do understand that immediately drinking the potion won’t solve any problems, right? It’s our responsibility to use our powers to protect as many people as possible before the election. Otherwise all this country will see is more havoc because heroes aren’t stepping up to save them.”
“I know that—”
“Then buckle up, bro. If Sunstar wins, she’ll still need a few months to set up the Luminary Union, so we’ll continue defending the country until then. But if Iron takes the White House, we’ll be in this for the long haul until we can set this world right.”
There’s a part of me that thinks Brighton wouldn’t mind Senator Iron winning the election so he can keep playing hero. I don’t want this, I’ve never wanted this, and I’m so damn nervous that Brighton is going to keep pushing back the goalposts on when we give up the powers. And the truth is that I doubt he ever will give them up, though I don’t understand why. He could easily make a living out of being Brighton Rey, the dude who was once infinite. He could chill back and engage with his millions of followers and publish some tell-all memoir about what it was like being on the inside of this war. But I know my brother too well. No spotlight will shine bright enough unless he’s the Infinity Savior.
I tell Brighton and Prudencia I need air and then bounce.
I head straight to the library without a second thought. I enter cautiously in case Wyatt is still busy with his virtual meeting, but it’s quiet and completely empty. I’m nervous he might be sleeping, wherever he’s set up his bed in here. I step quietly and find Wyatt lounging in his usual spot on the balcony, dressed in the leather Halo Knight jacket with black feathered sleeves I haven’t seen him in since we met three days ago. Nox is eating away at some of the foliage wrapped around the stone railings as a sun swallower blazes across the dark sky.
“Man, your view is way better than mine,” I say.
Wyatt turns with a dimpled smile. “My view is rather fantastic,” he says while looking me up and down. “But yours is six feet of gorgeousness too.”
“Walked right into that one,” I say.
“Glad you did. Are you here for a celebratory toast? You did something absolutely skybreaking, love. I’m proud of you.”
I’m frozen, staring at the stars. There’s been a lot of hate from strangers, calls to do more from Brighton, unappreciation of my efforts from Maribelle, and sympathy from Prudencia, but no one’s been proud of me. Even I haven’t been. “All I did was go on the journey. You’re the one who figured out the road.”
Wyatt leans forward solely so he can pat himself on the back. “Crest was pleased to hear the news. It’s been difficult for him, adjusting as commander, since he wasn’t exactly next in line by a long shot, but when all those Haloes were killed he had to rise to the challenge. Doesn’t matter that he’s only thirty-three. The Bronze Wings are now his responsibility.”
“Bronze Wings?”
“Yeah, it’s the biggest division of Haloes. The Council of Phoenixlight restructured a decade ago to better manage the thousand or so active Halo Knights around the world. The Bronze Wings are those who have been Haloes for under twenty-five years, then it’s Silver Wings for fifty years, and Gold Wings for seventy-five years and beyond. While many of the Gold Wings are councilmembers who pass down their knowledge to us, Crest is going to have the great pleasure of letting them know that one of our group’s youngest—and most handsome—worked out how to get specters to retrocycle.”
“I hope they appreciate how brilliant you are.”
“They’ll either commission a statue in my honor or bury me alive for training humans to better use phoenix powers. Frankly, I’m not sure I can survive a sculptor’s failed attempts to capture my magnificence, so I’ll opt for the elders burying me with a flashlight and a long book.”
“I’ll go up against these elders instead of Blood Casters any day.”
“They’re mostly good people. I’m curious what they’ll think of you.”
“I hope there’s some forgiveness. Brighton’s got me pretty worked up over how much longer he thinks we’ll have to be the Infinity Kings. I want to make the world a better place, just like he does—not only because it’s what I owe, but because it’s the right thing for anyone to do. That better world just looks