Soon, they were in yet another room.
This is the final Proving Circle. You must enter first and use your arcane to pass. I will follow shortly.
He stepped past Mr. Reid and peered into the room. The ceiling was high again, unreachable with his eyes. The lights around the edge seemed like normal sconces lit with normal electricity. The floor was not littered with shards of glass. He took one tentative step into the room and was shot through with a jolt of power. It felt like bugs crawling all over his body; every hair on his body stood on end. He closed his eyes as a deluge of images assaulted him.
Jay, meaner, colder, angrier, standing before him. He was eye to eye with the boy but standing erect. Beside him, a beautiful long-haired woman glared at him cruelly.
The twins, their eyes vacant, as they trailed after the boy, the smell of decaying flesh.
Indie, prostrate on a bed, rose petals strewn about his pale face.
No.
He pushed the images away and plunged his hands into the currents and drew in his power like a deep breath. He stalled, unsure what to do to move forward safely. He decided on a two-fold method of protecting himself. He would stem the flow of the bad images and then keep himself safe. He waited another minute, letting his gifts tell him which could do what job best. Finally, he figured it out in a wave of triumph.
First, he covered the floors and walls in ice, the two small areas around his feet lit bright blue. Ice stopped rivers from flowing, he reasoned. The images stopped, but he still felt a crushing pressure around him. Then he surrounded his tiny frame in a sheath of fire. The fire would stop him from freezing in the ice. Finally, he withdrew his hands from the currents but bid the ice and fire to stay.
He stood still, hoping the two elements would not break. He could feel the ache in his chest where he usually felt the strain of overexerting his gift. He took one step and paused. The fire held but the ice cracked beneath his feet. He took another step. Nothing new happened so he waited again. When he was confident that the protection around him would hold, he opened his eyes and strode across the room, the pins and needles of electricity zinging enticingly across his skin.
When he reached the other side of the room, he rounded on Mr. Reid. A powerful passion had burst inside of him and he could suddenly see much more than he had moments before. Mr. Reid was a blurry circle of light, an image inlaid within an image, inlaid within yet another image. He sent the idea to the man who nodded as he strode easily across the room without the theatrics the boy himself had used.
“That's the lineage you’re seeing. It’s in everyone’s lux. My lineage is very modest and boring, disappointingly.” Mr. Reid’s voice echoed in the stone hall and the boy looked up to him and tried to ask him why he was using his voice. Mr. Reid shook his head.
“I can’t use telepathy here. I can hear you, but I cannot project. You will likewise be limited after you are officiated, most probably. The next room is the Council Chamber. It’s not a testing room, but an interviewing room. You must answer all you can with your mind, never your voice, and above all keep your mask on.” The boy asked him why.
“It’s a long-standing tradition from when the council was first formed. They have chosen to keep it for its ritualistic feel.” Mr. Reid turned to the hall and strode off, not waiting for the boy, who hurried to catch up.
The hall was short and ended at a black door. It was a lot like the door to the Initiative that the boy had seen the night before. A wide cross of gold ran top to bottom and side to side with a golden knocker in the middle. There was no handle or knob to open from their side. Mr. Reid reached up and knocked once then they waited. Minutes passed; the boy’s heart raced in excitement. The door swung open slowly, noiselessly, and they entered.
The dim Council Chamber was also circular but this time out of necessity. Along one half of the room were placed seven large gilded thrones, the largest directly in front of them. On each magnificent seat was an ethereally beautiful creature. The boy dared not to call them people for they each looked angelic in nature. Behind and in between each throne was a grandly clothed, vacant-eye figure, each standing impossibly still and rigid. He guessed that they were realistic statues.
The largest throne was occupied by a woman with long red hair and the boy blinked in recognition from his vision in the previous room. She was dressed in a white toga dress that gathered at one slim shoulder with a gold clip shaped like a feather. She was only a shade or two darker than the stark white fabric of her outfit.
Four other thrones were taken by beautiful women of varying ethnicities, but all pale and thin, glowing strangely in the limited light. They were all dressed in different styles of dresses, but all made of the same gauzy white material. The three males were dressed in stiff white military style jackets, embroidered with pearls and silvery white thread that glinted faintly. Of the three males, the boy recognized two of them. Avery and Ulrich sat in stately stillness before him, somehow more beautiful and fiercer than he remembered them being. They all looked at him with an icy, covetous desire.
“Alexander.” Mr. Reid presented him to the gathered creatures before him. He withdrew in a subservient bow to the shadows by the door. The boy stood alone in the center of the room and a single, bright white light flicked on over him.
“I’m delighted to meet you finally, Alexander.” The red-headed woman before him said in a rich, womanly voice. She sounded like she was talking through her mouth and from her mind simultaneously. He said nothing, projected no thoughts. The boy was careful to wrap himself up inside and keep everything to his own person.
“I’m Irena.” She lifted a delicate hand to her chest and her fingers glittered with jewelry. Her long nails were painted a soft pink. “I welcome you to the Council of the Hierarchy.” He didn’t know what to do so he bent awkwardly at the waist and stood back up. She giggled in a delighted peal of bells.
