Gates of Rapture (Guardians of Ascension 6)

When he escorted Grace to the top of the grandstands, he led her first to the box on the left in which Diallo and his wife, Mei-Amadi, were seated. Diallo rose and took Grace’s hand. “I remember you well from your visit a few months back, but I don’t think you met my wife.” He placed his hand on Mei-Amadi’s back. The woman bowed slightly. She had lovely Asian eyes that gave her brown skin an exotic look. Overall, she was lighter-skinned than Diallo. Her hair was piled high on top of her head. She looked regal.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Grace said. “You both must be so pleased with the event tonight.”

“It is wonderful,” Mei-Amadi said, her hands spread wide. “To see competitors from all over the globe, from all the colonies. I never thought to see such a thing happen. But we have Leto to thank for this. He has unified our world here in a way neither Diallo nor I thought possible. Truly magical.”

The assistant with the headset interrupted. “Please forgive me, Warrior Leto, but it’s time.”

“Yes,” Diallo said. “Get the games started or we will have many unhappy warriors shaking fists at us in a minute or two.”

Leto nodded. “You’re right. The competitors’ nerves will be jumping right now.”

Once Grace was settled in his box, he approached the microphone. He took a long, slow breath. The entire fairgrounds had fallen silent. Crying babies were soothed by caregivers and children ordered to hush. Only a breeze set a few flags flapping here and there.

For a long moment, Leto was overcome by the respect he was being paid. Not long ago, he’d been a despised traitor, but all that had changed when Grace had brought him almost magically out of Moscow Two and away from Commander Greaves permanently.

Now he was a resident of the hidden colony and everyone waited to hear what he had to say.

He had taken great pains to prepare a speech with which to open the games, focusing on how proud he was of the contestants and the hidden colony Militia Warriors, on his gratitude for having a place in their lives. All good stuff.

But as he surveyed the crowd, his heart began to expand. He saw the families he had come to know and love over the past five months, all those ascenders who had embraced him and forgiven him, who had helped him build his cabin. He saw, lined up by colony, the hundreds of warriors, both male and female, who had trained hard under his leadership in preparation not only for the games over the next three days but for the ongoing war against Greaves as well.

He felt a strong need to say something different from his practiced praises. Making use of his most powerful voice, he began, “We’re on the brink of war, my fellow ascenders.” He heard a rippling murmur pass through the crowd but most remained silent. “We all know it and we all know that this is the reason our warriors have trained as hard as they have, pushed themselves, male and female alike, gotten hurt in the process then pushed harder still.”

Several small cheers went up and down the narrow valley.

“But at heart, we are all warriors no matter what role we play in our society. Whether we raise our children to be well loved and strong or whether we teach in our schools or labor in the fields to put food on every table, or build a business to serve the community. This is the war we make, to care for those we love day in and day out. This is the true battlefield of life.”

More cheers went up, louder this time. He let his gaze ride the scene from the north where all colorful tents were laid out, all the way south across the event obstacles designed to test the mettle of the assembled competitors.

“Hold fast to the job you were designed for. Do that service to your community and to your world with every ounce of strength the Creator has given you. This is the note you sing in the choir of humanity. Hold that note so that the chorus we create together, backed by the angels of heaven, will prevail against the enemy, wherever evil is found. Tonight, we are all warriors.”

A great cheering rose into the dark night sky. Knowing that his words had hit the mark, he cried out very simply, “Let the games begin!”

Jealousy casts a wide net,

But who gets caught in the web?

—Collected Proverbs, Beatrice of Fourth

Chapter 5

Endelle levitated just at the top of the tree line on the western side of the forest. She wore tight black leather pants and a forest-green embroidered bustier but kept herself cloaked in her own private mist. She had intended just to check in for a moment, to see what the colony had put together for this worldwide event.

She wore the same necklace of miniature pinecones, adorned with preserved monarch butterflies. This was her nod to the natural surroundings even if she’d had the insects’ wings dipped in resin to keep them from busting apart.

But it was her stilettos that claimed the prize. She had worked diligently to attach wires to various parts of the shoes; at the end of each wire was a black-and-yellow bumblebee. The wires came to various heights so that it looked as though a cloud of bees buzzed around her. Her design even included shields that kept the bees from getting all tangled up.

Of course the whole ensemble was more frivolous than serious, but given the homespun nature of the event, she thought she fit right in.

The air rippled beside her. She might have been worried, but she felt the flavor of a Fourth ascender. Maybe Beatrice had come to watch the festivities.

However, as she turned in the direction of the moving air, who should appear but that worthless piece of shit, Casimir. Only he looked really different. “Holy hell, what the f**k happened to you?”

Casimir wore a white robe and was completely bald. She moved in close, still levitating, but scooted up higher in the air and put both her hands on his head. She read the names inked on his skull. “These your kids?”

“My sons, yes.”

“Imagine you having children.”

“I was shocked myself.”

“So, you slumming it or what?”

His gaze took in the the fair-like atmosphere. “I take it these are the warrior games.”

“If you’re looking for Grace, she’s in the stands with Leto, but I suspect he won’t give you much of a welcome. He lost it when Grace left and went through some kind of change none of us has figured out.”

Casimir glanced at her. She couldn’t get used to what he looked like without all his long curly hair. He was still a handsome bastard, though.

“How has Leto changed?”

“Bigger at times, then not.”

“Cryptic.”

“You can see for yourself if you stick around long enough. So, did you come here hoping to bust up my latest power couple?”