by Lisa Daniels
Sitting down at the table, Phoenix tried to avoid looking into the mirror. She had done all that she could, and the idea of seeing herself anymore was causing her mind to drift away again. Instead of looking around the kitchen, she considered what they would need to do. Orion had realized what she was trying to say the night before, and that meant any day now they would leave.
Determined not to drag out the torture anymore, Phoenix began to consider where they should start. Seven sources remained, keeping her mind scattered, and that meant that she could not complete her purpose for returning. All seven would need to be destroyed, and that was going to become increasingly more difficult as they were the sources of most of the Unwashed’s remaining power. With several of the hearts already destroyed, they would be much more cautious about protecting the ones they had left. Worse, the hearts were in territories that belonged to mystics and seers. They would not be happy about having druids in their domain.
Different problem. Her mind immediately wrote those two off because they could be the last hearts that they would destroy. For now, she and Orion could either go after a couple of the small hearts, or they could talk to the one person who could provide some guidance. Phoenix knew which of the two she preferred, if only because it meant saying a final farewell.
Orion placed a plate down in front of her. “Now, that is a look I am accustomed to seeing.” He placed his own plate on the table and sat. “Just let me know what you need me to do. I have already warned Darius and Caspian that something is about to happen. Keeping it vague, of course. Knowing you are back is not going to be easy for either of them to learn. I think that they were both hoping that things were starting to turn around, and I know for a fact that Caspian has been continuing to chase down the way to undo his curse.” Orion seemed to be accustomed to talking and was willing to continue to carry the conversation, but now Phoenix could understand the pain behind his very well-crafted façade.
Placing a hand on his, Phoenix silenced him. “It’s okay.” This was a lie, and they both knew it. At the same time, it said everything that she couldn’t. Phoenix may not be back to herself, but she remembered enough to let him know that they would be moving forward. He swallowed and looked away from her before nodding. She pulled her hand back and picked up a spoon. Closing her eyes for a second, she said, “Kendra.”
Orion’s head whipped back so that he was facing her. “That is going to be difficult.”
She bit her lip before asking, “Impossible?”
He looked at her for a moment before turning to stare out the window. “No, I know how we can talk to her, but she is not going to be happy with me. Just warning you.”
Phoenix giggled, then began to eat. Kendra was usually unhappy with everyone, so this did not seem to be anything too severe. Even if Orion felt the need to warn her first.
They ate in silence. When Orion rose to take the dishes, Phoenix stopped him from taking hers. Standing up, she followed him to the kitchen, carrying her own dishes. She insisted on washing her own stuff once he was done. Finally, Orion looked directly at her. “I understand that you are getting back into yourself, but you are still a guest in my home. I am not going to let you clean anything while you are here.”
Phoenix tried to stare him down, but knew that wouldn’t work. Allowing herself to smile, she handed over her dishes and stood over to the side. She watched him clean. When he finished and started to dry his hands, she decided there was no reason to postpone the inevitable. The longer they waited, the harder it would be to leave.
“Ready?” Her voice sounded much more certain than she felt.
The initial surprise he obviously felt was quickly covered. His lips moved into a fake smile, “Sure. I know where to find Precious and Legend.”
Phoenix frowned. “No Legend.”
“Oh, I guess you didn’t see that if your mind has been stretched over so many places. I don’t think there was a heart in Anilin, so you wouldn’t be aware. The short version is that the Unwashed were using a seer as a new type of control system, but she revolted. Killing everyone in the heart where they were holding her, she fled. Right now, Kendra and many others are attached to her. I know that they have been helping her release them to the next plane, but knowing Kendra, she’s not going anywhere until everyone else is squared away. Anyway, Legend has been taking care of Precious since before they ended up in Anilin. Technically, he did die there. The prediction failed to mention a few key things, which is exactly why everyone hates them. Precious had fallen in love with him in their time together, and she was not about to let him die.” He moved to the front door, holding it open for her to step through. Once outside, he continued, “Legend had tasked me with getting out of there as the Unwashed had punched a couple of time holes into the area and were coming after her. He was every bit as magnificent as the tales say, taking out far more of them than any champion I have ever seen. It was incredibly impressive.” Phoenix nodded as he spoke. If Orion had been impressed by Legend, that really said something—Orion was seldom impressed by anything after so long. “Anyway, she got away from me, punched her own time hole and sliced all of the Unwashed around Legend as he fell. It was a surprising display of light magic that she obviously shouldn’t have been able to manage. I protected them both as she tried to heal him. Before I could stop her, she was pumping all of her life force into him to bring him back. They are quite the pair.”
Phoenix laughed, the image very familiar. “Familiar.”
Orion turned to look at her. Taking her hand in his, he nodded, “Yes, it is a very familiar story. They will have a great life together for as long as it lasts.”
“Lucky,” there was a hint of jealousy in her voice.
“Indeed. But don’t worry, they know it.”
Phoenix nodded, then put her head against his arm as she wrapped her other hand around his. In one rapid movement, he pulled open a space in front of them. “After you.” He didn’t release her hand as she stepped into the void. Once inside, he looked around and led her a few hundred paces away before opening another space.
