The True Confessions of a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 143: All Hail the Divine Intercessor

The blaze of light that exploded out was even brighter than the lightshow Flicker had put on when we quelled the riot. On reflex, I clapped my wings over my eyes. Since I was hovering midair, however, I immediately started to fall and had to flap my wings to stay aloft. As soon as I removed that layer of feathers, the world went peach and pink and excruciatingly painful. If I hadn't known where that light was coming from, I'd have sworn that it was pressing down on me, forcing me to the ground to prostrate myself before the glory of the Divine Intercessor.

Ha! As if I'd grovel to the Kitchen God!

Oh. Wait.

I should, if only for show. He was almost certainly monitoring these proceedings, wherever he was.

Swallowing a sigh, I drooped to the ground, lowered my belly into the grass, and let the dirt get all over my feathers.

I couldn't see anything, not with Flicker blazing away like that, but I heard a thump and guessed that Stripey had landed next to me. A large shadow fell over me, decreasing the pressure from the light. I gasped and sucked in a deep breath.

Who knew Flicker had it in him to shine so bright? When had he grown so much in power?

Or had he always held this much power, and simply lacked the confidence to use it?

If the latter were the case, I could think up ways for him to use it.

Although Katu must have been as blinded as the rest of us, his prayer continued. "O Divine Intercessor! Grant us your protection! Show us your Heavenly might! Let these demons turn upon one another tooth and fang! Let them eradicate one another! Let them purge themselves from this Earth!"

As soon as he finished the final sentence, Flicker pulsed once and snapped off his light.

That was the signal to the foxling.

Eyes still blinded, beak and throat pressed flat against the grass, I listened as hard as I could for a sign that she would obey my command.

"Let them purge themselves from this Earth!" shouted the human on the stage, and then Lady Piri's servants switched off the light at last.

Had it been bright! Sphaera had doubted – just a tiniest bit – when Lady Piri's representative had warned her that the light would be blinding beyond belief – but of course she should have trusted in Lady Piri. She had no idea where Lady Piri had found such a bright light on Earth – she had no idea such a bright light existed on Earth! – but of course Lady Piri had managed it. Sphaera should have known better than to doubt her.

And now – now it was her  turn to shine.

Sphaera opened her eyes a slit. All around her, demons had cried out at the light and the furious pressure of it, and many of them were still hunched over. The weaker ones were huddled on the ground, clawing at their eyes.

Naturally, the chieftains, who'd had centuries to accumulate power, hadn't been affected as badly. Pallus the manul unballed himself from around Prince Pouff, letting the kitten totter on his own paws. Steelfang the wolf bared his teeth in a huge grin, saliva dripping off the points of his canines and searing the grass where it landed.

Sphaera leaped to her feet on the litter, tore the scarf from around her shoulders, and flung up her hand, letting the filmy silk stream out for all her allies to see. "Everyone! It's time!"