Phoenix of Hope: Complete Series — Books 1-4

by Zora Marie

  “No single type of magic will win this fight.”

  “And no amount of magic training will save them when they deplete their wells of magic. So, I’ll be taking all of them for the morning and you two can continue arguing who gets them this afternoon until you’re blue in the face.” Koin grinned like a cat with a mouse as Vainoff sputtered, but Nikolas just smirked like he had expected Koin to jump in like that.

  “Fair enough. Though the two of them can practice their magic while they fight, just try not to burn anyone.”

  Vainoff muttered something under his breath but waved the three of them off. “I’ll see the three of you this afternoon.”

  Zelia shook her head as they trailed after Koin.

  “Are they always like that?” Jones asked.

  “Sort of. Well, this is a side of Nikolas I’ve never seen before. He’s always been a lone wolf in the past, but Koin and Vainoff are longtime friends. They’ve always bickered a bit.”

  “And I always win,” Koin said in a singsong tone.

  “Well, you do have a few years of experience on him.”

  “Only a thousand or so. Are you all ready for training?” Koin paused at the pasture gate to look each of them over head to toe.

  “As ready as we can be,” Lucky answered for the three of them.

  “Hm, yes. You’ll be taking it easy today, practice but don’t strain your ribs. You…” Koin looked to Jones. “Is there any magic you could or should be practicing while we train?”

  “Um…” Jones swallowed.

  “Didn’t we work on you fighting with a levitating broomstick?” Lucky asked.

  “Not while I was training with a sword though. I do good to keep up with the object I have in my hand.”

  “Hm. That reminds me, I need to teach the two of you to manipulate your energy during fights. I usually wait until after you have a decent foundation, but since you’ll be facing Fenari soon,” Koin shrugged, “did Kilian teach you to see energy fields?”

  “Yes. That’s another thing Jones is better at than I am.” Lucky gave Jones an encouraging nudge.

  “Then what is my energy doing?” Zelia split her energy in two and made them spar one another.

  “Show off,” Koin teased.

  “How are you splitting it like that?” Jones asked.

  “I just tell it too.”

  “Zelia is an exception to almost every rule.”

  “It must be the god thing.” She waved her hand and took a short sword from the bundle he carried.

  “Yes, make your own rules, why don’t you.” Koin winked at her then continued into the field. “All you two need to do is make your energy fake left while you go right, only with every single move you make. That way no one can predict your movements by energy.”

  “You two should have watched Koin and Loboran’s energy the other day. If you thought just their fight was impressive…”

  Koin hummed a note of amusement as he picked a short sword for each of the boys. “You’ll be that good again once you’ve retrained your body. Just be glad you’re not as clumsy on the ground as you were when you first learned.”

  “So, so very true. Me and you this morning? I need to work on my reaction time.”

  “Of course. Jones, be careful not to hit Lucky’s ribs.”

  As they slipped and slid in the wet grass and slushy remnants of snow while they trained, Zelia called to Lucky, “You know, you could dry the pasture. Or would you like me to?”

  “I’ve got it.”

  Heat warmed her feet as Lucky’s fire dried the area they trained in. When the snow melted across the field, manure from that winter was revealed and Zelia made those turn into ash that Lucky’s wind spread across the field.

  “Well that’s surprisingly useful.” Koin grinned at her as they sparred. He wasn’t really having to try in order to push her and it aggravated her. She’d never been as good as he was, but she had been able to hold her own alongside him at the Battle for The Hold. He clicked his tongue at her. “Aggravation doesn’t help. Remember, good sword fighting is a dance.”

  “Yes, yes. But really good sword fighters are not so damned slow.”

  “You’ll get back there eventually, and I doubt you’ll have to sword fight this time. Not with what you’ll be doing.”

  “Still, sometimes I prefer it.”

  “I understand. Now stop wasting breath on talking.”

