He treated them no differently than he treated me.
He poured every ounce of his heart into raising them, even putting off having children of his own.
That was why, after all those years, Master and Matron Thornwell never had a child by blood.
Matron Thornwell would grumble about it from time to time, but that foolish old man would just laugh and wave it off. "It's fine. I trust my disciples. When the day comes, they'll see us properly buried."
He was wrong, in the end.
But I knew that foolish old man.
He believed, to his last breath, that people were born good. Whenever his disciples made mistakes, he always gave them a chance to make things right.
I never agreed with that. But I didn't want him to die with his eyes open, restless and unsettled.
So I did what Master would have done. I gave Edwin and Rosalind one chance.
"I'll handle avenging Master myself. I don't need your help."
"Go back to the Dawnveil Sect now. Stay with Master and Matron Thornwell."
"Carry on Master's legacy. Make the sect flourish."
Rosalind had been spoiled rotten by Master since she was a child, and her temper was as foul as they came.
The second she caught the commanding tone in my voice, her face soured.
She shoved me, her voice shaking with fury. "Lynara, who do you think you are?"
"How dare you speak to your senior brother and sister like that?!"
Edwin stepped between us, his expression the picture of composed reason. "Lynara, don't be rash."
"The Dawnveil Sect was always a small, unremarkable sect. Master spent his entire life trying to make it flourish and never could. What chance would we have?"
"Besides, all of us have ascended to immortality now. Isn't that a glory the sect can be proud of?"
He reached out and took hold of my arm.
"Come now, be good. I'll take you to see the Sovereign. I'll make sure you get a fine celestial rank..."
But before the last word left his mouth, my short sword was already buried in his chest.
Edwin never even had time to react. He crumpled to the ground, eyes wide and glassy, dead before he hit the stone.
Every celestial soldier in the vicinity went rigid with shock. Blades sang free of their sheaths, all pointed at me.
Rosalind stumbled back two steps, her face white. "Lynara, what kind of cursed thing are you holding?!"
She asked because Edwin had already ascended. Immortal energy shielded his body.
An ordinary weapon couldn't have come within a foot of him.