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One

Bright Night

BRIGHTON

I drink every last drop of Reaper’s Blood while looking up at the Crowned Dreamer

The elixir s bodies and tastes like iron and charcoal The blood frohosts is heavy onand I’ out the rest, but I force ah to be born with powers—to be born a celestial But now that I’ve absorbed these creatures’ abilities, the world will get to welcome me as their new champion—a one-of-a-kind, unkillable specter

I drop the empty bottle and it rolls towarder as I lick my lips clean and dry them with the back ofonto my knees My vision becoarden is spinning slowly, then faster, faster, faster My entire body feels like countless fingertips are grazing my skin I suck in the sharpest breath ofo, and before I can full-on panic about whatever is happening, light surrounds me

I’ht as the Crowned Dreamer above hton, the Bright King, whatever you want to call it I have no idea if all specters experience this hite glohen getting their powers The only specters in my life I could ask are special cases ouldn’t remember—Emil, as reborn with his phoenix powers, and Maribelle Lucero, who just discovered hours ago that she isn’t a regular celestial Her biological father was a specter—the very founder of the Spell Walkers— her as the first-known celestial-specter hybrid But I’e instops

Emil is stunned, but his expression turns back to pained “Hel-help me,” he breathes Blue blood from the dead phoenix, Gravesend, is wet and sticky on E out his wound that needs attention Luna Marnette, the supreme alchemist who created the Reaper’s Blood I just drank, stabbed hiotten Emil so deep with that infinity-ender blade that he can’t even tap into his phoenix powers to heal himself

I cradle Eot you, bro”

I flinch as spellwork explodes across the Alpha Church of New Life’s garden The fighting hasn’t stopped becauseIt’s like the Blood Casters and their acolytes won’t rest until every Spell Walker is dead In the fray, I see ; and Iris Simone-Chambers, the leader of the Spell Walkers Despite their innate powers, they’re struggling to contain Stanton, a specter with the blood and the powers of a basilisk, and Dione, a specter with the speed of a hyrda and the extra arms to match

Then I see Maribelle, our most powerful player, as she crouches beside Luna with absolute murder in her eyes “You had my parents and boyfriend killed so you could live forever Now I get to watch you bleed out”

Luna is fading in and out as she stares at the stars like they can stillHer silver hair is plastered to her sweaty forehead and she’s pressing down on the hole I blasted through her stomach with my wand’s spell “You won’tyou” Luna tries to speak but keeps choking on her oords It triggers a flashback of Dad gagging on his own blood It’s so vicious that I turn away, even though Luna deserves every ounce of pain

Unlike Luna, I’ll never have to fear death again thanks to the Reaper’s Blood

But my brother does

“Maribelle! Maribelle, we have to get Emil to the hospital”

Then June appears out of nowhere— ehost blood, the only Blood Caster with those powers, we think And she possessed Maribelle and made her kill Atlas Haas, the love of her life and one ofMaribelle’s naeance hasher as she scoops up the oblivion dagger, the one that’sassassin around the garden

Back home when I told Maribelle my plan to steal the Reaper’s Blood away from Luna, she didn’t question it She wants Luna to die powerless, and I don’t want to die at all; we’re both co out winners Except it’s all pointless for et hile; it’s like he has rocks hidden in his power-proof vest It’s a shath, but I still et Emil on his feet, and he wraps his arm around my shoulders

An acolyte runs at us with an ax, hopping over the hydra beheaded for the potion, his feet now slick with yellow blood I’ht E to be his hero the way he’s been mine the pastphoenix fire blasting fro us I keepon how badly I want to take him out, and he’s suddenly wrenched backward as if flicked away by some invisible hand

How did I do that? Is this a ghost blood power?

I realize it wasn’tlike skipping stars The eyes that look like doorways into different corners of the universe are how you can identify anyone as a celestial, but that’s only if the celestial activates their powers around you Prudencia has only ever shown us her beautiful brown eyes since weour backs and fighting this ith us Her forehead is split open, and her glistening celestial blood is running down the side of her face

“What happened? Who hurt you?” I ask