  After sparing with Koin and then Lucky all morning, Zelia was tempted to hide among the horses as she had as a child. It bugged her that Lucky and Jones didn’t seem as worn out as she was, but she kept reminding herself that this body had been skin and bones barely more than a month before. She was making great strides and those little exercises Donavain had made her do had been geared towards fighting movements, which is why she wasn’t a complete mess with a blade.

  She opened her book to follow along with the spell Vainoff was explaining, but she froze at the sight of familiar words. The book disappeared in her hands and she saw Asenten slam his staff to the ground as she threw up a wall of ice in front of Yargo, Barg, and Gaeru. The ice hadn’t formed fast enough to shield her too. She could feel the blast of magic rip through her chest and how her body had crunched as it hit the cave wall.

  “Zelia, are you even listening?”

  She blinked and the vision was gone. “Sorry, Vainoff.” The fear and pain lingered and she forced herself to take a breath and look up from where she’d stared into space.

  Vainoff leveled her with a stare that so clearly told her to stop daydreaming and pay attention. She turned away from him slightly as she returned to staring at her copy of the spell book. She couldn’t perform these spells without a power stone and even if she had hers, she wouldn’t use these spells. She’d accepted the past, but it seemed some things would always bother her. Sometimes she could still feel the shrapnel in her chest, even though this body had never experienced that pain.

  “So that’s where Kilian learned that look from,” Lucky said to draw Vainoff’s scrutiny to him.

  When Vainoff finally continued his rambling teachings, Lucky gave her a questioning glance and she shrugged. She was fine. She just didn’t really care to learn these spells. The only spells she cared about were the ones to break the barriers that had held her captive for so many years, and Vainoff wouldn’t be covering those since they were blood magic.

  By the time Vainoff called it a day and released them for dinner, Zelia was sick and tired of hearing him talk and just wanted to crawl into bed. It wasn’t just his voice, it was his mannerisms and his clothing that ate at her senses. He wasn’t one of them, but he was similar, too similar. She shook her head and forced herself to think of something else. Sitting still for so long after training all morning had her muscles cramping up. She did her best to stretch as they went to dinner, which was blissfully peaceful.

  23

  A familiar boisterous laugh stirred her from sleep. The room was lightening with the coming day and she heaved a sigh. She and Linithion needed to get up and see what news the Hyperian warrior brought from Lumid and Yargo. Normally she might have been excited to see Barg, or any of the other familiar warriors, but getting up meant training wouldn’t be far off. Everything from her toes to her fingertips was stiff.

  Linithion’s hand trailed down her back and Zelia shivered at the feather light touch. “Is that Barg I hear?”

  “Sounds like it. Should we go say hello?”

  “Probably best we do. I think I hear Lucky talking with him. I don’t think we need Barg giving him any grand ideas.”

  “Hm. True.” Zelia didn’t move though. She didn’t want to start the day, not when Vainoff had insisted they train with him first today.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Zelia. You’ve been quieter than normal ever since practice with Vainoff yesterday. Did he do something?”

  “No. I just…” Zelia didn’t know how to explain the uncomfortable feeling she got whi
le studying the guild’s spells. She knew Linithion loved those spells, the magic, and the connection it had forged between her and her father. Zelia didn’t want to cast shadows on that merely because of her own past.

  “If you don’t feel comfortable talking to me about it, then talk with Eleanor or Alrindel, or anyone, just don’t bottle up whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

  Zelia nodded and whispered, “I love you,” in hopes that Linithion would understand.

  “I love you, too. Now come on, before they come barging in to retrieve us.” Linithion sat up, forcing Zelia to move.

  “Fine.” Zelia rolled from the bed and changed into the fresh clothes Linithion tossed to her.

  By the time they left the room, more than just Lucky sat with Barg in the study down the hall. Donequen was sitting with his arms crossed, staring at the warrior with an expression that reminded her of Tregar. Perhaps it was the subtle hint of amusement that danced in Donequen’s eyes even as a slight scowl graced his features that reminded her of his mentor. Jones and Lucky sat enthralled by one of the many tales of battle Barg liked to spin, but he cut short upon noticing her and Linithion in the doorway.