“You are here to be officiated as a Conjugate. From this day on, you will have an official place in Nightbound society and will be given all the rights, restrictions, and protections of an adult Conjugate,” intoned a male beside Irena. The boy made quick eye contact with the man; whose blond hair fell in silver sheets down his chest. His pointed features made him almost beautiful and the boy wanted to touch the man’s face.
“Your Guardian is a title only, in this case,” added Irena. “Well, he will have a job to do but he really has no say over your decisions. It is in your best interest to follow his instructions, but there will be no law to keep you under his thumb.” She waited, clearly expecting a response.
Thank you. The boy projected, trying his best to make it into the many of the minds before him. To his surprise, he could hear himself aloud, reverberating in the room around him. Somehow, his projected words were going to be broadcast to the entire chamber. This made him shy.
“Transparency is key with our kind, as we are all selfish by nature, Alexander,” Mr. Ulrich said, and the boy turned to him. He was the only face in the room that didn’t look at him with cold hunger. His face was filled with a serious darkness and despite its unreadable nature, it was more comforting than the iciness of the others.
“That’s hardly fair. I share, don’t I, Avery?” Irena grinned wickedly at him and he glared back at her. The boy heard Mr. Reid shuffle nervously behind him.
“Personal politics aside, this is an unprecedented affair.” Mr. Avery stood and the rest of them followed his lead.
“On behalf of the Council of the Hierarchy of the Nightbound, we hereby appoint you, Alexander, a Guardian.” Irena held her arms above her head and her lips moved but no sound came out. A high-pitched ringing filled the boy’s ears and he shook his head trying to clear the annoying sound. He looked at the lips of each figure before him and they were moving in sync, but he couldn’t hear them. Slowly, the ringing died down and the voices in the chamber returned but all he heard was the echo of the last thing they had said in unison.
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“…by the grace of the Lux.” Ulrich strode to stand beside him and faced the group.
“Thank you, Councillors.” He bowed low and stood back up straight, then he looked down to the boy beside him.
I am to teach you and help take care of your well-being.
I couldn’t hear some of what they said. The boy admitted.
I had to swear on my name to protect you. Humans are not permitted the knowledge of our true names. Ulrich’s explanation did not ease the confusion, but the boy said nothing else. He looked back to the council, primarily to Irena who was sitting back down.
“Ulrich, you will keep him healthy and fit while the Conversion takes place. You will not allow his own personal desires to conflict with the council and you will advise him of any follies he may make. But, like I stated earlier, he is granted full Conjugate status.”
“Yes, we are aware that a child has never been granted this honor before, Reid.” One of the females smiled coldly past the boy to the man behind him. “But a child has never undergone a prolonged conversion, either. We must treat this as a new and uncharted process.”
“If you’re unhappy I believe you need to address your concerns to Avery,” said Irena, smiling impishly. “Alone, preferably.”
“Now, Ulrich. We are looking at a possible conversion in a year’s time. Is that enough time to teach him to read and write English and Latin?” Avery looked only at the man beside the boy, completely ignoring him.
“It will be sufficient to teach him to read and write in English. The Latin can come with time, I believe.”
“Very good. Then one year’s time from now we will begin the Conversion of Alexander by proceeding with the Severance. Do you wish to have the Prime with you now or at the time of the Severance?” Irena yawned as Avery droned on.
“These are important details, Irena,” the silver haired male snapped at her. “We want to be able to recreate this scenario and keeping record of the details will be the surest way to success.”
“Why a prolonged conversion? Why not keep him little? He’s adorable,” one female said in a sugary voice. “He could be fun to have around; a child prodigy.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Irena giggled. “I love it. If he wasn’t so special, I would let you keep him as a pet.” She licked her lips and then her eyes narrowed in a glinting appetite. “I’m keeping the eldest for myself.”
“Please, Councillors. Can we proceed?” Avery’s annoyance appeared to be directed primarily at Irena and her smile vanished.
“Fine.” She waved him along. “Finish up.”
“Housing.” Avery reminded Ulrich.
“At the time of Severance. He should continue in the comfort of his brother’s presence.” Ulrich’s accented voice rang in the room.
“Very good. How will you address any follies he may make?” another female spoke up. Her hair was a perfect sphere of dense curls around her head, and she had proud wide-set eyes. To the boy, she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Her deep voice was also accented slightly, but different from Ulrich. The boy had never heard so many various voices.
“He is a child. I will help him understand his mistakes and how to fix them.” Ulrich’s answer did not satisfy Irena.
“But what punishment have you prepared?”
“Nothing. He will learn from his mistakes as I was taught, with patience. We all have inside of us the capacity for patience but most of us lack the will to use it.”
“Irena, not everything has to end with a scratch or a slap,” Avery reminded her. She hissed at him through her teeth.
“Avery, you are starting to make me very angry. If I must listen to your jabbering for one minute longer, I will eat your heart.” The entire council burst into laughter; Avery included.
