Anton clutched at him, but it was too late. The Prophets’ Grace was inside him, pulsing like a star, and Jude could only hold on and hope it didn’t consume him. For a moment, it overwhelmed him—he couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, couldn’t feel anything except the Grace as it reverberated through him.

And then just when Jude thought it would break him apart, the world bloomed into focus. Suddenly he could feel everything—the soft waves of Anton’s esha near him, like wind blowing through grass, the distinct esha of each of the others, and an awareness of how they all fit, the connections and intricate patterns that bound the world together.

Jude opened his eyes to find Anton staring at him with an expression of utter terror.

“I’m all right,” Jude said at once, laying his hand on Anton’s cheek. The pure, physical sensation of it shocked him. Everything felt sharper, louder, and more harmonious at the same time. “Is this what it’s like for you all the time?”

The terror bled away from Anton’s face as he let out a breath and leaned into Jude’s touch.

“Did it work?” he heard Hector ask from behind him.

Jude turned to face him. “I can feel your esha. It’s like … steel and stone.”

Hector gave him a confused look.

“That looked … painful,” Illya said hesitantly.

“It was…” Jude trailed off. It was like nothing he’d ever felt. It was transcendent.

“If anyone’s planning to back out, now is the time,” Anton warned.

None of the others moved to leave.

“All right,” Anton said, closing his eyes. “Stand still. And try not to panic.”

This time, Jude was able to watch as Anton pulled five more threads of power from the Relic of Sight and sent them spiraling toward the others. Grace swirled around them, and now Jude could feel exactly what it was doing—weaving through the others’ esha until Grace and esha coalesced as one.

In Anton’s hands, the Relic of Sight broke apart as light poured out.

The others all fell to their knees, just as Jude had. Ephyra let out a sharp cry, Hector a pained groan. Illya seemed on the brink of tears.

But then, the pain seemed to subside. They opened their eyes and climbed to their feet, looking amazed and perplexed by their new sense of the world. As the others recovered themselves, Jude realized that Anton was shaking, breathing hard.

On instinct, he tucked himself against Anton’s side. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” Anton replied. But he was trembling. “Just—give me a second.”

“So this is what it feels like to be a Prophet?” Hassan asked, looking down at his hands like he was expecting flames to come shooting out of them.