs.
The structure is gorgeous, made from the gray stone that appears to be quarried from the mountains surrounding the city. The architecture is a mix of glass and stone walls with multiple roofs of slate. The height is only about twenty stories at its highest point, but it’s massive in breadth and depth. It makes the palace in the Isle of Skye look quaint.
The Hallafast descends like a bird of prey to a hoverpad in the middle of an intricate garden. Topiary mazes continue the Flower of Life patterns over the lawns. We touch down in the middle of one; it shrouds the hawk-shaped airship from the house. I pull the earpiece from my ear, placing it on the console.
Kyon allows me to rise from his lap as he places his earpiece back on the console. He stands too, looping his arm around my waist and holding me to him when I would’ve walked away. The feelings he provokes in me are confusing—fear and desire. I need to get away from him, but I can’t. I hold my breath and wait to see what he’ll do as his hand sweeps my hair away from my neck in a caress. “I’m going to miss having you all to myself.”
“You’ve never struck me as someone who enjoys sharing.”
“I don’t share—” his fingers gently caress my nape “—not you, not ever.”
“Let’s make sure the Brotherhood knows that. I have no intention of being their toy.”
I push away from his embrace without looking at him and walk to the door. He follows me. I wait as he opens it. Kyon’s arm goes up, barring the doorway. “You never go first, Kricket. It’s not safe. You always allow me go first so that I can take whatever fire is meant for you.”
“That’s not a good plan for you. What makes you think I won’t shoot you in the back?”
His lips twitch as he suppresses a smile. “You’re right. Together then?” he asks.
“If you insist.”
“I do.”
Kyon takes my hand as we disembark. Once on the ground, the privacy we shared for the last few rotations is gone. Armed security is everywhere, stationing themselves along our route to the house and by every door and every stair that I see. People stream from every direction to gawk at us.
I look straight ahead, keeping my eyes on the impressive entryway. It’s at the top of wide stone steps. The wooden doors are enormous, making it appear as if giants live here instead of just really tall Etharians. The edifice itself with all of its cathedral-like detail makes me feel like a munchkin. The lintel is made from marble and contains carvings of Ethar’s two moons: Inium and Sinder.
Before we reach the massive entrance of the castle, a tall soldier approaches us. I lose color when I recognize him. He’s the soldier who I tricked into trusting me right before I shot him in the neck with my stolen tranquilizer gun and escaped from the doomed Ship of Skye. It makes me shudder, remembering my feeling of desperation as I tried to leave then—the raw fear. What was his name? I wonder with dread. His blond hair is cut shorter than it was—it doesn’t touch his ears anymore. The change makes his massive shoulders look even broader.
“Keenan,” Kyon says as he greets the soldier.
The soldier nods to him. “Brother Kyon.”
Kyon gestures to me. “You remember Kricket, I’m sure.”
Keenan doesn’t smile when he looks at me. “I do, cousin. Greetings, Elle Kricket.” He uses the title of “Elle” to denote my priestess status. It’s also very formal. We’re not going to be friends.
“Greetings,” I mutter. His jaw is rigid. I have no luck at all.
Kyon keeps walking, holding my hand so that I move with him. He says, “Keenan will take the lead on your security. He’ll be with you when I cannot. I chose him for you because he has an appreciation for how resourceful you can be.”
I look over my shoulder at Keenan as he falls in step behind us. His gun faces away from us in a safe position as he narrows his blue eyes at me. I turn back around and face the