They emerged in a peaceful garden. As soon as they caught sight of a couple with their heads close together, Phoenix and Orion released each other’s hands. He began walking first, making sure his footsteps could be heard just before he spoke. “It’s been quite some time, huh?”
The couple looked up, their faces a little red, but not because they were embarrassed. Precious’s face lit up, and she ran toward him. “Orion!” She jumped up, throwing her small frame against him. Phoenix stood back and watched the scene unfold, not sure what her role was at that time.
He twirled her around, laughing. When he put her down, he rubbed the top of her head fondly, “You are looking much better now.”
Legend had walked over to them, the smile on his face making his chiseled features that much handsomer. Orion held a hand out to him. Legend grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug. Legend was noticeably shorter than Orion, but he had a lot more muscle. Laughing, Orion gave him a friendly pat on the back, “It’s good to see you, too.”
Precious stood close by, her hands on her hips, “She is very angry at you.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You came anyway?” Precious was looking at him like he was a bit crazy.
“Kendra couldn’t hurt me when she was alive. Imagine how much less she can hurt me now.”
Precious’s eyes became saucers as she looked at him. “Are you trying to start something? Because I don’t want to be caught in the middle of this.”
Orion folded his arms across his chest. “Funny you should mention it, but yes. I am here to start something. She knows why.” Stepping to the side, he held out a hand toward Phoenix.
She stepped forward, feeling exposed and vulnerable. With a limited vocabulary, Phoenix had no desire to make a fool of herself. “Hello.” Giving a slight bow, she kept her eyes on the couple. Orion strode over to her. With a hand on her back, he gently brought her closer.
&
nbsp; Precious tilted her head to the side, then narrowed her eyes. “Phoenix?”
She gave a slight nod of her head. Precious turned and looked at Orion meaningfully, “She looks a lot better than Kendra expected.”
“Well, she kept a very low bar, or has a very low opinion of my abilities.”
Precious turned to look back at Phoenix. “I like your hair.”
It was only then that the druid realized that the small seer had hair that was a similar color to the core of her hair. With a laugh, she pointed at Precious, “Yours, too.”
Patting her head, the seer nodded, “Not exactly a normal color. It’s good to see I’m not the only one who stands out in a crowd.”
Orion could sense Phoenix’s uncertainty. He broke in, “I’m sorry, Precious, but we really don’t have much time. Which Kendra probably should have pointed out. Would you help them talk, please?”
Precious laughed, “Kendra did mention it. But this is the first time I’ve seen you since you saved us. I’m not going to rush it. Like you said, what can she do now?”
Orion held up a finger and waggled it back and forth, “She’s in your head. Don’t tempt her.”
Precious filled her checks and blew a raspberry at him. “She’s not my boss.” With that, she sat on the ground. Phoenix sat beside her and they fell silent.
Legend stepped up beside Orion. “Something tells me that you found what you were looking for. Or who you were looking for. Just as unique as you are.”
Orion looked over at Legend, “Yes. And like you, we have a strange road to travel now.”
Legend nodded, “I hope that it leads to happiness.”
Orion simply smiled, not wanting to ruin things. He knew how things would go, but it was not the kind of ending he would wish on anyone else.
“Something tells me that this time will be different.” Legend’s voice was low, almost comforting.
“One can always hope.”
“That doesn’t sound like you hold out any.”
A simple shrug was all the response the assassin had.
“Once I had a friend,” Legend went on. “Someone who was incredibly important to me. I thought that she died so long ago. In fact, she was the person who spoke of my demise.” He forced a laugh, “That was one of the last memories I had of her. Like so many people I have known, I thought that she died. I don’t exactly know many people older than me who are still around.” He leaned over and gave Orion a look. “Turns out, she’s not dead. I encountered her with Precious not that long ago. She looked… rough, but it was her. Again I failed her. She slipped away, and I don’t know exactly what happened. This time, though, I know that she is okay because there is someone taking care of her.”
“You sound quite certain.”
Legend looked over at him, “Maverick is a lot of things, but when it comes to seers, he is quite reliable.”
“Oh, yes. He is quite interesting, but I would be willing to trust him a little.”
“Just a little?” Legend asked.
“I’ve known him too long to give him more than a little rope. I would hate to see him hang himself if I were to give him too much.”
This caused Legend to laugh loudly. The two women looked over at them, then shook their heads as they rose. Before he moved forward, Legend said, “I really like you, Orion, and I would like to add you to my collection if you assassins have decided it’s not too dangerous to be around me.”
Orion gave a noncommittal smile.
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” Legend patted him on the back, knocking him off balance a little.
Laughing, Orion nodded, “I would be happy to be a part of your exclusive collection. Just let Draven or Maverick know that you want to talk to me, and they can get me word.”
“I look forward to hearing how you managed to outwit your destiny. Should make for an interesting story.”
“I will strive not to disappoint you.” Orion stepped toward Phoenix. “Do you have what you need?”
