“What?” Relia rounded on Glim. “You’re sure?”

  “Positive,” Glim said. “I know another spirit when I see one.”

  “We need to warn them.” Relia leapt off the ridge and fell three stories into the courtyard below. The stone cracked when she landed, but she barely felt the impact with her Master body.

  Four years ago, these ruins had hummed with purpose and possibility. The workers had begun clearing out the vines, building mana conduits and shield Constructs along the outer walls. Cars and airships had filled the landing zone, with sigil grids reinforcing the stone.

  Now, the jungle had reclaimed the courtyard in dense clusters of green, and a thick web of vines covered the front of the ziggurat like a burial shroud. The landing zone sat empty, littered with fallen leaves and broken stone. Even the turrets had been scavenged for parts.

  But there must be someone left. Why else would Storm’s Eye be here?

  Relia bolted up the staircase toward the temple proper. Her feet pounded the ancient bricks, and carnivorous vines shrank back with every step.

  “Stop right there!” A guard appeared on the battlements twenty feet over the main gate, his rifle trained on her chest. Half a dozen more popped up a second later, armed with guns and Missile rods. Most were only Apprentices. They were also far younger than she remembered. Younger than, even.

  She put up her hands and tried to look non-threatening. “I’m Relia Dawnfire. I came to warn you—“

  “That’s Moonfire’s daughter!” someone interrupted.

  “Storm’s Eye is coming!” Relia said. “You need to evacuate before—”

  “We know,” a third guard cut in. “The spirit can’t touch us here.” The rest whispered amongst themselves, but Relia couldn’t make out their words over the storm winds.

  “Your defenses won’t be enough,” she told them. “I’ve been here before. I was Lyraina Trelian’s apprentice.”

  The first guard laughed at this. “I don’t care if you’re the Aeon bitch herself. We don’t work for her. Not anymore.”

  Relia’s chest tightened at that. She’d expected resistance, but not this level of hostility. What had happened to these people?

  “Is Javier still here?” He’d always been loyal to her grandmother, and he would remember Relia’s face. He might even listen to her.

  “Dead,” the guard snapped back.

  Relia felt her shoulders slump, but she pressed on. “What about Noctis?” Five years ago, her grandmother had brought him back to life at this very temple.

  “You must be new here,” another guard said. The others shifted uncomfortably, and no one elaborated.

  She didn’t bother asking about Caster Serrano after that. Even if he were hiding in the temple, these people wouldn’t tell her. It might even make things worse. Relia could unveil her soul, but what good would that do? Even a Master couldn’t move an entire group by force. Not before Storm’s Eye destroyed the temple.

  ‘,’ Glim suggested. ‘’

  ‘,’ Relia replied. ‘

  “Now!” the guard shouted over his shoulder. No sooner had he given the order than a burst of pale blue energy erupted around the ziggurat. Relia almost braced herself for an attack, but this didn’t look like a weapon. The Construct stretched upward like a giant soap bubble until it encased the temple and its surrounding walls.

  Relia stepped forward and pressed a hand to the shield’s crystalline surface, feeling the power within. This wasn’t Moonshard, but she felt the Angelic mana at work. Lyraina must have built this before she left.

  They spat on her name, but they still used her gifts.

  Unfortunately, this shield wouldn’t be enough to save them. Angelic mana ran on Etherite, and she doubted they had more than one or two shards in their vault. Besides, the Aegis of Koreldon hadn’t stopped Kalden’s father, and he was just a Mystic.

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  Storm’s Eye was far more dangerous.

  By now, the guards had vanished from the wall, retreating inside the temple. Arturo and Lena still hadn’t caught up with her, so Relia jogged around toward the north side of the courtyard.

  Glim’s transparent form flickered to life beside her, dressed in blue camouflage fatigues and a matching hat. “Lena said they took prisoners before. I’m guessing Storm’s Eye will break the shield and send its spawn inside.”

  That sounded about right.

  Footsteps echoed on the stone floor behind her. Relia glanced over her shoulder and saw Arturo and Lena jogging a dozen paces behind.

  “Hey.” Arturo ducked beneath a stone archway, using his machete to cut down a hungry vine. “Didn’t go well with the cultists, huh?”

  “They aren’t cultists anymore.” Relia gave a helpless shrug. “I don’t even know what they are. They just seem young and scared.”

  Lena followed Arturo through the archway. “You think their leaders left them behind?”

  “Maybe.” Relia gestured back at the temple beneath the massive blue dome. “We didn’t talk for long.”

