Free Heir of Pendel (A Pandoran Novel, #4) by Barbara Kloss

mission. I am directly responsible for what happens to them."
    She grabbed my hand. "You've always been responsible for them, Alexander. It just wasn't so obvious before, not like it is now." Before I could argue, she squeezed my hand and said, "You aren't a leader because you promise no one will get hurt. You are a leader because you have something inside of you others are drawn to. You possess a strength of mind and an integrity that gives them hope, and through you, they feel as if they can be part of something greater than themselves—that they can really make a difference in this world. And they look to you to guide them in that pursuit. Be honored, because they follow you out of love rather than duty. Not even many kings can say that. They don't expect you to be perfect, but they know who you are and they expect you will inevitably do what is right and what is honorable. They trust that man with their whole heart, and Gaia has and will bless you for it."
    Her encouragement only made me feel worse. "I'm not worthy of that kind of trust."
    She moved her hand to my cheek. "Which is precisely why they will continue giving it to you." Her jaw clenched and unclenched. "You are my only son, my love, and I could not have asked for a better man to call so. Your father and I have been so blessed by you…" She breathed in slowly, gathering herself. Struggling to be an aegis instead of my mother. "Please…be careful."
    I wrapped my arms around her. "I love you."
    She squeezed me tight but let go quickly, smiling up at me with wet eyes.
    Vera and Thaddeus stood near the edge of the platform. They were no longer arguing, but watching us, waiting. Arioch Prime discussed something with Sir Torren, and Arioch, sensing our conversation had ended, looked up and smiled.
    "I see we're ready," he said. "You three must stand in the center there…" He waved a hand at the platform.
    "You're certain nothing will come back through after them?" Sir Torren asked.
    Arioch sighed. "No, I'm not certain. The portal will land them in the middle of a large cathedral, so if anything sneaks through from the other side, it will most likely be a priest. On second thought, perhaps you should evacuate the entire city immediately."
    Sir Torren frowned at Arioch, who'd already turned his attention to Thaddeus and Vera.
    "No, no, Vera," Arioch said. "Stand closer to him…yes, like that."
    Vera's side was now touching Thaddeus's. To say she looked furious was an understatement. Thaddeus, however, preened. I exchanged a worried glance with my mother, who shook her head and chuckled. I took my place on Vera's other side. My mother and Sir Torren stepped back, and Arioch Prime took his place at the edge of the platform. He spread his arms, lifted his face to the sky, and began chanting.
    A gust of wind ripped across the mountaintop and a great, dark cloud slid over the sun. More clouds coalesced in the sky above, churning and frothing like the Black Sea. Arioch's chants grew louder and louder, and great bolts of lightning forked through the dark sky. Thunder crackled, Thaddeus jumped, and the runic word on the wall began glowing white. It was faint, but growing brighter and brighter by the second. Suddenly, the light flashed blinding white, I shut my eyes, and a pulse of whispers came from everywhere at once. Air squeezed around my body, then released. The world fell silent, and I opened my eyes.
    We stood in an exedra, a sanctuary of the gods—or God, considering where we'd landed. The walls and floors were covered in glossy marble, and everything glistened in a golden hue. A double ramp of curved, marble stairs rose before us, joining at the main floor. This exedra opened to the structure above, and the ceiling was so far away it looked as though it touched the heavens.
    Thaddeus gasped. "Whoa."
    "Stop saying that word," Vera snapped.
    Thaddeus touched one of the marble columns. "This place looks like it was made out of gold. Is Earth made out of gold, Del