  “Hello Barg. We haven’t even had breakfast and you’re already spinning tall tales?” Zelia raised a brow at him and silently hoped he hadn’t been spinning some tale of her this time.

  “Good morning my dear princess. I was actually just telling them a story of you.”

  She groaned. “Not this again, Barg. Leave me out of your grand tales. Please?”

  Barg’s smile softened. “You’ve earned every tale told in the halls. I don’t even have to embellish them.”

  “You embellish everything, whether it needs it or not.”

  “You mistake me for Gaeru, he’s the embellisher.”

  “You both are, though he was kind enough to keep the stories to himself.”

  “Hey!” Lucky drawled. “Just because you don’t like stories, doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t.”

  “Yes, yes, it’s just because I’m a girl. Or I believe that’s how Terik put it.” Zelia waved off Lucky’s stare. “So, you have news for us?”

  “I do. I’m not allowed to say anything until we’re in that shielded room of yours so Rog can’t listen in.”

  “You realize he can go through my memories at will, right?”

  Barg squinted at her. “You really shouldn’t let him do that.”

  “He’s already seen most everything, so it doesn’t much matter. Besides, he seldom does it. I’ll go find Eleanor.”

  Zelia turned from the study and headed for Eleanor’s office, leaving Linithion and the others to listen to Barg’s tale. The door to Eleanor’s office stood open and Eleanor was nowhere in sight, so Zelia turned and headed downstairs.

  She was nearly to the bottom of the stairs when Eadon stepped into the hall, closing a door to one of the rooms that now housed the injured behind him. He glanced at her and paused. “Yes?”

  “Do you know where Eleanor is?”

  “She went to see if the elders would like to sit in on the news Barg brings.” Eadon searched her face. “What troubles you?”

  “A lot of things.”

  Eadon gave her one of his fatherly looks, his brow crinkled just so, and she sighed.

  “Come on.” He waved her to follow him into the room where he usually, in times of peace, tended to the injured. The shelves that were usually full of herbs and remedies were sparsely filled now. He gave a pointed look towards the cot as he shut the door and went to lean against the counter, his arms crossed. “You know what gets said within these walls is not spoken outside of them. So please tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “Is now really the time for this?”

  “Zelia. Mental health is just as important as physical health. You seemed to have been doing better until yesterday afternoon, what happened?”

  Zelia fought the urge to fidget and sat back against the wall. “I finally accepted what I’ve done, but I still can’t stand the guild’s spells. Did you know Vainoff gave me a copy of the book with blood magic in it?”

  “No. You know, if you’re not ready to face those things yet, we can push off that part of your training.”

  “No. I need to know it, I just…” Zelia closed her eyes as she forced herself to take a deep breath and calm the nerves that made her skin crawl. If she were honest, the normal spells—the ones Vainoff was teaching—didn’t bother her so much. “I need someone besides Vainoff to teach me.” She hated to admit it, but she did. She needed someone else to teach her. Someone who didn’t remind her so much of Asenten as they rambled about spells and magic. Her stomach turned at the thought of Asenten.

  “Ah. I see. I can speak to him about it, if you like?”

  Zelia nodded and Eadon came to sit beside her on the cot. She leaned into him and let his presence sooth away thoughts of Asenten. She’d missed moments like this most of all during all those years alone.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Zelia shrugged. “It’ll just make how irrational the fear is bug me more.”

  “It’s not irrational, not after what you’ve been through.” There was a knock on the door and Eadon sighed. “That would be Eleanor looking for us.” He gave her a light squeeze before getting up to open the door.

  “Is everything alright?”

  Eadon glanced back at Zelia, then gave Eleanor one of his ‘a healer cannot tell’ smiles and kissed her. “We were just about to come find you.”

  “Hm. Well, the elders will not be joining us, so I suppose we should find Barg.”

