Page 90 of Claim the Light
The armory is our last stop before we leave.
Beatrix goes straight for the swords while Micah picks out a combination of blades and firearms.
I choose a single dagger and take a weapon belt from the wall, tying it around my waist. I’ve chosen to remain in my long, white pants and white tunic. I’ve become used to the softness of the material and the ease of movement that it allows. Besides, I’ll have plenty of access to my own clothes soon enough.
Callan and Lana have chosen to wait outside the armory for us since they already have their weapons, but Isaac heads straight for the wall of Sentinel spears and remains there, staring at it until I step up beside him.
“Isaac? Are you okay?”
“I’ve never used my weapon to kill,” he says. “I have faith in your plan, Sophia, but if it doesn’t succeed, I need to consider what I should do. I’m now asking myself if Tyler is an adversary for whom I should compromise my vows.”
“Nothing should make you compromise your beliefs.”
Despite my assertion, he exhales heavily and continues to glare at the deadly weapons.
I take another moment to think through his dilemma, and then I ask him a question. “Tell me something… If you use your Sentinel spear to strike a tree, would you kill it?”
“Sadly, yes,” he says. “The spear is designed to end life.”
“What if you struck a piece of coal? Or a stone?”
He arches an eyebrow and asks me a question in return. “Or ash?”
I nod and give him a moment to ponder his answer.
“No,” he finally says. “The ash would not be harmed. For the simple fact that it isn’t alive.”
“What about your soul light?” I ask quietly. “What impact would it have on ash?”
He gives a slow shake of his head. “Like my weapon, soul light only affects living matter. It can break through darkness, but only in the mind and body of the receiver. It wouldn’t reach the heart of a creature made of ash.” He exhales a quiet sigh. “Which would be why it has no effect on the ash already hurting those I care about.”
His gaze flickers to Beatrix, where she’s testing the weight of a sword. The friction that used to exist between them is gone and in its place is a new tension. One I pray they have the chance to explore.
“Then your Sentinel spear is no use against Tyler,” I say, “but your soul light is of use to me.”
His forehead creases. “But…”
“Your soul light is for the ones I need you to protect,” I clarify. “I know it’s a lot to ask you to watch Lana walk into this fight without you or Callan at her side. But the Dread dragons and the Grudge, and even Gisela and Dane, will need you. If I don’t win this battle, you must do everything you can to protect them.”
He gives me a solemn nod. “Then I’ll choose a different weapon.”
He reaches for a simple-looking wooden rod that rests on hooks to the left of the Sentinel spears.
I leave his side and step toward Beatrix and Micah, who appear to have finished choosing weapons, but I hesitate.
Lana told me to trust my instincts.
Giving in to my impulses, I gravitate toward Atrox’s armor.
The helmet gleams. The plates in the armor are finely crafted but sturdy-looking and interlocked, so they should be able to move without revealing gaps. The entire suit, from the helmet to the chest, shoulder, and thigh plates, is a beautiful piece of artwork, the likes of which I’ve never seen.
“Sophia?” Micah’s voice is quiet, but it also carries tension.
He’s concerned about anyone approaching this gold, let alone touching it, but that’s because of whom it belonged to.
“This metal isn’t evil,” I say. “Its purpose is to protect its wearer, whoever that may be.”
I dare to brush the chest plate’s smooth surface with the tips of my fingers. The lightest touch. All while I prepare to leap backward if the gold reacts badly to my presence.
