“But my light… it’s broken.” I gestured to my hands. When that Succubus had tried to attack me, light hadn’t shot out of my hands, darkness had.
He shook his head and picked up the necklace. “I think it’s hiding. I can’t remove the Dark Prince’s mark, but I can trap the dark powers within you.”
With that statement, he confirmed it. I had dark powers. I hadn’t even told him yet about the black whip I could produce. But his words about containing it gave me hope.
“So I wear this and no more dark blobs flying out?” I reached for the pendant.
He nodded. “That’s right. Unless you take it off.”
My heart pained then, Sera wasn’t here to experience this with me. She’d be so happy for me. I missed her. It’d been too long, but I couldn’t come up with a viable plan about how to get her back. Shea said she’d open a portal for me and I could try to call to her, but that was a huge risk and a shot in the dark. Especially after learning from my history class that our world directly overlaid Hell. Sera would be back in Inferno, unless someone in Hell moved her. That was a possibility I couldn’t even think about.
Mr. Claymore stood and took the necklace, attaching it around my neck. The moment the stone rested against the tattooed mark on my chest, I felt a tingle throughout my body as a weight seemingly lifted from me.
“Whoa,” I whispered. Taking in a deep breath, I felt lighter than ever before, as if the stress I’d been carrying, the self-doubt and worry just… disappeared.
“Feel something? That’s a good sign,” Mr. Claymore added.
Footsteps approached as Mr. Rincor made his way over to my desk.
“All right, Brielle. I have a feeling this has been our roadblock. Let’s give it a go now, what do you say?”
My light studies professor was so patient and sweet with me. We’d been through a lot on my journey, including months of him telling me just to not use my powers, and nearly giving up on me. There was a time when we’d both admitted I may not have light powers within me beyond my barely glowing palms. But now… now I had hope, which that was a good and dangerous thing. Hope could let you down, but it could also redeem you.
I nodded nervously as the two professors stepped behind me. They weren’t worried about getting blasted with light. No, they stepped behind me because when I usually tried this, dark magic flew out of me and tried to hurt whoever was in my way.
Holding my hands up, I pointed them in front of me at the vacant room.
“I’m nervous.” The confession flew from my lips.
“Whatever happens, or doesn’t happen, it’s okay, Brielle,” Mr. Rincor’s smooth voice assured from behind me.
Okay. Here goes nothing.
I wish Sera was here.
Taking a deep breath, I felt for my Celestial power, which was a bit like a buzzing electrical feeling. It was always there but only awakened when I focused on it. Shining my attention on it now, I felt the high-wire buzz run throughout my body, stronger than ever before.
Maybe this was going to work.
One more deep breath and I pushed, hard. A bright buttery yellow light shot from my hands and illuminated the room, forcing me to turn my head, and stumble backward to avoid blindness.
“Holy mother of Mary,” Mr. Rincor breathed.
I shook my hands, trying to dim my power, but there was still an immense glow. Turning to look at my palms, I saw the glow was no longer there, but in the middle of the room was a floating, glowing… orb.
“What the heck is that?” I asked.
Mr. Rincor stepped out from behind me, his jaw slack and his eyes wide. “That is an archangel power. A Celestial orb.”
I swallowed hard. “Okay, but what exactly does it do?”
Mr. Rincor walked over to the far wall where a few swords were mounted and pulled one off. Then he approached the orb and dipped the sword into it.
“Be careful,” I deadpanned.
Now Mr. Claymore had walked out and was staring curiously at the spectacle before us. He seemed as baffled as I was.
Mr. Rincor pulled the sword from the orb and it was… on fire. Well, that wasn’t quite right. It was glowing with… light.
“Watch this,” the light studies professor warned. Then he brought the sword down slowly into one of the desks and cut through it like butter. It crashed in half, falling to the floor, and leaving Mr. Claymore and me with our eyebrows raised.
“Um, is that normal? That I made that?” I hated that word ‘normal,’ but I also desperately yearned to be normal. Catch-22.