House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)

by Sarah J. Maas

The crystal at her feet flared, and Bryce had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, as firstlight, pure and iridescent, ruptured. She squeezed her eyes shut, dropping into a crouch. But nothing happened. At least, not to her. The firstlight faded enough that Bryce cracked open her eyes to see it shooting up six of the pipes. The little black screens beside each plaque flared to life, filled with readings. Only Sirius’s pipe remained unlit. Out of commission. She went rigid as she read the Bright Hand’s screen: Rigelus Power Level: 65%. She whirled to the next plaque. The screen beside it said, Austrus Power Level: 76%. “Holy gods,” Bryce whispered. The Asteri fed on firstlight. The Asteri … needed firstlight. She looked at her feet, where light flowed in veins through the crystal before funneling into the pipes. The quartz. A conduit of power. Exactly like the Gates in Crescent City. They’d built their entire palace out of it. To fuel and harness the firstlight that poured in.