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findings on century phoenixes, beginning with the basics about how theyā€™re rare because they only spawn every hundred years; we already knew that. He couldnā€™t find any record of any other specter with that breedā€™s power, which will make me stand out. But ultimately the problem with all phoenix specters is no one has ever come back as themselves. Thereā€™s always new identities, and in Emilā€™s case, he doesnā€™t even have the memories of his past life. Luna claimed the Reaperā€™s Blood would heighten those powers to operate properly, between the purity of the creatures and the Crowned Dreamer elevating the gleam, but this has remained unproven.

ā€œI found this on the Halo Knightsā€™ website: ā€˜Century phoenixes are restless, war-hungry fighters with survival instincts so fierce they will kill anyone who threatens their lives because they donā€™t want to be away from the world for another hundred years.ā€™ Thatā€™s just . . .ā€ Emil runs his hand through his hair, and his eyes glaze. ā€œI felt Gravesendā€™s cries when she hatched and I could tell she was ready for a fight, but I canā€™t imagine her becoming a killer.ā€

ā€œThe wilds are different,ā€ I say.

Prudencia is writing in Bautistaā€™s journal. ā€œWhat Iā€™m more concerned about is if your instincts will be affected by the powers. Weā€™ll monitor your behaviors, but you have to tell us if you feelā€”ā€

ā€œMurdery?ā€ I mime cutting someoneā€™s throat. Emil shakes his head and Prudencia looks away. ā€œIā€™m kidding.ā€

But they donā€™t say anything. Theyā€™re already treating me like Iā€™ve wiped out an entire city. I keep reminding myself that Iā€™m going to prove everyone wrong. Iā€™m the right hero for this war.

Prudencia almost throws her phone because sheā€™s frustrated with the lack of information on specters with ghost blood, even coming up empty in some more taboo corners of the internet. We didnā€™t know those specters existed until last month and the rest of the world hasnā€™t caught on yet either. The only information Prudencia finds are peopleā€™s accounts of being haunted, which doesnā€™t do anything for us. Itā€™s a shame that I canā€™t call up Orton, who died in his own phoenix flames, or invite June to an exclusive Ghost Specter of New York feature for my series.

The Global Hydrus Society has a wealth of information on hydras; I shouldā€™ve turned to them sooner instead of random articles. Thereā€™s a video of a golden-strand hydra running across a beach, occasionally bursting into swift-speed, which Wesley will help me master later, but when the hydra runs through the palm trees she blends inā€”damn near perfectly. The Hydrus employee explains whatā€™s happening and I almost lose my head.

ā€œSo golden-strands live on tropical beaches,ā€ I say, so excited that I cut off Emil as he tries telling us about the diet of century phoenixes. ā€œAnd they can apparently camouflage themselves against the sand, trees, and ocean. Thatā€™s an extra power I wasnā€™t expecting!ā€

ā€œSo itā€™s geared toward nature?ā€ Prudencia asks.

ā€œI donā€™t know, but powers work differently between creatures and humans anyway. Iā€™m not seeing anything about golden-strands being able to regrow their limbs, only their heads, and I got my arm back obviously,ā€ I say, admiring my handiwork. ā€œSince I canā€™t walk through walls without the ghost power maybe I can still sneak up on the Blood Casters with this new power.ā€

ā€œYeah, maybe,ā€ Emil says.

Heā€™s not the only hero anymore and heā€™s going to have to get used to it.

Knowing what I know now about the camouflaging, itā€™s especially heroic how I prevented Luna from drinking the Reaperā€™s Blood. She wouldā€™ve been more than unkillable; she wouldā€™ve been lethal. I can picture Luna fading into the homes of her enemies, cloaking herself to gather intel, and incinerating them before leaving. Thatā€™s only one dangerous combination she couldā€™ve used with all of those powers.

Once Iā€™m caught up on everything about golden-strands, I click around the site and find links about known hydra specters. Dione is listed with a picture of her captured from a surveillance camera. Her blood comes from a hillkiller and that breed is apparently known for living in forests and multiplying their heads in minutes. I switch over to the profile of a man, Lucas Samford, who has the blood of a rockborn hydra. Rockborns are the toughest to decapitate with their boulder-like exteriors, but once successful, they need weeks before they can grow another head. It took enforcers hours before they decapitated Lucas and burned his body in phoenix fire.

I go through several of these pages before landing on the history of a specter who called himself the Blood Beast. He was among the first wave of Blood Casters, back in the glory days when Bautista was an idolized hero for fighting against them. The Blood Beast had the essence from the death-throated hydra, notoriously the most vicious breed, and in his three months of having powers he had a high body count. An anonymous acolyte got his hands on Lunaā€™s journals, tempted to infuse himself with the death-throated powers to become as dangerous, but the trials the Blood Beast had gone through proved so demanding, like eating rotten raw meat for every meal, that the acolyte ultimately gave up on the dream of becoming a specter and published the findings online to inspire others to do the same.

The Blood Beast didnā€™t live long. Thereā€™s a video of his death with a warning for sensitive material. I put on my earphones and press play. Itā€™s gory. The Blood Beast is dashing around with six legs, six arms, and three heads. He annihilates enforcers who were relatively new at the time and smaller in numbers. But eventually, just like when Orton burned out, the Blood Beast mustā€™ve pushed himself too hard and all his body parts fall off him until heā€™s nothing but a chest surrounded by heads and arms and legs. He looks like a life-sized doll waiting for someone to assemble him.

If I push myself this far, would I die?

Thereā€™s a blur and wind and I jump when Wesley taps

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