“Final thoughts or instructions?” The silver haired male seemed to be the only one truly interested in moving the meeting along.
“I want to see him use his arcane.” A quiet female spoke up. She was very small and looked to be no older than Indie. Her black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and fell across one shoulder in ringlets. Her dress was lacy and frilly and fell off her slim shoulders in a pleasant way. The boy thought that Indie would think she was very pretty.
“Yes, alright.” Ulrich nodded and crouched down to the boy to meet him face to face.
I would like you to show us what you have learned since I last saw you.
The boy stopped to think about all the new things he had discovered since Mr. Ulrich had tested him. His light river was new. He could show them that.
He reached inside once more and drew on his arcane. He soaked his hands in the heated current, sopping up as much of it as he could. Then he spread it around him as he had done before in the final room. He felt the tingle of the fire around him and the council all gasped.
“Pure lux! That’s very impressive. No one showed him how?” Irena asked.
No, I got the idea from Mr. Reid. He didn’t know that I could see what he was thinking.
A wave of tittered murmurs washed around the semi-circle.
“Show us another trick.” Irena’s voice was sweet and hungry.
The boy nodded and put both of his hands into the cold current this time. They had been impressed by his sleeve of fire so maybe they would be impressed by the sheets of ice he could cover things in. He pushed the coldness down his body and to his feet and let it spread beneath his bare toes. He watched it spread outwards from him and just as it reached Ulrich’s bare feet he heard a scream. He looked around for the source of the painful wail.
Stop! Ulrich screeched in his mind. He looked down again and saw the man’s feet were being covered in a veiny blackness. The boy remembered when he had accidentally hurt the man before, during his testing. He sucked the ice away, pulling it back into himself.
The two figures that had stood motionless beside Ulrich’s throne came rushing over in a halting, awkward gait. One of them blocked him from the boy’s view while the other bent over Ulrich. The boy heard a tearing sound and then a dripping noise. He caught a glimpse of a dark reddish-black liquid draining onto the floor under the silent figure’s feet.
The quiet in the chamber was enough to make him look up and survey the rest of the council. They all stared at him in wide-eyed horror and shock. Irena looked the most surprised. Her hands had flown to her chest and her wide green eyes burst forth from her face.
“And pure umbra. Oh, Avery, you wicked, delicious bastard.” She grinned widely, her bright white teeth gleaming. “You have found a veritable treasure. I’ll send you Ferro. You’ve had your eyes on him for a long time and this is worth losing him, I think.” Avery grinned back at her.
“That’s a suitable reward for now. After the Severance proves successful, I expect greater rewards. And then we have my fee for brokering the deal to discuss as well as the conversion…” His smile broadened. “But I do agree to take poor Ferro off your hands.”
“Ulrich, dear, are you alright?” the female with the halo of curls asked in genuine concern. He grunted and the boy looked down. One still figure continued to obstruct the boy from seeing Ulrich but the other one lay crumpled on the floor. Ulrich rose to his great height again and wiped a dark, wet stain from his mouth with a greyish cloth.
“Yes, I’m fine. His umbra is pure in form. There is no dilution and it is toxic.”
“Then your priority will be to teach him to contain it.” Avery’s voice sounded dimly around the chamber and the boy realized his hearing was fading out again. Soon, his vision darkened on the edges and he thought he might be fainting.
No, I am going to teach you how to contain your umbra, now, before you kill me. There was a trace of humor in Ulrich’s voice inside the boy’s head. I need you to concentrate so I am going to cut your senses.
I’m sorry, Mr. Ulrich. He was very worried that Ulrich would have been angry with him.
As I said before, you will learn from mistakes. Now, pay attention. A series of visions passed before his darkened eyes, one of him pulling the two currents together into one, homogenous current. The other was of him putting the icy current beneath the other. He understood that he was given two options on how to control his two halves.
Which do I do?
Which one do you think you could easily undo and do back up quickly? The boy thought for a moment and then tried to blend the two currents together. He felt the tight pain in his chest and his heart thudded painfully. His lungs could not drag in enough air and he stopped trying. He shook his head to indicate that making them into one current was impossible for him right now.
Try to stack them like I showed you.
The boy knew exactly how to do that. He had done something similar with his hot current before when he had healed Indie’s mind. This time, though, he pulled the cold under the warm. They fit perfectly together that way and he felt no pressure in his chest. His vision and hearing faded back to normal.
“Incredible…” whispered Avery. “I can’t detect any umbra in him at all now. It’s as though he has already been Converted. He smells human, looks human, but could pass for Converted through any of our wards.” He shot a glance at Irena and smirked. “I think I will take Ferro and Ignatius.”
“Pig.” She spat but laughed and nodded. “This concludes the Council. Please take him back to the Initiative, Reid. Ulrich, see him as soon as you can.” And with that, Irena rose, signalling for the rest to do likewise, and they disappeared into the gloom behind the thrones. The silent figures beside each throne followed, aside from the lone figure left for Ulrich. He grabbed the motionless form from the floor and dragged it away, a trail of dark staining the floor.