  “They might know more about the other locations,” Lena said. “We should do our best to keep them alive.”

  Relia had planned to help them regardless, but it was good to have everyone on the same page.

  “What about my parents?” Arturo gestured to the radio on his belt. “What do I tell ‘em?”

  “They should be fine to land,” Relia said. “Those anti-air guns won’t be a problem anymore. I’ll hold off the mana spawn until then.”

  Arturo nodded. “Where do you want us, spira?”

  “Find some cover and hit the spawn from range.” Relia glanced at the temple again. “And they might need your help inside once the shield breaks.”

  “Sounds good.” Arturo looked worried, but he covered it quickly as he jogged off toward the temple’s south side.

  Relia continued around the shield to the north. The temple stood directly on the cliff’s edge, so she couldn’t stand between Storm’s Eye and its target. But this seemed like the next best thing.

  Glim floated along beside her, dim against the storm clouds. “Please tell me you don’t have a death wish.”

  Relia shook her head as she wove through the maze of broken stone walls. “We both know I’m too useful to die.”

  Glim wilted. “You don’t have to say it like that.”

  “You can literally read my thoughts,” Relia said. “I can’t just pretend everything’s fine.”

  Glim didn’t reply, but Relia felt the spirit’s emotions through their bond—worry and frustration tangled up in a tight knot. She wanted to help, but she had no idea what to do.

  “Let’s just win this fight.” Relia forced out a smile. “We can handle some mana spawn, right?”

  “What about Storm’s Eye?” Glim asked in a low voice.

  “My father won’t let it kill me.” She’d meant for the words to sound reassuring, but they came out flat and hollow. And truth be told, she had no idea how much direct control he held over the spirit.

  Relia reached the cliff’s edge and looked out over the churning sea where the massive blue form dominated the horizon. As always, it had the head of a dragon and the body of a serpent with white lightning that danced along its scales.

  The creature slithered through the air for several heartbeats, surrounded by a perfect circle of dark blue clouds. A year ago, Relia had frozen at this sight in Vordica. Now, she felt strangely calm despite its overwhelming power.

  The next few seconds played out just like she’d imagined. Storm’s Eye stretched open its massive jaw and unleashed a torrent of white mana at the temple. The sea parted in its wake, water vaporizing into steam. Several smaller islands exploded to dust as the beam passed straight through them.

  Relia covered her eyes as the technique struck the shield. Blinding white light filled the world an instant later, breaking through her hands and eyelids.

  The shield held, but not for long.

  Relia dropped her hand just enough to squint through the glare. The dome looked almost solid now—a second sun perched on the edge of the cliff. Storm's Eye poured more power into the beam, and the shield answered with a sound like cracking glaciers.

  She counted down the seconds in reverse:

  The dome flickered at the edges, pale blue bleeding to white where the beam struck hardest. Fractures appeared in the crystal surface, branching out like frost on glass.

  The ground shook as fragments of the cliff crumbled away into the sea.

  The fractures in the shield widened. Relia felt the Etherite fade like a patient’s dying pulse.

  The shield exploded with white light. The ground heaved as a section of the cliff crumbled away into the sea, dragging stone and trees along for the ride. Relia steadied herself against a nearby pillar and waited for the world to stop shaking. Remnants of the broken technique drifted through the air like falling ash.

  Storm’s Eye waited in the distance, slithering its massive body through the clouds. Its pale white eyes seemed to fix directly on Relia. If Glim was right, then it would unleash its spawn next.

  Relia cycled her mana and waited. These spawn had nearly overwhelmed her team in Koreldon City last year. But she was a Master now, and she didn’t expect any problems from them.

  But Storm’s Eye didn’t move. Instead, a helicopter flew over the jungle to the north.

  “Who’s that?” Relia hollered to Glim.

  “Black and jade,” she replied. “Clan Kazaru’s colors.”

  Relia blinked away the rain in her eyes. “What’s a North Shokenese clan doing here?”

  The helicopter hovered above the courtyard, maybe a hundred feet over her head. Its rotors fought against the storm, holding position despite the gusts that whipped Relia’s braid across her face. A metal door slid open on one side, spilling golden light into the gray haze.

  Three Masters dropped from the opening. Two men and one woman.

  Cracks spread beneath their boots as they hit the stone floor. All three wore fitted armor of black and jade that covered them from head to heel.

  They didn’t even glance at the dangerous mana spirit behind them. They just cycled their mana and turned toward Relia.

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