  They followed Eleanor to the chamber with the scrying bowl. The room was shielded from prying eyes the same as the one in the Drakeon Empire had been. Vainoff was the last to join them and Zelia did her best not to shy away from him as the morning light streaming through the window shone on the power stone within his staff.

  Barg watched her expectantly.

  “You don’t need my permission to start, Barg.”

  “Awe, but I do.” Barg winked at her. “So, Lumid cannot watch everything at once, but he has noticed a few Fenari poking around the borders of the Kingdom of the Mountains, Mountains of the Old Ones, and Coridale, as well as some places out at sea. The dwarves seemed to have taken in any who were willing to live beneath the mountain, but those who lingered in The Trading Town were taken by the Fenari yesterday. Lumid has also spotted several villages that have gone quiet, save for the crows.” Barg paused to look at each of them, then his gaze lingered on Eleanor. “If you’re going to make a move, you need to do it soon, before there’s no one left beyond your border. This seems to be the only place they cannot break into. Why exactly is this place so fortified? To the point that Lumid cannot see in?”

  “The entire guild worked together to construct wards here to conceal Zelia from prying eyes as a child.”

  Linithion’s hand tightened on Zelia’s, in a silent offer of comfort against the topic that had bothered her so much in days past. Now, though, what Eleanor said was merely a fact for Zelia and nothing more. She only wished the same could be said for other things. She risked a glance at Vainoff and his staff before asking, “Does Lumid or Yargo have any inkling of what kingdom the Fenari will attack next?”

  “No. They say the attacks seem random, other than the ones against the Drakeon Empire. Those were different than the others. I don’t know what you all did when you retrieved Terik, but you ticked them off.”

  Linithion’s gaze turned distant and Zelia returned the little squeeze her soulmate had given her.

  “They were likely to go after them either way, since we store more energy than most and the Drakeon Empire was not as fortified as things are here,” Eleanor said. “Is that all the news you have for us?”

  “It is, unfortunately. I’ll do what I can to see if I can get more information for you before I come back.”

  “Thank you, Barg. Tell Lumid I said hello?” Zelia asked.

  “Of course. You kn
ow, he misses having someone to talk to about the stars.”

  Zelia shrugged. “My eyesight never returned to what it was, but I miss the view and his company nonetheless.”

  Barg nodded, a hint of sadness crossing his features. “I’ll relay the message. Do any of you have something to share with Yargo?”

  She shook her head. “Lumid’s probably already informed him of everything of note.”

  “Like your new trick?” Barg raised a brow at her.

  “It’s not a trick nor a gift.” Zelia held the warrior’s gaze and he smirked at her.

  “Very well then. I must return, we’re a little short staffed with so many here teaching the humans. Stay safe, my dear princess.” Barg bowed to her and a smile tugged on the corners of his lips.

  “Oh, go home and bow to Rog and Terik, Barg.” Zelia couldn’t help but smile a little as he grinned at her.

  “As you wish.” He winked and headed out the door.

  24

  Breakfast was quiet as everyone thought over what Barg had said. When it came time to get up and separate for the day’s tasks, Zelia nabbed an apple from the table and made a point to slip away before Vainoff could call her to follow him. She was tempted to go hide beneath Raven’s wing, but she had promised Bête Noire she’d try to do better by him. So, she checked that the apple was secure in her cloak and headed for the pasture still occupied by horses.

  As there were more Elves there than usual, there were far more horses than normal as well. Even among the fine horses the Elves raised, Bête Noire was easy to spot as the Elves tended to favor lighter coated mounts. His black coat gleamed in the sunlight, even with him being in his rough winter coat.

  He nickered the moment he spotted her and trotted to her. “Hm. Visiting me before Raven? What has gotten into you?”

  “Well, I figured I owed you after carrying me and Linithion without rest for so long.” Zelia pulled the apple out. “I know it’s not sugar, but…” She trailed off as he happily bit off a chunk.