Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities #8) - Shannon Messenger Page 0,59

fact that I’m promising this after I’ve endured your ridiculous discussions of team names and titles for Miss Foster—and did so without inflicting on any of you, no less—should be more than enough proof of my commitment to this vow.”

“We’re all committed,” Terik assured them. “The five of you are incredibly special children.”

“Uh, who are you calling ‘children’?” Wylie asked.

Terik smiled. “When you get to be my age—and certainly when you get to be Bronte’s age—you’ll see why the term still applies. But you’ll also see that it’s not a bad thing. There’s great power in youth. What you lack in experience, you make up for in innovation. And hopefully, by combining both perspectives, this new arrangement will be the solution we so desperately need.”

“Which is why we must now ask for your commitment,” Emery added. “We’ve sworn our oath to you. It’s time for you to make yours to us—which will be a two-step process. First a vow, similar to what most Regents say, with slight modifications to reflect our unique situation. And the vow will be followed by a simple test to prove that you’re each ready for the responsibilities and challenges ahead.”

“Test?” Sophie and all of her friends repeated, sharing a nervous look.

“A simple test,” Emery emphasized, “which will only take a few moments—and all of you should have no trouble completing it. But I assumed it would hold your focus from the moment I mentioned it, so I’m going to explain the details of the test first, even though it will technically be the second step in this process.”

He led the five of them forward, and Sophie noticed that her legs weren’t the only ones shaking as Emery had her, Dex, Biana, Wylie, and Stina line up in that order. He positioned them several feet apart and had them face the diamond-and-crystal dome with the rest of the Councillors behind them.

“We brought you here to experience the power of the Prime Sources,” Emery said, stationing himself to their left. “Have any of you already detected their presence?”

“Yes,” Wylie breathed, his hands trembling as he wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes. “They’re… overwhelming.”

“I’m sure they are for a Flasher,” Emery agreed. “Just as I’m certain they’re more intense for a Vanisher.”

All eyes shifted to Biana, who’d started flickering in and out of sight like a strobe light. “Yeah, they’re… wow,” she whispered.

Emery nodded. “But even those without light talents can still feel each source if they concentrate properly. It’s easiest if you stretch out your arms and hold your palms toward the windows.”

Sophie had assumed he was only talking to her, Dex, and Stina—but when she glanced over her shoulder, all the Councillors had done the same.

“The sunlight is the easiest to identify,” Emery said quietly. “You simply need to seek out the same warm tingle you’re used to feeling on a bright summer day.”

The instruction wasn’t quite as simple as it sounded, given how freezing it was inside the Paragon. But Sophie knew from her skill lessons with Keefe that there was always more warmth around her than she realized. She just had to make her mind concentrate the right way. So she thought of that sweltering yellow glow she’d endured for most of their journey, focusing on the trickle of sweat she’d felt streaming down her back. And sure enough, she could still detect traces of that same heat prickling along her spine. She centered her mind on the feeling, and it was as if someone had turned on one of those human patio heaters, showering her with a dry, swirling warmth that erased her shivers, even though her breath was still clouding with every exhale.

“Sunlight is not a gentle heat,” Emery continued. “It’s an invisible fire that can burn all the way to your core if you let it—and that’s still only the beginning of its power. The sun always has more to give—which means it can easily become too much if we draw upon it too heavily. So we must never let ourselves take more than we have a need for. Harnessing the sun is about respect and restraint.”

“The moonlight is the opposite,” Councillor Terik informed them, limping to stand beside Emery. “It’s always cool and gentle and soothing. And it can sometimes be elusive. To find it, you must search for the soft calm you feel on a clear evening. It tends to linger in the quietest places.”

He paused, giving them time to seek out the right sensation, and