She nodded at him.
“Is she alright?” Precious was looking at the druid with concern.
“She is having a rough time at the moment, but I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to help her.”
Precious smiled up at Orion, “I have such a difficult time believing you are an assassin. You are even kinder and more compassionate than Legend, and he was the best person I had ever encountered.”
“I assure you, it took a lifetime to learn to be the way I am.”
“And a considerable amount of pain and sacrifice.” The three turned to look at Legend. “But she is right. Now, get going.” His arm moved around Precious.
Orion held a finger up to his forehead and gave them a salute, “Take care.”
With that, he took Phoenix by the hand and led her away from the pair. Precious and Legend watched them go before Precious finally said, “I hope that it doesn't end normally for them this time. Orion was the one to convince her this time. That has never happened before.”
“What do you mean?” Legend looked at her.
Precious shrugged, “Kendra has gotten very loud. I suppose this is her punishment for what I said.”
Legend swept Precious off her feet, “Well, I think I know how to get her to disappear for a while.” Precious laughed as his hands began to move over her body and under the dress she was wearing. She almost didn’t feel him undoing the buttons as he strode toward a little cabin on the other side of the garden.
Chapter 5
Easy First Steps
Orion squeezed Phoenix’s hand. “What did she have to say?”
Phoenix threw him a sideways glance, “Promise broken.”
“Yeah, that’s true. Quite true. If I hadn’t—”
“Death.”
“What?” Orion stopped walking.
Phoenix turned to look at him. This was going to be very difficult to relay, but she felt she had to try. Her discussion with Kendra, as limited as it was, helped her remember what had been happening before her return. Though she wasn’t supposed to, the druid always watched Orion so that she could help him. No matter how quickly he reached her, the assassin always felt that he should have done better. She didn't know how long she waited for him this time, but she knew it was longer than normal. Still, things would have been fine if her mind hadn’t shattered. That was because of how reluctant she had been to return and put him through everything all over again. Phoenix had watched him save so many people, had seen how he kept some from death, like Precious and Legend, and how he had ensured others would make it to safety. In the worst cases, he had provided mercy killing to those who were too far gone. Some of the memories of what she had witnessed were returning, and she wanted to take away any guilt he might have felt about being late to save her.
She tapped his chest, “Without you, there is no him.”
Orion took her hand in both of his. “You don’t need to comfort me. I know what I did—”
“Was right.”
“Phoenix, I know—”
“No,” she frowned at him. She tapped her own chest over her heart, “Pain here.” She then tapped the same place on him, “Not just here. He lives. I’m happy.” She let the edges of her mouth twitch up because her happiness did not outweigh what she knew was coming.
Orion pulled her to him and held her for a little while. “You always know what to say, no matter the circumstances.”
“You must live, too. It can’t just be me.”
He buried his face in her hair, “I am the only one who gets to live.”
She shook her head, “I’m here.” Pressing into him, Phoenix hoped he understood what she was trying to say. For a moment, time stopped.
Regretting it even as she pushed away from him, Phoenix knew that she needed to act before she lost her ability to force herself to move forward. After all, if she didn’t restore the balance, there would be nowhere left to be with Orion within 10 years. She didn’t need to be a seer. She had observed the wo
rld and knew what was coming if things did not change. Time had already been lost, which meant that the Unwashed had already started to regain power lost when some of the hearts were destroyed. There were too many seers and mystics that had not been discovered that they were finding within their borders. They had already used up most of the remaining seers in Ishtar, but the heart there was easily the most powerful.
With the only heart in the druids’ domain destroyed by Ignacio, with help from Orion and Rosaline, the next closest heart was in Mesa Verde. That one was so well hidden that no one would have found it. With an increasing number of magic users and shifters taking action against the Unwashed, there were fewer hearts remaining. Phoenix had held off returning to see what was left. She had been pleasantly surprised to see Falstaff fall as Anders stormed in nearly alone. Hector had joined him in bringing down the city, and it had been a valuable lesson for Phoenix—too many lives were lost that could have been saved. She had witnessed Hector’s approach to the second heart being formed in Solona, as well as the progress of Darius. The shifters had proven just how much of a force they could be beyond acting as protectors. The most impressive work had been done by Ignacio, though. Where the others had gone through, taking out the Unwashed and putting themselves at risk, he had simply flattened them. While it was true that the others had hoped to save some of the women in the heart, it was a futile endeavor once they were fully fused. Ignacio had done the right thing, which was impressive considering just how young he was. Phoenix could see why Orion cared about his mentee so deeply—Ignacio was like the son Orion had always wanted to have. Just one of the dreams he had given up. She didn’t blame him for making sure Ignacio lived. Had Orion not helped, both Ignacio and Rosaline would have died. He had made sure that Rosaline had found the right holds to help Ignacio, then he had made sure that none of the archers had harmed her after Ignacio had sacrificed himself during the first wave.
How could she communicate that she would have been angry if Orion hadn’t helped the young assassin and his druid? The guilt would have eaten him from the inside.