Page 68 of Ecliptic

“The Voro-Kai?” Driskell, Nepta’s second in command, questioned in disbelief.

“It is true, and a miracle I escaped with my life,” Alvar said as murmurs of shock rippled through the crowd. “Our weapons would slice and cut their hide, but it did little to stop or slow them. We didn’t stand a chance.”

“They are astral demons, but the horrors they inflict crossover into our dimension,” I confirmed as the Vale fell silent.

“These astral demons are shades upon the earth,” Driskell said, his expression filled with horror. “If they escape, there are no weapons to stop them, nothing to prevent the darkness from consuming us all, and?—”

“Driskell,” Nepta interjected firmly, raising a withered hand to silence him. “My child, what else did you learn?”

“While I was in there, I gained control of my powers,” I said, shifting my gaze from the second-in-command to Nepta. “They couldn’t touch me when I was aglow with the Alcreon Light.”

Driskell’s face lit up. “Of course!” he exclaimed, a broad smile lifting his features. “You are our weapon. We need to learn how to harness your power and use you.” A chill ran down my spine, and my nerves tightened. The thought of facing the Voro-Kai again, and possibly losing myself while in my astral form, filled me with dread. “The Synodic Prophecy may yet come to pass. You will bring light and life back to the dying lands.”

Rowen’s powerful grip found my hand under the table. “Keira Copeland, the bearer of the Alcreon Light, will not be referred to as an object that needs to be used,” he said with utter disdain.

“It is true. She is a powerful woman, not a tool for us to wield as we please,” Alvar said, shocking us all. Especially me.

“To make matters worse,” Takoda said, his expression drawn. “One bite from these creatures will turn you into a Voro-Kai. It nearly spread to Alvar’s heart before Keira incinerated the blight.”

“Can anything be done to safeguard ourselves from such an affliction?” Nepta asked the healer, calm as a raging undertow. “There must be some cure you know of, Takoda."

“There are no precautions of which I know,” Takoda replied regretfully.

A heavy silence fell over the Sacred Vale. Nepta’s discomfort was palpable, yet she didn’t shift in her seat. Her composure was a masterclass in restraint, power, and poise, and I made a mental note to school my body and face to betray nothing, just as she did.

“Driskell is right,” I said, meeting the eyes of those around me. “The only defense against the Voro-Kai resides in my veins, a force that I alone wield.” Even now, it pulsed within me as if it agreed. “I am a weapon.”

“See?” Driskell beamed. “She understands her place. We can use her to draw out the army, gather them all in one place, and destroy them.”

“We will not lay her out like a piece of meat. Besides, relying on one weapon to defeat an entire army is a poor strategy,” Rowen continued as he scanned the faces around the table, his gaze connecting with each person in turn, and I saw the commanding war general he had once been.

“If the dark army escapes the crevice, they will indeed be starved, trampling these lands until nothing is left,” Alvar said, the scar on his chin white and prominent.

“How many of these darkened wombs did you see?” Nepta asked, her aged voice unwavering.

I recalled the endless rows of dark chrysalises, the horrifying sight seared into my memory. “Not all of them have reached full maturity, but I’d say thousands upon thousands,” I admitted, my voice trembling. The terror I felt wasn’t for myself. It was for the Wyn people, the inhabitants of Luneth, and the countless distant worlds that would be threatened if we failed to stop them.

The crowd stiffened in horror, but no gasp left a single mouth.

“It is . . . it is beyond our numbers,” Alvar pushed the words out, his face paling as he gripped his blades. The war captain’s gaze was distant, as if his eyes could already see the outcome of this war. “Three of us alone could not defeat one of them.”

“What happened to the demon you fought?” I asked.

“It escaped,” he replied with pain in his eyes. “There was no destroying it.”

“I will search for it, along with the other warriors,” Rowen said, and fear gripped my spine at the thought of him seeking out Erovos’ demons.

“What about my brother?” Dyani asked, her muscular shoulders squaring with fierce intensity.

My soul flame’s gaze shot to Dyani, two emotions warring in his eyes. He respected the warrior, but the man in question had been responsible for my three-month disappearance. “I will search for Demil, too.”

Dyani appeared surprised yet impressed, and I noticed she was wearing silver armbands in honor of her twin. “I will go with you.”

“Me too,” I agreed. “I can’t let you go without a weapon.”

My soul flame’s eyes met mine. “If the Voro-Kai’s weakness is the Alcreon Light, maybe there is a way for you to infuse our weapons with it. You can’t be everywhere at once.”

“I’ll try,” I said, even though I had never attempted such a thing.

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