Page 26 of The Sovereign: Part One
“So?”Avaryn said, shooing him out of her seat.“What did I miss?”
Joss stood beside me, his gaze heavy with longing, the silent plea in his eyes more potent than any words he could have spoken.
“I… I can’t.I’m so sorry,” I said.
His expression slowly fell.The hopeful glimmer in his eyes extinguished, his lips pressing into a thin, unsteady line, as if holding back something unbearable.
Avaryn’s gaze darted between us, her amusement fading as she registered the tension lingering in the air.
He nodded once and stepped back, hesitating for just a few seconds before finally turning and walking away.
“What did you say to him?”Avaryn said, her tone accusatory.
I shook my head, holding my fingers to my mouth, unable to answer.
“Isara…”
“I’ll explain later, but I have one of the most important meetings of my life in an hour.Right now, I just need you to be my sister.Change the subject, make me laugh, do whatever it takes to make me forget that just happened, okay?Avaryn… please?”
Avaryn studied me for a moment, then gave a slow nod.A beat later, she straightened, slipping effortlessly into her role, ready to pull me back from the edge even if she didn’t understand why.Because a sister’s love doesn’t require understanding, only the refusal to let you fall alone.
“Okay.I’ve got this,” she said.
I sat up, nodding.
“It’s the only thing that can possibly do the trick, it’s verified, and when I say it, you’re going to simply pass away.”
“Whatever it is, just… say it,” I said, feeling I was on the verge of tears.
“Cressida was at a Vanguard party a few weeks ago.”
“I have no idea how your best friend got into a Vanguard party, but keep going.”
“Trust me, she did.She tried to get me in, too.So, she stumbles into a random somna, and under the sheets are two Vanguards.Both in their Veritas year.”
“You’re lying!”
Avaryn shook her head, and then a mischievous grin lit up her face.“And… they’re cousins.”
I gasped, flattening my palms on the table and then leaning in.“Okay, you’rereallygood at this.Tell meeverything.”
Chapter Seven
The Citadel loomed over the heart of Hyperion Proper like a monolith of absolute power, an architectural titan that seemed to defy gravity itself, its sleek structure a study in form and function.The base was broad, anchoring it like the trunk of an ancient tree, while the upper levels expanded outward in a sweeping arc, resembling the cap of a colossal mushroom, elegant yet commanding.The topmost floors, enshrouded in wispy clouds, seemed to dissolve into the atmosphere itself, an ethereal boundary between governance and sky.It was there, in the highest echelons of The Citadel, where the most powerful Sovereign dictated the course of the city, where policy was shaped and futures were decided—and where I had been summoned.
The Ascens arrived without a sound, its panel sliding open with just a whisper of air displacement.Inside, the walls pulsed with a soft glint, adjusting to the presence of its passenger.The acceleration was imperceptible, only the changing numbers on the panel marked my swift ascent toward the zenith of Hyperion’s hierarchy.As I was carried upward, I turned toward the view beyond the transpane, watching as Hyperion Proper shrank below me.The city, once sprawling and vast, became a latticework of symmetry and light, its perfectly arranged districts dissolving into a seamless grid.From this height, Sovereign were no more than shifting specks, their lives orchestrated within the grand design of Hyperion’s vision.
As I neared the top, I could see beyond the walls for the first time, vast stretches of wasteland on one side, forest and winding streams on the other, remnants of old-world towns scattered like forgotten relics.My breath caught as an entire world unfolded beyond Hyperion’s barriers.
And then, I audibly gasped.The Vale.
I flattened my palms against the transpane, drawn forward by the sight.Roads cut through the land like veins, connecting clusters of farmland and buildings that stood in subtle defiance of Hyperion’s reach.I had known it was there, of course, but seeing it—truly seeing it—felt entirely different.It was nothing like I had imagined.Joss had rarely spoken about The Vale, and I had always assumed it was wild and untamed—primitive, even.But from here, it looked more like a rural suburb, paths weaving neatly between homes and farmland, clusters of buildings forming distinct districts, winding waterways, and even a breathtaking waterfall.It wasn’t disorderly.It was structured, lived-in, tangible.The realization was unsettling, and yet the mere sight of it sent a strange thrill through me, a mix of awe and unease.I strained to make out more, searching for details, but from this height, everything blurred together, just beyond my grasp, as if The Vale itself refused to be truly known.
By the time the panel parted smoothly, revealing the crown of The Citadel, I wasn’t sure if I had been standing for seconds or minutes.
I glanced around Summit Hall, the pinnacle floor reserved for Hyperion’s highest-ranking officials.The air was different—thinner, perhaps, or simply weighted with the magnitude of the decisions made within these walls.
Waiting for me was a Hiven, poised and polished, dressed in sleek, high-fashion business attire.As with Gila, her presence was distinct among the city’s Hiven, her appearance carrying traits that made her impossible to mistake for the rest.She wore her dark-blonde hair swept to one side, the loose curls cascading to her waist, her brown eyes carrying a warmth that echoed the smile on her lips.I couldn’t say exactly how, but if there were ever a mold for the Primarch’s assistant, she seemed to have been cast from it.
